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…

But let it be so hardly, that the Pope alone is above all Councils: that is to say, let some one part be more then the whole: let him be of greater power, of more wisdom then all his fellows together: Yea and though Hierome say nay,¹ let the authority of one City be greater then of the whole world: But what if he never saw nothing pertaining to these matters, and never read neither the holy Scriptures, nor the old fathers, nor ⟨image 54⟩his own councils? What if he, as in time past Pope Liberius did, should fall away to the Arians? Or, as Pope John, not many years past, should have a wicked and a heathenish opinion of the life to come, & of the immortality of souls? Or as Pope Zosimus did afore time with the council of Nice, so he should also now falsify other councils for the advancement of his power and authority: and those things which were never, no not so much as thought, those he should say were debated and decreed by the holy fathers: and should, as Camotenses saith, the Popes are wont oft times to do violently, rack the Scriptures, to procure unto himself the fullness of all power? What if he abandon the Christian faith and become an Apostate, like as by the testimony of Lyran, many Popes have done? Trow ye that notwithstanding all this, the holy Ghost will knock at his breast and kindle in him, will he or no, yea altogether against his will, such a light, as he can not err? Or shall he nevertheless be the fountain of all law? & shall the whole treasure of wisdom and understanding be found in him as it were in a jewel box? or if these things be not in him, may he be able in so great matters to judge rightly and conuenienly? Or if he can not judge, doth he require that all things should be referred unto him? What if the Abbots and Bishops that are the Popes advocates dissemble not at all, but openly take upon them to be enemies of the Gospel, and will not see that which they do see, and violently constrain the Scriptures and wittingly and advisedly deprave and falsify the word of God, and those things which are evidently and properly spoken of Christ, and can not be applied to any other person, do filthily and lewdly turn them upon the Pope? What if they say that ⟨p. 54⟩the Pope is all and above all?²