A04468:4455
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.
Ye say, Pope Sylvester Christened the Emperor Constantinus, and therefore was his Spiritual Father. This may pass among other your Truths. For your Popes, by their Omnipotent Power may Minister Sacraments, being dead. And yet, notwithstanding all this were true, M. Harding, yet your cause thereby were little furthered. Onlesse perhaps ye will reason thus: Pope Sylvester Christened the Emperor: Ergo, The Pope hath Authority, to Call Councils. Howe be it, onlesse this Argument be better digested, your very Sophisters of Louvain will hardly allow it.
Yée saie, Pope Syluester Christened the Emperoure Constantinus, and therefore was his Spiritual Father. This maie passe emonge other your Truthes. For your Popes, by theire Omnipotente Power maie Minister Sacramentes, being deade. And yet, notwithstandinge al this were true, M. Hardinge, yet your cause thereby were litle furthereo. Onlesse perhaps yée wil reason thus: Pope Syluester Christened the Emperoure: Ergo, The Pope hathe Authoritie, to Calle Councelles. Howe be it, onlesse this Argumente be better digested, your very Sophisters of Louaine wil hardely allowe it.
But in deed, that whole tale, touching the Christening of the Emperor Constantine, 1is nothing else, but a peevish fable. Constantius, the Emperors own Son, utterly denieth, that Sylvester ever Baptized Constantinus his Father. Eusebius saith, Constantinus was Christened, not in the flourishing state ⟨p. 670⟩of his age, but only a little before he died: not in Rome, but at Nicomedia, in the Kingdom of Epirus: not in a corner, but in the presence of many Bishops: and, as S. Hierome saith, not by Pope Sylvester, that then was dead, but by Eusebius the Bishop of Nicomedia. 2For proof whereof, S. Ambrose saith, Constantino in ultimis constituto, Gratia Baptismatis omnia peccata dimisit: The Grace of Baptism forgave Constantine all his sins, even at the ending of his life. Therefore, M. Harding, we must needs say, that, either your tale is untrue, which is not strange: or else Constantine was twice Baptized, which is very unlikely.