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…

¹There were some amongest them that espied out divers errors in the Church, as Pope Adrian, Aeneas Siluius, Cardinal Poole, Pighius, and others as we said before. They held afterwards a Council at Trent, even in the same place, where it is now holden. There assembled divers Bishops & Abbots, and others to whom the matter appertained: they were alone, whatsoever passed among them, there was no man to gainsay it: for as for our men, they had utterly shut them out from all conference. There they sat in great expectation of the world six years: the first six months, ⟨p. 55⟩as though the matter had been very needful, they decreed many things of the holy Trinity, of the father, of the Son, of the holy Ghost: good things in deed, although for that time not very necessary. Nevertheless in all this mean time amongest so many errors, so evident, so oft by their own mouths confessed, so manifest, what one error did they ever correct? from what kind of Idolatry did they wtdraw the people? What superstition did they take away? What part of their pomp and tyranny have they abated? as though forsooth that now also the whole world might not perceive that this is a very conspiracy and not a Coū cell, and that these Bishops which the Pope hath called unto him at this time, are not by their oath and affection utterly addicted unto his name, and will never do any thing but that which they shall perceive to agree with his pleasure, to make for the advancement of his power, and to be according to his will: or that amongest them every mans reason and sentence were not rather numbered, then weighed: or that the better part were not oft times oppressed with the greater. Whereupon we know that oft times it hath come to pass, that many good men and Catholic Bishops, what time such Councils were summoned, wherein factions and parts were openly maintained, knowing that they should only leese their labour, in as much as the minds of their adversaries were bent upon evil, and therefore not possible to do any good, have tarried at home. Athanasius being called by The Emperor to the Council of Caesarea, when he saw that he should present himself to the deadly hatred of his adversaries,² he refused to come.

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