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

20. THUS do they impose upon silly men, by vain and useless Shows, and see• to overwhelm us with the mere Name of th• Church; just as if a Thief having got possession of another mans House, and having by force expelled or slain the true Owne• should afterwards claim it as his own, an• keep the true Heir out; or as if Antichrist after he has seized the Temple of God• should afterwards pretend it were his ow• and that Christ had no right to it. For the• our Adversaries have left almost nothing li• a Church, in the Church of God, yet the• will needs seem the only Patrons and Defenders of the Church; just as Gracchus defende• ⟨p. 67⟩the Roman Exchequer, by making such profuse Largesses, and such unreasonable Expenses, that he quite ruined the Public Treasury. But then there was never any thing yet so absurd or wicked, but it might seem easy to be covered and defended by the Name of the Church; for Wasps make Combs, and impious Men have their Assemblies not much unlike the Churches. But they are not presently the People of God who are called so, nor are they all Israelites who are of Israel. The Arian Heretics boasted that they only were Catholics,¹ and they called all the rest, sometimes Ambrosians, and at other Athanasians, and Johannites. And Theodoret tells us, that tho Nestorius was an Heretic, yet he covered himself [Greek or Hebrew], with the Pretence and Cloak of the Orthodox Faith. Ebion, tho he was of the same Opinion with the Samaritans, yet, as Epipha•es assures us, he would needs be called a Christian. The Mahometans at this day, tho •t is clear from all Histories, and they themselves cannot deny it, that they are descended from Hagar; yet, as if they were the Children of Sarah the free Woman, the Wife of Abraham, they will needs, for the Name and Race sake, be called Saracens.