or great: neither mistrust we, or make doubt at all, but they will
shortly be agreed. And if there be any of them which have other opinion
than is meet, we doubt not but ere it be long they will put apart all
affections and names of parties, and that God will reveal it unto them:
so that by better considering and searching out of the matter, as once it
came to pass in the Council of Chalcedon, all causes and seeds of
dissension shall be thoroughly plucked up by the root, and be buried, and
quite forgotten for ever. Which God grant.

But this is the most grievous and heavy case, that they call us wicked
and ungodly men, and say we have thrown away all care of religion. Though
this ought not to trouble us much, whilst they themselves that thus have
charged us know full well how spiteful and false a saying it is: for
Justin the martyr is a witness, how that all Christians were called
[Greek text], that is, godless, as soon as the Gospel first began to be
published, and the Name of Christ to be openly declared. And when
Polycarpus stood to be judged, the people stirred up the president to
slay and murder all them which professed the Gospel, with these words,
[Greek text], that is to say, "Rid out of the way these wicked and
godless creatures." And this was not because it was true that the
Christians were godless, but because they would not worship stones and
stocks which were then honoured as God. The whole world seeth plainly
enough already, what we and ours have endured at these men's hands for
religion and our only God's cause. They have thrown us into prison, into
water, into fire, and imbrued themselves in our blood: not because we
were either adulterers, or robbers, or murderers, but only for that we
confessed the Gospel of Jesu Christ, and put our confidence in the living
God; and for that we complained too justly and truly (Lord, thou
knowest), that they did break the law of God for their own most vain
traditions; and that our adversaries were the very foes to the Gospel,
and enemies to Christ's Cross, who so wittingly and willingly did
obstinately despise God's commandments.

Wherefore, when these men saw they could not rightly find fault with our
doctrine, they would needs pick a quarrel and inveigh and rail against
our manners, surmising, how that we do condemn all well-doings: that we
set open the door to all licentiousness and lust, and lead away the
people from all love of virtue. And in very deed, the