But now, through their own lack of
understanding, and through their own blindness, these men have them fast
yoked, and in their danger.
We truly for our parts, as we have said, have done nothing in altering
religion either upon rashness or arrogancy; nor nothing but with good
leisure and great consideration. Neither had we ever intended to do it,
except both the manifest and most assured will of God, opened to us in
His Holy Scriptures, and the regard of our own salvation, had even
constrained us thereunto. For though we have departed from that Church
which these men call Catholic, and by that means get us envy amongst them
that want skill to judge, yet is this enough for us, and ought to be
enough for every wise and good man, and one that maketh account of
everlasting life, that we have gone from that Church which had power to
err: which Christ, who cannot err, told so long before it should err; and
which we ourselves did evidently see with our eyes to have gone both from
the holy fathers, and from the Apostles, and from Christ His own self,
and from the primitive and Catholic Church; and we are come as near as we
possibly could to the Church of the Apostles and of the old Catholic
bishops and fathers; which Church we know hath hereunto been sound and
perfect, and, as Tertullian termeth it, a pure virgin, spotted as yet
with no idolatry, nor with any foul or shameful fault: and have directed,
according to their customs and ordinances, not only our doctrine, but
also the Sacraments and the form of common prayer.
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