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 here again haply will some friend of the Romish Church take me up for stumbling, saying: what a matter ⟨p. 53⟩is this? do ye on this wise compare so sacred a Sea to the Agarenes and Saracens, seeing that these do carry no show, or any resemblance at all of the visible church? neither ought to be named by the name of Christians? On the other side though the Patriarch of Rome, be not allowed amongst you as head of the church, yet can he not be denied to be a member of the visible church, and to have a place amongst the Christian congregation. For as much then as this bishop hath his place of a Christian in the Christian church, for this cause surely it doth not beseem Christians to sequester them •elues from Christians. What needeth longer answer hereto then at one wor•e to answer with Cicero, ¹Why should I hearken to speeches, when I see deeds? Certes if he be a Christian bishop as he requireth to be accounted, his offence is so much the more heinous in this, that under the visor of a Christian, he executeth such outrage so furiously and so savagely breathing out slaughter & utter destruction of Christians, as that no man may doubt, but that this Abaddon hath murdered, burnt, and oppressed greater heaps of Christian carcasses, then any one of all the heathenish savage, which proclaim them selves to be open enemies of Christianity. Yea by so much the more is he to be detested then the Saracens, by how much less an open enemy hurteth in respect of the privy lurking and domesticall Scorpion: whereof the one may somewhat be prevented by foresight, but this other doth •urther at unawares before any notice or warning given. Moreover to admit also to be true, that this same prelate hath the place of greatest preeminence not only amongest the Christians, but also in the very bosom of the visible church, how far forth I pray you, will this a•ayle, for as much as Antichrist him self must plant his seat in the chiefest temple of God, guarded with so great a garrison of humble attendants, the multitude ⟨image 58⟩whereof is described unto us by the prophetical scripture in these words: