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…

What will ye say, if the Popes Advocates, Abbots and Bishops dissemble not the matter, but show them selves open enemies to the Gospel, & though they see, yet they will not see, but wry the Scriptures and wittingly & knowingly corrupt and counterfeit the word of God, and foully and wickedly apply to the Pope all the same things which evidently and properly be spoken of the person of Christ only, nor by no means can be applied to any other? And what though they say,¹ the Pope is all and above all? Or, that he can do as much as Christ can: and that one judgement place and one Council house serve for the Pope and for Christ both together?² Or that the Pope is the same light which should come into the world?³ which words Christ spake of him self alone: and that who so is an evil doer, hateth and flieth ⟨image 101⟩from that light? Or that all the other Bishops have received of the Popes fullness?⁴ Shortly, what though they make Decrees expressly against Gods word, and that not in huckermucker or covertly, but openly & in the face of the world: must it needs yet be Gospel straight whatsoever these men say? shall these be Gods holy army? or will Christ be at hand among them there? shall the holy ghost flow in their tongues, or can they with truth say, We and the holy Ghost have thought so? In deed Peter Asotus and his companion Hosius stick not to affirm,⁵ that the same Council wherein our saviour Jesus Christ was condemned to dye, had both the spirit of prophesying, and the holy Ghost, and the spirit of truth in it: and that it was neither a false nor a trifling saying, when those Bishops said, We have a law, and by our law he ought to dye, and yea they so saying did light upon the very truth of judgement: for so be Hosius words, ⟨image 102⟩and that the same plainly was a just decree, whereby they pronounced that Christ was worthy to die. This me thinketh is strange, that these men are not able to speak for themselves and defend their own cause, but they must also take part with Annas and Caiaphas. For if they will call that a lawful and a good Council, wherein the Son of God was most shamefully condemned to dye, what Council will they then allow for false and naught? And (yet as all their Councils, to say truth, commonly be) necessity compelled them to pronounce these things of the Council holden by Annas and Caiaphas.