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

5. AND whereas they say we are divided into divers Sects, and that some of us have taken the Names of Lutherans, and others of^* Zwinglians (or Calvinists) and we could never yet agree amongst our selves concerning the Articles of our Doctrines. What would they have said if they had lived in the Times of the Apostles and Holy Fathers? When one said I am of Paul, another, I am of Cephas, and another, I am of Apollo; when St. Paul reprehended St. Peter; when by reason of a Quarrel, Paul and Barnabas separated one from the other, and went several ways; when as Origen acquaints us, the Christians were divided into so many Factions, that they had no Name common to them, but that of Christian, and they agreed in nothing else but that Name; and as Socrates informs us, they were derided publicly in the Theatres by the People, for their Dissentions and Sects; and when, as Constantine the ⟨p. 43⟩Great said, there was so many Contentions and Controversies in the Church, that this very single Calamity seemed to exceed the Miseries of the former times (of Persecution;) when Theophilus, Epiphanius, Chrysostom, Augustin, Ruffinus, and St. Jerome, all of them Christians, all Fathers, and all Catholics, contested each others with most violent and implacable Animosities; when, as Nazianzen saith, the Members of the same Body consumed one another; when the Eastern and Western Churches contended about Leavened Bread, and the time of keeping Easter, things of no mighty consequence; when in every Council (which were then numerous) there was a new Creed, and new and contrary Decrees minted. What would these men have then said? to whom would they have applied themselves? from whom would they have fled? in what Gospel would they have believed? whom would they have esteemed Catholics, and whom Heretics? Now there are only two Names, Luther and Zuinglius, and what a Noise is made about them! But because these two could not agree about some Points; shall we therefore think they are both in the wrong, that neither of them has the Gospel, and that neither has preached well and truly?

5. AND whereas they say we are divided into divers Sects, and that some of us have taken the Names of Lutherans, and others of^* Zuinglians (or Calvinists) and we could never yet agree amongst our selves concerning the Articles of our Doctrines. What would they have said if they had lived in the Times of the Apostles and Holy Fathers? When one said I am of Paul, another, I am of Cephas, and another, I am of Apollo; when St. Paul reprehended St. Peter; when by reason of a Quarrel, Paul and Barnabas separated one from the other, and went several ways; when as Origen acquaints us, the Christians were divided into so many Factions, that they had no Name common to them, but that of Christian, and they agreed in nothing else but that Nane; and as Socrates informs us, they were derided publickly in the Theaters by the People, for their Dissentions and Sects; and when, as Constantine the