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

23. AND although these things alone are sufficient to forewarn a wise man, not to suffer himself easily to be imposed upon by the Name of the Church, so as not to examine it by the Word of God, yet besides all this, many of the Fathers and pious and learned Men have oftentimes grievously complained that there Predictions were come to pass in their times. For God, in the midst of that Darkness, would that there should be some men, who should as Sparks be observed by ⟨p. 73⟩Men, tho they could not give them a very clear and bright Light. Certainly Hilarius, when things were in some sort sincere and uncorrupted, tells them,¹ that they did ill in doting upon Walls; that they were mistaken in venerating Houses and Buildings, as if they were the Church of God, and offering them to us instead of Peace. Is it doubtful (saith he) whether Antichrist shall sit there? The Mountains, Woods, Lakes, Prisons and Gulfs to me seem safer, because the Prophets of God remaining willingly, or being forcibly put into them, prophesied by the Spirit of God. Gregory the Great, as if he then perceived and foresaw the Ruin that was near at hand, wrote thus to John Bishop of Constantinople, who first commanded himself to be called by the Name of the Universal Bishop, ²If the Church should depend upon one man, it would certainly fall. And who is there that hath not observed that this is come long since to pass? It is a great while since the Bishop of Rome would have the whole Church depend upon him only, and therefore it is no wonder if it be long since fallen. St. Bernard above four hundred years ago said, there is nothing sound in the Clergy now, therefore there is nothing remaining but the Revelation of the Man of Sin; and in his Sermon on the Conversion of St. Paul, he expresseth himself thus. It may seem perhaps to some, that Persecutions are ceased: No (saith he) they now begin from them who have obtained the Primacy in the Church; thy Friends and thy Neighbours have approached and stood against thee, from the Sole of the Foot to the Crown of the Head; there is no Soundness; Iniquity is proceeded from thy ⟨p. 74⟩Elders, Judges and Vicars, who seemed to govern thy People. We cannot now say, as the People are, so is the Priest, because the People are not so bad as the Priests. Alas, alas, O Lord God!