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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17084	The gratulation of the mooste famous clerke M. Martin Bucer a man of no lesse learninge and lyterature, then godlye studie and example of lyuing, vnto the churche of Englande for the restitucion of Christes religion. And hys answere vnto the two raylinge epistles of Steue[n], Bisshoppe of Winchester, concerninge the vnmaried state of preestes and cloysterars, wherein is euidently declared, that it is against the lawes of God, and of his churche to require of all suche as be and must be admitted to preesthood, to refrain from holye matrimonie. Translated out of Latin in to Englishe.; Gratulatio ad Ecclesiam Anglicanam. English	Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551.; Hoby, Thomas, Sir, 1530-1566.	1549 (1549)	STC 3963; ESTC S106007	62,277	167

spirite the onely guyde vnto al veritie vpon them that hereby instructed to helthe by fayth they may be dayly more perfecte and apte to all good workes as Gods seruaunte accordynge to the promyse of the holye ghooste manyfested by the Apostle Paule To the whiche felicitie ye prepare awaye for them and specially in expoundynge so plainelye and substancially the nature and efficacye of the trew and Christiane fayth which first of al must be learned by y e scriptures separate it so religiously frō the dead faythe Here also ye declare a●d with most euydent testimonies of scripture confirme Fyrste into how great myserye deathe we are al caste headlōg through the synne of our former parēt Adam Afterwarde how we are delyuered from thys perdition by the onely grace of God by the merytes and resurrection of hys sonne iustifyed in Gods syght taken by adoption of hym for children and heyres Finallye what the studye workes of thē ought to be which are so iustifyed renued By thys so happye and perfect a restitutiō of Christes doctryne ye so enlarge al christes kyngdom with your mē y t there can remaine for no long season any remnant of the olde leuen in anye parte of the ceremonyes or discypline For whiche your men can be ignorant from hensforth that Gods sacramentes ought so whollye to be mynystred as Christ hym self left add gaue them vnto vs so that throughe them hys grace and helth some partakynge may be preached ●et furth signed vnto al moste plainelye and godly whiche oughte to be partakers of them so that they maye profitte greatly to the vndoubted settyng furth and reedifyenge of faythe and all godlynes Uvho also can not know that al the ceremonies of the churches al discipline as wel of the Clergye and the laytye shoulde be so repayred retayned and daylye had in practyse that the gospell and Christes sacramentes may be ministred and receaued with so moche the more dignitie and holynes The whiche happye obtaynynge of Christes gyftes and workes the old aduersary of mankynde bearynge in mynde goeth aboute with toothe and nayle as in fore tymes so nowe also to brynge to passe that men shoulde eyther not reade the scriptures at all or at the least wyse not reade them as thynges that myght teach and instructe vs suffiefficiētly for our helth or els not be vnderstanded of thēselues without the traditions and interpretatiō of the churche as they falsely name it For whome he can perswade that those which are called the traditions of the church shoulde be had in like estimatiō and honour with the verie scripture of God that there is no right interpretation of the scripture vnlesse the Romishe seat hathe approued it vnder the name of al Christes church Those can he also easely afterward make beleue and cause to receaue any of hys iuglinges cloked with the titles other of the traditions or interpretations of the churche and so withdrawen by a litle and litle from Gods liuely worde and gouernaunce addict them altogether vnto hys moste detestable doctryne and tyrannye For vnto those furthwith as we see experience he establyssheth thys hys determination of deade faythe that they thinke that who so is indued therewith that is to witte who so say and affirme that they obserue all thynges what soeuer the Romysh seate geueth furthe to be beleued whether it be of y e scriptures or theyr fayninges they are strayght furthe and must be counted notwithstanding though they denye apparantly in theyr dedes Christes trewe and lyuely faythe not onely to be of the commune sorte but also the chiefe rulers of the churche yf thei once come into that place by the permissyon and fauoure of the Romysh seate Uvherevnto immediatly he addeth another one of the chief●st snares of soules the determination of the infinite dignitie immunitie and power of hys cleargye but chiefly of the Byshop of Rome whiche he beateth into mens heades that al those whome the Bysshop of Rome once admitteth acknowlegeth in hys cleargye muste be iudged and corrected of none but onely of the Bysshoppe of Rome and he of no lyuyng creature no not of the very counsayl though he drawe with hym manye milians of soules to hell Also that heauen gates can be opē to no man whiche commeth not thyther fauored of him and purged with his ceremonies Finally that he hathe in his keapinge the keyes of heauen earth and hell so that it is in hys power to bynde and to ●oule at hys wyll and pleasure al lawes and Empires And that he is the veraye Lorde of the whole worlde and trew possessor of al the ryches therof and yet nother man nor God Yes truely a God of y e earth Uvith these snares meny entangled and kepte folowe moste communlye theyr lyfe whome they suppose are apointed guydes vnto them to the blessed and happye lyfe And albeit they treade vnder foote the Sonne of God with theyr manyfest mischeues flagitiousnes and counte hys blood prophane notwithstādyng they promyse that God wyl be mercyfull vnto thē and at lengthe after tollerable purgation obtayne the happye and blessed lyfe so that perseuerynge in the obey●aunce towardes the Romyshe seate communicatynge of the ceremonyes how soeuer they be approued by the same seate get and obtayne the i●dulgenties of the same seate and intercessyon of the sayntes by those wayes whiche the same seate hath prescrybed This is the cause y t al they y t be are the name of Christians few excepte haue ben seduced and gone headling into so muche vngodlines abomination y t we are therfor abominable euen vnto the Turkes ¶ Uve ought therfore of bounde dutye to thanke God greatly our sauyour for you whome he hath minded breaking so happilye these which were ones most strayte bondes of y e deuil and driuyng away that darkenes to bryng your selues youres vnder y e happie plesaunt yoke of our Lorde Iesus Christ into a kingdom of lyght and euerlastyng libertie for bycause ye restore prayse vnto al the readyng authoritie of holye scripture on thys maner as we se by thes hedde princyples of al christiā doctryne expound thē so godly holy Cōcerning y t trew and li●ely fayth in Christ. The perditiō of al mankynd by the former ●arthlye Adā The rest● tution and renouation of the elect by the other heauenly Adam And then duties which are so restored renued For now your men who so will thankefully receaue these so great benefittes of Christe at your hande shalbe instructed daylye more and more by these holye letters to all godlynes and helth and framed to all good worke bothe openly priuately And that not alonelye the stronge in faythe but also the weake for hereof as ye declare agreyng with S Fulgentius Christes suckelynges may sucke no lesse theyr milke reason simplicitie then the strong in faythe comprehende sounde meate

The Gratulation of the mooste famous Clerke M. Martin Bucer a man of no lesse learninge and lyterature then Godlye studie and example of lyuing vnto the churche of Englande for the restitucion of Christes religion And Hys answere vnto the two raylinge epistles of Steuē Bisshoppe of Winchester concerninge the vnmaried state of preestes and cloysterars wherin is euidently declared that it is against the lawes of God and of his churche to require of all suche as be and must be admitted to preesthood to refrain from holye matrimonie Translated out of Latin in to Englishe Hebru xiij Wedlocke is to be had in price amonge al men is a chamber vndefyled As for hoore keapers adulterers God wyll iudge them To his right worshypfull Brother Syr Philyppe Hobye knight M. of y e Kinges maiesties ordinaunce Thomas Hobye wishethe grace and peace throught our lorde Iesus Christe EMonge the sundrye and manifolde benifittes whiche from my tender childhod I haue foūde in yow and receaued at your handes most especiall good brother thys is not the leaste that ye haue now af late dayes of the good zeale ye beare to Gods worde which at all tymes hath byn moste feruent in you caused me to be sent not only in to such a regiō where as florissheth Gods worde all good letters bothe holye and prophane all honestie puritie of lyfe men in all artes and sciences moste cunning and experte But also to such a man who is of no lesse wisdom knouledge godlines then of fame reporte renoune by all godly mens iudgementes one of the perfectest and greatest Clerkes nowe lyuinge namelye M. Martyne Bu●●● in whose daylye conuersation and companye and by whose wisdome learninge and documētes I shoulde receaue and learne that shoulde belonge not onlie to myne owne fu●●herance profyt but also to the consolation and comfort of you all my frendes whō hytherto I haue founde moste beneficyall towardes me Sythe therfore it hath thus chaunced by your most godly procurement prouision that I should for a season here remaine with this profounde and famous Clerke ye myght not vnworthelye in dede with iuste cause impute vnto me either the vyce of igname or els obliuion and forgetfulnes of your moste large and ample benefittes if I should let slippe suche a mete apt and necessarye epistle of his and especiallie beinge writtē and indited to the whole churche or congregation of Englande bothe learned vnlearned in the which he expresseth not only the assured and vnfained loue that he beareth at all tymes hathe borne towardes this realme and rulars and ministers of the same but also very euidentlye declareth and with moste manifeste testimonies of scripture setteth furthe at large suche thinges as maye be to the profitt and furtherance of many and wherin he hath confuted not al for it were in maner an infinite worke to stande aboute all but as many sophisticall wranglinge schoolishe reasons as are of any probabilitie or likehoode whiche my lorde of Uvynchester farre vnsemely for a sober Bisshoppe hath expressed set forthe in his two moste cōtumelious railing epistles agaīst him winkīg at ouerhippīg his wel most innumerable opprobrious wordes checkes tauntes rebukes quarellinges scoffinges reuilīges scoldinges railinges wherwith they are filled as full as they may be heaped to gether In the which are so fewe argumētes or reasons of any probabilitie that had not the vrgēt and instant requeste of his frendes certain of oure coūtray men bien he wold neuer once haue put penn to the paper nor yet haue made anye a do about them but wolde haue left them to the iudgemēt arbitrimēt of the reader notwithstanding now of late dayes it chaunced that he gate a litle vacant tyme to do the same seing he promised it to certaine from his manifolde impedimentes necessarie ecclesiastical busines wher with we knowe such men are no smale dele let to reconcile him selfe which the Bisshoppe scornfullye after his olde wōte casteth in his tethe to his brother before he ●●ay his offringe vpon the altare The whiche thoughe it be brefe and cōpencious not set forth to the largeste yet is it verye dilucidious pithie full of argumentes concluded not onlye vpon y e holy gostes vnfained decrees apoītmentes and ordinaunces but also the olde and holye doctores of the church and for the brefnes of tyme sufficient inough The which when he had finisshed I furthe with toke in hande acording to my childishe talent to translate into our vulgare and cōmune speache and haue sent it vnto yow to then●ent some well disposed and better learned which purchaunce wyll not bestowe so moch tym as the translation therof requireth maye yet at the least wyse peruse it acording as he thinketh beste so that at lengthe it may be worthy to come abroade for the profit and instruction of the ignoraunt whiche haue not receaued the knowledge of the Latin tonge because it is written to them as wel as to the other Wherin I will desyre yow to accept my good wyll as thought it colde extende farther and do moch better which yf ye do it shalbe a great incourage and vrgent cause vnto me to employ and bestowe the reste of my studie dilygence and laboure herafter in other affayres which I truste shalbe no lesse acceptable vnto yowe then great furtherance to myne onne profyt vtilitie The spirite of treuthe be with yow who guide yow in all your pathes acording to his will and lead yow into all go●tlye knowlege Amen At Argentyne Kalendis Februarij To the holye churche of God the churche of England ministers of the same oure lorde Iesus Christe geue increace of this grace and spirite WE geue thankes and that not without cause to God and the father our lord Iesus Christe throughe this his sonne and our sauiour moste worthye louinge brethren for that maruelous cōsolation which of his infinite bountie he bringeth at this present time vnto vs because that emonge you he repaireth renueth y e foundatio●s of his kingdome so excellentlye so perfecctly so luckylye For it chaūced now of late dayes that youre sermons or Homelies came vnto oure hādes wher with ye godlye effectiouslye exhorte youre people to the reading of holye scripture and therin expounde to thesame the faithe wherby we holde our christianitie iustificatiō wherevpon al oure healthe consisteth and other most holye principles of our religion with a most godly zeale For these foundations truely layde what may then longe after wante in youre churches to the ful perfection of Christ hys doctryne and discipline ▪ For when suche as wil be of Christe shal reade the holye scriptures as you most godly instruct and suade prefarre them so much before all the decrees of mans wisdome as God is greater hygher then man Oure especial and moste boūteful heauēly mayster Iesus Christe wil so largely powre hys

many tymes vngodly vowes are made of diuers preestes and monastical parsons whiche emonge a thousande truelye scarse one hath in mynde to kepe especyally godlye to saye to serue God therebye and to execute the ministerye of the church so moche the more holye and fru●tfully Uvhiche they all declare to grosselye who are by no externall compultyon restraynt and had rather take vpon them any labours or paynes then those that properlye pertayne to the monasticall and priestlye order To be short Uvynchester knoweth thys also with what clemencye God hym selfe and the holye fathers remitted them the vowe of chastitie that obserued it euell The holy ghooste planelye commaunded the yonger wemē to marye which had broken theyr first promyse after they were in ieopardy of vncleannes and euell reporte These seynge they are Gods wordes bothe belonge vnto all that fynde themselues in that ieopardye that is here expressed and also are greater then all the exception of mans vowe or decre Saynte Cyprian perceauynge thys writte concernynge the vyrgynes which professed chastitye and that not of hys owne opinyon onlye but also of certayn that were of the same order yea and of the whole churche to Yf they wyll not continewe or can not it is better for them to mary then to falle into the fyre by theyr deliciousnes Truely they shoulde offende nother bretherne nor systerne So Saynt Epiphanius declareth also that it is better for hym that leaueth the iournaye and vowe of chastitie to marie a wyfe openly agreable with the lawe and so to fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as he him selfe interpreteth it into the iudgemente of repentaunce done for a season whiche fynysshed he maye be brought into the churche agayne then vnder the dissimulation of chastitie to be dayelye wounded with priuye dartes and so for fornication to falle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is into condemnation wherebye suche are cleane expelled out of Christes kyngedome For thys cause also were not the maryages in Saynt Austines tyme whiche were made after the vowe of chastitye dissolued nor yet counted damnable And the great assemble at Calcedonia licensed expressedly Bysshoppes to remit the vowe of chastitie Also Galatyus the Pope left the wemen that maryed after they professed and vowed chastitie to God to theyr owne conscience ¶ Here therfore let Wynchester answere fro whens he and hys fellowes haue so moche the more seueritie and cruelnesse graunted them to make inquisition for vowes then those holye fathers had But what saye I to make inquisition for vowes To seeke I shoulde haue saide that no man after he ha●he vowed chastitie be lefullye maried For that the vowes of holye Chastitie shoulde excell that is to say that they who so haue made suche vowes shoulde cleaue so moch the more without seperation vnto God and serue the churche more fruetefullye who maketh inquisition Nother may that fayned matter concernynge the symple and solemne vowe make anye thynge agaynste thys For the religyon of all vowes made vnto GOD is equalle so that the godly shoulde obserue it yf it agre with the lawe of God and forsake it yf it disagre to the worde of God It is also euydente ynough that no greater thyng can be in suche vowes as the authoures of that fayned matter make solemne then is in the other whiche the holye fathers whose opinions I haue alledged thought best to be remitted and broken For with these vowes men haue consecrated themselues vnto God as it is the chiefest thynge requyred in euerye godly vowe Thes thinges let Uvynchesters waye and depelie consyder and yf he cā shew that it is not here made plain that the same lawe whose defense he hathe taken vpon him whiche forbiddethe al that are ons receaued or must be receaued in to the order of prestes or salitarie lyfe to marye cā not onlie be defended by no authoritie o● Christes churche or holye fathers but also is cleane cōtrarye both to Gods very lawe and also to the trewe and catholike Canons of Gods holye churche and to the wholl consent of all the holye and right opinionid fathers Herin therfor let Uvynchester do the office of a bisshop shewe yf he cā by trewe argumentes that we are in an erroure and cease to depraue by suche triflinge and vngodlie tawntes the dyuine and holie fathers sentenses and to peruerte and mistake with his rayling sophistrie owre confessiō settforthe plainelie and holilie to scrape to gether withe moche a do wynking at oure perfecte sounde argumētes here and there a worde by his scoffinges to boaste an derake hym selfe in doubtfull places wherin the cause cōsisteth not leapinge ouer to fauorablie gently the trewe foundations of oure confessyon and the moste clere testimonies of the holy scriptures For thes thinges are farr vnsemelye not onlye for a Bisshope but for an other man with that currishe and doggishe eloquence wherof he coulde in thes his writinges against me make nother measure nor ende And this I suppose be suffycyentlye spoken concerninge the seconde place of oure defense Uvherin I tooke vpō me to teache that the aucthoritie of the holye fathers is cleane contrarye both to the lawe of God and also of his church for so moche as they require and compell all that are or must be admitted to preesthod or monasticall lyfe to forsweare and to abstain from holye matrimonie Now let vs make answere to the lye whiche Uvinchester falselye and wrongefullye laythe to my charge wherof I entended to speake in some certain place Uvinchester denieth that y e same fained matter concerning the necessite wherbye y e father shold be constrained to geue his doughter in mariage by y e reason of his smale substāce came into his braine which I affirmed vnto Latomus I harde of him in oure communication together I in faith call to recorde Christe oure lord the iu●ge of the quicke and the dead and the keaper in memorie of all our dedes wordes and wishe his anger to extēde vpon me if euer I minded to faine one word against him haue not plainelie declared without anie thought of deceipt what so euer I remember I harde of him Certainlie it seme to me a verie absurde interpretation wheter he speake it in erneste or to proue or mocke be with all yet as farr as I colde gather ●e seemed to me to speake it in earneste notwithstanding he soake manie thinges with great arrogācie in thesame communication whiche were no lesse made For what maner a thing iuge ye this that he durste defende thos princes and rulars to do well whiche punishe more straitlie a sharplie their owne lawes then gods and which make it death if anie prest marie a wife but adulterie and horei●unting they leaue vnpunisshed This dare I be bolde before God the searcher of hartes to boaste of his gift that I euer tooke care for this and was verie circunspect in all strife of religon emonge my

the meate of euerlastyng lyfe U●herfore we wil continually praye God our father through his Sonne our sauiour y t he wil vouchesafe as sone as may be to make perfect the good worke grounded in you to restore hys sonnes kyngdome so to kepe it perfecte vnto the daye of hys sonne Of the whiche worke of the Lorde so luck●ly begonne amonge you I thoughte beste in thys place to make some mention for two causes the one is ●hat I may some what cal to memorye that wonderous beneficence of God worthye great renoune amōg all Christians which he hath shewed vnto you for the comforte and consolation of many of Gods children The other is that I may speake vnto you familierly of youre countrey man Steuen my Lord of Winchester and so take my beginning of a more acceptable place not far frō the purpose Uvithowt fa●le many of yow hawe read the two epistles whiche this man writ a pretie while a go agaynste me as full of reproches as they may be thruste And not a fewe of yow haue wondred as I haue byn oft certified why hitherto I diferred to make hī answer the cause of the which differring or prolonging of tyme I thowght mete here to declare esspeciallye seing in the reueylinge and dis●losinge of oure disputation begone at Ratisbona about the nature disposition of faithe which iustifieth that is to say which attacheth so perfectly the mercy of god that iustifyeth vs in Christe our Lord that it maketh vs assuraunt of euerlastynge helth I disclosed and confuted certayne of hys deceytfull argumentes wherwith he wēt about to disproue oure right confessiō verie apostolike doctrine Trew it is I tooke in hande oft tymes to answere him as towehinge the vnmaried state other places whiche he laide so spitefullye againste me and to paint his sophistrie and quarellinges in their coloures but euer some busines was in the waye whiche I knewe par●eyned more to my ministerye then to confute his sophistical and captions reasons no lesse vaine trifling then vngodly and ful of reproche how so euer he stande in his owne conceipt For I thought thus with my selfe They that shal reade thes so great reproches which procede of such an impotent hatred suche sophistical cauillations will know the cause whiche is in cotrouersye betwixt vs or will not ▪ yf they will not they shal styl remaine in their plesant ●ies and reproches is not fet that they sholde be anye more offended with the defense of the truth But yf they wyll and are fauorers of the tre●the and rightousnes they may sone perceaue by Uvynchesters verie writinges such places as he bringeth out of my booke that he hathe ons decreede to peruerte withe his scholishe reasons and to debilitate withe his euel reportes what so euer I haue spoken thowgh it be Godlie and a right Uvherfor they will i● no case permit them selues to be lead in to anie preiudice or foreiudgemēt against me by any of Uvynchesters raylīges before thei haue in lyke case read my booke agaīst the which he is in suche a rage The which yf they do they shall knowe for a certaynitie that thys man of an obstinate and stubborne mynde resisteth Christes doctryne and the syncere restitutiō of the churches And that whē he colde bryng no probabylitie against it he went about pretermitting therin oure perfecte demonstratio●s whiche were concluded vpon the authoritie of God and all the Apostolike churche here there in my bookes to scrape together certaine wordes to take some doubtful places of an vncertayn sēse wherin he myght manifeste his witt ● profoundnes in peruerting the treuth and conuitiating them that haue not deserued For in that booke vnto Latomus wherin I noted certayn prouisions of the Apostle which U●ynchester went about to destroy to cōfute so wooddilie I declared by Gods manifeste wordes cōsente of the trewe apostolike churche that the same whiche Latomus tooke vpon him to defende as the lawe of the churche wherbye prestes are forbid to mary is not the lawe of Gods churche but rather the pestilence and plage of the lawes whiche after an horrible fassiō bringeth to decaye al the holines bothe of the Cleargye of the people of God as manye as folow the chastitie of their shepherdes bycause this lawe reiectethe setteth a side many apt to redresse godes churches and hath oppressed the churches wythe suche mē that turne vp set downe and vtterlie bringe to confusiō the doctrine and discipline of Christ. I shewed that mariage of it selfe is a holye kynde of lyfe and that therin is som thinge contayned which colde helpe no smale dele the ofice ministerye of a preest and y t for the self same cause the holy ghoost set in the fyrst chiefe place amonge the gyftes and veriues of a Bisshop that he be an honest maryed man and a godly and profytable housholder I taught furthermore that the matter it selfe geueth euydent iudgement how so many ministers of religion are not found that make them selues chast for the kyngedom of heauens sake as there shoulde be whiche abstinence is onely meate for preesthode Afterwarde I made playne that y e holy ghooste willeth them ●●at burne and are in ieopardye of vnpure chastite to marye withoute any lette other of vowes or mans lawes Finallye I layde againste him with the scripture of God both the decrees and aucthorities of holy fathers of suche fathers as sought by all meanes to haue preestes vnmaryed whose decrees and sentences yf they be had in any estimatiō as they ought to be for they hange vpon Gods verie worde lawe proue that of a thousande preestes at this daye scarse on can be founde whiche may remaine in this holye ministerye that not allonlie for their vitious and filthie castitie but also because they be entangled in the busines of the worlde are nother learned nor diligent to feade the lordes flocke so that they take not their v●maried state vpon them for the kingdom of heauēs sake but for fatte benefices ecclesiasticall dignities Aud so by thes vndoubted principles of holie doctrine concluded by gods very decrees I declared that for so moche as it is ernestlie sought for in them at this daye whiche muste be admitted to take cure of the churches to vowe chastitie els muste be cōstraynid to forsake this ministerye in case that they maye the better lyue they take wiues acordinge to the lordes cōmaundemēt in their preesthood or after they haue vowed their solitary lyfe it can be attributed to no churche but muste be worthilie coūted the doctrine of dyuels wherbye they bring to ●ecay and throwe vnder foote after a moste miserable fassion the lawes of Christe and the churche by the which the whole order of the Cleargie hath made exile and banished all holmes and godlines of the lyfe But what I besech yow doth Uvinchester

bring againste thes thinges Uvhich of thes prīciples wherby my purpose hangeth together and is most euidentlye concluded hathe he laboured to cōfute Uvhat sholde the cause be then that in answeringe so vngodlie and spitefull schoolishe reasons and checkes I spent not good houres well and more profitablye Notwithstandinge as I fore saide le●●e I sholde deceaue the expectation of my brethern requiringe myne answere so feruentlye I purposed with my self eft sones to set it a side whiche I began a good whyles paste For all I coinected with my self that thes bretheren whiche were so instante vpon me in thys behalfe were more moued wythe a certayn indignation against Wynchesters most importune boastindes then y t they perceaued my silence to be any great hinderaūce to gods church But I minded in myne answer vnto Wynchester to entreat of more at large by the opinyons of holy fathers y e place cōcerning the vnmaryed state of preestes professors of solitarines whiche I spake of before vnto Latomus in a maner altogether by the holy scriptures although also here there I added the authoritie of holy fathers of the churche and to publyshe al such thynges as before I declared by y e scripture now in the more frequent testimonyes of the olde churche And besydes that to confute not Uvy●chesters sophismes only but al other mens which in thys behalfe haue ben at any tyme obiected agaynst vs as many as were of any apparaunce of trueth or probabilitie But when about the edition of this work sone after I had caused the moste royall and puyssant Prince of moste famous memorye Kyng Henry the .viij. of y e nam● to be made priuy● who made answere again that he had rather I should differ for a season the publisshinge a brode therof for he trusted to come to passe that I should speake of this and other controuersyes in relygion at some tyme peacablie with winchester other learned of his realme to thentent a godlye concorde and vnitie in religiō might be sought forth and a farther iustauration of the churches which his purpose I might haue hindred if winchester whose bitternes in writinge he did in no maner wise aloue shoulde haue byne prouoked to writ anie more openlie againste vs And so this the kinges godlie and prudent answere receued when els as I tought with my self I should not seme by this my labour to profyt the churches anie thing my worke which I had in minde to go forwarde withal I laid asyde againe for all in the mean season therin I bestowed very moch diligence and in maner to the hindraunce of the necessarie busynes of my offyce But now seinge I haue sett abrode in the treatyse of the question of iustifycation Uvicester craftie and subtyll reasons which he with his great bragges after his accustomed arrogancye obiected against me and not so moche against our catholike right opinioned doctrine as the holye fathers for I thought not beste to escape ought whiche semed anie thinge probablye layde agaynste vs of oure aduersaries I thought it conuenient ●ow at this present tyme to add somthing ther vnto to yow concerning the vnmaried state and the false lye which the same Wy●●heste● hathe forged vpon me teste he 〈…〉 ●hold be a greuous to the good brethrē with his our ragious boastīgs and reproches y t I dare not contende with him in writinge of theis places 〈◊〉 I perceaue my selfe throughlye 〈…〉 of h●m to remaine in thē still 〈…〉 shewe mine 〈…〉 Nanswere of 〈…〉 of this b●cause I affirmed god●● and truly that God calleth and geueth manie me●ne to mariage which therfor can not take vpon them verie holye abstinence to say for to obtaine therbye the kyngdom of heauen Secondarilye that though it were so that euery man may take y e saing of holy abstinēce if he be onlye willinge obtaine the gift of the same as Uvinchester contēdithe Yet that abstinence is at this day required againste the authoritie of the olde churche of all thos which will applye them selues to prestinge or remaine therin and of all that professe solitarinesse Thirdlye of the false lye whyche Uvinchester hath wronghfullye forged vpon me Last of all of the naturall interpretation of this place Neuerthelesse he that purposeth suerlye in his harte hathe no nede but hathe the power ouer his owne will and hath so de●red in his harte that he wil kepe his virgin ●oth wel Uvhich done I wil also breiflye touche theis places It is not good for a man to be alone And It is good 〈…〉 to touch a womā Also to 〈…〉 e●erie man ha 〈…〉 eschewe 〈…〉 ●e his wyfe c. Fyrst therfor y t I may teache w t what wicked tyrannye the state vnmaryed is so required of all none except which are eyther thruste in to monasteries or compelled vnto presthoud whiche all mē perceaue to be no other thing thē a pernicious snare of Sathā wher with he hath ouerthrowē in to such horrible vncleannes of lyuinge in a maner the wholle ecclesiasticall and monasticall order whiche emonge all other haue wrested and writthed thys the Lordes s●iuges All men can not away with that sainge sauinge they to whom it is geuen Also he that can take it let hym take it And the Apostles saing I wold al mē were as I my self ame but euery mā hathe his proper gifte of God on after this maner an other after that This foundations therfor of oure trenth Uvinchester going about to vnderminde fyrst hath taken vpon him to defende that interpretaciō of Christes wordes All men can not awaye with that saing c. And he that can take it let him take it wherin not a fewe wold haue this words take cā take to be of like signification w t wil take as tought the lord wolde haue saide All men wil not take this sainge he that will take it let hym take it and hereof he picked a quarell that I wold haue this the lordes sainges spoken by a fygure in Rhetorike named Ironia no otherwise then it is communely said of a thi●ge which is impossyble to be gotten Let him take it that cā get it as who should saye no man can wyn or ouercome it For soethe as all men may reade in my booke vnto Latomus I spake not a worde of Ironia but haue therin manifefflye confessed that it is graunted to manye to take thys sainge yet not to al. And I go about there that which the lord spake euidently All take not this saing And let him take it that cā for he said not all wyll not take this he that will let him take if Uvho doubteth that Christ our lord the onlye geuer of trewe holy chastitie and chefe alower of the same yf he had put in euerie mans wyll to take it and had not thought to permit manie more to receaue copled chastitie then abstinence at the sai●g of