Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	write_n	write_v	writing_n	326	4	8.8356	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07116	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, [and] 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 [and] canons, were extynguyshed by the sayde parliament ...	Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575.; Morison, Richard, Sir, d. 1556, attributed name.; Ponet, John, 1516?-1556, attributed name.	1567 (1567)	STC 17519; ESTC S112350	311,635	404

¶ 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 ▪ c. and yf they can not conteyne let them marry be generally spokē 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 th● 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 importaūce 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 ●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 peraduēture 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 presēted 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 thē who loue God and his veritie and to admonishe all such as be eyther wylfully ignoraunt or malicious well to expende

saie Qui nocet noceat adhuc qui in sordibus est sordescat adhuc qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc sāctus 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 Chaun●t●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 lie● 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 discretiō 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 cōmonlie whose offices were but to syng Masses for money mumble vp their Mattens to make a pretēce 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

cōpte our selues in any perill Can our nexte neighbours house be on fire that parteth vs paraduenture but the breadth of one thinne wall and we without care of our owne Will we lie still quiet in our beddes And yet this I speake not as vpbreindyngly to your worshipfull wisedomes but as out of a free naturall harte in loue towarde our common countrey puttyng to your consideration that common perrill that maie ensue by humble sute requestyng your wisedomes to peruse this simple worke whiche maie geue you further occasion to consult with your selues what ye shal thinke méete as it maie be to God his glory honourable to the realme worshipfull to your selues and profitable to all our assuraūces ¶ An admonition to the naturall and louyng Subiectes of the realme Emong the earnest warnynges that our sauiour Christ left behinde him to admonishe his electes to the worldes ende good Christian reader I reade none in my iudgemente to bee had in more deepe remembraunce then suche as when he biddeth vs beware of false Prophetes Math. vii whiche come vnto vs in Shepes clothyng beyng inwardlie rauishyng Wolues Marke iiii Luke viii Take hede saieth he and beware what and how ye heare Take heede and beware of the Leauen of the Phariseis whiche is hypocrisie For there shall arise false Christes Math. xiii and false Prophetes and shall shewe miracles and wonders to deceiue if it were possible euen the very elect But take ye hede behold I haue shewed you all thinges before Of which graue and weightie admonitiōs of our sauior the holie Apostle S. Paule was not forgetfull to put vs still in remembraunce Collos. ii as in his Epistle to the Collossians saiyng Beware leste any manne come and spoile you through Philosophie and deceiptfull vanitie through the traditions of men and ordinaunces of the worlde and not after Christ. Let no man make you shoote at a wrōg marke whiche after his owne imagination walketh in the humblenesse and holines of Angels in thynges whiche he neuer sawe without cause puffed vp with his fleshly minde ii Peter i● Iude. and holdeth not the head c. Thother Apostles in their writynges put vs likewise ofte in remembraunce of the like and prophecied infalliblie that suche should come to trie the faithe and constancie of christian people And as thei tolde vs before of their arisyng so thei prophecied certainly of their destruction The more subtillie the perswasion is cloked vnder coloure of aucthoritie of high names ii Timo. iii. Fathers Counsailes and Canōs wonder of witte miracle of learnyng pretence of Angelicall holinesse the more hede ought to be taken lest suche as haue not their senses exercised in Goddes woorde and grounded vpon the stable rocke of the same by suche worldlie tentations beginne to be offended and so their buildynges fall flatte downe The more daungerous the hurte is that ensueth to vs of this deceipte the more studiously should we looke about vs leste vnwarely we be caught therewith Yea the more aduisedly we bee before warned by no lesse monitour then the redeemer of our soules the sonne of God the wisedome of his father and the ofter we be putte in mynde by his Apostles who in spirite knewe what would folowe the more without excuse muste wée needes be if we will bee wilfullie ledde blinde and deluded To the entent therefore that either the writer of the late set forthe booke againste the lawfull mariages of Priestes namyng hym self Thomas Marten Doctor of the Ciuile Lawe maie bée admonished how he hath againste all Ciuilitie handeled hym self in the greate outward shewe of his writyng wherby he maie in some other suche like labour hereafter bee better aduised how to publishe his sodaine verdite in matters of learnyng in controuersie to write more aduisedlie then he shal be proued to haue doen in this gaie glorious prankyng booke either to amēde his fault or to stande to the defence of that whiche he hath written or at the leste waie if he haue determined in hym self that he will not for curste harte as GOD forbid redresse his ouersight or in a worldlie respecte were lothe to lose the gaine and praise that he supposeth to haue deserued by this his greate trauell at the handes of a greate many in these daies addicte already for sunderie vncomely respectes to his saied sentence and opinion Yet at the leaste waie that the indifferent learned reader maie haue some notes and aduertisementes to expende the substance of his reasons and that the weaker reader be not slaundered and betraied with the subtilitie of his Philosophie I haue thought it requisite to sette out a little taste of his saied booke till some other hereafter maie take in hande more ripely and groundly to examine his processe particularly to the full debatement of the truth which as he pretendeth to wishe to haue the better hande So I praie God we maie all in one accord and Christian agreement wishe it without hypocrisie in sinceritie and veritie to the glory of God his maiestie to the honourable and Godly contentation of the Kyng and Queenes highnes to the comfort of their graces Nobles and Commons and to the aduauncement of pure and perfecte chastitie in Cleargie to the suppression of superstitious and carnall carelesse life in filthinesse and vncleanesse of the same And that thou maiest haue gentle reader some introduction to leade thee into his boke I shall premitte a fewe notes to summe the substaunce of his writyng ¶ Summarie notes and obseruations to admonishe the Reader of D. M. booke as after in particularitie shal be shewed ¶ The first note M. Doctor in the allegation of his aucthours vseth violence in the translation of them to hurte the sense and misreporteth them leauyng out that might open the trueth and puttyng into the texte that is not in the aucthour Or els draweth and wresteth them to other senses then the aucthours did intende in so writing whiche is the common practise of the moste part of suche doctours who foloweth one an other in false reportyng and aduouchyng the aucthours As this doctour foloweth blindely the reporte and iudgement of Pighius and one or twoo suche more who were blinded them selues and be leaders of the blinde The seconde As he ascribeth to the procedyng preachers for soe he calleth them suche saiynges assertiōs as himself pleaseth to slaunder them with so he maketh them to speake in suche sort that it may be the easier for hym to confute them or els if the reason be good and strong he passeth a waie with silence and setteth a good countenaunce on it and stealeth so a way priuille The thirde Thirdlie he putteth no difference betwixt mariage in a priest and notoriouse adulterie or incest And what so euer any aucthor writeth against horedome he applieth the same against mariage and maketh the aucthors so to speake vntruely and so applieth all his lawes and canons to priestes mariages where in déede a

a fornicator with many then to be twise maried Montanus and suche as folowe the scisme of Nouatus say that thei haue takē 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 sci●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 cōmeth 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. Nol● 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 tànquam 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 Ca●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 aūt 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 he●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 ● 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 childrē of the sainctes whiche occupieth the place of the saintes but thei whiche perfourme their woorkes Infatuatum sal ad nihilum prodest nisi vt proijciatur foràs 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

sacerdotibus Anglorum antea non prohibitas quod quibusdam mundissimum visum est Li. 7. Chro. Iorenalli Nicho. Trucet quibusdā 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. Colātes culi●●●● Cameli●n de glutien if it be true that Willyā 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 cōfessiō 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 cōuersion 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 oēs tunc temporis in Anglia secularibus haud absimiles erant nisi quod pudicitiam nō facile proderent canum cursibus auocari auium praedam raptu aliorumque volucrum per mane sequi Spumanti● equi tergum promere tesseras quatere potibus indulgere delicatiori victu accuratiori cultu frugalitatem nescire parsimoniam abnuere caetera id genus vt magis illos Cōsules quā Monachos frequentia famulantium diceres That is The Mōkes 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 monitiōs 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 Mendacē 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 natiuitatē sanctae Mariae celebrauit concilium solenne apud Londoniā c. Sed quià Moses dei secretarius in historia sancta parentum etiam suorum vt virtutes ità vitia scilicet facinus Loth scelus Ruben proditionem Symeō 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

kyng of the lande our owne Chronicles will tell you as for Constantia and Ramirus I doe auouche the aucthour aforesaied de ritu nuptiarum where ye maie moste redily see it testified And here master Martin I wonder that where I thinke ye haue seen that booke for it is printed with you of late in Englande ye consider not the tracte of that writyng wherby ye might learne many necessary pointes of learnyng As in his seconde booke of the vtilitée and necessitée of dispensation to tempre the rigour of lawes and in the beginnyng of readyng that seconde booke to tell you plainly my contemplation therein ye came by and by into my remembrance by the occasion of a sentence written therein in the beginnyng reported out of Plato whēce peraduenture Terence fetched out his saiyng Homine imperito nihil quicquam iniustius qui nisi ꝙ ipse facit nihil rectum esse putat that is There cā be nothyng worse then an vnskilfull man who thinketh nothyng well doen but that whiche he doeth hym self But the saiyng is this Legem Plato similē esse ait homini pertinaci imperito praeterque suū praescriptū nihil fieri permittēti qui ne interpellari quidē se patitur etiam si qua incidat extra ordinē causa in qua cōmodissimū sit aliter fieri quam pro ratione quam ipse semelīstituerit Plato saith that lawe is like vnto a froward ignoraunt man that will suffer nothyng to be doen but as he appoincteth it and will not let his deuise to be altered although some bycause should happen in respect wherof it were berter to be doen otherwise then as he in his reason had once determined it I● this sentence had béen wel pondered of you master Martin before ye beganne your booke either would you haue holden your hande frō the booke to haue auoided the checke of this notable sentēce or els if that notwithstandyng ye would haue yet written as ye haue doen you must needes shewe your self to bee of suche a nature as I would praie to GOD none the like should euer come to bee a counsailour in the Chauncerie so long as I should haue ought to doe there Well master Martin looke to the same sentence yet once againe Et dic te stultū intus dic sapiens eris Ye might haue furthermore there learned that it is affirmed ꝙ condere leges munus sit regiae facultatis So to dispence with them in necessitée of tyme and place is so belongyng to the prudēce of a kyng that els his subiectes should by extreme right bee oppressed with extreme wrong And this is an other sentence whiche would doe well to be expended in the defence of the cause that ye haue takē in hande where ye saie that this matter of mariages perteined not to the kyng And if that forein ruler at Rome hath so ample aucthorite as to dispence not with one man onely to haue .ij. wiues for a nede but with al the lawes that euer God or mā made exceptyng no more but tharticles of the faithe yet some Canonistes write that he maie interprete them also why then can ye not be contente that your late naturall leige Lorde and maister with the assent of his Parliament should doe so little a thyng in despensation that is one of the leaste crummes that fall from the Popes table I dare saie so small that the worste tourne broche in his ketchin could gette it of his holinesse by an easie entreatée for all his kinsfolkes if thei were all Priestes and Uotaries to Master Martin I will not here vrge a contemplation that is now in my mynde vpon you but praie you once againe looke if you can sée your face in Platos glasse before spoken and aduise you in tyme or els all the worlde will wonder master Martin stones will speake and blockes will write yea God will be angrie and that is worste of all Happie is he that hath a trustie friende to tell hym good counsaile yet happier is he that hath it of hym self if he should want hym happie is he that hath a good nature but yet more happie is he whose nature grace hath reformed to haue GOD alone alwaies in his eye Also ye might further haue learned of hym in his thirde booke that it is but Popes lawe that orders should withstand matrimonie And that the Greke Priestes at this daie liue in Matrimonie And moreouer that he writeth that in his Spanishe priestes whiche be ordered by the Popes very pontificall nothyng doeth so muche let them from mariage as their vowe whiche is vowed vtcunque after a certain maner saieth he of them in their orderyng I dare saie so indifferent a manne as he semeth to be if he had knowen the maner of our priestes orderyng by the Englishe pontificall speaking in suche maner timidè vtcūque of the priestes of Spain he would haue saied that our priestes maketh no maner of vowe in no maner of maner But to go forwarde and discharge my promise of that other two priestes maried after thei were priestes if ye loke in the storie Tripartite Lib. 5. Ca. 44. consider whether Socrates reporteth not of one there named Apollinaris a Prieste that maried after his priesthode and begatte a child called by his owne name Apollinaris Consider the place indifferently the rather for that S. Hierome doeth affirme that he was a Priestes sonne in Catalogo script Ecclesiastic If that will not serue you yet I will be suer to make vp my .iiij. promised by one that is written of in the saied booke Eupsichius a Busshop Lib. 6. cap. 14. Who alitle before his martirdome maried his wife wher he was reputed tyll that tyme but hādfasted As I was writyng this in came Genius quidam and sittyng at myne elbow tolde me plainly that these placis were like to bee bulted and sifted to the branne And that now the greke bookes should be sent for to vnderstand some startyng hole to crepe out at For that can not be borne that in suche autentike stories specially of the Churche we should find any suche one and then againe no mention made that thei did it by dispensation of the father at Rome For rather then that should appeare in storie openly thei would haue plaied the partes that is like thei haue doen in the Apostles Canons in Clementes workes of recognitiō of the recordes of the Counsails yea in al antiquities to chop in and out at their pleasure for their purposes Blessed bee God that he yet preserued his holy Testamentes cleane from their sophistications for the text self whiche shal be able euermore in al ages to purge it self what drosse soeuer thei haue cast vpon it to blemishe the cleare light therof Well it will be meruaill if Magdalen College in Oxford be not brought forthe or some other text other where searched out And here I am sure their heads must be set a worke that cā saie