the poore and sicke Geneua The Bishops oth to the Pope â— N. elect Bishop of N. from this time forth will be faithfull and obedient to blessed Peter and to the holie Apostolique Church of Rome and to our Lord N. the Pope and to his successours entring canoniallie The Counsell which they shall commit vnto mée by themselues messengers or by their letters to their hinderaunce I will not willinglie disclose to any man I will be an helper vnto them to reteine and defende against all men the Popedome of Rome the roialtie of Saint Peter I will doe my endeauour to kéepe defend increase and inlarge the rights honors priuiledges authoritie of the Church of Rome of our Lord the Pope of his foresaid successours Neither wil I be in counsell practise or treatie wherin shal be imagined against our Lord the Pope himselfe or the same Church of Rome any sinister or preiudicial matter to their persons right honor state or power And if I shall vderstand such things to be imagined or procured by anie I wil hinder the same as much as lieth in me with as much spéed as conuenientlie I maie I wil signifie the same vnto our said Lord or to some other by whom it maie come to his knowledge The rules of the holie Fathers the decrées ordinaunces sentences dispositions reseruations prouisions commaundements Apostolica I will obserue with my whole might and cause them to be obserued of other Heretikes scismatikes and rebells against our Lord the Pope I will persecute and to my abilitie fight against Héere is not one word of the Gospell neither yet of Christ. Bullinger How by meanes of this oth certeine Bishops rebelled heere at home against their owne Prince About the yeare of Christ. 1102. Ranulph Bishop of Durham excited Robert Curtâ—eise Duke of Normandie to warre vpon his brother Henrie the first who fauoured nothing the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome for the crowne of England who assembled a strong armie and landed at Portsmouth But by meditation peace was made on this condition that Henrie should paie 3000. marks yearlie to Duke Robert ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1106. Anselme the Bishop of Canterburie by whose meanes the Priestes of England were constrained to forgo their wiues stroue with Henrie the first for the inuestitute of Bishops and giuing of benefices ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1164. Thomas Becket Bishop of Canterburie stroue with king Henrie the second for the liberties of the holie Church as he called them ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1045. in the seauenth yeare of king Henrie the fourth sir Richard Scrupe Archbishoppe of Yorke and diuerse other of the house of the Lord Mumbrey for grudge they bare to king Henrie gathered to them a great power of Scots and Northumbers intending to haue deposed him from all kinglie authoritie but he had knowledge thereof and made against them in so spéedie wise that he came vpon them vnwares and taking the said Bishoppe with his Alies commaunded them to be beheaded at Yorke Cooper BLASPHEMIE What blasphemie is BLasphemie is to withstand the truth which a man knoweth as did the Pharises attributing the works of Christ vnto the diuell Tindale ¶ To blaspheme signifieth among the diuines to speak wickedlie and among the more eloquent Grecians to slaunder Beza vpon Mat. 9. 3. But for thy blasphemie ¶ The name of blasphemie the which prophane writers vse generallie for euerie kinde of reproch the Scripture referreth vnto God when his maiestie and his glorie is defaced And there are two sortes of blasphemie as either when God is robbed of his proper honour as if so bée a man should arrogate yâ— vnto himselfe which is proper to God or els when anie thing is attributed and giuen to him which his nature will not beare Therfore they call Christ a sacrilegious blasphemous person because hée béeing a mortal man vsurped to himselfe diuine honour And this was a true definition of blasphemie if so bée Christ had bene nothing more then a man Onelie they sinne in this that they refuse to beholde the diuinitie which was euident to be seene in his myracles Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 389. ¶ Blasphemie is to attribute that thing vnto a creature which is proper or peculiar to God as to forgiue sinnes is proper vnto God who saith by the Prophet Esay I am I am hée that wipeth awaie thine iniquities for mine own name sake c. Of this place the Scribes Pharises argued that Christ was a blasphemer because he tooke vpon him to forgiue sins which no doubt had bene a true argument if Christ had bene like vnto the Scribes that is to wit if he had ben méere man and not God also c. What blasphemie of the holie spirit is Blasphemie of the holie spirit is when men sée and knowe the open manifest truth of God his word their conscience being fullie certified therof And yet notwithstanding wil raile vpon it and persecute it to the vttermost of their power saieng it is of the diuell and not of God which sinne shall neuer bée forgiuen Tindale ¶ Looke Sinne against the holie Ghost BLESSE What it is to blesse and who be blessed To blesse God is to giue him praise and thanks for his benefites ¶ To blesse a king or a Prince is to thanke him for his kindnesse and to praie to God that he may long raigne to the laude of God and wealth of his Commons ¶ To blesse a mans neighbour is to praie for him and to doe him good ¶ To blesse my bread meat is to giue God thanks for it To blesse my selfe is to giue God thanks for his great benefites that I haue receiued of him to praie to God of his infinit goodnesse he wil increase those gifts yâ— he hath giuen mée vnto his laude and praise and as touching this flesh to fulfill his will in it not to spare it but to scourge cut and burne it onelie that it maie be to his honour glorie This is the forme of blessing and not to wagge two fingers ouer vs. I. Frith To blesse in the Hebrue manner of speach is nothing else but to with an happie successe and to desire good things for him As Symeon when he blessed Christ and his parents shewed by his affection that he wished well to the kingdome of their new king Hemmyng ¶ The word blesse when we talke of men signifieth among the Hebrues to with well when it is referred to God it betokeneth as much as to giue a man good fortune as they terme it or to enrich him abundantlie with all good thinges For in as much as Gods fauour is workfull his blessing bringeth foorth of it self abundance of al good things Cal. in the. 5. Psal. verse 12 To blesse is to speake well professe well liue well S. Augustine saith I will blesse the Lord in all
his kingdome howbeit this title should séeme more conuenient for the which after the Hebrewes is a distinct Psalme from this whereas the Latinists make this and the next both one ALTAR What an Altar is and how they began AN Altar is nothing els but a thing builded to offer Sacrifices on Altare is a Latin word which is so named as the Gramarians doe saie of Altitudo or height Not that an Altar is so great and high but because the Romaines before the receiuing of the true religion of Christ they made Altars in thrée sundrie places Some they called Altaria vpon the which they did offer Sacrifices vnto the supernall Gods Other Altars they had which were made beneath vpon the plaine ground vppon the which they did Sacrifice vnto the Gods on the earth And other Altars they made vnder the earth as were in Poules vpon the which they did offer Sacrifice Dijs infernalibus vnto Gods vnder the ground And these two last kinde were called Ara or Aâ—e but the high Altars were properlie called Altaria Thus much concerning the name of the Latin word Altare In all the newe Testament where we read this Latin word Altare as in the 5. of S. Mathew the first of S. Luke 1. Cor. 9. the 13. of the Hebrewes In all these places in the Gréeke booke is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which word is as much to saie in English as a Sacrificing place or a thing made to offer sacrifices on which is more plaine then the Latin word Altare is So that an Altar is nothing els but a sacrificing place or a thing made to offer sacrifices on When Noe was preserued from the generall Deluge with his wife and his thrée sons their wiues restored againe by the tender mercie of God to drie land he made an Altar vnto the Lord and offered all manner of cleane beasts and foules thereon for a sacrifice with whose doings the Lord was well pleased because he did it in the faith of Christ which was figured by the Altar and promised neuer to drowne the world anie more for mans wickednesse c. Upon the same faith did Abraham the father of all faithfull beléeuers make an Altar vnto the Lord what time as God promised vnto him that in his séede which was Christ should all the nations of the earth be blessed Likewise God commanded â—acob to build an Altar at Bethel in the remembrance that he had deliuered him from the hands and crueltie of his brother Esau. Thus in the lawe of nature Altars began But chiefelie they did flourish after the law of the ten commandements were giuen by Moses We read that God warned Moses to kéepe the people from making of Gods of gold or of siluer and to kéepe them the better from it thou shalt said he cause them to make an Altar not of gold nor siluer but make vp a litle heape of earth and therevpon do thou offer the burnt-offerings the peace-offerings And if the people be desirous to build an Altar of stone thou shale not suffer it to be made of hewen stone but of rough stone after the rudest fashion that the people take not a superstitious conceit reposing a confidence in the Altar it selfe and not in the thing that is signified by the Altar which is Christ. Yet all this while there wâ—re no perfect forme nâ—r fashion of Altars till the Tabernacle of the tastimonies was made When that was once made then Altars grewâ— to their perfection For then God commanded to make two Altars for the Tabernacle the one was called the Altar of incense which Altar was made of Sethim wood aboue couered ouer with fine gold The other Altar was made also of Sethim wood but aboue it was couered ouer onelie with Brasse and therefore sometimes it is called the brasen Altar This Altar was properlie called the Altar of burnt-offerings vpon this Altar was offered euerie daie two Lambes one in the morning and the other at night beside an innumerable sort of other Leuiticall Sacrifices Now marke in these two Altars ye must consider that it was a part of the Ceremoniall Lawe of Moses all which Lawe was but a figure and a shadowe of Christ the true light it selfe As the Apostle saith The Ceremoniall lawe was but a shadowe of good things that were then to come and giuen by Christ. But nowe hâ—erâ— maie bée thought séeing that Altars were vsed from the beginning of the world First in the lawe of Nature second in the law written by commandement giuen by Moses the man of God thirdlie frequented and vsed in Christs Church since the beginning and vsed to this daie in most places of Chrisâ—endome how is it then that the Church of England hath taken them awaie To this I aunswere that wheresoeuer Altars be vsed whether in England or in anie other places of Christendome they be an occasion of great Idolatrie blaspheming of Christs bloud and merits of his bitter passion For whereas by Christs one Sacrifice offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse we are all made cleane and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen our Altars did teach vs that he was offered vp there a newe euerie daie for our redemption by the worke of a priest which is most falâ—e and vntrue and most blasphemous iniurious to Christs merits and sacrifice offered once for all And to the end to plucke out this blasphemous opinion out of the simple peoples heads it ought to be iudged of all the Kings people as good a déede of the King and his Counsell to beate downe and destroie the Altars in England as that King Ezechias did when he brake and brent the brasen Serpent that Moses by the commandement of God did make because the people did worship it and so committed Idolatrie Though that Altars were well accepted at the handes of Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob and also commaunded during the time of Moses Lawe yet ye must vnderstand that that Lawe is now abrogated and vtterlie repelled The whole Lawe giuen by God to Moses for the people of Israel was deuided into thrée fortes lawes morall which is the lawe of the ten commaundements lawes Iudiciall or Ciuil lawes which we in the realme of England call temporall lawes The third kinde of lawes were Ceremoniall lawes The lawe of the ten Commandements doe stand in their first strength But the other two the lawe Iudiciall and the lawes ceremoniall are quite abolished and of no strength Since that Christ hath suffered his passion for our redemption And where as no nation vnder yâ— Sunne were so laden with Ceremonies as the Iewes were God did it for two purposes One was to kéepe the people from the idolatricall inuentions of their owne handes and of their owne heads The other was with pretie figures and shadows to induce the grose and stifnecked people to inbrace and beléeue the mysteries of Christes incarnation passion and resurrection which mysterie was principallie figured and sette out by
Moses and sée that yee walke not after strange Gods of the nations that you remaine among See that ye neither make mention sayth Iosua nor yet sweare by the name of their Gods Thus in the olde lawe were they suffered to sweare in an earnest iust and waightie cause But now after the rule of Christ be the matter neuer so true we maye not of our owne selues nor by our own authoritie and priuate power sweare or promise anie manner of thing c. What the principall causes be that stop the Iewes from Christianitie I reade in the persecution of Scotlande of one George Wisehart a Gentleman and Martyr of a certeine storie which he resiteth on this wise I once sayth hée chaunced to méete with a Iew when I was sailinge vpon the water of Rhene I dyd enquire of him what was the cause of his partinacye that he dyd not beléeue that the true Messias was come consideringe that they had séene all the prophesies which were spoken of him to be fulfilled Moreouer the prophesies taken awaye and the Scepter of Iuda by manye other testimonies of the Scripture I vanquished him that Messias was come the which hée called Iesus of Nazareth This Iewe aunswered againe vnto mée When Messias commeth he shall restore all thinges and hee shall not abrogate the lawe which was giuen to our fore-fathers as ye doe For why wée sée the poore almost perishe through hunger amonge you yet you are not moued with pitie towardes them But amonge vs Iewes though wée bée poore there is no begger founde Secondarilie it is forbidden by the Lawe to faine anie kinde of Imagrie of thinges in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the Sea vnder the earth but one God onelye to honour but your Sanctuaryes and Churches are full of them Thirdlye a peece of bread baken vppon the Ashes ye adore and worshippe and saie that it is your God In the booke of Mar. fol. 1446. Why the Iewes were suffered to be diuoâ—ced ¶ Looke Diuorcement Howe the Iewes were driuen out of diuerse Realmes About the yeare of our Lorde 1179. were many Iewes in Englande which agaynst the feast of Easter did vse to Crucifie younge children in despite of Christian Relygion ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1186. They crucified a childe in the towne of Bury About the yeare of Christ. 1235. the 18. yeare of the reigne of king Henrie the third the Iews dwelling in Norwich were accused for the stealing of a childe whome they purposed to crucifie ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1245. and the 28. yeare of Henrie the third king of England at Tollet in Spaine a Iew digging in the ground to enlarge his vineyard found a hollow stone wherin was a booke of the bignesse of a Psalter written in Gréeke Latine and Hebrew the matter wherof was of the worlds to come And declared the coÌ„ming of Christ to be the beginning of the third world which was expressed on this wise In the beginning of the third world the sonne of God shall bée borne of a Uirgin By occasion of this booke the Iewes were turned to the faith of Christ. ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1264. and in the. 47. yeare of the reigne of Henrie the third king of England 500. Iewes were slaine by the Citizens of London because one Iew would haue forced a christen man to paie more then two pence for the vsurie of xx s. the wéeke ¶ About the yeare of our Lord 1279. and in the sixt yeare of the reigne of king Edward the first king of England 284. Iews were put to execution for clipping of the kings coine ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1475. at the citie of Trident a childe named Symon was murthered of the Iewes of that Citie in dirision of the passion of Christ for which murther and villanie the Iewes suffered great and worthie punishment ¶ In the yeare of our Lord. 1492. There were driuen out of Spaine by commaundement of the king 125. families of the Iewes of the which 30. thousand died of the pestilence in their iourneie as they were departing Of the conuersion of the Iewes Bretheren I will not haue you to be ignoraunt of this mysterie that you be not high minded in your selues for that the blindnesse is happened vpon parte of the Israelites vntill that the fulnesse of the Gentiles come in so Israel shall be saued ¶ This conuersion of the Iewes I doe disseuer from those tokens which began to be done a great while a goe do passe before the comming of the Lorde and I doe applie it vnto those signes which shall goe nearest before it But how that conuersion shall be fulfilled and what shall be the point of the fulfilling of the Gentiles let him define which is able We can rather wish it then for a certeine define it Augustine sayth that there shall be sometimes a manifest vocation or calling of the Iewes in the saluation of the Gospell but how and what time it shall be he doth not expresse Musculus fol. 451. ¶ He sheweth that the time shall come that the whole nation of the Iewes though not euerie one perticularly shall bée ioyned to the Church of Christ. Geneua IGNORAVNCE What a pleasure it is to the diuell for a man to be ignorant in the Scripture VNto the diuell it is a torment aboue all tormentes and a paine aboue all paines if they sâ—e anie man readinge the worde of GOD and with feruent studie searchinge the knowledge of Gods lawes and the mysteries and secrets of the Scriptures Héerein standeth all the flame of the diuels in this fire are they tormented for they are ceased and possessed of all them that remaine in ignoraunce The reading of the Scriptures is a greate fence against sinne and the ignoraunce of the Scriptures is a daungerous downefall and a great dungeon To knowe nothing of Gods lawe is the losse of saluation Ignoraunce hath brought in heresies and vicious life Ignoraunce hath turned all thinges vpside downe How no man is excused by Ignorance Ignoraunce excuseth no man if thou of ignoraunce followe a blinde guide thou shalt perish together with him The ignoraunce of Scriptures and the word of God is the head spring of all heresies and perniâ—ious errours For why Without the Scriptures the power of God connot be knowne which is Christ. Sir I. Cheeke vpon these words of S. Math. Ye are deceiued vnderstanding not the Scriptures Wherevnto the mainteâ—ners of ignorance maie be likened They be like that Painter that Plutarch speaketh of that had euill fauouredlie proportioned a painted Henne and therefore chased away the liue hennes least that his euill workmanship should be perceiued Those chase awaie Gods word least their fancie should be discouered I LE What is signified by the I le THey that dwell in the Iles shall sée c. ¶ Some reade And he that dwelleth in this I le c. Hierusalem
wine is to vs which thing appeareth more plaine by the words of Saint Austen following which be these Manducauit Moses Manna c. Moses did also eate Manna Aaron Phinehes did eate of it which pleased God are dead wherfore because they vnderstood yâ— visible meat spiritualy They wer spiritualy an huÌ„gred they tasted it spiritualy yâ— they might be spiritualy replenished They did all eate the same spirituall meate and all dranke the same spiritually which we doe and they all did drinke the same spirituall drinke They dranke one thing and we another but that was in the outward appearaunce which neuerthelesse did signifie the same thing spiritually How dranke they the same drinke They saith the Apostle dranke of the spirituall stone following them and that stone was Christ. And thereto Saint Bede addeth these words Videte autem fide manente signa variata Behold that the signes are altered and yet the faith abideth one Of these places it may plainely be perceiued that it is no Article necessary to be beleeued vnder paine of damnation that the Sacrament should be the naturalll body of Christ seeing the olde fathers neuer beleeued it And as they were saued without beleeuing that Manna was altered into Christes body euen so shall we be saued without beleeuing that the substaunce of bread is turned into his naturally body for the same faith shall saue vs that saued them And we are bound to beléeue no more vnder paine of damnation then they wer bound to beleeue I. Frith MARANATHA What this word Maranatha signifieth LEt him be had in execration Maranatha ¶ By these words is betokened the seuerest kinde of cursse and excommunication that was among the Iewes and the words are as much to say as our Lord commeth So that his meaning maye be this Let him be accursed euen to the comming of the Lord that is to say to his deaths daye euen for euer S. Hierome doth expound this word Maranatha the Lord commeth as if he should say If a man doe not beleeue our Lord Iesus Christ let him be accursed and let him be sure that the the Lord against whoÌ„ no hatred can preuaile doth come Some againe doe expound it thus Let him be as a rotten member cut off and perish vtterly Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Maranatha a word wherewith the accursed or vyle person in the extreame degrée is signified The Bible note MARCION Of the damnable heresies of this man MArcion of Pontus encreased the doctrine of Cerdon He liued in the time of Iustinus Martir which wrote a booke against him He met Policarpus and asked of him Knowest thou vs Policarpus I knowe thée for the first begotten of Satan Euseb. li. 4. cap. 11. 14. He said the soule onely should bée saued and not the body He thought that Cain with the Sodomites Aegyptians c. were saued when Christ went downe to Hell Irenaeus li. 1. ca. 29. Epiph. haeres 42. writeth of him that he was a Bishops sonne who when he had deâ—â—oured a Uirgin was by his own father excommunicated the church afterward he fled to Rome Being there because they admitted him not into the Church he began to preach detestable doctrine That there were three beginnings good iust and euill That the new Testament was contrarye to the olde He denied the resurrection of the body A comparison betweene the Marcions doctrine and the Popes The Marcions receiued no man to be a Christen man except he would refuse mariage The Pope receiueth no Priests except they fo rs weare mariage So that there is no diuersitie betwéene these heretikes and the Pope but that these Heretikes doth except a greater number then the Pope doth and speaketh more generally but the thing is all one For the Marcionites indgeth mariage vncleane for their sort and so doth the Pope for his sort Farther more Marcion saith that among christen men may be no temporall mariage but all conjunction must be turned into a spirituall mariage And the selfe same thing saith the Pope of his Priests wherfore seeing yâ— they do graunt how that S. Paule and also holy Fathers hath condemned this heresie of the Marcionites it must néedes followe that the opinion of the Pope is likewise damned But héere will some obiect and say as Eckius hath written that the Pope doth not condemne mariage but he causeth men alonely to keep his vowe Aunswere First the Pope compelleth them and if they will be Priests to vowe fo rs weare mariage For if ther wer no statute made afore of the Pope yâ— all Priests shuld fo rs weare mariage theÌ„ shuld ther no vowes he made of priests against mariage but the thing shuld be frée So yâ— the vowe commeth out of the Popes decrée prohibition not the decrée out of the vowe Ergo the prohibition goeth before the vowe wherefore this euation can haue no place Example The Emperour maketh a statute that no man shall be admitted into his seruice except he first sweare to be an enimie vnto the Kings grace of England Is not now the Emperour first an enimie vnto the Kings person and then also a forbidder of loue and fauour towards the Kings grace of England I thinke his grace will take his acte none otherwise For though he doe not nor cannot make all men the Kings enimies yet he maketh all that appertaine vnto him to be the kings enimies So likewise the Pope though he doe not forbidde all men mariage yet he forbiddeth as many as will be Priests yea and he will admit no man to be Priest except he first forswears mariage So that the vowe is first made or the Priesthood bée giuen D. Barnes A notable example of Marcions chast life Marcion and Montanus two ranke Heretikes anone after the Apostles daies sprong vp and fained such a chaste holinesse of life that they forbad and damned mariage But Epiphanius writeth that Marcion when he was receiued as a guest in the house of a certaine Deacon in Cipres he caried away his Hosts wife deceiued with his holy pretence of his new chast religion And when Doctor Marcion had taken his pleasure of hir and cast hir vp the miserable woman constrained to returne to hir husband lamenting hir fault asked him forgiuenesse This carefull woman saith Epiphanius was afterward a good warning for many other women monishing them to beware of Bishop Marcion his doctrine This Marcion and Montanus were the onely beginners of the lawe of wiuelesse and husbandlesse chastitie and the first authours and patrons of the Monkes religion Melancthon MARCVS The dâ—testable heresies of this man MArcus of whom Marcosij Colorbasus of whom Colorbasij and Heracleon after whom the Heretikes are called Heraâ—leonites sacrificed with witchcraft to amaze their auditory they pronounced Hebrue words they said vnto the women open your mouthes and prophecie through the power which commeth from vs. Many women came to the Church and vnder colour of prophecie confessed
meanes Ponet Gregory Bishop of Rome writing to Peter Subdeacon of Sicilia saith DuruÌ„ est c. It is a hard thing that such deacons as haue not found the gifte of sole life should be compelled to abstaine A suis vxoribus that is from their owne wiues in the which words their owne wiues no man can denie but that by Gregories iudgement the mariage of a Priest was a mariage Ponet Doctor Gracian a principall Doctor of the Popes side saith thus Copula sacerdotalis c. Priests mariage is not forbidden by any authoritie either of the Lawe of Moses or of the Gospell or of the Apostles Iewel fol. 171. Clement Alexandrinus saith Omnes Apostol Epistolae c. All the Epistles of the Apostles which teach sobrietie and continent life whereas they containe inuumerable precepts touching Matrimonie bringing vp of children and gouernement of house yet they neuer forbad honest and lawfull mariage Iew. The Canon commonly called of the Apostles doth excommunicate a Bishop or a Clearke that doth put away his wife vnder the colour of Religion The Councell of Chalcedon Canon 13. forbiddeth Clearkes to marrie wiues of a contrary religion as Iews and Pagans but not simply forbiddeth them much lesse would allow them to put away their lawfull wiues By whom mariage of Priests was forbidden About the yeare of our Lord. 1074. Gregory the 7. was Bishop of Rome He decreed that Priests should haue no more wiues and that they which already hadde should be diuorsed and that no man should thenceforth be admitted to Priesthood but they vowed perpetuall chastitie Against this decrée repugned the Bishops Priests of Germany and withstood it a long season About the yeare of Christ. 1106. the Priestes of Englande were constrained to forgo their wiues by meanes of Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury The saieng of Hierocles concerning mariage It is méere folly saith he lack of wit which make those things that of theÌ„selues are easie to be born troublesome make a wife a grieuous clogge vnto hir husband for mariage to many men hath bene intollerable not because that wedding state is by default of it selfe or owne proper nature so troublesome and comberous but for our matching as we should not it falleth out as we would not causeth our marriages to be gréeuous and noiâ—ome To this end verily our dayly marriages doe commonly come For they marry wiues vsually not for the begetting of children or societie of lyfe but some for a great dowrie some for a beautifull bodie and some being seduced by such kinde of cautiles as it were men abused by vnfaithfull counsailers haue no regard to the disposition and manners of their spouse but marrie at aduentures to their owne decay and vtter destruction Bullinger fol 228. The Latine Church had her married Priests a long season as testifieth the storie of Sericij the Pope which first laboured in Spaine to diuorse Priests from their wiues albeit yâ— Priests of Spaine refused to obey the decree of Sericij hauing for their patrone and defence the Bishop of Tarracony aunswering the Bishop of Rome and reciting the saieng of the Gospell which forbiddeth marriage to be dissolued To the which saith Melancthon Siricius wrote againe so arrogantly and so foolishlye that meruaile it is to see so great ignoraunce audacitie impietie so great tiranny to haue had raigned then in their church For he rebuketh sayth he honest married men calleth them contumeliously the defenders of lechery sull foolishly wrasting Paules sayeng If ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye to make against Matrimonie If there were then saith Melancthon so great foolsh ignoraunce in the man as to thinke wedlocke reuiled and dampned by this text surely Sircius had ben more méet to haue rowed in a gally or to haue holden the plough then to haue had that seate therein to sit and gouerne the Church of Christ. Or else if he did so mocke out this thing wittinglye his shamelesse rescription is more worthy to be abhorred hated then his fond ignoraunce For to liue after the flesh is to fall against the commaundements of God and not to signifie the honest vse of chast wedlocke or lawfully to vse meat drinke according to Gods precept Melancthon in a little booke hee wrote to King Henrie the. 8. in the defence of Priestes Marriage The vse of Marriage among the Chaldeans The Chaldeans honoured the fire for their God and had this vsage among them that none was suffred to haue fire in his house but those yâ— were married for the custodie of Gods sayd they might be coÌ„mitted to none but married auncient folkes And this was their order in marriage The daye when anie person should be married the Priest came into the house to light new fire the which neuer ought to be put out vntill the houre of his death And if perchaunce during the lyfe of the husband and of the wife they should finde the fire dead and put out the marriage betwéene them was dead and vndone yea though they had bene xl years married And of this occasion came the Prouerbe which of many is read and of few vnderstood that is to wit Prouoke me not too much that I throw water into the fire The Chaldeans vsed such words when they wold diuorse or seperate the marriage For if the woman were ill contented with her husband in casting a little water on the fire immediatly she might marry with an other And if the husband like did put out the fire he might with an other woman contract marriage I pray God there be none at this day among the Christians that wold be content to put out the fire and to cast out the ashes and all to be at libertie Cynna Catul. MARINVS Of this mans hereticall opinion MArinus the Arrian thought that the Father was a Father when there was no sonne Such as were of this opinion were called Psathyrians the reason why is to be séene in Socrates li. 5. chap. 22. MARKE Of the lyfe of Saint Marke the Euangelist MArke the Disciple and interpreter of Peter béeing desired of the brethren at Rome wrote a short Gospell according as he heard Peter prâ—ach and shew euery thing by mouth The which gospel the same Peter after he had herd it did allow publish by his authoritie because it shuld be read in the congregation as recordeth Clement in the 6. booke of his worke intituled Dispositiones Of this Marke Papius also Bishop of Hierusalem maketh mention And Peter in his first Epistle where vnder the name of Babilon by a figuratiue manner of speaking hée vnderstandeth Rome The congregation of them which at Babilon are companions of your election saluteth you and so doth Marke my sonne Wherefore he tooke the Gospell that he himselfe had written and went into Aegypt and first of all men preached Christ at Alexandria where hée ordeined a Church or