versal Bishop and Supreme Head of the whole Church, the King of Pride, a Heretic, and an Enemy to all his Episcopal Brethren.

Since then it is evident, and indeed will not admit of denial, that our adversaries have forsaken the Doctrine and Discipline of those from whom they received their Gospel, their Creed, their Religion, their Church; what reason, what cause can be alleged, why they should not return to them, as to the source of their existence? Why do they dread the examples of the Apostles and Fathers, as if they had been void of understanding? Are these men more intelligent, or more careful of the interests of the Church than those from whom they derived all their knowledge? For our parts we have left that Church in which we were neither able to hear the pure Doctrine of God's Word, to have the Sacraments properly administered, nor to call upon the name of the Lord in a becoming manner: a Church, according to their own acknowledgments, abounding with errors; to which no prudent man, who regarded his eternal welfare, could be induced to belong. In a word, we have retired from a Church which differs widely from its original constitution, in

the same manner as Daniel escaped from the Den of Lions; as the three young men did out of the Fiery Furnace; † or to speak perhaps more properly, we have been driven from their community with curses and execrations.

We have besides connected ourselves with that Church in which, even they must confess, if they adhere conscientiously to Truth, that all things are regulated with the greatest propriety and decorum; and as far as possible, in accordance with the precepts and example of the Primitive Ages. For let them institute a com parison between our respective Churches, and they will not fail to perceive how widely they differ from the Apostles, and therefore with how much justice we differ from them. For we, with Christ, the Apostles, and the Holy Fathers, administer the Sacrament entire to the People: they on the contrary, in direct opposition to the Fathers, the Apostles, and Christ himself, with the greatest Sacrilege, as their own Gelasius affirms, divide the Communion, and deprive the People of one of the Elements.

In the early part of the Apology this subject has been fully

We have again restored the Lord's Supper to its ancient form as instituted by Christ, and endeavoured as far as possible to render it open and common to all men, that it might be in reality, as well as in name the *COMMUNION. They

discussed, the matter has indeed been handled by Bishop Jewell in the most able manuer, not only in this work and the Defence, but also in his other writings. "It behoves us to know," says this pious and excellent Prelate, "that Christe the Sonne of God, appointed the Sacrament of his Body to be geven in Breade, and the Sacrament of his Blood to be geven in Wine. These be the Holy Mysteries of Christ's Body and Blood. Wee may not here accompte what may be in either of them by the drifte of vaine fantasie; but rather we ought to consider what Christe in the first institution hereof did, and what he commanded to be doone; and wee wishe and pray to God, that his whole Churche may once be reformed after the example and institution of Christe; without whom the Churche is no Churche; neither hath any right, or claime without his promisse nor any promisse without his woorde."

The Replie unto M. Hardinge's Answeare, p. 99. Ed. Lond. 1565.

* We teach in our Catechism, which is early put into the hands of all Protestant Children, "that the BODY and BLOOD of CHRIST are verily and indeed taken and received by the FAITHFUL in the LORD'S SUPPER." In the xxviiith Article we profess," that to them who worthily receive the LORD'S SUPPER, the Bread which we break is the COMMUNION of the BODY of CHRIST, and likewise the CUP of blessing, is the partaking of the BLOOD of CHRIST." In the Prayer before Consecration, we beseech God that we may so eat the Flesh of Christ, and

against the positive command of Christ have converted this Holy COMMUNION into a Private Mass. We therefore give the Lord's Supper to the People, whilst they entertain them with an Idle Show.

We affirm with the most ancient Fathers that the Body of Christ is eaten by none but Pious and Holy men, who are endued with the Spirit of Christ: they teach their followers that the very Body of Christ absolutely, or as they express it, really and substantially can be devoured not only by impious and wicked Infidels, but also, which is a most abominable and execrable doctrine, by Mice and Dogs.

We offer up our prayers in the Church in such a manner that, as St. Paul* exhorteth us, the people may understand the nature of their supplication, and conclude their devotions with a

drink his Blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by HIS BODY, and our Souls cleansed through HIS most precious BLOOD, and in our exhortation we earnestly beseech the Congregation by the most persuasive arguments, the hopes of Salvation, and Eternal Happiness, to be partakers of this Holy Rite.

*1 Cor. xiv. 16.

fervent Amen: they, like sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal, in their places of Worship pour forth Prayers in an unknown foreign language, without understanding, sense, or feeling: their sole object being to deprive the people of ll knowledge.

And not to enumerate all the existing dif ferences, (for they are nearly infinite,) we have translated the Sacred Volume into all Languages; they scarcely suffer it to exist in one:

To those Papists who consider the Scriptures too difficult for the comprehension of the lower orders, I would apply the words of St. Augustin to the Heretic Julian, Exaggeras quam sit difficilis, paucisque conveniens eruditis Sanctarum cognitio Literarum.* You are guilty of falsehood when you assert that the Scriptures are difficult to be understood, and adapted to the capacity of the learned only. St. Chrysostom† declares that the Husbandman, the Widow, the young and simple, may easily comprehend the doctrines of the Bible. St. Augustinį uniformly speaks of the style of Writing, and simplicity of Expression in the Sacred Volume, as the language of a familiar friend, which speaks to the heart of the unlearned as well as the learned; and lastly, St. Cyril § extols the simplicity and familiarity of Speech of the Scriptures, and declares them to be within the reach of any man's capacity.

Augustin Contra Julian, lib. v. cap. i.

+ Chrysostom in Matt. Hom. i.

Augustin, Epist. iii.

§ Cyrillas Contra Julian. lib. vii,