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…

I marvel, M. Harding, that ye can publish so manifest Untruth without blushing. Ye say, that before these few late years, there was but one Form of Faith throughout the world. Yet being learned, & having travailed through the Ancient Writers, you must needs have seen the Apostles Creed: the Nicene Creed: S. Basiles Creed: Damasus Creed: S. Hieromes Creed: S. Cyprian's. or Ruffians Creed: Gregory's Creed: the Creed called, Quicunque vult, written, as some think, by Athanasius, as some others, by Eusebius Vercellensis: the Creed contained in the Hymn called, Te Deum, whether it were written by S. Augustine, or by S. Ambrose: every of these under several, and sundry forms. You know, that in divers of the Oldest Councils, as occasion was offered, so somewhat was either added to the Creed, or diminished, or altered: as it may appear by Eusebius, Socrates, Theodoretus, Sozomenus, Evagrius, Nicephorus, and others. You know, that S. Augustine unto Laurentius, S. Hierome unto Cyril, S. Ambrose unto the Emperor Gratianus, and others moe in declaration of the Christian Faith, have not always used one precise form of Words: and that the Emperor Constantine maketh open Protestation of his Faith, as it is recorded in your Counterfeit Donation, in Sense, & Substance agreeing with all others, that were Catholic: but in Words, far disagreeing from all others, and peculiar only to him self. To be short, you know, that between your Mass Creed, & the peoples Common Creed, as touching the Words, there was great difference. It were too long, to rehearse all. Neither was it necessary, to say so much, saving only to show the manifest vanity of your talk. To express one Substance of Faith in sundry Forms of Words, I never heard, it was forbidden, saving only now at the last by this late Decree of M. Harding.