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.…

First you see weapons named here, not of one Paul, ¹nor of one Peter, but our own weapons (saith he) that is to say, general weapons, common with the universal Church of Christ: which are then at the least to be exercised, not rashly against all persons, nor upon every light occasion, but even when necessity urgeth, against those (if any shall happen to bee•) which do wax insolent and stifnecked against the knowledge of God, and their dew obedience unto Christ. Of which sort if any may be found faulty in that Realm, that may prejudice the grace of Christ, surely I will not in any respect abridge condigne correction, according to the censure Apostolic. But now, whereas that whole nation, to the uttermost of their power, doth endeavour to become the Servants of Christ: whereas there is not one so much, that doth not prostrate him self to the majesty of the Son of God, and to his divine Godhead: that doth not worship him in Spirit and trueth, yea and worship him there where the Scriptures have enthronized him: that doth not thankfully acknowledge his Heavenly benefits: that doth not yield dew reverence to his Sacraments: that doth not only profess all obedience linked together with faith, to be dew unto him, but also ⟨image 10⟩repose all their affiance and confidence in him: Finally whereas in their churches, all matters, are so orderly administered by them, as that no defect may be found of any thing appertaining too the duty of true christianity:² wherein nothing is admitted, that is not consonant to the sacred authority of the Evangelical institution: I beseech you (Sir Pope of Rome) what would you desire more? What? seemeth it not sufficient in your conceit, that Christ, who alone preserveth the estate of his church be glorified in his own Church, unless the pomp of the Pope be interlaced with the glory of Christ, & reverenced with semblable obedience? And from whence else come these tumults, these flashes of lightening, and storms of of thunderbolts raised up? Is it because they do yield their obedience too Christ, as it behooveth them to do? or because they humble not them selves to the Pope? If the glory of Christ be your glory, as of right it ought to be, what needeth any contention then? why do you no• cast down your proud Peacocks tail, and call your self back again into the society of general obedience?