Bishop John Jewel's "Apology for the Church of Engand," a defense against the charge of schism by the schismatic Papists. The vigourous defense is profuse with Scriptures and a profound awareness of history. This is Chapters Three and Four, pages 21--20. The photo is the Salibury Cathedral.
The issues is : reasons for answering the charges against the Reformed. Given Jewel's background, it is noteworthy that he uses the term "the Reformed." The English Reformers were "Reformed." Further, the Council of Trent, Papist Paul IV and Julius III are referenced as background events.
Anglo-Romanists, Anglo-Papalists, and Anglo-Catholics need to get clear out--they're not (!) authentic Reformed Anglicans.
Free and downloadable:
http://books.google.com/books?id=l17TMgynV8IC&pg=PA17&dq=john+jewell+apology+defence+of+the+apology&as_brr=1&output=text#c_top
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CHAPTER III.
Reasons for Answering the Charges against the Reformed.
Sect. 1. Now, as for those things which by them liave been laid against us, in part they be manifestly false, and condemned so by their own judgments, which spake against them : partly again, though they be as false too, indeed, yet bear they a certain show and colour of truth, so as the reader (if he take not good heed) may easily be tripped and brought into error by them, especially when their fine and cunning tale is added thereunto. And part of them be of such sort, as we ought not to shun them as crimes, or faults, but to acknowledge and confess them, as things well done, and upon very good reason. For, shortly to say the truth, these folks falsely accuse and slander all our doings, yea, the same things which they themselves cannot deny but to be rightly and orderly done ; and for malice do so misconstrue and deprave all our sayings and doings, as though it were impossible that any thing could be rightly spoken or done by us. They should more plainly and sincerely have gone to work, if they would have dealt truly. But now they neither truly, nor sincerely, nor yet Christianly, but darkly and craftily charge and batter us with lies, and do abuse the blindness and fondness [silliness] of the people, together with the ignorance of princes, to cause us to be hated, and the truth to be suppressd.
This, lo ye, is the power of darkness, and of men which lean more to the amazed wondering of the rude multitude, and to darkness, than they do to truth and light; and, as St. Jerome saith, " do openly gainsay the truth, closing up their eyes, and will not see, for the nonce [designedly].'"' But we give thanks to the most good and mighty God, that such is our cause ; where-against (when they would fainest) they were able to utter no despite, but the same which might as well be wrested against the holy fathers, against the prophets, against the apostles, against Peter, against Paul, and against Christ himself.
Sect. 2. Now therefore, if it be lawful for those folks to be eloquent and fine-tongued in speaking of evil, surely it becometh not us in our cause, being so very good, to be dumb in answering truly ! For men to be careless what is spoken by them, and their own matter, be it never so falsely and slanderously spoken, (especially when it is such that the majesty of God, and the cause of religion, may thereby be damaged,) is the part, doubtless, of dissolute and reckless' persons, and of them which wickedly wink at the injuries done unto the name of God. For although other wrongs, yea, oftentime great, may be borne and dissembled of a mild and Christian man, yet he that goeth smoothly away, and dissembleth the matter, when he is nc-ted of heresy, Rufinus was wont to deny that man to be a Christian.m f We, therefore, will do the same thing which all laws— which Nature's own voice, doth command to be done; and which Christ himself did, in like case, when he was checked and reviled : to the intent we may put off from us these most slanderous accusations, and may defend soberly and truly our own cause and innocency.
Sect. 3. For Christ verily, when the Pharisees charged him with sorcery, as one that had some familiar spirits, and wrought many things by their help: " I," said he, " have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me."' And St. Paul, when Festus the lieutenant scorned him as a madman : " I," said he, " am not mad, most noble Festus ; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness." And the ancient Christians, when they were slandered to the people for man-killers, for adulterers, for committers of incest, for disturbers of the commonwealths ;. and did perceive that by such slanderous accusations the religion which they professed might be brought in question, namely, if they should seem to hold their peace, and in manner confess the fault; lest this might hinder the free course of the Gospel, they made orations, they put up supplications, and made means to [used influence with] emperors and princes, that they might defend themselves and their fellows in open audience.
Sect. 4. But we truly—seeing that so many thou-H sands of our brethren in these last twenty years have borne witness unto the truth,i in the midst of most painful torments that could be devised; and that when princes, desirous to restrain the Gospel, sought many ways, they prevailed nothing ; and that now almost the whole world doth begin to open their eyes to behold the light;—we take it, that our cause hath already been sufficiently declared and defended, and think it not needful to make many words, seeing the matter saith enough t for itself.
Sect. 5. For if the Popes would, or else if they could, weigh with their ownselves the whole matter, and also the beginnings and proceedings of our religion ; how in a manner all their travail hath come to nought, nobody driving it [the Reformation] forward, and without any worldly help ; and how, on the other side, our cause— against the will of emperors from the beginningr— against the will of so many kings—in spite of the Popes—and almost maugre the head [in direct opposition to the endeavours] of all men—hath taken increase, and by little and little spread over into all countries, and is come at length unto kings' courts and palaces :— these same things, methinks, might be tokens great enough to them, that God himself doth strongly fight in our quarrel, and doth from heaven laugh at their enterprizes; and that the force of the truth is such, as neither man's power, nor yet hell-gates, are able to root it out. For they be not all mad at this day, so many free cities, so many kings, so many princes, which have fallen away from the seat of Rome, and have rather joined themselves to the Gospel of Christ.
Sect. 6. And although the Popes had never hitherto leisure to consider diligently and earnestly of these matters ; or though some other cares do now let them, and divers ways pull them ; or though they count these to be but common and trifling studies, and nothing to appertain to the Pope's worthiness ; this maketh not why oux matter ought to seem the worse. Or if they perchance will not see that which they see indeed, but rather will withstand the known truth, ought we therefore by and by to be counted hereties, because we obey not their will and pleasure ?
Sect. 7. If so be that Pope Pius [the IV.] were the man, (we say not, which he vyould so gladly be called,) but if he were indeed a man that either would account us for his brethren, or at least would take us to be meri, he would first diligently have examined our reasons, and would have seen what might be said with us, what against us ; and would not in his Bull, whereby he latelypretended a council,' so rashly have condemned so great a part of the world—so many learned and godly men— so many commonwealths—so many kings—and so many princes, only upon his own blind prejudices and foredeterminations, and that without hearing of them speak, or without showing cause why.
Sect. 8. But because he hath already so noted [set a stigma upon] us openly—lest by holding our peace we should seem to grant a fault, especially because we can by no means have audience in the public assembly of the general council," wherein he would no creature should have power to give his voice, or to declare his opinion, except he were sworn, and straitly bound to maintain his [the Pope's] authority; (for we have had good experience hereof in the last conference at the Council of Trent, where the ambassadors and divines of the princes of Germany, and of the free cities, were quite shut out from their company ;—neither can we yet forget how Julius the third, above ten years past, provided warily, by his writ, that none of our sort should be suffered to speak in the council, except that there were some man peradventure that would recant, and change his opinion;) for this cause chiefly, we thought it good to yield up an account of our faith in writing and truly and openly to make an answer to those things wherewith we hare been openly 'charged; to the end the world may see Ihe parts and foundations of that doctrine in the behalf whereof so many good men have little regarded their own lives. And that all men may understand what manner of people they be, and what opinion they have of God and of religion, whom the Bishop of Rome, before they were called to tell their tale, hath condemned for hereties" without any good consideration, without any example, and utterly without law or right; only because he heard tell that they did dissent from him and his in point of religion.
Sect. 9. And although St. Jerome would have nobody to be patient when he is suspected of heresy, yet we will deal herein neither bitterly, nor babblingly; nor yet be carried away with anger and heat; though he ought to be reckoned neither bitter nor brabbler, that , speaketh the truth. We willingly leave this kind of eloquence to our adversaries; who, whatsoever they say against us, be it never so shrewdly or despitefully said, yet think it is said modestly and comely enough, and care nothing whether it be true or false. We need none of these shifts, which do maintain the truth.
Further, if we do show it plainly that God's holy Gospel, the ancient bishops, and the primitive Church, do make on our side ; and that we have not without just cause left these men, but rather have returned to the Apostles and old catholic fathers : and if we shall be found to do the same, not colourably, or craftily, but in good faith before God, truly, honestly, clearly, and plainly : and if they themselves which fly our doctrine, and would be called Catholies, shall manifestly see how all these titles of antiquity, whereof they boast so much, are quite shaken out of their hands, and that there is more pith in this our cause than they thought for:—we then hope and trust that none of them will be so negligent and careless of his own salvation, but he will at length study and bethink himself to whether part he were best to join him. Undoubtedly, except one will altogether harden his heart, and refuse to hear, he shall not repent him to give good heed to this our Defence, and to mark well what we say, and how truly and justly it agreeth with Christian religion.
Sect. 10. For where they call us Heretics, it is a crime so heinous, that unless it may be seen, unless it may be felt, and in manner may be holden with hands and fingers, it ought not lightly to be judged, or believed, when it is laid to the charge of any Christian. For heresy is a forsaking of salvation—a renouncing of God's grace—a departing from the body and spirit of Christ.
Sect. 11. But this was ever an old and solemn [accustomed] property with them and their forefathers : if any did complain of their errors and faults, and desired to have true religion restored; straightway to condemn such for heretics, as men new-fangled, and factious. Christ for no other cause was called a Samaritan, but only for that he was thought to have fallen to a certain new religion and to be the author of a new sect. And Paul, the Apostle of Christ, was called before the judges, to make answer to a matter of heresy; and therefore he said: "After the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets."3 [In short, all that religion which we Christians now profess, in the beginning of Christianity was, by the Pagans, called a sect or heresy.* With these words they filled the ears of princes, that when, out of prejudice they had once possessed their minds with an aversion for us, and that they were persuaded, that whatever we said was factious and heretical, they might be diverted from reflecting upon the thing itself, or even hearing or considering the cause.
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