A04468:3873
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…
A defence of the Apology of the Church of England containing an answer to a certain book lately set forth by M. Harding, and entitled, A confutation of &c. By John Jewel Bishop of Salisbury.A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to a certaine booke lately set foorthe by M. Hardinge, and entituled, A confutation of &c. By Iohn Iewel Bishop of Sarisburie.
Imprinted at London : In Fleetestreate, at the sign of the Elephant, by Henry Wykes, Anno 1567. 27. OctobrisImprinted at London : In Fleetestreate, at the signe of the Elephante, by Henry VVykes, Anno 1567. 27. Octobris
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
M. Harding.
M. Hardinge.
The Church that now is, and the Church that was in Old time, is one Church, as a man in his old age is the same man, he was in his youth.* From the which Church no faults, or unperfections can excuse you for your departing.2 Neither have ye gone from it as Daniel was delivered out of the Lions Denn•, nor as the three Children out of the Furnace: but ye have departed wilfully from the house of God, where touching Faith, all be of one accord, unto the Synagogue of Antichrist, unto Babylon of Sects, where is no order, but confusion, unto the kingdom of Satan: and there ye remain as it were in a Den of Lions, where that roaring Lion with his fellows, lieth in wait,3 seeking whom he may devour. Ye have stepped from the place of Spiritual refrigerie, into the frying pan of Schisms and Heresies,4 and from thence, after that ye have now boiled and fried, in malice and rancour against the Church, except ye repent, ye are like to leap into the ⟨p. 583⟩Furnace of Hell, that for ever shall torment you, and never consume you. Complain not of your casting out of the Church. To be excommunicate, ye have deserved. And that kind of punishment is by a merciful discipline, extended upon you, partly for your amendment, partly to conserve the rest of the body whole from your pestiferous contagion.