ories make
plain mention, and themselves also cannot deny, but they took their first
beginning of "Agar the bond-woman," yet for the very name and stock's
sake, chose they rather to be called Saracens, as though they came of
"Sarah the free woman, and Abraham's wife."

So likewise the false prophets of all ages, which stood up against the
prophets of God, which resisted Esaias, Jeremy, Christ, and the Apostles,
at no time craked of anything so much as they did of the name of the
Church. And for no other cause did they so fiercely vex them, and call
them runaways and apostates, than for that they forsook their fellowship,
and kept not the ordinances of the elders. Wherefore, if we would follow
the judgments of those men only who then governed the Church, and would
respect nothing else, neither God nor His word, it must needs be
confessed, that the Apostles were rightly and by just law condemned of
them to death, because they fell from the bishops and priests, that is,
you must think, from the "Catholic Church:" and because they made many
new alterations in religion, contrary to the bishops' and priests' wills,
yea, and for all their spurning so earnestly against it. Wherefore, like
as it is written that Hercules in old time was forced in striving with
Antaeus, that huge giant, to lift him quite up from the earth that was
his mother, ere he could conquer him, even so must our adversaries be
heaved from their mother, that is, from this vain colour and shadow of
the Church, wherewith they so disguise and defend themselves: otherwise
they cannot be brought to yield unto the word of God. "And therefore,"
saith Jeremy the prophet, "make not such great boast that the temple of
the Lord is with you. This is but a vain confidence: these are lies."
The angel also saith in the Apocalypse, "They say they be Jews; but they
be the synagogue of Satan." And Christ said to the Pharisees when they
vaunted themselves of the kindred and blood of Abraham, "Ye are of your
father, the devil;" for you resemble not your father Abraham; as much to
say as ye are not the men ye would so fain be called: ye beguile the
people with vain titles, and abuse the name of the Church to the
overthrowing of the Church.

So that these men's part had been, first to have clearly and truly proved
that the Romish Church is the true and right instructed Church of God,
and that the same as they do order it at this day doth agree with the
primitive Church of C