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…

It is wonder to see, how these men abuse the Ecclesiastical histories. Whereas they talk a little before of the sitting of Emperors in general Councils, a man would think, that now also Theodosius had been said to have sitten among Bishops^* in some general Council. But there is no such matter.² Theodosius the Emperor conferred with Nectarius the Bishop of Constantinople, how all Christen men might be brought to an unity in Faith. And after that Nectarius had learned of Sisinnius a great Clerk, the best way to be, if all the heads of each Heresy and Sect, might be induced to be judged by the old Fathers and Doctors of the Church: the godly Emperor hearing this advise, caused both the Heretics, and Catholics also, to write each of them such things, as each of them had to say for his Belief. And after prayer made, reading over all the writings,^‡ he rejected the Arians, the Macedonians, and the Eunomians, ‡ embracing only their sentence, who agreed upon the Consubstantiality of the Son of God. Here (say these Defenders) Theodosius did not only sit amongest the Bishops, but also ordered the whole arguing of the cause, tearing the papers of the Heretics, and allowing the Judgement of the Catholics. To which objection I make this answer. First, that Theodosius here took counsel of Nectarius the Bishop, and followed it: Secondly, that he intended not to Judge, whether opinion of all the Sects were truer,