s--ought
both to acknowledge and to call the emperor his lord and master, which
the old Bishops of Rome, who lived in times of more grace, ever did. Our
common teaching also is, that we ought so to obey princes as men sent of
God; and that whoso withstandeth them, withstandeth God's ordinance. This
is our showing, and this is well to be seen, both in our books and in our
preachings, and also in the manners and modest behaviour of our people.

But where they say we have gone away from the unity of the Catholic
Church, this is not only a matter of malice, but, besides, though, it be
most untrue, yet hath it some show and appearance of truth. For the
common people and ignorant multitude give not credit alone to things true
and of certainty, but even to such things also, if any chance, which may
seem to have but a resemblance of truth. Therefore, we see that subtle
and crafty persons, when they had no truth on their side, have ever
contended and hotly argued with things likely to be true, to the intent
they which were not able to espy the very ground of the matter, might be
carried away at least with some pretence and probability thereof. In
times past, where the first Christians, our forefathers, in making their
prayers to God, did turn themselves towards the east, there were that
said, "they worshipped the sun, and reckoned it as God." Again, where
our forefathers said, that as touching immortal and everlasting life,
they lived by no other means, but by the "flesh and blood of that Lamb
who was without spot," that is to say, of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the
envious creatures and foes of Christ's Cross, whose only care was to
bring Christian religion into slander by all manner of ways, made people
believe that they were wicked persons, that they "sacrificed men's flesh,
and drunk men's blood." Also, where our forefathers said that before God
"there is neither man nor woman," nor, for attaining to the true
righteousness, there is no distinction at all of persons, and that they
did call one another indifferently by the name of sisters and brothers:
there wanted not men which forged false tales upon the same, saying that
the Christians made no difference among themselves either of age or of
kind, but like brute beasts without regard had to do one with another.
And where, for to pray and hear the Gospel, they met often together in
secret and bye places, because rebels sometime were wont to do the like,
rumours were every