Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	daughter_n	husband_n	resident_a	70	3	17.0144	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68831	The vvhole workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs, and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one tome togither, beyng before scattered, [and] now in print here exhibited to the Church. To the prayse of God, and profite of all good Christian readers.; Works	Tyndale, William, d. 1536.; Barnes, Robert, 1495-1540. Works. aut; Frith, John, 1503-1533. Works. aut; Foxe, John, 1516-1587. Actes and monuments. Selections.	1573 (1573)	STC 24436; ESTC S117761	1,582,599	896

an other mans wife in the hart But as he there forbad that which defileth matrimony euen so he forbiddeth here that which troubleth vnquieteth and destroyeth the temporall regimēt and that thyng which to forbid the temporall regiment was ordayned which is that no man aduenge himselfe Christ medleth not with the temporall regiment But in all this long sermon fighteth agaynst the Phareseyes false doctrine and salteth the law to purge it of the corruption of their filthy gloses and to bring it vnto the right taste and true vnderstanding agayne For the Phariseyes had so enterpret that lawe of Moses which pertayned onely vnto the rulers that euery priuate person might aduenge hymselfe do his aduersary as much harme againe as he had receaued of hym Now if he that is angry haue deserued that men pronounce death vpon hym and he that sayth Racha hath deserued that mē should gather a coūsell to determine some sondry and cruell death for so haynous a crime if he that calleth hys brother foole haue deserued hell what deserueth he that smiteth or aduengeth himselfe wyth his owne hand Here is forbidden therfore priuate wrath onely and that a man aduenge himselfe To turne the other cheeke is a mater of speaking and not to be vnderstand as the woordes sounde as was to cutte of the hand and to plucke out the eye And as we commaunde our children not onely not to come nie a brooke or a water but also not so hardy as once to looke that way either to looke on fier or once to thinke on fier which are impossible to be obserued More is spoken then ment to feare them and to make them perceaue that it is earnest that we commaunde Euen so is the meaning here y t we in no wise aduenge but be prepared euer to suffer as much more neuer to thinke it lawfull to aduenge how great soeuer the iniurie be for he himselfe turned not the other cheeke whē he was smitten before the Byshoppe nor yet Paule whē he was buffeted before the Byshop also But ye haue heard a little aboue Blessed are the meeke for they shall possesse the earth Let all the world studie to do thee wrong yea let them do thee wrong and yet if thou be meeke thou shalt haue foode and rayment inough for thee and thyne And moreouer if the worst come God shall yet set such a tyraunt ouer thee that if thou be meeke and canst be cōtent that he polle thee properly and euen as thou mayst beare shall defend thee from all other Who is polled intollerably that hys lite is bitter and euen death to hym but he that is impatient and cannot suffer to be polled Yea poll thy selfe and preuent other and geue the Baylife or like officer now a Capon now a Pigge now a Goosse and so to thy Landlord likewise or if thou haue a great Ferme now a Lambe now a Calfe and let thy wife visit thy Landladye three or foure tymes in a yeare wyth spised cakes and Apples Peares Cheries and such like And be thou ready with thyne Oxen or Horses three or foure or halfe a dosen dayes in the yeare to set home their wood or to plow their lād yea and if thou haue a good horse let them haue hym good cheape or take a worse for hym and they shal be thy shilde and defende thee though they be tyraūtes and care not for God that no man else shall dare polle thee And thereto thou maist with wisdome get of them that shall recompence all that thou doost to them All thys I meane if thou be patient and wise and feare God thereto loue thine neighbour and do none euill For if thou keepe thy selfe in fauour with hurting thy neighbour thine ende will be euill and at the last desperation in thys worlde and hell after But and if thou canst not polle thy selfe with wisdome and laugh beare a good countenaūce as though thou reioysedst while such personnes polle thee euery man shall polle thee and they shall mainteine them and not defende thee Let this therefore be a cōmon prouerbe be contented to be polled of some man or to be polled of euery man Ye must vnderstand that there be two states or degrees in thys worlde the kyngdome of heauen which is the regiment of the Gospell And y ● kingdome of this world which is the temporall regimēt In the first state there is neither father mother sonne daughter neither master maystres mayoe manseruaunt nor husband nor wyfe nor Lord or subiect nor man or woman But Christ is all and ech to other is Christ himselfe There is none better then other but all like good all brethren and Christ onely is Lord ouer all Neither is there any other thyng to do or other law saue to loue one an other as Christ loued vs. In the temporall regiment is husband wyfe father mother sonne daughter maister maystresse mayde manseruaunt Lord and subiect Now is euery person a double person and vnder both the regimentes In the first regiment thou art a person for thyne owne selfe vnder Christ and his doctrine mayst neither hate or be angry and much lesse fight or aduenge But must after the ensample of Christ humble thy selfe forsake and deny thy selfe and hate thy selfe and cast thy selfe away and be meeke and patient and let euery mā goe ouer thee and tread thee vnder foote and do thee wrong and yet loue them and pray for them as Christ did for his crucifiers For loue is all and what is not of loue that is damnable and cast out of that kyngdome For that kyngdome is the knowledge of God and Christ But he that loueth not knoweth neyther God nor Christ therefore he that loueth not is not of that kingdome The minor is on this wise proued he that knoweth God and Christ seeth light for Christ is light But he that hateth hys brother is in darcknes and walketh in darcknes and wotteth not whether he goeth for darcknes hath blinded hys eyes 1. Ioh. 2. Ergo he that hateth his brother knoweth not what Christ hath done for hym and therefore hath no true fayth nor is of the spirituall kyngdome of God To hate thy selfe that shalt thou get if thou considerest thyne owne sinnes and the deepe dampnation that long thereto with due repentaunce And to loue that thou shalt obtayne if thou beholde the great and infinite mercy of God wyth strōg faith There is none so great an enemy to thee in this worlde but thou shalt lightly loue hym if thou looke well on the loue that God shewed thee in Christ In the temporall regiment thou art a person in respect of other thou art an husband father mother maister maistresse lord ruler or wife sonne daughter seruaūt subiect c. And there thou must do accordyng to thyne office If y u be a father thou must do the office of a father and rule or els

the Lord. Teach thē to know Christ and set Gods ordinaunce before them saying sonne or daughter God hath created thee and made thee thorough vs thy father and mother and at his commaundement haue we so longe thus kindely brought thee vp and kept thee from all perils he hath commaunded thee also to obey vs saying childe obey thy father and mother If thou meekely obey so shalt thou grow both in the fauour of God man knowledge of our Lord Christ If thou wilt not obey vs at hys commaundement thē are we charged to correct thee yea and if thou repent not and amende thy self God shall sley thee by hys officers or punishe thee euerlastingly Nurtoure thē not worldly with worldly wisedome saying thou shalt come to honour dignitie promotion and riches thou shalt be better then such and such thou shalt haue iij. or iiij benefices and be a great doctoure or a Byshop and haue so many men wayting on thee and do nothing but hauke and hunte and lyue at pleasure thou shalt not neede to sweate to laboure or to take any payne for thy lyuing and so forth filling thē full of pride disdaine and ambition and corrupting theyr myndes wyth worldly perswasions Let the fathers and mothers marke how they themselues were disposed at all ages by experience of their owne infirmities helpe their children and keepe them from occasions Let them teach their children to axe maryages of their fathers mothers And let theyr elders prouide mariages for them in season teaching them also to know that she is not hys wyfe which y ● sonne taketh nor he her husband which the daughter taketh wythout the consent and good wyll of their elders or them that haue aucthoritie ouer thē If their frends wil not marry thē then are they not to blame if they marry thēselues Let not y t fathers mothers alwayes take the vtmost of their authoritie of their children but at a time suffer with them and beare theyr weaknesses as Christ doth oures Seeke Christ in your children in your wiues seruants and subiectes Father mother sonne daughter maister seruaunt kyng and subiect be names in the worldly regiment In Christ we are all one thing none better then other all brethren must all seeke Christ and our brothers profit in Christ And he that hath the knowledge whether he be Lorde or kyng is bounde to submitte hymselfe and serue his brethrē and to geue hym selfe for them to winne them to Christ ¶ The office of an husband and how he ought to rule HUsbandes loue your wiues as Christ loued the congregation and gaue hymselfe for it to sanctifie it and clense it Men ought to loue their wiues as their owne bodyes For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother and shall continue with his wife and shall be made both one flesh See that euer one of you loue his wyfe euen as hys owne bodye All thys sayth Paul Ephe. v. and Collo iij. he sayth husbādes loue your wiues and be not bitter vnto thē And Peter in the thyrd chapter of hys first epistle sayth men dwell with your wiues according to knowledge that is according to the doctrine of Christ geuing reuerence vnto the wife as vnto the weaker vessell that is helpe her to beare her infirmities and as vnto them that are heyres also of y e grace of lyfe that your prayers be not let In many thynges God hath made the men stronger then the women not to rage vpon them to be tyrantes vnto then but to helpe thē but to beare their weakenesse Be curteous thereaefore vnto them and winne thē vnto Christ and ouercome them with kyndnes that of loue they may obey y ● ordinaunce that God hath made betwene man and wife ¶ The office of a maister and how he ought to rule PAule Ephe. vi saith ye maisters do euen y e same thinges vnto thē that is be maister after y e example doctrine of Christ as he before taught y ● seruauntes to obey vnto their maisters as vnto Christ putting away threanings that is geue thē fayre wordse exhort thē kyndely to do theyr dutie yea nurtour them as thine own sonnes with y ● Lords nourtour that they may see in Christ a cause why they ought louingly to obey and remember saith he that your maister also is in heauen Neither is there any respect of persons wyth hym that is he is indifferent and not parciall as great in hys sight is a seruaunt as a maister And the third chapter to the Col. saith he ye maisters do vnto your seruaunts that which is iust and equal remembring that ye also haue a maister in heauen Geue your seruaunts kinde wordes fode rayment and learnyng Be not bitter vnto them rayle not on them geue thē no cruell countenaunce but according to the ensample and doctrine of Christ deale with them And when they labour sore cherishe them agayne When ye correct thē let Gods worde be by and do it wyth such good maner that they may see how that ye doe it to amende them onely and to bring them vnto the way which God biddeth vs walke in and not to auēge your selues or to wreke your malice on them If at a tyme thorough hastines ye exceede measure in punishing recompence it an other way and pardon them an other tyme. ¶ The dutie of Landlordes LEt Christen Landlordes be content wyth their rent and olde customes not reysing y ● rent or fynes bringing vp new customes to oppresse their tenauntes neither letting two or three tenauntryes vnto one man Let them not take in their communes neyther make parkes nor pastures of whole parishes For God gaue the earth to men to inhabite and not vnto sheepe and wilde deare Be as fathers vnto your tenauntes yea be vnto them as Christ was vnto vs and shew vnto them all loue and kyndnes What soeuer busines is among thē be not parciall fauouring one more thē an other The complayntes quarels and strife that are among them counte diseases of sicke people and as a mercifull phisition heale them wyth wisdome and good councell Be pitifull and tender harted vnto them and let not one of thy tenauntes teare out an others throte but iudge their causes indifferently and compell them to make their diches hedges gates and wayes For euē for such causes were ye made landlordes and for such causes payde men rent at the beginning For if such an order were not one should sley an other and all should goe to wast If thy tenaunt shall labour and toyle all the yeare to pay thee thy rent and when he hath bestowed al his labour his neighboures cattell shal deuoure his frutes how tedyous and bitter should his life be Se therefore that ye doe your duties agayne and suffer no man to doe them wrong saue the kyng onely If he doe wrong then must they abyde Gods iudgement ¶

bee and as you haue wel deserued that I should bée I could so set out this matter that all mē should spytte at you but I will vse my selfe charitable toward you and if the matter had not béene so haynously and so violently hādled of you I would not haue geuen you one ill woorde But now let no man require of me that I should vnto such an abhominable detestable deuill as hath brought in this wicked and shamefull learnyng and maners put of my cappe make low curtesie and geue fayre wordes and say God geue you good morow syr deuill how fare you I am glad of your welfare and prosperity your Lordship doth rule very graciously and all men prayseth you I doubte not but God shall prosper you I say let no man require this of me for I am and will bée so taken for his mortall enemy whersoeuer I doe finde hym whether hée bée Lord or Byshop sauing peraduenture if I spye hym dwelling in a Byshoppe I wyll not hādle him with so rough wordes for the weaknes of certayne men as I would if I founde him in an other place It were not vncharitable if I recited here by name the innocent bloud that you haue shed in my time for the speaking against your vnlawfull doctrine Alas what fault coulde ye sinde in good mayster Bylney whō ye haue cast away so violently I dare say there is not one among you that knew hym but must commende and prayse his vertuous lyuinge And though you had founde him with a litle faulte the which I thinke and hée were now aliue should be no faulte alas would you cast away so cruelly so good a man and so true a mā both to God and to his kyng But I will returne agayne to my purpose and shewe an other example how you haue learned and taught to set kings and kingdomes togither by y e eares for the maintenance of your dignities and doctrines Pope Vrban the vj. which was chosē in the yeare of our Lord 1378. by sedition violence of Romaines which would haue no Cardinall of Fraunce because they woulde the Pope shoulde bee resident in Rome This Vrban I say deuising how to mayntaine his secte and part agaynst his aduersary which was called Clement of whose side y e kyng of Fraūce helde sent to the kyng of England Ed. the 3. the which as than was not well content with the Frenche kyng certayne Bulles contaynyng cleane remission a poena a culpa for all them that would wage battayle against the kyng of Fraunce against them that were of Clementes side And because the kyng and his Lords shoulde bée the willinger to take battayle on them hée sent a commaundement to the Byshops to rayse of the spiritualtie a taxe for to pay the souldiours wyth Moreouer because the Duke of Lancaster had a tytle to the kyngdome of Castell the which helde of Clementes side therefore y e Pope graunted that part of this money should also bée deliuered to hym if hée would wage battayle agaynst y e kyng of Castell promysing hym also that hée would styrre the kyng of Portyngale which than had also varyaunce with the sayde kyng of Castelll to warre agaynst the sayd kyng and to the mayntaynyng of his warre hée would graūt y t kyng of Portyngale a demy of his spiritualty thorow all his Realme How much was gathered in Portyngale our stories maketh no mension but in London and in the diocese was gathered a tūne of golde and in the whole realme of England was gathered xxv C. M. frankes whiche makes in Englishe money CC. lxxvij M. vij C. lxxvij 〈◊〉 And because this money was gathered of y e spiritualitie and by their diligence therefore the Pope ordayned Henry Spenser the Byshop of Norwych to bée the chiefe captayne of this warre but or euer the Pope coulde brynge this matter to passe he sent to y e king to his Lordes and to his Byshoppes xxx Bulles So that at the last thys foresayd Byshop of Norwyche was sent foorth with a greate number of men in the wages of the Church And the Duke of Lankester likewise agaynst the kyng of Castell Theyr oth was geuen them to fight agaynst no man nor countrey that helde with Pope Vrban And our chronicle saith that Pope Vrban would haue made peace betwene the Frēch king and ours at the last How thinke you is not this a pretie practise to set men together by the eares and than to make them beleeue that he woulde make a peace Fyrst we must haue cleane remission to fight and thā wée shall bée curssed as blacke as a potte if wée will make no peace And why because the Pope hath hys purpose Is not this a goodly packyng of spirituall men Is not here goodly obedience taught toward Princes Bée not mens soules well fed wyth thys doctrine Bée not these good fathers that thus watcheth nyght and daye for y t cure and charge that they haue of mens soules Marke how charitable and liberall that the holy Fathers bée in distributing of Christes merites Euery man that fighteth in his cause shall haue cleane remission a pena a culpa and must néedes bée the childe of saluation Let Christ say and doe what hée can for the holye Church hath so determined And that no man shoulde doubt of it there bée xxx Bulles graunted and that vnder leade And the Church of Rome can not erre for the spirituall lawe sayth what the sea of Rome doth approue that must néedes bée allowed and that that she reproueth must bée of no strength Likewise in an other place So must the decrées of the sea of Rome bée accepted as though they were spoken by the godly voyce of Peter hymselfe Agaynst these thinges dare I not speake for I would fayne bee taken for a Christen man but yet I muste bee so bolde to speake one worde the truth is the deuill himselfe hath blowen out these presumptuous voyces And yet mē must set both life soule on these wordes For there bée xxx Bulles of leade to confirme the matter And that is a weightye thynge But when kyng Iohn our naturall prince shoulde haue had of the pyed Mōkes for the defēce of this realme but a small summe of money Than was there neuer a Bull to gette nor yet one Byshop in Englād to preach on his side But now CC. M. pound gathered in one Lent and a greate deale more for the maintainaūce of y e pope his holy flesh Was not this a marueilous subiectiō that we should suffer our selues so lightly to bée moued to geue not onely so greate a sūme of money but also to send forth in the defence of such a wicked person our naturall brethren kinsemen and countreymen I dare say of my conscience that in fiue hūdred yeares there was not such a summe of money so lightly graunted were the cause neuer so great vnto our right naturall and

if they hée of good and honest de●…our well learned To this we aunswere sayth the Pope that if they bée gottē of lawfull marriage there bée none other Canonicall impediment then may they lawfully bée promoted vnto holy orders and may enioy that same benefice which their fathers had before c. This no mā cā not deny but y t law speaketh of Priestes children y t were gotten in lawfull matrimony Wherfore it must néedes follow y t Priestes were then maryed yea and the lawe calleth theyr marriage lawfull which must also bée noted so y t men may sée that this doctrine of myne is no new thyng but it is elder then theyr law Also in that same title the Pope sayth we haue vnderstanded that N. borne and gotten in Priesthode of a lawfull wife hath alwayes had an affection to serue God in the office of a spirituall man c. Here note that the Pope speaketh of Priestes children yea and of them that were gotten in lawfull marriage and not in fornication Wherfore the Pope supposeth that Priestes may haue a lawfull matrimony And therfore mee thinketh that when men finde in the law mention made of Priestes children they should rather suppose them to bée gotten in matrimony then in fornicatiō both for the honesty of the father mother and also of the childe specially séeyng y t Priestes had wyues in those dayes And it stādeth also more with honesty of Priesthode to graunt that they had wyues rather then whores Now let vs sée what the Emperours lawe sayth to Priestes wyues We will sayth hée that all maner of spirituall men shal haue this prerogatiue that theyr wyues and their children and their seruauntes that is for to say both male and female shall bée frée from an homage whiche is called Perāgariam Here is to bée noted that the Emperour doth not alonely admit Priestes matrimony but also hée honoreth it with a priuilege a prerogatiue the whiche hée would not haue done if hée had iudged their matrimony vnlawfull Wherefore men may sée if they will how indifferent our forefathers hath béene vnto this holy state of matrimony And it wold not become vs euill if we learned of them better to iudge of these thyngs that God our maker hath both instituted and sanctified Now good reader haue I prooued this article by Gods holy word by the sayinges of Doctours by the authoritie of Councels by some certaine lawes both Emperiall and Popish Wherfore now wil I goe farther vnto the hystories and prooue this thing by examples and practise of holy mē First we haue she example of blessed S. Peter the which had doubtles a wyfe as it may bée prooued by Mathew which sayth Quod socrus Petri tenebatur magnis febribus Peters wyues mother had a gret agew Now if Peter had a wife as this text is clere what thyng should forbyd our priests mariage I thinke they are not boūde to more chastitie then Peter was Nor it will not helpe to say that hée forsoke his wife after his calling For the Scripture here speaketh of Peters wyues mother Why doe they not as well take hys wyues mothers name awaye as they take away hys wife But I haue aunswered to this reason largely inough before Also Philippe the Euangelist had thrée daughters the whiche hée could not haue bad if that hée had had no wyfe for I thinke there is no good mā that will reckē them to bée bastardes and whores children Neither it can helpe to saye that these children were borne before hys electiō for this is but a simple saying and no probatiō And it is not inough to say séeyng that men will haue it for so necessary an article but men must also prooue it by open Scriptures For els I may saye by as good authoritie that these daughters were borne after hys election as other mē say how they were borne before hys election And I haue better supposition for me out of the texte then they haue for they are not called Philips daughters alonely but Philippe the Euangelist daughters Wherfore they may by a good reason say they were not Philippes daughters as they may say that their father was none Euangelist We doe read in Tripertita Historia these wordes All Priestes in the orientall Church doth abstayne with a frée will of no necessitie frō wyues For many of them in tyme whē they bée byshops haue had of their lawful wiues chlidrē Note how this history declareth clearely that priestes in the orientall Church were not compelled to vowe chastitie Secondarily y t history cauleth priestes wiues lawfull wiues And also how the byshops had childrē after their consecration Now doth all learned men know that the orientall Church receiueth their maners nerer of the Apostles then we Wherefore it is to bée presupposed that these men tooke their custome of marryage of the holy Apostels And at the least wise it must followe that if their priestes may haue wiues lawfully that then our priestes may haue also For God hath layde none other burthen on our Priestes neckes thē hée had on theirs Moreouer we doe reade in Ecclesiastica Historia that Penitus byshop of a citie called Gnoseos would haue made a decrée y t priestes should haue vowed chastitie But Dionisius Byshop of Chorinth wrote agaynst hym and required hym that hée would not lay no necessitie of compulsed chastity in other mens neckes Penitus folowed his counsell Here you may sée y t the deuell hath béene of long tyme aboute to bring in this snare for priests but God hath resisted hym We haue also in the same historye agaynst those men that did despise mariage a goodly saying which is this what will they reproue the Apostles Peter and Philip had wiues and did also geue their daughters to mariage In so much as S. Peter did crye vnto his wyfe when shée should bée led vnto her passion and called her by her name and sayde vnto her Oh deare wyfe remember our Lord. Heare is it cleare that Péeter had a wife And heare is also against them that sayth how y t Peter forsoke his wife which is here proued a false lye Moreouer Spiridon the byshop of Cipres hauing the gift of prophecye had also a daughter whose name was called Irenem which after her faithfull seruice dyed a vergin Heare is it cleare y t this holy man had a daughter which hée could not haue if hée had had no wife Farthermore we do reade that Policrates byshop of Ephesum doth shew that seuen of his parentes lynially were bishops in order before hym and hée hym selfe was the eyght Now coulde not this bée that his fathers from the seuenth degrée could haue béene byshops if bishops had had no wiues for the text is cleare of his fathers and not of his kynsmen Mée thinke this is a cleare example sufficient to proue as great a matter as

this is if men would bée content and satisfied with reason ¶ Ex damaso Papa ad Hieronimum ex Platina Nauclero BVt let vs goe farther and sée how many Popes haue béene priestes children that this matter may bée opened by them and that Popes them selues may be witnes of this doctrine Fyrst is there Siluerius pope the which had a byshop to his father called Ormisda This Siluerius lyued about the yeare of our Lord. 524. Pope Felix the third of that name was y t sonne of Felix priest of Rome This man lyued about the yeare of our Lord. 474. Pope Deus dedit was the sonne of Stephane the subdeacon which lyued about the yeare of our Lord. 623. Pope Theodorus was the sonne of Theodore byshop of Hierusalem This man lyued about the yeare of our Lord. 634. Hadrian y t secōd was the sonne of Thalare the byshop This man lyued about the yeare of our Lord. 873. Pope Iohn the xv of that name was y t sonne of priest Leo This man lyued aboute the yeare of our Lorde 984. Pope Agapitus the fyrst of that name had a priest to his father called Gordianus hée lyued about the year of our Lord. 534. Pope Siluerius had a father called Siluerius a byshop of Rome This man liued about the yeare of our lord 544. Pope Boniface the fyrst of y t name was sonne to Iucundus priest Pope Osius was y t sonne of Stephan the subdeacon Pope Gelasius the fyrst had a byshop to his father called Valenus anno Domini 484. Iohn the. x. pope of y t name was sonne to pope Surgius about the yere of our Lord. 924. All these a great many more as the Popes lawe testifieth were the children of subdeacons deacons and Priestes and haue borne rule in the Church of Rome Wherefore I meruayle very fore that men doe recken it so new learning that priests should haue wiues séeing that it standeth with Gods holy word with the saying of the olde doctours with the determination of counsels with y t Emperours lawe and also with y t Popes olde decrées Moreouer Christes holy Apostels and many other holy men since their dayes haue liued in the holy estate of matrymony Finally there hath been many holy men and also holy women borne in the wedlocke of Priestes By what reasō now can or wil mē damne all these thynges that bée of so great auctoritie If men wyll heare neyther God nor mā nor yet no good reason what néede men then so much to speake of learning séeing that they wyll heare nothyng but that they alonely iudge good Truely this is a great high minde of mē thus wrongfully to condemne other men for heretikes hauyng so good learnyng for them and yet they themselues are grounded onely of their owne sensuall mynde hauyng no learnyng nor reason for them But I wyll put this matter to Gods iudgement And let not men doubt if they béeléeue there is a God but that God wyll bée a reuenger of such wrongfull violence as men doe vse in thys case both agaynst hym and agaynst all his blessed company of Saintes But yet for to doe men pleasure and that they myght bée perswaded if it were possible I will declare vnto them how y t wée doe finde old monuments testifiyng clearely that priests were in peaceable possessiō of matrimony their childrē gottē in that same matrimony were admitted to spiritual benefices In the tyme of Pope Alexander y t thirde there was a controuersie for the patronage of a benefice betwéene the pryor of Plimptō in Deuenshyre and one Iohn de Valletorda Now were there deputed iudges Rychard Archbyshop of Caunterbury Roger Byshop of Wynchester béefore whome the pryor of Plympton prooued his patronage by the reason that hée was in possession and had géeuen it vnto diuers persons Fyrst hée sayth there was a Priest of Plymptō called Alpheghe which had by y t gyft of the pryor of Plympton the benefice of Sutton which is now called Plymmouth This Alpheghe had a sonne cauled Sadda which had also the benefice after hys father And after Sadda was there an other priest cauled Alnodus which had the benefice likewyse This Alnodus had a sonne called Robert Dunprust which after the discease of his father Alnode had also the same benefice And after thys Robert Dunpru●t William Bacon hys sonne enioyed the benefice lykewyse Here men may see that it is neyther so new learnyng nor yet so long agoe since priestes had lawful wyues Moreouer I reade in our owne Chronicles that in the tyme of kyng Henry the iij. which raygned y t yeare of our Lord 1101. priestes myght lawfully marry wiues in so much y t Anseline than Archbyshop of Caunterbury in a Seane that hée helde at London did make a decrée y t priestes should forsake their wiues the which was both agaynst Gods lawe and mans For the texte of our Mayster Christ is cleare Quos deus coniunxit Homo non seperet Marke these two wordes Deus and Homo And howe much the one passeth the other Farthermore the Pope hymselfe hath not greatly regarded Priestes chastitie if hée myght get any money for dispensations in the which thyng hée coulde not haue dispēsed if it had béene of Gods lawe And if it bée but but mans lawe what charitie is in the Pope to compell men so sore to kéepe it séeyng that it is so great daūger vnto priestes and that so many soules béene lost thorough it Yea what tyranny is in hym thus cruelly to kill men for breakyng alonely of hys commaundement the which is not in their power to kéepe To our purpose the Pope hath often tymes dispensed both wyth Priestes and religious men for their vowe hath géeuen them licence to marry It is not vnknowen to many men that there was an Abbot of Reading whom men for his perfecte lyuinge called Abbot Sancte This man béeyng in daunger of a certayne disease by the reason hée had no wyfe sente vnto the pope desiring hym to dispense wyth hym for hys vowe and y t pope dispensed wyth hym and gaue hym licence to marry a wyfe but vnder a condition that it shoulde bée secretly done and not In facie ecclesie By this men may sée that the Pope himself holdeth not so much of priests chastitie for then hée woulde not regarde more money then it And if the pope may dispence wyth thys Abbot for auoyding of a disease corporall how much more ought hée now to dispense with priestes séeing there bée so many soules in daunger Yea and also the order of priesthoode is sore defamed and sclaundered by the reasō that priestes hath no wyues Moreouer wée doe reade that pope Celestine the third did dispense with a Nunne whose name was cauled Constatia Kyng Rogers daughter of Cecyll and gaue her licence to marry with Henry y t Emperour the sixt of that

name This was about y t yeare of our Lorde 1186. So that mē may perceaue how the pope doth not greatly regarde the vowe of hys spiritualtie if any thing may bée gotten to pay for a dispensation And it wil not helpe to say that the pope did dispense with this woman for a common wealth For the stories maketh mention that the pope dispēsed with him vnder a cōdition that hée should paye hym a yearely pencion for the kyngdome of Cecyll and should recouer it of his owne charges out of the handes of Tancredus which was then in possession of it And béecause that hée myght haue the better title to the kyngdome hée gaue hym the onely daughter of Cecill So that y t pope did it not for a common wealth but for his owne lucre But now graunt that it were for ▪ a common wealth therefore first it was not Gods commaundemēt that priestes should liue sole For gods word géeueth no place to no common wealth And if y ● pope did then dispence for a cōmō wealth why doth hée not now dispence for auoyding of fornication in so many innumerable priestes Doth not mē recken it for a common wealth to expell fornication all occasions therevnto But now there is no commō wealth to bée regarded béecause there is no shyning golde offered But at y t least wayes mée thinketh that priestes which marry bée very farre from heresie for it is neyther agaynst Gods lawe nor yet agaynst the common wealth Here were many examples to bée brought in how the pope hath dispensed both with Monkes Friers and Nunnes the which I will passe ouer and will she we as neare as I can out out of Chronicles how lōg ▪ it is that the pope hath gone about to bryng in the vow of chastitie Doctour Eckius doth say that Calixtus primus dyd firste make the statute that priestes should vow chastitie b●t that is false For all Chronicles beareth witnesse that priestes had wyues in the Councell of Nicene the which was almost an hundreth yeares after Calixtus dayes Wherfore it can not bée supposed that y t statute was made béefore the Councell of Nicene But authenticall hystories doth make mention that Nicholas the first whiche was Byshop of Rome the yeare of our Lord 860. did goe about this thyng but hée could not bryng it to passe by the reason of an holy man S. Huldericke Episcopus Augustensis the which wrote a very sharpe Epistle agaynst hym reproouyng hym sore bycause hée would compell priestes to vow chastitie Hys woords bée these Thou hast not swarued a litle from discretion y t where as thou oughtest to haue counsayled priestes to chastitie thou hast with a Lordly violence compelled them to it Is not this after the iudgement of all wise men a great violence whē that thou agaynst the institution of the Gospell and agaynst y e decrée of the holy ghost wilt compell men to obserue thy priuate decrée c. Hée reciteth also agaynst y e Byshop of Rome all those same scriptures that I haue brought herein my booke of this matter and al●o certain of the counsels to that purpose that I haue brought them So that men ought not to thinke that I am the first that thus hath vnderstande the Scriptures nor yet the first that hath spoken agaynst priestes vowes Note also how this holy mā sayth that priests ought to bée admonyshed counselled to chastitie but not compelled For that sayth hée is a great violence and agaynst Christes holy Gospell and y t blessed spirite of God These bée as vehement wordes as I haue spokē For out of these woordes men may gather that it is not farre from heresie to compell priestes to vow chastitie This holy man procéedeth farther with y t Bishop of Rome and telleth a fact of S. Gregory the which went about to compell priestes to vow chastitie Vpon a day S. Gregory sent vnto hys pondes for fish and in the nettes that they fished withall were brought vp aboue sixe thousand young childrens heades the which thyng when S. Gregory saw stroke hym sore to the hart hée was very heauy of that sight and perceyued anone that hys decrée that hée made for priester chastitie was the occasion of this great murther In that that priestes could not lyue sole nor yet they durst not auow theyr children for feare of the decrée And so for sauegarde of theyr honesty they fell into a fearefull and abhominable sinne to kyll theyr own children And for this cause S. Gregory sayth this holy Byshop dyd reuoke hys decrée agayn and did greattly alow the saying of the Apostle Iis better to marry then to burne Addyng vnto it of hys owne It is better to marry then to geue occasion to murther Here note good reader what a terrible and a fearefully example this is Is not this a piteous case that so many thousandes innocētes bée thus slayne When shall the chastitie keepyng of all the priestes in the worlde bée an occasion of so great goodnes as the law of chastitie hath béene hereof mischief Alas is there no pyty in ●…ēs hartes that are nothyng moued whē they read such horrible factes in holy mens writyngs Or doe men thinke that there is no mischief now in our dayes done by the reason that priests are compelled to chastitie If men thinke that there come any mischiefe by the reason of it how can men recken to auoyde Gods vengeaūce that will so stifly and strongly mayntayne the same I haue béene informed of credible persons the whiche if néede were I could yet bryng foorth that in a place of Religion within this fewe yeares there was a religious man that dyd get a woman with child the whiche woman was brought a bed in the brothers chamber of a fayre sonne This child was Christened in the same chāber and as soone as it was christened hée brake the necke of it and buryed it in the night in the Churcheyarde This is the trueth I cā prooue it Is not this a terrible thyng dooth not nature abhorre this And yet men had rather here this abhominablenes thē for to release a litle of theyr own will But oh Lorde God howe streightly shalt thou punish this It is not yet out of y t minde of mā sinnes y t an honest man lost his daughter by the reason that a priest defiled her the which bycause hée would not bée dishonested kylled the mayde priuely and afterwarde cast her into a well If men will not bée moued at this and such lyke other factes I can not tell what will moue them I could recite a great many of abhominable and detestable factes if I were not more ashamed to tell them then priestes hath béene to doe them Neither will I recite how shamefully that mens daughters mens wyues mens seruauntes hath béene and are dayly cast awaye by the ▪ reason that priestes are so hoate of courage and can not