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…

But will these men I pray you think nothing at all of the selves, whiles they accuse us so maliciously? & whiles they have leisure to behold so far of, and see both what is done in Germany and in England? Have they either forgotten, or can they not see what is done at Rome? Or be they our accusers, whose life is such, as no man is able to make mention thereof but with shame and uncomeliness? Our purpose here is not to take in hand at this present to bring to light and open to the world those things which were meet rather to be hid and buried with the workers of them, It beseemeth neither our Religion, nor our modesty, nor our shamefastness. But yet he which giveth commandment that he should be called the vicar of Christ and the head of the Church, who also heareth that such things be don at Rome, who seeth them, who suffereth them (for we will go no further) he can easily consider with him ⟨image 47⟩self what manner of things they be. Let him on Gods name call to mind, let him remember that they be of his own Canonists, which have taught the people that fornication between single folk is not sin (as though they had fet that doctrine from Mitio in Terence) whose words be:¹ It is no sin (believe me) for a young man to haunt harlots. Let him remember they be of his own which have decreed, that a priest ought not to be put out of his cure for fornication.² Let him remember also how Cardinal Campegius, Albertus Pighius and others many more of his own, have taught that the priest which keepeth a Concubine, doth live more holily and chastely, then he which hath a wife in matrimony. I trust he hath not yet forgotten, that there be many thousands of common harlots in Rome: and that him self doth gather yearly of the same harlots upon a thirty thousand Ducats by •he way of an annual pension. Neither can he ⟨image 48⟩forget how himself doth maintain openly brothels houses, and by a most filthy lucre doth filthily and lewdly serve his own lust. Were all things then pure and holy in Rome, when Joan a woman rather of perfect age than of perfect life, was Pope there, & bare her self as the head of the Church? And after that for two whole years in that holy Sea,