Nowe I haue shewed the ignorance, it remayneth to shew how that eyther M. Doctor was maruellously himself abused, or else desireth to abuse ether. For if where as he tooke halfe Ambrose sentence, he had taken the other halfe with him, and had not sodenly stopped his breath, that he shuld speake no more, in stead of a false witnesse agaynst the Eldership, he should haue brought foorth as cleare and as 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉lat a witnesse for the proofe of them, as a man could desire out of an auncient writer. The whole sentence is thys speaking of this office of Elders (although not vpon so good occasion) thus he sayth: Whervpon the Synagogue, and after the Churche had Elders, without whose councell nothing was done in the Churche, which Elders I know not by what negligence they are worne out, onlesse it be through the slouthfulnesse of the Doctors, or rather through their pride, whylest they onely would seeme to be somewhat.
But if you be not able to alleage one place to proue that your seigniorie was in the time of christian Princes, except onely that place of Hieronie, M. Doctors ignorance is not so great, especially séeing that Ambrose, Hieronis auncient denieth the same to haue bin in his tyme. But if hauing one onely testimonie, and that making nothing for your purpose, but agaynst you rather (bicause it establisheth Collegiate Chur∣ches, which you would gladly throwe downe) then M. Doctors knowledge in thys matter, is more than you can with all your loftie spéeches & immodest words obscure.
I haue alleaged so muche of Ambrose faythfully aud truely, as proueth that which I alleage him for: Neyther haue I left out one worde that maketh agaynst that my purpose: for if you remember your selfe, you can not but sée and vnderstande that I only alleage Ambrose to proue, that there was sometime a Seigniorie, but yet dissol∣ued and abrogated before his time. If that whiche followeth in Ambrose disproue this, then in déede you may say, that eyther I am abused, or desire to abuse other. But if it nothing derogate from my intent and purpose, then why do you falsly charge me, or why picke you a quarel agaynst me for omitting that which neyther doth me harme nor good. Disproue any thing by any words of Ambrose that I haue alleaged Am∣brose for, if you can: if you can not, then temper your immoderate spéeches, & frame them according to the truthe.
If Ambrose so misliked ye abrogating of this Seigniorie, why did he not labour to restore it agayne: surely if it had bin a matter so necessarie, he béeing so godly and ze∣lous a Bishop, would neuer haue suffered his Church to be spoyled of it, but it is eui∣dent by his words that it had not bin in practise long time before.