Bishop John Jewel's "Apology for the Church of Engand," a defense against the charge of schism by Papists. The vigourous defense is profuse with Scriptures and a profound awareness of history. This is Chapters One and Two, pages 16-20. The photo is the Salibury Cathedral.
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
------------------------
Chapter One
A short Account of the Opposition the Truth and trut Religion have met with in all Ages.
Section 1. It hath been an old complaint, even from the first time of the patriarchs and prophets, and confirmed by the writings and testimonies of every age, that the truth wandereth here and there as a stranger in the world, and doth readily find enemies and slanderers amongst those that know her not.k Albeit perchance this may seem unto some a thing hard to be believed—I mean to such as have scant well and narrowly taken heed thereunto—especially seeing all mankind, of Nature's very motion, without a teacher, doth court the truth of their own accord; and seeing our Saviour Christ himself, when he was on earth, would be called The Truth," as by a name most fit to express all his divine power: yet we, which have been exercised in the holy Scriptures, and which have both read and seend what hath happened to all godly men, commonly at all times—what to the prophets, to the apostles, to the holy martyrs, and what to Christ himself—with what rebukes, revilings,* and despites, they were continually vexed whilst they here lived, and that only for the truth's sake ;—we, I say, do see that this is not only no new thing, or hard to be believed, but that it is a thing already received, and commonly used, from age to age.
Nay, truly, this might seem much rather a marvel, and beyond all belief, if the devil, who is the father of lies, and enemy to all truth,f would now upon a sudden change his nature, and hope that truth might otherwise be suppressed than by belieing it; or that he would begin to establish his own kingdom by using now any other practices than the same which he hath ever used from the beginning. For since any man's remembrance, we scant find one time, either when religion did first grow, or when it was settled, or when it did fresh spring up again, wherein truth and innocency were not by all unworthy means and most despitefully entreated. Doubtless the devil well seeth, that so long as truth is in good safety, himself cannot be safe, nor yet maintain his own estate.
Sect. 2. For—letting pass the ancient patriarchs and prophets, who, as we have said, had no part of their life free from contumelies and slanders—we know there were certain in times past which said, and commonly preached,6 that the old ancient Jews (of whom we make no doubt but they were the worshippers of the only true God) did worship either a sow, or an ass, in God's stead;'" and that all the same religion was nothing else but sacrilege, and a plain contempt of all godliness.i We know also, that the Son of God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, when he taught the truth, was counted a sorcerer, an enchanter, a Samaritan,1 Beelzebub,' a deceiver of the people,TM and a glutton.". Again, who woteth [knoweth] not, what words were spoken against St. Paul, the most earnest and vehement preacher and maintainer of the truth ? Sometimes, that he was a seditious and busy man, a raiser of tumults, a causer of rebellion :» sometimes, again, that he was a heretic :p sometimes, that he was mad :i sometimes, that only upon strife and stomach [anger] he was both a blasphemer of God's law, and adespiser of the fathers' ordinances.' Further, who knoweth not, how St. Stephen, after he had thoroughly and sincerely embraced the truth, and began frankly and stoutly to preach and set forth the same, as he ought to do, was immediately called to answer for his life, as one that had wickedly uttered disdainful and heinous words against the law, against Moses, against the temple, and against God ?" Or who is ignorant, that in times past there were some which reproved the holy Scriptures of falsehood, saying, they contained things both contrary, and quite one against another :l and how that the Apostles of Christ did severally disagree between themselves," and that St. Paul did vary from them all ?T And not to make rehearsal of all—for that were an endless labour—who knoweth not after what sort our fathers were railed upon in times past, which first began to acknowledge and profess the name of Christ? how they made private conspiracies, devised secret counsels against the commonwealth," and to that end made early and privy meetings in the dark, killed young babes, fed themselves with men's flesh, and, like savage and brute beasts, did drink their blood;—in conclusion, that after they had put out the candles, they committed adultery between themselves, and without regard, wrought insest one with another; that brethren lay with their sisters, sons with their mothers, without any reverence of nature or kin, without shame, without difference ; and that they were wicked men, without all care of religion, and without any opinion of God, beingthe very enemies of mankind, unworthy to be suffered in the world, and unworthy of life ?r
Sect. 3. All these things were spoken in those days against the people of God ; against Christ Jesus ; against Paul; against Stephen; and against all them, whosoever they were, which at the first beginning embraced the truth of the gospel, and were contented to be called by the name of Christians, which was then a hateful name among the common people, i And although the things which they said were not true, yet the devil thought it should be sufficient for him, if at least he could bring it so to pass, as they might be believed for true; and that the Christians might be brought into a common hatred of every body, and have their death and destruction sought of all sorts. Here-T upon kings and princes, being led then by such persuasions, killed all the prophets of God, letting none escape: Isaiah with a saw; Jeremiah with stones ; Daniel with lions; Amos with an iron bar; Paul with the sword; and Christ upon the cross : and condemned all Christians to imprisonments, to torments, to the pikes, to be thrown down headlong from rocks and steep places, to be cast to wild beasts, and to be burned, and made great fires of their quick [living] bodies, for the only purpose to give light by night, and for a very scorn and mocking-stock ;" and did count them no better than the vilest filth, the off-scourings and laughing games of the / whole world.
Thus, as ye see, have the authors and professors of the truth ever been entreated.
CHAPTER II.
The Calumnies tittered against the true Religion, as professed in the Church of England.
Sect. 1. Wherefore we ought to bear it the more quietly, which have taken upon us to profess the Gospel of Christ,* if we for the same cause be handled after the same sort: and if we, as our forefathers were long ago, be likewise at this day tormented, and baited with railings, with spiteful dealings, and with lies : and that for no desert of our own, but because we teach and acknowledge the truth.b
Sect. 2. They cry out upon us at this present, every where, that we are all heretics, and have forsaken the faith, and have with new persuasions and wicked learning utterly dissolved the concord of the Church.'
Sect 3. That we renew, and as it were feteh again from hell, the old and many-a-day condemned heresies : that we sow abroad new sects, and such broils as never erst [before] were heard of: also, that we are already divided into contrary parts and opinions, and could yet by no means agree well among ourselves.*
Sect. 4. That we be accursed creatures; and, like the giants, do war against God himself, and live clean without any regard or worshipping of God.
Sect. 5. That we despise all good deeds: that we use no discipline of virtue, no laws, no customs: that we esteem neither right, nor order, nor equity, nor justice : that we give the bridle to all naughtiness, and provoke the people to all licentiousness and lust.
Sect. 6. That we labour and seek to overthrow the state of monarchies and kingdoms, and to bring all things under the rule of the rash inconstant people, and unlearned multitude.
Sect. 7. That we have seditiously fallen from the Catholic Church, and by a wicked schism and division have shaken the whole world, and troubled the common peace and universal quiet of the Church :c and that, as Dathan and Abiram conspired in times past against Moses and Aaron/ even so we at this day have renounced the Bishop of Rome, without any cause reasonable.
Sect. 8. That we set nought by the authority of the ancient fathers, and councils of old time :e that we have rashly and presumptuously disannulled the old ceremonies, which have been well allowed by our fathers and forefathers many hundred years past, both by good customs, and also in ages of more purity : and that we have, by our own private head, without the authority of any sacred and general council, brought new traditions into the Church: and have done all these things, notfor religion's sake, but only upon a desire of contention and strife. But that they, for their part, have changed no manner of thing, but have held and kept still, such a number of years, to this very day, all things as they were delivered from the apostles, and well approved by the most ancient fathers.h
Sect. 9. And that this matter should not seem to be done but upon privy slander, and to be tossed to and fro in a corner only to spite us, there have been besides wilily procured by the Bishop of Rome certain persons of eloquence enough, and not unlearned neither, which should put their help to this cause, now almost despaired of; and should polish and set forth the same, both in books, and with long tales, to the end that when the matter was trimly and eloquently handled, ignorant and unskilful persons might suspect there was some great thing in it.1 Indeed, they perceived that their own cause did every where go to wreck : that their sleights were now espied, and less esteemed ; that their helps did daily fail them, and that their matter stood altogether in great need of a cunning spokesman.
No comments:
Post a Comment