14 October 2015 A.D. Jewel’s “Apology”— “…these men [Romanists] alway abhor and fly the Word of God, even as the thief flieth the gallows

14 October 2015 A.D. Jewel’s “Apology”— “…these men [Romanists] alway abhor and fly the Word of God, even as the thief flieth the gallows…even so these men well see their own matter is damned and destroyed in the Word of God, as if it were in poison,” p.104

        Jewel, John. “The Apology of the Church of England.” Project Gutenberg. 5 Aug 2006. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17678/17678-h/17678-h.htm. Accessed 1 Aug 2015.

But, forsomuch as these men avouch the universal possession of the Catholic Church to be their own, and call us heretics, because we agree not in judgment with them, let us know, I beseech you, what proper mark and badge hath that Church of theirs, whereby it may be known to be the Church of God.  I wiss it is not so hard a matter to find out God’s Church, if a man will seek it earnestly and diligently.  For the Church of God is set upon a high and glittering place, in the top of a hill, and built upon the “foundation of the Apostles and Prophets:” “There,” saith Augustine, “let us seek the Church; there let us try our matters.”  “And,” as he saith again in another place, “the Church must be showed out of the holy and canonical Scriptures: and that which cannot be showed out of them is not the Church.”  Yet, for all this, I wot not how, whether it be for fear, or for conscience, or despair of victory, these men alway abhor and fly the Word of God, even as the thief flieth the gallows.  And no wonder truly.  For, like as men say, the cantharus by-and-bye perisheth and dieth as soon as it is laid in balm: notwithstanding balm be otherwise a most sweet-smelling ointment; even so these men well see their own matter is damned and destroyed in the Word of God, as if it were in poison.