A46876:267
The apology of the Church of England, and an epistle to one Seignior Scipio…
The apology of the Church of England, and an epistle to one Seignior Scipio a Venetian gentleman, concerning the Council of Trent written both in Latin / by ... John Jewel ... ; made English by a person of quality ; to which is added, The life of the said bishop ; collected and written by the same hand.
London: printed by T. H. for Richard Chiswell, 1685
THE APOLOGY OF THE Church of ENGLAND. Written by the very Learned a… › Chapter 4
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
26. BUT now, whereas they pretend to be in Possession of the whole Catholic Church, and call us Heretics, because we do not agree with them. Let us see what Mark that Church hath of the Church of God: Nor is the Church of God very difficult to be found, if you seriously and diligently seek for it; for it is placed in an high ⟨p. 77⟩and illustrious Place, and built on the top of a Mountain, and the Foundations of it are laid upon the Apostles and Prophets.1 There (saith St. Augustin) let us seek the Church, there let us try our Cause; 2and in another place he saith, the Church is to be shown cut of the sacred Scriptures, and whatever (Society) cannot derive it self from them, is not the Church. And yet I know not whence it proceeds, whether from Reverence or Conscience, or a despair of Victory, that these men always dread and shun the Word of God, as much as a Thief does the Gallows; and in truth it is no Wonder, for as they say, a Beetle is presently extinguished in Opobalsam, although it is a most fragrant Ointment: So they see their Cause is suffocated and ruined when ever it comes near the Scriptures, which are a sort of deadly Poison to it. Therefore they accustom themselves to call the Holy Scriptures, which our Saviour Jesus Christ did not only cite on all occasions,3 but at the last, sealed them with his Blood: that they may drive the People from them, as if they were dangerous and destructive, with the greater facility; these very Scriptures I say, they call a cold, uncertain, unprofitable, dumb, killing, dead Letter, which seems to us to be the same thing as if they should wholly deny them to be the Word of God: And besides all this, they commonly add a no very proper Simile too.4 They are (say they) a Nose of Wax, and may be formed and set all manner of ways, and be made to serve all manner of Purposes. Does the Pope not know that that these things are said by his Followers? Does he not understand what kind of Patrons he has?
26. BUT now, whereas they pretend to be in Possession of the whole Catholick Church, and call us Hereticks, because we do not agree with them. Let us see what Mark that Church hath of the Church of God: Nor is the Church of God very difficult to be found, if you seriously and diligently seek for it; for it is placed in an high