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

18. SO they traduce us, and say, that as Heretics we have departed from the Unity of the Catholic Church, and the Communion of Christ; not that they believe this to be true (nor are they at all concerned whether it be true or false) but because the thing may in some sort seem true to ignorant Men; for we have indeed departed, not as Heretics ever have done, from the Church of Christ; but, as good men ought to do, from the Contagion of wicked Men and Hypocrites; and yet here they insult wonderfully, that theirs is the Church, the Spouse of Christ, the Pillar of Truth, the Ark of Noah, out of which, no Salvation is to be hoped for; and in the interim, they assert with the same Confidence, that we have revolted, that we have rent the Coat of Christ, and torn our selves from his Body, and made a defection from the Catholic Faith. And when they have thus left nothing unsaid, which can possibly be (tho never so falsely and slanderously) objected against us, yet at last they cannot pretend that we have forsaken the Word of God, or the Apostles of Christ, or the Primitive Church.

18. SO they traduce us, and say, that as Hereticks we have departed from the Unity of the Catholick Church, and the Communion of Christ; not that they believe this to be true (nor are they at all concern'd whether it be true or false) but because the thing may in some sort seem true to ignorant Men; for we have indeed departed, not as Hereticks ever have done, from the Church of Christ; but, as good men ought to do, from the Contagion of wicked Men and Hypocrites; and yet here they insult wonderfully, that theirs is the Church, the Spouse of Christ, the Pillar of Truth, the Ark of Noah, out of which, no Salvation is to be hoped for; and in the interim, they assert with the same Confidence, that we have revolted, that we have rent the Coat of Christ, and torn our selves from his Body, and made a desection from the Catholick Faith. And when they have thus left nothing unsaid, which can possibly be (tho never so falsly and slanderously) objected against us, yet at last they cannot pretend that we have forsaken the Word of God, or the Apostles of Christ, or the Primitive Church.

19. NOW we have ever thought, that the Primitive Church which was in the times of Christ and the Apostles and holy Fathers, was the Catholic Church. Nor do we doubt, but that that Church is the Ark of Noah, the Spouse of Christ, the Pillar and Foundation of Truth; or to place in it all the Hopes of our Salvation. It is indeed an odious thing to break off and depart from that Society a Man has long lived in, especially