men doe the same that there could bée founde many in the Clergie whiche while thei liue in soole life might perfourme a true chastitie in deede yet bearyng at the least with other he leaueth it as he founde it Now to inferre of this his acte what might bee more iustly saied for the priestes of Englande alreadie so maried in so greate scarsitee of Ministers so many Chresten menne and women forced to liue without all maner religion throughout the whole realme I leaue it to the Magistrates to expende And to the christianly harted readers occation to praie to God for whatsoeuer Gods good spirite within them shall moue them therto And because this man is a Ciuilian let hym loke in the Code whether he reade not that some of this noble Emperors progenitors did priuelege spirituall men their Wiues their Children and Seruauntes both menne and women to be free from the homage called Perangaria Wherby he may fortune espie that their mariages were not only thought tollerable but also iudged honorable beyng so priuileged with suche prerogatiue And if he will looke further lette hym searche whether Iustinian the Emperour commended not a certen Bushop specially in respect that he had priestes and Busshops to his auncestours In nouellis constitut iii. That prudente and Christian Prince of noble memorie Kyng Henrie the eight vnderstandyng that certen in his realme were maried as well Regulers as seculers without aucthoritee and common Lawe made an open proclamatiō in the .xxx. yere of his reigne wherin he did but for afterwarde charge that no man should attempt the same again And did not dissolue the saied mariages being so priuatly contracted The wordes of whiche proclamation be these The kynges maiestie vnderstandyng that a fewe in numbre of this his Realme beyng Priestes as well religious as other haue taken wiues and maried themselues c. his highnes in no wise mindyng that the generalitée of the clergie of this his realme should with the example of suche a few number of light persōs proceade to mariage without a comon consent of his highnes his realme doeth therfore straightly charge cōmaunde as well all singuler the said priestes as haue attempted mariages that be openly knowen as all suche as wil presumptuously proceade to the same that thei ne any of thē shal minister any Sacrament or other ministerie misticall Ne haue any office dignitée cure priuilege profit or commoditée heretofore accustomed belongyng to the Clergie of this realme but shall be vtterly after suche mariages expelled and depriued from the same and be had and reputed as laye persones to all intentes and purposes And that suche as shall after this proclamation contrary to his commaūdement of their presumptuous mind take wiues and be maried shall runne in his graces indignation and suffer further punishment and imprisonment at his graces will and pleasure Datū xvi Nouembris anno regni sui xxx Here it maie be considered what moderation this wise Prince thought mete to be vsed in suche mariages as wer passed without comon consent of whiche he knewe by information a good number from tyme to tyme and yet did bothe tolerate the same whiche were vsed secretly and such as were openly knowen did not seperate them but commaunded them to bee reputed as lay persones And his highnes was not ignorant how necessary it had beene to haue graunted the libertée in his daies whiche but for some certane zelous Counsailers pretendyng how euill the people would take it had been doone by his aucthoritee As was not vnknowen to diuerse whiche heard hym oft speake of that matter If suche moderation as kynges and Emperours haue made in this matter will not serue to moue this maister of Chauncery to temper his extremitie wee will laie before hym some suche potentates whiche paraduenture he accoumpteth to bee of hier aucthoritée in suche matters and will soner bee perswaded by them as Popes Coūsailes and Bushops decrées To satisfie his expectation somewhat wee reade in Platina that Pius Pope of Rome the second of that name was wont to speake these woordes Quòd magna ratione sublatae sunt nuptiae a sacerdotibus sed tamen sibi videri maiori ratione restituendas He affirmed that the cause was great whiche toke a waie mariage from priestes but yet there was greater cause why thei should bee restored to them againe This was this Popes opinion and iudgement And further he writeth Epistola 130. contra Bohemos that in the primatiue churche the Clergie had wiues and that the communion was distributed in bothe kyndes This Pope called before Aeneas Siluius a mā of learnyng as his bokes doth testifie could vpon his owne experience to be fidelis Pontifex that is a faithfull Busshop beare better with the infirmities of others then our holie virgins maiden priestes can now at these daies For in the tyme that he was Cardinall he was not without his remedie For he had one hymself and whether he was werye of her and would haue a newe or that for age he listed now to bee holier it is testified in the .361 Epistle that he gaue her for her dowrie to set her out with thre score florence I doubt not but that he dispensed fauorablie inough when he came to be Pope with suche as hymself was was not so froward as our holy hypocrites be that lay heauie burthens vpon other mens backes will not ease the burthen with the least finger of their handes These head fathers at Rome haue been before now and be at this daie I doubt not more gentle then we be in this particuler Churche For we reade in the life of Franciscus Petrarcha who was a prebendarie at Padua and Archedeacon of Parma that holy Pope Benette the twelft of that name he that would not knowe his kynsfolkes when thei came to hym and saied that a Pope hath no kyndred in yearth This holy father perceauyng how this Poet Lawreate was in such amorous loue with a certē wenche called Laureta peraduenture his sisters brothers daughter that he could neuer dreame and speake to muche of her worthines in his sonettes and sounges of poetrie And leste the saied Archedeacon should be ouercome with to much heauie loue and lose the full fruition of her saieth the storie he graunted hym of his gratious pardon to take her to his wife and ex vberiore gratia graunted further that he should not lose thereby any one of his promotions but should haue more benifices added to those he had alreadie so that of gentle curtesie againe he would graunte to the saied holy Pope the vse of his sister which he brought also with hym to Rome in whose beautie the holy father was taken whose companie and fauoure should do hym more pleasure for his conscience then his owne kinsfolkes Reade the storie and se whether I lye Platina Fasciculus temporum and the said life of Petrarcha Yet good reader here treade warely in the iudgyng of this Popes
liue chaste to whom God by his secrete iudgemente geueth his gifte and that to some he geueth it not But these lyes with suche other many bee the flowers of your virginall preface in letter wise presented to Queene Marie a virgine as ye can flatter her as your maner is to flatter Princes to maintaine your owne partiall causes Ye professe to dedicate your boke to her highnes because ye haue taken vpō you the defence of virginitée but your boke is rather a bolsterer out of al vncleannes a defacer of Gods holy institutiō of Matrimonie a defence of vnpure liuyng vnder the cloke of virginitée Ye make her beleue that God hath sente her to trauaile for the reformation of the Churche of Englande and for restitution of the Catholike faithe againe to the same I will to this saie no more but God graunte that whiche is pretended to bee performed in opere veritate in deede and truthe Yet one thyng had I almost passed awaie whiche were worthy to be expended This Ciuilian affirmeth manifestly that the doctrine of Priestes mariage was firste inuented by Archeheretiques and practised also of their disciples In whiche saiyng I would knowe how he can discharge saincte Paule who in doctrine prescribed to Timothe Titus reckoned mariage emong the ornamentes of a Bushop Ad Oceanum as Hierome nameth it And Leo the first faieth that emong the rules and Canons of the election of a Bushop suche one is to be ordered who is certainly knowē fuisse Ad episcopos Aphricanos Epistola xlix ii ad cor 11. aut esse vnius vxoris virum to haue been or that now is th◠husbande of one wife And where this doctor saieth that the practise thereof should bée in the Archeheretiques disciples lette hym aunswere whether he meaneth Peter and almoste all the Apostles or no For all the Apostles saieth sainct Ambrose except Ihō and Paule had wiues Thus he writeth Virgines vult eos esse in fide hūc est hij sunt qui cum mulieribus non sunt coinquinati In mulieribus errorem significans nā si mulieres mulieres intelligas vt ideò putes dictas virgines quia corpora sua incontaminata seruauerunt excludes ab hac gloria sanctos quia oēs Apostoli exceptis Ioanne Paulo vxores habuerunt vide an conueniat accusare Petrum Apostolum qui primus inter Apostolos est c. That is he willeth theim to bee virgines in faithe therefore it is saied these are thei whiche are not defiled with women by women is signified errour for if thou shouldest vnderstande by women women in deede to thinke that the Apostles therefore were called virgines because thei kepte their bodies vndefiled thou shalt then exclude holy men from this glorie for all the Apostles excepte Ihon and Paule had wiues and see whether it be conuenient to accuse Peter the chief emongest the Apostles Thus farre sainct Ambrose Saincte Augustine also writeth In questionibus noui veteris testamenti ex vtroque mixtis q. Natus ex Anna sanctissimus Samuel filios genuit non tamen iusticiae suae merita minuit Zacharias sacerdos vir iustus in senectute sua dei nutu genuit filium quo nondum nato meruit Prophetare Qua ergo ratione accusatur quod minimè obesse probat Et quis neget bonum debere dici ▪ quod neminem ledit Et vt hoc loco aliquid de Apostolis dicatur quod ad robur pertinet causae Certè S. Ioannes castimonae suae erat custos condiscipulus autem eius S. Petrus vxorem habuisse cognoscitur primatum vt acciperet inter Apostolos non ei obstitit generatio filiorum Quomodo ergo condemnandum putatur quod non est impedimentum Hinc Apostolus eum qui vxorem habeat si in caeteris seruet mandata sacerdotem fieri posse debere ostendit Quod si illicitum erat non poterat vtique peccatorem dicere debere fieri sacerdotem The moste holy Samuell borne of Anne did begette children and for all that did not lose thereby the worthy praise of his righteousnesse And Zacharie the Prieste a righteous man by Goddes biddyng in his olde age did begette a sonne who before he was borne deserued to haue the gifte of Prophesie by what reason then is that thyng blamed whiche is thus proued to bee no hinderaunce And who can deny that ought to be called good which hurteth no man Furthermore to speake now in this place of the Apostles somewhat whiche maie make to the confirmation of this cause though sainct Ihon kept his chastitie yet it is knowen that his fellowe disciple that is to saie S. Peter had a wife and that it was no impediment to hym though he begatte children to obtaine the chief place emongest the Apostles How then can that thyng bee thoughte worthie condemnation whiche is no hinderaunce at all And therevpon the Apostle proueth that he whiche hath a wife if besides forthe he kepeth Goddes commaundementes maie be and ought to bee a Prieste whiche if it were vnlawfull he could not saie that a synner oughte to bee made a Priest Hetherto sainct Augustine So likewise Ignatius doeth testifie that Peter and Paule and other of the Apostles were maried men Qui non libidinis causa sed posteritatis subrogandae causa coniuges habuerunt whiche had wiues not for pleasures sake but for encrease of the posteritie Yea sainct Clement to reproue suche as Eusebius affirmeth that defamed mariage Lib. 3. ca. 30 saieth An Apostolos improbant Petrus enim Philippus vxores habuerunt filias etiam viris nuptum dederunt Sed Paulum non tedit Apostolum in quadam Epistola sua mētionem vel salutationem facere comparis suae quam ideo se negat circumducere vt ad predicationem Euangelij expeditior fiat Doe thei disallowe the Apostles Peter and Philip truely had wiues and maried their daughters to husbandes Yea the Apostle Paule was not ashamed to make a certain mention or salutation of his mate and yokefellowe in a certaine Epistle of his and saieth that he would not for this cause leade her about that he might be the lighter to the preachyng of the Gospel And this same Clement beyng with Peter Lib. vii a perpetuall companiō in his preachyng progresse saieth that Peters wife was with him And some stories saieth that he caried his wife and his daughter Petronell with hym to Rome And the saied Clement saieth Beatum Petrum cum vidisset vxorem suam duci ad passionem gauisum esse electionis gratia ac regressionis ad propriam domū exclamasse ad eam cum duceretur ac proprio nomine compellantem dixisse O coniunx memento domini c. When S. Peter saw his wife ledde to martyrdome he reioised for her elections sake and for her retourne againe to her owne home and with a loude voice callyng her by her proper name as she was
a fornicator with many then to be twise maried Montanus and suche as folowe the scisme of Nouatus say that thei haue takeÌ„ presumptuously vpon them the name of chastitie whiche thinketh that seconde mariages oughte to bee forbidden from the Churches Communion Wher the Apostle charged this thing of Bushops and Priestes and released it to other not that he moueth to seconde mariage but geueth pardon to the necessitie of the fleashe And surely to be a Bushop of Priest without blame and to haue one wife is in our power thus far S. Hierome And here againe maie wee learne what it is to fight in controuersies with mans reasons humaine aucthoritie yea though thei bee not craftely couched together contorted as the bragge of this mans booke standeth wholy vpon that poincte and to exclude the scripture or els to bring in the sciâ—iptures for a countenaunce but yet with violent gloses to drawe them against the heere to applie them to that sentence that is satteled in his head alreadie before he coÌ„meth to theim as it is this mannes greate grace in his whole booke And againe here wee maie expende howe circumspectly the Canonistes of Rome affirme that the writynges of the doctors and holie menne of the Churche muste bee holden to the vttermoste ynche Yea thei bee nowe commaunded to bee holden saie thei in all that thei write to the vttermost title Distinct. 9. Nolâ— For so thei speake in the booke of the decrées If this bee true then let Hierome be holden in this pointe or els let them rather force no further mans saiynges and aucthority then of right the authors themselues would be taken and red and as thei themselues vsed to take other mennes writings of what antiquitie aucthoritie soeuer thei were There is a great difference saith S. Augustine betwixt thaucthoritie of the Canonicall scriptures and the writynges of Bushops whether it be of our owne or of Hyllarius or Ciprian or any other And therfore saith he to Vincentius the Donatiste Epistola 41. stirre vp no quarel of their writynges for thei be not so to be redde that in suche wise their testimonies be brought in as though it weere not lawfull to iudge and thinke contrarie if perhappes thei thought otherwise then the truthe required These are his wordes Noli ergò frater colligere velle calumnias ex episcoporum scriptis siue nostrorum siue Hillarij siue Cipriani quiá hoc genus literarum ab authoritate Canonis distinguendum est Non enim sic leguntur tà nquam ex eis testimonium proferatur vt contrà sentire non liceat si fortè alitèr sapuerint quam veritas postulat And in an other book of his de peccatorum meritis Libro primo Caâ—itulo 22. he saieth cedamus consentiamus authoritati scripturae sanctae quae nescit falli néc fallere hominum est labi hallucinari falli fallere decipi decipere Paulo dicente Videte nèquis vos decipiat c. diuinae auÌ„t scripturae robur nullum eiusmodi defectum admittit Lette vs geue place and geue our assente to the aucthoritie of holy Scripture whiche can not bee deceaued nor deceiue It is naturall to menne to slide to bee blynded Collossians 2. to be deceaued and to deceiue to erre and to induce to erroure as sainct Paule saieth take heede leste any man deceiue you by philosophie and wittie reason and by vaine subtilitie accordyng to mennes traditions accordyng to the elementes and ordinaunces of the worlde and not after Christ. As for the stabilitie of the scripture is not subiect to suche defaute And therefore saieth Cyrill Ad Reginas de recta fide Necessarium nobis est diuinas sequi literas in nullo ab earum praescripto discedere It is necessarie for vs to folowe the holy scriptures and in no point to shrincke from that thei do prescribe Yea let vs reade sainct Hierom and all other with that same rule as hymself redde other For in his Epistle to Mynerius and Alexander he saieth Non praeiudicata doctoris opinio sed doctrinae ratio ponderanda est sciat me illud apostoli libentèr audire omnia probate quod bonum est tenete c. Meum propositum est antiquos legere probare singula retinere quae bona sunt a fide Ecclesiae catholicae non recedere It is not the opinion of a writer in his iudgement so before declared that must be weighed so muche as the reason of his doctrine For I am glad saieth he to followe sainct Paules precept proue all thinges and holde that is good And also to giue heade to the wordes of our sauioure saiyng be ye wise and approued triars that if any Coyne be fourged and haue not the figure of Caesar nor is not striken lyke the currant Mony let it be reproued and that whiche clearly beareth the face and Image of Christe lette that bee laied vp in the purse of oure harte for further saieth S. Hierom I professe this as well in my youth as in my age that Origen and Eusebius weere very great learned menne but yet did erre in the trueth of doctrine In the ende he saieth it is my constant vse and purpose to reade the olde wryters to examine euery thyng to holde fast that is good and not to recede from the saieth of the catholike Churche But heâ—re leste this wryter shoulde take aduauntage by these wordes from the faieth of the catholike Curche it is not his minde to enclude the faieth of the Catholike Churche in suche notes persons and places as now men forceth on vs the faieth of the Catholike Churche For the aucthorities writinges of the Clergie in his tyme was not taken of hym to be the catholike churche for his saied opinion was clearly against the constitutions of the Bushoppes in his tyme. And as he saieth in a certen place ad Heliodorum â— q 7. Non omnes Episcopi sunt Episcopi attende Petrum sed Iudam considera c. Non est facile stare in loco Petri Pauli scilicêt tenere locum iam cum Christo regnantium c. Al be not Bushops that haue the name of Busshoppes marke Peter consider Iudas it is no easie thyng to stande in the place of Peter and Paule that is to holde the cheare of them that reigneth with Christe Thei be not the childreÌ„ of the sainctes whiche occupieth the place of the saintes but thei whiche perfourme their woorkes Infatuatum sal ad nihilum prodest nisi vt proijciatur forà s a porcis conculcetur The salt that is vnsauery is good for nothyng but to bee cast forth out of the doores and to be troden vnder foote And sainct Augustine saieth Non omnis qui dicit pax vobis quasi columba audiendus est Corui de morte pascuntur Hoc Columba non habet c. Not euerie one that saieth pax vobis must be hard as a Doue for Rauens féede of carreine the
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
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
and curteously rebuked of him And ye saie that HildebraÌ„de reformed the priestes which were in the tyme of that Scisme newely stollen into Marriage Where Nauclerus expressyng the storie reporteth that when the Archebushoppe of Mogunce sentiens non parua constare opera vt tanto tempore inolitam consuetudinem reuelleret c. Understandyng that it would coste hym no small labour to vndoe and dissolue that custome of Mariyng by so long tyme rooted and to reforme the whole worlde in her olde and weake age agreably to the rules of the primatiue Churche determined to deale more moderatly with them And Cardinall Benno which was a Cardinall in his daies declareth how cruelly the Emperour was handeled by hym that when this foresaied sainct Gregories counsaile tooke no place where he hired a desperate man to waite the saied Emperour in his oratorie where he vsed to say his praiers to haue slaine hym by lettyng a stone fall doune froÌ„ the roofe vpon hym at the laste after the said Emperor had laine longe flatte at the feete of one of the Popes legates askyng and crauyng the Churches mercie â–ª whiche was vtterly denied hym was finally deposed from his Emperiall dignitee as the storie is lamentably written by the saied Benno But as for this saied Innocent the firste how holy soeuer he was in suche holy decrees so sone followyng his noble predecessour Siritius in whose woordes and phrase he treadeth in as holily and as nigh as ye treade in Pighius steppes yet I thinke ye obey not all his decrées For he decréed that Saterdaie should be fasted because saieth he Christe laye in his graue on the Saterdaie and the Apostles fasted the Saterdaie Which decree of his for fastyng is as well kepte as his decree for chastitée emong the moste part of his shaueÌ„ subiectes or as Telesphorus statute is by foolishe gloses trifled awaie in the decrees Dist. 4. statuâ—â—â—s But how holy soeuer he was in his vowe of chastitée belike he vowed not wilfull pouertie For his infinite vesselles of plate whiche he gaue to the churche of Rome his wonderfull buildinges of churches houses common Bathes there declareth that he died no great beggar Neither in déede was he bouÌ„d to that vowe now for it was after the gift of Constantine after whose daies the bushops of Rome neuer were made them selues Martyres or sainctes but then became to Canonise sainctes that were catholike like CoÌ„stantine and made Martyres of other menne suche as were barkers against the libertees of the Churche In deede this holy Innocent was from Peter as Marianus Scotus writeth the .xxxix. Pope where Melciades was the laste Pope martyre whiche was in order from Peter the .xxxiij. whiche did shedde their bloude saieth Fasciculus temporum for the holy Testament of Christ. And as this Innocente was farre from Peter in succession of tyme so was he further from hym in succession of life and conuersation For Clement sheweth that he was so farre vnable to aduaunce the Churche of Rome as this Innocente did that he reporteth these to be Peters woordes Panis inquit mihi solus cum oliuis raro etiam cum oleribus in vsu est Indumentum hoc est mihi quod vides tunica cum pallio haec habens nihil aliud requiro hoc mihi sufficit Onely bread is my vsuall foode with Oliues and seldome with wortes and herbes As for my gramentes be suche as ye see a coote with a cloke and hauyng these I require no more saieth Peter for this sufficeth me And Christianus Druthmarus an olde aucthour about the yere of our Lorde 800. writyng vpon Matthewe the tenth Chapiter saieth that Peter helde his Busshopricke in Rome .xxv. yeres and yet had not for all that in his possession so muche as fiue foote of grounde of his owne It was greate pitee that good Constantine was not in these daies of the Churches infancie But yet perhappes Peter would haue taken no suche thynges at his handes as Siluester was infected with for his vowe sake As this Ciuilian maketh it an article of doctrine that Peter by a vowe lefte all thynges house lande shippe nettes wife and all So that by that example of his his successours haue sworne a vowe to drawe all thinges to them selues wiues onely except and yet in stede of them some other thinges It might be wondered at what should make Peter so poore and beggarie if this Ciuilian had not a readie answere to shewe this cause as he doeth declare in his booke the like Surely the charge of his wife his nise daughter Petronil made poore Peter to goe in a thredbare coote or els for scrapyng and purchasyng lande for his wife to set out his deare doughter the better for her mariage he spoyled the Churche patrimonie and left but bare walles Pag. â—33 neither Cope nor Uestimente nor siluer Chalice neither and yet kepte but bare hospitalitée to the greate dishonour of the Churche And these were like to bee the causes that he could not leaue so muche by Testamente to his owne Churche as this Innocent in the man age of the Churche was able to doe But without doubte Peter was in an vnluckie tyme and so was his See as vnhappie for .xxxiij. of his next successours loste their heades some as charged with treason and some with heresie one after an other whiche euill lucke if it should returne againe to the Bushoppes in Rome at their See I would bee suretie for them â–ª that thei would not iudge the ambition for the place so honourable as thei doe Although yet S. Gregorie the firste writeth De â—ura pastor parte 〈…〉 that it was then honourable to desire to bee a Busshoppe when he was like to bee the firste to goe to martyrdome for his flocke But now the Churche is better confirmed and coumpteth it honourable for Bushoppes to brennâ— their owne brethren Bushoppes if thei will take vpon them to stande for the holy Testament of Christe But let vs here what names this holy Innocent geueth to innocent matrimonie No holy names Cap. 13. II. iij I warrant you For he calleth it in the same Chapiter of that decrée that maister Martin calleth him an holy writer for carnall concupiscence filthinesse infidelitée and a life of the fleshe that caÌ„ not please God Whose veigne in holines this holy Martin foloweth righte vp and doune in his booke For he calleth the seconde mariage of Laye menne more lawfull then honest and bryngeth in many aucthoritées of prophane auctors that calleth their twise mariyng but lawfull incontinencie and nameth them adulterars by Lawe Ca. 4. and concludeth that Paule thereby was moued to forbidde Priestes to marrie twise But here it is méete to note what monition sainct Augustine gaue against suche bletherblowne wise men writyng de bono viduitatis Sicut bonum sanctae virginitatis quod elegit filia tua non damnat vnas nuptias tuas sic nec viduitas tua
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
ye doe so muche delite in number of aucthoritées that ye shall be founde emong them and others in that opinion a very singular at length Yet be not angrie though I put no substantiue to this adiectiue for though I did yet should it not bee pernicious to your substance as with suche epithetes in your nexte booke if ye shall be able to charge me I am content to be rewarded Marie your holy water that ye cast and sprinkle to faste thicke is more bitterly salted exercised with other coniuratiue termes Spiritus immside Apostata Heretike Scismatike Incest Traitour c. Iwis M. Martin your mouthe hath vttered the goodnes of your harte what treasure lieth there Your boke hath declared what you bee He that brent Dianas temple to get hym a name shall not be more famously registered in the booke of fame then you for your so excellent endeuour in fieryng the poore temples of so many of your poore countrée folkes labouryng by all meanes ye can now after ye haue caste theim into the fire of poâ—ertée to haue them caste also into the fire of other temptations And lastly peraduenture in your burnyng Charitée into the fire of Smithfield that ye should haue the more vitailes at your table Which boke of youres because ye would haue your fame spred the more abrode ye haue labored very diligently to haue it in euery mannes hande to se the wonderfulnesse of your wit the miracle of your learnyng the infinite measure of your charitée I therevpon haue taken a little paine and haue vouchsaued to honeste it with a fewe Scholies till better leisure maie serue to make some iuste Commentaries And I doubte not but ye shall haue more of your freÌ„des some otherwhere hereafter of a quicker vaine and of more eloquence that will handle your booke farre otherwise then I doe For in deede I keepe in many worthie commendations that ye deserue but that I would not flatter you to your face to putte you in perill to bee beside your self And here in earneste faithe I would wishe all studentes in learnyng for the zeale thei beare to learnyng and truthe to bestowe their talentes to the worthie commendation of so worthie a maÌ„ beyng so yong as he is so painâ—ull yet in studiyng for the truth that he hath so wasted his braine that he hath almoste spente all his witte and learnyng at Paris and brought but a very little from thence and came full poorely ouer And yet that little that he hath so friendly letteth vs haue parte of it emong his other greate affaires of the Common wealthe whiche bee now laied on his small shulders â–ª full euill against his will but for pure necessitée that the realme hath of suche Frenche studentes But here good reader I perceiue that I forget my self and I am I can not tell how vneuenly caried and tossed in the ship I rowe in thus in my skape ouersea I would faine soberly goe on as the grauitée of the cause requireth And wheÌ„ I purpose so and then again haue this ridiculum caput in mine eye minde to resort to any of his saied handeled matters I forgette my self againe and abase my penne almoste to the lenitie of his writyng to be like hym Of what secrete inspiration I can not tell excepte Salomons precepte so vp and doune written in his prouerbes carieth me secretly vp doune in my writynges where he saith Ne respondeas stulto iuxta stultitiam suam Prouerb â—â— ne efficiaris ei similis And euen there againe Responde stulto iuxta stultitiam suam ne sibi sapiens esse videatur Aunswere not a foole accordyng to his foolishenesse leste thou bee made like vnto hym And yet answere a foole agreably to his foolishenesse lesse he be thought to be wise to hymself To bryng in Lawes and Canos and mannes aucthorities in like sorte as he reporteth theim for his strongest holdes I was therto caried by secret instinct so to answere hym again ne sibi sapiens esse videatur lest he should seme to hym self he were wise And yet not to answere hym so agreably with these as stickyng more to them then to the scriptures as he doeth for so is not my mynde to answere hym ne videar illi similis leste I might seeme lyke to him For when all mannes aucthoritée in his word is inconstant changeable as it is Gods eternall worde the precept of Christes gospell is that whiche muste bee onely and soundly sticken vnto as iudge infallible though this man teacheth the contrarie For as those .ij. notable Priestes Martyrs Moyses and Maximus of whom Cyprian maketh metion Li. 2. Epistola 4. praising them for their constancie in their long imprisonment perceiued in their cogitations wherwith thei were diuersly tossed to and fro in prison that ther was no suer staie and refuge for conscience but Gods worde onely In like maner vpon their experience thei did aduertise other therof as the same Cyprian reporteth the saiyng and writyng of the saied priestes Moyses and Maximus Lib. 4. Epistolarum Epistola 3. saiyng Solicita admonitione insistitis vt euangelij saÌ„cta precepta tradita nobis semel mandata vitalia forti stabili obseruatione teneantur hoc est esse confessorem domini hoc est esse Martyrem Christi seruare vocis suae inuiolatam circa omnia solidam firmitatem Ye haue sent instantly to vs by moste carefull aduertisement that the holye preceptes of the Gospell and those coÌ„maundementes of life once deliuered vnto vs should be holden of vs with stronge and stable obseruation While ye doe this saieth Ciprian Oh this it is to bee a Martyr and witnesse of Christe This it is to be a confessor of the Lorde to obserue the stable foundation of his voyce inuiolably in euery poinct If we were at this poinct that we would reuerence the scripture as saieth sainct Augustine as placed in the supreme and heauenly height of aucthoritée Epistola 1â— Velut in summo caelesti authoritatis culmine collocatam For how muche soeuer a man shall excell in knowledge yet shall he finde hymself farre vnder the aucthoritée of scripture which almightie God hath appointed to bee a stable piller farre passyng all mennes inuentions QuantuÌ„ enim quisque sciendo profecerit infrà illas literas se inueniet Ad Orosium Cap. 11. quas Deus tanquam firmamentum supra omnia humana corda constituit If in our coÌ„trouersies we would appeale as he doeth to the scriptures where he writeth against an heritike this controuersie asketh a iudge Ergo let Christe bee iudge and lette hym speake the worde to what effect his death hath auailed De nuptijs con li. 2. ca. 33 CoÌ„tra preseri heretie Ista controuersia iudicem querit iudicet ergo christus cui rei mors eius profecerit ipse dicat If with Tertulian whatsoeuer is the first that is right whatsoeuer is latter that is
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
to erre of what equitie indifferencie should it proceede not to defie his pernicious malice rather then to be displeased with vs for that we simplie declare without colour the trueth of our beliefe But yf any man woulde aske what it should meane that before these dayes long ago and from tyme to tyme certain fathers more learned then prudent in gouernement but of Munkyshe affection in their zeales dyd so muche call on in their wrytynges vppon the state of the Cleargie to lyue in single lyfe And what it meant that certaine kynges before the conquest no doubt so induced by their Munkyshe confessours in their Saxons lawes certaine religious ordinaries in their canon bookes dyd moue exhort the byshoppes and priestes to lyue in single chastitie out of matrimonie To this I must aunswere that diuers of them hauyng an enuie at the laye Cleargie in their libertie which they them selues had by vowes renounced were extremely hotte in this matter though some of the better sort perceauyng the cumber that is in maryage and carefull worldlynes whiche is commonly seene to be ensued of maryed persons woulde haue the Cleargie whose office is to execute so heauenly and diuine misteries not to be auocated or called backe by any worldly lettes eyther froÌ„ continual studie or earnest prayer whereby they myght attende the more wholely to the wynnyng of mens soules who yet dispraysed not nor condempned matrimonie no not in those priestes which were founde in it in this their commendyng of virginitie though for causes aforesayd preferryng single state before matrimonie nor compellyng all sortes of men to lyue in that single state to the daunger of their soules but rather dyd beare with their infirmitie grauntyng them full libertie of maryage so to turne this necessitie into vertue then by ouermuch austeritie to dryue them to leade a sole lyfe to the hynderaunce both of godly studies and to the vtter suppressing of true and godly prayer in a pure and vndefyled conscience For they thought with saint Hierome Aduersus IouimanuÌ„ lib. 1. Chrisost in Paul 1. Tâ— 3. Sup. pa. 251. Quod non sunt tanti virgines quanti necessariâ— sunt sacerdotes There is not so great necessitie of hauyng virgins as hauyng priestes and ministers to the buyldyng and repayryng of Christes Churche And therefore saith Chrisostome Thapostie wrytyng that the Byshop shoulde be the husbande of one wyfe in that his canon ecclesiasticall exhorted men to that office and vsed to graunt a more moderate vertue to them then required the perfection lest els the church saith he shoulde be without ministers which must needes haue many yf the exact perfection were exacted of them agaynst their power strength and agaynst their gyft that is geuen them of God beyng a gyft so rare and not obteyned of many Nowe as these fathers were ledde with a good and godly spirite to moue men to this state to take it who can take it and vsed no further force or violence of compulsed chastitie So agayne there were other fathers and wryters mouyng to this perfection which are to be feared to be ledde with an other maner of spirite suche as Paul prophesied of before should come in the later dayes 1. Tim 4. Spiritus manifeste dicit quod in nouissimis temporibus discedent quidam a fide attendentes spiritibus erroris doctrinis demoniorum in hypochrisi loquentium mendatium et cauteriatam habentes suam conscientiam prohibentium nubere et iubentium abstinere a cibis quos deus creauit ad percipiendum cum gratiarum actione fidelibus iis qui cognouerunt veritatem Quia omnis creatura dei bona est nihil reiicienduÌ„ quod cum gratiaruÌ„ actione percipitur sanctificatur enim per verbum dei orationem The spirite speaketh euidently that in the latter tymes some shall depart from the fayth and shall geue heede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of deuyls which speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with an hotte iron forbyddyng to marry and commaundynge to abstayne from meates whiche God hath created to be receaued with geuyng thankes of them that be faythfull and knowe the trueth For euery creature of God is good and nothyng ought to be refused yf it be receaued with thankes geuyng for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer And this dyd saint Paul speake very shortlye after he had made rules for Byshops emonges whiche he wylled that the Byshop should be the husbande of one wife For of what spirite may it spryng that pope Hâ—ldibrande dyd so rage in his boysterous lawes and preceptes for this forced state of single lyfe in his tyme neuer before forbydden as testifie diuers recordes as is before touched What commotions what calamities pag 214. what mischiefes rose and folowed of such his spirite and conscience marked with an hotte iron let the common recordes of stories be searched and then shall it appeare what good came to the christian religion by this his doctrine demonycall forbyddyng maryage and dissoluing matrimonies that were perfected and in good quiet Let Sigebertus storie be expended and one other wryter of our owne countrey Radulphus de diceto for all other be hearde what they wryte Gregorius papa 7. Hildibrandus Celebrato synodo symoniacos anathematizauit vxoratos sacerdotes a diuino remouit officio De anno 1017. laicis missam eorum audire interdixit nouo exemplo vt multis visum est inconsideratò preiudicio contra sanctorum patrum sententiam c. Gregorie pope the seuenth of that name called Hildibrand in a councell kept dyd accurse suche as committed symony and remoued maryed priestes from diuine seruice and dyd forbyd the laye people to heare their masses which was done in example altogether newe Supra pag. 2.15 and as it appeared to many in an vnconsiderate preiudice agaynst the iudgement of the holy fathers c. Of whiche matter saith he râ—se so great a sclaunder that the holy churche was in no tyme of herisie rent a sunder with a more daungerous diuision and scisme whyle some stoode for iustice some agaynst iustice some not holdyng them selues from symonie some pretendyng an honest name in the vice of couetousnes whyle they dyd beast freely to geue that thing which vnder the name of charitie they dyd sell and as Eusebius speaketh of the Montane heritiques vnder the name of oblations they can craftyly get rewardes Furthermore fewe there were that kept their chastitie some of them counterfaytyng only a chastitie for lucres sake and for glorie many encreasing their vnchast lyuing by the committing of periurie with the more multiplication of adulteries whervpon the laye people takyng this oportunitie dyd ryse vp agaynst suche as were in holye orders and withdrewe them selues from all ecclesiasticall obedience the laye people dyd foully entreate the holy misteries of them they disputed they dyd baptize infantes vsyng the fylthy humour of their eares in steade