Anglican Communion -- Apologetic works; Church of England -- Apologetic works
Where they say, that we have fallen into sundry sects, and would be
called some of us Lutherians, and some of us Zuinglians, and cannot yet
well agree among ourselves touching the whole substance of doctrine: what
would these men have said, if they had been in the first times of the
Apostles and holy fathers, when one said, "I hold of Paul;" another, "I
hold of Cephas;" another, "I hold of Apollo;" when Paul did so sharply
rebuke Peter; when, upon a falling out, Barnabas departed from Paul;
when, as Origen mentioneth, the Christians were divided into so many
factions, as that they kept no more but the name of Christians in common
among them, being in no manner of thing else like unto Christians; when,
as Socrates saith, for their dissensions and sundry sects they were
laughed and jested at openly of the people in the common game-plays;
when, as Constantine the emperor affirmeth, there were such a number of
variances and brawlings in the Church, that it might justly seem a misery
far passing all the former miseries; when also Theophilus, Epiphanius,
Chrysostom, Augustine, Ruffine, Hierom, being all Christians, being all
fathers, being all Catholics, did strive one against another with most
bitter and remediless contentions without end; when, as saith Nazianzen,
the parts of one body were consumed and wasted one of another; when the
east part was divided from the west, only for leavened bread and only for
keeping of Easter Day; which were indeed no great matters to be strived
for; and when in all councils new creeds and new decrees continually were
devised. What would these men (trow ye) have said in those days? which
side would they specially then have taken? and which would they then have
forsaken? which Gospel would they have believed? whom would they have
accounted for heretics, and whom for Catholics? And yet what a stir and
revel keep they at this time upon two poor names only of Luther and
Zuinglius? Because these two men do not yet fully agree upon some one
point, therefore would they needs have us think that both of them were
deceived; that neither of them had the Gospel; and that neither of them
taught the truth aright.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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