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…

and except Peter ⟨p. 66⟩do those things which we spake of before, there is no cause why they should brag so much of the name of Peter, and of this succession: and less a great deal why they should complain of our departing, & call us home again unto their faith and fellowship. It is said, that a certain Lacedaemonian called Cobilo, what time he was sent Ambassador to make a league with the King of Persia, and found by chance certain courtiers playing at the dice: by and by, without further consideration of his business, returned home again, and when he was asked, wherefore he had so little regard to the doing of those things, which he had in commission by common authority for to do, he answered: that he thought it should have turned to the slander of the common wealth, if he should have made a league with diseplaiers. But if we should dispose our selves to return again unto the Pope and to his errors, and make a league not only with diseplaiers, but also with men of much lewder condition then dicers: this should be not only slanderous towards our good name, but also towards the procuring of gods wrath against us, and the oppression and utter overwhelming of our own consciences, full of present mischief. For we surely departed from him, whom we saw had blinded the world now many years together: from him that was wont over arrogantly to avaunt himself that he could not err: and what soever he did, that he might not be judged of any mortal man: not of kings, not of Emperors, not of the whole clergy, not of all the world together, no not if he should carry with him ⟨image 67⟩a thousand souls to Hell, from him that toke upon him to command not only men, but also the Angels of God, to go, to come, to lead souls into purgatory, & to bring them back again when it liked him, whom Gregory did most plainly affirm to be the Uaunteurrer and standardbearer of Antichrist, and that he had renounced the catholic Faith: from whom not long ago, those country men of ours, that be the ringleaders of such as bend themself against the Gospel and against the known truth, did of their own choice and gladly, every one of them dissever themself: neither yet would they be unwilling to do it at this day, were it not that that the blemish of inconstancy and shame and their estimation amongst the people did let them.

and except Peter ⟨p. 66⟩