A defence of the Apology of the Church of England containing an answer to…A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to…

Ye call our Doctrine naked,¹ and cold, for that we say, The Sacrament is a Figure. And yet because ye cannot in any wise deny, but the same word, Figure, to the same purpose is commonly used of all the Ancient Catholic Fathers, and Doctors of the Church, Therefore ye thought it good to qualify, and to mince the matter, and to say, It is a Figure, not of the Body, but of the Death of Christ. And here it is a world to see, how pitifully ye trouble your self with your variety, and change, and shift of Figures.

Ye cal our Doctrine naked,¹ and colde, for that wée saie, The Sacramente is a Figure. And yet bicause ye cannot in any wise denie, but the same woorde, Figure, to the same purpose is commonly vsed of al the Anciente Catholike Fathers, and Doctours of the Churche, Therefore ye thought it good to qualifie, and to mince the matter, and to saie, It is a Figure, not of the Body, but of the Deathe of Christe. And here it is a worlde to sée, howe pitifully ye trouble your selfe with your varietie, and change, and shifte of Figures.

1. 1Figure. Christs Death. Absent or Present.Figure. Christes Deathe. Absente or Presente.

First you say, The Sacrament, by the Judgement of Damascene, is called a Figure before the Consecration,¹ that is to say, before the Sacrament be a Sacrament. Afterward upon better advise ye say, The Forms only, & the Shows, & Accidents are the Figure of Christs Body. Again you say, Christs Body Invisible, is a Figure of Christs Body Visible: that is to say, A thing uncertain, is a Figure of a thing most certain. Now last of all ye say, as, I think, no man ever said before, The very Body of Christ it self is a Figure of the Death of Christ. Thus many pretty strange unknown Figures ye are driven to devise, thereby to avoid one simple, plain, usual, & common Figure. For, to leave an infinite number of other Ancient Fathers,