A46876:386
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
Letter: AN EPISTLE Written by the Reverend Father in God JOHN JEWEL, Lord Bishop of SARUM, TO S…
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.
31. FOR we know that the Spirit of God is neither bound to any place or number of men. Tell it (said Christ) to the Church: To wit, not to the universal Church which is spread all over the World, but to the particular, which may meet in some one place. Wheresoever (saith he) two or three of you are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of you. So St. Paul, that he might reform the Churches of Corinth ⟨p. 190⟩and Galatia, did not command them to stay for a General Council, but wrote to them that they would forthwith cut off all Errors and Disorders: And so heretofore whilst the Bishops slept and did nothing, or rather defiled and polluted the Temple of God, God by extraordinary ways excited others who were great men, and of generous minds, to reform whatever was amiss.
31. FOR we know that the Spirit of God is neither bound to any place or number of men. Tell it (said Christ) to the Church: To wit, not to the universal Church which is spread all over the World, but to the particular, which may meet in some one place. Wheresoever (saith he) two or three of you are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of you. So St. Paul, that he might reform the Churches of Corinth ⟨p. 190⟩and Galatia, did not command them to stay for a General Council, but wrote to them that they would forthwith cut off all Errors and Disorders: And so heretofore whilst the Bishops slept and did nothing, or rather defil'd and polluted the Temple of God, God by extraordinary ways excited others who were great men, and of generous minds, to reform whatever was amiss.
32. BUT then, Sir, we have done nothing rashly, nor without very great reason, nothing but what we saw was lawful at all times to be done; and which had often been done by the Holy Fathers without any blame. And thus calling together the Bishops, and a very full Synod, by the common consent of all our States, We cleansed the Church of those Dregs and Corruptions which either the carelessness or malice of Men had brought in, and purged it as the Augean Stable: And as far as it was possible, we have reduced all things to their ancient Splendour, and the resemblance of the Apostolical times, and Primitive Church. And all this, as we might lawfully do it, so for that cause have we done it confidently.