Chapt. touching Prayers did appertaine to the 15. Sect. if they might fitly have been separated most holy works and such as doe very much beseeme Christians whereunto our Preachers doe most diligently exhort their hearers For true fasting is as it were a renouncing of this present life which is alwaies subject to evill lusts and desires and a meditation of the life to come which is free from all perturbation And prayer is a lifting up of the minde unto God and such a familiar speech with him as no other thing can so greatly set a man on fire with heavenly affections and more mightily make the minde comformable to the will of God And though these exercises be never so holy and necessary for Christians yet seeing that a mans neighbour is not so much benefited by them 1 Cor. 13. as man is prepared that he may with fruit and profit have regard of his neighbour they are not to be preferred before holy doctrin godly exhortations and admonitions and also other duties whereby our neighbour doth presently receive some profit Whereupon we reade of our Saviour that in the night time he gave himselfe to prayer and in the day time to doctrine and to heale the sicke For as love is greater then faith and hope so to beleeve those things which come neerest unto love to wit such as bring assured profit unto men are to be preferred before all other holy functions whereupon S. Chrysostome writeth that Among the In Matth. Hom. 48. whole companie of vertues fasting hath the last place Of the commanding of Fasts CHAP. 8. BVt because that no mindes but these that be ardent and peculiarly stirred up by the heavenly inspiration can either pray or fast aright and with profit we beleeve that it is farre better after the example of the Apostles and the former and more sincere Church by holy exhortations to invite men hereunto then to wring them out by precepts such especially as do binde men under pain of deadly sin the which thing the Priests that were of late tooke upon them to doe when as then the order of Priests had not a little degenerated But we had rather leave the place time and manner both of praying and also of fasting to the arbitrement of the holy Ghost then to prescribe them by certaine laws especially such as may not be broken without some sacrifice of amends Yet for their sakes that be the younger and more imperfect sort our Preachers doe not dislike that there should be an appointed time and meanes both for prayer and also for fasting that as it were by these holy introductions to exercises they might be prepared hereunto so that it be done without binding of the conscience We were induced thus to thinke not so much for that all compulsion being against a mans will is repugnant to the nature of these actions but rather because that neither Christ himselfe nor any of his Apostles have in any place made mention of such kinde of precepts and this doth Chrysostome also witnesse saying Thou seest that an upright life doth helpe more then all other things Now I tearme an upright life not the labour of In Matth. Hom. 47. Fasting nor the bed of haire or ashes but if thou doest despise money no other wise then it becommeth thee if thou burne with charitie if thou nourish the hungry with thy bread if thou overcome thy anger if thou doest not desire vain glory if thou be not possessed with envie for these be the things that he teacheth for he doth not say that he will have his fast to be followed howbeit he might have proponed those fortie dayes unto us but he saith Learne of me because I am meeke and lowly in heart Yea rather on the contrary side saith he eate all that is set before you Moreover we doe not read that any solemne or set fast was enjoyned to the ancient Church but that fast of one day For those fasts which as the Scripture doth witnesse were ordained of Prophets and of Kings it is certaine that they were no set fasts but enjoyned onely for their time to wit when as evident calamities either hanging over their heads or presently pinching them did so require it Seeing therefore that the Scripture as Saint Paul doth affirme doth instruct a man to every good work and yet is ignorant of these fasts which are extorted by precepts we doe not see how it could be lawfull for the successours of the Apostles to overcharge the Church with so great and so dangerous a burthen Truly Ireneus doth witnesse that in times past the observation of fast in Churches was divers and free as it is read in the Ecclesiasticall historie lib. 8. cap. 14. In the same booke Eusebius maketh mention that one Apollonius an Ecclesiasticall Writer among other arguments used this for one to confute the doctrine of Montanus the heretike Because he was the first that made lawes for fasts Thereupon Chrysostome saith in a certaine place Fasting is good but let no man be compelled thereunto And in another place he exhorteth him that is not able to fast to abstaine from dainties and yet affirmeth that it doth not much differ from fasting and that it is a strong weapon to represse the furie of the Devill Moreover experience also it selfe doth more then prove that these precepts concerning fasts have been a great hinderance to godlinesse Therefore when we saw it very evidently that the chief men in the Church did beside the authoritie of the Scripture take upon themselves this power so to enjoyne fasts as to binde mens consciences under paine of deadly sinne we did loose the consciences out of these snares but by the Scriptures and chiefly by Pauls writings which doe with a singular endeavour remove these rudiments of the world from the necks of Christians For we ought not lightly to account of that saying of Paul Let no man condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath daies And again Therefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdened with traditions For if Saint Paul then whom no man at any time did teach Christ more certainly doe earnestly affirme that through Christ we have obtained such libertie in outward things that he doth not onely not give authoritie to any creature to burden those which beleeve in Christ no not so much as with those ceremonies and observations which notwithstanding God himself appointed and would have to be profitable in their time but also denounceth that they be fallen away from Christ and that Christ shall nothing at all profit them who suffer themselves to be addicted thereunto what shall we then thinke of those commandements which men have devised of their owne braine not onely without any oracle but also without any example worthy to be followed and which are therefore made
whom without some damage to the church we cannot separate from it Againe we must be very vigilant lest that the godly falling fast asleepe the wicked grow stronger and do some mischiefe to the church Further more we teach that it is carefully to be marked wherein especially the truth and unitie of the church consisteth lest that we either rashly breed or nourish schismes in the church It consisteth not in outward rites and ceremonies but rather in the truth and unitie of the Catholike faith This Catholike faith is not taught us by the ordinances or laws of men but by the holy Scriptures a compendious and short summe whereof is the Apostles Creed And therefore we reade in the ancient Writers that there was manifold diversities of ceremonies but that was alwaies free neither did any man thinke that the unitie of the church was thereby broken or dissolved We say then that the true unity of the Church doth consist in severall points of doctrine in the true and uniforme preaching of the Gospel and in such rites as the Lord himselfe hath expresly set downe and here we urge that saying of the Apostle very earnestly As many of us therefore Phil. 3. as are perfect let us he thus minded If any man thinke otherwise the Lord shall reveale the same unto him And yet in that whereunto we have attained let us follow one direction and all of us be like affected one towards another Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of the Church THis we hold that of such lively stones being by this meane built upon this lively rocke the Church and the holy gathering together of all the Saints the Spouse of Christ which being cleansed by his blood he shall once in time to come present without blot before his Father is founded The which church though it be manifest to the eies of God alone yet is it not onely seene and known by certaine outward rites instituted of Christ himselfe and by the word of God as by a publique and lawfull discipline but it is so appointed that without these markes no man can be judged to be in this church but by the speciall priviledge of God Out of the Confession of BASILL Of the Church VVE beleeve a holy Christian Church that is a communion Matth. 1. Ephe. 1. Iohn 3. 2 Cor. 11. Ephes 5. Heb. 12. Iohn 1. Galat. 5. Rom. 1. Iohn 1. 1 Iohn 3. of Saints a gathering together of the faithfull in spirit which is holy and the Spouse of Christ wherein all they be Citizens which doe truely confesse that Iesus is the Christ the Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the world and doe shew forth that faith by the workes of love And a little after This church of Christ doth labour all that it can to keepe the bonds of peace and love in unitie Therefore it doth by no meanes communicate with Sects and the rules of orders devised for the difference of dayes meates apparell and ceremonies Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA Of the holy Church and of the godly institution and government thereof and of Discipline Also of Antichrist CHAP. 8. IN the eighth place it is taught touching the acknowledgeing of the holy Catholike Christian Church And first of all that the foundation and head of the holy Church is Jesus Christ himselfe alone together with the whole merit of grace and truth to life eternall upon whom and by whom this church is at all times built by the holy Ghost the word of God and the Sacraments according to the meaning of that which Christ said unto Peter Matth. 16. upon this rocke to wit whereof thou hast made a true confession I will build my Church And Saint Paul saith Other foundation 1 Cor. 3. can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ And in another place And hath appointed him over all things to be Ephes 2. the head of the Church which is his body and the fulnesse of him which filleth all in all things Out of these things it is taught that this is beleeved held and publikely confessed that the holy Catholike church being present at every time and militant upon earth is the fellowship of all Christians and is here and there dispersed over the whole world and is gathered together by the holy Gospel out of all nations families tongues degrees and ages in one faith in Christ the Lord or in the holy Trinitie according to that saying of Saint John who speaketh thus And I saw a great company which no man Apoc. 7. can number of all nations peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the lambe This true church although while it lieth here in the Lords stoore to wit in the wide world and as it were in one heape confusedly gathered together containeth in it as yet as well the pure wheate as the chaffe the godly children of God and the wicked children of the world the living and dead members of the ministers and of the people yet where it is least defiled or most pure it may be knowne even by these signes that follow namely wheresoever Christ is taught in holy assemblies the doctrine of the holy Gospel is purely and fully preached the Sacraments are administred according to Christs institution commandement meaning and will and the faithfull people of Christ doth receive and use them and by these gathereth it selfe together in the unitie of faith and love and in the bond of peace and joyneth it selfe in one and buildeth it selfe hard together upon Christ There therefore is the holy church the house of God the temples of the holy Ghost lively members the parts of the heavenly Ierusalem the spirituall body of Christ and joynts knit together the which are joyned and coupled each with other by one head Christ one spirit of regeneration one word of God the same and sincere Sacraments one faith one love and holy communion one bond of peace order discipline and obedience whether the number of this people be great or small as the Lord witnesseth Where two or three are gathered together in my name Matth. 15. in what countrey or nation and in what place soever this be there am I in the middest of them and contrarily where Christ and the spirit of Christ dwelleth not and the holy Gospel cannot have any place granted unto it c. but on the contrary side manifest errours * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession Rom. 5. and heathenish life have their full course and by getting the upper hand doe spread themselves farre there must also needs be a church so defiled that Christ will not acknowledge it for his welbeloved Spouse seeing that none belongeth to Christ who hath not the spirit of Christ Every Christian is also bound with diligent care to seeke after this and such a true part of the holy church and after he hath found it to joyne and maintaine holy communion and fellowship
is she appointeth at what times and where the Church shall come together For this civill end it is lawfull to make traditions But men that are not acquainted with the doctrine of Christ are not content with this end but they joyne superstitious opinions unto traditions and by superstition multiply traditions out of measure Of this there hath been complaint made in the Church not onely by late Writers as Gerson and others but also Saint Augustine Wherefore it is needfull to admonish the people what to thinke of the traditions which are brought into the Church by mans authoritie For it is not without cause that Christ and Paul doe so often speake of traditions and admonish the Church to judge wisely of traditions There was a common opinion not of the common sort alone but also of the Teachers in the Church that the difference of meats and such like works which the Ecclâ—siasticall traditions doe command are services of God which deserve remission of sinnes Also that such kindes of worship are Christian righteousnesse and as necessary as the Leviticall ceremonies in the Old Testament ever were and that they cannot be omitted without sinne no not then when they might be omitted without danger of giving offence These perswasions have brought forth many discommodities First the doctrine of the Gospell is hereby obscured which teacheth that sins are forgiven freely by Christ This benefit of Christ is transferred unto the worke of man And by reason of this opinion traditions were especially encreased because that these works were supposed to deserve remission of sins to be satisfactions and to be Christian righteousnesse Moreover for this cause especially doth Saint Paul so often and so earnestly give us warning to beware of traditions lest that Christs benefit should be transferred to traditions lest the glory of Christ should be obscured lest that true and found comfort should be withheld from mens consciences and in a word lest that faith that is trust of the mercie of Christ should be quite smothered These dangers Saint Paul would have avoided For it is greatly needfull that the pure doctrin of the benefit of Christ of the righteousnesse of faith and of the comfort of consciences should be continued in the Church Secondly these traditions have obscured the Commandements of God for this kinde of schooling was thought to be spirituall and the righteousnesse of a Christian man Yea the traditions of men were set aloft above the commandements of God All Christianitie was placed in the observation of certaine festivall dayes rites fasts and forme of apparell These beggerly rudiments carried goodly titles namely that they were the spirituall life and the perfection of a Christian In the meane while the commandements of God touching every calling were of small estimation that the Father brought up his children that the Mother bare them that the Prince governed the Common-wealth these works were little set by They were not taken to be any service of God The mindes of many stood in a continuall mamering whether marriage magistracie and such like functions of a civill life did please God or no. And this doubtfulnesse did trouble many very much Many forsaking their callings leaving the Common-wealth did shut up themselves in Monasteries that they might seeke that kinde of life which they thought did more please God yea which they supposed to merit remission of sins Thirdly the opinion of necessitie did much vexe and disquiet the consciences Traditions were thought necessary And yet no man though never so diligent did ever observe them all especially for that the number of them was infinite Gerson writeth That many fell into desperation some murthered themselves because they perceived well that they could not observe the traditions And all this while they never heard one comfortable word of grace and of the righteousnesse of faith We see that the Summists and Divines gather together the All this matter of the ceremonies and traditions in generall doth properly belong to the 17. Section next following but for as much as here is intreated of daies meats fasts it was requisite that it should be brought in this Section because the generals cannot well be severed from particulars traditions and seeke out qualifications of them for the unburdening of mens consciences but even they cannot satisfie themselves nor winde themselves out and sometimes also their very interpretations themselves doe snare mens consciences The Schooles also and Pulpits were so busied in numbring up the traditions that they had no leasure to handle the Scripture or to search out more profitable doctrine of faith of the Crosse of Hope of the excellencie of civill affairs or of the comfort of mens consciences in sore tentations Wherefore many good men have oft complained that they were hindered by these contentions about traditions that they could not be occupied in some better kinde of doctrine When as therefore such superstitious opinions did cleave fast unto the traditions it was necessary to admonish the Churches what they were to judge of traditions to free godly mindes from errour to cure wounded consciences and to set out the benefit of Christ We doe not goe about to weaken the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall power we detract nothing from the * Looke the 3 4 Observ upon this confession in the 11. Sect. dignitie of Bishops we doe not disturbe the good order of the Church Traditions rightly taken are better liked but we reprove those Iewish opinions onely Thus therefore we teach touching ceremonies brought into the Church by mans authoritie First touching traditions which are opposed to the commandement of God or cannot be kept without sinne the Apostles rule is to be followed We must obey God rather then men Of this sort is the tradition of single life Secondly touching other ceremonies which are in their owne nature things indifferent as Fasts Festivall daies difference of apparell and the like we must know that such observations doe neither merit remission of sinnes neither yet are they the righteousnesse or perfection of a Christian but that they are things indifferent which where is no danger of giving offence may well be omitted This judgement of ours hath these evident and cleere testimonies in the Gospel to the end that it may admonish the Church that the Gospel be not oppressed and obscured by superstitious opinions Rom. 14. The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Here Paul teacheth plainly that a Christians righteousnesse is the spirituall motions of the heart and not the outward observation of meates and daies c. Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a part of a holyday He forbiddeth that their consciences should be judged that is that their consciences should be condemned in the use of such things but will have them counted altogether indifferent things and such as pertaine not to the righteousnesse of the Gospel Then there followeth a long and a
to be any longer defiled with such foilies Out of the Confession of BELGIA IN the meane time we beleeve that it is in deed profitable that Artic. 32. the Elders which doe governe in Churches should appoint some order among themselves so that they doe diligently take heed that in no case they do swarve or decline from those things which Christ himselfe our onely Master hath once appointed Therefore we doe reject all humane inventions and all those laws which were brought in to be a worship of God that mens consciences should any way thereby be snared or bound and we receive those onely which are fit either to cherish or maintaine concord or to keepe us in the obedience of God And hereunto * Looke the 1. observation upon this confâ—ssion excommunication is chiefly necessary being used according to the commandement of the word of God and other additions of Ecclesiasticall discipline annexed thereunto Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE Artic. 15. COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites which are ordained by mans authority they teach that such rites are to be observed as may be kept without sin and do tend to quietnesse and good order in the Church as namely set holidaies certain godly Psalmes and other such like rites But yet touching this sort of rites they teach that mens consciences are not to be burdened with superstitious opinions of them that is it must not be thought that these humane ordinances are righteousnesse before God or do deserve remission of sins or are duties necessary unto the righteousnesse revealed in the Gospel But this is to be thought of them that they are indifferent things which without the case of offence may be omitted But such as breake them with offence are faultie as those which do rashly disturbe the peace of the Churches Such traditions therefore as cannot be observed without sinne are rejected of us as the tradition of single life We reject also that impious opinion of traditions and vowes wherein they feigne that worships invented by mans authoritie doe merit remission of sins and are satisfactions for sin c. Of which like false opinions touching vowes and fastings not a few have been spread abroad in the Church by unlearned men This Article is thus to be found in another Edition COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites they teach that those rites are to be observed which may be kept without any sinne and are availeable for quietnesse and good order in the Church such as as are set holydaies feasts and such like Againe out of the 7. Article touching abuses of the same confession These words that follow pertaine to this place and the rest unto the eleventh Section Of the authoritie of the Ministers BEsides these things there is a controversie whether Bishops Here also be many things which might very fitly have been referred to the former Sect. by reason of speciall examples of meats and holy dayes here rehearsed but seeing that the title or this page is generall it could not here be pretermitted or Pastours have power to ordaine ceremonies in the Church and to make laws of meats and holidaies and degrees or orders of Ministers They that ascribe this power to the Bishops alledge this testimonie for it I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot beare them away now But when that spirit of truth shall come he shall teach you all truth They alledge also the examples of the Apostles which commanded the Christians to abstaine from blood and that which was strangled They alledge the change of the Sabbath into the Lords day contrary as it seemeth to the morall law and they have no examples so oft in their mouthes as the change of the Sabbath They will needs have the Churches power and authoritie to be very great because it hath dispensed with a precept of the morall law But of this question our men doe thus teach that the Bishops have no power to ordaine any thing contrary to the Gospell as was shewed before The same also doe the Canons teach distinct 9. Moreover it is against the Scripture to ordaine or require the observation of any traditions to the end that we might merit remission of sinnes and satisfie for sinnes by them For the glorie of Christs merit receiveth a blow when as we seeke by such observations to merit remission of sinnes and justification And it is very apparant that through this perswasion traditions grew into an infinite number in the Church In the meane while the doctrine of faith and of the righteousnesse of faith was quite smoothered for ever and anone there were new holidaies made new fasts appointed new ceremonies new worships for Saints ordained because that the authors of such geare supposed by these works to merit remission of sinnes and justification After the same manner heretofore did the penitentiall Canons increase whereof we still see some footings in satisfactions Againe many writers imagine that in the New Testament there should be a worship like to the Leviticall worship the appointing whereof God committed to the Apostles and Bishops wherein they seeme to be deceived by the example of the law of Moses as if the righteousnesse of the New Testament were the outward observing of certain rites as the justice of the law was Like as therefore in the law it was a sinne to eate swines flesh c. so in the New Testament they place sinne in meates in daies in apparell and such like things and they hold oppinion that the righteousnesse of the New Testament can not stand without these From hence are those burdens that certaine meats defile the conscience that it is a mortall sinne to omit the canonicall houres that fastings merit remission of sinnes because they be necessary to the righteousnesse of the New Testament that a sin in a case reserved cannot be pardoned but by the authoritie of him that reserved it whereas the Canons speake onely of reserving of Canonicall punishments and not of the reserving of the fault Whence then have the Bishops power and authoritie of imposing these traditions upon the Churches for the burdening of mens consciences For there are divers cleare testimonies which inhibit the making of such traditions either for to deserve remission of sinnes or as things necessarie to the righteousnesse of the New Testament or to salvation Paul to the Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a peece of a holy day in the new moone or in the Sabbath Againe If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdâ—ned with traditions as Touch not taste not handle not which all doe perish with the using and are the precepts and doctrines of men which have a shew of wisedome And to Titus he doth plainly forbid traditions For he saith Not listning to Jewish fables and to the precepts of men that abhorre the truth And Christ Matth. 15. saith of them which urge traditions Let
he saw many Plat. in vita â—ii 2. moe and more weightie causes why they ought to be restored to them againe Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE Art 5. Of Abuses Of the marriage of Priests VVHereas the Doctrine of Christ maketh honourable mention of marriage and willeth men to use the same not onely for procreation sake but also to bridle and avoyd lusts now a dayes the marriages of Priests are not onely by the Popes law but also by a new and unwonted crueltie forbidden and such as be made and contracted are dissolved and broken Which is so much the more unseemely for that these things are done in the Church which as she ought most of all to abhorre and detest filthinesse so should she with great care defend wedlocke for the avoiding of many grievous enormities Besides seeing that in all heathenish Common-wealthes that were but meanely well ordered marriage was in great account for very waightie causes what is there lesse seemely in the Church then either to breake in sunder the most holy knot of wedlocke or to punish marriage with punishments of death as though it were a most hainous offence Whence is it that this crueltie hath spread it selfe into the Church in which mutuall love should flourish most of all Moreover the matter it self doth testifie how much beastlinesse and how many villanies this popish law of single life doth bring forth no voice of man is able to shew how many vices have issued forth of this fountaine into the Church For to say nothing of Epicures who blush at nothing how many good and godly men have had ill successe in striving with their naturall weaknesse and at the last have fallen into horrible despaire Now whereto tendeth this new crueltie but that those innumerable villanies might be confirmed in the Churches and that wicked men might sinne more freely This matter needeth no disputation at all For this new law defended by our Adversaries which forbiddeth Priests to marry and dissolveth those that are contracted is flat contrary to the law of nature to the law of God to the Gospell to the constitutions of ancient Synods and to the examples of the ancient Church Onely in this calling we need the godlinesse and equitie of the most excellent Emperour whom we beseech for his godlinesse and duties sake that he would seeke some remedie for the Church by abolishing this tyrannicall law For as all unjust crueltie doth displease God so that most of all which is exercised against godly and learned Priests which deserve well of the Church And in this case we have not onely the word of God threatning most grievous plagues against them which exercise crueltie on the Priests but also there are examples to be seene in all ages which doe plainly testifie that such threatnings are not in vaine For to let passe infinite other examples the Tribe of Beniamin was almost quite destroyed for abusing the Priests wife that came thither as a stranger For when as the dead body of the woman which died after she had been so abused was cut in pieces and sent to all the Princes of Israel all the people judged that such outrage ought most severely to be revenged And when they could not get the authors of this shamefull fact to be delivered unto them for to be punished the whole Tribe of Beniamin receiving a great overthrow was punished for it Now in these dayes the Priests are vexed with sundry injuries they are when no other crime is objected unto them but marriage racked with most horrible torments and so put to death their miserable wives and little children being throwne out of house and home wander up and downe as banished persons without any certaine place of abode or house to dwell in Paul calleth The forbidding of marriage the doctrine of Devils which to be true not onely these filthy vices which the single life hath brought into the Church but also the crueltie which by reason of this law is exercised upon Priests and their wives and children doe testifie plainly For the Devill is a murtherer and he is chiefly delighted with the miseries of the godly But the devisers of such counsell shall one day have their just reward from God We judge that such crueltie is not worthy for Christians to use nor profitable to the Church of God Whereas they object the authoritie of the Popes law why doe they not alledge the authoritie of the Canons against those shamefull examples of uncleane single life and those villanies that were worthy of most severe punishment The authoritie of the Popes decree which is contrary to the law of nature and the commandement of God should be of no waight Men are so made by nature that they should be fruitfull Whereupon the Lawyers say That the coniunction of man woman is by the law of nature And the same the first book of Moses teacheth in the first and second Chapters Againe when Saint Paul saith To avoide fornication let every man have his wife it is certaine that he biddeth all which are not apt for a single life to joyne in marriage And Christ doth admonish that all are not fit for a single life when he saith All men doe not receive this thing Moreover neither mens laws nor any vows are of force which are against the commandement of God And the event it selfe doth testifie that nature cannot be changed by mans law For we see what vile filthinesse this single life doth bring forth and if there be any honest men which endeavour to keepe themselves chaste they perceive right well how great a burden how great danger there is in this thing and they doe especially be waile this slavery of their order Certaine men went about in the Nicene Synod to make a law to forbid Priests the use of their wives This law was resused by the holy Synod and the Latine Churches in the old time was not so severe in this point for they did put from the ministery onely such as when they had taken upon them any Ecclesiasticall function did afterwards marry wives yet they did not forbid marriage But this is a new law of the Pope unknowne to the ancient Churches and Synods which doth wholly forbid marriages and breaketh of such as are contracted But it is evident that either part of this decree is flat contrary to the Gospell They alledge against us the authoritie of the Church and of Synodes which the Popes themselves that were Authors of this decree did impudently contemne and godly Priests did evidently withstand this new law For the Ecclesiasticall Histories doe testifie that it was never layed upon the Churches without great contentions and resistance The Bishop of Tarracon writeth to Syricius the Pope That the Priests of Spaine could not be brought to admit that law which forbad them the use of their wives What a stirre doth Syricius keepe there How sharply doth he write For these are the words of Syricius which are