The Apology of Iohan Bale agaynste a ranke Papyst aunswering both hym and hys doctours that neyther their vowes nor yet their priesthode are of the Gospell but of Antichrist Anno Do. M. CCCCC L. ☞ A brefe exposycyon also vpoÌ„ the .xxx Chaptre of Numeri which was the first occasion of thys present varyaunce ¶ Saue thy selfe O Syon thou that dwellest w t the daughter of Babylon Zach. ii ¶ Ye shall depart from Babylon escape the Caldeanes wyth a merye voyce for the Lorde hath preserued hys seruaunte Iacob Esa. xlviii ¶ Fleé awaye from Babylon euerye man saue hys sowle Lete no man holde hys tonge ouer her wyckednesse for the tyme of the lordes vengeauÌ„ce is come Hier. li ☞ Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum solum To the moste vertuouse myghtye and excellente Prynce Edwarde the. vi by the grace of God King of England Fraunce Ireland defender of the faith and in earth vndre Christ of the Churches of the sayd England Irelande y e supreme head his moste humble subiecte Iohn Bale wysheth all honour helthe and felycyte LONGE was it moste worthy and excelleÌ„t Prynce ere y e diuine maieste wold fullie condesceÌ„de y t Israell shuld haue a Kynge to raygne ouer theÌ„ as had the foreyn nacions consydering that he had bene of so longe time theyr hygh gouernour leader defender i ReguÌ„ viii But wheÌ„ it was ones determinatly graunted them what was more earnestly requyred of God in that magnifycent mynystracyon then were the necessary affayres of relygion How diligent was kynge Dauid in nombrynge the Leuytes in assygnyng their offyces and in appoynting the sacryfysers syngers seruitours porters and other mynisters in theyr places lottes and courses i. Para. xxiii How studiouse was kyng Salomon in buildinge the house of the Lorde iii. Reg. vi and in disposyng the priestes leuytes queresters dore kepers accordinge to the ordre that hys father Dauid had set ii Paraâ— viii Kynge Abia strongelye warred vpon Israell whyche had than rebelled agaynst the Lorde because they had reiected the priesthode of Aaron for a wycked priesthode of the ydolatrouse nacions to do them seruice in a counterfett and false relygyon whyche were no goddes but ydolles ii Paralip xiii Kyng Asa folowed the pleasure of God He ouerthrew the ydolatrouse aulters destroyed false worshippinges cut downe the yrgroues brake in sondre theyr ymages deposed hys own mother for ydolatry abolyshed the stues of male children and commaunded Iuda to seke the Lorde God of theyr fathers and to do in all thynges accordynge to hys lawe and commaundementes iii Reg. xv Kynge Iosaphat hauynge an harte couragiouse in the wayes of the Lorde bannisshed the hyll aulters and groue chapels out of Iuda he sought out the word of God he sent fourth faythfull preachers in the thirde yeare of hys raygne whych toke with them the boke of the lawe and taught the people in all the cyties of the land ii Paralip xvii Kynge Iehu executed the reuengemente of God for the innoceÌ„t bloud of hys holy prophetes seruanÌ„ts that was cruelly shedde He slewe the great tyraunts Ioram Ochosias and quene Iesabell wyth theyr chyldren kyndredes he destroyed all the false prophetâ—s â–ª priestes consuming the ydolatours with theyr ydolatries made coÌ„men takes of theyr churches iiii Re. ix .x. King Ezechias did cleane to the Lorde put away the hyl aulters consumed y â— ymages strake doun the groues and all to brake the brasen serpent y â— Moyses had made iii Reg. xviii He prepared the teÌ„ple purified the sanctuary pourged y â— Leuites reformed y â— priestes restored again the true religion of Iuda pro uided for the ministers offred vp the lacri fyces to the Lord. ii Par. xxix Kyng Iosias in like case restored again y â— decaied religioÌ„ brought y â— lawes of the Lord to lighte commauÌ„ded the people diligeÌ„tly to obserue theÌ„ put doun the false religions which had done sacrifices to the hoste of heauen brent theyr ymages defaced their aulters stampte theÌ„ to pouder brake doun y â— buggerâ— places in y â— house of y â— lord slew al y â— ydolatrouse priests â— brent their bones in places of their wicked sacryfyces and he put oute of the waye all sothsaiers sorcerers inchaunters witches and remoued all other abhominacioÌ„s of the vngodlye reducynge the people to the true seruyce of God iiii Reg. xxiii Suffycient are these most worthy examples of y â— scripture to declare what y â— dewty of a kyng is concernynge the affaires of our Christen religion Two thynges haue chiefely bene the cause of the vtter decaye ful destruccion therof continually froÌ„ time to time both in the olde law and in the new whyche are dysputed and improued in thys treatyse here folowynge The one of them is a prodigyouse priesthode in no poynt agreable to the prescrypcyous ordinaunces or determynate rules of God The other is a straunge kynd of vowyng neither taught of Christ nor yet persuaded of his Apostles but expreslye condemned of them both for an horryble hypocrysye and manyfeste doctryne of deuyls In the Testament of Moy ses is onely the priesthode of Aaron and in the Testament of Christ the only priesthode of Melchisedech The fyrste as a fygure was fynyshed in Christ in the other he perpetually reygneth at the right hand of God the father Let your learned Mayestie then coÌ„sydre what priesthod it is that these wily wilful wicked arrogaunt obstinate papistes of your Realme extoll so mallopertly boast so stoutlye these two priesthodes taken clerelye from thys earthe way also what the vowes are y t setteth it in force to worke all vngodlynes and styll to vpholde the wretched worlde in the moste execrable vyces of ydolatrye and buggery to remain the wycked meÌ„bers of that great cytie whiche the holy Ghost calleth Sodome and Egypte Apocal. ii None authoryte haue these vowes and thys priesthod of the holy scrypturs though they a thousande tymes allege for them vouere reddite Psa. lxxv for vouere in that place pertayneth nomore to their vnwining state thaÌ„ doth reddere there to the office of theyr massynge priesthode Uowes in that kynde are not of fayth but of supersticion not of Christs doctrine but of the Paganes fables Marke the folyshnesse of them wheÌ„ they are of things impossible Who can pro myse to do myracles perfourme it at hys pleasure who can vowe that hys hear shall not growe nor his nayles increase and fulfyll it in effecte Nomore can they do to lyue chaste onlesse the Lorde geue it whyche he neuer doeth in causes vnnecessary An office was thys practised priesthode not of God but of ydols and that kynde of vowynge an inuencion of the olde Paganes for theyr vestals and monials So that an offycein ydolatrye is the priesthode and the vowe y t they cal of theyr chastyte a seruyce of
and foloweth it in his lyfe shall drynke of the cuppe of Gods heauye wrathe Apocai xiiii A noysome wounde and sore botche falleth vpon all theÌ„ that beareth the marke of that hortible moÌ„stre Apo. xvi for so haue they their conscieÌ„ces defyled wyth filthines vnspea kable ar geueÌ„ vp into their own lustes They whych beare that character in the beastes obedyence are stayne by y e swerd that procedeth from the mouthe of hym which sytteth on the horse Apo. xix that is they be coÌ„deÌ„pned vtterly by the wurd of God writteÌ„ Iohan. iii. by that whiche shall be pronounced at the lattre day by Christ sytting on the iudgement seate in our humanyte Math. xxv Lo this is the rewarde of ydell vowers that neglectyng Gods wayes wyl folow their own inuencyons Nothyng ought of a christeÌ„ man to be atteÌ„pted that is not expreslye taught in the testament of Christe For that whych is not in the scryptures contayned is fryuolouse vayn and wycked Here perauenture it wyl be reasoned How can I be Gods vnlesse I do vowe my selfe vnto hym Thus I answere thy vnlearned and foly she question In the olde law the first borne were the lordes Leuit. xxvii yet they neuer vowed them selues vnto hym In the newe lawe are we the firste borne so manye as beleue in Christe and are regenerate Iohan. i. thaÌ„ are we his by fayth and baptysme not by vowes Gods creaturs we are by creacion his seruaunts by redempcion his children heyres by adopcion by vowes are we in no poynte hys but our owne Uowes beynge wurkes of our synneful wyll may adde vnto hys wurkes greate imperfeccion and weakenesse but no per feccyon and strength can they adde We may do as deo the sonnes of AaroÌ„ ministre a straunge fyre in the sacryfyce be consumed of the same Leuitic x. We maye putte to hys wurde and be founde reprouable lyars Prouerbio xxx We maye adde to hys boke of prophecy and haue added vnto vs the plages therin wrytten Apoca. xxii Oh tempte not the lord to moch least in his high displeasure for thy wylfull rebellion be destroye the for euer with Core Dathau and Abiron Nume xvi None of vs lyueth hys owne seruaunte sayth S. Paule neither doth anye of vs dye his owne seruaunte But whether we lyue or dye we are y e Lords Roma xiiii A promise or vowe is alwayes of this nature it dyspossesseth the first owner maketh the thynge promysed to be his whose it was not afore See than what thou doest whan thou bryngest thy selfe vudre a vowe Where as thu werte the Lordes afore thu becomest thyne owne by a newe creacion as the tree that is â—ewen downe and made an ymage becometh of Gods the caruers A myserable mutacion is this if thu marke it For by thy vowe thu thus becomeste of Gods creature an ydol of thyne own But this thu wylt offre to God This sacrifyce is vnsauery Thu cannist not herein please hym but most wyckedly blaspheme him Whan thu arte hys creature it standeth wele wyth y e to be saued by Christes merytes But whan thu art thine owne thu wylte make clayme to thyne owne deseruynges whiche can not further the to saluacyon Thu wylte paradueÌ„ture say that thou art styll Gods notwythstandynge thy vowe though thou in that pel trye be nothynge lesse For thus is a vow dyffyned of Lyra. Uotum est cum aliquid de nostris offerimus deo We calit a vow whan we offer anye thynge of our owne to God But standynge the case that thu werte hys in dede thu doeste but mocke hym yf thu offre hym hys owne for thu cannyst not do it wythoute a thefte Remembre howe dysdaynouslye and lothesomly they are pleased wyth gyftes that haue thys homelye adage in their mouthes he geuethe me a pygge of myne owne sowe and thu shalte wele perceiue howe muche God is pleased wyth thy fo lyshe and ydell vowes O bruty she fole and beastlye ydyote thu sekest and procurest by thyne own de uyses to make Gods commaundements of none affecte for Antichristes wycked tradycyons Mathe. xv Thy laboure in this worke is none other but as the enemyes was whyche sowed the vnhappye tares amonge the good wheate whyls y â— tyllers were a slepe Mathe. xiii In the ydell slouthfulnesse of the churche whan the profytable tylthe of Christe was not regarded the wylye olde serpente sent fourth hys wycked massengers to plant in the ignoraunt hartes that moste execrable superstycyon of vowynge Thu blyude and wytlesse asse doest take it for an hyghe relygyon but in the laste iudgement daye it shall be reckened to the amonge ydell wordes in parell equall wyth the blasphemynge of Gods holye name Repent it therfor as thu woldeste repent synne and forsake it vtterlye as thu wylte forsake thy dampnacyon Con uert thyselfe agayne into the fredome of Gods chyldren be not a captyue slaue in the lothesome kyngdom of Antichrist Tarry not vpon the vnlearned and wytlesse persuasyons of suche bablynge papystes as is he that is here confuted for their wayes and doctrynes leadeth clerelye to perdicion They vnprofytablye crye doctours doctours as the Iewes sumtyme cryed the temple the temple Hier. vii but trust not thou in their false lyeng wurdes We can neuer haue a better doctour than was Christe whome God the father commaunded vs to hear Mathe. iii. for other doctours we haue no commaundement He y â— voweth to lyue wythout a wyfe or any other kynd of papystry is nomore bouÌ„d to performe y â— vngodly vowe thaÌ„ he that hath professed the faythe of a Iewe or the religioÌ„ of a Turke is bounde to ob serue it to hys lyues ende If an English vower in the time of peace shuld promise by othe to serue the Frenche kynge of a thousande vowes at a certayne day and warre betwyxt Englande and Fraunce were proclamed in the meane tyme he shulde better please God to breake hys othe than to kepe it Lyke consyderacion is to be hadde of the vnaduysed vowe of prestes chastite If a man professing that lyfe shulde afterwarde fele hymselfe not able to perfourme it but were lyke to fal into greater mischeues than is the breakynge therof he may breake it wythout daunger as a thinge begon of rashenes For no man ought to preferre his owne acte to y e ordinauÌ„ce of God And againe the chaunge of thynges by hys secrete prouidence dyschargeth the necessitye of the othe or promyse How folyshe vnaduysed and presumptuouse is the vowe whan promyse is made to lyue all the yeare of an other mannys purse wythout hys graunte or consent Howe frantycke and parelouse whan that is behested wherein standeth the daunger of lyfe as to geue a sharpe knyfe to a chyld How doubtfull and wycked whan that thynge is professed whiche is impossible as that the heare and nayles shall not growe Sucht are
his successours canonicallye admitted bysshoppes of Rome as is wrytten in regula Minorum which is not the Gospell of Iesus Christ as the seyd rule affyrmeth but a coÌ„trariouse doctryne of Antichrist his great enemy It foloweth consequently that these relygiouse vowers must lyue without their own and in chastite accordyng to the rule of y â— seyd ordre not of Christes Gospel for that hath no vowes vnto their lyues ende And if youre chaplayne wyll yet farder contende for their vowes in holye orders of subdeacon deacoÌ„ and presthode I saye this vnto hym and can proue it by a thousande wytuesses yf nede be that the Monckes or relygiouse votaryes commynge to these whorish or ydolatrouse orders of Antichrist toke neuer those vowes of the byshoppes suffcaganes as the popes massemoÌ„gers ded whome they than called the secular prestes For the suffraganes wer not their ordynary prelates neyther had they power to extorte anye newe profession of them But in dede they suffered them alwayes wythout vowe to passe knowing consydering y t they had vowed afore in their monastycal professioÌ„s votuÌ„ publicuÌ„ soleÌ„ne which was vnto theÌ„ a secoÌ„d baptisme Thomas of Aquine sayth O knauery vnspeakable The prests vow estemed of a moch lowar kind is called votuÌ„ tacitum ac priuatum hauyng thys bawdy clause therunto adioyned Si non caste taâ— meÌ„ caute wherby they might occupy other mennes wyues and daughters for not hauynge wyues of their owne for what els caused the one sorte to be called regular oâ— religiouse the other secular or prophane but onely the dyfference of their professionâ— and vowinges Yet to speake it trulye I coulde neuer throughly knowe what a prestes profession was in those dayes by al that euer I redde Sauynge ones I remembre as I was â— Maldon in Essexe about xx yeares ago I found an olde bishoppes ordynary or bokâ— of their exorcismes for church halowinges belle blessinges and oyled orders geuynge Wherin I behelde thys only clause for the oblygacyon or charge of their chastite Accipe iugum domini Take the yoke of the lorde But I founde therin no answere appoynted to be made of them whyche receyued that ordre neyther by affyrmacion noâ— yet negacion And therfore the bonde shuld seme to stande voyde vnlesse thys borowed clause of the lawe do helpe it Qui tacet coÌ„sentire videtur he which holdeth his peace semeth to coÌ„sent or agre to it But than that same videtur may in some case discharge if agayne Iugum domini is no such he any burthen as is so commenly eased by whoredom and sodometrye For the Lordes yoke doth case not burthen all theÌ„ y t are loaden Math. xi My yoke sayth Christe is easy my burthen is lyghte Thys yoke is a gentyll sufferaunce of harte or an humble endeuer to do the wyll of God And is not only for prestes at their orders takynge whyche of all men regardeth it least But commen it is for all kyndes of people men and womeÌ„ marryed or vnmarryed mayde wydowe husbande wyfe and all Except your chaplayne can make these afore rehearced professions good by y e scriptures which I knowe he shall neuer be able to do Lete him not contende wyth those men for their vows in thys age whych hath in the obedience of Gods holy wurd their kynges commaundement reâ—ounced those wycked kyndes of relygions and presthode and by vertu of that worde now taken them wyues in marryage For trulye and as the Lord lyueth of these most detestable kindes only were al the vowes whych they professed I speake not here of the ages from vii to xiiii whych was the yeare of profession from xiiii to xxi whych was the year of takynge their orders Whych their dyuynyte maisters alloweth hauyng in their vnsauery commentaryes thys vnsauery sentence of their own dottyng brayne Quanto a castioribus animis proficiscuÌ„tur vota taÌ„to ma gis Deo placent Quare adolescentuÌ„ vota preualeÌ„t votis senioruÌ„ The more chast those hartes be say they from whens the vowes come the more acceptable are those vowes to God Wherfor the vowes of yong boyes are better in value than y â— vowes of their eldars Is not here thinke you a loÌ„pe of fyne dyuynyte yes and it wer to serue in the deuyls blacke parlour The fyckle promyse of a waÌ„ton boye not grounded in Gods knowledge is here preferred to all other kindes of vowyng Here is no bad doctryne if it be wele coÌ„sydered wayed Saynt Paule admitting wydowes to be fouÌ„d at y e charges of the congregacioÌ„ allowed theÌ„ not to vowe the sole lyfe if ye wil ther haue it a vow afore y e age of lx yeares i. Tim. v. Of what streÌ„gth than wil they make the vow of inconstanÌ„t laddes I omitt the mysteries frutes of this texte least y e re hearsall of them shuld be an infeccion to other in hearyng so fylthie exaÌ„ples Upon al these matters afore rehearced I thus coÌ„clude that these vncoÌ„maunded vowes are such ydele mockynge blasphemonse promyses as of necessite ought to be brokeÌ„ And I haue I sidorus to holde with me therin In malis promissis inquit resâ—inde fidem in turpi vo to muta decretuÌ„ Quod incante vouisti ne facias Impia est promissio que scelere adim pletur In promises y t be euyl discharge thy couenauÌ„t In a filthy vow chaÌ„ge thy former decre Fulfyll not that thou hast vowed vnbewares for that promyse is wycked whiche is not accoÌ„plished without naughtynes Whan the kyngs grace of England by y e autoryte of Gods wurd discharged y e monkish sectes of his realme froÌ„ their vowed obedience to the byshop of Rome ded he not also discharge theÌ„ in coÌ„science of y t vowe of Sodometry whyche altogether made them Antichrists creaturs If he dyd not so minde it why altered he their relygions why toke he from them their disgysed garmeÌ„tes why plucked he downe their monasteryes yea why put he theÌ„ so at lyberte and sent them fourth abroade These thinges ought not to haue bene yf that kinde of chastite had bene indispensable For the vowes made in those relygyoÌ„s perteyned only to the same WhaÌ„ those religioÌ„s wer ones baÌ„nyshed y e realme was it not necessary that those vowes shuld be also bannyshed wyth them whych made them relygions Wolde ye haue men in one poynte to be the kynges true subiectes and in an other the Romyshe popes sworne creatures The holye Ghoste in the scriptures callethe thys kynde of doynge a tyranny of Sodome an obstinate rebellion against God From thys generacion are we called by a voyce from heauen whiche thus sayth vnto vs Apoca. xviii Come away from her my people least ye be partakers of her sinnes and so receyue of her plages I herein dyscommende not the honourable state of virgynyte neyther yet of faythfull wydowed whom I know to
haue their worthie prayses of the scriptures but thys hellyshe lake synke of sylthynesse vnspeakable All thys haue I wrytten afore leaste we shulde take euyll for good and couple sower wyth swete making of theÌ„ a mingle mangle for pigges of the popes old puddel From hens fourth wyll I aunswer to your chaplaynes frowarde obieccions Though The reported in youre wrytynge to be but one man yet shall it apere y t my oppnion coÌ„ cernyng vows is not mine own priuate opi nioÌ„ alone but y e opynyoÌ„ also of al theÌ„ which ar ruled by y e sacred scriptures I am fullye persuaded in conscience y t those most wholsom pastures of the holy Ghost are plenteouse and fait ynough for anye christen mannys feadynge and are able alone to sustayn vs wythoute all other prouysions into the lyfe euerlastynge Al other reasons proues declaracyons opynions communycacioÌ„s autorytees writings doctryns or doubtes what so euer they be not grouÌ„ded vpon theÌ„ are nothynge worth at all be they neuer so delycately prepared For wythout the verite they mynistre nothyng to man but iyes corrupcion poyson Nowe foloweth here the processe of your wrytynge Obiectio ☞ First ye begyn with the dyffinicion of a vowe what it is in y e old law Wher in ye tell firste what it is not and so â—eclare that it is not a profession of anye rashe brayne And therein I agree wyth you For in euery vow as I thynk theâ— must be a delyberacyon and a sure purpose So y t mad men â—are braynes chyldren fooles and suche lyke can make no vowe wherunto they ought to be bounden Ye saye it is an earnest promyse to fulfyll that whyche God hath ordayned and commauÌ„ded Wherin ye seme to say true but not all the truth to make a perfyght dyffynycion For y e name of a vow extendeth to manye moo thynges than your dyffynycyon doth Responsio It is at hys pleasure that your chaplaine here wyth mocke and all reporteth me to dyffyne a vowe For I mente nothyng lesse at that tyme than to dyâ—fyne it after Aristotâ—les Toppkes as he requyre th it I haue lefte hym good store of suche dyffynicions here afore taken out of a great rable of hys dottynge doctours or sophisticall sentencyâ— ners yet not one of them to anye purpose concernynge the scripture I neuer yet iudged of the holy scriptures as Aristotle ded â—nes iudge of dysfynycyons whyche in the xii boke of hys Metaphisickes sayth that De diffinitionibus potest esse scientia A scyence may be of dyffynicions For of the scripturs can we make neither art nor scieÌ„ce nomore than we caÌ„ make an arte or scieÌ„ce of Gods eternall wysedome And though it were thus Englished that knowledge may come by dyffynycyons yet holdeth not the comparison for Gods wayes are not al one with mannys inuencyoÌ„s Esa. lv If I haue sayd in descrybyng a vowe concerning dyuerse places of the olde testament that it is not a profession of anye rashe brayne as all monkysh vowes wer I thynke I haue said the truthe yea and suche a truthe as youre chaplaine is not able to w tstande by any iust grounde to the contrary If I haue also vttered that it is there an earneste promyse of fulfilling that whyche God hath ordayned and commaunded neyther haue I taughte an olde wyues fable for the scriptures standeth strongely on my syde As Iacob in y t way goyng towardes Lâ— ban hys vncle vowed a vowe that if God preserued prospered hym in that iourney he wolde acknowledge hym to be his Lord God by y e tythe offerynges of that he shuld sende hym Gene. xxviii was that vowe any other than a faythfull promyse to God grounded vpon commaundemente afore to Abraham to be taken for hys God Genes xvii NoÌ„ other opinioÌ„ had Dauid of vows than this whan he sayd Psalm lxv Introibo in domuÌ„ tuaÌ„ in holocaâ—stis reddam tibi vota que distinxerunt labia mea et locutum est os meum in tribulatione I wyll enter into thy howse wyth brent offerynges to perfourme the vowes whych I promysed with my lyppes and vttered wyth my mouthe whan I was in trouble As frankely disposed as your chaplayn was to tryfle to toy with my dyffynycion as he scornefully calleth it with it is and it is not yet is he in the ende compelled to agre wyth me therin to confirme it wyth a reason of hys owne But because I fynde hys reason barren braynlesse and wythoute anye grounde excepte it be of the sophisters dyffynycyons I reiecte it vtterlye and wyll confirme the ordre there of by a sentence of hym whose wurdes were neuer yet out of ordre NoÌ„ facietis singuli quod sibi rectum videtur Sed quod precipio tibi hoc tantuÌ„ facito domino nec addas quicquaÌ„ nec minuas Deute xii Ye shall not do saythe God that semeth good to meâ—nis pryuate iudgementes But do onlye that whyche I commaunde you se that ye adde nothinge therunto neyther yet dyminysh from it Lo sir here is both ye shall and ye shal not and all about one commauÌ„dement and your voluntarye vowes dyspatched clerelye come they wyth delyberacion or wythout delyberacyon wyth sure purpose or wythoute sure purpose because they haue non allowaunce of Gods wurde but a manifeste condempnacion An other lyke sentence Non recedat volumen legis huius ab ore tuo sed meditaberis in eo diebus ac noctibus vt custodias et facias omnia quecuÌ„que sunt in eo Non declines ab ea ad dexteram nec ad sinistram Iosue i. Lete not the â—oke of thys lawe sayth the Lorde be out of thy mouthe but study therin daye and nyghte to accomplishe and do what so euer I haue commaunded the. Se thou decline from that lawe neyther the one waye nor the other Non vltra vocaberis Iacob sed Israel erit nomen tuum Gene. xxxv Thu shalt be nomore called Iacob but Israell shall be thy name Not only by bread lyueth man but by euery wurde whyche commeth from Gods mouthe Math. iiii Not for our ryghteouse workes but of hys owne mere mercye hath he saued vs Tit. iii. Neither in maÌ„nys wyl nor yet in hys runnynge is the attaynement of saluacion but in Gods mercy aloue Ro. ix Thus haue I proued by the scryptures that a truth maye be set forewarde by it is it is not ye shall and ye shall not And all the commaundementes of God are geuen after y e same ordre As thus Thu shalt haue non other Goddes in my syghte Thu shalt hallowe the sabboth daye Thu shalt make the no grauen ymage Thu shalt honour father and mother Thu shalt not kylle Thu shalt not stele and so fourth Here is a great matter than that youre chaplaine dwelleth vpon but that of nature he must playe the mocker to maynteyne a mocke
full manerly ye axe me leaue so to do whyche I graunte with good wyll ThaÌ„ fall ye to a nughty strayning of this gnatte Your doubte firste of all is of Samuel ye saye consyderynge that neyther hys father nor soune were prestes Thys reason is to slendre to hold ye styl in that doubte vnlesse ye wyll doubte of purpose For Melchisedech was the preste of the hyghest Gen. xiiii and yet we fynde not that hys father was a preste neyther yet hys sonne after hym But thys dare I boldelye affirme that both Samuel was a prest and Helchana his father after hym And after y â— death of Heli not onlye he succeded in the seignourye or pryncypalyte ouer the Israelytes but also in the hyghe presthode Marke hys authoryte i. Reg. iii. hys intercessyon sacryfyce for the people i. Reg. vii whyche all pertayned to hys presthode Thys confirmeth Da uid Psal. xcviii Moses et Aaron in sacerdo tibus eius et Samuel inter eos qui iâ—nuocant nomen eius Iâ—uocabant dominum et ipse exaudiebat eos Moyses and Aaron amonge hys prestes Samuel among suche as call vpon hys name They called vpon y e lorde and he hearde them The lyke is written also Hier. xv Si steterint Moses et Samuel coram me non est anima mea ad popu lum istuÌ„ Though y t great prestes Moyses Samuel stode afore me to make intercessyoÌ„ yet haue I no harte to this people For the prestes were they which ded that office Iohel ii S. Augustyne writeth thus in xii lib. coÌ„tra faustuÌ„ ca. xxxiii NoÌ„ne ab ipso reguÌ„ ex ordio coÌ„mutatuÌ„ est sacerdo tiuÌ„ in SamueleÌ„ reprobato Heli et regnuÌ„ in dauid reprobato Saule Is not the presthode from the verye begynnyng of kynges changed to Samuel Heli beyng reiected and the kyngedom gyueÌ„ to Dauid Saul beyng dysalowed Bede hath also the iyke super primo Regum et Roman vii Moreouer IohaÌ„ Carion sayth in the seconde boke of hys Chronycles Incertitudinem imperii indigne ferens populus postulauit a Samuele summo sacerdote regem certum designari qui preesset regno The people grudgyng at the incer taynte of their empyre requyred of Samuel the hygh preste that a kynge myghte be certaynly appoynted to gouerne them Petrus Equilimus in sanctoruÌ„ Catalogo sheweth the same And for hys father Conradus Pellicanus sayth vpon the first chaptre of the firste boke of kynges Pater Samuelis sacerdos erat mater prophetissa The father of Samuel was a preste and hys mother a prophe tysse It is also in the Byble texte i. Reg. i. quod Helcana immolauit I pray you what call ye that Lo sir thys is ynough to proue Samuel a preste and to dyscharge youre great doubte Yet for so muche as ye reason further ye shall haue further answere Ye saye Samuel can not be proued a preste bycause he came not out of the stocke of AaroÌ„ Thys declareth in yow a blocky she ignoraunce and as though ye had sene nothyng Iosephus in the first boke and the. xv chaptre of his Antiquytees sayth that Helcana Samuels father was vir Leuita a man of the stocke of Leui. Althamerus writeth also in sylua Byblicorum nominuÌ„ that the seyd Helcana was genere Leuites a Leuyte by hys byrthe Pellicanus cometh after and he confirmeth it with this sentence vpoÌ„ the. xcix Psalme as he nombreth theÌ„ Erat sane Samuelex genere Leui per Cahat ex quo Aaron et Moyses nati sunt Certaynely sayeth he or without questyon Samuel was of the stocke of Leui by Cahat of whome spronge fourth Aaron and Moyses And he sendeth vs ther to the pedigrew of the Leuites i. Pa ralip. vi where as it is regestred at large Yet are ye not contented but Samuel must styll be no preste bycause hys mother offered hym vp to serue in the temple Whiche she neded not to haue done ye saye if he had bene a preste borue O brutysh bussarde ac stoliduÌ„ caput Thys is a reasoÌ„ as though Gods fauer and syngular grace had bene bounde vndre lawe as in that age synnefull men were Thys phantasy of yours S Hierome with youre other olde doctours haue dyscharged Pellicanus comprehendynge their myndes in thys only sentence Preter legem erat infantem Leuiticum offerre doceretur mino Sed quia myraculose promissus et ge nitus diceretur susceptus est ab Hely et velut peculiare Deo munus oblatum diligentius curanduÌ„ It was aboue the law to offer the lorde a chylde of Leuyes stocke But bycause that Samuel shulde be famed abroad to haue bene promysed and borne by myracle he was receyued of Heli the hygh preste and offered as a peculyar gyfte to God to be more dylygently loked to The Byble ma keth mencyon of Leuytes Aaronytes but not of prestes borne as ye do call them For prestes borne are no babes but great lubber knaues as I haue both heard and seane I remembre ones at Cambridge a good fellowe complayned to doctor Edmondes thaÌ„ vycechauÌ„celler y t his wyfe was delyuered y t night afore of a great gray frier And at LondoÌ„ in an inne within Smithfeld Ione Swepestake was deliuered of the limitour of Ware Whiche swepte cleane away his clocke cowle purse petycote botes hatte horse all leauynge hym in bedde al naked I heard it also at ThornedoÌ„ in Southfolke by them that founde oute the game that the sexteÌ„s wyfe there was delyuered of the parrysh preste at eleuen a clocke in the nyght I haue redde of Paulus tertius y e last bishopp of Rome y t his owne dere daughter at dynerse tymes delyuered hym besydes manye other wonders â–ª Some tyme these mysteryes were hyddeÌ„ by the terrour of walkyng spretes but now they are knowne wale ynough I coulde noÌ„bre ye out a great sort of your vn chast masse mongers y t haue thus bene delyuered of late yeares yet they wyl haue no wyues of their own so holy a thing is whoredome in youre whoryshe churche Now come we to Zorobabel whyche coulde be no preste say yow bycause he was de tribu Iuda If that rule shulde stande than must ye also deny Christes presthode whych was de tribu Iuda both by Mathew and Lukes Gospell and by all the other scriptures I am the boldar to confesse Zorobabel a preste bycause the prophete Aggeus by the expresse mouth of god vseth him as a fygur or former exaÌ„ple of Christ. Agge ii the same is coÌ„firmed Eccl. xlix For y t whych zorobabel ded in reparing y e teÌ„ple aultre made by handes ii Esd. iii. Iesus Christ perfourmed in y e teÌ„ple aultre without handes Heb. ix Et zach iiii Manus zorobabel fundaueruÌ„t domuÌ„ istaÌ„ et manus eius perficient eaÌ„ The handes of zorobabel haue layde the foundacyon of thys house and hys handes that is to
those vowes wyth double othe yet myght they not holde without theyr consent Notwithstandynge the sylence of the man was accepted in the lawe for a full graunte of the matter if he hearde it wyth hys eares and made none answer to it at the same presēt And all thys was only for frewyll offerynges to the Lorde I can not thinke that this lawe was euer plesaunte to our cloynynge papystes monkes massing prestes canons chanons and friers For they had all theyr packynges and proulynges whā the good men were out and abrode The stories are to many to be rehearced at this tyme. The breache of these vowes by contrary commaundement of the man was al so released by the deathe of Christ whych was the vnyuersalll and whole pacifycacion of the fathers wrath for synne The texte ¶ All vowes and othes that binde to humble the sowle as of abstynence and fastynge maye her husbande estably she or breake But if her husband holde his peace from one daye to an other thā he establysheth all her vowes and bondes which she had vpon her bicause he held his peace the same day he hearde them The exposycion ☞ Uowes concernyng the sowles humylyacion as here appeareth were promyses of fastynge prayer and abstynēce as they were vsed in Moyses lawe Mennys wyues myghte vowe these vowes also at certen tymes for the chastysement of theyr bodyes hauynge theyr husbandes consent els not But how ded popysh prestes abuse thys rule of God whan they kept theyr marte of confessions They neuer sought the consent of their husbandes whan they appoynted mens wiues by penaunce as they called it either to fast or yet to praye The husbandes myght be of coūsell in nothynge that they ded though god had a thousande tymes commaunded it For theyr holy father Antichrist was in theyr lewde opynion a lawe maker farre aboue God They can fatche theyr vowes from hens but thys godly ordre of obedience of the wyfe to her husbande coulde they neuer fynde but vtterly subdued it in theyr most deuylysh confessions If any euer made these vowes vnlawfull it were they whych after thys naughty sort most wyckedly abused them in thus vsurpinge an authorite ouer mēs wyues aboue theyr husbandes agaynst Gods manyfest word here exalting thēselues therin aboue god The texte ¶ And if he afterward breake them he shall beare her synne hym selfe The exposicyon ☞ So stode this vowe in the wife that if the man hearde it pronounced and sayd nothynge theragainst she stode bounde in cōscience afore God both to folowe it and perfourme it But if he dyssembled y e hearynge therof and afterwardes vpon light dyspleasure forbad her the fulfyllynge of it Than if it had bene broken it was hys inyquite and not hers The woman stode clere and he from thensfourth was bound to the perfourmaunce of it so strongly as though he had vowed in hys owne person And thys commeth of consent by a dyssymulacion and forgetfulnesse Se therfor what it is to dissemble in thinges of Gods ordynaunce The texte ¶ These are the ordynaunces which the Lorde cōmaunded Moises bitwene the man and his wyfe and betwene the father and hys daughter being a damsell in her fathers howse The exposicion Of the whole chaptre is thys clause an epyloge or brefe conclusion repetynge in fewe wurdes the substaunce of all that is therin treated God is here declared to be the authour of these lawes and hys hyghe magistrate Moises the publisher of them concernyng vowes within the housholdes of the chyldren of Israel The father had power to dyssolue the vowe of his daughter and the husbande to make the promyse of his wyfe that waye of none effect were they neuer so strongely made Why than maye not Gods wurde whych is that eternall power of hys wherwyth he made all gouerneth all and at the latter daye shall iudge all do the same in hys greate howsholde here or congregaciō milytaūt I knowe thys to be an earnest restraynte therof to al thē y t hath vnsesonabli vowed in Antichristes churche pronounced both by the prophetes and Apostles Gene. xix Esay xlvii Zacha. ii Hiere li. ii Corin. vi it Apoca. xviii Come awaye from her my people least ye be partakers of her syns to receiue of her plages This voyce wold both be heard beleued obeyed folowed The conclusyon NOw may ye se gentle readers how folyshe fantastycall and beastly our papystes are which take thys xxx chaptre of Numeri for a myghty staye and most stronge buttrasse of vpholdynge the fantasyed vowes of theyr monkeryes and massynge presthode Ye maye well perceyue that it is nomore to that purpose thā is Chariuge crosse to vphold Lyncolne mynster Uowes in thys chaptre are of Moyses commyssyon vndre shaddowe of the lawe and not of Christes commyssyon vndre lyght of the Gospell The makynge and perfourmaunce of thē pertayned to priuate how sholdes and not to the temple to the commen people and nothinge at all to the prestes Married men and yonge men towardes marryage marryed women and maydens towardes marryage wydowes and dyuorced women were only of power by thys lawe to promyse them They were not perpetuall but for a small tyme they were of thynges possyble and in mannys power and easely they myght be broken and dyspensed wyth in the wyfe and the daughter Neuer had the prestes any thing a do with the perfourmaunce or makynge of them but onely to receyue them in offeringes to the mayntenaunce of theyr lyuynges For they had none other possessyons els amōg the other trybes but these voluntary oblacions fyrst frutes and the tythes What wyll our folysh papystes haue of thē thā whā they are so farre from their purpose Mannys reason I suppose and y ◠true fear of God by the rule of his holy word shuld gouerne our whole man both within and wythout in body and in sowle as the father doth hys daughter and as the good husbande doth his wyfe concerning affeccions of thinges temporall and mocions towardes religyon No man ought to vowe or to promyse any payment to god vnlesse he be able of hys owne substaunce to do it and haue it in possessyon ready at all tymes to be payed as the Hebrues had For it is els but a mockinge of God Nothynge can we offer of our selues to God that is in any poynte correspondynge to hys gyftes All the goodnesse we haue is farre to lytle for that we already owe him for our creacion and redempcyon What wyll we than paye hym besydes our dewty whych are not able to do that Our yl dedes are not fytte to be vowed vnto him and yet we haue none other of our owne As God is wholy ours in Christ without vowe so are we hys wholly agayne without vowe He doth no great act thā which offereth himselfe in bondage by vowe To a godly man are vowes nothynge necessary for he serueth God in lyberte of sprete Uowes only procede from the carnal mā whych knoweth none