¶ 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
in saincte Hillaries daies it was lawfull for a Bushop in Fraunce to haue a wife For otherwise the holy man Hillarie would not haue vsed it And the age of him self and the youth of his doughter seme to proue that she was begotten after he was made Bushop But Martine like hym self triuÌ„pheth saiyng No Bushoppes had wiues but heretiques wherein his railyng tongue Martin condemneth S. Hillarie for an heretique condemneth Hillarie for an heretique if any maÌ„ would beleue hym But his tongue is no slaunder to all suche as knowe hym God be praised Also for the further profe of his purpose Martin belieth Saincte Hierome he alledgeth out of saincte Hierome against Heluidius that the firste maried prieste in Italie yea in the whole worlde was an heretique Marke now good reader and thou shalt heare a glorious lye of Martins I call it glorious because he hath set it forthe with suche a glory not here onely but hereafter in the 118. leafe also Martines wordes in his firste place are these Fol. 3. Martines owne woordes In Italie the firste Prieste that maried was he any better Meanyng than an heretique Sainct Hierome saieth it was Heluidius the heretique whiche denied our blessed Ladie to haue continued a virgine These bee the woordes of the greate Clarke Master doctor Martine the Lawier as of hym self he saieth but I might better haue saied of doctor Martine the lyer for doubtlesse he is a thousande folde better seen in liyng then in lawyng Whiche appeareth not onely by the moste parte of the notes in the margent in his firste chapiter poinctyng to the texte of like trouthe that bée moste commonly lies but also by this place and an infinite number of other where he belieth falsly the old writers not onely in falsly tourning them writhyng their saiynges against their meanynges but also in moste falsly aduouchyng them to saie that thei saie not as in this place he maketh a moste shamefull lye vpon S. Hierome For I assure thee good reader that S. Hierom saith not in all his boke against Heluidius that he was as Martine reporteth the firste maried prieste in Italie No S. Hierome saieth not that Heluidius was maried And how maie it then be true that sainct Hierome saieth he was the firste maried prieste in Italie So now ye see that Martine is not contented to make one lye vpon sainct Hierome but he muste also laie one in an others necke reportyng sainct Hierome to saie that Heluidius was the firste prieste that maried in Italie because it is a lye that he was maried at all and yet saieth Martine sainct Hierome reporteth that he was not onely maried but also the firste maried prieste in Italie And in this poincte also Martine is not a litle to be blamed that he doeth not onely belie S. Hierom Martine ascribeth a lye to S. HieroÌ„ but also the thing it self is a lye whiche he faineth S. Hierom to saie But you will aske me howe I can proue that sainct Hierom saieth not so Forsoth twoo waies Firste I am contented to be iudged by the whoole booke whiche sainct Hierom hath written againste Heluidius Secondarilie Martines woordes I am contented to let Marten hymself be iudge for these bee his wordes whiche immediatly followe this lye before written And saieth Marten he saieth no. meanyng by sainct Hierome that he was the firste Maried Prieste in Italie Loe good reader what néede I any further condempnation for Martine in this poinct then his owne penne Well doeth S. Hierom saie so No verely saieth Martin why then for shame suffereth he those lines before in the texte and that note in the Margent to stande in his booke without adding vnto it some suche note as this is Beleue not Martine in this place A note to bee put in that mergent of Martines booke Note that Martin turneth the word Sacerdos by the Englishe woorde spirituall for here he lyeth egregiosly Why but I praie you is it not enough for Martine to saie that S. Hierom saieth not so Yes forsoth enough to proue the other saiyng a lie But to proceade if sainct Hierom saie not so I praie you what saieth he Marrie saieth Martin he saieth not that he was the firste maried Prieste in Italy But the firste prieste that became both spirituall and temporall in the whole worlde Now belike Martin hath looked so narrowely to his matters that he will not bee taken with his accustomed fashion of liyng But what will you saie Martine defeÌ„deth one lye with another if this also bee alie Thinke ye not then he were a meete man to lie for the whetstone Uerelie good reader this is no lesse lie then the other for this is not in all S. Hierom neither Wherby ye maie sée his tongue so accustomed to liyng that he can not when he would saie the truthe But I praie you what saith S. Hierom of Heluidius forsoth that which foloweth in Latine in Martins owne booke these be his wordes Solus in vniuerso mundo laicus simul sacerdos Thenglishe whereof is this he onely in the whole world was both at once a prieste and a laie man In the which wordes thou maiest se good reader that there is no mention neither that he was the firste maried prieste in Italy neither that he was the firste maried prieste in the whole world neither that he was maried vnlesse ye will saie that all laie men be maried Yea if it were true that al laie men were maried men yet is there neuer a worde in sainct Hierome neither of Italie neither of firste nor of laste nor of mariage Martins manifest vntrueth in alledgyng old aucthours Nowe maie you see what credit is to be geuen to Martin when he alledgeth old authours But it maie be peraduenture he will saie the Printer deceaued hym and put it in of his owne hedde But Martin caÌ„ not escape so For in .118 lefe .1 G. pag. 2. he maketh the self same lie againe and saieth also there that the Heritique Heluidius was the firste maried prieste that we reade of in al Christendom It is the property of some liars when thei haue told a lie once or twise or oftner that by often telling of their lies to other at last thei thincke them true themselues And so it may â—ee that Martin by often tellyng this vaine fable doeth nowe thincke it is a moste true story But seyng it is plainly shewed that Martin faileth in the profe of his groundes where he intendeth to proue by induction the firste maried prieste in Italy and in Fraunce and so forth were Heretiques though he were able to make some profe of other maried priestes in other countries yet can not his reason holde as I haue at large before declared because some partes of the inductioÌ„ beyng improued the reason runneth but froÌ„ an indefinite to an vniuersal Whiche kinde of reasonyng young Sophisters in Cambridge be shent when thei vse
any thing to this matter that poore Cassiodorus plain writyng may be defaced and made â—o speake and strike what houre pleaseth my Ladye For he that will so violentlye contort so euident places as he doeth throughout all his boke he maie haue a great aduantage in an olde greke author whiche as is thought and is lyke to be iustified hath been paraduenture corruptly set forth in diuerse places But yet Maister Martin I admonishe you that ye bee not to impudent in glosing or vouchyng your obscure greke copies in your studies for ye shall not bryng a more sufficient Greke aucthor to wrest these places out of their right time but that we shal auouche you one or two as good to tell you wher ye wrest to hie or to low in these forsaied two mennes states I hard once how this last place was racked before kyng Henrie the eight what was answered And to that whiche was answered some more light hath been opened since But leaue your glosyng Maister Martin and remember your olde pars verse that Plato pinned on your sleue of late and rather for our instruction fal to the glosing of some suche lawes and gloses as bee within the compasse of your studie As where the gloser of the decrees saieth by the aucthoritée of other Dist. 84. cum Inpreterito Quod olim sacerdotes poterant contrahere ante Syricium vnde Moyses contraxit quod Apostoli non instituerint de non vtendo iam contracto quia si Apostoli hoc instituissent Orientales hoc admisissent Et quod Gregorius introduxit continentiam subdiaconis Dist. 82. proposiusti sed presbyteris diaconis Siricius introduxit Et ê™ Apostoli nihil constituerunt de continentia Et quod Ecclesia quedam constituit quae non fuerunt statuta ab Apostolis vt de continentia ministrorum Some tyme saieth he Priestes might contract matrimonie before Syricius daies wherevpon saieth he Moyses did contract And the Apostles made no constitution of not vsyng mariage alreadie contracted For if thapostles had so doen the Orientall churches would haue receiued it How stand these saiyngs with the .25 Canon of the Apostles as it is forced And that Gregorie brought in continencie to the suâ—deacons as Siricius brought it in for priestes and deacons And that the Apostles made nothing in constitution for continencie And that the Churche hath decreed some thinges whiche were so decreed by the Apostles as of the continencie of the ministers For this saiyng he aduoucheth S. Augustine de ciuitate dei who holdeth the same Furthermore we would gladly heare how ye could discharge yourself with al your gloses from the heresie of Eustachius who as Nicephorus writeth by the reason of his ouermuche exact and nice obseruing of virginitée impelled his disciples into many greate absurdities in despisyng the praiers of all theim that were maried though thei were of the Priestes saieth he that were maried Further thei saied that suche Priestes ought to be despised that had contracted Matrimonie and that menne ought not to receiue those Sacramentes whiche maried Priestes had consecrated wherevpon the Fathers in Gangrense Counsaile gathered together to suppresse this heresie about the yere of our Lorde 324 decréed in these woordes folowyng Cap. 4. Si quis discernit presbyteruÌ„ coniugatum tanquam occasione nuptiarum ê™ offerre non debeat ab eius oblatione ideo se abstinet anathema sit If any man maketh difference in a maried Prieste as though by occasion of his mariage that he ought not to offer or to minister and in this respect will forbeare to take the Communion that he ministreth accursed bee he Now maister Martin if ye can assoyle your self of this curse that is here pronounced vpoÌ„ you ye should doe well with your gloses to declare the same for the comforte of others whom ye haue induced into your blind and barbarous superstitioÌ„ Moreouer it is saied in that Counsaile that all suche as shall refuse these constitutions that thei ought to bee reiected as heretiques accursed and condempned But as concernyng your forced gloses that ye haue already fained in your booke to wipe awaie these Canons or the others in the same Counsale or yet the fifth Canon of the Apostles thei be to muche skowred to serue you where ye imagine the matter vpon the mariages coÌ„tracted before priesthod contrary to the wordes that be expressed in the preamble of that Counsaile of Gangrense And where it is saied there that no man should put awaie his wife for religions sake that is to vnderstande of force saie ye Then it followeth that bothe the husbande whiche sundreth hym self from his wife by force or the ordinary whiche followeth Montanus that of force diuorseth theim as thei dooe now adaies offende against those Canons be heretiques accursed Thus maister doctour if your Clientes will geue you respite and leisure in their matters to take these Gloses Textes and Counsailes in hande ye haue here to exercise your witte learnyng And by your gloses we shall sée how ye can frame al these matters to ioyne with your assertions and conclusions in your booke In the meane season I praie you while ye ruffle in your textes Canons and gloses geue the poore reader licence to beleue you at leasure and to sticke to Goddes holy stable woorde for more sure grounde to ieoparde either soule or body And where this doctour of Lawe semeth to commaunde his iudgemente and sentence to bee admitted of so high aucthoritée as neither any learned man were of other opinion or els if thei were yet that thei should not bee comparable to his witte and learnyng I will saie no more in answere for comparison in this matter but put it to your sentence good readers what ye shall thinke meete in this comparison Beside all suche menne as we haue recited bothe of aucthoritée for their roumes and estimatioÌ„ for their learnyng we can matche this manne with some other as Erasmus Roterodamus Polidorus Virgilius Alfonsus episcopus Canariensis Michael Vehe and diuerse other not vnlearned nor I trust greatly behynd this Ciuilian for all the bragge he maketh whiche menne be writers of these daies Erasmus whom ye aduouche your self master Martin for his aucthoritée Cap. v. lit I. 3. writyng of this cause in diuerse partes of his workes Ad Episcopaâ— Bafilienseâ— vttereth his opinion in suche words Ad episcopuÌ„ BasilieÌ„sem De caelibatu neque christus neque Apostoli legeÌ„ aliquaÌ„ in sacris literis prefixerunt Cum ecclesia nocturnas vigilias ieiunium in vesperum prorogari solitum aliaque permulta pro causis emergentibus variarit cur hic humanam constitutionem vrgemus tam obstinatè presertim cum tot causae suadeaÌ„t mutationem Primum enim magna sacerdotum pars viuit cum malafama parumque requieta conscientia tractat illa sacrosancta mysteria Deinde perit magna ex parte fructus illorum propterea ê™ ob vitam palam
wealthe to the consideration of equitie and moderation in this cause if I feared not that the reste of the Clergie as yet vnspoken to would be greeued to be passed ouer in sileÌ„ce as either neglected or contempned by whose importunitie as the common opinion goeth or for whose gratification as the deuision of the common spoile declareth at the eye This sharpe seueritie is exercised and rigorous extremitie executed in the maner of the late depriuations although for my parte I can not nor will not comprehende all the whole Clergie vnder one note in this matter beyng perswaded with my self that thei maie bee considered in triplici differentia that is to bee of three sortes Some for the brotherly pitie that is espied in theim to bee onely spoken to but with interpellation with many for want of indifferente affection to bee expostulated with but the moste parte so spitefully extreme and cruell in their tragicall doynges deseruyng neither gentle interpellation nor frendly expostulation but plaine accusation and manifest condempnation And though I maie be moued in myne owne persone with the vnworthines of suche doynges consideryng the case as a cause of trueth and a cause publike touchyng all men in the Common wealthe I truste to expende the matter yet truly in it self as well to winne the more credite of them to whom I shall speake as also to moue the parties in heuinesse to quiete and to reduce theim to a more reasonable temperaunce in them selues not to be greeued with the whole for the vnreasonablenes of a parte of the whole And as I must in this my writyng desire them whiche be aduaunced or maie bee by the depression of their brethren to take indifferently that whiche I shall speake confusedly either here in this my appellation vnto them or in the bodie of the booke folowyng distributyng the waight and charge of my wordes vppon the saied three sortes of the Clergie as of congruence thei maie bee seen worthie so muste I also entreate hos fratres meos lugentes that is these my mournyng brethren thus bereued from their spirituall children daiely hearyng paruulos suos petentes panem non sit qui frangeret eis that is their little ones crauyng for breade where no man is founde to breake it vnto them I saie I must request of them not to be offended with me though that I doe not entreate their cause more sharpely and egarlie then I doe For as I doe knowe that to these persones musica in luctu sit importuna narratio mirthe in mournyng is pastyme out of tyme so the other maie chaunce to iudge more lightly of the weight of the cause beyng so easely without galle examined whereby peraduenture it shall leane obtusiores aculeos more blunte prickes in your myndes whom it doeth concerne But lette them bothe yet remember ê™ aliquando etiam holitor valde oportuna loquutus est that sometyme the poore herbe seller hath spoke well to the purpose How soeuer it shal be reputed my minde was to doe good in the cause whiche I take to be gods and the common wealthes without exasperating either parties the one with to muche anger the other with to muche heauinesse My desire is that thei who bee greeued in deede and feele the smarte maie retourne home into their hartes and saie humbly to almightie God Omnia quecunque fecisti nobis o domine in vero iudicio fecisti quia peccauimus recessimus a te Whatsoeuer thou hast doen vnto vs O lorde accordyng to thy right iudgemente haste thou doen all vnto vs because we haue synned and departed from thee Not yet so muche for conscience in the facte it self as for some euill circumstaunce precedyng or folowyng the facte partly knowen to God in the secrete of their hartes partly perceiued to the eyes of the worlde in their offendyng And yet notwithstandyng vpon their meeke repentaunce to accompt them selues inter secundum deum lugentes quibus tandem retribuetur consolatio EmoÌ„gest those who in the feare of God doe mourne who at the length shall receiue comforte So againe would I wishe ii Cor. vii that suche as for the successe that is growen to them by this alteration where others be cutte of and thei graffed in and so might be inter secundum mundum ridentes qui iam gaudent exultent emongest them that after the worlde doe laugh who now reioyce and triumphe that yet ne efferantur animo sed timeant potest enim deus denuo inserere illos that thei be not pufte vp but feare rather for God can plaÌ„te them in againe Luke xxi that thei take heede Ne corda eorum grauentur crapula ebrietate curis huius mundi that their hartes bee not ouercome with surfettyng and dronkennes and the cares of this worlde And againe euen so to confesse to God in their hartes ê™ non propter mundiciem manuum suarum propter aequitatem cordium suorum haec contigerunt illis sed expendant ê™ iudicium domini inscrutabile sit Imo timeant potius ne verum in illis aliquando possit videri Psal. ixxii propter dolos posuisti eis deiecisti eos dum alleuarentur That these thynges happened vnto them for the clearnesse of their owne handes or the vprightnes of their owne hartes but rather let theÌ„ consider diligently that the iudgement of the lorde is vnsearcheable yea let them rather feare leaste that maie truely bee verified vpon them For their craftie dealynges hast thou made an ende of theÌ„ and whilest thei were in the waie to prosperitie and honor thou didst cleane ouerthrowe them And if thei will for their further contemplation thei maie reade out the whole Psalme And yet againe not so to beholde their chaunce as it is by aucthoritie fallen vnto them to be proude of their possession but rather to turne their meditation to expende their consciences by what meanes mediations thei be crepte into their roumes to make Christe a good answere Amice quomodò huc intrasti Math. xxii Frende how camest thou in hither And againe let them consider what purposes and intendementes bee in their heartes to doe their offices to walke in what faieth in what charitie that at the laste thei make their finall answere good Luke xvi when God shall call them to an accompt with redde rationem villicationis tuae render an accompte of thy Stewardship yea let bothe the parties as we all ought haue this depely in remembraunce ê™ mundus transit concupiscentia eius that the worlde passeth awaie and the luste thereof Vt qui gaudent sint tanquaÌ„ qui non gaudeant i. Ihon. ii i. Cor. vii qui plorant sint tanquaÌ„ qui non plorant preterit eniÌ„ figura huius muÌ„di That thei which reioyce be as though thei reioyced not and thei that lamente as though thei lamented not for the fashion of this worlde fleeteth awaie And here I proteste before God to all the
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
ledde saied to her O wife remember the Lorde Suche were the mariages saieth the storie of holy persones so perfecte was the loue and affection of these blessed folkes And Druthmarus an olde aucthour writyng vpon saincte Matthewes Gospell affirmeth of him thus Cap. xix Quod Christus beatum Petrum coniugatum praeposuit omnibus ordinibus ne virgines superbirent aut coniugati disperarent non posse peruenire ad illum perfectionem quas virgines essequebantur That is Christ made Peter in his mariage head ouer all orders and degrees leste that virgines should bee proude and maried folkes should despaire to attaine to that perfection whiche the virgines had obtained Moreouer if suche priestes as practise mariage be heretiques disciples why did that holy confessor Paphnutius in Nicene couÌ„sail which yet neither had hymself the experieÌ„ce of Matrimonie pronounce with the assent of three hundred Bushops and more of whiche Bushops Nicephorus writeth that some were Maried though at the firste the moste parte were otherwise purposed that maried priestes ought not to be diuorsed or yet separated from their wiues affirmyng that wedlocke was honourable and that it was chastitie the man to coÌ„panie with his wife and so counsailed theim not to make any suche Lawe saiyng that els there were greate cause geuen whiche might be occasion of fornication either to them selues or to their wiues And thus greuously reprouyng them willed them to beware lest by to sharpe a lawe the Churche should bee muche oppressed euery man not beyng able to bears suche austeritie of life and to bee voide from all lustes and affections wherevpon the whole counsaile with one voice did agree to this sentence In confirmation of whiche sentence of Paphnutius the Lawe of Honorius and Theodosius was written A A.L. eum qui. C. de episcopis clericis whiche is at this daie in the East Churche yet obserued But here it wil be obiected paraduenture of this writer or of some other that the Appostles lefte their wiues after thei were called to be Apostles as not meete to be with them in progresse when thei went in preaching into diuerse partes of the worlde and farther thei maie looke to haue it resolued whether priestes alreadie consecrated without wiues maie marrie after their orders or no either by Goddes lawe or by mannes dispensation and whether there haue been anie examples in this realme of Englande that Priestes or Deacons had attempted to marrie after their orders and whether that the fruicte coming of suche mariages were legittimate or no. Untill we come to aunswere suche obiections whether Priestes consecrated vnmaried maie marie after let vs beare in minde that it is affirmed and proued already by the testimonie of auncient Doctoures of the churche that Peter and the moste part of the Appostles had wiues Now whether thei left theÌ„ by mutuall consent after their apostleship or whether thei ought so to do by reason of their vocation vntill this writer can iustlie proue that thei did so by scripture storie or probable reason able to conteruaile scripture storie and reason that maie be brought in to the contrarie we shall geue hym leasure to séeke In the meane time we will further go on to prosecute that wee haue begon that is to expende how proueablie and truely this Ciuilian hath written in this controuersie how boldlie so euer he set a good countenaunce on his matter and as though he had alreadie the victorie And here wée purpose to examine the substaunce of the firste Chapiter of his shameles booke But to folowe on particularlie all his vntruthes were to tedeous for the hearer And therefore wee will deale the more briefly with some of his matter in this Chapiter wherein he confidently affirmeth that heresie and lechery be commonly ioined together and in the fourth leafe of his boke he saieth that heresie misseth not to kepe lecherie coÌ„panie ¶ The examination of doctor Martins first Chapiter and answere to the chief poinctes of the same IN this shameles liyng bookes first chapiter Martine confidently affirmeth that heresie and lecherie bée commonly ioyned together and farther saith that heresie misseth not to kéepe lecherie coÌ„panie whereto maie be added this minor or meane proposition but the Papistes bee heretiques as hath been at large otherwhere fullie proued In Doctor Ponnettes Apologie and firste answer to Martines boke and the rest of his coÌ„plices that thei haue taken parte in the moste principall partes with al the heretiques that haue corrupted the true religioÌ„ of Christ Ergo the papistes be lechours Lo it is often tymes séen he that will be busie to casâ—e stones vp into the aire may haue them light again vpon his owne pate For els to what purpose doeth he speake of Simon Magus Basilides Carpocrates and such other heretiques if it were not to giue hym occasion that should confute his folishnes to searche how the opinions and lies of the Papistes theirs agrée together If it were to declare that because thei were heretiques thei must also be lechours the same induction being now brought against hym and his felowes muste bee no lesse able to proue him and all other Papistes lechours seyng thei do so well agree with the maners of heretiques If it were to proue that priestes which be maried are heretiques because thei faine with their liyng tongues them to bee Lechers then it should followe that all whores of the stewes and whoremoÌ„gers as many of theÌ„ selues be were heretiques whiche I am sure the Papistes dare not so saie for feare of inquisitio hereticae prauitatis that is now entred into Englande and like with the Spaniardes to destroye the libertie of Thenglishe nation wherby no doubt shortlie the noses of the nobilitie shal be holden to the grindestone the neckes of the commons tied vnder the priestes girdles from whiche miserie I beseche Iesus Christ saue so many as fauor from the botome of their harte Christ and the noble realme of England Amen But it maie be that ye sought some occasion in the beginning of your boke to deuise a quarel by colour of your Retorique called canina eloquentia .i. Dogges eloquence Martines weake kinde of reasonyng wherby to bring maried priestes into hatred in alledging that the first maried priestes in Spaine in Rome in France in Italie and so forth wher ye will were heretiques And yet if ye had minded that proofe ye should haue named no heretiques but suche as were maried priestes But seyng al these heretiques whom ye name were vnmaried as it is euident by their opinions condeÌ„pnyng mariage Your argumente is tourned against your self for that thei were heretiques and lechers as you holde and vnmaried virgin priestes as your papistes be And what would ye conclude thereof if it were true Would ye by this define that al maried priestes be heretiques That kinde of reasonyng is not vnlike to this The first borne childe that Adam had Gene. iiii Sam. xv Titus Liuiê° dec i. lib.
he proueth by the seconde Counsaile holden at Towers a worthy Counsaile of eighte Frenche Bushops all a greate gathered together without the Popes consente whiche marreth all the matter by the iudgemente of the Papistes but let it bee graunted that it had been a generall Counsaile as it was none that the Bushops beyng all Papistes had not been so yet doeth not the .20 Canon by hym alledged proue his purpose that the first maried prieste in Fraunce was an heretique But it saieth that this opinion or heresie as this ioylie Counsaile nameth it à quodam presbytero primum surrexit sprang firste of a certaine Prieste not namyng where he dwelte neither whether he were maried or vnmaried But vppon this plac◠〈◊〉 noteth in the margent of his booke The firste maried prieste in Fraunce was an haeretique where all menne maie see of that place it maie aswell be gathered that it was an vnmaried priest The place serueth aswell for the one as for the other Yea and it is to be thought that heresis presbyterorum not to be of the mariage of priestes of Fraunce but some other heresie begun by certaine priestes For if it had been an heresie maried priestes should not haue been suffered to receiue the Communion Looke backe in the booke of generall Counsailes further one hundred yere and ye shall finde an other Counsaile holden in the very same place at Towers in the tyme of Leo the firste where the Counsaile founde faulte with their forefathers whiche had made Lawes whereby to remoue maried priestes from the Communion D. xxxiiij cum in preterito in glosa and tooke vpon them to moderate that wicked lawe whiche was before that tyme made by Pope Siritius a man altogether vnlearned in the Scriptures as by his reasonyng hereafter shall appeare By whiche moderation it is euidente that thei did condemne the extremitie and vngodly iudgemente of Siritius and other the enemies of priestes mariages The wordes of the Canon be these The straight law of Pope Siritius against the mariage of priestes condemned by Consilium Turonense â— Canon 11 44â— after Christ. Although it hath béen ordained by our forefathers that whatsoeuer prieste or Deacon were conuicted that he gaue hym self to the procreation of children he should abstaine from the Communion of the Lorde Nos tamen huic districtioni moderationem adhibentes iusta constitutione mollientes id docreuimus c. We notwithstandyng that ordinaunce saieth the decree addyng a moderation to this rigour and temperyng it with indifferencie thus haue decreed That a prieste or deacon whiche remaineth in the desire of Matrimonie or els abstaineth not from procreation of children lette hym not ascende to any higher estate or promotion neither offer Sacrifices vnto God or minister to the people This onely maie bee sufficiente for them that thei bee not remoued from the Communion Maried priestes be not remoued from the Communion 442. after Christe it was no hereâ—e for a priest to haue a wife but that thei maie keepe these thynges thei muste cutte of dronkennesse the mother of all vices c. By this Canon it is plaine good reader that 440. yere after Christe it was no heresie in Fraunce for a Prieste to haue a wife nor whoredome neither as Martin vilie termeth it was a filthie thyng For then should the Counsaile haue doen amisse to allowe hym to receiue the Communion whiche was a more holy thyng then euer was their Idoll the Masse And although the superstition of these Frenche bushops doe somewhat appeare in deniyng hym to minister the Communion to other yet doeth their folishnesse appeare withall in that thei allowe the maried prieste to receiue it hym self if he were as Martin saieth an heretique The papistes seme to holde that the vncleanes of the minister hâ—râ—eth the Sacramente ministred as do the Anabaptistes Eustachians GaÌ„grens ConsiliuÌ„ ca. 1. eâ— 4. Who can iudge a matter of lesse weight to receiue the Communion then to minister it Belike thei were of this opinion that the vnclennesse of the minister did hurte the thyng ministred whiche was the opinion of the heretiques named Eustachiani as it appereth by the first and fourth Canons of the Counsaile holden at Gangris and is at this daie the opinion of the Anabaptistes And Martin with all suche Papistes as saie that a Prieste maie not marrie because of the vnclennes that should be in the minister after liyng with his wife and therefore maie not minister the Sacrament doe declare that it is the plain opinioÌ„ of the secte of the Papistes as I haue partly before touched I passe ouer that eueÌ„ in the same second Popishe Prouinciall Counsaile of Towers in Fraunce the .xiij. Canon graunteth the Bushop to haue his wife as his sister and so rule the Ecclesiasticall and his owne house and also that the .xiij. canon of the same Counsaile maketh mention of the Busshoppes wife Episcopa callyng her Episcopa that is to saie the Bushoppes wife or Busshoppe is chargyng all Busshoppes that lacke wiues that thei shall haue no coÌ„panie or traine of women folowyng theÌ„ c. vnlesse thei haue wiues And to set one Papist against an other and to beate you with your owne Doctors Looke in the booke called Manipulus curatorum Manipulus curatorum where the Papiste Guido de MoÌ„te Rocherij confesseth speakyng of the Sacramente of Orders that in the primitiue Churche priestes had wiues and thei were called Presbyterae Presbyterâ— And these be his very wordes Presbytera autem vocatur quia secundum moreÌ„ primitiuae Ecclesiae erat vxor Presbyteri That is to saie The Priestes wife is called Presbytera because that according to the fashioÌ„ of the primitiue churhe she was the priestes wife And thus ye see that we doe not onely proue by your owne Doctors that priestes haâ— wiues in the primitiue Churche but we also shewe how thei were then named And I will also teache â—artine that this is written of saincte Hillarie S. Hillarie Bushoppe of Potiers in FrauÌ„ce was maried .1200 yeres agoe The wordes of Bushoppe Hillarie to his doughter Abram Busshoppe of Posters in Fraunce 200. yeres before the seconde Counsaile at Towâ—es that he alledged that he was bothe a Busshoppe and a maried Busshoppe And lest Martine should saie that he abstained from his wife whiche he had before he was Bushop as he falsly saith all Bushops did I shall desire thee to call to remembraunce the Epistle that he wrote beyng an old man as he saieth hym self there to his doughter Abram who was so yonge that he doubted whether she could vnderstande his writyng or not and therefore saied vnto her Tu vero siquid minus per aetatem in hymno Epistola intelligis interroga matrem tuam If by reason of your tender age you can not vnderstande the Hymne and the Epistle aske your mother and immediatly he calleth her his moste deare doughter Whereby it maie appeare
his master for the most cankered heretique in the companie Well seyng it is so that we be condempned for heretiques because we smell of perfumes and whot sauoures and delicate fare c If it be true that Martine saieth then take you hede you féelâ—e soulde Papistes of youre nedeles breakefastes of your stretch belly diners of your gluttonouse suppers reare suppers blousing bankettes and Epicurious fare Take heede of youre hoote wines of your hote spices and continuall iuncketing cheere Take hede héede howe you vse bawmes or strong sauoures Take héede ye painte not youre faces to make you séeme more beautifull then you be in déede Take héede ye cary not cloues or some like thing in youre mouthes to saue youre breathes from stinckyng Take héede ye dwell not in the North whiche is an other of Martines notes for in case you offeÌ„de in these thynges your great learned procter master D. Thomas Martin the Lawier by his diuinitie hath proued you all Heretiques And as touchyng my self and other whom it pleaseth Martin to call Heretiques wée are conteÌ„ted lette this be the issue whether of the Papistes or of vs haue more of these notes let theim bée called Heretiques with shame enough And let the other side be called Catholikes and Christians accordyng to his clarkely determination Oh saieth Martine if sainct Hierome had liued in our daies trowe you that he would haue writteÌ„ lesse of our maried priestes Uerely it might be thought if he were a liue at these daies sawe Martins writhyng of his writyng he would not iudge Martin one of the wisest appliyng that S. Hierome spake of the filthie vnmaried Heretiques to the godlie maried Priestes of our daies For besides all other profes this one where S. Hierom saieth he speaketh of them qui pudiâ—itiam amare se simulaÌ„t as Martin also alledgeth that is which pretend thei haue a loue to chastitie shewed plainly that his saiynges muste be applied to suche vnmaried as the Popishe Priestes be and can not bee applyed vnto them whiche without dissemblyng their infirmitie for the auoidyng of fornition take them wiues and liue the godly estate of Matrimonie Also besides his plaine wordes qui pudicitiam amare se simulant i. whiche pretende that thei loue chastitie the Heretiques which sainct Hierome rehearseth for profe and example were vnmaried priestes therefore as thou séest must néedes be applied to suche a wiâ—eles dissemblyng generation as S. Hierome noteth Antechrist their holy father Yea and it is further to bee thought that if he were these daies aliue he would commende doctor Luther Oecolampadius Doctor Capito Bucer and Doctor Peter Martyr for the sinceritie of their doctrine and for that with writyng vpon the scriptures thei haue geuen suche a light as S. Hierom his eyes would be ioyfull to see though it were with the retraccatioÌ„ of other things beside those wherwith his frendes charged hym in his bookes against Iouinian suche like as I haue noted before It is like that you fell into this wishe of S. Hieromes life in these daies because ye would finde some waie to tel the world that Oecolampadius Capito and Munster were Monkes or Friers and afterwardes maried men No man can iudge otherwise that noteth your processe and perceiueth the desire that your toÌ„gue hath to liyng Wel seing Capito was no MoÌ„ke nor Friar as you report hym you shall not chose but suffer me to saie this is an other of your lies For it is true that of these al that you report he was neither Monke nor Friar And in case thei had been as doctor Luther doctor Bucer and the other were it could neither further your matter nor hurte oures vnlesse it bee to ease your tongue a little when it is desirous to raile And where you saie their mariage was bothe against the Lawe of God and the Lawe of man and also where in the seconde Chapiter of your booke you saie it is an olde heresie newe scoured I doubte not before I haue doen with you The mariage of Priestes is an old truth newely made heresie by the Papistes and your fellowes ye shall see it proued before your face that it is an old truthe taught by Christ and his Apostles newlie by you Papistes and Gods enemies made heresie In whiche discourse it shall also appeare that D. Luther doctor Martyr c. were not the first founders of this religion as you sclanderouslie reporte but the Patriarches the Prophetes and Christe and his Apostles But seyng Martine brought in this matter but for a railyng purpose I will leaue it of for this present And will tell thee good reader of an other solempne lye that Martine hath made whiles his tongue runneth railyng after D. Luther He saith there that Luther hath written in his booke de captiuitate Babilonica Si vxor non possit aut non vult ancilla venito That is to saie If the good wife can not or will not the good man maie take his maide Speake againe Martine where saieth Luther these woordes Thou saiest in his booke De captiuitate Babilonica The self same lye maketh Pighius of Luther Take that booke in thy hande good reader and read it ouer when thou findest there as doctor Martine doeth report I am content let it be saied that I haue sclandered Doctor Martine if not testifie with me that he is a liyng witnesse and one of those Doctors whom the Apostle calleth Pseudoprophetas in populo i. Peter ii falsos doctores qui clam inducent sectas perniciosas That is false Prophetes emongst the people and false liyng Doctors whiche shall priuely bryng in pernicious sectes I assure thée good reader that is a foule lye that Martine and Pighius his fellowe maketh of Luther For that saiyng whiche thei all alledge in Latine as though it had been so by Luther peÌ„ned is not in all that booke where Martine moste shamefullie aduoucheth the same to bee Shame ye not you Papistes that suche a loude liyng bablar and so false and vaine a manne hath taken vpon hym the defence of your cause Whos 's owne mouth and penne condemneth hym for an open lyer Tremble ye not to shedde any mannes bloud vpon the report of suche an impudent man as he is I will not hide froÌ„ thee good reader Luthers iudgement in that booke concernyng that matter In one place there speakyng of the impedimentes of Matrimonie he saieth that if the man bee suche a one by nature that is impossible for hym to doe the duetie of a husbande The papistes can not abide Luther wheÌ„ he teacheth their awne doctrine then his contracte with a woman shall not binde her to be his wife and this is his reason Quia error ignorantia virilis impotentiae hic impedit matrimonium Because saieth he the errour and ignorauncie of the impoteÌ„cie of the man in this case letteth the Matrimonie which saiyng if you papistes would condemne ye coÌ„demne the doctrine of your owne
father the Pope hym self For Gregorie Busshop of Rome writyng to the busshop of Rauenna saith on this wise Vir mulier siâ—se coniunxerint dixerit postea mulier de viro quòd coire noÌ„ possit cuÌ„ ea si possit probare quod verum sit per iustum iudicium accipiat alium If a man and a woman be maried together saieth the Pope and the woman afterwarde saie that the man can haue no carnall knowledge of her can bring forthe lawfull profe thereof let her take an other Moreouer before in the same question and afterward in the chapiter Si quis these wordes bee plaine and in maner the verie same that Luther hath spoken Impossibilitas reddendi debitum soluit vinculum coÌ„iugij The impossibilitie of doyng the matrimonicall dueâ—ie breaketh the bonde of matrimonie Understandyng the same defecte to be naturall as Luther by the plaine wordes there declareth that he doeth And the self same doctrine is largelie sette forthe and allowed by the master of the Sentence Lib. 4. d. 34. Wherefore like as for this saiyng Luther can not be charged with any newe doctrine for that the same is taught by the Pope hymself and the master of the sentence Magilier seâ—â—one lib. 4. D. â—4 read the place and iudge and Gratianus c So can not the same discharge Martine of his former euidente and moste manifest slaunderouse lie If the Papistes haue none of more credit then Martine the lewde Lawiar is to defende their quarrell their doctrine muste needes lie in the dust for lacke of men of honestie and credite to defende it If Martine were not shameles I would not but maruaile why he should so report of Luther concernyng his doctrine of Matrimonie in that boke for he is there so ware of his wordes and so circumspect with his pen in that poynt that he will define nothyng as by the verie last wordes there entreatyng vpon matrimonie it is moste euident whiche for breuitie I will omit Many tymes it chaunceth that self will breadeth muche ill and neuer more then when it lighteth vpon a greate Personage Whiche saiyng were proued very trewe by Martins story of Michael Paleologus if it were truelie reported But his mouthe is so full of lyes that a man canne not tell when he maye beleue hym He saieth he hath read that historie of Michael Paleologus in a gréeke aucthor And that may bee true but it is verie vnlikely because the histories do declare that there were diuerse Emperours of the easâ—e whose names were Michael but no more named as I remember Michael Paleologus sauyng Michael the seuenth and laste of that name Michael who was .1260 yeres after Christe as Chronicles doe witnes that is to say about 300 yeares ago But the history that Martine ascribed to the Emperoure Michael Paleologus was as he hymself saieth when Pope Nicholas about the yeare of our Lorde .860 sent out an excommunication against Photius Patriarche of Constantinople And so it foloweth that Michael Paleologus the Emperour was if Martins tale could be trewe foure hundred yeares before he was borne Whereby it should seme that Martines talke in this place is a notable faigned lyâ— and so muche the more like to be alye because he is in all the rest of his booke so geuen to liyng An other lye of Martins But let it bee true that Michael the sixt betwene whom and Pope Nicholas the first the contention was for Ignatius and Photius were named Michael Paleologus whiche I saie Martine cannot proue yet the history that Martine ioyneth to his matter that is that he hath redde the cause of the contention betwene Pope Nicholas the firste and hym was for a pleasure that the saied Emperoure should shewe to his vnckle for the puttyng awaie of his lawfull wife and mariyng his daughter in lawe I thincke bee not altogether true but that sumwhat in this history is added of Martines owne forging desiring to haue colour for his quarrell wheÌ„ he entendeth to sclaunder Kyng Henry the eight the Quéenes father Kyng henry the viii whiche entent of his appereth wheÌ„ he wisheth that the like had not béen practised elswhere And somwhat this my suspitioÌ„ is encreased by that Martine refuseth to name the Greeke aucthour whom he alledgeth And againe whereas in the bookes of generall Counsailes the earnest Epistles written from Nicholas the Pope to the Emperor Michaell the sixte for in those daies there were none named Paleologus as Martine saieth spake of the puttyng out of Ignatius and the puttyng in of Photius into the office of the Patriarche no mention is made of any suche matter whiche is not like the Pope would haue left out beyng as Martine alledgeth the chief cause of their fallyng out and speakyng so stoutely to the Emperor and touchyng hym so vilie as his Antechristian boldnesse doeth But how muche soeuer of the historie is true this chief poincte that Martine alledgeth the historie for that is that the heresie against the holy ghost and the contention thereof sprang vpon this occasion this I saie is manifestly false An other lye of Martins as by sundrie substanciall reasons I will proue plaine to suche as haue any knowledge of the doing in generall Counsailes Martin falsifieth histories and bee not as Martine is arrogantly wise wise I saie in their owne conceipt and not in déede For profe whereof firste and formoste it appeareth in the first booke and tenth chapiter in the historie of Theodoret Theodoâ—â—â— li. 1. ca. 10. an old Greeke aucthour by the confession of Pope Damasus 500. yeres before the tyme of that Emperour whom Martine falsly nameth Michael Paleologus whiche confession he sente to Paulinus Bushop of Thessalonica in Macedonia that anon after the Nicene Counsaile sprang coÌ„tention for doctrine against the holy ghost and that suche a businesse ensued thereof that the Fathers were faine to punishe the offendours therein by excommunication Wherevpon it followed that bothe in Toletano consilio ToletuÌ„ coÌ„câ—â— â–ª 1. 1. aboute .400 yeres after Christ and also in the seconde Counsaile whiche some name the seuenth Counsaile of Nice the Busshoppes did putte into the Crede the procedyng of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne as ye maie reade in those Counsailes The Latine vij Nicen concl 7. Nicen Counsaile was holden in the tyme of Pope Hadrian the first Hadrian was Anno D. 772. and the Emperour Michael Anno D. 25â— 100. yere before Michael had the contention with Pope Nicholas the firste in whose tyme Martin saith this error firste began and .500 yere before Michel Paleologus was borne of whom Martine falsly fathered this storie Which saiyng of his if it were true how could Theodoretus wrâ—â—e of it beyng dead in the tyme of Leo the first Emperor as Gennadius witnesseth many hundred yeres before Will Martine make men beleue that the first Counsaile at Tolet in Spaine and the 7. Counsaile of Nice amended
allowe his counsailes and doynges and make as it were of an olde Iudas a newe Christe Here had I a greate fielde to walke in describyng these dissemblers with princes and with suche realmes where thei beare rule but wee will ceasse to vtter their deseruynges and returne again to that matter whiche doeth more properly appertaine to the argumeÌ„t of our writyng and therefore will resume that was begonne in the .32 leafe B. continued vnto .35 B. before sm that the Apostles had their wiues as all writers aunciente confesse the same and all reasonable men will agree thereto Now if it can be borne of mennes eares to heare that the Apostles had wiues why should this aucthor by his tragical exaggerations make it so odious for Bushoppes and Priestes the apostles successors to haue their lawfull wiues I thincke he will not saie that the beste of his chaste Priestes be better then the Apostles Againe to consider what Paphnutius saied and counsailed for the priestes of his tyme not to be seperated and that it is chastitie to company with their wiues and that to seperate them might be an occasion of great inconueniencie in them bothe If in that holy tyme whan God was truely honored his worde and Sacramentes moste holyly ministred Priesthode was then in greate high estimation and that in maried priestes and bushops as by name shall be hereafter expressed why doeth this aucthour so stifly crie for seperation in Priestes married nowe sequestred by power and not by right from ministration wher thei of Nicene were suffered with them in ministratioÌ„ If like perill may bee feared in the parties now coupled together why should thei be seperated more then the other If their Sacramentes were none other nor holier then oures their worde none other then that we haue why maie not oure order stand with mariage as well as thers If lyke necessitie of Ministers in this realme be as great as hath been in other places where maried Priestes did minister and yet doeth in some places of the Occidentall Churche Why shoulde this wryter exclame so vnlearnedly againste Englishe Priestes mariage as though it were not decent nor tollerable but against Goddes lawe and mannes law liyng against them bothe and saiyng that order and Matrimonie that a wife and a benefice can not stand together And in the bolsteryng out of this matter is almoste all his booke emploied againste antiquitie against the practise of the primatiue Churche against the worde of God wrytten againste the practise of tolerations in the lyke case of diuerse counsailes and deâ—rees of the Busshops of Rome as shall be proued when it cometh to place I truste this Ciuilian is not yet so addicte to the Canonicall procedynges that the matter lieth onely in this poincte that if the Bushop of Rome allowed the matter all were well for me thinke so he can not meane For if his assertions be true he must proue the Bushoppes of Rome diuerse of them to be very Antechristes if thei haue dispensed against Goddes expresse woordes yea he must condempne a great many of Canonistes and of scholemen and a greate many of Catholike writers traueilyng in controuersies of this tyme whiche peraduenture hath read as muche in Diuinitie and Canon lawe as I thinke this Ciuilian hath doen in his Ciuill whiche bee of cleane contrary assertion to this singular man But yet I heare this writer obiecte againe suche an obiection as was once made by a Canonist in the expending of this verie poincte Distingue tempora saieth he personas concordabis leges Canones Weye the difference of tyme and of persones and so shall ye make the lawes and Canons agrée Then was then and now is now For the case saieth he is farre vnlike betwixte the priestes of the Greke Churche whiche were maried before thei were priestes and the priestes of our Churche time whiche he maried after their order And this he thinketh to be an high wittie inuention and insoluble and by this shifte he pronounceth the victorie of the cause before any stroke bee striken standyng stoutely in the difference of the tyme mariage to goe before order or to come after To answere if it be true as he can not deny but that it was not lawfull by their saiynges of the Counsaile of Nice to bee separated by Lawes and constrainte and that it was chastitie for the busshoppes and priestes to kepe company still with their wiues yea when thei were ministeryng busshoppes and priestes in an other maner attendaunce and holinesse then the best chast busshoppes and priestes of our tyme practise in their doynges so that by their iudgement the one state dishonored not thother nor was impediment to the other as hereafter shal be proued by the testimonie of their owne Canonistes and Doctors what difference is there in the substaunce of the order in them of the primitiue or Greke churche and in the priestes of this Latine churche and Occidentall churche but that order and matrimonie maie stand together in one figure in them bothe As for vowe or promise shall bee hereafter considered open protestation or no protestation chastitie of congruitie dependyng or included by the nature of order or for the Churche constitution shall be hereafter answered and expended Now I saie if the priestes of the Greke Churche liued godly in ministration with their wiues why maie not the priestes of the Occidentall churche be iudged to liue as godly in Matrimonie and as lawfully to in Englande hauyng the highest Lawe in the realme on their side But here this doctor will be offended to haue any thing brought in for declaration of this cause out of Grece and maketh a greate matter that men should so doe and repelleth al their doing thus what is that saith he to the matter are not we of an other territorie and iurisdiction If I should answere you so master doctor with your owne obiectioÌ„ then might it bee a full sufficient answere by it self a lone to all your whole booke to saie when ye bryng Romishe Canons out of Spaine out of Fraunce out of Grece I might so answere you what bee all these to the matter are not we of an other territorie and iurisdiction When ye alledge from Prouinciall coÌ„stitutions Sinodes nationall lawes of Emperours Ciuile and Panim lawes what are all these to the matter of our Imperiall lawes are not we of an other territorie and iurisdiction And thus your booke is fully answered and ye may now put vp your pipes with al your choristers of forren Lawes and Canons Moreouer in the seuen Chapiter ye also saie that it bewraieth the weakenesse of the cause for priestes to wander into Grece to bryng in their maner of liuyng of mariyng orderyng If that declareth the weakenesse of the cause I praie you then what is the strength of the cause ye haue taken in hande For ye be not content to raile and wander ouer all the Realmes and Churches of Europe but ye runne
of our bretherne in office with vs. The Lorde Iesus hymself after he was risen from the deade and after he had offered his bodie to his Disciples both to their seing and to their fealyng yet leste thei might fansie that thei were holden with some Fallax or deceipt he thought it more conuenient to haue them confirmed by the testimonies of the lawe and of the prophetes and Psalmes Yet notwithstandyng this assertion of sainct Augustine and oâ— many other suche in their writynges this Lawier maketh it hâ—s cheife ground to stand on and setteh it for one of his first principles that the churche can not erre and that the determination thereof is a moste sufferaigne remedie against heresies Now ye knowe out of what church he draweth his testimonies of lawes and Canons Cap. 4. â—raÌ„ D. iij. .i. Really present The Counsails saieth he must nedes haue the holy Ghost and that Christ is reallie present there and therefore it is the readie meane to abolishe Heresies And that as the Churche so must we of necessitie be driuen to demaunde and stonde to the sentence of generall Counsails and that the woorde of God can not be iudge but is to beare witnes onely of the matter Now if ye will graunt hym suche groundes in the beginnyng of his tale and to sticke to suche argumentes as he deduceth out of the scriptures full substancially bee ye sure he may thâ—n â—roue what hym listeth Mary if he happened of one that had aunswered hym as frowardly as the boy answered one Cayus a Poet once at Cambridge reader of Terence then might he seeke for other groundes or els those better chosen and applied to buylde vp his stroÌ„g gaâ—e buylding as it is gorgeously erected Yf ye list to heare the tale thus it was Cayus for his pleasure plaiyng with a boye of his beyng a yong sophister saied that he woulde proue the boye an Asse Whiche when the boye denied well ê™ Caius thou wilt graunt me this first that euery thyng that hath two eares is an Asse Naie mary maister will I not ê™ the boye No wilt thou not ê™ Caius Ah wily boye there thou wenst beyonde me for if thou wouldest haue graunted me that I would haue proued thee an Asse anone Mary maister ê™ the boye ye might well and so might euery foole doe Well ê™ Caius I will go an other waie to woorke with thee Thou wilt graunt me that euerie Asse hath twoo eares Nay marie will I not maister ê™ the boye Why so boye ê™ he Marie maister ê™ the boye for some Asse may hap to haue neuer one for thei may bee cut of bothe Naie ê™ Caius I giue thee ouer for thou art to frowarde a boye for me And so if all be graunted that ye would ye might soone then proue the parciall reader of your boke that liketh all that ye say as wise a beast as Caius would haue proued his boye But yet I must beare with this Ciuilian For he had it not of his owne inuention but folowed a craftie Romaniste who firste deuised this porphiricall assertion euen pestilente Pighius for so saiyng that great diuine the father of all the Sermons bokes that bée now a daies written of Papistes in matters of religion For he pronounceth That the scripture is of noe certen determination to define any thing But is like a nose of waxe whiche ye maye wreste to and fro flexibly to what side ye will to what sense soeuer ye will haue it agree to and there to set it What though Athanasius coÌ„fesseth the contrarie saiyng thus Fateor ego quod ex scripturis exactior est quam ex caeteris veritatis probatio I dooe confesse that there is more exacte proufe and triall of the trueth by the scriptures In decretis Nicem sinodi contra Eusebium then of any other thinges whatsoeuer but neither Pighius nor all his faction care one halfpenie for Athanasius or any of them all for all their loude criyng to haue them credited infallibly in al their writinges but for their owne purposes Is not this forsaied saiyng of Pighius an high commendation thinke ye to the scripture thus to trifle a waie the weight and aucthoritie thereof And yet if ye should aske hym whether scriptures bée commendable he could not for shame saie naye If ye asked whether it were an vnsufficiente booke to teache all truthe and to reuince all errour He would without all shame saie yea Euen so aske hym whether Mariage be honourable and coÌ„mendable He will not saie naye because he would be seen to escape the name of a Tatian But aske whether Mariage in an vnaduised votarie or in a priest no votarie bee Mariage He could not in his conscience saie yea because he pretendeth to bee in so saiyng a Catholike But yet in so saiyng he shall bee a Tatian and a ranker heretike then Tatian to prohibite it to theim that haue not the gifte but by violence of Lawe If he saie that he hath sainct Augustine for hym De bono viduitatis to whom he appealeth and so dooeth this counterfeicte Pighius moste vntruely and contortly in so muche that firste I wonder that Pighius pretendyng to be a deuine for shame would so falsely corrupte the very text of sainct Augustine as he doeth in his booke of controuersies And secondely that this Ciuilian would craftily laye awaie the first part of S. Augustines text vnanswered and trainyng the reader to the latter parte falsely expoundyng it contrary to the plaine wordes of sainct Augustine there and otherwhere ofte repeated saiyng That mariages of the verie votaries be Mariages and not adulteries And then blow vp the trumpette of an highe chalenge Cap. 10. lraÌ„ t.r.a. whith saiyng I demaunde of all the priestes in Englande and aswell all vnmaried heretiques as maried Priestes whether thei will stande throughly vnto sainct Augustines place there cited c. Sir seyng ye vse in your boke so ofte demaundyng therein and prouoke so stoutely all maner of men to answere your booke whereby if ye be detected ye must blame your self Ye shall heare a shorte answere of a man neither heretique prieste maried nor vnmaried but yet was like to haue been a prieste maried if the worlde had not altered that if thei bee wise thei will not shrinke from that place of sainct Augustine for the mistie glose whiche ye caste vpon that place For I praie you take on your spectacles euen againe And yet looke more narrowly vpon that place and examine whether suche matrimonies eueÌ„ in them that he votaries bee worse then adulteries Or rather that he saith the slidynges and fallinges from the holier chastitie be worse then adulteries Sainct Augustine saieth these wordes there Proinde qui dicunt talium nuptias non esse nuptias sed potius adulteria non mihi videntur satis acutè considerare quid dicant fallit enim eos similitudo veritatis c. Thei that doe saie the mariages of suche to be
no mariages but rather adulteries thei appeare to me not to consider wisely enough what thei saie for thei bee deceiued with a similitude and apparaunce of truthe Chrysostomus ad Theodorum epistola Angelorum enim societati semel iunctum illud relinquere vxoris laqueis implicari adulterij crimen incurrere est â—uis frequenter hoc ipsum nuptias voces ego tamen illud adulterio tanto peiâ—s affirmo quanto maior ac melior est angelus To forsake that state whiche is so nearely knitte to the societie and felowship of Angels and to bee wrapped in the snares of a wife is to incurre the faulte of adulterie although you neauer so ofte call it Mariage yet doe I aduouche that it is so muche worse then adulterie by howe muche an Angell is greater and better Ergo by this aucthorie thei bee adulterers respondeo The Bushoppe of Winchester in his third booke against Bucer noteth vpon this place brought in by Bucer that he in these woordes consenteth with sainct Augustine de bono viduitatis and so the manifeste forme of the woordes importeth Then bee thei not by this aucthoritie affirmed adulterours and no Mariage what soeuer blame thei be worthie Also the forme of suche wordes must be interpreted as Pope Euaristus teacheth Aliter legitimum non sit coniugium nisi petatur a parentibus sponsetur legibus dotetur cum precibus benedicatur solemniter accipiatur biduo triduo orationibus vacetur c. Aliter presumpta non coniugia sed adulteria non continentia sed vel stupra aut fornicationes potius quam legitima coniugia esse non dubitatur Let it not otherwise be compted lawfull matrimonie vnlesse it haue the parentes consent and the parties be trouthed and accordyng to the lawes endowed and blessed with praiers and solemnely receiued and geue them selues â—o praier twoo or three daies for if thei come otherwise together it is not to bee doubted that suche are not mariages but adulteries not continencie but either whoredome or fornication rather then lawefull wedlocke Astexanus lib. viii tit viii sic interpretatur Non sic intelligendum quod non sint legitima sed quod non habent decorem honestatem debitam fiunt coÌ„tra prohibitionem sic habent culpam hic locum habet quod scribitur 22. q. 4. Innocen parag vnde datur intelligi c. It is not so to bee vnderstande that thei are not lawfull Mariages but that thei lack the comelinesse and honestie due vnto theim and are made against the prohibition and so are fautie And here now doe I demaunde once for your sixe tymes demaundyng in your booke of all the Finers and Goldsmithes in sainct Martines lane in London and all the counterfettes in Englande to with all their gaye giltyng and fine polishyng of a plain peece of Coper Let me heare what glose thei can set vpoÌ„ these foresaied wordes that can so shine and glister to bewitche their eyes that haue halfe their sighte yea thoughe thei bee brought but to your halfe lightes and can not spie what the mettall is How faire a peece of glasse soeuer ye sette out gorgiouslie with subtile foyles beneath to make it appere a faire Diamond aboue whereby ye deceiue sometyme a good ieweller Lette me heare how ye can make these places before alledged to teache your wicked malicious and slaunderous opinion Sir there ye maie reade expended so by Erasmus as well séen in sainct Augustine and Chrysostome and others Cap. 11. as ye be Solutio voti mala Cap. 10. coniugium tamen bonuÌ„ the breach of the vowe is euill neuerthelesse the Wedlocke is good And againe Quae voto soluto nubunt dirimi noÌ„ debent suche as marrie after the breache of their vowe ought not to bee separated And againe Quae post votum nubunt verum contrahunt matrimonium suche as Marrie after their vowe contracte true Matrimonie Nowe maister doctor is ther any man in his right wittes that will saie S. Augustine here defineth Priestes Mariages yea regulars to bee adulteries As ye vnlearnedly force sainct Augustine to speake What daunger and blame soeuer it be that votaries bee worthie for the breache of an holy vowe yet their mariages bee mariages and good Maie not I now saie in your owne words that ye declare your self farre destitute of the grace of God Not onely vtterly banished from trueth but also neither to haue conscience at the hart nor shame in the forhed whiche so shamefullie do interprete an authour and to lye so impudentlie as ye do in your tenth Chapiter T. ij that sainct Augustine was demaunded whether suche virgins as came to Nunries with a full purpose to liue in perpetual chastitie betwixt God and them made a vowe if suche married whether their mariages might stand c. Where haue ye learned that this question was so propounded But to this shift ye be driuen to peruert S. Augustine But wee shall hereafter put this and suche other places to the iudgement of the reader And will discusse your BaÌ„berie glose and vaine distinction of Votum simplex and Votum solenne Whiche though it maie haue his place sometyme yet in this saiyng of sainct Augustine simplie it can haue no place howe solempnely soeuer ye sette a face on it And then he shall iudge whether I refraine not iustly my stomacke to contorte againe some suche pretie names as ye in youre hoote zeale sprinkle vpon poore menne But it is not the name that chaungeth the nature of persones for we bee as we bee howsoeuer we list one to name an other But sirre as ye folowe Pighius or some Sorbonicall deuines iudgemente and reporte his saiyng blindly in the expendyng of sainct Augustine So belike ye stale awaie with you when you came last out of Paris some of their spectacles and neuer sawe the places your self So trulie doe ye report the bokes name of sainct Augustine in this place For where ye alledge in youre x. Chapiter Litera T. i. a. this place to bée in sainct Augustine de bono coniugali ad Iulianam a woman Maister Martine ye bee foulie deceiued For this booke whiche is written de bono coniugali is in the 6 Tome written contra Iulianum an obscure man and an heritike and this place whiche ye report to bee de bono coÌ„iugali is in the .4 Tome de bono viduitatis written as some thinke by one Iulian a catholike man ad IulianaÌ„ a noble catholike woman and not as ye say de bono coniugali But this is a Comon grace in you vntruely to reporte authors bookes and names and then boldlie to glose them Or els youre vse is to sende vs to bokes that be no where but in your owne studie or els to some boke that is of a dosen long leaues to reade ouer and yet after our narrowe searche to trie your trueth not to be founde there neither But now if ye can laie that
fault to other mennes charges stoutly and lowdlie then ye thinke no man will beleue that you be fawtie therwith But here maie ye note good readers how sincerely this man can write of this controuersie ye maie haue greate trust to his gloses vpon the text when belike he neuer sawe the text it selfe but with other mennes eyes I could saie some thing here euen that same that he obiecteth to other seyng he misconstrueth his aucthours misreporteth his allegations misnameth the persons feignyng a woman to bee a man a man a woman an Heritike a Catholike and a Catholike an Heritike and all to this onely ende that he might frame a probable argumeÌ„t in an vnprobable matter I trust good reader thou canste iudge howe to credite his honestie I would desire this Ciuilian whom I hate not before God to be better aduised in the next booke he shall make of matters of deuinitie and for conscience sake not to abuse the eares of the realme with vntruthes in Gods causes Det Dominus nobis omnibus intellectum illuminet nos vt cognoscamus in terra viam eius sciamus qùia omnis caro faenum omnis gloria eius tanquam flos agri Vbi verbum Domini manebit inaeternum The Lorde graunt vnto vs all vnderstandyng and geue vs suche light that we maie know his waie heere vpon yearth and haue in minde continuallie that all fleshe is grasse and all the glorie therof as the flowre of the fielde whereas the worde of the Lorde endureth for euer But ye will saie it is a small matter to misname one aucthor or booke for an other In deede the weight of the cause standeth not therin But how then can ye excuse this by any glose When ye alledge an aucthors testimonie and then glose him and make hym to saie that was neuer meante or spoken in the place If ye long to heare it Qui nititur mendatijs hic passit ventos prouerbio 10. LraÌ„ â— i. a. LraÌ„ k. i. â— LraÌ„â— a. a. whereby ye maie beware of light credence hereafter thus it is Ye report in youre booke no lesse then thrise in the seconde sixt and eighte Chapiters thereof one place of Origine on the Numbers By the whiche wordes ye note substantiallie diuerse worthie matters First that Origen writeth that Priestes ought to make vowes how from the beginnyng Priestes could not be maried How the Pristes standeth at the aâ—â—er therfore must be girded with chastitie How Orignes place is a plaine place for the oblatioÌ„ and sacrifice of the Masse whiche ye note to be the endlesse sacrifice so ment by Origen Now you desire in the true report of this place and such like to haue all youre credence hange in this cause Now good master D. Martin for al your loude bold vnshamfaste notyng and glosyng your reporte is nothyng true for the mind and purpose that Origen vttereth ther. For neither is your Masse sacrifice once ment nor priest staÌ„ding at th aulter rehersed neither priest vowyng nor priestes mariages once dreamed on If we should now verefie your owne law vpon your self whiche ye charge vpon others in your booke Cap. â—â—4 saiyng Semel malus semper praesumitur malus in eodem genere mali A man that is once euill is euer to be presumed to be euill in the same kinde of euill And then saie to youre self in your owne woordes where ye haue so vnshamefastlie vttered youre owne vntrueth thrise stumblyng at one stone Can ye of reason require vs to beleue you any more vpon youre owne bare report that men saie so that stories tell vs so others did inuent these matters and so forthe Now if ye yet liste to heare one or twoo more till wee hereafter detecte vnto your owne face a great heape so many that if thei were all taken out of your booke with textes wrasted and craftely curtalde I durste take in hande to reade ouer the reste of your booke deliberatly in an howres tyme and renne not out of breathe neither In the .xiij. Chapiter of his booke littera kk ij pag. ij he raileth on Ponet as ignoraunte in Lawe Canon and saieth he reporteth and falsifieth the aucthour of his texte ascribyng it to be of the Bushoppe of Romes saiyng where it is he saieth saincte Augustines owne woordes in a booke written vpon the .xxx. Psalme If it be so greate a faulte for a deuine to father a texte vpon a wronge aucthour whiche thyng is yet ofte committed by Gratian in the Decrees How muche more shame is it for a professed Lawier to laye it vpon sainct Augustine that is not found there in his place of the .xxx. Psalme alledged and yet maie bee clearly perceiued by the text it self where it is written that it is not sainct Augustines saiyng but Gratians verie woordes as euery blind bussarde maie sone espie that will see the text it self And after a triumph made vpon Ponetes ignoraunce and falsifiyng of the aucthoure to bryng in a shamelesse glose to saie that sainct Augustine in that same place saieth that priestes be bouÌ„d by the Lawe of the Churche neuer to marrie after Priesthoode whiche wordes or sense is not meante of sainct Augustine of the Psalm .xxx. For he speaketh onely but of lottes how thei bée not euill c. and no more is vouched in the decrees to bee sainct Augustines wordes nor yet did Gratian speaking these wordes Copula sacerdotalis c. inferre any suche matter as doctor Martin would make the reader beleue he doeth And againe he belieth S Augustine to referre to hym these wordes Antequam EuangeliuÌ„ claresceret c. whiche be Gratians woordes and he also belieth the woordes framyng a glose that is not borne of the woordes there Lo here ye see his common sinceritée to finde fault where none is and to fall in that ouersight whiche he hymself blameth Because I will go forward for that I haue promised to tel you of some more of his lies you shall haue a couple shortely couched vp together in the coÌ„passe of v. or vj. lines at once so vnlearnedly and so vntruely vttered that I would wonder more at it if he were not a professour of Lawe onely and not of Diuinitée LraÌ„ â— 3. Looke in his eighte Chapiter where he sweateth painfully to shewe that seculare Englishe priestes bee votaries and to bryng in strong argumentes inuincible reasons of the beste and finest sorte that it maie appeare to to manifeste to suche as bee halfe blinde whiche no man can gainsaie He putteth the reader in mynde not to looke in the glasse windowes I warrant you but on the priestes verie crounes in Englande whiche is an infallible euidence saieth he that priestes be votaries For thus he writeth Euery priest beareth in his croune the signe of his vowe like as the Nazarees assone as euer thei had vowed the shore of straight waie their heere Now if ye will not beleue hym except he aduouche
the reading and looking ouer all sainct Hieroms woorkes and Isodore beside and many other old writers also yea the Spanish Libraries too if we should seke whither he may seme to send vs. But here peraduenture this graue Ciuilian will be offended with suche my woordes and interprete my saiynges to bee scoffes and not weightie argumentes and that he will quarell that it is talke suche as menne spende for pastime rather then deliberate debatement of so weightie a cause In deede to coÌ„fesse a trueth When I had considered the odious and impudent countenaunce of his preface the swingyng taile of his lamentable conclusion the moÌ„strous bodie betwixt bothe and then againe meruelyng where and how he had gotten so muche matter and pregnauncie of witte farre aboue that which I loked would haue been in hym by this daie by the gesse of the talke that I had last with him consideryng that he doeth somwhat more then scoffe or boorde in diuerse partes of his boke as if I should so beastly scoffe with the serious reuereÌ„t articles of our faith drawyng them to such an obscéen and filthie sense as he doth raile in his .ix. Chapiter of Carnis resurrectionem vitam eternam Uerely if he called me Pighius or Pogius or Porphyrius or Iulianus he might well doe it And then consideryng hym to bee a yonge man and a Ciuilian I could not refraine my penne but thus sportyngly to bee a Comentar of his booke And yet sir to alledge a Poetes aucthoritie to a Ciuilian whose worde hath yet no greate aucthoritie Ridentèm dicere verum quis vetat hae nugae seria ducunt A wiser man then we bothe be maie some tyme ride on a long réede yet keepe grauitée of countenaunce when he cometh where grauitée should bee shewed as some haue doen here in Englande before now in as serious matters as these bee by open writinges wherewith I dare sweare not all of the Clergie hath been muche offended hetherto And if ye will learne how tollerable it is in writyng ye maie resort to sir Thomas Moores first Chapiter of his Dialogue of ê™ I and ê™ he and he will proue it vnto you I am sure your selfe as hye as ye now caste vp your head will come lower some tyme when ye be pleased and that ye repent ye not of your own merie scoffyng in many partes of your booke whiche bee sometyme not merie bourdes but sharpe checkes and daungerous tauntes to Uerely M. Martin the discoloured insolencie of your booke put me in remembraunce of some Poetrie Scribimus indocti doctique poemata passim Semper ego auditor tantum nunquam ne reponam c Whiche drewe my penne whether I would or no as before this daie it neuer was occupied for any printed ware to bungle with you But yet for the truthe of all that I saie if ye finde any thyng misreported and not truly aduouchyng myne aucthorities I desire you to tell it in your nexte booke as sharpely as ye can And if ye will beare with me for my mirthe nowe as I beare with yours whiche I do interprete that ye vsed it to solace your self to holde the reader of your booke from wearinesse to medle some softer musike emong the dint and dinne of your terrible greate Canons shotyng nothyng but haile shotte all the tyme of your stoute debellation of this your wonne fortresse where in no man was to resiste you and that is a valiaunt conquest who can saie nay I will so rule my penne in my next booke if almightie God will so haue it that ye shall I truste perceiue your self grauely answered And not so muche you but all others graue writers and deuines in déede by profession of whoÌ„ in parte you stole your booke that this matter shall not so obscurely be strangeled vp but that it shall shewe bothe life and light And yet good reader I desire thee impute not this to any arrogancie as though I would aduaunce my self so high of myne owne poore readyng and vnderstandyng but the graue and verie Catholike writers in the first beginnyng of the churche shall be my warrant not as aucthours and iudgers of the scriptures but as good faithfull witnesses in their confessions of the same So that I trust the harmony shall not mislike indifferent men though I hit not all my purpose But now againe further to shewe your dexteritee master Martin in aduouching your allegations ye tel vs very pretely how in the Librarie of Magdalen College at Oxforde there is an olde booke written of Ignatius wherein is not expressed that Paule is named for a maried maÌ„ to haue had a wife although the Heretikes of Germanie haue corrupted hym in the printed copies ê™ you If ye be asked who tolde you so we maie knowe that master doctor Smithe in his wise booke written against Priestes Mariages hath reported so and many good studentes and worshipfull menne that hath been felowes in that College can tell saie ye that thei haue had a written copie of Ignatius Sin this maie be true â–ª and yet you may lye to say that Paules name is not there â–ª But now good reader leste yet thou shouldest take vpon thee to iourney so far thether to seeke and finde hym how true he is in his tale he discourageth thee of goyng thether for he telleth thee euen there that parhaps some brother of late yeres hath stolen the booke awaie out of the Librarie and loe thus thou mightest lose thy labour And therefore searche no further neither spende any labour to trye hym but simply trust all that he telleth thee Is not this a proper allegation thinke ye and well handled But yet ye must beleue that ye see not with your eyes for Beati qui non viderunt crediderunt blessed are thei that haue beleued though thei neuer sawe it Yea ye must thinke that he reporteth all thinges vprightly in all his allegations specially in Lawe Ciuile and Canon wherein he is moste skilled in stories wherein he is so depely traueled and in expoundyng of scriptures wherein he is wonderfull as he handeleth sainct Paules place to Timothe te ipsum castum custodi kepe thy self chast so purely with suche integritee that Lyranus Hugo Cardinalis as greate bunglers as thei be thought to be of some but yet be worthie the praise be ashamed so to expouÌ„de the places there But yet he setteth suche an earnest glose of his owne head that ye would thinke he must needes bée of hym self an incomparable deuine and exactly seen in the Greke tongue in the Greke commentaries and schoolies as ye know by the exposition of Nazareus He is throughly well seen in the Hebrue tongue vnderstandyng all the Rabines rites and customes to the vttermoste In Rhetorike he is incomparable throughout all his booke As if ye liste to haue the sight but of one proofe looke in the beginnyng where he confuteth doctor Ponettes boke Cap. xi littera â—iâ— b. whiche
holy daie and plaie all the daie followyng But sir for the vniuersalitie of S. Paules sentence if ye list after these olde aucthors to heare a new writer or .ij. till here after we shall bring you more store of the olde Looke vpon Bushop Alfonsus tractation where he holdeth plainly that the prieste hath yet that indulgence and sentence of S. Paule to remedie his infirmitie yea after his order and promise past the reguler also after his vowe And again resort ye to Ioannes Genesius in his first leafe and there shall ye learne that he defineth that God did twise institute Matrimonie whiche yet euery deuine will not graunt hym And that the second institution was by these woordes of sainct Paule it is good for a manne not to touche a woman but yet for fornication let euery man haue his wife and euery woman haue her husbande And that this institution was purposely made of God for the remedie of mannes infirmitie Well these notwithstandyng bee it in case that he could winne that the saied sentence of sainct Paule were so perticularly applied restrained either from all menne vnmaried or from priestes to bee maried What exception can he make in this sentence of sainct Paule in the same Chapiter spoken to widowes to them that be vnmaried Quod si se non coÌ„tinent contrahant matrimoniuÌ„ If thei do not conteine let them mary for it is better to marrie then to burne But ye will saie it is better for the lay maÌ„ but not for hym that is a priest or a Regular Whie maie mans institution and vowe defeate this second institution of God of matrimonie for incontinentie that any of his creatures may be debarred from his remedy Is it better for the priest to burne then to marie Is it better for the regular to burne then to enioie Gods gentle liberalitee in his second institution of mariage Shall the priest rather chose to go to the deuill for the wante of the remedie of his infirmitie then for the shame of the world for his mutabilitie acknowledging his frailtie go to god were it not better to cast froÌ„ him his right eye as déere as it wer for his estimation promotion of the worlde if it be a let to hym to heaueÌ„ rather then with his deere eye of weltering promotioÌ„s to haue all his bodie cast into hell fier I speake it not to geue the bridle of dissolute liuing to euery light head but yet I would not haue man lay snares to ieoperd mennes soules But ye wil saie euery man can if he will Christ saieth thei onely can take it to whoÌ„ it is giuen Paule saieth that euery man hath his gift some thus and some thus Christ denieth it not to be some mans gift but not euery mannes gift Some men and many men may by praier obtain it as of his gift and with gods further assistaunce by praier fasting other suche helpes kepe it but it is not geueÌ„ to euery man For to some he will aunswere Sufficit tibi gratia mea my grace sufficeth thée And as Primasius writeth .i. Cor. 7. non oeÌ„s capiunt verbuÌ„ hoc sed quibus datuÌ„ est Al doe not comprehende this worde but thei to whoÌ„ it is geuen Nam si generale esset quòd potest vnus oeÌ„s possunt If it were generall the one might al might And where ye M. Martin pronounce in diuerse places of your boke that virginitie is in our election in our frée will If ye were vnderstanded as ye vnderstande D. Ponette ye should be rather like to be angrie with sainct Augustine for writyng against the PelagiaÌ„s which did hold that God had coÌ„mitted the gift of continencie to our election as ye may reade it Contra Iulianum Lib. â— Cap. 7. then englishe preachers whom ye call Heretikes that thei should be angrie with sainct Augustine for writyng against Pelagian against whose opinion no menne be more leanyng to S. Augustine then thei be Yea some be thought to be to muche inclined etiam cum imuria liberi arbitrij in hijs quos spiritus liberauerit But yet wee will take your meanyng by other places of your booke if perhaps ye be of any other meanyng in deede which courtesie yet ye shewe not to doctor Ponet For where he saied a Bushop must be the husband of one wife and because in that verie place he did not circumscribe his saiyng as he doeth after in his booke writyng that if the Bushop be in perill of fornication or if he can not liue sole and yet ye straine hym at these wordes and slaunder the late Bushoppe of Lincolne too with youre contorted violence of woordes D. Taylior bothe vntruely and dishonestlie as though thei should meane that no Bushop could be a good Bushop without a wife And when ye sawe his qualefication before youre face as ye reporte it your self yet ye saie that it is but a craft of hym so to circumstaunce his saiyng Is it a craft Master Martine for a man to declare his owne meanyng against captious readers But for this and for so muche as ye laie to his charge aetatem habet respondeat pro seipso he is olde enough let hym aunswere for hym self Peraduenture ye will saie whie doeth sainct Augustine and other doctors saie and affirme plainly in diuerse places ê™ non licet nubere ijs qui vouerunt continentiam c. that it is not lawfull for them to marrie who haue vowed continencie It is true that by the Lawe and Canon of mannes constitution so long as that standeth and by reason of the vowe it is not lawfull for by penall Lawes it is forbidden as ye saie your self But yet to auoide perill of daÌ„nation by Goddes Lawe it is bothe lawfull and expediente For to commit fornication or to burne is alwaie bothe vnlawfull and vnexpedient But to marrie or not to marrie is some tyme lawfull and some tyme vnlawfull For els sainct Augustine sainct Hierome and other mo would not saie and affirme in manifeste wordes that to the votaries after their profession if thei brenne it were better euen for them to marrie Sainct Hierom writeth Non expedit homini 33. q. 5. qui 〈◊〉 ad coelorum regnuÌ„ tendenti accipere vxorem sed difficilis res est non omnes capiunt verbum illud vbi Glosa Non expedit Verum est propter onera matrimonij sed expedit propter fornicationem vitandam It is not expedient for hym that trauaileth towardes the kyngdome of heauen to take a wife but that is an harde matter and all can not comprehende that saiyng where the Glose saieth it is not expediente that is true in respecte of the troubles of Mariage but it is expedient to aduoide fornication and vncleanely life Againe saieth Hierom Matrimonium 32. q. 1. quomo propter se noÌ„ est appetendum Verum est inquit glosa quia non ducit ad vitam
sed tamen appetenda est causa vitaÌ„dae fornicationis propter prolem Matrimonie is not to be desired for it self That is true saith the Glose for that it helpeth not to life but yet it is to be desired that fornication maie bee aduoided and for issue sake Thus vpon occasion of your woordes we haue straied a little further then we purposed and yet I trust not vnprofitably to the reader But to you maister Martin I write thus muche Your self performed no maner of sinceritée in reportyng either your aduersaries or your frendes for all your assured assuraunce of credite and your promised warrantise As in reportyng sainct Hierome ye doe violently racke hym and leaue out that whiche he did write a little before for the chief declaration of the matter so ye doe euen the same in reportyng the saiyng of Chrysostome leauyng out that Cap. 10. â— i whiche immediatly doeth followe to open the truthe And yet ye write in your booke thus that it is the nature euer of the heretikes to take a peece of the aucthors wordes and not the whole sentence If this be a true maior and then to you the minor is so manifestly agreable what will the indifferente man then knit vp thinke you in the conclusion How faste soeuer ye call other men heretikes and your self catholike Math. 12. Ex operibus saieth Christe iudicate of the fruites and deedes geue iudgement Ex verbis tuis iustificaberis ex verbis condemnaberis Of thy wordes shalte thou be iustified and of thy wordes shalt thou be coÌ„demned And if ye would yet se this assertion proued an other waie with an other reason I would desire the reader to expende an excellent poinct of his corrupt wrestyng wranglyng to iudge whether he in the beginnyng of his writyng putte not on his naturall visure and chaste forhead quae nescit erubescere whiche knoweth no shamfastnesse Euen to saie with the good Prelates of whom Esaie writeth in his Prophesie Cap. 28. Posuimus mendacium spem nostram mendatio protecti sumus wee haue laied liyng for our hope and foundacion and with lyes bee wee armed In his seuenth Chapiter Litera N. 1 Lib. 4. cap. 23. he reporteth a storie out of Eusebius of an Epistle whiche was written by Dennis Bushoppe of Corinth to Pymrus a Busshpppe in Creta of whiche storie he marueileth verie muche that none of our menne nor the Germanes euer alledged the place in their writynges But yet he saieth when he had throughly considered the storie he lefte his marueilyng because he saieth it maketh quite againste them Firste I might retorte his owne checke that 〈◊〉 â—eueth to the lorde of Cauntorburie in that he saieth Ca. 5. 〈…〉 that no auncient writer maketh sufficient proofe that Clementes Epistles were al true and not counterfete For hath M. Martin so reade all the Germaines that he can so saie that it is not alledged of them in their writynges If I would so spende paper I could referre him to half a dosen that do expresly alledge the storie for a strong place against him al such as will laie heauy burthens of compelled chastitie as is there written or as Nicephorus termeth it Lib. 4. Cap. 8. onus caelebatus the burtheÌ„ of sole life as of necessitie in the neckes of their Disciples by the whiche their infirmitie might bee in greate daunger Whiche sentence thus vttered by Dionisius the saied Pynitus did well accept as for the better counsail and by his letters did desier the said Dionisius to write to hym after that some further matter of stroÌ„ger meate to feede his people withall c. Now sir he leaueth quite out the first senteÌ„ce written by Dionisius and also how Pynitus allowed his counsaill for the better whiche is the pithe and chief matter of the Epistle and storie and then violently draweth the laste woordes of stronger meate to sounde to that purpose that to lyue in syngle lyfe and menne to renounce theyr wyues Lawfully Maried should bee that strong meate wherewith he should feede his people Whiche is so impudentlye wreasted and falsified that a manne maie wonder what he meaneth thereby Where sainct Hierome in catal script Ecclesi makyng mention of Dionisius letter and Pynitus aunswere draweth no suche sense out of theÌ„ And he can not saie that he followed some mannes reportyng the place or had not seen the place hymself For he saieth that he had througly considered that storie to see Eusebius conclusion as he hath here vttered it Is this youre through seeyng and considering matters of weight thus to peruert euident stories which be in euery mannes handes and yet for shame be not a shamed For verely youre throughly consideryng this cause whiche ye haue in hande is but througly falsifiyng the trueth thereof with youre wilfull writing sleighty ouerseyng And how soeuer ye would blinde the reader yet Nicephorus storie will sufficiently trie out the truthe of this matter if ther were yet no other helpe to maintaine the saied storie If the reader will now take youre maior again wher ye saie that it is the nature of Heretikes to take a peece of the authors wordes and not the whòle sentence how might he proceede in probleme againste you And that ye maie better perceiue how throughly he hath considered other of his aucthorities and doctors LraÌ„ Ee. iiij b. if ye do but only loke vpon one page in his xij Chapiter ye shall see how throughly he hath belied more of his aucthors and how negligently he hath coÌ„sidered what he there writeth In the beginnyng of the page he would make you beleue that S. Ambrose wrote that whole senteÌ„ce Vri est desiderijs agi ac vinci Ne vincamur auÌ„t in nostra potestate est per dei gratiam And then he Englisheth it thus That is to saie To burne is to be vexed with concupiscence and to be ouercomed But that we might not be ouercomed is in our power through Goddes grace Maister D. Martine for all youre throughly aduised writyng ye haue falsified sainct Ambrose in twoo pointes For first sainct Ambrose saieth vri est desiderijs agi vel vinci And not agi ac vinci To bee caried with desires or to be ouercomed and not to bee caried with desiers and to be ouercomed For as well agi desiderijs as vinci desideriis as other interpretours expounde the place is vstionem pati That is to burne And to auoide either of them sainct Paule graunteth mariage For either of them excedeth Volatiles Lubricas cogitationes innatae concupiscentiae the soden and transitorie cogitations of luste that is in manne But he saieth S. Ambrose that séeth hymself not able to perseuer by the violent motions of his fleshe let hym marrie rather then burne and so peraduenture he maie afterwarde obtaine this thyng So that he whiche either lieth in the flame of perpetuall desier of the other kinde in hart or in outward
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
sacerdotibus Anglorum antea non prohibitas quod quibusdam mundissimum visum est Li. 7. Chro. Iorenalli Nicho. Trucet quibusdaÌ„ periculosum nè dum munditias viribus maiores appeterent in immunditias horribiles ad Christiani nominis summum dedecus inciderent That is Anselmus Archbusshoppe at the feast of S. Michael helde a Counsaile at London in the whiche he forbade priestes to haue wiues which were neuer before forbidden the whiche thyng semed to some to be moste pure to some others daungerous leaste that whiles thei seeke puritee more then strength is able to beare thei fall into horrible impuritee to the greate dishonor of their Christian name Loe thus writeth Huntyngton of Anselmus Counsaile a Busshop more seuere superstitious in this poincte then became his learnyng and peraduenture in some other poinctes also Anno domini 1502. ColaÌ„tes culiâ—â—â—â— Cameliâ—n de glutien if it be true that WillyaÌ„ of Malmesburie writeth of hym sc that he neuer vttered any woorde the remembraunce whereof did greue his conscience where yet he remembryng that aboute supper tyme he did eate a rawe Herryng he knocked hymself on the breast and bewailed his synne for that he had taken rawe meate against the Lawe Well this good father in his hotte zeale against mariage chastitee gaue great aduenture to induce libertee of Sodomiticall vice for whiche he was compelled in the self same very Counsaile to prouide by Canon chargyng that crime with excommunication vntill the offenders and continuers therein by coÌ„fessioÌ„ and penaunce should deserue absolution where the Clergie for mariyng continuyng in the same should neuer bee absolued by confession or penaunce In deede Dunstane before the Conqueste with Ethelwolde of Winchester and Oswolde of Worcester all three Monkishe Busshoppes expelled Secular maried Priestes out of Cathedrall Churches but condempned not their mariages nor separated them Yea the stories reporte that thei expelled secular priestes bothe maried vnmaried except suche as would by coÌ„uersion be made Monkes Of whiche three Ranulph saieth of Ethelwolde beyng commonly called the father of Monkes that he was a good manne in other deedes though he were badde in that dooyng Li. 7. and broughte thereto by counsaile of whisperers and titifilles And certainly it could bee no greate good deede of charitee so muche to iniurie the Secular priestes and to aduaunce the Monkes suche as thei wer in those daies de Pontificibus as Willyam of Malmesburie writeth De pontificibus whose woordes be these Monachi Cantuarienses sicut oeÌ„s tunc temporis in Anglia secularibus haud absimiles erant nisi quod pudicitiam noÌ„ facile proderent canum cursibus auocari auium praedam raptu aliorumque volucrum per mane sequi Spumantiâ— equi tergum promere tesseras quatere potibus indulgere delicatiori victu accuratiori cultu frugalitatem nescire parsimoniam abnuere caetera id genus vt magis illos CoÌ„sules quaÌ„ Monachos frequentia famulantium diceres That is The MoÌ„kes of Canterburie as also at that tyme all the rest in England were not vnlike to the Secular menne sauyng that thei would not lightly lose their Chastitee thei were sone called from their religious contemplations to see the runnyng of their houndes thei followed earely in the Mornyng their praie in haukyng of birdes and other wilde foule thei ride abrode on their fomyng Palfraies thei plaie at the dice thei geue them selues vp to drinkyng and quaffyng and by their more delicate fedyng and their more nise apparellyng thei had no knowledge of frugalitee and contemned temperancie and suche other of that kynde that a man might haue called them rather Consulles then Monkes by the greate traine of their waityng men Whiche thyng saith the storie Lanfrancke the Archbusshoppe beholdyng held his pacience for a tyme and would not vtterly discharge their daintée myndes with any sharpe discipline For he knewe as he was moste skilfull in the arte of artes that is in gouernyng of soule that long custome is halfe an other Nature and that by sodaine tourne of maners the tender myndes might sone bee exasperated Wherfore with gentle monitioÌ„s as occasion of tyme would serue abatyng sometyme one vice sometyme an other he did whette their myndes to goodnesse with the Whetstone of vertues and so forthe in the storie Thus maister Martin ye maye not onely see prudente moderation of this auncient father in his gouernaunce cleane contrary to your disposition but also ye maie note how truely Polidore writeth in this greate matter of expeliyng Secular Priestes out of their churches That is as it is afore rehearsed expellyng euill priestes and brought in worse Monkes But to retourne againe to our former matter To alledge more writers in so manifest a matter were to tedious and therefore in this allegation your owne reproofe may be well retorted against your self MendaceÌ„ memorem esse oportet A liar had neede to haue a good remembraunce Now sir because you would hold your penne still in slaunderyng immediately after you fall to an other slaunderous lye where you bee not ashamed to saie that the tale written of Ioannes Cremensis Presbyter Cardinalis is forged of some heretike and that it is like to be one of Bales counterfette stories in his booke of votaries whiche ye call a filthie and scouldyng booke Litera KK a. hauyng more lyes then liues Wherein ye saie is neither honestie of woordes nor truthe in matter O maister Martin if your self and those whiche framed your boke had seen so muche in historie as Ihon Bale had doen ye would neither haue slaundered his writyng neither belyed historicall antiquitée Ye would rather haue inwardly lamented for suche monstrous filthines to be charged by storie vpon suche as ought to bee lightes and Lanthornes vnto all other in godlines and puritee of life and would rather haue remedied that vnspeakable vnclennesse by them to openly vsed with Goddes holy institution of Matrimonie But sir where you attribute this storie of Ihon Cremensis to some heretike ye make many fatte heretikes and where you saie it is but a tale forged and one of Bales counterfette stories Lib. 7. ye shall heare what Henry Huntington recordeth thereof Ad Pascha Cremensis Cardinalis Romanus descendit in Angliam peregrinatusque per episcopatus abbatias non sine magnis muneribus ad natiuitateÌ„ sanctae Mariae celebrauit concilium solenne apud LondoniaÌ„ c. Sed quià Moses dei secretarius in historia sancta parentum etiam suorum vt virtutes ità vitia scilicet facinus Loth scelus Ruben proditionem SymeoÌ„ Leui inhumanitatem fratrum Ioseph nos quoque veram historiae legem de bonis malis sequi dignum est Quòd si alicui Romano vel praelato displicuerit taceat tamen ne Ioannem Cremensem sequi velle videatur Cum igitur in concilio seuerissimè de vxoribus sacerdotum tractasset dicens summum scelus esse à latere meretricis ad corpus
foorth Shall laye men hereafter truste well of the churches mercie if they come within your clawes when your owne be thus dealt with Of whom some dissenteth in no poynt at al froÌ„ you but only in this fact which the law made them bolde to aduenture on Shal I call this a Churche or a Sinagoge A mother or a steppe dame M. Martin verely if God had not somwhat of his goodnes holpen me to mortifie somwhat myne affections I could els in this contemplation write somewhat that should be but litle honestée to that your holye mother Churche NotwithstaÌ„ding how lightly soeuer I passe it ouer yet I thinke some other will resume that I lette passe Though now it bee so heinous a matter in your sighte for suche priestes to keepe either their liuynges or wiues whom ye founde when ye came ouer a Gods name into the realme in as good and lawful possession of them bothe as euer ye shall haue of any thyng that ye shall hereafter come to yet I thinke ye will your self as faste resort to the defence of the lawe of the realme for that ye haue already in posssession also for that increase which ye gape wide for euery daie you rise if perchaunce either any wicked Iudge or els some preuie theif would take it from you how fast soeuer now ye cast the Lawes of the realme at your heales for these iuste possessions of your bretherne And I praie you if it bee so intollerable a matter to your wisdome to suffer an inconuenience once passed against Canons so to remaine rather then to bring in a greater â–ª why did that learned Busshop of Rome Leo the first writyng to the Busshops of Aphrica hearyng tell that there were diuerse amoÌ„g them which were admitted to the dignities of the church not only laye maried men but also men of .ij. wiues at once yea and that laie men that had maried laie widowes for concernyng priestes widows it is plainly spoken by the Prophet Ezechiel in his .44 Chapiter in the new traÌ„slation that a prieste may in the old translation that a prieste must take that widowe to wife that was a Priestes wife before why I praie you though he would not dispence with some of these forsaied persons so promoted yet of the other writeth he thus Caeteros vero quoruÌ„ prouectio hoc tantum reprehensionis incurrit ê™ ex laicis ad officium Episcopale delecti sunt neque ex hoc quod vxores habeant possunt esse culpabiles susceptum sacerdotium tenere permittimus c. As for others in whose promotion this blame is onelye espied that thei were chosen forthe of the laye menne to that dignitée and office of a Busshppe for thei can not bee blame worthie of this respect for that thei haue wiues we permitte them to reteine stil their benefice so receiued Doubte not maister Martin but his wisedome thought it no inconuenieÌ„ce to suffer them so still nor was not so angrie in his daies with maried Busshops and priestes as ye be For Prosper Aquitanicus hymself who peradueÌ„ture did bothe write and endite this Epistle in his name as many other thynges he did testifieth Gennadius for he was his Secretarie and afterwarde was episcopus Reginensis about the yere of our Lorde .460 in a very euill tyme a very good Busshoppe as the stories make mention he lookyng euery daie when he should goe to the potte made a goodly aduertisemente in verses a good hundreth in number to his wife armyng her to take suche parte as he should take and to sticke in good hope and faithe in Christ comfortyng and helpyng one the other what soeuer should befall And if ye liste to looke vpon it and see what matter there is it beginneth thus Carmine Iambico Age iam praecor mearum Comes irremota rerum Trepidam breuemqûe vitam Domino deo dicemus c. Where yet ye maie espie peraduenture a subteltée in that good Father that set out his woorkes in printe For where all other of his Epigrames haue titles to shewe the contente that hath none at all Leste ye should smell to readily at the eye that Prosper beyng in so good estimation and so ofte alledged bothe of Diuines and Lawiers should bee knowen to haue a wife But yet good brethren though ye knowe that he had a wife in deede be not of that fansie that onces a good catholike woman was of towardes our Ladie to whom she had a very greate deuotion and could not heare to muche of her At a tyme one tolde her that she was a Iewe. A Iewe ê™ she GOD defende that blasphemie that shall neuer come in my Credâ— lieue it who will Yet because she would bee sure in this scrupulose doubte she made a iourney to a maister Doctour dwellyng there by to knowe the truthe He could saie no lesse but as the truthe was And when she heard hym affirmyng it to she was cast into a greate dumpe and at the laste swore the beste othe in her bodie that she would set the lesse by her yea and would loue her the worse as long as she liued How wise a woman this was M. Martin I maye not be iudge of catholike folkes But I wene your self suche as ye be be not farre behinde her in your iudgement towardes them in whoÌ„ ye knowe none other fault but onely that thei be maried Priestes whiche iudgement when it hath once preuailed in the realme the rather for your impregnable booke then shall it bee beste forthese Priestes when thei saie the penitentiall Psalme of Beati quorum Ad oceanum in their Mattens to followe sainct Hieromes woordes and counsaile and in steede of Beatus vir cui non imputauit dominus peccatum to tourne it and saie Beatus vir cui dominus non imputauit vxorem as a greater offence then any can be committed in the iudgemente of suche Romishe penitenciaries as ye be And then shall the Lawiers solempne case come in place when he writeth Ecce casus vbi plus iuris habet luxuria quam castitas Dist. 54. fraternitatis Beholde a case where faire Lecherie hath more right and lawe then soule Chastitée Thus drawyng to a conclusion I will report vnto you what an other Leo the fourthe of that name hath written coÌ„cernyng this prudente necessitee of moderation and dispensation in matters as thei arise euen that Leo whiche as some saye preceaded next to that holie Popesse our countrey womaÌ„ worship may she be Pope Iohan who was so in deede affirmeth coÌ„stantly Marianus Scotus and diuerse other of good credite in writyng â–ª beyng about the yere of our Lorde .848 what tyme Adeulphus otherwise called Etheluolphus reigned here in one part of the realme Whiche manne had a loue in his youthe to be a Priest and was entered the order of Subdeacon and by some writers was busshoppe of Winchester whereof maie bee reasonably doubted but after dispensed with by the Bushoppe of Rome of
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
finem quem legislator intendit Vbi tamen non voluntarie non contemptibiliter fed ex causa rationabili aliquis transgreditur canonem non peccat mortaliter secuÌ„dum Thomam recitatur per Arch. 76. dist vtinam c. And to helpe foorth the matter De habitu clericorum const Otho ca. QuoniaÌ„ de habitu Iohn Aton the gloser of Othos constitutions mouyng the question whether a constitution or councell whiche the subiectes neuer accepted or obeyed do constrayne or bynde to the obseruation thereof After many constitutions and alegations of lawes and contrarie determinations of lawyers and glosers of the popes lawes in tanta Papalardia as he doth vse the tearme he byddeth the reader to holde that whiche he doth determine Which tearme of a Papalard Gaulfride Chauser doth vse for a dissemblyng hypocrite pretendyng one thyng meanyng another Fol. 154. Howebeit in the discusment of this question he saith that yf of the behalfe of the lawe there myght folowe eyther sclaunder or more harme then shoulde the common custome obserued preuayle concernyng the excusation from temporall punyshment Yet saith he in facte this is very seldome obserued when by the obseruyng of the constitution the purses of the prelates shoulde be made emptie thereby But saith he all other constitutions which be Bursales prelatis auaylable to the prelates purses such be well commended to memorie and be also executed to the vttermost inche And lest the lawe of Otho shoulde be to sharpe for the concubinarie priestes or they to soone condempned the gloser thus handeleth the matter vpon those terrible wordes of Otho Statuimus et statuendo precipimus vt clerici et maxime in sacris ordinibus constituti De concub clericoruÌ„ ca. licz at pro qui in domibus suis vel alienis DETINENT PVBLICE CONCVBINAS eas prorsus a se remoueant infra mensem et ipsas vel ahas de cetero nullatenus detenturi alioqui ab officio beneficio sint suspensi c. vsque digne satis fecerint de beneficiis se nullatenus intromittant alioqui ipso iure ipsos decernimus fore priuatos volumus districte precipimus vt archiepiscopi et episcopi diligenter faciant inquisitionem c. We decree and by decreeing do commaunde that clarkes specially such as be in holy orders which in their owne houses or other mens do deteyne openly concubines that they remoue those froÌ„ them vtterly within a moneth and that they in no wyse deteyne them or other from hencefoorth or els be they suspended froÌ„ the office and benefice c. vntyll they shal make condigne satisfaction that they intermedle in no wise with their benefices or els we decree them to be depriued ipso iure And we wyll straytely commaunde that the archbishops bishops make diligent search hereof c. Nowe commeth in this fauourable gloser to temper all the matter more gently in fauour of the concubinarie priestes and saith that these three wordes detinent publice concubinas that do deteyne openly concubines muste concurre ioyntly together so that this tearme openly must aswell determine this detention as this tearme concubine that is to say that this detention be pulique and this concubine kepyng be publique for els it taketh no place As for example when a woman is commonly beleued to be the persons sister though this deteynyng be publique yet she is not knowen to be a concubine But what saith he yf he be founde to lye with a woman I aunswere A fauourable glose vpon an harde texte yet it is to be taken secrete and for this maye not he be compelled to voyde publiquely excepte it can be proued otherwise Againe this worde deteynyng is to be taken when these concubines be deteyned by the priestes proper costes for els yf the woman lyue of her owne though the priest haue to her publique accesse it maketh no matter for the entent of this constitution is to restrayne vnhonest dilapidation of the priestes And agayne saith he this constitution was made more easie by pope Alexander the seconde whiche nowe may not be preiudiced by a legate only therfore in that poynt doubtfull whether it byndeth And where it is sayde openly or publiquely vnderstande that saith he when the priest is not afearde to appeare so before the whole multitude for els it forceth not as yf he deteyne her secretelye within his owne house or any of his frendes for then he shall not incurre into the penaltie of this statute seyng that an house declareth a thyng secrete and not puâ—lique And further he saith it is not enough to be taken for publique because it is knowen only of some certaine therefore holde thou saith he these wordes publiquely to signifie coÌ„monly and before many and yet is not the prieste to be charged to deteyne a concubine though openly and commonly once or twyse he be seene to resort to her which maketh not this fact of his notorious as is here decreed And hereto agreeth VVilhelmus Lynwood that though these thynges ought not to be done publiquely yet belyke they maye do them secretely as the doctors say Yet saith he this is true to theffect of escapyng the payne which though it be inflicted to them that do these forbydden thynges publiquely yet it is not extended to them that do them secretely and so be they excused concernyng the payne but not concernyng the fact Lo here is a fauourable glose of their watchworde si non caste tamen caute And againe to note the deuotion of these good men to worke an immunitie to their concubinarie priestes De habitati clericorum li. 3. ca. vt clericalis where as Stephen in his constitution in the auncient written copies and bookes forbyddeth them to kepe their concubines both publice occulte and that they haue no accesse vnto them either publicum or occultum They haue put out these two wordes occulte and occultum out of their bookes of constitutions prouinciall as also in their common printed bookes of councelles generall late printed at Paris 1555 per Franciscum Iouerium wherein the same councell holden at Oxforde by Steuen is inserted Agayne to minse this matter to make the pillowe more softe to put vnder the elbowes of these concubinarie priestes he wryteth the it must be considered what perseueraunce he vseth in this crime for it must be taken for a continuall perseueraunce proued yf it shoulde charge hym And furthermore it must be a full moneth and this moneth must stande of no fewer dayes then xxxi saith he And where it is decreed that within a moneth she must be put away that is saith he though some rigorously do expounde these wordes within a moneth from the publication of this decree or from a month after warnyng geuen yet holde thou councelleth he from a moneth of suche publique detention begun and proued And yf all these wyll not help the matter then he saith vpon the word deteynyng that
in Iure ecclesiastico accordyng to the ecclesiasticall lawe If ye wyll nowe knowe in what state the priestes were in that lande it may be vnderstande of a canon of the councell kepte there by certaine bishoppes Lib. Sinodal Ecclesie VVigoruÌ„ vnder the names of Patricius Auxilius Iserninus and this dyd they constitute Quicunque clericus ab hostiario vsque ad sacerdotem sine tunica visus fuerit atque turpitudinem ventris nuditatem non tegat si non more romano capilli eius tonsi sint vxor eius sine velato capite ambulauerit pariter a laicis contemnantur et ab ecclesia separentur What clarke soeuer from the dore keper to the prieste be seene without a coate and doth not couer the vnseemly partes and nakednes of his body and againe yf his heares be not shorne after the romane fashion and yf his wyfe shall walke abrode without any couer vppon her head let them be both contempned of the laitie and sequestred from the churche Lo thus as Iohn Auentine saith priestes had at that tyme wyues publiquely Lib. 5. as other christian men had and dyd procreate chyldren as I do fynde saith he in certaine deedes of gyftes which they made to temples and to professed munckes in which instrument their wyues be rehearsed by name as witnesses with their husbandes be called by an honest appellation in latine Presbyterissae Thus priestes were not forbydden so they had but one wife at once and not many no yf they had diuers one after another and free to them by saint Paules graunt so they mary in the Lorde Vnius vxoris vir Tim. iii. Nor saint Ambrose hym selfe doth denie this trueth but playnely affirmeth that it is lawfull and not prohibited no not for bishoppes to haue a seconde wyfe after the death of the first Although saith he that he may be woorthy to be a bishop he must refuse those thynges whiche be lawfull for the dignitie of his order Which holy Ambrose bishop of Millane dyd permit in his churche priestes freely to be maryed and so testified by Barnardinus Corius in his chronicle sub anno 1387. and so aduouched by Iohannes Neuisanus professor of lawe in his booke entituled Silua nuptialis Thus was mariages free at al seasons for a priest to haue one only wyfe at once was neither then woorthy blame nor was a great whyle after in the Saxons time forbydden as in bookes of rules and canons set out for the gouernyng of the seculer priestes it may appeare De regulis clericorum which be testified in these olde English wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let them also do their endeuâ—uâ— that they holde with perpetuall diligence their chastitie in an vnspotted body or els verely be they coupled with the bonde of one matrimonie But to stande in rehearsall of suche recordes what haue ben vsed by the auncient good fathers of the churche to set out their iudgementes so practised in diuers olde churches who consideryng the infirmitie of man would not kepe that libertie in bondage which God had made free wherby they had the more continent persons a great number If therefore suche compulsions of constrayned chastitie were abolished and the estimation of Goddes institution more reuerenced then it is commonlye it is not vnlyke but that we shoulde haue lesse cause to make lawes vpon lawes agaynst concubinaries whiche before the prohibition of maryage was seldome hearde of in the churche though agaynst Sodomiticall vices raignyng amongst the religious there hath ben from tyme to tyme lawes and decrees multiplied one vpon another and yet coulde the rage be neuer refourmed as they that be of age and haue any experience can well testifie of their doynges And such auster lawe makers do not only impel men and women to vnspeakable fedities but also do receede muche from the auncient fathers that haue ben in the churche before as Socrates saith Cuncti qui abstinent a coniugibus spontanea voluntate Tripart li. 3. cap. 38. non aliqua necessitate etiam episcopi seipsos abstinent plurimi eorum etiam episcopatus tempore ex legittima vxore filios habuerunt All ecclesiasticall persons in the east church do absteine from wiues by free consent not by any constraint or necessitie yea bishoppes do so forbeare yet very many of them saith he in the tyme of their bishoppricke haue chyldren by their lawfull wyues Thus farre Socrates Which libertie yf it shoulde be restrayned vnder pretence of religious holynesse myght not a man iustly crye out agaynst suche forced chastitie De virg li. 1. as once Ambrose dyd crye out against the painims religion for their vestall virgins and Pallas priestes O misteria o mores vbi necessitas imponitur castitate authoritas datur libidini O maruelous misteries O straunge maners where necessitie by vowes is imposed vpon chastitie authoritie by lawes immunities is geuen to lecherie Therefore saith he she is not chaste which is compelled by feare nor honest whiche is induced by hyre and rewarde Which kynde of constrained professed chastitie to satisfie the eyes of the worlde many tymes proueth not aunswerablie as it well was seene in that bishop Genebaldus he maryed the neece of Remigius who made hym byshop of Laudune This Remigius was chosen archbishop when he was but xxij yeres olde But this saide bishop and his wyfe professed outwardly a conuersion religionis causa Remigius monachâ—s claruit 880. saith the booke and therfore contrarie to the Apostles vi canon yea though they discharged one another from mutuall companie ad nolens volens so that this man myght well saye that he coulde neither lyue with her nor without her yet they had suche mutuall resort together vnder pretence of her instruction that secretely she was with chylde by hym Whervpon she detectyng the matter to hym Antoninus lib. 2. tit 11. cap. 18. In Chron. Vincentius in speculo hist. he wylled that the chylde shoulde be named Latro because saith he he was begotten in stealth Which Latro afterwarde proued an holy man and succeeded his father in his bishopricke saith the archbishop Antonine Nowe he dyd permit his wyfe to resorte to hym as before lest els thereby myght rise abrode some suspection And therafter folowed that she was againe with childe brought foorth a gyrle whom he coÌ„maunded to be called Vulpecula belike for the craftie and slye handelyng of the matter Then Genebaldus remembryng hym selfe went to archbishop Remigius her vncle and fell at his feete and woulde haue resigned vp his habite and profession but Remigius would not permit hym so to do and hearyng the case he dyd comforte hym very amiablie saith the storie but kept hym in a cell for vij yeres together and in the meane tyme dyd gouerne his bishopricke tyll an angell from heauen appeared to fetche him out commaundyng hym to come foorth who told him that his offence was
of the cleargie in their booke wherein they instructe a christian man to lyue godlye that it was lawfull for hym by gods worde to abrogate canon lawes repugnaunt to the lawes of the Realme and affirmyng further by testimonie of olde wryters that whatsoeuer was so enacted in this Englyshe churche had sufficient strength aucthoritie and power beyng a catholike and an apostolyke churche in it selfe the rather for doing their endeuour to returne all the order of the primatiue church agayne and therfore beyng more agreeable to Christes doctrine makyng more to edifiyng and benefite of Christes church What learned men standyng only to learnyng and reason can iustly eyther impugne the late state and order in this behalfe taken in the raigne of the noble prince king Edwarde the sixt or yet can reasonably suggill the doctrine and assertions published and set out in the dayes of that famous prince kyng Henrie the eyght by al his best learned cleargie as makyng way and preparation by their wrytynges and preachynges to put in execution that which was of late so vsed and practised If the fathers of Rome Churche diuers of the best learned by their prudence thought it meet to release the rigour of canons and rules of the churche whervpon they sometyme did dispence in diuers cases of great importaunce geuyng theyr assent before they were done sometyme bearyng and tolleratyng many thynges passed without auctoritie after they were done If their scribes and registers expositors of their lawe leaned alwayes to the equitie of the lawes fauourablie expoundyng them to the moste benefite and sauegarde of suche as were offenders agaynst Goddes morall lawes If the head fathers and pastors of other churches in their pastorall prudence vsed their tollerations in such cases as Origen doth testifie that the bishoppe in Alexandria permitted without agaynst the scripture a maryage to be made with a certaine woman in respect of her infirmitie as Millane churche and Constantinople churche vsed in the election of their bishoppes Ambrose Nectarius contrarie to the rule of the apostle as not yet christened as is before rehearsed And if that sayde holy bishop Ambrose dyd in his churche permit priestes to be maryed as Barnardinus Corius in his chronicle maketh report saith further that one Henribaldus Cotta a lawyer by profession beyng one of the first that woulde forbyd priestes to marry wyues was slayne of them for his importune extremitie Whiche thyng is reported of Ioannes Neuisanus doctor of lawe in his booke entituled Silua nuptialis where he aleageth howe the canonistes and schole men racke violently the lawes scriptures and gospels in this cause agaynst the true sense of the wordes and aduoucheth further that these canonistes make large thonges of other mens leather euen lyke saith he as the strumpet dyd of an other bodies chylde and that because they haue no wyues them selues Who when they haue any be aboue al other men burnyng in the fire of gelosie as he bryngeth his auctoritie therfore But nowe thus they speake saith he because them selues hauyng not only one paramour but haue many wyues and paramours and otherwhyles concubines also at one tyme together Whervpon he wysheth the lawe of continencie to be remitted and bryngeth in to ioyne with hym in this his iudgement not only the famous lawyer Panormitan but that notable man Felinus also with others And furthermore he affirmeth that the reasons of the canonistes of these dayes do proue that priestes after they be ordered may not marry be to no purpose because saith he they be grounded in couetousnes whiche is not conuenient to the true folowers of Christe And there in that his disputation he citeth diuers doctors who do disclose the corrupte intention of the canonistes in deprauyng and falsyfying the letter textes of Ambrose other doctors in the same cause If the churche of Ptolomais attempted so muche agaynste Christes religion and his apostles consentyng to electâ— a platonicall philosopher miscredityng the principall articles of our fayth and that after his open protestation that he woulde not as then either relinquishe his opinion or yet his wyfe and was accepted with them both What wyse man indued with any consideration of christian pollicie can iustly quarrel with the head pastor of our churche of Englande to tollerate thynges standing against no scripture at all so passed as they be Yea though they should vse more mercie and clemencie towarde the miserie of those ministers then some euyll and vncharitable instigatours woulde wishe they dyd If the vniforme assent and consent of wryters haue attributed so large auctoritie to counselles and bishoppes decrees to dispence so vniuersally that they say a bishop a mere diocesan may dispence with heretickes that other may the sooner returne agayne with scismatickes with simoniackes with suspended and excommunicates with adulterers with murtherers in theft in sacrilege in deacons matrimonie for afterwardes to be contracted with their protestation in priestes matrimonies alredy contracted so it be with a virgin and that he may dispence in orders and dignities vnder the state of a bishop If he ought saith the lawe as bounde by necessarie constraint of spiritual gouernaunce to dispence either in such cases where either some greater commoditie to folowe may be hoped or where the peryll of some greater inconuenience may be feared and sometyme in respecte of the multitude and to auoyde sclaunder of offence that els might be taken What may be gathered hereof by the wise reader and what auctoritie is and may be iustly thought to be resiaunt in the whole order and seignorie knit and conioyned al wholly togethers in one yf so muche be graunted to euery one of them seuerally alone If the Canons of one councell be drawen commonly to expounde an other as one lawe to declare an other then where it is decreed in the fourth councell at Tollet Quod Clerici qui sine consultu Episcopi sui vxores duxerint c. seperari eos a proprio Episcopo oportebit That clarkes that without councell or consent of their byshops haue maryed wyues c. must be seperated by their owne byshop agayne Howe reasonably then do these men crie for seperation of such of the Cleargie who dyd not vpon their owne heades attempt the state they be in and diuers of them neyther without the counsell nor yet instigation of their onely proper Diosesant but with the consent and aucthoritie of the whole order of all the Metropolitanes and Diocesantes in Englande in their deliberat consultation first among them selues and after so exhibited to the state of the Parliament afterwarde in their priuate diocesses commendyng the statutes passed and sendyng their Chaplaynes abrode in their diocesses to declare the commendations and necessitie of the same as be yet at this day auncient Bishoppes styll alyue remaynyng that can beare witnesse of this whiche is here affirmed yf they were therto required Last of all where that noble prince of famous memoriâ— kyng Henrie the
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
any maÌ„ of meane learning or reading But ye put me in mynde by your owne woordes wherewith you charge other menne that ye bee like to be blowen vp spiritu impostoris with a spirite of error that ye can within so few lines write two so notable lies and errors It is to true that the wise man saieth of suche men Quod frequentur prae occupent pessima Sap. 17. redarguente conscientia Thei oft take vpon them matters of the worste to the condemnation of their owne conscience For where wickednesse is alwaies doubtfull in it self it geueth testimonie to his owne shame For euer doth a spiced coÌ„science take vpoÌ„ hym to attempte matters of crueltée Wherevppon I may conclude with your owne wordes in the self same place that he maye well be called a poore soule that will put you and suche as you bee in truste with the information of his soule that is so little trustie or true in his wordes Shall a man credite such a doctor or teacher that within not twoo leaues as ye write but within twelue lines compace wil vtter suche slaunderous lies vpon other men And deface the creditte of open stories beyng in many mennes handes Uerily if we should consider how vniuersallie this man sheweth hymself vniforme constant in wrestyng contortyng and false reportyng of Scriptures of doctors of Busshoppes decrées of Counsailes Canons and of stories throughout all his booke in suche fashion so impudently that I can not imagine that Lucian hym self when he wrote his booke De veris narrationibus had halfe so good a bouget to the vtteraunce of his veritees as this manne hath broughte awaie belike out of Paris from emong the Sorbonistes So that I maie sair Totus quantus quantus est a vertice ad vltimum vsque calcaneum ex mendacijs meris dolis confictus est conflatus In like maner to note a poincte or twoo how he handeleth hym self in his Counsailes alledgyng and wreastyng in the x. Chapiter of his booke prouyng that Priestes maried in Englande â—oraÌ„ R. iiij are not onely to be depriued but also to bee separated he alledgeth a fragmente of a Canon Gan. 30. out of Concilium Epaunense Incestis coniunctionibus nihil prorsus venie reseruamus nisi cum adulterium separatione sanauerint Incaestus vero nec vllo coÌ„iugij nomine pallietur We doe reserue no pardon at all saieth the holy Counsaile for Incestuous copulations excepte thei amende their aduoutrie and filthy life by separatyng them selues a sunder Neither let Incests be coloured or couered with the cloked pretense of Matrimonie Here maister doctor ye doe moste impudently bothe curtall the Canon and also as vntruely wreste it For that it might be knowen what be these incestuous mariages against Nature which ye saie can not be otherwise healed but by separation The Canon further reciteth them by name orderly Emong whiche Incestuous mariages Priestes mariages bee not numbred and thoughe thei were yet there is expressed a greate moderation whiche ye will not make mention of For after the Canon had named fower of suche vnlawfull copulations it saieth thus of them Quos vt a presenti tempore prohibemus ita ea quae sunt anterius instituta noÌ„ soluimus Which mariages as for hereafter we doe forbidde so those which be already made we will not disseuer After whiche woordes the Canon rehearseth the reste and defineth of them thus Sanc quibus coniunctio illicita interdicitur habebunt ineundi melioris coniugij libertatem That is To whom suche vnlawfull copulations bee forbidden shall bee graunted libertee to get theim better mariages Whiche latter parte of the Canon in the Print of Peter Quintell Anno. 1538. though it hath Non habebunt yet the texte is purged in the seconde Counsaile at Towers in the twoo and twentie Chapiter where it is at large set out Furthermore the selfe same degrees of blood whereof these incestuous mariages be made are also recited in the Counsaile Agatensi holden vnder Pope Celestine the first Anno domini 428. and there the Counsaile after dissolution geueth them libertee to marrie a newe Here maister Martin ye maie see that in none of these three Counsailes Priestes copulations be either spoken of or meante as ye vntruely inferre of a peece of the Canon Secondly if thei were yet if ye folow this Counsaile either ye should suffer them still to remaine or els after ye haue disseuered them ye should graunt them to marrie a newe But here maie be considered how muche moderation these Counsailes vsed to beare with an inconuenience once passed to tollerate suche vnnaturall mariages as thei were and were contented onely for necessitee to forbidde them for afterward Lette wise menne iudge of this moderation as thei see cause where wise menne maie sone espie how Doctor Martin abuseth the Counsaile In the same page also it is wonder to note howe he vntruely reporteth the second Counsaile of Macon and as he writeth in the fourtene Canon as forbiddyng Priestes Deacons and Subdeacons former wiues euer to marrie againe after their husbandes decease where in deede no suche matter is in the fouretene Canon In the sixtene Canon there is mention made that the wife of a Subdeacon Exorciste or Acolite should no more marrie But not a woorde of Prieste or Deacon as he vntruely reporteth in that Counsaile Seekyng for this your Counsaile and Canon and none suche to be found I reade in that same seconde Counsaile Canon 4. where it is decreed Vt omnibus dominicis diebus altaris oblatio ab omnibus viris mulieribus offeratur tam panis quam vini vt per has immolationes peccatorum suorum fastibus careant c. Whiche Canon M. Martin may English at his leasure And because he forceth so muche separation he maie reade that in the firste Counsaile of Macon Canon .xj. Bushoppes and Priestes and all the better of the Clergie are bounde aswell to renounce all the secular actes as the companie of their former wiues not vnder paine of separation as you would make menne to beleue you but vnder paine of losse of their dignitees Whiche Canon is woorde for woorde none otherwise recited in Concilio Aruermesi Cap. xii In like maner he doeth violently wrest in the self same leafe a decree of Calixtus if it be his as there bee greate reasons and aucthoritees to proue that it is but feined vpon hym But so muche the more apte for Doctour Martin to aduouche it emong his other suche stuffe the woordes bee these Presbiteris Diaconis Subdiaconis Monachis concubinas habere seu matrimonium contrahere penitus interdicimus contractaque matrimonia ab huiusmodi personis disiungi Upon whiche woordes beside that he vntruely auoucheth in slaunderyng the Apostles primatiue Churche that it was their doctrine that thei should bee separated He noteth three notable poinctes Firste that he putteth no difference betwixt them that bee bounde by their consecration and them that bee bounde