Page:Elizabeth Elstob - An English-Saxon homily on the birth-day of St. Gregory.djvu/32

 ''Church of Christ? This is the Glory of the Reformation. This is some, no small Satisfaction that we reap, from Saxon Learning: that we see the Agreement of the reformed, and the ancient Saxon Church. That it is no new Church, but the same it was before the Roman Church was corrupted, before the Roman Church as now corrupted, notwithstanding her boasts of Infallibility, of Antiquity, and Universallity was known, or had a Being in the World.''

As for the Polity and Discipline of the English Saxon'' Church, it was settled in Episcopacy, having lasted, by the Blessing of God, without Interruption to the Reformation; and thence, as our publick Registers prove, was continued in a Succession of the same Venerable Hierarchy. There needs no other Argument for the Proof of this, than what St. Irenæus uses to the Hereticks of his time. We can reckon up in all our Churches the Succession of Bishops, that have follow'd one another in an uninterrupted Series from the Apostles to these times. Tho' our Histories will make this good, with relation to all the Episcopal Sees: yet I shall instance only, in the Metropolitical See. We can reckon up our Archbishops of Canterbury from this present time to St. Augustine, who was sent by St. Gregory, who derived his Succession from St. Peter: and who, having sent Christianity hither in the Purity of Faith and Doctrine, we have this Assurance that our Church is Apostolical, being built upon the Foundation of the Apostles, &c. and''