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.…

Now I return unto my self, and the public defence of that little Island, which with cursed mouth you do slander too be the kingdom of Heretics: expressing herein the very shape and conditions of that froward Phormio in Terence, who alone marring the whole Action, and for the same cause apprehended too clear him self before the Judge, became first an accuser of others. Semblably and with no less shameless impudency this Lateran not ⟨image 49⟩Terentian Phormio accuseth them for Heretics & Apostates. And why so I pray you? because they have revolted from Christ at any time, denied or shrank cowardly from faith? No, not so, but because they have forsaken that sacred Sea of Romish Church, wherein they were once settled. Yea, is it so? Shall there be no Church then, but that only Church of Rome? Shall they be all accounted to be without the body of Christ, which do acknowledge Christ for their supreme head? What? is it of more importance to be slaves unto the Pope, then to be soldiers unto Chris•? No: But they affirm, that there is no Church, where the Pope is not head. What Church then I pray you, was that in Asia and Palestine before Peter ever saw Rome? Yea put the case Peter had never seen Rome in all his life: should there therefore have been no Church at all? Doth the state of Bishops make the Church of Christ to be a Church, or doth the authority of the Church make Bishops? But they say there is no hope of salvation without the church: I do hear it, and confess it to be true: yet this is no good argument to prove, that there is no Church at all, except it be subject to the Pope. I add moreover, That where they say, that there is no hope of salvation without the Church:¹ that this saying is to be construed to appertain to that church only, which is the very undoubted spouse of Christ, and which is also married unto Christ her husband, not because salvation is so necessarily tied to the Church, as though the Church bestowed it of her own mere liberality and bounty: but for the mutual & immutable coupling together of the head with the body. Whereby it cometh to pass, that whosoever is made partaker of saving health in Christ being the head: the same can in no wise be a stranger from the society of the Church.

Nowe I returne vnto my selfe, and the publique defence of that little Ilande, which with cursed mouth you doe slaunder too bee the kingdome of Heretiques: expressing heerein the very shape and conditions of that frowarde Phormio in Terence, who alone marring the whole Action, and for the same cause apprehended too cleare him selfe before the Iudge, became first an accuser of others. Semblably and with no lesse shamelesse impudencie this Laterane not