A46876:335
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… › Conclusion: The Conclusion.
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.
3. WHEREFORE, O Christian and Pious Reader, now thou feest the Reasons and Causes of the Reformation of Religion with us, and of our Departure from them, thou oughtest not to wonder that we should rather choose to obey our Saviour than Men. St. Paul hath admonished us, that we should not be carried away with every Wind of false Doctrine, 1and especially, that we should mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which we have learned, and avoid them; for they that are such, serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own Belly, and by good ⟨p. 142⟩Words and fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the simple. Their Impostures accordingly, like Bats and Owls, do now sometime since begin to fly and steal away before the rising Sun, and cannot endure the Light of the Gospel; and although they were in some sense built and heaped almost up to Heaven, yet they sink down into Ruins of their own accord. For thou oughtest not to think that those things happened accidentally or by chance. It was certainly the Will of God, that in these times the Gospel of Jesus Christ should, in defiance of all opposition, be spread abroad in the World; and therefore men being moved by the Word of God, freely betook themselves to the Doctrine of Christ; and as for us, we sought neither Riches nor Pleasure, nor case by this Change; for our Adversaries abound in all these, and we had a much larger Share of them whilst we continued with them.
3. WHEREFORE, O Christian and Pious Reader, now thou feest the Reasons and Causes of the Reformation of Religion with us, and of our Departure from them, thou oughtest not to wonder that we should rather choose to obey our Saviour than Men. St. Paul hath admonished us, that we should not be carried away with every Wind of false Doctrine, 1and especially, that we should mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which we have learned, and avoid them; for they that are such, serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own Belly, and by good ⟨p. 142⟩Words and fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the simple. Their Impostures accordingly, like Batts and Owls, do now sometime since begin to flie and steal away before the rising Sun, and cannot indure the Light of the Gospel; and altho they were in some sense built and heaped almost up to Heaven, yet they sink down into Ruins of their own accord. For thou oughtest not to think that those things happened accidentally or by chance. It was certainly the Will of God, that in these times the Gospel of Jesus Christ should, in defiance of all opposition, be spread abroad in the World; and therefore men being moved by the Word of God, freely betook themselves to the Doctrine of Christ; and as for us, we sought neither Riches nor Pleasure, nor case by this Change; for our Adversaries abound in all these, and we had a much larger Share of them whilst we continued with them.