A defence of the Apology of the Church of England containing an answer to…A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to…

-BUT will these men, I pray you, think nothing at all of them selves, whiles they accuse us so maliciously? And having leisure to behold so far of, & to see, what is done both in Germany, and in England, have they either forgotten, or can they not see, what is done at Rome? Or will they accuse us, their own life being such, as no man is able to make mention thereof but with shame? 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 done in Rome, who seeth them, who suffereth them, (for we will go no further) may easily consider with him self, what manner of things they be. Let him in God's Name call to mind, and let him remember, that they be of his own Canonists, which have taught the people, that Fornication between single folk is no sin: (as though they had feet that Doctrine from Mitio in Terence) whose words be: 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. Let him remember also, how Cardinal Campegius, Albertus Pighius, and others many moe 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 he him self doth gather yearly of the same harlots about thirty thousand Ducats, by the way of an annual pension. Neither can he forget, that he him self doth maintain openly brothel 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, then of perfect life, was Pope there, and bare her self as the Head of the Church: