The apology of the Church of England, and an epistle to one Seignior Scipio…

But now who can enough deplore the Blindness, Pride and Partiality of those Men, who being led by Interest, and hoodwinked by Ignorance, did at first employ all the disingenuous Arts that spite and ⟨image 7⟩prejudice could furnish them with, to ruin this most Excellent, Apostolical, and Primitive Church; or force her to return back to the State of Corruption, out of which with so much labour, difficulty, and danger, she was then rising.

But now who can enough deplore the Blindness, Pride and Partiality of those Men, who being led by Interest, and hoodwink'd by Ignorance, did at first imploy all the disingenuous Arts that spite and ⟨image 7⟩prejudice could furnish them with, to ruine this most Excellent, Apostolical, and Primitive Church; or force her to return back to the State of Corruption, out of which with so much labour, difficulty, and danger, she was then rising.

But there is some allowance to be made for the misinformation of Strangers, who being separated from us by the Ocean, were forced to take such Accounts as were given them by others; and 1. being too apt to believe the reports of their own Priests, whose Interest it was to blacken her what they could; And 2. those of our own Fugitives, who made the case much worse than they themselves thought it, that they might obtain the more pity, and consequently the better Relief and Provision abroad, which is wont to be afforded to all those that fly for Religion, amongst those of the same Faith; 3. And also suspecting the Fidelity of the Relations made by our Ministers in foreign Courts, 4. And of all our Travellers who stuck to, and ⟨image 7⟩embraced the Religion established by Law.

But there is some allowance to be made for the misinformation of Strangers, who being separated from us by the Ocean, were forced to take such Accounts as were given them by others; and 1. being too apt to believe the reports of their own Priests, whose Interest it was to blacken her what they could; And 2. those of our own Fugitives, who made the case much worse than they themselves thought it, that they might obtain the more pity, and consequently the better Relief and Provision abroad, which is wont to be afforded to all those that fly for Religion, amongst those of the same Faith; 3. And also suspecting the Fidelity of the Relations made by our Ministers in foreign Courts, 4. And of all our Travellers who stuck to, and