THE APOLOGY OF THE Church of ENGLAND. Written by the very Learned and Reverend Father in God John Jewell, Bishop of Salisbury.THE APOLOGY OF THE Church of ENGLAND. Written by the very Learned and Reverend Father in God John Jewell, Bishop of Sarisbury.

THE APOLOGY OF THE Church of ENGLAND. Written by the very Learned and Reverend Father in God John Jewell, Bishop of Salisbury.

THE APOLOGY OF THE Church of ENGLAND. Written by the very Learned and Reverend Father in God John Jewell, Bishop of Sarisbury.

CHAP. I.

Of the true Religion professed in the Church of England, with a short Account of the Opposition the Truth and true Religion hath met with in all Ages.

Of the true Religion professed in the Church of England, with a short Account of the Opposition the Truth and truë Religion hath met with in all Ages.

IT is an old Complaint derived down¹ to us from the very times of the Patriarchs and Prophets, and confirmed by the Evidence of all Histories, and the Testimonies of all Ages, that Truth is a Stranger upon Earth,² and doth too easily find Enemies and Defamers, because ⟨p. 2⟩she is not known: and although this may seem perhaps incredible to those who have not attentively reflected on it, because Mankind, by the instinct of Nature, without any Teacher, doth spontaneously breathe after Truth; and Christ himself our Saviour, whilst he conversed with Men, chose to be called the TRUTH, as if that Name did aptly express all the Power and Force of his Divine Nature: yet we who are acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, and have read and considered what hath happened to pious men in almost all Ages, what befell the Prophets, the Apostles, the holy Martyrs, and Christ himself; with what Slanders, Curses, and Injuries they were vexed whilst they lived, only for the sake of Truth. We (I say) see by this, that it is no new thing, but usual, and the Custom of all Ages. Indeed it would appear much more wonderful and incredible, if the Father of Lies, the Devil, that Enemy of all Truth, should now of a sudden change his Mind, and entertain any other hopes of oppressing the Truth than by Lies; or should now begin to establish his Kingdom by other Arts than those he hath hitherto employed: For in all Ages we shall scarce find any Period of time in which Religion increased, established it self, or was reformed, but that at the same time Truth and Innocence were most unworthily and most injuriously treated by men; for the Devil knows very well, that if Truth doth flourish in safety, his Affairs can neither be safe nor prosperous.