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A man maie easely perceiue, that you delight in greate nombers. For as before in your former argumentes, one matter was cutte into fower partes, to fill vp the nomber, so likewise in these argumentes without order, or dispositiō, diuers things are twise or thrise repeated. As dipping in baptisme, oile, and Chrisme, and crossyng whereas if you would haue followed any order, all these should haue made but one argument of Ceremonies, or Traditiōs.
Or if you would néedes diuide theim into their particulers, you should haue made thirtie, or fourtie argumentes of theim, and not tenne onely. But now, how well you difine the primitiue Churche (as I haue touched before) a manne maie mer∣uaile to see: sometyme, you alledge twoo hundreth, somtyme three hundreth, som∣tyme fower hundreth, sometymes sixe hundreth, and at length you come almost to eighte hundreth yeres after Christe, when you alledge the seconde Counsaile of Nice, whiche was holden in the yere of our Lorde, seuen hundred eightie and one. So that the greater halfe of all the tyme, that hath passed from Christes ascention, vntil this daie, you would haue vs to take for the primitiue churche. But you know full well, that none of vs, would allowe all that tyme, for the primitiue Churche, especially when wee speake of that state, whiche we woulde haue to bee a paterne and example to all churches. Onely your purpose was, to amase your vnlearned frendes, to whom you made this apology, with the names of so manie aunciente fa∣thers, as you rehease, and yet like a wise
man, you note but fewe places, where a man should finde their aucthorities, as you alledge theim, lest you should happen to be discredited. Whiche must needes be compted fraudulent dealyng, because you note some wherof no learned manne will doubte, and passe ouer so many, whiche séeme somwhat straunge, that any suche thinges should be, to those that parhappes haue reade, as muche of the aunciente do∣ctours as you. But vnto all, your tenne as gumentes, I wil first oppose one answere whiche is sufficiente, to take theim all awaie, namely that suche thinges, as you bringe in, to haue been vsed, of the primi∣tiue churche, were not in the first churche of the Apostles, whiche is moste properly called the primitiue churche, but in the lat¦ter and more corrupte age, and the fur∣ther from the Apostles, the farther from sinceritie. Beside that of Ceremonies, not manifestly impious vsed in the aunciente churche, after the Apostles, the churche at al tymes after hath power, to abrogate or alter theim, as they growe to bee abused, or cease to be profitable, & therefore diuer∣sitie of Ceremonies, maketh not diuersi∣tie
of Churches.