An apology or answer in defence of the Church of England with a brief…An apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe…

Our Church say they cannot err: they speak that (I think) as the Lac•• demonians long since used to say, that that was not possible to find any Adulterer in all their common wealth: whereas in deed they were rather all Adulterers, and had no certainty in their marriages, but had their wives common amongest them all. Or as the Canonists at this day, for their bellies sake use to say of the Pope, that forasmuch as he is Lord of all benefices, though he sell for money Bishoprics, monasteries, priest hod, spiritual promotions, and parteth with nothing freely,¹ yet because he counteth at his own he cannot commit Simony, ⟨image 90⟩though he would never so fain. But how strongly and agreeably to reason these things be spoken,² we are not as yet able to perceive, except perchance these men have plucked of the wings from the truth,³ as the Romans in old time did prune and pinion their goddess Victory, after they had once gotten her home, to the end that with the same wings she should never more be able to flee away from them again. But what if Jeremy tell them, as is afore rehearsed, that these be lies? what if the same Prophet say in an other place, that the self same men who ought to be keepers of the vineyard, have brought to naught and destroyed the Lords vineyard? How if Christ say, that the same persons who chiefly ought to have a care over the Temple, have made of the Lords Temple a den of Thieves? If it be so that the Church of Rome cannot err, it must needs follow, that the good luck thereof is far greater then all these mens policy. For such is their life, ⟨image 91⟩their doctrine and their diligence, that for all them the Church may not only err, but also utterly be spoiled and perish. No doubt, if that Church may err which hath departed from Gods word, from Christs commandments, from the Apostles ordinances, from the primitive Churches examples, from the old Fathers and Councils orders, and from their own Decrees, and which will be bound with in the compass of none neither old nor new, nor their own, nor other folks, nor mans law, nor God's law, then it is out of all question, that the Romish Church hath not only had power to err, but that it hath shamefully and most wickedly erred in very deed.