to expende and to expound the lawes of the realme in suche preiudiciall maner as he doth I would faine knowe how he can glose that Acte of Parliamente made in the .xxxij. yere of that noble Kyng Henry the eighte whiche is not as yet repealed but confirmed a newe for some parte thereof concernyng the prohibitions of the Leuiticall Lawe and standeth in sure force at this very daie wherein is plainly expressed that no reseruation or prohibition Goddes Lawe except shall trouble or empeche any mariage without the saied Leuiticall degrees And that all suche bee lawfull persones to contracte whiche bee not prohibited by Gods lawe to marrie I thinke this man can not saye that priestes mariages bee within suche degrees Ergo thei ought not to be troubled or impeched as this Lawe commaundeth And where this doctor writeth in th ende of his .ix. Chapiter full learnedly bee ye suer R. ij specially for a greate maister of the Chauncerie that the two actes in Kyng Edwardes daies aucthorisyng priestes mariages doeth not take a waie the penalties of the Canon lawe whiche assertion for the like how far it may be extended let wise menne iudge But if thei did he saieth yet could not the priestes take any aduauntage by them longer then thei did continue And he addeth his reason because saith he the auncient lawes of the churche as sone as the saied two statutes were taken awaie came straight in force againe Further saieth he for that thei were neuer extinguished but only for a time shadowed and brought a slepe And this he saieth is the opinion of the chief Doctors of the Ciuill lawe Now Master Ciuilian if ye had alledged this opinion as of suche as be learned and beareth good hartes to their owne naturall lawe of the realme your saiyng had been better proued in my conceite And I doubt muche whether it bee true that ye saie that the beste Ciuilians agréeth with you I thinke if it were searched there might be found as good Ciuilians comparable with those whom ye note to bee the chief Doctors of the Ciuill that bee not in your iudgemente in this your gaye booke And whether ye haue any manne learned in the temporall lawe that will ioyne in this opinion with your chief doctors in the Ciuill Lawe I would yet wishe euâ—n those though ye haue craftly trained them into suche opinion by the odiousnes of this cause of the poore priestes yet to aduise theÌ„ well for suche causes might arise to them selues in compasse of seuen yeares in the like cases that peraduenture thei would wishe not to haue it so vniuersally concluded as ye conclude it But sir yet let me aske you a question by the occasion offred of that Lawe of Kyng Henrie Anno. xxcij where it is determined in lawe wherof I thinke ye cannot shewe the like in this realme since Brute came first into England and ye knowe that it is a great wonder to your wit for thinges to come in law that fewe menne hath seen the like example before tymes I meane I saie for the nature of precontractes whiche by that statute bee vtterly voide if a second contract followeth and bee consummated with bodely knowledge Ye knowe that this acte for precontractes is repealed againe Anno secundo Edwardi sexti and restored to that force as once it was and so long before continued many hundreth yeres What do ye entend with such mariages as at this daie be a great meiny in Englande which began and were aduailable by force of that act seyng this act is now repealed Whether maie ye dissolue suche marriages and pronounce them nought seyng ye saie the â—orce of the olde Canons yea the force of a statute lawe too is in strength againe and debarryng euery man to vse that kinde of second contractyng for hereafter When ye haue well answered this one question I thinke suche as bée learned in the law could deuise more of suche kinde to set your gaie witte on worke And if ye list ye maie read that suche equitie was prouided for in the first yere of Kyng Edwarde the sixte in the .xj. Chapiter concernyng the peaceable enioiyng of mennes interestes geuen by acte before though afterward followeth a repeale by the Kynges letters patentes of the saied actes the parties might pleade the said actes repealed for there grauntes so enioyed by lawe I praie you coÌ„sider whether these rules of the lawes folowing might not haue place in this cause where it is saied Factum legitimum retractari non debet licét casus postea eueniat quo noÌ„ potuit inchoari A facte that was once lawfull ought not to bee called into question againe although afterwardes there happen somethyng that myght hinder the beginnyng of it Et multa prohibentur fieri que facta tamen tenent Many thynges are prohibited to be doen whiche when thei once bée doone must yet stand Indultum a iure beneficium non est alicui auferendum A benefite graunted by law must be taken from no man If any cause might be reduced to the equitie of these lawes I thinke the cause of Matrimonie beyng Gods ordinaunce ought to bée indissoluble and not to be retracted Moreouer if these mariages aforesaied ought not to bee dissolued but muste enioye the benefite of that statute when it so stode though it be repealed for hereafterward why should that act of repeale made in the first yere of our soueraigne Ladie the Quéenes maiestie Quéene Marie takyng a waye only but the libertie for Priestes to marrie for hereafter impeache or hinder those lawfull mariages of priestes before aucthorised by as good lawe and as often tymes before these daies seen more then king Edwardes repeale caÌ„ or ought molest these mariages for their maner of contractyng Furthermore if vpon repeale of actes as ye do saie your slepyng Canons should therby be straight waie in force watching and wakyng to shewe their face to byte and barke as the ordinaries in some places would haue them I doubt whether al the Quéenes highnes subiectes should haue so quiet reste in their beddes as thei would wishe and as their forefathers before tyme prouided for them selues by kepyng this slepyng tye dogge in his kenell not to come to farre a broode for bityng And because this Ciuilian deliteth to skoure his wit in lawest I desire his resolution in one doubt rising by occasion of his forsaied determination whiche is that all Ecclesiasticall persons lieth open to the old Canons of the Churche by reason of this acte of repeale Kyng Edwarde in his first yere made a statute repealyng all maner actes before his tyme made for punishement of Heresies as well the acte of King Richarde the seconde made in his first yere the act of Henrie the .v. made in his second yere the actes of Kyng Henrie the eight made in his xxv yere the act of .vj. articles made in the .xxxj. yere one other act made in the .xxxv. yere concernyng qualification of the
chastitee is no otherwise conceiued of our priestes then as it is propounded to them by the Busshoppe in suche proposition Then I reason thus The Busshoppe propoundeth not this propositioÌ„ to our priestes in Englande Ergo there is no vowe in them conceiued so none begotten or brought to birth Ergo Englishe priestes be no votaries by your owne coÌ„cession Your thirde argumente hangeth thus Priestes crounes in their heades signifie a vowe Ergo Englishe Priestes bee votaries Now I haue proued that matter to bee farre vnlike that their crounes should bee signes of any vowe but rather of other thynges And that ye bee fondly deceiued as I trust ye doe perceiue by this tyme and then I argue thus The priestes crounes signifie no suche vowe Ergo by that signe Englishe Priestes be no votaries Or thus The NazareaÌ„s shaued of their heere wheÌ„ their vowe was doen and paste the Priestes bee like the Nazareans as ye saie Ergo by the shauyng of their crounes thei bee paste their vowe and not vnder their vowe Your fourthe argument of Taciturnitie holdeth thus Priestes Ordered by the Romane pontificall kepyng their silence at the Bushoppes proposicion binde them selues by their Taciturnitie to a vowe of continencie Ergo Englishe Priestes ordered by their owne potificall wherein no suche proposition is spoken bee vâ—taries Furthermore your owne difinition is of a vowe that it should bée a deliberate or aduised promise made to God for a better entente and purpose And further ye saie that by reason of the Priestes profession and vowe annexed he is a votarie can not Marrie Then thus I argue Englishe Priestes make no suche promise or profession nor the Busshoppe requireth any suche promise nor any proposition doe include suche profession or promise Ergo by the maner of their orderyng Englishe Priestes be no votaries and therefore without let of any vowe maie Marrie And Ioannes Genesius saith that there is no greater impedimeÌ„t against their mariage then their vowe suche as it is And then standyng that no suche vowe is made by them it foloweth that the greatest impedimente is by his aucthoritee well wiped awaie And all these argumentes made for the negatiue holde as well as all those whiche he bryngeth in for his affirmatiue Thus ye see what doctrine he hath vttered to Ecclesiasticall Iudges to leane to for their hastie proceadynges of diuorsyng suche persones maried And therefore if either in his blindnesse or malice or yet ignorauÌ„ce he geueth the occasion to vnlearned Ordinaries their Commissaries to attempt wilfully that thyng whiche neither Gods worde nor mans worde can approue or beare I would not be in his coote for suche threates of Christ Ve homini per quem offendiculuÌ„ venit bonuÌ„ erat illi sinatus noÌ„ fuisset homo ille Wo be to that man by whom offeÌ„ce commeth and it were better for that manne if he neuer had been borne for all the gaines he shal haue in the Chauncerie as long as he liueth He maie haue a zeale peraduenture as other good menne maie haue but let hym consider etiam atque etiam ne sit non secundum scientiam leste it be not accordyng to knowlege leste cruelly crucified Christe and poore stoned Stephen bee not without remedy compelled to saie and crie once againe Nesciunt enim quid faciunt for thei knowe not what thei dooe Deus conterat satanam sub pedibus nostris breui vt cognoscamus in terra viam suam The Lorde treade Satan doune shortly vnder our féete and graunt that we maie knowe his waie vpoÌ„ yearth O Anglia si lumen quod est in te tenebrae sint ipsae tenebrae quaÌ„tae Sed olim vobis O patres dicet dominus Reddite rationem villicationis vestrae Venite ad iudicium O Englande if the light that is within thee is become darkenesse how greate then is the darkenesse it self But the Lorde in tyme to come shall saie vnto you O fathers geue an accoÌ„pte of your Stewardshippe Come ye vnto the iudgement How can this doctor of the Ciuill Lawe plaister vp these matters to proue hym self either learned wise or sincere excepte he bee skilled in suche kinde of glosyng to salue his â—iles as the Doctours of the Lawe Canon be that can saue all that euer thei reade or speake how contradictoriously so euer it be that thei saie so ye will geue them leaue to expounde their owne saiynges and admitte their owne gloses and distinctions Truely me thinke this mannes witte should bee as fitte to glose the Decrees and Decretalles as he was that is the common approued groser And so of many Lawiers anâ— Diuines oft alledged for aucthoritée Precipimus saieth he id est permittimus Statuimus id est abrogamus Dist. 4. Statuimus Vxores ducere id est retinere In deede this Lawier can in suche sorte glose S. Paules wordes when he saieth vnusquisquè pâ—opter fornicationem vitandam suam vxorem habeat Habeat gloseth he id est retineat But how truely wee haue in parte before brought in bothe his Doctours and Counsailes to trye this truthe Praedicare Euangelium saieth the saied gloser id est Legere vir inuita vxore non debet orare id est peregrinari with infinite suche wherein he wandereth so farre from the texte that many tymes he destroieth the very texte it self And therevpon the Deuines of Paris in articulis condemnatis after the maister of Sentence detecteth this gloser as a corruptor of the texte self with his peruerse gloses and biddeth beware of him and all suche Lawiers and gloses yet the pretense of this gloser is to saue all the olde Lawes Ca. 9. R. ij Canons and Counsailes Marie when thei be to good to pure and to plaine to cauils awaie then he runneth to this mannes shift to saie that the first Canons be abrogated by the later that is the better by a great deale the worse For he forceth all his witte and laboure as this manne doeth euen the same to frustrate the woorde of God to make it of no effecte that the traditions of manne maie come in the place thereof And doeth euacuate all olde good Lawes and Decrees of the fathers to stablishe the Lawes presente to temper all our religion in faithe and maners to the present state of the Churche as it is now and hath been so corrupte this fiue or sixe hundreth yere as a sorte of Cardinalles not long ago moste manifestly did acknowledge diuerse corruptions in the churche to Paule the thirde in their supplication But commonly it is seen that the more parte euer ouercommeth the better so that there came no profite therof For the others would not haue the state or the honor of the churche altered in any wise or decaied And this is the onely marke I feare me that this aucthour shoteth at in all his tragicall doynges neither Goddes holy honour truely ment neither the pure immaculate spouse of our sauiour Christ his true Churche regarded but
soleÌ„pnitée outward And my lord chauÌ„celour in his laste booke against Bucere supposeth not that any man pleaseth God in his vowyng if he be not brought thervnto by a godly inclination And further the saied scole diuines hold that he who is so dispensed with either for respecte of the coÌ„mon wealth or yet in respecte of his owne saluation in his obedience he meriteth more then if he kept his vowe For in this case saye thei this obedience is a more worthie vertue and more meritoriouse then is chastitée Quantum ad premium substantiale And the saied Antonine holdeth that if the Pope should dispense without a iuste cause in the solempne vowe of chastitée either of the man or of the woman yet were that true Matrimony Quantum ad vtrunque quia claudicare non potest That is on bothe sides for it may not halt on the one legge But seyng as I haue saied that the saied seculer Priestes make no suche profession nor the Busshop speaketh the saied proposition to the Englishe priestes vnder suche condition then it standeth onely but of the decrees and Canons of the churche whiche can not nor ought not nor the Queenes Maiestie will not as by the firste Article in her Commission appeareth haue executed to the preiudice or derogation of any Lawes of the realme Furthermore vpon that deuise that is alledge to defeat sainct Augustines sentence and iudgement affirming that the church as then had not defined votaries mariages to bee adulteries or to be dissolued If the matter standeth but vpoÌ„ the definitioÌ„ of the Churche then thus I reason The Churche hath defined of olde precontractes to make Matrimonie and the second contractes to be voide The churche of EnglaÌ„d of late defined the second contract with carnall copulation to be Matrimony the first contract to be none In the time of this definition diuerse persones vpon the seconde contract were maried and so continue together still at this daie I aske of you Master Martin whether the definitioÌ„ of the Churche of England wil not be warrant inough for their mariages I truste ye will not dissolue them nowe though that definitioÌ„ be now repealed again and restored by an other definition Euen in like maner the church afore tyme defined priestes mariages to be no mariages but to be dissolued â–ª duryng the vigor of which definition priestes wer not suffred to marrie Now of late the Church of Englande whiche as was shewed before is as well a catholike and Apostolike church as Rome churche or any other and of lyke and equall aucthoritée iurisdiction and power This churche I saie not stelyngly but aduisedly in two sondrie cessions not of the Laytie onely but of the Clergie did define Priestes mariages to bee good and auailable against all Lawes positiue Then standyng this definition whye were not their mariages good and this definition beyng repealed but for hereafter whie shall it not serue for those that were then made and now standyng in strength by Goddes Lawe and not as yet dissolued by mannes Lawe But ye will obiect that the Church definition maketh not the thinge to be but sheweth it to bee So that ye maye saie suche mariages were euer vnlawfull But then declared vnlawfull when the church definition was published Though this cauillatioÌ„ might be otherwise by good reasoÌ„ example and aucthoritée sufficiently answered yet take ye this answere for this tyme. If I were of the nombre of those priestes who beyng hindered by no other impediment of Goddes Lawe had maried vpon the definition of the Princes Law I would as gladly erre with sainct Augustine and with that age wherin he was in this matter as to be a catholike with doctor Martin and suche other of his affinitee Who by pleasure and displeasure by gaine of promotioÌ„s and lucres fallen to them by their opinion holde the contrarie But here ye will doubt whether the kinge or yet the Pope haue so muche aucthoritée to dispense with an vniuersall Lawe of the Churche Sir if for enuy ye beare to the kynges power ye beginne to doubt of the Popes power so ye maye shewe your self a stout catholique to the one as ye shewe your self a double subiect to thother And if ye doubt of the Popes power aske couÌ„saile of Ioannes Genesius deritu nuptiaruÌ„ how vniuersall it is And if ye miscredit hym aske the whole number of the Canonistes who some of them stand in more doubt whether the Pope can dispense with Regulers to haue proprietie and seculer promotion vnder the perfection of a Busshoppe then â–ª whether he can dispense with Priestes seculer to marye after their order If thei should be iudged by their factes there be examples innumerable of suche dispensations of decrees and the Canons made in generall councels whiche is more that the Busshoppe of Rome hath largely delt out in his aucthoritée If ye doubt that the kinges aucthoritée can do so much I can no more but â—end you to all the learned resolutions of the beste of the Clergie at this daie If ye beleue them ye must beleue me For I come but out of their bookes assertions If ye bryng in a great heape of councels of later daies I answere to them al as many as were made for the policies of Spaine Fraunce Italy thei belong not to vs. Ye maye laie these councels to the charge of those priesteâ— that be ordered ther. If ye saie that a particuler realme can not dispense with the whole Lawe of the Churche we answere we force no dispensation of the whole churche but of this particular churche of England for the perticular state of the Clergie of the same And as this particular Churche by their assent receiued that Lawe so by dissent againe hath refused that lawe And therfore is no further bound If ye yet againe will saie that the king may not dispense so vniuersally with the whole realme I answere if the king may do as much as the Pope why maie not he dispeÌ„se with his whole realme and Clergie for them that will aswell as was saied before As Paule the thirde to offer to the whole state of the Regulers in Germany to be temperally beneficed against the Canons of the Churche Extrae de consiguinitate affinit Can. 35. q. 10. Fraternitatis or as could Innocent the thirde release to al realmes of christendome the prohibitions of consanguynitée and affinitée in Councels before restrained If ye obiect that a greate many of Counsailes haue defined not onely depriuations but also separations I answere that as good Counsailes in the primatiue Churche as there bee many of this later Churche haue not so decreed but made this to bee the worste to be sequestered from their ministration Concilium Constant. vi And some not separating the ministers from their wiues but in tyme of their ministration And depriuyng the ordinaries whiche would separate theim contrary to the Canons of the Apostles CoÌ„cil gaÌ„grense And some
¶ A DEFENCE of priestes mariages stablysshed by the imperiall lawes of the Realme of Englande agaynst a Ciuilian namyng hym selfe Thomas Martin doctour of the Ciuile lawes goyng about to disproue the saide mariages lawfull by the eternall worde of God by the hygh court of parliament only forbydden by forayne lawes and canons of the Pope coloured with the visour of the Churche Whiche lawes canons were extynguyshed by the sayde parliament and so abrogated by the conuocation in their Sinode by their subscriptions Herewith is expressed what moderations and dispensations haue ben vsed heretofore in the same cause other like the canons of the Churche standyng in full force Whereby is proued these constitutions to be but positiue lawes of man temporall Let Matrimonie be honorable in all persons But fornicatours and adulterers God shall iudge Hebre. xiij ¶ The contentes of this booke noted in the pagies of the same as in these titles folowyng 1 A moste humble supplication to the hygh and most myghtie princes the Kyng and Queenes excellent maiesties Fol. 1. 2 An humble suite to the ryght prudent and most honorable of their councell Fol. 2. facie 2. 3 A lowly request and obsecration to the reuerent fathers of the Churche Fol. 3. facie 2. 4 A tractation to the discrete iudgement of the worshipfull of the lower house of parliament and to the professours of the lawe Fol. 7. facie 2. c. 5 An admonition to the naturall subiectes of the Realme and certayne notes for their aduertisementes Fol. 8. facie 2. c. Fol. 9. facie 2. d. 6 An expostulation with certayne of the Clergie for lacke of charitable indifferencie Fol. 11. facie 2. 7 Generall considerations in the booke folowyng 8 That Saint Paules sentences for auoydyng of fornication let euery man haue his wyfe â–ª c. and yf they can not conteyne let them marry be generally spokeÌ„ to al persons pag. 133. 136. c. 9 To seculer priestes and to votaries 140. b. 159. a. 10 And that continencie from mariage is a rare gyft 201. c. 204. a. 247. c. 251. 11 And that it is not lyke that the Apostles dyd enioyne the same to the Clergie seing they them selues and diuers other Bushoppes and priestes had wyues 32. b. 42. 156. d. 12 That it is only of mans constitutions for continencie to be annexed to orders 71. 72. 153. c. 13 And that seculer priestes votaries haue ben dispensed with to marrie 230. 14 And that our elders and the fathers of thâ— Churche haue thought it meete alwayes for lawes and canons to be restrayned remitted 41.85.175.179 c. 196. a. 197. b. 209. a. 210. d. 15 And that the same haue ben dispensed with in matters of greater importauÌ„ce then priestes mariages 204. a. 205. 267 a 16 And haue ben dispensed to kepe their wiues 222. a. 274. a. 17 That seculer priestes ordered in England be no votaries pag. 181. d. 181. c 184. a. 18 And myght marry after order as before 60.61.76.103.155 d. 253. d. 257.272 a 19 And that they haue ben before tyme maryed in the Realme Fol. 15. b i 20 And that it is no dishonour to the order nor burthen to the Realme for priestes to marry pag. 69. 70. 59. 21 That maryages of the Clergie made by force of the lawe of the Realme be good mariages â—69 238. b. 22 And that they lye not vpon the daunger of the canons to be impeached or dissolued 67.65.58.167.171 b. 200. d. 23 No more then the maryages of the laitie which were made in kyng Henry the .viii. his tyme by the act concernyng precontractes 170. d. 24 And that forayne positiue lawes with their paynes concernyng the same be abrogated not reuiued by the act of repeale 170. c. 25 That scripture ought to be iudge and is most certayne to be sticken vnto 73.74.98 b. 100. c. 245. b. 26 That D. Martin hath rigorously without all moderation expended the cause of these sayde parties iustly maryed by lawe 83.201 27 That D. Martin hath wrested misreported scriptures in the deprauyng of the sayde lawfull maryages 135. b. 147. a. 150 d 28 That D. Martin hath peruerted and falsified the scriptures stories councels aleaged by hym 53.54.105 b. 111. b 136. b. 144 a. 146 b. 148.155 a. 156 b 164.182 b. 221. b 238. d. 29 And doctours of the Church as Origen Ambrose 145. b. Austen 101. c. 104. a. 107. a. 150. b. Ierome 108. b Isodore 109. c Eusebius 144. Ignatius 118. c. Nicephorus 156. 106. a. 30 That D. Martin sclaundereth with euyll names aswel the matrimonie of the lay men as of priestes 66.82.163 a. 31 That D. Martin hath vsed to many lyes yf his cause were good insparsed in his booke part wherof be touched 43.44.45.50.51 52.53.54.55.56.107.115.136.145.151.157 c. 182. b. 216. c. ¶ A preface to the reader WHere by chaunce came into my handes of late a booke sent from beyonde the sea wherein was highly magnified a treatise written by one Thomas Martin doctour of the Ciuile lawe and there muche labour bestowed to disproue the lawfull matrimonies of Ecclesiasticall Ministers There came to my remembraunce a certayne wrytyng beyng in my custodie gathered together and written in the raigne of Kyng Philip Queene Marie wherin much of the treatise of this Ciuilian is reproued Which said booke was written by a learned man of that tyme who shortly after dyed meanyng yf God had lent hym longer lyfe to haue confuted more of the sandye groundes principles of the sayde Ciuilian And thynkyng it at these dayes not vnprofitable to be read for this controuersie I committed it to the Printer praying thee good reader to beare with the maner of the wrytyng in some partes therof beyng more meryly penned then some graue wryter would peradueÌ„ture alowe of In which fourme of wrytyng somewhat he foloweth as he sayth hym selfe thexample of Sir Thomas Moore knyght in his booke of Dialogues for purgatorie This wryter abstaynyng yet from vnchaste tales such as be in his 〈◊〉 booke ouermuch insparsed and partly being in aduersitie gaue himself to some solace to refreshe his minde with yet vsyng fewer insultations reprofes then the vnworthinesse of the said Ciuilian by his vnreasonable chalenge myght haue moued him to Now because I wold nether adde to another mans writing neither diminishe the same I haue preseÌ„ted vnto thee good reader the whole booke as it is affirmyng this that thou shalt finde all his allegations truely aduouched by the writers that he doth name assuring thee also persuaded by the nature of the man whom I haue hearde wel reported that no malice or corrupt indignation moued hym to write as he doth but pure zeale to the trueth of Gods most holy worde to their instruction who woulde be taught in this trueth to the amendement of his aduersarie in his manifest vntruethes to the comfort of theÌ„ who loue God and his veritie and to admonishe all such as be eyther wylfully ignoraunt or malicious well to expende
the Quéenes highnes and so haue moued you to bee pitefull to our escapes and ouersightes into the whiche ye impelled vs with greate laisure of daies and yeres If we can not in our small and weake learnyng nor in our timerous conscience see cause so sodainly to decline againe to our old vomite whereof ye your selues ministered vs so strong purgatioÌ„ Can ye beate vs banishe vs proscribe vs and our parsones if wee doe not at the tourne of a yere perswade our selues seyng your selues were not so hastie or readie till all your senses were throughlie instructed and certified Oh fathers be ye yet mercifull in punishyng your owne transgressions in our bodies and persones whiche be what soeuer we be your members though your bodies and persones enioye your immunitie from all suche afflictions Wee doubte not but the conscieÌ„ces of some of you feeleth some greif with vs though our consciences bee at quiete vpon the grounde of your inuincible doctrine and though our bodies states and goodes be sore intreated Furthermore vpon your late assertions debatementes and subscriptions in your house of Conuocation with coÌ„mon assent presented to the high Courte of Parliamente and by the whole aucthoritie thereof so condescended vpon and enacted standyng the full right title and interest of the said primacie without coÌ„tradiction of any one man that was present to obiecte againste the saied supreme power in the Prince yea the self same men whiche now at this daie seme to dissent of whom some were absente yet in Parliamentes diuerse and many tymes before expressyng their assentes in matters of like confereÌ„ce we thought hereby we might haue learned an vniuersall stable determination with all other to haue ieoparded not our goodes and liuynges but our liues and soules And all this notwithstaÌ„dyng shall all your rightes and interestes bee still sarta tecta and our one onely facte in suche wise extended to bee so irremissible that it muste bee reuenged with all the rigour and extremitie that any enemie would seke at his enemie And you O fathers the executours of the paine that were the aucthours of the crime If this bee so verely then maie some men doubte whether we haue not iuste cause to saie Oze v. Hiere v. Quòd compleuit dominus furoreÌ„ suum effudit iram indignationis suae in nos Si sacerdotes ipsi laqueus facti sint speculationi laqueos ponentes pedicas ad capiendos viros That the Lorde hath accomplished his furie and hath poured out the wrathe of his indignation vpon vs. If the Priestes them seluâ—â— are become a snare settyng trappes for the watchemen and laiyng grinnes to catch men in But muche more then haue ye cause to discende into your owne hartes and conscieÌ„ces to bewaile your selues that God would so suffer you to wander in your owne vanities that where as ye might and ought to be plantatio dnÌ„i ad glorificanduÌ„ Esay vi Psal. xxii ii Peter ii Iude i. Esay x. virga baculus consolationis dnÌ„i The planting of the Lorde to glorifie him the rodde and staffe of the Lordes comforte now ye should be no other but Nubes aquaÌ„ non habentes que a ventis circumaguntur inescantes aiÌ„as instabiles Cloudes without water whiche are caried about with the windes beguilyng inconstante soules and so finally ye should be virga furoris domini that is the rodde of Goddes wrathe If ye would haue a chaste clergie O fathers is it this waie sought as ye yet I saie not altogether ye but certaine vnder your aucthoritie haue handeled the matter If you would haue had them fatherly sought to haue been wonne and by mutuall assentes of their coniugalles to haue béen continent in déede whoÌ„ ye found contracted whereby thei might haue doen seruice againe in the greate necessitie whiche ye maie see in the churche of England is it this waie procured Is thus the honour of the Clergie preserued to driue out so many twelue of sixtene thousaÌ„de as some writer maketh his accompte to so greate a perill and an aduenture of gettyng the liuynges God knoweth how and by what meanes a greate parte of theim and after all this doen and executed to the vttermoste and beyonde so farre against all iustice vpon a greate nomber euen after the charges of the cure serued the Tenthes and Subsidie paied and at the poincte of receiuyng that whiche was before labored for and deserued that snatched out of their mouthes by preuentioÌ„s Furthermore as though all this were yet to little some certain what thei be knoweth God to set vp so intemperate a tongue so importunate a Ciuilian forgetting his owne shame so vilely to blotte them with shame for euer disablyng them to be ministers again for any credence and thereto to endaunger theim their bodies and gooddes if it were iustifiable that he prateth out Sed qui operit odium fraudulenter reuelabitur malicia eius in consilio Pro. xxvj Qui fodit foueam incidit in eam qui voluit lapidem reuertetur ad ipsum But he that couereth his hatefull minde fraudulentlie to doe hurte his malice shal be shewed before the whole congregation Who so diggeth a pitte shall fall therein hymself and he that whirleth a stone shall stumble vpon it hym self As for his witte how wittie so euer he would seme to be and as for his learnyng hauyng no more then is here vttred how vniuersall yet so euer he would haue it appere were sone aunswered with an easte coste Marie your aucthoritie is more to be feared in this cause and yet your greate learning maie temper the feare of your aucthorities perswadyng to our selues that ye knowe your aucthorities geuen ad edificationem non ad destructionem to edifie and not to destroie doubtyng nothyng of your wisedomes that ye meane not to doe as ye will but as ye maie And that ye consider the state of the cause as it standeth in England the difference of the tymes that were once in the Churche and as thei be now their oportunities of folowing that grace whiche was so muche then ensued and yet their libertie to leape backe againe if experience shewed an inuicible difficilitie and our daielie intrications and necessities of liuyng in companie their plentie of learned ministers and our scarsitie not yet makyng hereby any sinistrall insinuation but affirmyng plainly that it were the better hauyng all other thynges accompaniyng the same without the whiche it were not commendable De virgininitate And yet as plainly affirmyng againe with saincte Augustine ê™ melior est in scriptura dei veritas dei quam in cuiusquam meÌ„te carne virginitas hominis That the truthe of God Contra Iouiniam contained in the Scripture of God is better then the virginitie of man whether it be in the minde or fleshe of any man with S. Hierome concludyng ê™ non sunt tanti virgines quanti necessarij sunt sacerdotes Nunquid saith he quia in exercitu
saie Qui nocet noceat adhuc qui in sordibus est sordescat adhuc qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc saÌ„ctus sanctisicetur adhuc vsque dum dominus venerit cito merces illius cum eo vt reddat vnicuique vt opus illorum erit He that doeth euill let hym doe euill still and he whiche is filthie let hym be filthie still and he that is rightuous let hym be more rightuous and he that is holie let hym bee more holie vntill the Lorde come shortlie and his rewarde is with hym to render vnto euery man accordyng as their deedes shal be Concludyng with the laste wordes in all scripture Amen etiam veni domine Iesu So be it euen so come Lorde Iesu. Gratia domini nostri Iesu Christi cum omnibus vobis Amen The grace of our Lorde Iesu Christ bée with you all AMEN Generall considerations AS it standeth all men in hande to looke well about theim leste thei bee deceiued with the subtile clokes of hypocrisie So it were moste agreable for theim that beare the names of learned men and be in the roumes of Iudges and Commissioners specially in Ecclesiasticall executions to haue good groundes both of Goddes Lawes and mennes lawes to aunswere bothe God and man at all tymes to kepe them selues within learnyng and discretion to the conseruation of the lawes of their owne naturall countrey accordyng to the charge that is committed to their truste and not to hange the suertie of their doynges vpon other mennes sleaues as is at these daies commonly perceiued in diuers Chauncellours and Comisaries whiche partely by their hastie runnyng before lawes without Commission and executyng their offices so extremely in depriuyng and diuorsyng the late maried Priestes alottyng theim no maner of liuyng out of their benefites whom thei admitte again to ministration as the Quéenes maiestie commaundeth them Articl 8. in the articles of Commission I saie it maie appeare that many of them haue neither eye to that whiche God in his lawe requireth of theim neither yet what their owne Ecclesiasticall lawes bindeth them to neither regardyng what the dignitie of the lawes of the Realme might aduise them nor yet what the Quéenes aucthoritie commaundeth them but in abusyng all take aduauntage of all to sette forthe their owne priuate stomackes or els belike takyng comforte and counsaile at this late set forthe booke thinke all is Gospell that thei read there and to be executed to the vttermost Whiche if thei doe peraduenture Christes woordes maie take place of theim Math. 15. b. Luke vi Si caecus caeco dux fuerit c. If the blinde leade the blinde bothe shall fall into the diche For if his aucthoritie be no greater for their warraunte then the substaunce of his truth and doctrine as he handleth hymself I feare me that he will bée to rotten a poste for them soundly to leane vnto when thei shall see hym once throughly examined by learnyng whiche thyng might be sone perceiued of them selues that be ledde by the perswasion of his booke and therefore doe as thei doe if thei were learned in the matters whiche he reporteth or yet indifferent to expende his reasons whiche vniuersally be so vntruly alledged and so violently contorted that I wounder that either hymself was not ashamed so openly in this learned worlde to abuse mennes eares that be ignoraunt or that thei that bee trained in learnyng should esteeme the cause the worse for his handelyng the matters as he vttereth them To expende but halfe of his vntruthes aswell in learnyng as his slaunders in deprauyng would require as greate a booke as his whole is for the worthie settyng out of them Now to geue you some taste of his sinceritie till wee shall expende howe he handleth hym selfe in the bodie of his booke note his clearkelie dealyng in his charitable preface or Epistle written to the Queenes highnesse wherein because ye might iudge of what heere he is of it pleaseth hym to treade in Albertus Pighius steppes right vp and downe as in moste of his wrytinges reasons and allegations and in corruptyng of the same he followeth hym at the harde heales Controuersia 15. Pighius in his booke of controuersies complaineth of the common contempte of Priestes as it is nowe a daies to bee seen and attributeth the same first to the greate swarme and multitude of Priestes As Masse Priestes Dirige Hriestes Chaunâ—tâ—rie Priestes Sacrificyng Priestes to the greate iniurie of Christes blessed sacrifice once for all made by his bloud for the renussion of synn ouer manie secondly too the greate vnworthines of theim for lacke of learnyng and knowledge and thirdlie to the vile sclaunderous incontinent lieâ— thei openly liued in as this Ciuilian also in like forme of wordes dooth vtter the selfe same groundes out of the which spring this open contempt of Priestes héere in England sauyng that it pleaseth this Ciuilian not to laie the whole burden of this matter in thadmission and choice of the Ordinaries as Pighius doeth but chargeth the patrons from whose corruption and coueteousnesse this vnworthinesse proceaded who as he saieth for frendship more then for learnyng for goodes more then of goodnes elected many into their holie orders neither of age neither of learnyng nor of discretioÌ„ worthie to take so high a function vpon them Expende here good reader the sleight of this Ciuilion in that he would insinuate to the reader that the patrones of Benefices for coueteousnesse sake are in this matter moste culpable who vseth to electe suche vile persones in to the Clergie by whiche meanes he would seme to laie the burden in their neckes and remoue it from suche as had by their office charge to admitte none but suche as by diligent examination should be founde able and worthie For who is in the fault the Patrone who presenteth his clarke to the iudgemente of the Ordinarie to be examined worthie or vnworthie and so by hym to be admitted or repelled or the Ordinarie who would against the lawes admit suche blinde Asses suche corrupte men of life to suche high functions How be it by the waie the greate high dignitie of suche Massyng Priestes as thei vsed to elect and admit wer fitte enough for suche as thei were coÌ„monlie whose offices were but to syng Masses for money mumble vp their Mattens to make a preteÌ„ce of praiyng to be at tables and in the ale house all the daie folowyng where thei should haue been at their bookes but what needed thei to be geuen to learnyng where Massyng might as well be performed of an vnlearned beast as of a learned man and what needed thei to studie to preache to their flockes hauyng suche number as many of them had neuer regarded nor once seen in all their liues either with teachyng in their owne persones either releuyng theim in hospitalitie or leadyng theim to vertue by good example of life And for that commonly thei supposed preachyng to be but
would be taken to be in all the seauen sciences by his former writyng and accountyng I wâ—ne wise menne will thinke he lacketh all his fiue wittes for suche a reckoning As for any shewe hereby that he should bee endued with any of the three theologicall vertues faieth hope and charetie or yet with the fowre Cardinall vertues to make vp an euen nomber to matche his saied seuen artes I beleue all the calculation that is in his head will make but a course demoÌ„stration if he were well searched For what remedie thinke ye doeth he pretelie insinuate for this his so greatly feared mischief that might growe to the common wealth to declare either his faieth to God or a charitie to the poore maried priestes children Whiche if thei be so many as he maketh tale of what charitie is it to driue so manie to beggerie Lette God iudge cui cura est de omnibus who hath care ouer all If I should coÌ„strue that he meaneth to instil that pollicie into Christen Princes heades whiche he saieth is the vse of the great Turke or the Soldan that is to picke quarell of warres to the destruction of their people and not for conquest I dare not iudge hym so farre For if he should so meane if I were a souldier I would not wishe hym my Captaine And I praie God we haue not manie warres fought Now that is in Queene Maries â—ares vnder his banner Kyng Henrie the eight of whom now men preache a brode most dishonorable reportes openly in Pulpittes and yet be reputed catholike fauorars of the Quéenes highnes procedynges was wont to saie that he would not lose a man if he might bee saued for winnyng any summe of mony He had well considered the saiyng of Salomon the wise In multitudine populi dignitas regis in paucitate plebis ignominia priÌ„cipis In the multitude of people doeth the dignitie of a prince appere the fewnesse of the people is the dishonor of the Prince And that noble kyng of the Macedonians Philip by name hauyng a tender hart to his people would saie that he would not loose a man for to winne a Citie to whom when it was vpbreided at a tyme because he brought more thinges to passe by gift then by fight that not Philippe but the gold of Philip conquired Greece He answered that therfore he spent his monie because he would spare his men for he counted it more honorable to haue menne without monie then monie without men Well I could saie somewhat more to this carpet lawier if I had hym alone in confession But sir for all youre great prudence and pollicie in stopping vnmaried priestes generation if ye could bryng it aboute as ye neuer shall ye might therby procure to the realme fewer then it hath I feare by a greate meanie in a fewe yeres And so where ye see ouer manie ye might fortune to bring it to ouer fewe If many a sorie man in Englande maister Martin had not better helpe then at home good maister Parsone could not haue so many Crisoms as he hath Nor yet ye maister doctor when ye shall be a greate man haue so many followe your taile as your stomacke would wishe to haue As for the victualles of this realme D. Martine had the ouersight of Denisons at this time in office if ye would not make so many Denizons for your owne lucre although profitable and gentle straungers ought to bee welcome and not to be grudged at and if ye would not sue out Placardes for the immoderate carriyng out of our Corne and victualles to the singuler gaine of a fewe but to the famishyng of them who sweate for it And moreouer if ye would call on vpon suche as hath aucthoritée to searche how Takers in the Quéenes name behaueth theim selues in the Countrees vnder colour of her graces necessarie prouision Againe if suche victuall as is out of Markettes gotten for suche prouision were so diligently looked to that great numbers of Beiffes were not caste awaie for want of salte and pouderyng I doubte not but that God blesseth this realme aboundantly enoughe with plentie of victualles to fill mennes mouthes For though of late ye haue peraduenture felte many a hungrie meale and sawe no suche abundaunce at Paris as ye maie see in Englande so for feare of hunger that might fall here in Englande by your Caiphas profeciyng ye might bée driuen againe to your hostesses with whom ye haue been at bourde And if by your madde talke any folie might bee prouoked as God of his mercie euer defende the realme ye bee sure againe of your refuge And when men at home trye out the reste of your begun tale and policie in the meane tyme ye be drinkyng your vinum Theologicum Theologicall wine at Paris Yet M. Martin how glorious so euer ye be now in pelle Leonis in your Lions skinne and though ye bee coumpted of some folkes to bee neuer so Catholike yet beware you proue not at length Asinus apud Cumanos to bée suche an Asse as was once at Cumae In the meane season I tell you that ye be not faithefull to God in his prouidence And for all your high offered seruice to the Quéenes maiestie for reformation of the Realme I tell you you want prudence and circumspection to But ye bee like to suche as of late came out of their dungeons and saw not of longe tyme the light abrode nor the behauiour of the people and so your eyes beyng daseled yet ye muste needes haue all the worlde followe your contemplations or els no peace offered but euery manne to stande at his aduenture I truste your woordes yet meane not as you purporte God forbidde But as for the fartilitie of your owne natiue countree how so euer ye be degenerated into Frenche nature to slaunder the Realme what plentie and increase hath been before tyme thought to haue been here I will tell you a tale by the waie whiche I heard of as wise a manne as euer ye be like to be for ought that ye haue yet vttered and as naturall a manne to his countrée of Englande in deede as ye bragge to be in woordes whiche stoode not full twentie foote of when the matter was firste spoken and vttered It chaunced that there came a Frenche Ambassadour to the kynges highnesse kyng Henry the eight I truste God hath his soule with letters I trowe from the Frenche kyng not long before that sente to hym from the holy father of Rome This Ambassadour sittyng at the Counsaile table beganne to sette vp a stoute countenaunce with a weake braine and carped Frenche excedingly fast which he thought should haue béen his onely sufficient commendation of them all that were at the table that he could speake so readily The matter of his talke was vniuersall euery where But the substaunce was partly muche noting the gluttonie of Englishmen whiche deuoured so muche vitaile in the lande partly magnifiyng the greate
vtilitée and necessitée of the Frenche tongue whiche he noted to bee almoste throughout the worlde frequented And in his conferēce he marueiled of diuerse noble men that were present for that thei could not kéepe hym talke or yet could not so muche as vnderstāde hym to perceiue his gaie witte Emong the number of the Lordes there satte the old honourable Capitain the Lorde Erle of Shrowesburie lookyng at his meate and gaue neither eare nor countenaunce to this iolie man but gaue other leaue to talke and sat as he might shakyng heade and handes in his Palsey whiche was testimonie enough whether he were not in his daies a warriour liyng abrode in the fielde to take aire of the ground This Frenche Ambassadour was offended with hym and saied what an honour were it for yonder olde noble man if he could speake the Frenche tongue Surely it is a greate lacke to his nobilitie One of the Lordes that kepte hym talke askyng firste leaue of this mon sire to report part of their communication to the lorde Shrewesburie Made reporte thereof yet in moste courteous maner with easie fauorable rehearsal as might touch a truth When he heard it where before his head by greate age was almoste grouelyng on the table he roused hym self vp in suche wise that he appeared in length of bodie as muche as he was thought euer in all his life before And knittyng his browes he laied his hande on his dagger and set his countenaunce in suche sorte that the Frenche hardie Ambassadour tourned coloure wonderfully Saieth the Frenche whoreson so saieth he Marie tell the Frenche dogge againe by sweete sainct Cuthbert if I knewe that I had but one pestilente Frenche woorde in all my bodie I would take my dagger and digge it out before I rose from the table And tell that tawnie whoreson againe how soeuer he haue been hungerstarued hym self at home in Fraunce that if we should not eate our beastes and make vitaill of theim as faste as we doe thei would so encrease beyonde measure that thei would make vitaile of vs and eate vs vp When these woordes were reported againe to this Frenche gest he spoiled no more vittaile at the dinner after that but dranke wonderous oft Whiche whether it was his countenaunce because he had lefte talkyng or whether for that he was inwardly drie the reporter of this tale could tell me no further but saied that his eye was neuer of hym all that dinner while after Now maister studente of Paris this verie noble manne in deede and worthie to bee had in longe remembraunce was of better experience in the fertilitée of this Realme then ye would seme to knowledge And had an other maner of faithe to God for the continuaūce then ye haue to feare suche a lacke and scarcitée And as for the multitude of the people that of old tyme hath been in the realme in comparison that bee now as it is yet at this daie muche replenished by the spare of Goddes hande from plagues warres and other mortalitees he bee praised therefore yet ye maie goe into three hundreth Parishe Churches at this daie and finde not on the Sundaies so muche people that the Churches bee pestured with to many But as for populositie of people that haue been in this Realme I thinke some men could saie somwhat I dare saie for Linne and Lincolne not the third man now there that haue dwelt there some tyme. I remember that beyng once at a marchaunte mannes table in London whiche was in the verie laste yere of Iubilee so coumpted commonlie I heard a man rehearse how that Platina writeth that Pope Boniface the eight whiche did write hymself the Lorde of all the worlde bothe of Spiritualtées and Temporaltées to and that therevpon the possession whiche Constantine gaue to the Churche was not a gifte but rather a restitution to the right Lorde and owner as the Canonistes saie that I saie the saied Boniface did constitute euery hundred yere for the yere of Iubilee and did priueledge those yeres of Iubilee with great indulgence and pardon of cleane remission In respecte of which greate grace to be gotten in those yeres for suche as will dispose them selues thereto Pope Clemente the sixte brought it to fiftie yeres and Pope Paule the seconde chaunged that from .l. yere to .xxv. yere and that as Fasciculus temporum noteth in fauorē animarum vt quia abundauit iniquitas superabūdaret gratia saieth he that is of greate zeale and fauour to mennes soules that because wickednesse did redounde so should grace also abounde the more At whiche talke there was an honeste plaine manne saied that readyng sometyme in the Englishe Chronicles he noted that he read of twoo recourses of yeres of Iubilee whiche were not very gracious to mennes bodies within the Realme The one he saied was aboute the thirtene yere in the daies of kyng Henry the seuenth in whiche yere died in London aboue .xxx. thousande people thother yere of Iubilee was about the .xxiiij. yere of kyng Edward the third in whiche yere and aboute the same there was suche an vniuersall Pestilence that neither the parties beyonde the sea was free as in Paris died fiftie thousande at sainct Denis fourtene thousande As for Italie Platina writeth in vita Clementis .vi. that there was not left skant tenne of euery thousande men Whiche Pestilence he importeth to the great confluence of people that came into Italie this yere of Iubilee for pardon But in Englāde euery where innumerable destroied in so muche that he tolde it out of Fabiā that after thei had buried in euery Churche yarde within London and emong the Religious houses to thei were faine to vse the greate Churche yarde of the Chartor house in whiche onely were buried aboue fiftie thousande corses And as it chaunsed there was a man whiche semed to be a credible man of the Citée of Norwich whiche declared that thei had in their Citée a record of those that died at that tyme in Norwiche whiche he saied amounted as he was well remembred thereof lvij thousande CCC.lxxiiij beside Ecclesiasticall persones and poore waifairing people and beside .xxxix. which died of the Monkes He supposed it to bee a greater number then was in these daies in the whole Citée and fiue miles about He told further of so marueilous a plague that was once at a towne thereby called Yarmouthe and there recorded that he marueiled how the towne could holde so many Notwithstandyng yet this greate mortalitie kyng Edwarde that victorious kyng who wanne Calice whiche almightie GOD long defende wanted not people the very same yere to encounter with a greate Nauie that came out of Spaine and had the victory Nor yet wanted people in the yeres next immediatly followyng to pursue that he had begunne in Fraūce At whiche tyme he furnished his first begotten sonne Prince Edwarde with an houge armie wherewith he wente to Gascoyne and so by Tholouse to Nerbon brennyng and spoylyng all the
to the honorable nobilitée to all the learned and wise men in the realme and is not a shamed in his owne conceipte or at the least waye stande not in doubt in hymself that he can not so scape with his vntruthes so clearly but that some men will tell them at length to the nobilitie other graue personages of the realme whiche hath not the leasure to peruse and compare his writynges with the originalls them selues But it is to true in hym that is saied comonly Malè examinat verum omnis corruptus iudex Full euill is a true cause examined and expended by the iudge that is corrupt In his eight Chapiter where he laboureth to proue that all priestes be votaries whiche he shall neuer be able to proue of seculers Priestes ordered in this realme of England do the best he can he hath diuerse fetches Some tyme by argument of taciternitie out of scripture ther he glorieth highly that he hath scripture for the purpose to the wonder of all men to se how suche FreÌ„che Ciuilians wittes can contorte sciripture In deede it may be called an argument of Taâ—iturnitie for there is so muche scilence of any vowe makyng that neither the Bushop speaketh any suche matter whiche the prieste might for his scilence bynde hymself nor the Prieste professeth any suche vowe whiche the Busshops scilence should ratifie And then ye see how proper an argument it is out of the scripture whiche he bringeth an example of ye maie se how good a Logitian he is how quicke and wittie Then he cometh to the woordes that the Bushop speaketh to the Subdeacons as he saieth and first putteth in the Latin then Englisheth them and after glose them and biddeth the readed of good felowship to expende the Bushops wordes whiche he reciteth when he geueth orders Examine here with me good reader Cap. 8. lraÌ„ O. ij saieth he this the Bushops proposition and thou shalt anone see whether our priestes be not votaries and thou shalt espie also what trueth is in oure newe preachers that haue slauÌ„dered the church c. Who would thinke that vpon suche protestation he would euen straight waie for all this preamble bléere the readers eye with a manifest lye Now good reader as he desireth thee to examine this poynt euen so do I beseche thee And then espie by thy self what truthe is in this new Ciuilian And for the triall of his truthe and honestie aske hym if euer he heard any Bushoppe or suffragane in Englande speake that proposition to the Subdeacons And if he haue thei haue dreamed it of their owne heades for their haue it not in their owne pontificals by the whiche thei geue all their orders Therfore it is a most shamefull boldnes to beare the reader in hand that it is so saied by the Busshoppe when it is not by hym spoken And therefore in this poincte he is to impudent to make his strong argumentes vpon suche groundes as bee not aduoucheable But yet good reader leste he should blynde thine eye with a sleightie craft as is all his doynges in his boke peraduenture he maie for the aduouchyng of his report bryng thee to a pontificall booke shewe thee his wordes in deede But yet before thou geuest firme credence desier his good maistership of his worship to tell thee whether it be a very Englishe pontificall booke in deede by the which Englishe seculer priestes be coÌ„secrated in their orders And if he can proue that then vpon this poincte I am content that my whole boke be taken for false and vntrue If he can not proue his â—aiyng true where he saieth that our priestes bée votaries by force of those wordes beleue hym not in this lye though ye haue some cause to mistrust him in his other probatioÌ„s Mary sir if he bryng you to a pontificall booke of his holye father the Pope wherby at Rome and in Italie he geueth orders to his Subdeacons and priestes there what doeth that boke bind priestes in England beyng of an other territorie iurisdiction hauyng an other seueral maner in their orderyng and hath so vsed before this mannes great grandfather was borne or christened wherin the Busshop speaketh these onely woordes to the prieste wheÌ„ he laieth the stoale aboute his necke Accipe iugum domini Iugum enim eius suaue est onus eius leue stolam innocentiae induat te dominus Take the yoke of the Lorde for his yoke is swete and his burthen light And the lorde put vpon thee the stole of innocency In déede where in th ende of his xiij Chapiter this Doctor bryngeth in like wordes as be in the Englishe pontificall for Bushoppes Lâ—raÌ„ LL. â— but yet euen there he vseth a violent contorted argument against doctor Ponet alledgyng these wordes Vis castitatem ac sobrietateÌ„ cum dei auxilio seruare Wilt thou through the helpe of GOD keepe chastitée and sobrietée Yet in the Englishe pontificall it is thus Vis castitatem sobrietateÌ„ cum dei auxilio custodire docere Wilte thou by the helpe of God keepe and teache chastitee and sobrietee I will not contende with hym in this saiyng for the bushops but in his former wordes of his allegation for Subdeacons of Englishe makyng he shall neuer make it good to his liues end that those wordes be in the Englishe pontificall Notwithstandyng he thinketh that he hath made moste strong proofe of his purpose where ye see by that that is hitherto perceiued in his booke he hath made foure principall groundes that Englishe Priestes be votaries Firste by Origens aucthoritee writyng vpon the Numbers Secondly by the maner of their Orderyng Thirdly by the Priestes crounes Fourthly by an argument of Taciturnitie And that once dooen he spendeth his eighth Chapiter in prouyng that vowes muste be kepte whiche belike must be his fifte argumente And thus these argumentes holde The first the Priestes where Origen was borne or where he did write were votaries Ergo Englishe Priestes be votaries And yet Origen did not write so But in that Homilie speakyng aswell to Laye menne as to Priestes saieth that thei bee moste meete to offer vp the continuall Sacrifice of Mornyng and Euenyng praier that will kepe continuall chastitie And then his argument holdeth thus Thei which can continually praie kepe continuall chastitee Ergo Englishe Priestes bee votaries But thus I argue Priestes maried maie offer to God that continuall Sacrifice of Mornyng and Euenyng praier Ergo thei neede not to vowe that chastitee whiche ye speake of Or thus Origen writeth not there any woorde of Priestes vowes Ergo in that place he doeth not proue them votaries The seconde for the maner of the Busshoppes proposition The Busshop speaketh suche a proposition to Priestes in Spain or Italie Ergo Englishe priestes be votaries Now the truth is no suche proposition is spoken to the Englishe Subdeacon at all Further this Ciuilian writeth manifestly euen there thus that the vowe of
Christi conficiendum surgere cum eodem die corpus Christi confecisset cū meretrice post vesperam interceptus est Res apertissima negari non potuit celari non debuit Summus honor vbique habitus in summum dedecus versus est Repedauit igitur in sua dei iudicio confusus inglorius At Easter Ihon Cremensis Cardinall of Rome came doune into Englande and makyng his progresses through Busshoprickes and Abbatées not without greate rewardes aboute the Natiuitée of our Ladie helde a solemne Counsaile at London But because Moises Goddes secretarie in the holie storie as he wrote the vertues so did he also the vices yea of his owne parentes that is to saie the outrage of Lothe the abhomination of Ruben the treason of Symeon and Leuy the vnnaturalnesse of the brethren of Ioseph euen so it becometh vs to followe the true Lawe of storie bothe of good and euill But if it shall displease any Romaniste or Prelate saieth he I reade hym to holde his peace and be still leste it will be demed that he desired to folowe Ihon Cremensis in woordes and deedes He therefore when he had made greuous processe in that Counsaile against Priestes wiues saiyng that it was a foule synne and a greate to rise frō a strumpettes side to make Christes body when he hym self the same very daie had saied Masse was taken with a strumpet after Euensong the facte beyng moste open could not bee denied nor ought to bee hidden That high honour had euery where to hym before was tourned to high shame and rebuke Whereuppon he trudged home againe by Goddes iuste iudgemente confounded to his greate dishonestee Thus farre Henry Huntyngton a manne liuyng at that age Here you se master Martin an auncient writer no heretike Archdeacon of Huntyngton foure hundred yeres paste and an halfe to haue tolde this storie of this good holy ympe of Rome Church beyng warned yet afore by Pope Honorius whose letters to hym and others Symon of Duresme doeth recite in his booke wherin he nameth hym Praesbiterum Cardinalem prieste Cardinall and praieth hym as beyng sent before into England by his next predecessor Calixtus that he would behaue hymself in his Legation as a wise a discrete childe of the Rome church and as may appartaine to the honour of God and the honestie of the Apostolike See The same Honorius writyng to the Archebusshops Busshops Abbattes and nobles suppressyng yet the kynges name charged thus we praie you admonishe you and commaūde you that you would reuerently receaue hym as the vicar of holy S. Peter humblie to heare hym and at his call to hold solemnely with hym conuocations so that by his and your diligence all thinges may bee reformed in your realme whiche are to be amended and those thinges whiche are to be stablished may by the inspiration of the holy ghost be confirmed emongest the Canons of which holy Counsaill priestes be plaine separated from their wiues vnder paine of losse of their Order and Mariages either of consanguinitée or affinitée contracted within the seuenth generation be commaunded to bee seperated Now if neitheir Secular Prieste nor religious Monkes testimonie will serue Maister Martin Roger Houeden a secular man in courte with the kyng Henry seconde in greate estimation and credit writyng in his storie saieth that there fell a marueilous misfortune to this Cardinall beyng so hotte in his Coūsell against priestes mariage and agreeth fully with the forsaied testimonie of the saied Henry in the same If yet you will haue more testimonies Polydore in his stories the tenthe booke how craftely soeuer for the honour of Rome Churche he suppresseth his name as belike you would haue the laye people to take it for a lye to saue the honor of your wiueles church how leude soeuer it be notoriously knowen reporteth of the same cardinall that after his solempne sermon inueighyng against lawfull mariages he was so priuely waited that within a while after he was taken with an harlotte in companie vnlawfull Furthermore Sir this matter semeth so little counterfeited that other writers affirme the same as Fabian somtime Citezen and Sheriffe of Lōdon in his Chronicle saieth that this dissimuled doctor tooke so great feruencie in the correction of the priestes of England that in the euenyng folowing after that he had so lewdly blowne his borne saiyng that it was a detestable sinne to ryse from the side of a strumpet to sacre the bodie of Christe he was taken with a strumpette Lib. 7. Cap. 16 Anno. 1125. to his open shame and rebuke From whose testimony differeth not Ranulph of Chichester in his Polichronicō Further Matheus westmonasteriensis otherwise named Florilegus writyng of the saied Ihon Cardinall thus saieth Dictus Ioannes qui in concilio omnes concubinarios Sacerdotes maximè damnauerat in eodem vitio deprehensus est The saied Ihon whiche in his counsell had verie greatly blamed Priestes that vsed concubines was taken hymself in the same crime Also Mathew Parise in his Chronicle in that verie yere recordeth the same storie of this holy and chaste Cardinal of Rome who came into England with great honour but packe home againe with worthie shame Loe suche commonlye are the slaunderers of true matrimonie in others most shamefully abusing themselues with harlottes pretendyng and exaltyng their Churche chastitie in hypocrisie but hate it in their whole practise of their life as stories fullie make mention of suche beyng the very successors of Hierax an heretike of whom Epiphanius writeth in his story of whom some mention is made before And if yet none of all these will serue to discharge Ihon Bale to make hym the firste aucthor therof or to disproue it to be a forged or counterfet story ye maie looke further in other histories bothe in Frenche and Latine and finde almoste all that write of those daies to speake of the same Cardinall to like effecte And therfore M. Martine is it reason that ye write that it was some heretike that forged this tale as ye would make the world beleue Is it not a shame for you to boste of so muche vniuersal and absolute knowledge in al stories both Ecclesiasticall and prophane of al countries in Christendome and out of Christēdome and to be blind and bare at home in the stories of your owne countrey beyng so many written by mē bothe of great credite and of notable learnyng life And dare you pronounce all these in your bolde arrogante spirite to bee heretikes none of them all woorthie credite with you of so diuers vocations as thei are Some Seculer Priestes of worship some reguler Monkes in profession some seculer lay menne in place of credit and estimation some liuyng at that very tyme and members of that holy Synode I do but meruaile what confidence you had in other mens credites to write so impudently not castyng with your self to what commendable ende your gaye bolstered booke would come vnto when it were once examined by
the infirmitee of suche incontinente persones and in comparison of worse permitted that whiche was euill If Origen disalowed not their prudence in dispensation not to tollerate it ones dooen but to geue licence before it was begunne euen in that matter which be iudged to be againste the Lawe of God If Pope Martin the v. as the aucthour of Summa Angelica reporteth did after great deliberation and consultation with diuerse learned in Diuinitée and Lawe despence with hym that had taken his sister germain to wife to kepe her still and if the Pope despensyng with a man to marrie her to wife whose mother or sister he had defiled before by corporall fornication be not to bee blamed nor this mariage to be disalowed as Antonine saieth part 3. tit I. cap. II. para christiana infine And if Antoninus auditor generalis causarū Palatij dn̄i Pape testifieth that he sawe very many despensed with in this matter in Summa lib. 3. tit 6. ca. 3. li. 2. ca. 2. tit xi If Martin Peresius thus writeth Si sacerdotes non matura deliberatione se astrinxerunt videat Romanus pōtifex qui circa haec solet dispēsare quid sit agendum in particularibus If the Priest haue boūd hym self not by due deliberation let the Romane busshop who is wont to dispense in suche cases take hede what he ought to do in suche particularitées Yea Erasmus in clementiam Alberti Pij artic 40. saieth that the Pope doeth wel to dispense in solempne vowes and alledgeth Cardinall Caietanes aucthoritée for hym What reasonablenesse then cā there be thought in this Ciuiliā not to suffer these mariages that be doen and made already not by stealth or of priuate head but by aucthoritee of his Soueraignes lawe with the assent of all the body of the realme not one woorde of Goddes Lawe against it but many woordes of Gods Lawe bearyng with it and approuyng it I maruaile what this Lawier meaneth Hath he neuer reade what Pope Nicholas did answere to Busshoppe Osbalde vpon his question Dist. 50. studeas what should be doen with that beneficed Prieste that had striken a Deacon and after his death his sculle was founde broken Searche saieth he whether he died of the stroke or whether the Deacō fell of his horse and so brake his sculle and died If the Deacon died of the fall suspende the Prieste a little tyme for saiyng Masse and afterwarde let hym returne to his seruice againe But if case the deacon be dead by occasion of his strype then in no case let hym any more minister Lo here the 〈◊〉 of the churche so prouided for by the canons Nothwithstandyng saith he yf he be very necessarie for your purpose let hym haue out of his benefice for the comfort of his sustenaunce Lo sir the canons the lawe playnly depriue him of his benefice which is sequestred frō his ministration And yet saith the lawyers vpon this place He was reasonablie dispensed with to kepe his benefice styl lest els for necessitie of his lyuyng he should turne hym selfe to fylthy and vnlawfull occupying Compare this matter maister Martin An open pretenced murtherer If ye say true maister Martin your cleargie should not haue all the benefices they haue But ye must vnderstand his rule against maried priestes onlye As for others do they neuer so litle a nothyng yet be they worth◠to haue all as they haue a◠Cau 1. q. 7. Requiritis shall for the necessitie of his lyuyng to auoyde further inconuenience be aduaunced to lyuing out of his benefice against the canons though he ministreth not and yet as ye write The benefice is geuen for the office sake And shall mariage be thus dealt with in your very fine charitie Dyd ye neuer reade what is written vpon that epistle that Leo the fourth dyd write to the bishoppes here in Englande settyng out what great auctoritie bishops only haue not restrayned nor in case reserued to the bishop of Rome howe they may dispence with sacrilege with heresie with adulterie with simonie with a scismaticke in orders and dignities for necessities sake and for auoydyng sclaunder and further inconueniences And can not all the bishops in Englande be able to dispence with mariage of priestes to auoyde the sclaunder that els myght rise aswell to them selues as to some of them by whom they were alowed to auoyde the sclaunder suspition of suche faigned heartes as were in them to the kynges auctoritie to auoyde the sclaunder that myght ryse to the priestes to their wyues to their chyldren c. But ye wyll say such as be sory for their fault and wyll returne the church mercifully openeth her lappe to receaue thē againe into new benefices lyuynges though they haue lost their olde where they had done cost Why maister Martin had the churche so spent all her mercie vpon her Iacobs that she had nothyng for poore Esau She myght haue blessed sufficiently her supplantyng Iacobs with the fattest benefices and superfluous dignities of the best of the cleargie and yet some litle benediction myght haue ben reserued and bestowed vpon the poore Esaus that nowe haue nothing at all left thē neither rent nor mouables to relieue their necessitie Is this the churches mercyfull lappe in receauyng her owne begotten chyldren to ministration againe that yet first they muste speake their owne shame in bylles of their penaunce lying against them selues moste vylely and moste shamefully disablyng their credite and estimation for euer As they fynde such fytte malt horses in diuers places of the realme whiche for a litle prouender sake and for curryng them with their combes wyll take whatsoeuer byt is put in their mouthes As one man of Winsor made a goodly confession of his heartie and earnest repentaunce there the .29 day of Iune last to the great comfort of al the good catholike people that hearde hym Whiche proposition was so finely penned and so catholikely tracted that I warraunt you it was none of the smallest fooles that forged it Whiche for the excellencie that it hath shall one day haue an interlinial glose tyll some man shall take payne to make a large commentarie Be ashamed O hypocrites be ashamed iuggle not in suche foolyshe sort to make all the worlde to wonder at you What a gods name wyll ye daunce starcke naked in your wyde masked nettes in this so cleare lyght at hye noone dayes in open market and yet promise your selues that no man can see you But to returne to the churches great mercie agayne Surely in some places the churches mercie was so sore extended that whose wyues were two or three yeres past before departed yet they coulde not be admitted againe to ministratiō but must do open penaunce and go before the crosse without any redemptiō or entreatie that coulde be made and the parties suche as by whom the very commissaries them selues coulde aleage not one poynt of dishonestie or euyl opinion in al their conuersation besides
yet I owe that thyng most chiefely to my mother Churche of Canterbury and therevpon I iudge that he ought to make his canonicall profession to the Church of Canterburie for I was present when that my brother Thomas the elder his vncle xxxvij yeres past Archbishop of Yorke was dryuen by inuincible argumentes to make his profession to Lanfranc then archbyshop of Canterburie and his successours Whiche sentence yet of his father though the kyng and the byshoppes dyd well alowe and with expendyng the recordes of the same yet the sayd Thomas the younger elect woulde not so submit hym selfe Thomas stobues in catologo Ebor. ca. 52. Wherevpon the kyng beyng moued pronounced that eyther he shoulde do it or els he woulde discharge him of the Byshopricke and not only lose his fauour but also he woulde expell all his kinrede out of the Realme Wherevpon Sampson byshop of Worcester his naturall father and Richarde Baiocense his brother so nye of kinrede were instaunt vppon hym And though that Ranulph byshop of Durham promysed the kyng a thousand marke in money and to the Queene a hundred yet it auayled nothyng saith the storie for the kyng would not be corrupted with money and so at the laste the sayde Thomas made his profession and lyued but v. yeres in his dignitie and dyed a young man as the storie saith beyng a very corpulent man If the reader wyll nowe vnderstande what successe this foresayde decree of Anselme had after his death thus wryteth the storie That though the decree was somewhat calde on after hym by the kynges commaundement yet he relented and so it folowed saith he that the priestes toke their wyues agayne which they had or els renouncyng their former toke others and freely maried harlottes so saith the muncke In which discourse he maketh insinuation that standing the tyme of the prohibition thers were both fornicatours and adulterers and such as committed incest with their nygh kynsefolke not onlye with their sisters but also with their owne daughters so that saith he though this good father after the example of the feast maker called many to the feast yet in no respect was there any effectuous obedience geuen vnto his wordes For saith he let hym reade that wyll the text of this councell at London and well consider the statutes therof and let hym then iudge who it is that obeyeth them who it is that fulfylleth them or what he is that accompteth them not vayne So that the priestes and the prebendaries obteyned so muche with their Byshops and Archdeacons that suche priestes as dyd relinquishe dyd returne againe to their wyues as is sayde before Whiche sayde matter is here brought in not as alowyng any thyng that was committed agaynst the precepte of God but to shewe what speede hadde this his decree in his lyfe tyme and what successe this vnreasonable tradition hadde after his lyfe If you woulde knowe the cause or grounde that might moue this father Anselme otherwise learned and of austere conuersation although in this to be feared rather to be of the number of them of whom Saint Paul saith In hypocrisi loquencium mendatium cauteriatam habentium suam conscientiam prohibentium nubere c. Forsooth his redy good wyll and accesse to the holy father of Rome the supportation that he founde there the spiced conscience he had in his wrong obedience vnto that sea esteemyng hym so hyghly supra id quod colitur made hym to esteeme his prince the lesse ii Thess. ii and from tyme to tyme troubled and endaungered his Realme in his office to the disquiet of the people enducyng in his bronded conscience fedities and enormities innumerable Whiche his blynde zeale not accordyng to knowledge Henrie Beuclarke well vnderstandyng dyd not only staye his importunitie but also resisted the popes auctoritie to his owne face doing in his princely estate as appertayned to his kyngly ryght Though that Anselme the popes proctor dyd aunswere that he would not for the price of his head consent to the kyng agaynst the popes prohibitions except it were dispensed withal agayne by the sayde pope vpon the kynges wordes Quid mihi de meis cum papa quae antecessores mei hoc in regno possiderunt mea sunt hec si quis auferre mihi voluerit quod inimicus meus sit omnis qui me diligit certissime nouerit What haue I to do with the pope concernyng myne owne That which myne auncestours haue possessed in this Realme be myne whosoeuer woulde take these from me let all that loue me certaynely knowe that he is myne enemie Which stout wordes of his so spoken might declare what he knewe Surely he was like for his knowledge to haue done as much in expellyng his vsurped aucthoritie yf oportunitie of tyme had serued hym as his successour long after hym kyng Henrie the eyght brought about and finished Whiche thyng is well signified by the wordes of his owne letters written to kyng Henrie Edmer wherein Pascall the pope complayneth that he dyd in his Realme all as pleased hym and that he restrayned the messengers and letters of the sea apostolyke that they coulde haue no passage or be permitted to enter into the Realme without his suffraunce and further Pascall chargeth hym that without the knowledge of the popes holynes he doth kepe synodall councels where he insinuate that all the wayghtie causes of the Churches throughout his whole prouince should be determined by the vicars and the deputies of his holy sea And further he chargeth hym that besyde his auctoritie he presumed to make translation of Bishoprickes at his pleasure which sayth he can not be done without the licence of the sacred holy sea of Rome And farther to set out howe the knowledge of this kyng made him well to vnderstannde his vsurped auctoritie in his Realme and well perceauyng howe the Realme was wont to be abused by shamefull exactions and expilations which his legates vsed to do within the same was weery of the sayde abused aucthoritie Wherevpon pope Calixtus after his councell holden at Remis anno dn̄i 1119. came vnto Gisortiū Edmer to speake with the king had conference with him When the kyng had obteyned of that pope to haue all such customes which his father had in England in Normandie and especially of all other that he should not suffer any man to vse the office of a legate at any tyme in Englande except him selfe did require the same for such matters which coulde not be ended by the byshop of Canterburie and the other byshoppes of the Realme All which thynges sayth the storie beyng thus determined the pope doth make request to the kyng for his loue to be frendly vnto Thurstone Archbyshop of Yorke to restore hym to his Byshopricke Wherevnto the kyng aunswered that he woulde neuer do it whyle he lyued for he saith he hadde so promised vppon his fayth Whervpon Calixtus dyd aunswere Ego apostolicus sum si
feceris quod postulo ab hac te fidei sponsione absoluam I am in the apostles sea and yf thou wylt do that which I request I wyl absolue thee from this promise of thy fidelitie Well sayth the kyng I wyll entreate of this hereafter and shortly sent vnto hym his messengers to signifie that it is not for the kynges honour to consent to such absolutions agaynst a mans fayth And farther sayde that except Thurstone woulde make his profession to the sea of Canterburie he shoulde neuer sit in the Churche at Yorke whyles he was kyng of Englande by compulsion of any edict from the pope whatsoeuer this haue I promised and this sayth he wyll I obserue But it may be thought peraduenture vnlike to be true that the pope would come so farre as to Gisors aforesaid his owne person to speake with the kyng it may so be obiected by some Romanistes who labour so hye to aduaunce his deitie but to such as be indifferently read in storie it is not incredible For Matthewe Paris reporteth howe that pope Innocent vsed his craftie deuice by his Cardinals towardes kyng Henrie the third in the .xxix. yere of his raigne Which Cardinals only louers of money craftyly sent to the kyng vnder the colour of great frendshyp their counsell which they auouched to be both holsome honorable glorious to the Realme and very profitable that was that he shoulde sue by his messengers to the popes holynes to come personally into his Realme which say they shoulde be honor most excellent to Englande and immortall glorie that in your dayes the lorde pope whiche is knowen to be the father of all fathers shoulde appeare personallye within the coast of the Englyshe nation For say they we remember well that hym selfe hath sayde whereof we reioyce that he would very gladly see the daintie sightes of Westmonasterie and the riches of London When this was knowen to the kyng he was very glad and woulde easelye haue bowed to this subtyll councell except he hadde ben holden vp by the contrary counsayles of his subiectes learned to gaynesay it or dissent to satisfie this his desire Qui dicebant quòd satis imo nimiū iam suorum caursinorum vsuris Romanorum ac Italicorum rapinis simoniis Angliae puritas maculatur quamuis non presentialiter bona ecclesiae regni dissipet predetur Which sayde that the puritie of the Realme of Englande was alredy enough yea to much defyled by the vsuries of his cormorantes and by the extortions and simonies of the Romanistes and Italians though that he do not by his presence waste and robbe the goodes of the Churche and of the Realme And farther they sayde for that the sayde pope was denyed any entrie into the Realme of Fraunce though that he required the same by his solempne ambassadours so his entrie was denyed to enter into the realme of Aragon For saith the writer Infamia enim curiae papalis id promeruerat cuius fetor vsque ad nubes fumā teterrimā exhalabat The infamie of the papall court had deserued this repulse the stinche whereof dyd breathe out euen vp to the cloudes a most detestable fume Edm. lib. 6. And as concernyng any commyng of any legate into the Realme he woulde neuer admit one as long as he lyued And though that pope Calixt sent into the Realme afterwarde his moste solempne legate Petrus Romanus monachus Cluniacensis commyng in a more portly glorie then euer any dyd before the kyng so disposed the matter that after he was come into Englande wylled that he shoulde neither visite churche nor monasterie commaunded that he shoulde be brought to be at hoast with him for he sayde his Realme of Englande was free from the iurisdiction of any legate and so shoulde be duryng his lyfe for so had Calixtus promised hym Wherevpon after some liberalitie bestowed vpō him on the kynges behalfe the king sēt him ouer againe the way he came out of England though his cōmyng was to haue exercised his office of legatship thorough the hole Realme If the reader wyl know the cause why that Thurstone fell into the kinges displeasure was for that he askyng licence of the kyng to go to this councell of the bishop of Rome and coulde not possiblie obteyne the same before he made his promise vpon his allegiance that hè would do nothyng with the pope in preiudice of Canterb. churche nor woulde by any mans perswasion receaue his episcopall consecration at his handes which so faythfull a promise to the kyng he contemptuously brake notwithstandyng wherat both the kyng and the nobilitie dyd much maruell for such infidelitie But suche was the obedience in those dayes to their princes for the more fauour they bare to this forrayne vsurper that is in playner tearmes falsely forsworne to the kyng their liege lorde and enemie to the Realme so farre as it myght stande to the aduauncement of the popes iurisdiction whose creatures they were and so reioyced in common speache to call them selues and as it myght with the satisfiyng of their owne gaynes dignities and pleasures Thus farre out of the common written stories haue ben alleaged the rather by the occasion of entreatyng of byshop Anselmes tumultuous doynges who was the firste that euer in England toke vpon hym to diuorce lawfull matrimonies in all priestes so many hundred yeres vsed in quiet possession in the Realme and many of them stablyshed by Lanfranckes constitution and as he the first so the most extreme agaynst all ryght and conscience vntyll the raigne of Quene Marie in whose dayes Hildibrandes spirite was raysed vp agayne and Anselmes whot Munckyshe zeale in lyke sorte prosecuted as it was in his tyme. If any man be offended with so much in particularitie vttered let hym vnderstande these matters to be fetcht out of the bokes of such stories most written by munckes who both in wordes deede and wrytyng professed the state of perfection expressyng all charitie therfore can not be thought to rayle in the writing of their stories which saith both Matth. Paris and Henrie huntyngton muste be perfourmed in all trueth without any parcialitie eyther of personages for honour and holynes nor maye not be transgressed for loue of kyn or frendes whatsoeuer After Anselme archbyshop folowed Rodulph a seuere muncke in profession also Rodulph first an Abbot in Normandie after that byshop of Rochester and in conclusion archbyshop of Canterburie of whose dayes no great recorde is extant of makyng or forcyng any decrees or constitutions agaynst maryed priestes although it is reported of Edmer that he was very seuere agaynst the said Henrie the first Ioannes Hagustaldensis beyng a prince of such godlynes that one Cronicle writeth so much to his cōmendation that he saith Post quem princeps non surrexit alius qui sic iniustas regni exactiones interdiceret subditos in pacae modestia sapientius disponeret c. After whose death there folowed no
of Lincolne a young striplyng deyntyly brought vp he begat him saith Huntington when he was Chauncellour to William the great kyng Hen. Hunt li. 8 ca. 2. Nowe though the sayde William Archbishop attempted the matter agayne at Michaelmas tyde and woulde geue the priestes no longer respite to put their wyues a daye but to saint Andre â—es daye Yet sayth the storie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chr Saxon. anno 1129. This dyd byd the archbyshop of Canterburie and the byshoppes which were in Englande And yet all these decrees and byddynges stoode not al held their wyues by the kinges leaue euen so as they before dyd In whiche tyme the stirre was so great and the cause so harde to be wonne that William the archbyshop gaue ouer and referred the controuersie wholly to kyng Henrie aâ—â—â— 25. Henrie Wherevpon he decreed that the priestes shoulde continue with their wyues styll Of whom for that the kynges officers toke pencions the byshoppes began to repent them of their committyng so the cause wherof they woulde haue had the orderyng them selues to some other purpose For which pentionarie matter Anselme had certaine yeres before by his epistle well chydden the kyng wherof yet belyke the kyng as beyng well learned in the lawes as Matthewe Paris testifieth made not so great â— conscience as certaine of the votarie bishoppes dyd as oâ—fended that fayth shoulde be inuiolablie preserued betwixt such as were in matrimonie seyng hym selfe had such conscience of breakyng his fayth that he made and as he iudged it not dispensable by the popes auctoritie as he not long before had declared to pope Calixtus hym selfe For yf he had thought it to haue ben agaynst the precept of God he woulde neuer haue suffâ—ed so many yeres the continuaunce of the same by his auctoritie anno 11â—8 〈…〉 Chro. Aug. Chro. 〈◊〉 After William folowed Theobaldus in whose dayes the house of saint Gregories in Canterburie was brent anno 1145. the churche and almost the whole citie of Rochester was first brent the chathedrall church of Yorke was brent and without that citie the church of saint Marie where was an Abbey with the goodly Hospitall founded by the archbyshop Thurstone brent for good rule ye maye be sure their chastitie deserued no lesse That Thurstone archbyshop was he that builded the monasterie of Fountaynes and repented hym therof by open worde and sayde he neuer repented hym more of any thyng and when certaine laye men present hearde him so say and were offended at his saying he sayde ye be laye men and knowe not the pith of my wordes and therfore he afterwarde alwayes sayde that he woulde rather geue to lecherous men then to munckes But as concernyng the plague of God in the burnyng of so many Abbeys professing such holynes as is to be marueyled what may be read in storie Chro. Peter 1070. annal eiusd 1113.1114 VValterus weekes 1116.1121.1112 Houenden 1184. Houenden 1188. Gualter Couent 1212. Fabian 1261.1370 besydes these that are alredy spoken of and those that do folowe in other mens dayes As Howe the abbey of Peterborowe was once brent Howe the monasterie of Worceter was brent Howe the abbey of Chichester was brent Howe the abbey of Peterborowe was brent once agayne Howe the churche of Powles with many other cathedrall churches were brent Howe the abbey of Glocester was brent Howe the abbey of Glastenburie was brent Howe the churche of Beuerlay was brent Howe saint Maries churche of the Chanons in Southwark was brent Howe the steeple of Euesham was set on fire by lyghtnyng Howe the Abbacie of saint Edmundes was brent with diuers more as hereafter partly doth folow The rather may these examples thus so generally vniuersally and so thicke executed vppon these munckes houses be a more proofe of gods plague agaynst their munckyshe lyfe and order as nothyng pleased with the most of them then the aduersaries can iustly charge the vniuersall religion of the Gospel receaued by the particuler burnyng of one steeple in the Realme so seldome seene in these dayes To note what intemperate weather what immoderate wyndes what lightning what thunder what earthquakes fell vpon these houses besydes to note howe vniuersally before the conquest all these monasteries howe much soeuer they were multiplied and increased God dyd euer bryng them downe agayne and complaned them euen with the grounde that fewe or none remayned vnbrent or vndestroyed by the inuasion of infidels and other nations from tyme to tyme commyng vppon them shall not be nedefull to cumber the reader at this tyme with tediousnes Neuber lib. 3. cap. 5. Well these houses were not brent for other mens faultes Where the cronicle of Peterborow ascribeth this plague of God in burnyng their churche and all that was therein to their retchlesse lyfe and wretchednes and dronkennes they vsed And William Thorne muncke of S. Augustines anno 1168. ascribeth the burnyng of their churche abbey to the foule abuse of takyng infantes scant weaned from their nurses to be munckes professed among them A pretie age for a perpetuall vowe and a worthy cause to make such subiect to the austeritie of archbyshop Pecchams constitution Apud Lamhith anno 1281. ca. Item moniales where he ordereth that yf the Nunne tarry one yere in the habite before she haue taken the bishoppes benediction must yet be reputed for professed and may not returne to the world again for if she do she must be accompted vsed as an apostata Although saith he the religious haue not receaued the byshops benediction with the solempnitie of a vowe they may not yet iudge themselues to be free if they be once come to the yeres of discretion and reason and be able to perceaue fraude and deceyte Where there be many examples lefte in writers what wretchednes hath folowed of these young professions I wyll report but one the tragidie wherof is suche that it shoulde hurt chaste eares to heare the fylthynes that therin is tolde of a certaine young chylde of foure yeres of age brought into the Nunrie of Wattune in Yorkeshire in the dayes of Henrie Murdack an ambitious munke of Cistercense as Polidore writeth who gate his Bishopricke of pope Eugenius by suite and craft by the disprouyng of William elected thervnto Which Abbey was founded or rather restored by Gilbert a priest of Semplingam Whiche storie is expressed at large by Ethelrede a Cister muncke in Rhieuall in the dioces of Yorke abbote a man eloquent in his tyme. Which young girle when she came to age he wryteth howe maruelouslye she was delyuered her chylde conueyed awaye by the sayde Henrie Murdack then dead who brought her first into the Abbey Whiche byshop in a Palmers weede appeared in a vision hauyng with hym also in the vision two auncient celestial women they three only at the birth and no man knewe where the chylde became no not the mother who was so sodenly restored to her health againe that there was
it must be continuall and long vsed For yf vppon any sodayne deteynyng of his possession of her he shoulde fall into this greeuous payne then it were to to rigorous a lawe consideryng the frailtie of our tyme and for that this frailtie of the fleshe doth moue to pitie and not to rigour And thus throughout this gentle gloser wypeth awaye the wordes of this decree in such wise that nether this lawe nor any lyke shoulde euer take such place eyther to hynder the ordinaries commodities or charge the prieste except he wyll hym selfe Thus here ye see the practise of the chaste churche to what poynt they haue brought all their harde constitutions either to abiure mariages or els to learne the priestes an immunitie to lyue in fornications and adulteries without checke or coste except the charge of a litle tribute yerely to pacifie the officiall or commissarie c. with their returne after iniquisition non est inuentus May it here haue place that VV. Nubergensis writeth li. 2. ca 16. Episcopi dum defendendis magis clericorum libertatibus vel dignitatibus quam eorum vitus corigendis resecandisque inuigilant arbitrantur obsequiū se prestare deo ecclesiae si facinorosos clericos quos pro officii debito canonicae vigore censure coercere vel nolunt vel negligunt contra publicā tueantur disciplinam et episcopalis circa eos sollicitudo sit languida Whyle the bishops be more busie to defende the liberties or dignities of the priestes then to correct cut of their vices then they thynke they do good seruice to God and to the churche yf they may maintaine the wicked priestes agaynste the churches discipline which priestes they eyther wyll not or neglecte to restrayne as their duetie is by the sharpe censures of the churche so that the bishoppes care is nowe become verye colde and dead As this lawyer aforesayde vseth fauourable expositions in priestes concubines so in the chapter before he hath one fauourable glose for priestes whiche do mary after their order For he saith though by the rigour of the lawe he must needes lose his benefice yet yf by this mariage he incurre not Bigamie then may they dispence with them in his ministration and in his benefice For if he were made Bigamus by his maryage then it cannot be dispenced with but by the pope only Finally to plaister vp the matter to the priestes commodities in this cause besydes lawes they haue no bad councell of some diuines to of great name For it is written yf the clarke beyng in lesse orders as Benet or Colit haue a benefice and can lyue chaste by no meanes and therfore is in ieopardie to lose his benefice not for being vnchaste but for hauyng a benefice and mariage together then let him saith he by the aduice of his ghostly father liue secretely with a wyfe and so secretely deceaue the eyes of his ordinarie yea and though he come after to holy orders yet thynketh he to be lesse sinne to lyue with a wife then against Gods precept to lyue in fornication Thus you see that all the matter was handeled to lyue openly cleane and chaste but secretelye to lyue as they woulde For as many of the cleargie lyued in adulteries c. and some in vices sodomiticall so dyd diuers whose consciences were better and in knowledge more wise lyued secretly with wyues and prouided for their chyldren vnder the names of nephewes and other mens chyldren chosyng rather so to do in obeying S. Paules precept Rom. 14. Tu fidem habes penes temetipsum sit habe coram deo And folowyng agayne his councell Videte ne bonum vestrum hominum malidicenciae sit obnoxium vnusquisque in suo sensu abundet Qui sapit diem dn̄o sapit Thou hast fayth haue it to thy selfe before God and take heede that your libertie be not subiect to the euyll tongues of men and let euery man abounde in his owne sense He that is wise and can discerne the day let hym discerne it to God In whiche contemplation not vnlyke that not onlye this archbishop Bonifacius and other bishops of olde dayes but some of late dayes dyd lyue though all the worlde dyd not barke at the matter Nowe yf Boniface archbishop of Canterburie had a wyfe Richarde bishop of Chichester had a wyfe yf Galfride bishop of Ely was auouched before the pope hym selfe to haue maryed a wife yf Robert of Lincolne had his sonne besydes others that stories make mention of sence the conquest as of Archdeacons and Priestes Munkes and Nunnes by the popes dispensations innumerable howe vnaduised be they which write checkyngly that of all the bishoppes that euer were in Englande none were maryed before Crammer Is nothyng to be proued by storie true but such as they lyst to agree vnto or haue read If the bishoppes of Salisburie of olde tyme and all other bishoppes of the Realme dyd holde for trueth in the sacrament of the Lordes supper before the conquest as doctrine common the which doctrine is nowe more openly set out by Caluine and most learnedly proued by witnesse of the auncient auctours by the bishop of Sarum that nowe is and others If it be euidently testified by hystorie that the pope had no such clayme of auctoritie amongst the christian Britanes nor were at any tyme so receaued as Austen when he came in sent as cardinall saith one wryter from pope Gregorie to haue had the christian bishoppes and other of the cleargie whiche he founde in the realme at his commyng to be subiect vnto his legacie and trade of his religion which they denyed him wherevpon folowed that shamefull murder of the Britanes both ecclesiasticall and laitie amountyng to a very great summe as Bede and other manie do testifie What vanitie is it to affirme the contrarie so openly so confidentlye as though these outlandyshe wryters had read all recordes concernyng these causes or quia faenum habent in cornu they may haue such boldnes and trust in their slypper pennes to dryue all men vnder the hatch to discredite all men whom they dislyke yea to ouerthrowe and to turne ouer the imperiall state of their naturall countrey to the shamyng of the prince to the chargyng of all the nobilitie with scisme and error to the defacyng and disablyng yf they coulde the honestie learnyng and estimation of the better sorte of the cleargie so declaryng what spirite they styll shewe them selues to be of That where almyghtie God who be praysed therefore haue restrayned their olde furious wonted crueltie that they can nowe hang and bren no more stocke or imprison any more their aduersaries yet can not ceasse by their vnruly natures to persecute the whole Realme with their pennes and styles to daunger the state to the peryll of sedition to shame such men as so modestly aunswere them with their vyle wordes and tauntes more meete for Ruffians then graue deuines who of reuerent conscience shoulde debate the wayghtie
inconuenience And let not the scrupulous consciences of men be blynded in them selues as to iudge any impuritie in the bodyes of them which honestly vse gods institution of matrimonie De virg cap. 33. No Saint Austen doubteth not to say Quia fancta sunt etiam corpora coniugatoruÌ„ fidem sibi domino seruientium that the bodyes euen of the maried folke be holye of such as preserue their fayth to them selues one to the other and their fayth to god And there in that discourse saint Austen proueth that the graces of continencie was not vnlyke in Iohn Cap. 21. who neuer had a do with maryage and in Abraham who had chyldren so that the chastitie of the one the matrimonie of the other came to one ende to serue the Lorde Agayne it may not be thought that for the worldly cares which may be in matrimonie priestes be more charged than for other cares and turmoyle of the worlde For suche carefulnes may assone defyle the puritie of the mynde as the cares which be in matrimonie Aswell be these carefull trauayles of the worlde forbydden to the priestes as cares which be in wedlocke De bono viduitatis cap. 23. God forbyd saith S. Austen to the wydows that ye shoulde be entangled with the desire of riches in steede of the cares of matrimonie that in your heartes money should beare the chiefe rule and so loue of money should be your husbandes Wherevppon Chrisostome wryteth Audiant hoc virgines Hom 19. 1. Cor 7. quòd non in hoc definita est virginitas corpore solum virgines esse c. Let virgins heare that virginitie is not in this poynt so concluded for the bodyes only to be in virginitie For she which hath the cares of seculer matters she is neither virgin nor honest And Theophilact saith 1. Cor. 7. When thou shalt beholde any virgin which hath vowed carefully inclined to worldly matters knowe thou certainly that she differs nothyng from a maryed woman And saint Hierome saith It wyll profite nothyng to haue the body of a virgin yf the mynde haue inwardlye maryed This affirme I saith Athanasius that euery virgin wydowe or woman continent yf she haue the cares of this worlde De virg those very cares be her husbande Whervppon I must conclude with saint Austen to these Desinant isti contra scripturas loqui Epist. 89. quest 4. Let these ceasse to speake against the scriptures And let them in their exhortations excite mens myndes to the more perfect state that yet they do not condempne the inferiour gyftes For some saith he in their exhortations can not otherwyse perswade virginitie but that therwith they condempne the matrimonial estate forasmuch as S. Paule saith plainely euery man hath his gyft of God one after this maner and another after that Thus farre S. Austen Better saith he is meke matrimonie then vauntyng virginitie In Psal. 99. And therfore the sayde saint Austen exhorteth virgins that they conioyne other agreable vertues as handmaydes which in deede do moste beautifie the true virginitie In Psal. 75. without which saith he the virginall lyfe either is dead in it selfe or els defourmed in it selfe and let the state be holy both in body and spirite seruyng God without seperation at all Of such myndes were the fathers in olde tyme so exhortyng to the single state of lyfe as mens frayleties myght beare the perfection and vsed no condempnation or compulsion but left it indifferent to the conscience of euery man So dyd that learned abbot Aelfricus afterwarde as some affirme archbishop of Canterburie prescrybyng a synodal sermon to be spoken by the bishoppes to the priestes after his reasons and swasions to the sole lyfe vsed these wordes Non cogimus violenter vos dimittere vxores vestras sed dicimus vobis quales esse debetis si non vultis nos â—rimus securi liberi a vestris peccatis quia dicimus vobis canones sanctorum patrum We do not compell you by violence to forsake your wyues but we declare to you what ye shoulde be and yf ye wyll not we shal be cleare and free from your offences for we haue shewed vnto you the canons of holy fathers This writer in all his whole sermon neuer chargeth the Englishe priestes with any vowe but only standeth vpon the constraynt of canons ecclesiasticall For before the conquest was neuer matrimonie once forbydden nor vowes of seculer priestes once receaued Nor Gildas that auncient Britaine in his sharpe inuection against all estates of his tyme after he had reproued the greatest personages and the regulers of their abuses he proceedyng to speake agaynst the seculer priestes yet in his processe he neuer chargeth them for breakyng any vowe but chiefely for that they were not contented with saint Paules graunt to be the husbandes of one only wyfe but contemned that his precepte and were the husbands of more wyues at once in such lewd libertie as he charged before the laitie to haue vsed them selues in renouncyng their former wyues to take newe and to haue many wyues at once without all regarde of Gods lawes and coÌ„maundement after such lyke sort as the Irishe men vsed tyll Henrie the seconde his dayes what tyme the kyng dyd write to pope Adrian of his purpose to reduce the Irishe nation to better religion Girardus Cambrensis The pope in his rescripte dyd well commende his good zeale and councelled hym to go forwarde but with this prouiso that because saith he all Ilandes that be turned to the fayth belong to the ryght of S. Peter and the moste holy churche of Rome the lande shoulde pay yerely to S. Peter for euery house a penye as pope Alexander folowyng ratified the same with the reseruation of the sayde payment for Irelande and bryngyng to memorie also his pencion for euery house of Englande So that whosoeuer toke payne and coste to set any nation in order or to bryng them to better beliefe the pope would lose nothyng thereby where yet tyll that tyme his fatherhood dyd most strangely suffer that people so outragiously to liue tyll the kyng toke the reformation Upon which letters sent by the kyng â–ª the sayde Adrian dyd confirme to hym and to his heyres of that kyngdome VValter Couent and did constitute them kinges therof for euer And further in the letters of the said king Henrie sent to the pope he professed to refourme their abuses to put Christes religion better amongst theÌ„ Shortly after the kyng sent his learned men to the archbishops bishops there who kepte a great councell at the citie of Cassalense wherein they dyd constitute that where before the Iryshe vsed to baptise the children of the greater men in mylke and of the poorer sort in water and that where the Irishe laitie had as many wyues as they woulde nowe they decreed that water only should be the element indifferently for all their chyldren and that they shoulde mary
prince king Edwarde his nobles and cleargie somewhat to staye the foule abuse so long tyme without remedie vsed in that state of the Realme which should by duetie expresse for example most puritie of lyfe thought it good to remoue the force of such forrayne lawes which compelled to this daungerous state of lyfe his cleargie meetyng in synode together and after debatement concluded If ye lyst to vnderstande what was done and subscribed vnto ye shall heare what the lower house dyd affirme in this case of continencie Iohn Taylor doctor of diuinitie beyng then prolocutor and VVilliam Say beyng register to accept the voyces and subscriptions of them that were present to whose consciences was this proposition propounded eyther to be freely affirmed or to be freely denyed by them vidz That all such Canons Lawes Statutes Decrees Vsages and customes heretofore made had or vsed that forbyd any person to contract matrimonie or condempne matrimonie by any person alredie contracted for any vowe of priesthood chastitie or widohood shal from henceforth be vtterly voyde and of none effect The affirmantes of this proposition were almost treble so many as were the negantes Amongst whiche affirmantes diuers were then vnmaryed and neuer dyd afterwarde take the libertie of maryage as doctor Tailor the bishop doctor Benson doctor Redman doctor Hugh Weston maister Wotton c. Of them that denyed it notwithstandyng their superscriptions to the contrary as fewe as they were yet some of them toke vpon them the libertie of mariage not long after as doctor Oken maister Rayner maister Wilsō Nowe yf any man may fortune doubt of the iudgement of that notable learned man and commonly reputed of graue iudgement I meane doctor Redmayn doctor of diuinitie he shall heare his very iudgement which he vttered in the selfe same conuocation written in a paper seuerally by his owne hande yet extant to be shewed subscribed with his owne name and thus he saith I thynke that although the worde of God do exhort and counsell priestes to lyue in chastitie out of the cumber of the fleshe the world that thereby they may more wholly attende to their callyng Yet the bande of conteynyng from mariage doth only lye vpō priestes of this Realme by reasons of Canons and constitutions of the Churche and not by any precept of Gods worde as in that they should be bound by reason of any vowe which in as farre as my conscience is priestes in this Churche of Englande do not make I thynke that it standeth well with Gods worde that a man which hath ben is but once maryed beyng otherwise accordingly qualified may be made a prieste And I thynke that forasmuch as Canons and Rules made in this behalfe be neither vniuersall nor euerlastyng but vpon considerations may be altered chaunged therefore the kinges maiestie and the hygher powers of the Churche may vpon such reasons as shall moue them take away the clogge of perpetuall continencie from priestes and graunt that it may be lawfull to such as can not or wyll not containe to mary one wyfe And yf she dye then the sayde priest to mary no more remaynyng styll in his ministration Iohn Redmayn Thus this learned man in such credite vniuersally in decidyng questions of conscience doth in a great sort of respectes condempne the vniuersal tract of the bolde assertions inspersed through D. Martins whole booke and therfore yf any man wyll not be resolued by his iudgement to recante such his opinion yet shall he neuer be able with all the glystryng floryshe of that booke to discredite hym or to wynne credite therto Nowe further to enlarge his conclusions or notes with more sounde testimonie doctrine should be but superfluous to such specially of whom Solomon speaketh Non recipit quidam verba prudentiae nisi ea dixeris quae versantur in corde eius Prouer. 18. Some men be of such nature that they wyll neuer receaue any wisedome or perswasion except ye tell hym suche thynges which be tost in his owne brayne and soncken into his owne heart It is not therfore without good cause Tit. 3. that S. Paule geueth precept not to haue longe ado with such as be sectaries thus saying Foolyshe questions genealogies contentions and braulynges rysyng of the lawes refrayne them for they be vnprofitable and vayne And therefore such a one as is a man of deuision after once or twyse admonyshyng hym renounce hym knowyng this that he that is such is peruerted and synneth as one condempned in his owne iudgement And nowe finally to make an ende yf Chryste whom the father of heauen commaunded all the worlde to heare Math. 17. in his doctrine made no prohibition or restraynt in his fathers ordinaunce of matrimonie Iohn 2. Math. 19. but honored it with his presence and commaunded it to be indissoluble forbyddyng all men to seperate whom God hath coopled wyllyng but for the cause of fornication no seperations to be made yf the apostles all Ambrosius except Iohn and Paule were in the maryed state and did not forsake their wiues after their apostleship which the xij canon of the vi generall counsell at Constantinople doth playnely affirme Where also besyde is the vi canon of the Apostles by what boldnes I can not tell abolyshed vz Quod episcopus aut presbiter vxorem propriam nequaquā sub obtectu religionis abiiciat c. The bishop or prieste ought not to put from hym his owne wife vnder pretence of religion which yf he do let hym be excommunicate and yf he so continue let hym be deposed Which is so noted in the summe of counsels If the fathers in the primatiue churche at libertie vsed the same the cleargie in Grece in Antioche and in Alexandria reteyned the libertie styll in their orderyng Paule being very feareful to cast any snares to the congregation counsellyng and commaundyng them that can not conteyne to mary pronouncyng that it is better to marry then to burne the interpretours of the scriptures applying the same grauntes and concessions vpon thē that are votaries Saint Austen in doctrine holdyng determining in professed disputation their copulations to be very maryages not to be disseuered If before the conquest mariage was always free not forbydden to priestes in England tyl after the cōquest sence which time both bishops priestes were maried some openly many secretly notwithstandyng Ancelmes statutes to the contrary which hardly preuayled and gaue great occasion of suche scisme and heresie Richarde wykes as was neuer greater in the churche If for all the multiplication of decrees agaynst concubinaries the sore coulde neuer be healed but that the notorietie of such lewde lyfe was vniuersally abhorred as it well deserued If the kynges auctoritie by the consent of his parliament with the subscription of the whole cleargie enacted the thyng to be lawfull abrogated all penall lawes to the contrary as it was declared in doctrine inuincible set out by the learned part
.27 b. compareth the scripture to a nose of waxe .100 c. Pius pope his opinion of priestes mariages .198 c. Plagues notable .130 Popes decrees not aboue princes lawes Fol. 5. pag. 1. a. the causer of dissention betweene the Greke Churche and Latine .55 c. he is Luminare maius .67 d bounde to acknowledge his wyfe .200 a. one disanulles the other doth graunt .204 c. called Antichrist by the byshop of Duresine .214 diuers of them byshoppes and priestes sonnes .313 Pope Sergius purged by Aldelme of his fornication .200 b. Popes matters .33 pag. 158. Pontificall of Rome falsely brought in for the Pontificall of England .183 a. 185. a Polidorus iudgement of forced chastitie .262 b. Pontificall bookes .282 Pretence of Martins booke Fol. 2. pag. 1. b. Prelates discretion in tyme of the pope Fol. 4. pag. 1. b. Priestes maryed vniustly entreated .2 a. leafe 4. pag. 1. a. Fol. 13. pag. 2. a. their mariages to be defended as a cause publique Fol. 7. pag. 2. b. continued maryed .1000 yeres Fol. 15. pag. 1. b. massyng priestes pag. 25. b. haue ordered .26 d. maryed priestes in estimation .30 a. 60. a. maryed in the Primatiue Churche .42 b. vncontinent priestes a shame to the Cleargie .31 a. Priestes had wyues and sayde Masse .41 c. maryed not to be seperated .59 c. their contractes iustifiable by lawe .67 a. and some maryed after order .76 c. their incontinencie excused .84 b. 85. b. 86. a. not reformable by lawes .87 c. whose maryages yet more punished then fornication .88 a. and clarkes incontinent may not be put to open penance .89 b. nor their immunities to be iudged of .91 c. priestes laye heauie burdens on other mens neckes .68 c. Priestes offendyng seldome repentyng .82 d. who by vowe renounce mariage not fornication .93 d. and beyng incontinent maye not by othe abiure incontinencie .93 d. forbidden certayne women in their houses .94 a. their crownes .108 a 110. priestes chyldren slaundered to bryng famine into the Realme .125 c. 133. a. their mariages honourable by Iustinian .197 the forbiddyng whereof was not before Siritius tyme .230 d. 258. yet after resumed their wyues agayne .194 for in orderyng they make no promise to renounce maryage .182 b. the prohibition of it was not the Apostles doctrine .153 c. Prayer fastyng holyday and chastitie not forbidden but the hypocrisie of them .166 a. Primatius denieth that all may take the gyft generally .141 c. Profession of priestes denied by them to be made .282 Profession of religious in young age .310 Prosper a byshop maryed .271 Phileas byshop maryed .349 Priestes marying without consent of their byshops depriuable .357 Pascall pope complayneth of kyng Henrie .300 Pascall offereth to dispense with the kynges promises 301. Pope meetyng with the kyng at Gisors .301 Popes craft towardes the kyng for commyng into Englande .301 Papall court burdenous to the Realme and infamous .302 Q Queene Marie in her Commission charged the ordinarie to execute no canons agaynst the lawes of the Realme .175 a. R Rabanus fled out of his order .292 Richarde Archb. of Cant. decrees agaynst concubines .317 Richarde the kyng taken prisoner .321 Rome what store of harlottes it hath .202 b. Rigour of discipline to be moderated .273 Remigius Archbyshop at .xxij. yeres .347 Restitutus byshop of London maryed .348 Redmayn Iohn Doctour◠opinion .352 Rodulph Archbyshop of Cantorburie .304 Robert byshop of Lincolne maryed .307 S Sampsom byshop of worceter his testimonie agaynst his sonne .298 Separations of maryages hurtfull to the common wealth .181 a. Scriptures and Doctours compared .73 b. Scripture ought to haue preeminence .74 a. Scripture most certayne iudge by Athanasius .100 c. Scriptures and Christe must be iudge .246 a. Simon Magus disciples .80 c. Semel malus semper presumiter malus .106 c. Seritius pope first decreed continencie .152 a. Seritius first forbad maryage .230 d. 258. c. Sinesius byshop elect woulde not consent to leaue his wyfe .274 b. Simonie .283 Si non caste tamen caute .329 b. Sole lyfe a rare gyft which all can not take .65 b. 136. d. Sodomiticall sinne publique .285 Spanishe heretiques .115 a. Statutes of the Realme corrupted by Martin .169 a. Statute of Queene Marie or repeale but for afterwarde .171 d. Statutes made by kynges not to be reuoked by popes .178 a. Statutes chaungeable for tyme and place .205 a. Single lyfe why so much forced .276 Saxon rules of priestes .346 Scottishe lawes .350 T Tertullian of seconde maryages .163 d. Thinges neuer done are not therfore vnlawfull to be done .253 a. Thomas de Aquino his counsayle to a clarke y◠cannot cōtayne .206 a. Thurstone Archbyshop of yorke repelled of the munckes .312 Theophilact counsayleth to mary for auoydyng fornication .138 b. Thurstone Archbyshop brake his fayth with the kyng .303 V Virginitie not so necessarie as the ministerie Fol. 7. pag. 1. a. 276. Uirginitie compared with Matrimonie Fol. 18. pag. 1. c. Fol. 18. pa. 2. c. d. Uirginitie aboue our reache .146 c. Uirginitie vrged by the fathers .276 Votum simplex et solemne .104 c. 231. c. 242. Votaries not to mary howe it is lawfull or vnlawfull or expedient .142 v. Vnius vxoris vir expounded pag. 32. a. pag. 61. a. Uotaries mariages alowed by Austen .207.209 d. by Cyprian ibidem by Hierome .208 c. by Gelasius .209 a. by the counsayle at Orleans .210 b. Uowes perfourmable must come from the gyft of God .147 d. 148. a. what circumstaunce they shoulde haue .149 howe they shoulde be made .236 Uowes solemne be of the Churches constitution .229 d. Uirginitie howe it is defined .342 Uirginitie ought to be otherwise qualified .343 W William Archbyshop of Canterburie .289.307 Williams decree agaynst maryed priestes helde not .308 Wattune Abbey .310 Waltham Abbey turned to reguler chanons .319 Writers of Louane to Malapart .335 Wyues many to one man .350 FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by Richarde Iugge printer to the Queenes Maiestie Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis