u are the "Lord God"? or that you are
"not a mere natural man, but a certain substance made and grown together
of God and man"? Which of them that you are the only "headspring of all
laws"? Which of them that you have "power over purgatories?" Which of
them that you are able to "command the angels of God" as you list
yourself? Which of them that ever said that you are "lord of lords" and
the "king of kings"? We can also go further with you in like sort. What
one amongst the whole number of the old bishops and fathers ever taught
you either to say private mass while the people stared on, or to "lift up
the Sacrament" over your head (in which point consisteth now all your
religion), or else to "mangle Christ's Sacraments," and to bereave the
people of the one part, contrary to Christ's institution and plain
express words? But that we may once come to an end, what one is there of
all the fathers which hath taught you to distribute Christ's blood and
the holy martyrs' merits, and to sell openly as merchandises your pardons
and all the rooms and lodgings of purgatory?

These men are wont to speak much of a certain secret doctrine of theirs,
and of their manifold and sundry readings. Then let them bring forth
somewhat now, if they can, that it may appear they have at least read or
do know somewhat. They have often stoutly noised in all corners where
they went how all the parts of their religion be very old, and have been
approved not only of the multitude, but also by the consent and continual
observation of all nations and times. Let them, therefore, once in their
life show this their antiquity. Let them make appear at eye that the
things whereof they make such ado have taken so long and large increase.
Let them declare that all Christian nations have agreed by consent to
this their religion.

Nay, nay, they turn their backs, as we have said already, and flee from
their own decrees, and have cut off and abolished again within a short
space the same things which, but a few years before, themselves had
established for evermore, forsooth, to continue. How should one, then,
trust them in the fathers, in the old councils, and in the words spoken
by God? They have not, good Lord, they have not, I say, those things
which they boast they have: they have not that antiquity, they have not
that universality, they have not that consent of all places, nor of all
times. And though they have a desire rather to dissemble, yet