and rashenes The true Christian Aunswere God doeth promyse all those thinges that we doe vowe and promysse in baptisme and therfore are we sure that we shall obteyne them at his handes by faythful prayers But ye must marke good neighbour that god doth in his holy worde requyre of vs all those thinges that ye haue reherced and which we do promysse vowe in our baptisme For his wyl pleasure is that we should forsake the deuil hys workes that we shoulde be at defiaunce wyth the pompes and vanities of the wycked world and wyth the sinnefull lustes of our flesh His wil and pleasure is that we should beleue and credite all thinges that he doth set forthe vnto vs in his word takinge a sure holde through faith vpon his mercy goodnes declared vnto vs in hys Sonne Iesu christ our lord sauiour that all the daies of our life we shold endeuour our selues to the vttermoste of our power to walke sincerely in hys holy lawes and commaundements Therfore we may be sure that he wyll at al times if we do require it of him with faithful praiers assiste vs with his grace that we may to his glory to the saluatioÌ„ of our owne soules performe fulfil al those godly promisses and vowes that we haue made vnto him in oure baptisme wherein we haue so faythfullye and so streightly bouÌ„d oure selues vnto him his seruice that we are no more our owne meÌ„ For why In baptysme we doe become the seruaunts of the lorde so that we are no more our owne men by receauing this holy sacrameÌ„t of baptisme which is a seale of the couenauÌ„t promisses of god we doe acknowledge confesse that we are bought purchased vnto hym with the most dere precious blod of his soÌ„ne Iesu christ our lord what presuÌ„ption is it then sith that we are no more oure owne meÌ„ but the seruauÌ„ts of him that hathe so derelye boughte vs whiche thing as I said before we do acknowledge by takynge vpon vs the seate of the people of God what presumption I saye is it for vs to promysse or enterprise anye thinge wythoute the knowledge wyll and pleasure of oure soueraine lord and master But where haue we anye place yea one iote or sillable in all the whole bodie of the scriptures that doeth certifye vs that it is the wyl and pleasure of god who is oure souerayne lord and Master that we shold vowe and promysse to liue a single and wyue lesse lyfe as longe as we haue any breath in oure bodyes The cruel tyranny of the preachers of oure tyme. It is manyfest then that all those godlye vowes that ye doe so magnifye extolle and which youre Preachers doe defende wyth tothe and nayle persecutyng them most tyrannously and also most cruellye that perceauynge the erroure and parall that they be in do with a good and vpright conscience beynge builded in gods worde vtterlye forsake and abiure them it is moste manyfest I saye that suche vowes are wythoute faythe sythe that they haue no grounde nor foundation in goddes holy worde Therfore away with them for what can they be els but sinne Whatsoeuer sayth saynct Paule is not of faythe Roma xiiii Hebr. xii the same is sinne Againe withoute faythe it is impossible for to please god We mighte saye then and that by good right that they whiche are offended with them that being better instructed in goddes lawe do go from such rashe presumptuous vowes The one standeth with as good reason as the other and are at defiaunce with theym maye with as good a cause be angrye and displeased with theÌ„ that do flye and forsake sinne or that will to the vttermost of theyr power auoyde and eschewe those thinges whyche they knowe to be abhominable and stinking before the face of almighty god Why are they so blinded that they will not see this canon of theyrs Isidorus in sinonimis li. 23. questione 4. capi In male pro. In male promissis rescinde fidem in turpi voto muta decretum quod incaute vouisti ne facias impia est promissio quaescelere adimpletur That is to say In those things that be not wel promised breake thou thi promisse In a shamefull vnhonest vowe chaungâ— thy mind Do not the thing An applienge of the canon vnto the present matter that thou hast vowed vnware or without deliberation aduisemeÌ„t It is an vngodly promisse that is fulfilled with wickednesse Nowe can ye saye that the promisse of your wiue lesse priests is good or that it is well made sith that it is without faythe hath no maner of ground in gods booke why should they not then by the vertue of this canon breake it Agayne howe shameful vnhonest the vowe that they make is it is apparaunt to the sight of all men For by it they are constreined to forsake the honest lawful remedye that god hath appointed for all men for lacke of it to walow theÌ„ selues in al kind of filthy stinking abhomination Why do they not then as this holy decree doth bid theÌ„ chaunge their minde that betimes lest for their stinking filthy abomination they be vtterly cast out of the fauour sighte of god Thirdly the vow that they make they make it so vnaduisedly without al deliberation that many priests can not tel whether thei euer made any vow or not And as for your friers Al seculare priestes that I haue talked wythall haue stedfastly affirmed vnto me that they neuer made vowes sauing onely that when the Byshop gaue them the â—ote he dyd say Accipe iugum castitatis Receyue thou the yoke of chastitye nunnes monks they be faine to make their vowes afore that they knowe the bente of their owne bowe that is to saye afore that they haue examined tried their owne strength or what they be able to abide or do Shal we say that such vowes are aduisedly done with such a deliberation as is required in so high a matter as this is They may then by the auctority and vertue of their holy canones breake such vnaduised vowes For besides the afore rehearced canone these are the wordes of the blessed martir S. Ciprian If the virgins that haue with fayth vowed theÌ„ selues vnto Christ Cipri li. 1. epistolarum epistola 2. can not perseuer or will not it is better that they mary thaÌ„ that they should through their tender nicenesse or deliciousnesse fal into the fier Augu. in libro de bono coniugâ—li ad Iulianum disci 27. capi Quondam And S. Augustine doth alowe the mariage of such inuehing sharpelye agaynst them that cal such mariage aduoutrie and go about to separate them that do mary after theyr vowe The wordes are these Some do suppose that they that mary after theyr vowe are adulterers but I saye vnto you that they whiche separate theÌ„ do offend
was then the onelye minister of the churche and as a mediatour betwyxte God and the people And yet he doth not separate him selfe alone from hys wyfe for those three dayes but also commaūdeth al the people to do the same This the papystes wyl neuer graunt Do not the holye sacramentes and misteryes pertayne to the hole churche I meane to all theym that be Christians as well as vnto the priests and ministers of the church I saye that they can no more chalenge vnto them selues of those holy misteries and sacramentes by any ryghte or priuiledge that they haue geuen them of God than the leaste christian in the world sauing onelye that they are ministers of them for to distribute and geue them vnto the people thereunto prepared and ordeyned Nowe if the dignitie worthinesse of the thinges that be ministred doeth require that the ministers be vnmaried howe much more doth it require that they whyche receyue such holye misteries should be vnmaryed For if the maryage doth defile the minister because that he doth minister holi thīgs how much more doth it defyle those that receyue thē If the minister ought to be holye in the ministration of the holy and sacred misteries muche more oughte they to whom they be ministred to be holy It is plaine manifest then that the pope hath no more cause to forbidde priestes to marye than all the rest of the people For whether is the ministration of the sacramentes more precious and excellente then the receyuing of them is Robyn Papyst The second argumente of the papist of oure tyme. I can saye nothing agaynste your argumentes but yet our preachers do saye that the priestes of the olde lawe dyd absteyne from their owne wiues duringe the time of theyr office and ministration in the temple As it appeareth by Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist Luke .i. The true Christian This example doth serue for me and not for them For by it it is manifestly proued that the pryestes of the olde lawe had wiues Robyn Papyst It is true Obiection But if the Pryestes of the olde lawe dyd absteine from theyr wifes when they came to the alter for to offer sacrifyces in the temple how muche more ought the pryestes of the new Testament Where there is forgeuenes of those thinges there is no more sacrifice for synne Hebre. x. to liue chastlye all the dayes of theyr lyfe sythe that they haue suche an hyghe sacryfice to offer vnto God daylye for the synnes of the people The true Christian I wold faine know what sacrifice the pryestes of the newe Testament haue to offer vnto God dayly for the sinnes of the people Robyn Papyst Doe they not offer our Sauyoure Iesu Christe I praye you bothe god and man vnto his heauenly father for the sinnes both of the quicke and of the deade The true Christian It hath bene alredy sufficiently declared in the first talke In the ouerthrowe of the Masse that we had together a prety while a goe what a blasphemie it is to saye that Christe can be offered any more Reade also of this in the vi Dialogue of my true buckeler and shylde of the Christian faythe and in my confession vpon the Crede Hebre x. For it is to abolishe and put downe that omny-sufficyent sacrifice whiche oure Sauyour Iesus Chryst the highe priest dyd offer once for euer vppon the alter of the crosse and to make it of no more efficacie strength and valew than the sacrifyces of the olde lawe ¶ Robyn Papyst I haue not yet forgotten what was sayde then Therfore shew me nowe why the pryestes of the olde lawe dyd absteine from theyr wiues in the tyme of theyr Mynystration and office The true Christian Your holye father the Pope wold gladlye set vp agayne all the shadowes and figures of the olde lawe whyche oure Sauyour Iesus Christ hathe abollyshed Why the pryestes of the olde lawe dyd absteyne from theyr wyues Ye shall therefore vnderstande that the pryestes of the olde Testamente dyd absteyne from theyr wyues durynge the tyme of theyr office for to represente and sygnyfye the integrytye and purenesse that shoulde be in oure Sauyoure Iesu Chryste the eternall and euerlastynge pryeste whose fygure they were onelye But it also they did signifie and represent that he should be conceaued by the holy ghost with oute the seede or operation of man Nowe these ceremonyes are ceassed and fully ended after that oure Sauiour Iesus Christe the eternal and euerlastynge pryest after the order of Melchisedech hathe offered hym selfe a sacrifice vnto God his father for the redemption of all mankynde as he hym selfe dyd testifye vpon the crosse sayinge It is finished Elles Iohn .xix. yf Christians were compelled to folowe the ceremonies of the old law they might haue no priestes but of the kynred and Trybe of Leuye But those are most mete for to be priestes nowe a dayes Moreouer they myghte haue no priestes that were mysshapen and that had anye blemyshe or fawte in theyr bodies For these be the words that Moyses is commaunded to speake vnto Aaron Whosoeuer of thy sede in theyr generations Leuit. xxi hathe anye deformitye let hym not prease for to offer breade vnto his god For whosoeuer hath any blemyshe shall not come nere as yf he be blind or lame or that hathe a bruised nose or that hathe anye myshapen member or is broken footed or broken handed or hathe no heares on his eye browes or be maunge or skaulde or hathe hys stones broken So long doth the pope folow the olde lawe as he doeth thinke it to be profitable for hym and his kingdome No man that hathe a blemyshe and is of the seede of Aaron the prieste shall come nigh to offer the sacrifices of the Lorde But now your holy father the pope doeth cleane contrary For he doeth alowe them for priestes whyche are misshapen and whiche haue deformyttes and blemyshes in theyr bodyes wherin he doeth well declare that the Christians are not subiecte vnto the ceremonyes of the old law Robyn Papyst There is a good cause whye Yet he wyll alowe none that haue broken stones or that lacke them The true Christian If the priestes had no stones peraduenture there myghte be lesse Chrisomes in the paryshes where they doe serue Wyl ye knowe the cause why he doeth it harken in your eare and I wyl tel it you ¶ Robyn Papyst Go to goe to ye wyl be olde Iohn stil But now without all gestynge tel me why god wolde haue none to be made pryestes that had anye fautes in theyr bodyes The true Christian For to signifie thereby the greate integritye and perfection whyche shoulde be in the hyghest prieste of all which is our sauiour Iesu christ But marke ye this besides yf youre hole father the pope wyl folowe the law of Moises he must nedes forbyd the priestes that duringe the time of theyr office
wiues For if suche a cleanelinesse was required for to eat of the shewe breed howe much more is it required A goodly argument I assure you when we go to feede vppon the precious body and bloude of oure sauiour Iesu Christ Therfore saye they sith the priests do dayly make the precious bodye of Christ also eate it in theyr holy blessed masse it is in no wise lawful for thē to mary The true Christian Aunswere All this maketh nothing agaynst me For Abimelech him selfe the hygh prieste was maryed Therfore they can not proue by this that the pryestes oughte alwayes to be put frome the benefyte of holy wedlocke Robyn Papyst Obiection But why did Abimelech aske whether Dauid and his companyons were clene and specially from women The true Chrystian Aunswere Because that the lawe did then requyre suche an outwarde holynesse and bodily purifienge If anye had touched but a dead corps Leui. xi.xv. or had suffered anye pollution in the night it had not bene lawefull for theym to touche holy thinges nor yet to come nere the people or the tabernacle except they had bene purified before Christ hath put downe al the ceremonyes of the olde lawe But all suche ceremonies and outward or bodilye purifienges are taken away by our sauiour Iesu christ who dothe onelye require nowe the purenesse of the hearte as he him selfe doth testifye sayeng Math. v. blessed are they that are cleane of heart for thei shall see god Nowe this clenelines is obtayned by faythe wythoute the ceremonies of the lawe Robyn Papyst But what saye ye to sayncte Hieroms wordes Me thinke that they do make directly agaynst you I would fayne heare what aunswer ye can make to them The true Christian This aunswere do I make both sayncte Hieromes wordes and also your sayenges were moste true if Chryste and commaunded any such thyng But as I haue sayd alreadye before he hathe vtterlye abolyshed and put downe The honeste companynge of a man and a woman together in wedlocke is pure and holy before God all such ceremonies and bodilye purifyenges And nowe the honeste cohabitation or companyeng of man and woman together in the holye estate of matrimonye doth in no wise pollute or defile thē but that they maye at all times vse and receiue the holy sacramentes Hebr. xiii Doth not s Paule say that wedlocke is honourable amonge all men and that the bed of them that be maried in the lord is vndefyled Robin Papist Obiection Yet the sayeng of saynct Hierome doth styll stycke in my minde And verely me thinke that it agreeth best with the truth For if it was necessary taht they which would eate of the shewe breade shoulde abstayne from their wiues howe much more is it necessarye that they that eate the bodye of Christe daylye as the priestes do should kepe them selues chaste and be altogither withoute wiues If the eating of the figure doth require such a clenelinesse from women what shall the veritie of the thing it selfe do ¶ The true Christian What we oghte to iudge of the sacramente of the bodye and bloude of Christ In my lyghte skirmishinge against Marcus antonius it hath bene metely well declared in our second talke and communitation that we had laste together saue this Therfore wil I leaue the sawe and come to your sayeng whiche is this If it was necessarye saye ye that they whych would eate of the shewe breade being but a bare figure shoulde absteyne from theyr wiues Howe much more is it necessary that they whych eate the bodye of Christe daylye as the pryestes do shoulde kepe theym selues chaste and be altogither withoute wiues Aunswere Ye shall soone perceyue how weake your argument is Exod. xii God gaue a commaundemente that when the paschall lambe should be eaten the Israelites shoulde vse no leuened bread by the space of seuē daies and that whosoeuer did eate or kepe any in his house al that while his soule should perishe from among his people Nowe may I make mine argument after this maner The one standeth with as good reason as the other If it was necessarie that they which did eate the paschal lābe should absteine frō leuened bread not only whē they did eat the Easter but also hole sire dayes after how much more is it requisite and necessarye that they whyche do eate the sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Chryst which as ye say all was figurate signified and represented by the paschall lambe should abstaine from leuened bread Yea how dare your pryestes eate any leuened breade at anye time sith that they do eate and drinke the bydy and bloud of Christ almost euery day He will do it for al that and who so euer doth say the contrary shal frie a faggot Ephesi It is easye nowe to perceyue that your holy father the pope hath no cause at all to bring it to be church of christ whether it be in generall or particuler such outward and bodely sanctifienges or purifienges excepte he will tourne all the hole christian religion into a Iuishe supersition and make the comming of our sauiour Iesu chryst vnprofitable and also the alliaunce agrement and coniunction that Iesus Chryste hath made of the two peoples I meane the Iewes and the Gentiles by abolishing and putting downe the ceremonies to be of no effect Robyn Papyst Ye shall not so escape For they did bring an other stronge argumente The forthe argumente of the Papistes of oure tyme. i. Corin. vii whyche they grounde vpon Paule where he exhorteth them that be maryed to forbeare the libertye of matrimony for a time that they maye the better geue them selues to prayer Syth thē that priestes are bound to minister continualli in the church and also to praye dayly for them selues and for the people the churche had a iust cause to forbydde them to marye The true Christian Did they alleadge the hole sentence as it lyeth in the text Robyn Papyst They did alleadge it none otherwise then I haue rehearced it vnto you already ¶ The true Christian Ye may see what theues they are The foule shyfte of the Papistes they steale in a maner the hole sentence form the people least the simple and ignoraunt should espye oute theyr iuggelyng The wordes are these Withdrawe not youre selues one from another except it be wyth consente for a time for to geue youre selues to fastinge and prayer And afterwardes come together againe lest Sathan doe tempte you for your incontinencie I haue now reherced the hole sentence vnto you Robyn Papist As farre as I doe remember we haue had the same sentence alredye before The true Christian It is moste true Nowe by these wordes In the aunswere of the fyrst argumente Aunswere Saint Paule doth not commaunde but exhorte them that be maryed if theyr mutuall dwellynge or companieng together be a let vnto them that they cannot geue them selues to