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

18. AND whereas they pretend we have departed from the Uvity of the Catholic Church, this is not only odious, but tho it is not true, yet it hath an appearance and similitude of Truth in it. But then, not only those things which are true and certain find belief with the ignorant Multitude, but those things also which may seem probable; and so we shall ever observe, that crafty cunning Men, who had not the Truth on their sides, have ever maintained their Cause with the Resemblances of Truth; that those who could not dive into the bottom of things, might be taken at least with the show and probability of their Arguments.¹ Because the Primitive Christians, our Fore-fathers, when they Prayed to God, turned their Faces toward the rising Sun; there were some that said they worshipped the Sun, and that it was their GOD; and because they said, that as to their eternal and immortal Life, they lived on nothing but the Flesh and Blood of the Lamb without spot, meaning thereby our Saviour Jesus Christ: Envious Men, the Enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose only business ⟨p. 64⟩it was,² to render the Christian Religion by any means hateful, did thereupon persuade the People that the Christians were impious Men; that they offered Humane Sacrifices, and drank Mans Blood; and when the Christians said with God, there is neither Male nor Female, that is, that as to the obtaining of Justification, there is no distinction of Persons, and did salute one another commonly by the Names of Brother and Sister; there were not wanting some who slandered the Christians thereupon,³ and said, they made no distinction amongst them of Sex or Age, but like Beasts, promiscuously lay together. And when they met frequently in Vaults and secret places to Pray and hear the Gospel, which sort of private Places and Meetings, had sometimes been made use of by Conspirators against the Government; there was thereupon a Rumour spread abroad, that they conspired together, and had secret Consultations about murdering the Magistrates and subverting the Government. And because in celebrating the Holy Communion, they made use of Bread and Wine, according to the Institution of Christ, they were thought by many not to worship Christ, but Bacchus and Ceres, because those heathen Deities were worshipped by the Pagans with a like Rite, with Bread and Wine.