The Pope confuted The holy and apostolic Church confuting the Pope. The first action.…The Pope confuted The holy and apostolique Church confuting the Pope. The first action.…

But we speak of this Rome, which ruleth the roast a• this present, so foully fallen from the ancient steppes of her ancestors, from faith, from gravity, from religious life: not that other ancient Rome long sithens buried, raked in grave, and worn out of memory: but a certain changeling fr•mshapen Rome, now of late start up, so altogether unlike too that former, by how much that first flourished in gravity, discipline, virtue and trueth: and this other wallowing & weltering in vanity, riot, riches, pride, ambition, extortion, licentiousness, and filthy delights of this world, seemeth utterly forlorn, having no spark of remembrance or countenance almost of the ancient integrity, no partaking with Christ: nor any manner of affinity with Christs Apostles.

But we speake of this Rome, which ruleth the roast a• this present, so fouly fallen from the aun•ient steppes of her auncestours, from faith, from grauitie, from religious life: not that other auncient Rome long sithens buried, raked in graue, and worne out of memory: but a certayne chaungeling fr•mshapen Rome, nowe of late start vp, so altogeather vnlike too that former, by howe much that first florished in grau•ty, discipline, vertue and trueth: and this other wallowing & weltring in vanitie, riotte, riches, pride, ambition, extortion, licentiousnesse, and filthie delightes of this worlde, seemeth vtterly forlorne, hauing no sparke of remembraunce or countenance almost of the auncient int•gritie, no partaking with Christe: nor any maner of affinitie with Christes Apostles.

In which Sea, I mean the Sea of this present age, we may easily discern the usual practises of that Romish Antichrist not unknown too the whole world. Neither doth this holy father therefore rail upon us so barbarously, because he thinketh us to be so licentious in deed, as he slandereth us maliciously in words, neither would he reprove us one jot the more for that cause, though we were in very deed much worse then we are: nay rather we should be so much the more dearly be loved of him, by how much we resembled him nearest in lewdness and looseness of life. But there lurketh an other snake in the green grass,