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All this I grant (and God be thanked therfore) if we shal measure the state of the church, with the florishing estate & wise gouernment of the cōmon wealth, we shall haue no great cause to complaine, but to burste oute into moste hartie thankes vnto God for the same, and most humbly desire the continuance therof.
I do not say that the Churche is without fault, for then should I affirme an im∣possibilitie, but I thinke the faultes that are, rather to be in the persons, than in the lawes, rather in the gouernours, than in the kinde of gouernment: neyther woulde I haue men (eyther Puritanes, Donatistes, or Anabaptists) to dreame of such a Church, as Plato did of a Common wealth, Aristotle of felicitie, and the Stoicks of their iuste man: muche lesie to make contention in the Church, or deuide themselues from the same, if al things go not according to their fantasie: for then shal they neuer be quiet with any Churche, no not long with that Church, which they themselues do present∣ly best lyke of. Surely if this rule be certaine, that the Common wealth shal not flourish* 1.1 vntil the Church be reformed, then this may be a good token vnto vs, that this Churche of Englande is reformed, bicause the Common wealth doth flourish. Neither doe I speake this to flatter the Magistrates, and to sewe quisshions vnder their elbows (as it pleaseth some to reporte) but I speake it before God, I speake it as I thinke: and the rather I vtter it, to deliuer both the state of the Churche, and also of the common wealth of Englande, from the vnthankfull, vnnaturall, and slanderous tongues of such as séeke to deface and depraue them both.
I will not defend the vice, the negligence, the securitie of any man, I shall be as bolde and as readie to tel euen the best thereof in time and place (as occasion is mini∣stred, and my duetie shall require) as any of those shall be, which woulde séeme to be farthest from all kinde of flatterie.
The rule of T. C. retur∣ned against himselfe.