power, to inuest Byshoppes, to geue benefices, to spoyle Churches, to geue authoritie to binde and lose, to cal generall Councels, to iudge ouer the same, to set vp religions, to canonize Saintes, to take appeales, to binde consciences, to make lawes, to dispence with the law and word of God, to deliuer from Purgatory, to commaunde angels. &c.

MarginaliaThe properties of life in the Romish Clergy.Thirdly, what was the lyfe and conuersation of the court of Rome hereafter in the proces of this history foloweth to be seene and obserued.

MarginaliaThe doctrine of the Pope.Fourthly, such was his doctrine in like maner, tedious to Students, pernicious to mens consciences, iniurious to Christ Iesus, and cōtrary to itselfe. In lawes more diuers, in volume more large, in diligence and study more applied, in vauntage and preferment more gaynfull, then euer was the study and learnyng of the holy Scripture of God.

All which foure pointes well considered and aduised in this present history set forth, I trust it maye minister to the indifferent Christian Reader, sufficient instruction to iudge, what is of this sea and Church of Rome to be esteemed.

But here by the way is to be noted, that all these deformities aboue touched of vayne title, of pretensed iurisdictiō, of hereticall doctrine, of schismaticall lyfe, came not into the Church of Rome all at one tyme, nor sprang with the beginnyng of the same Church, but with long working, and continuaunce of tyme by litle and litle crept vp, through occasion, and came not to their full perfection, til the tyme partly of Pope Siluester, partly of Pope Gregory the. vij. an. 1170. partly of Innocentius the third, and finally of Pope Boniface the eight an. 1300. Of the which foure Popes, MarginaliaPope Syluester the second.the firste brought in the title, Anno. 670. which was neuer in such ample wise before publickely exacted and receiued publickely in the sayd Church of Rome. MarginaliaPope Gregory. 7. called Hildebrand.The seconde brought in iurisdiction. MarginaliaPope Innocentius the third.The third whiche was Pope Innocent with his rable of Monkes and Friers, with Thomas Aquine, Petrus Lombardus, Iohannes Scotus, and with such Byshops as succeded in the same sea after him, corrupted and obscured the sinceritie of Christes doctrine & maners also. MarginaliaPope Bonifacius the eight.And lastly, Pope Bonifacius the viij, and Pope Clement the fift, ouer and besides the iurisdiction, sufficiently aduaūced before by Pope Hildebrand, added moreouer the temporall sworde to be caried before them. And that no Emperour (were he neuer so well elected) shoulde be sufficient and lawfull, withoute the Popes admission, an. 1300. whereby the Popes power was brought now to his full pride and perfectiō. And thus came vp the corruption of the Romish Church in continuaunce of yeares by degrees, and not all together, nor at one tyme, as is declared, and hereafter more particularly (Christ willyng) shalbe expressed.

Wherfore, whosoeuer shall haue hereafter to do with any aduersaries, about the antiquitie or authoritie of the Churche of Rome, let him here consider when and how the title, iurisdiction, and corruption of doctrine first began in the Popes sea. And so shall he see, that the Church of Rome, as it is now gouerned with this maner of title, iurisdiction, and institution of doctrine, neuer descended from the primatiue age of the Apostles, or from their succession, nisi tantum equiuoce, & non vniuoce: MarginaliaEquiuoce. That is in name onely and not in very deede.
Vniuoce. that is both in name and also in defenition and effect agreyng with the nameLike as Sancta Maria picta, non est sancta Maria, et homo pictus est non homo, as the scholes do say, that is: as the picture of the holy virgine, is not the holy virgine, and as a man painted in the wall, is not a man: so it is to be sayd of the Church of Rome, that although it haue the name of the Church Apostolicall, and doth bring forth a long Genealogie of outward successiō from the Apostles, as the Phariseis did in Christes tyme bring their descent from Abraham their father: MarginaliaThe Churche of Rome, as now is, is not Apostolicall but onely equiuocalyet all this is (as I sayd) but onely equiuoce, that is, in name onely, and not in effect or matter, which maketh the Apostolical Church in deede, for as much as the definition of the Apostolical Church, neither agreeth now with this present Church of Rome, nor yet the maner, forme, and institutiō of the sayd Romish Church, as it now standeth with this title, iurisdiction, & doctrine, had euer any succession or ofspring from the primitiue church of the Apostles. But as Christ sayd by the Phariseis, that they were the children not of Abraham, but of the Deuil: in semblable wise may be aūswered, that this Church of Rome now present, with this title, iurisdictiō, and doctrine now vsed, cānot be fathered vpon the Apostles, neither Petrus, nor Linus, but of an other authour, whom here I will not name.

And here now commeth in the argument of Pighius, Hosius, and Ecchius, to be aunswered vnto, who arguyng for the antiquitie and authoritie of the Churche of Rome, reason on this maner.

MarginaliaThe argument of Pighius, Hosius, and Ecchius for the autoritie of the church of Rome.

To the whiche paralogisme I aunswere thus: MarginaliaAunswer: Fallacia equiuoci.that this word Durans ecclesia, the duryng Churche in the Minor, hath fallaciā equiuoci. For although the name of the church and outwarde succession of Byshops haue had their durance from time of the Apostles, yet the definition & matter which maketh a true Apostical churche in deede and vniuoce ther is nowe in the Churche of Rome, nor yet the forme and institution of the Churche now vsed in Rome was euer frō the Apostles, whiche Apostles were neuer authors or fathers of this title, iurisdiction, and doctrine now taught in Rome, but rather were enemies euer to the same.

MarginaliaThe Maior examined.Again to the Maior which standeth vpon two partes, I aunswere, first although the necessitie of the Churche duryng from the Apostles, may and must be graunted, yet the same necessitie was not bound to any certaine place, or person, but onely to fayth, so that wheresoeuer, that is, in whatsoeuer congregation true fayth was, there was the Church of Christ: And because the true fayth of Christ must needes euer remaine in earth, therfore the Church also muste needes remaine in earth. And God forbid that the sayd true fayth of Christ should onely remaine in one Citie in the world, and not in other as well. And therfore to the second part of the Maior is to be sayd, that as this true and sincere fayth of Christ is not so geuen, to remaine fixely in one place or Citie alone: so neyther is there any one Church in the worlde so ordained and appointed of God, that all other Churches should haue their recourse vnto it, for determination of their causes and controuersies incident, &c. And thus much to the argument of Pighius and Hosius &c.

Now as touching the authorities and allegations of the auncient Doctours, and holy fathers in the commendation of the Church of Rome, here commeth in also to be noted, that whosoeuer will vnderstand rightly their authorities and aunswere to the same, must first learne to make a difference and distinction of the sayd Church of Rome, frō that it was, to that it is, for as much as the Churche of Rome is not the same Church now, which it was then, but onely æquiuoce: MarginaliaA distinctiō. The Church of Rome distincted into a double cōsideration of tymes.otherwise as touchyng the very propertie and definition of a Church, is an other Church, & nothyng agreyng to that was then, saue onely in outward name and place, therfore by this distinction made, I aūswere the place of Irenæus, Cyprianus, and other famous Doctours, commendyng the Church of Rome as catholique and Apostolicall, MarginaliaThe church of Rome how it was commended of the olde Doctours.and say that these Doctours speakyng of the Church of Rome which then was, said not vntrue, calling it catholique and Apostolicall, for that the same Church tooke their ordinary succession of Byshops, ioyned with the ordinarie doctrine and institution from the Apostles: but speakyng of the Church of Rome, which now is, we say the sayd places of the Doctours, are not true, neither do appertaine to the same, all whiche Doctours neither knew the Churche of Rome that now is, neither if they had, would euer haue iudged any thyng therin worthy such commendation. MarginaliaThe principall obiectiō of the Papists, agaynst the Protestāts.Ouer & besides, our aduersaries yet more obiect agaynst vs, who heauing and shouing for the antiquitie of the Romish Church for lacke of other sufficient reason to proue, are driuen to fall in scanning the times and yeares. What, say they, where was this Church of yours, before these. l. yeares? MarginaliaAunswere to the obiectionTo whom briefly to aunswere, first we demaunde what they meane by this, whiche they call our Church? If they meane the ordinaunce and institution of doctrine & Sacraments, now receaued of vs, and differing from the Church of Rome, we affirme and say, that our Church was, when this Church of theirs was not yet hatched out of the shell, nor dyd yet euer see any light: that is, in the tyme of the Apostles, in the primitiue age, in the time of Gregory the first, and the old Romaine Churche, when as yet no vniuersall Pope was receiued publikely, but repelled in Rome, nor this fulnes of plenary power yet knowen, nor this doctrine, and abuse of Sacraments yet heard of. In witnes wherof we haue the old actes and histories of auncient tyme to geue testimonie with vs, wherin sufficiēt matter we haue for vs, to declare the same forme, vsage, and institution of this our Church reformed now, not to be the begynnynge of any new Church of our owne, but to be the renewyng of the old auncient Church of Christ: nor to be any sweruing from the Churche of Rome, but rather a reducing to the Church of Rome. Marginaliathe Church of Rome reuolted from the Churche of Rome.Whereas contrary the Church of Rome which now is, is nothyng but a sweruyng from the Church of Rome, as partly is declared, & more shall appeare (Christ