An apology, or answer in defence of the Church of England concerning the state…An apologie, or aunswer in defence of the Church of England concerninge the state…

Tell us therefore, O holy Pope that crackest altogether of Antiquity, & vauntest thy self that all men are appointed to obey thee alone. Amongest all the ancient fathers, which of them ever did call the other chief Bishop, or universal Bishop, or head of the Church? Which, ever said, that both the swords were committed unto thee?¹ Which, that thou haste authority and right to call Councils? Which, that the whole world was thy diocese? Which, that of thy fullness all Bishops received their portion?² Which, that all power was given unto the aswell in heaven as in earth? Which,³ that thou couldest be judged neither of kings, nor of the whole Clergy, nor of all the people together? Which, that all kings & Emperors by the commandment & ordinance of Christ, received their authority at thy hand? ⟨p. 45⟩which,⁴ that thou, after so exquisite & just a reckoning, wart seventy times seven fold greater then the greatest kings:⁵ Which, that a more ample authority was given unto thee, then to the rest of the Patriarchs? which, that thou wart Lord and God, or that thou wart not simply a bare man? or that thou wart a certain thing conclowted & grown together of God and man? which, that thou alone wart the well head of all laws? which, that thou haddest dominion over purgatory? which,⁶ that thou mightest at thy pleasure command the Angels of God? which of them did ever say, that thou wart king over kings, & Lord over lords? We can appose thee also of other matters after the same sort. I pray thee, amongest the whole number of old Bishops and fathers, where did ever any one of them teach thee, either to say a private mass whiles the people looked on, or to lift up the sacrament over thy head, in the which thing all thy religion is at this day contained: or to mangle Christs sacraments, and contrary to his ordinance & express words, to deceive the people of the one part? And that I may come ones to an end: of all the fathers which any one of them did teach the to dispose the blood of Christ, and merits of the holy Martyrs: and as it were merchandise, to sell thy pardons in a common market and all the corners of purgatory? These kind of men are oft times wont to talk much of their hid and deep learning, and of their manifold and great variety of reading.