our righteousnesse that must be wherein they failed and we must exceed They failed then in their Traditions and Practise May I say they failed when they exceeded Their Traditions exceeded in number and prosecution faulty in matter To runne well but out of the way according to the Greeke prouerbe is not better than to stand still Fire is an excellent thing but if it be in the top of the chimney it doth mischiefe rather It is good to be zealous in spight of all scoffes Gal. 4.13 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a good thing If they had beene as hot for God as they were for themselues it had beene happy but now in vaine they worship mee saith our Sauiour teaching for doctrines the Traditions of men Hence was that axiome receiued currantly amongst their Iewish followers There is more in the words of the wise than in the words of the Law More Plus est in verbis sapienâ—um quam in verbis legis Galatin Serarius Non malè comparaâ—i Pharisaeos Catholicis that is more matter more authority and from this principally arises and continues that mortall quarrell betwixt them and their Karraim and Minim vnto this day A great Iesuite at least that thinks himselfe so writes thus in great earnest The Pharises saith he may not vnfitly be compared to our Catholicks Some men speake truth ignorantly some vnwillingly Caiaphas neuer spake truer when he meant it not one egge is not liker to another than the Tridentine Fathers to these Pharises in this point besides that of free-will merit full performance of the Law which they absolutely receiued from them For marke Pari pietatis affecta reuerentia Trans iones vna cum libris veteris noui Testamentisâ— spicimus veneramâ—r Decr. 1. Sess 4. Nolo verba quae scripta non sunt legt With the same reuerence and deuotion doe we receiue and respect Traditions that wee doe the Bookes of the Old and New Testament say those Fathers in their fourth Session Heare both of these speake and see neither if thou canst discerne whether is the Pharise refuse me in a greater truth Not that we did euer say with that Arrian in Hilarie Wee debarre all words that are not written or would thinke fit with those phanaticall Anabaptists of Munster that all bookes should be burnt besides the Bible some Traditions must haue place in euery Church but Their place they may not take wall of Scripture Substance may not in our valuation giue way to circumstance God forbid If any man expect that my speech on this opportunity should descend to the discourse of our contradicted ceremonies let him know that I had rather mourne for this breach than meddle with it God knowes how willingly I would spend my self into perswasions if those would auaile any thing but I well see that teares are fitter for this Theame than words The name of our mother is sacred and her peace precious As it was a true speech cited from that Father by Bellarmine Bellum Hereticorum pax est Ecclesiae ex Hilario Bellar. The war of Hereticks is the peace of the Church so would God our experience did not inuert it vpon vs The war of the Church is the peace of Hereticks Our discord is their musicke our ruine their glory On what a sight is this Brethren striue while the enemy stands still and laughs and triumphs If we desired the griefe of our common mother the languishing of the Gospell the extirpation of Religion the losse of posterity the aduantage of our aduersaries which way could these be better effected than by our dissentions Iscâ—â—â—â— That Spanish Prophet in our Age for so I finde him stiled when King Philip asked him how hee might become master of the Low-Countries answered If he could diuide them from themselues According to that old Machiuellian principle of our Iesuites Diuide and Rule And indeed it is concord onely as the Poesie or Mot of the vnited States runs which hath vpheld them in a rich and flourishing estate against so great and potent enemies Concordiâ res paruae crescunt c. Our Aduersaries already brag of their victories and what good heart can but bleed to see what they haue gained since we dissented to fore-see what they will gaine They are our mutuall spoiles that haue made them proud and rich Nostrâ miseriâ tu es magnus de Pomp. Mimus If you euer therefore looke to see the good dayes of the Gospell the vnhorsing and confusion of that strumpet of Rome for Gods sake for the Churches sake for our owne soules sake let vs all compose our selues to peace and loue Oh pray for the peace of Ierusalem that peace may be within her wals and prosperity within her palaces For the matter of their Traditions our Sauiour hath taxed them in many particulars about washings oathes offerings retribution whereof he hath said enough when hee hath termed their doctrine the Leauen of the Pharises that is sowre and swelling Saint Hierome reduces them to two heads In Matth. 23. They were Turpia anilia some so shamefull that they might not bee spoken others idle and dotish both so numerous that they cannot be reckoned Take a taste for all and to omit their reall Traditions heare some of their interpretatiue Praec Mos cum expos Rab. The Law was that no Leper might come into the Temple their Tradition was if he were let downe thorow the roofe this were no irregularity The Law was Ibid. a man might not carry a burden on the Sabbath their Traditionall glosse Ibid. if he carried ought on one shoulder it was a burden if on both none If shoes alone no burden if with nailes not tolerable Their stint of a Sabbaths iourney was a thousand cubits their glosse was That this is to bee vnderstood without the wals but if a man should walke all day thorow a Citie as big as Ninene hee offends not The Church of Rome shall vie strange glossems and ceremonious obseruations with them Sacrarum Ceremoniarum lib. 1. accipit de gremic Camerarij pecuniam vbi nihil tamen est argenti spargensque in populos dicit AuruÌ„ argentum non est mihi quod auteÌ„ habeo hoc tibi do CanoÌ„ Poenitential pag. 1. Numb 12. Ezec. 4. Luc. 5. Otho Frisingensis in praefat In Matth. 23. whether for number or for ridiculousnesse The day would faile mee if I should either epitomize the volume of their holy rites or gather vp those which it hath omitted The new elected Pope in his solemne Lateran procession must take copper money out of his Chamberlaines lap and scatter it among the people and say Gold and siluer haue I none Seauen yeeres penance is enioyned to a deadly sinne because Miriam was separated seuen dayes for her leprosie and God saies to Ezekiel I haue giuen thee a day for a yeere Christ said to Peter Lanch forth into the deepe
Clingius the Franciscan aduise in this case that is Let all false conceit and preposterous confidence bee remooued from it that the trust which should onely be put in the merit of Christ bee not placed vpon these courses and let no man thinke that hereby he deserues righteousnesse remission grace and lastly which I adde remoue but idlenesse superstition necessitie from this kinde of life and we doe not we will not disallow it Neither doe we take our Colledges for any other than certaine sacred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 monasticall Academies wherein according to the precept of Pelagius the Pope we may be maturely fitted for these holy seruices of God and his Church such were the Monasteries of the Ancient insomuch as Possidonius can witnesse that Saint Austen out of one little house Possid in vita Aug. sent forth ten labourers into the haruest of the Church SECTION XIIII Concerning the Canon of the Scripture NOw lest I be too tedious it is time for mee from these points which doe directly concerne our selues to hasten vnto those which do more closely touch the Maiestie of God and doe as it were send plaine challenges into heauen And those do either respect the Scripture which is his expressed word or Christ which is his naturall and substantiall Word or lastly the worship due vnto his Name And first the Scripture complaines iustly of three maine wrongs offered to it The first of addition to the Canon The second of detraction from the sufficiencie of it The third of hanging all the authoritie thereof vpon the sleeue of the Church For of that corrupt Translation of Scripture which the Trent Diuines haue made onely and fully authenticall I forbeare purposely to speake although it were easie to shew that which Reuchline following the steps of Hierom hath auerred That the Hebrewes drinke of the Well head the Greekes of the streame Hier. aduers â—eluidium and the Latines of the puddle neither will I so much as touch the iniurious inhibition of those holy bookes to the Laity Who can endure a piece of new cloth to bee patched vnto an old garment Or what can follow whence but that the rent should bee worse I referre the reader for the citation of these to my disswasiue from Popery Who can abide that against the faithfull information of the Hebrewes against the cleere Testimonies of Melito Cyril Athanasius Origen Hilary Hierom Ruffinus Nazianzen against their owne Doctors both of the middle and latest age six whole bookes should by their fatherhoods of Trent be vnder pain of a curse imperiously obtruded vpon God his Church Whereof yet some propose to their Readers no better than magicall iugglings others bloudy selfe murders other lying fables and others heathenish 〈◊〉 not without a publike applause in the relation These indeed Caâ—â—â—â— ingennously as his fashion is according to that he had learned of Hierome would perswade vs to haue beene admitted onely by the Ancients into the Canon of Manners not of Faith And surely there be many precepts in Syracider the counterfeit Salomon and Esdraâ— which sauour of excellent wisedome but I wonder what kinde of good manners can be learned from such like histories Catechâ—â—â—eni euen by those Nouices to whom Athanasius bequeaths these bookes Well may I say of these as that Chian seruant of his Master which sold his wine Epith. l. 1. sect 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si quis l. Hester Dan Baeruc Eccl. Iudith Tob. Macca pro Canonicis non recipâ—rit Anathema fit sect 4. Apoc. vlt. and dranke his lees while they haue good they seeke for naught But let these bookes how questionable soeuer to Ephiphanius be all sacred let them be according to the meaning of the councell of Carthage and of Austen so oft cited to this purpose after Canonicall yet what man or Angel dare presume to vndertake to make them diuine Wee know full well how great impietie it is to father vpon the God of heauen the weake conceptions of an humane wit neither can we be any whit moued with the idle cracke of the Tridentine curse whiles we heare God thundring in our eares If any man adde vnto these words God shall adde vnto him the plagues written in this book SECTION XV. Of the Insufficiencie of Scripture NEither know I whether it be more wickedly audacious to fasten on God those things which be neuer wrote or to weaken the authority and denie the sufficiencie of what he hath written The Papists doe both We affirme saith Bellarmine that there is not expressely contained in Scriptures all necessary doctrine either concerning faith Lib. 4. de verbo non scripto c. 30. sect 1. Pari veneratiâ—â—e pari pietatis affectu or manners And the Tridentine Fathers giue charge that Traditions be receiued with no lesse Pietie and Veneration than the Bookes of Scripture Vnwritten Truths saith our wittie Chancellour More are equiualent to the Word of God What place is there for peace There are we confesse certaine things of a middle nature indifferent rites wherein much must be yeelded to the Church much to Traditions but that those things which are simply necessary to saluation whetherto be knowne or to be done should not be found in the holy Scriptures either in their words Per verba per sensum or in their sense as Aquinas distinguishes we iustly hold absurd and with Erasmus contrary to all true diuinitie Some Constitutions for publike order are from the Church but all necessary determinations of faith are to be fetcht from the voyce of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Can. Nic. Graec. con Pisan â—innius Conc. Tom. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is as Nissen truely commends it the right and euen rule of life The law of God is perfect saith Dauid yea and makes perfect saith Paul And what can be added to that which is already perfect or what perfection can there be where some necessary points are wanting yea if we may beleeue Hosius the greatest part How much is the Spirit of God mis-taken Hee wrote these things that wee might beleeue and in beleeuing be saued But now if Trent may be iudge although we beleeue what he hath written yet wee cannot be saued vnlesse we doe also receiue and beleeue what he hath not written How ill was Constantine taught of old how ill aduised in that publike speech for which yet we doe not finde that any of those Worthies of â—ice Theod. l. 1. c. â— Tert. de praeser l. â—â—â—er Her Origin c. 16. 〈◊〉 Rom. Achae in synops Ambr. lib. 3. Hex c. 3. did so much as iogge him on the elbow in a milde reproofe whiles hee sayd The bookes of the Euangelists Apostles as also the Oracles of the Ancient Prophets doe plainely instruct vs in the message and meaning of God How miserably were euery one of the learned Fathers of the Church blinded that they could neuer either see or acknowledge
any other rule of faith And what shall we say Did God enuie vnto mankinde the full reuelation of his will in the perpetuall monuments of his written word Or did he not thinke it expedient to lay vp al necessary doctrines in this common store-house of Truths as Rochester calls it Or is that perhaps more vncertaine Aug. Ego solis Scripturis c. De nat gr c. 61. Opt. Mileu l 5. The. in Mag. l. 3. d. 3. 4. 1. art 1 Citatex Hier. Non mihicredaâ— si quid tibi dixerâ— quod ex nouâ— Testamento vel veteri haberi â—â—â—â—possit Iren. 1. 2. c. 1. which is faithfully committed to writing than that which is carried about by the flying rumors of men and by this ayrie conueiance deriued vnto posteritie What a thing is it as Irenaeus wisely sayd that we should leaue the voice of the Lord and his Apostles and attend to these tatlers that talke neuer a true word Or if this be fitting how vainely haue you spent your labors O all ye Registers of God Prophets Apostles Euangelists and as hee said of the ointment To what purpose was all this waste These Paradoxes are pernicious to the Church and shamefully derogatory from the glory both of the wisdome and goodnesse of God Hold these who dare Surely we can neuer abide that those two markes of Heretikes which Irenaeus long since set downe namely not to rest in the bare authoritie of Scripture and to vaunt of other Traditions should both of them be iustly branded on our sides SECTION XVI Of the Authority of Scripture BVt this is yet most shamefully iniurious to denie vnto the Word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credit of it selfe and so to hang the Scriptures vpon the Church that they must needs begge all their authority from the voyces of men Honest Eckius in his reuised and corrected Euchiridiâ—â— The Scripture saith he is not authenticall without the authoritie of the Church To which as some golden and oracular sentence Euchir Eccij 7. recogâ—aâ—â— 1586. fol. 8. there is added in the margin a glorious and insulting applause An Achilles for the Catholiks I let passe the blasphemies of Hermannus and Hosius perhaps as Iunius construes it in the name of Swinkfeldius I passe ouer the horrible impiety of that shamelesse glosse Achilles pro Catholicis Animaduers in Bellar. Glosse in decretal l. 2. Tit. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bell. de 〈◊〉 sacr effect l. 2 c. 25 p. 300. which teaches that Salomons Text borrowes his credit from the Popes canonization Bellarmine alone shall speake for all who going about to support the number of seuen Sacraments by the authority of the Tridentine Councell for this is euer their last hold The strength saith he of all the Ancient Councels and of all opinions depends vpon the authority of the present Church And a little before If we take away the authoritie of the present Church and of the present Councell of Trent the decrees of all other Councels and the whole Christian faith may bee called into doubt and question O miserable and miserably staggering soules of the Papists How many not persons only but whole kingdomes and those as the Romanists themselues confesse and bewaile mighty and flourishing amongst themselues do yet still resolutely reiect all the authority of that Tridentine Councell The whole Christian faith All doctrines and opinions What euen those which are written by the finger of God those that are indited by the holy Ghost What is this else but to make God a slaue to men and to arraigne the Maker of heauen and earth at the barre of humane iudgement God wil be God the Scripture of God will be it selfe in spight of Rome Trent Hell And vnlesse we hold this wee can haue no peace with God vnlesse we denie it no peace with the Romanists SECTION XVII Concerning Transubstantiation Genebr l. 1. de Trin. Li. dâ—n 2. dial Canisius in praef lib. de Io. Bapt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bell. l. 2. de Chro. c. 19. Caluinus fine dubio in mode loquendi errauit sed dum rem ipsam discutio non facilè audeo pronunciare illum in errore fuisse THese errors concerne the Scriptures those which follow concerne either Christs person or his offices I let passe that idle brabble as Bellarmine himselfe iudges it which the Popish Censors haue vniustly raysed about the Sons Godhead of himselfe and insist vpon waightier quarrels I would that exploded opinion of Transubstantiation and which is the root of it the Multi-presence of Christs body did not vtterly ouerthrow the truth of his Humanity Good God! Is it possible as Auerrves iested of old that Christians should make themselues a God of bread That any reasonable man can beleeue that Christ carried his owne body in one of his hands that hee raught it forth to bee eaten by those holy ghests of his which saw him present with them and heard him speaking to them both whiles they were eating him and when they had eaten the sacred morsell That the selfe same Sonne of man should at once both deuoure his whole selfe and yet should sit whole and entire at the Table with them That the glorious body of Christ should be carried through the vncleane passages of our mawes and either be there turned into the substance of our body or contrary to that the Spirit said of old Psal 16.10 Thou shalt not suffer thine holy One to see corrupâ—â—â—â— should bee subiect to putrifaction or vanish to nothing or returne into that heauen wherein it was ere it returned while it returned or lastly should be eaten with Mice deuout and holy Vermine or perhaps mixed with poyson to the Receiuer What Monsters of follies are these How mad yea how impious is this obstinacie of follish men that they wil ouer-turne the very principles of nature the order of things the Humanity of their Sauiour the truth of the Sacrament the constant iudgement of Scripture and lastly the very foundations of all Diuinity and confusedly iumbell Heauen Earth together rather than they will where necessity requires it admit but of a tropical kinde of speech in our Sauiours consecration whiles in the meane time the whole Reuerend Senate of the Fathers cryes out Tert. contra Marc. l. 4. Bâ—â—tus Rhenanus confesses this errour of Tertullian was confuted in Berengarius Aug. Psal 3. Epist 162. De doct Christ 3. 16. Chrys Hom. 46. in Ioh. c. Bel. l. 1. de Euch. cap. 1. De doct Chri. l. 3. redoubles the names of Symboles Types Signes Representation Similitude Figures and what-euer word may import a borrowed sense notwithstanding all the indignation of Heauen all the scorne of Pagans al the Reluctation of the Church This Letter killeth as Origen truely speakes Now what likelyhood is there here of agreement That the true body of Christ is truely offered and truely receiued in the Sacrament which of vs hath not euer
à quo not ad quem mildely according to my knowne disposition but vpon better deliberation I found the insolency of my Refuter such that I could not fauour him and not bee cruell to my cause If therefore for many it is his own art and word railatiue Pages he receiue from my vnwilling and enforced Pen now and then though not a Relatiue to such an Antecedent yet perhaps some drop of sharper Vineger then my Inke vseth to be tempered withall he may forgiue mee and must thanke himselfe What needed this cause so furious an Inuectiue As if the Kingdom of Heauen and all Religion consisted in nothing but Maiden-head or Mariage Cardinal Bellarmine when he speakes of the Greeke Church wherein a maried Clergie is both allowed and required Si errerem alium non haberent â—â—cise pax conceleretur Bell de Cleric lib. 1. c. 21. shuts vp moderately That if this were all the difference betwixt them and the Romane Church they should soone be at peace If my Refuter had so thought this had not been his first Controuersie Both estates meet in Heauen John the Virgin rests in the bosome of maried Abraham This inordinate heate therefore of prosecution rises from faction not from holy Zeale Hence it was that my Aduersarie cunningly singled out this point from many others ranged in my poore Discourses as that wherein Bishop Jewels confession hee might promise to himselfe the likeliest aduantage of Antiquity and how gloriously doth he vaunt himselfe in the ostentation of Fathers Councels Which vaine flourish how little it auailes him the processe shal shew where it shall appeare vpon what grounds no small piece of Antiquitie was partiall to Virginitie and ouer-harsh to Mariage as Beatus Rhenanus B. Rhenan Arg. lib. de exhort Castit Tertull. a learned and ingenuous Papist confesseth But this we may boldly say that if those holy men had out-liued the bloody Times and seene the fearfull inconueniences which would after a setled peace insue vpon the ambition or constraint of a denyed Continencie they had doubtlesse changed their note and with the moderate and wisest spirits of the later times Eneas Syluius Panormitan Durandus Peresius Montuanuâ— Erasmus c. Che Coll introductione del matrimonio ac Preti si farelle che tutti volt assetto lâ— affetto amor lorâ— alle moglie a figli per consequenza aâ—â—â—casa alla patria onde cesâ—erebbe la dependenza fâ—retta châ—l Ordine Clericale ha conâ—â— sede Apostolica tanto sarelbe Conceder ill matrimonio a Prâ—ti quanto distrugâ—â— la Hietarchia Ecclesiastico ridur it Pont. che non foâ—se pâ—u the Vescâ—uo ci Roma Histor Concil Trid. pag. 662. Troppo fâ—ste troppo teste troppo tempeste Vid. Dallâ—ngt obseru vpon Guicciard Doctor Mart. against Pr. Marr. pleaded for that libertie which the Reformed Church now enioyeth The vniuersall concession whereof after the priuate Suffrages of worthy Authors came to a publike treaty in the Romane Church amidst the throng of their late Tridentine Councell and it is worth the while to obserue on what grounds it receiued a repulse If Priests should be allowed Mariage say those wily Jtalians it would follow that they would cast their affections on their Wiues and Children and consequently on their Families and Countries whereupon would cease that strait dependance which the Clergie hath vpon the See Apostolike In so much as to grant their Mariages were as much as to destroy the Hierarchie of the Church and to reduce the Pope within the meere bounds of the Romane Bishopricke This was the plea of the Clergie their thriftie Laitie together with them enemies to the blessing or as they construe it the curse of fruitfulnesse are wont to plead Troppo teste our Gregory Martin of old computes the preiudiciall increase that might arise from these Mariages to the Common-wealth It is not Religion but wit that now lyes in our way Fond men that dare offer thus to controll the wisdome of their Maker and will be tying the God of Heauen to their rules of state As it is no Church in the vvhole World except the Romane stands vpon this restraint vvhereof the consequences haue been so notoriously shamefull that wee might well hope experience vvould haue wrought if not redresse of their courses yet silence of ours And surely if this man had not presumed that by reason of the long discontinuance of Popery time had worne out of mens mindes the memory of their odious filthinesse he durst not thus boldly haue pleaded for their abominable Celibate The question vvhereof after all busie discussions and pretences of age must be resolued into no other then this How farre the Tradition of a particular Church is worthy to preuaile against Scripture yea and against other Churches A point which a very vveake iudgement will bee able to determine In this returne of my Defence I doe neither answer euery idle clause nor omit any essentiall this length of mine is no lesse forced then mine Aduersaries Continencie wherein yet my Reader shall not sigh vnder an irkesome loquacitie I presume to dedicate this vnworthy labour to your Grace whom this famous Church dayly blesseth as her wise faithfull and vigilant Ouerseer as a renowned Patterne of holy Virginitie and Patron of holy Mariage The God of Heauen whose watch you carefully keep preserue you long to his Church and make vs long happy in your Grace and you euer happy in his plentifull blessings Such shall euer be the Prayers of Your Graces most humbly deuoted IOS HALL THE ANSWER TO THE ADVERTISEMENT THE man begins with a threat I may not but tremble Hee frights me with an vniuersall Detection of my errors It is almost as easie to finde faults as to make them Perhaps the Time had been as well spent in tossing of his Beads How happie a man am I that shall see all my ouer-sights My comfort is that if my Tree were fruitlesse there would bee no stone throwne at it In the meane while how well doth the title of a Detector become him that hides himselfe If hee be not afraid or ashamed of his cause let his name bee knowne that his victories may be recorded It is an iniurious and base aduantage to strike and hide and after a pitcht Duell to gall a fixed Aduersarie out of loope-holes If his person be vpon some treasonable act obnoxious it is hard if some of his names be not free But if I must needs be matcht with the shadow of a Libeller I wil so take him as he deciphers himselfe C. E. Cauillator Egregius and vnder this true stile of his am ready to encounter him and doe here bid Defiance to an insolent and vniust aduersarie And first let me tell my Cauiller this order is preposterous If all my errors be at the mouth of the Presse how is it that two or three of them are thus suffered to out-runne their fellowes Was his malice so bigge
cannot but witnesse that I name diuers in all ages recorded for maried Bishops and Presbyters This Breadrole he saith is idle because I shew not that they then vsed their Wiues when they were Bishops An hard condition Refut 254. That I must bring witnesses from their Bed-sides Is it not enough that we shew they had wiues that they had children No saith my Refuter It must be proued that they had these children by these wiues after Ordination Wee were neither their Midwiues nor their Gossips to keepe so strict an account But what meanes * * They sleepe with their wiues and in the time of being Bishops beget children of their owne wiues Socr. Vbi supr Cum vxoribus dormiunt and Tempore Episcopatus filios gignunt ex propriis vxoribus This we haue shewed out of Socrates What was that which Dionysius the ancient B. of Corinth before euer Paphnutius was wrote to Pinytus charging him Ne graue seruanda castitatis onus necessariò fratribus imponat x x That hee doe not necessarily impose the heauy burden of continencie vpon his Brethren Euseb l. 4. hist c. 22. What was that for which Eustathius B. of Sebastia the vnworthy sonne of Eulanius B. of Caesarea was censured was not this one of the Articles y y Socrat. l. 2. c. 33. Refut p. 155. Benedictionem c That he taught men to decline the blessing and communion of maried Priests Away then with this either ignorant or impudent facing of so euident a falshood The testimony of Hierom the example of Vrbicus B. of Claramont and of Genebaldus B. of Laudune shew what was the conceit practice of those particular places wherin they liued And yet Hierome in the same Booke can say z z Hier. l. 1. aduers Jouin. As if now adayes many Priests also were not maried Quasi non hodie quoque plurimi sacerdotes habeant matrimonia In that story of Vrbicus related by Greg. Turonensis I can but wonder how far men may be transported by superstition so as to make the Apostles charge giue way to an humane opinion The vvife of a a Greg. Tur. l. 1. c. 44. Cur coniugem speruis cur obturatis auribus Pauli praeceptae non audis Scripsit enim Reuertimini ad alterutrum c. Ecce ego ad te reuertor nec ad extraneum sed ad proprium vas recurro c. Why despisest thou thy Wife why dost thou shut thine eares against the precept of S. Paul For he hath written Meet together againe lest c. Vrbicus comes to his doore and alledges S. Pauls charge Meet together againe lest Satan tempt you c. Cur coniugem spernis c he yeelds to do the duty of an Husband and now in remorse inioynes himselfe a perpetuall penance What penance do we think S. Paul was worthy of for giuing this charge which she alledged Let my Reader iudge whether of the two was tâ—e better Diuine How insolent is tradition thus to trample vpon Scripture But since it pleased my Refuter to lend me this one example of Greg. Turonensis I am ready to giue him vse for it In the 2. booke of Turonensis he shall find b b Greg. Turon l. 2 c. 21. Nat. Theodos Iun. Valent. 3. Imperat. vxor Papianilla cum qua concorditer vixit liberosque ex ea suscepit v. triusque sexus 4d Apoll. epist 16. l. 5 Sidonius a maried Bishop and his Wife a Noble Matron in all likelihood liuing with him for nesciente coniuge without his wiues knowledge he gaue siluer plate to the Poore c c Turon 4. c. 12. In the fourth Booke he shall find Anastasius a maried Presbyter feoffed in some Temporalties which he would rather die then not leaue to his issue d d Tur. l. 8 c. 39. In the eight Booke he shall find Badegisilus the cruel Bishop of the Cenomans matched with an ill wife who yet liued with him as it seemes all his time and had altercations with Bertram Archdeacon of Paris for his goods deceased In these there is strength of legall presumption though no necessity of inference But what doe I instance in these or any other when Balsamon tels vs clearely that before the sixt Synod e e After their Episcopall dignitie Balsam in Can. Apost 5. Are ioyned in Mariage vid. supr Vse Mariage contracted it was lawfull for Bishops to haue wiues Etiam post dignitatem Episcopalem And his own Canon law can tell him that in the East Church their Priests Matrimonio copulantur which his wariest Masters expounding would interpret by copulato vtuntur Iudge then Reader what to think of the metall of this mans forehead who would beare vs downe that no one Bishop or Priest was allowed after Orders to haue any wife Yea euen for the very contraction of mariage it selfe after Orders f f Ispen l. 1. c. 11. honest Espencaeus can cite one g g Io. Maior comptuar Concil Refut p. 159. Ioannes Marius a Dutch-man by birth but a French Historian to whom hee allowes the title of non indiligeris who writes that he knowes that in the times of Pope Formesus Ludonicus Balbus Priests were maried Et iis licuisse sponsam legitimam ducere modò Virginem non verò Viduam and that it was lawfull for them to marry a Wife so she were a Virgin not a Widow As for that base slander wherewith this venemous Pen besprinkles the now glorious face of our renowned Archbishop and Martyr Doctor Cranmer whom hee most lewdly charges with lasciuiousnesse and incontinent liuing with I know not what Dutch Fraw it is worthy of no other answer then Increpet te dominus It is true that the holy man wisely declining the danger and malignitie of the times made not at the first any publike profession of his Mariage as what needed to inuite mischiefe But that hee euer had any dishonest conuersation with her or any other it is no other then the accent of the mouth of Blasphemy And if any one of our Clergie after a legall and iust Diuorce long since haue taken to him selfe that liberty which other Reformed Churches publikely allow as granting in some case a full release both à thoro and à ivinculo what ground is this for an impure wretch to cast dirt in the eyes of our Clergie and in the teeth of our Church Malicious Masse-Priest cast backe those emissitious eyes to your owne infamous Chaire of Rome and if euen in that thou canst discerne no spectacles of abominable vncleannesse spend thy spightfull censures vpon ours I reckoned diuers examples of maried Bishops and Priests out of Eusebius Refut p. 160. Ruffinus others amongst the rest Domnus Bishop of Antioch which succeeded Samosatenus for which my Margent cited Eusebius in his 7 Booke and 29. Chap. My Detector taxes me for citing Authors at random as Euseb lib. 7. cap. 29. when as there are he saith but