prayers and fastynge to withdrawe them selues one from another but yet wyth consente meaninge if they haue bothe the gyfte of continencye duryng the tyme of the fastinge and prayer and be able to forbeare one another But what doeth it folowe Afterwardes come together agayne leste Sathan doe tempte you for your incontinencye sayeth he As if he should saye if duâ—ynge the tyme of youre fastyng and prayer ye do feele that ye cannot reâ—raine or lyue chastelye come togeâ—her agayne lest Sathan vnder the â—hadowe and coloure of your fasting â—nd prayer doe tempte you Beware â—n any wise that ye geue no occasion â—nto Sathan to tempt you Thee thyngs to be noted vpon Paules wordes for your â—ncontinencie Vppon whyche worâ—es thre thinges are to be notes The first is that the blessed Apostel â—oeth onely speake vnto those that â—y mutuall companyeng together â—re letted to fast and to pray where â—pon I may make an argument afâ—er this sorte Yf we must leaue of â—he mutuall companyeng together â—n Matrimony durynge the tyme â—hat it doeth let vs to faste and pray â—y muche more strong reason ought â—e to forsake leaue all other thinâ—es that doe let vs to praye or to doe â—hose thinges that perteyne to oure â—ccacion Robyn Papist I doe confesse that to be true But what wyll ye make of it I woulde fayne heare what ye wyll saye The true Christian For to helpe the weake memory of the simple and vnlearned I wyl beginne againe mine argumente If as I sayed before the mutuall companiyng together in holy matrimonye and wedlocke must be forborne for a whyle I meane durynge the time that it doeth let vs to faste and praye how much more ought we to forbeare yea and to forsake all other thinges that doe hynder and let our praiers The syngle lyfe is a let vnto those pryestes that haue not the gifte of chastytye But to liue a wiuelesse life doeth let the pryestes whyche haue not the gifte of chastitye to praye and to do other thyngs that perteine to theyr office and vocation Ergoe they ought to forsake that kynde of lyfe and to be at defiaunce wyth it Robyn Papyst I denye the minour or second part of your argument The true Christian I desire no better than the commen experience whych we see dayly before oure eyes for to proue it The commen experyence proueth all Whervnto might be added the sayinge of Sainct Paule whiche we rehersed euen now Do we not see dailye I praye you yf a pryest hath not the gyfte of chastitye that where as he should studye and praye This is to true he doeth occupye hym selfe all the daye long in seekynge of hys harlottes and whores and yf the finde none at the firste he doeth vexe hym selfe nyght and daye studying howe he maye by one meane or other brynge some honest poore woman or mayde to naught And verelye yf this fyer of incontinencye whyche he burneth wyth all bee not quenched by one naughtie meane or other he shal neuer be able to praye to reade or studye he shal neuer thinke of heauenlye thinges not yet on anye thinge that is good These thinges beynge consydered a ryghte i. Timo. iiii it is an easye thinge to perceyue that thys wyuelesse lyfe whych truelye is a plaine inuention of the deuell doeth altogether let theym that haue not the gyfte of continencye and chastytye to doe the thynges that pertayne to theyr vocation and callynge Let these wyuelesse preestes what fayre face soeuer they beare before men and how soeuer they doe dissemble and cloke the fier of incontinencye that they burne wythall be iudge theyr selues I doe onelye appeale to theyr owne conscience whych nowe is and shal be hereafter a sufficiente withnesse against them Robyn Papyst A pretye remedy to bring one to the deuell Ye hit partelye the masse on the heade But ye knowe what remedie they haue in theyr canon lawes Si non caste tamen caute The true Christian That is as muche to saye yf thou canste not liue chastelye playe thou the knaue pryuelye But to the matter The seconde poynte that wee shall marke in Paules wordes is that he doeth preferre the honeste companiynge together of man and wyfe in Matrimonye before fasting or prayer Godlye counsayle or before the wyuelesse life in theim that haue not the gyfte of continencye or chastitye For he sayeth And come agayne together leste Sathan do tempte you for your incontinencye that is to saye Sometymes the lyberty of Matrimonye is to be preferred before prayer and fastynge yf ye perceaue that ye can not lyue chastelye during the time of your praiers leaue prayinge alone For then oughte ye to preferre the honest lybertye of Matrimony before prayer leste Sathan doe tempte you Sathan is a subtill and craftye enemie therefore ye muste beware of hym lest vnder the shadowe and coloure of prayer he cause you to commytte some filthenesse Therefore Saint Paule sayeth afterwardes This I saye of fauoure and not of commaundemente Where vpon I dare boldlye saye that youre holye father the Pope is a very Sathan or rather an incarnate deuell The Pope is a deuell incarnate whyche vnder the pretence colour of prayer doeth cause his priests to fal into the net of of the deuyll by manye abhominable and horrible synnes Why wyll the not permit vnto them the same that Sainct Paule doeth bothe permitte and also commaunde vnto all those that want the gyfte of chastitie doth that fleashlye Idol thinke that to be withoute a wyfe The true chastitye is to lyue chastely The true chastitye doeth consiste in the true purenesse of the hearte and minde Ambrose vpon the .vii. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinth i. Corinth vii For as Ambrose sayth what doeth it auayle or profite if thy body beinge chaste and cleane they soule or mynde be polluted and defyled To be shorte no man can be coumpted chaste before God except he be holye bothe in bodye and also in spiryte Whiche thinge can not be in suche pryestes that haue not the gyfte of chastitye vntill they vse the godlye remedye that is offered vnto them in the holy estate of Matrimonye Robyn Papyst When I doe wel weighe the wordes of Saint Paule where he saith The single men or women doe care for the thynges that belonge to the lorde that they may be holy both in body and also in spirite I do in a maner agree to your sayenges But go forwardes I pray you ♣ The true Chrystian The thirde doctrine that we do learne of Paules wordes is that there is neyther fastinge nor prayer Neither fasting nor prayer can quench the fier of incontinenâ—ie that can quenche the fyer of incontinencie excepte god dothe quenche it him selfe by his especiall grace Whych thynge sayncte Paule doth well declare when he sayeth Come together agayne leaste Sathan do tempte you for your incontinencye i. Cor.
vii Marke ye nowe this if the incontinencie could be taken away by prayers or fastinges sayncte Paule nede not to saye Come together agayne least for your incontinencie ye be tempted of Sathan but rather continue still in fasting and prayer and so shal ye ouercome and quenche at length the burning concupiscence of your fleshe Agayne he sayeth not i. Cor. vii he that can not absteyne let hym praye and fast but contrarywyse he sayeth i. Cor. vii he that hathe not the gifte of chastitye let him marrye Moreouer he doth not write for auoydynge of fornication let euery man faste and praye or beate him selfe but rather this commaundement doth he geue for auoydinge of fornication let euerye man haue his wife and euerye woman haue her husbande I do alwayes excepte theym Who they be that ought to be accepted frō this lawe that do not tempte God that is to saye whyche can not commodiously come at their wiues by reason of theyr office or vocation as manye gentlemen and other be whych by the commaundemente of theyr prynce are fayne to kepe the warres or marchaundise folowinge theyr marchaundise and other like They that cannot commodyouselye come at theyr owne wyues ought to pray for the gyft of chastytye Suche are bound to pray vnto almightye god that he vouchesafe to geue them the gifte of chastitie duryng the time that they be absent from tdeyr wiues but yet they ought not to separate them selues for to longe a time nor withoute a iust and lawefull cause Robyn Papyst Why doth sainet Paule wryte then that it is good for a mā not to touche a woman The fift argumente of the papyste of oure tyme. i. Cor. vii Here saint Paule semeth to alowe the opinion of theym that saye that it is meritorious or auaylable vnto saluation to liue without the companye of a woman or in the state of single life Math. xix Doth not also our sauiour Iesus Christe say him selfe that there be some whyche haue made thē selues chaste for the kingdome of heauens sake ♣ The true Chrystian All these places make nothyng for the papistes For first and foremost Aunswere Howe the wordes of sainte Paule oughte to be vnderstanded the meaning of sainct Paule is not that to absteyne from a woman is meritorious or auaileable vnto saluation but that it is more commodious for a man if he can liue so or hath the gifte of chastitie to be vnmaryed then to be maryed For i. Cor. vii he that is single and vnmaried hauing the gifte of chastity and continencie careth for the thinges that perteyne vnto the lord that he maye be holy both in body and also in spirite he maye at all times go abrode to preache the gospell Math. x. and if persecutiō doth arise for the wordes sake he shall neyther by wife nor by children be letted to flye from citye to citye as our sauiour Iesus Chryste doth byd and if he fall into the enemies handes he shall with a better minde go to the fyer Manye other cōmodities might I rehearce which they haue that hauinge the gyfte of chastitie do remaine vnmaried But what dothe this pertayne to youre wiuelesse priestes The sayenge of saint paule doth nothyng pertayne to the papistes which as vile stinking goates do walowe them selues in all kinde of Sodomie and whoredome They say that it is not lawefull for them to haue wiues of theyr owne and to touche theym as God hathe ordeyned and appoynted but how they handle other mens wiues commō harlots in their blind and theuishe corners Roma i. th◠very childrē in the streete are able to testifye These are they that for the despising of the lordes institutution and ordinaunce are geuen vp into a reprobate sence that they shuld do the things which are both vnsemely alo too filthye Math. xix abhominable to be vttered out As for the wordes of our sauioure Iesu Christ they are easy to be vnderstanded for there he speaketh of those that hauing receiued the gift of chastitie do absteyne frō mariage that they maye the better spreade abrode and publishe the glad and ioyfull tidinges of the kingedome of heauen But how chastelye doth your wyuelesse marchants liue I beseche you Can any man say thē selues chaste They be as chaste as sparowes or as are lusty stalauntes that runne among mares or that they haue gelded thē selues Let the pore women and maydens whō they seduce deceiue dayly testify of the same And as for the preachings of the gospel of god which our sauiour Iesus christ doth call therin that place the kingdome of heauen that is not the marke that they shot at in absteining frō mariage but that they maye liue at ease pamper vp vp their idell and restye bodies that so they may do the better seruice vnto lady Venus at all times Naye not so for they be oure Ladyes knyghtes whose knightes they do declare thē selues to be This am I sure of that there haue bene more godly sermōs made here in Englād in a weke by honest maried ministers that liued in the feare of god in the holy estate of matrimonye then be nowe made in a hole yeare by your mayden priestes and lusty chāpions of dame Venus Robyn Papyst Question How can ye proue that they which make theym selues chaste or gelde theym selues for the kingedome of heauens sake haue receyued the gift of chastity before The true Christian When the apostles had sayde if she matter be so betwixte the man the wife Aunswere Math. xix thē it is not good to mary our sauiour Iesus christ did aunswere say Al men be not able to cōprehend or receiue this sayenge but they to whom it is geuen Nowe if ye will aske me who they be that geld them selues or that make thē selues chaste for the kingdome of heauens sake I wil aunswere They do geld them selues for the kyngdome of heauens sake to whome it is geuen that they gelde them selues or make theym selues chaste for the kingedome of heauens sake vnto whom it is geuen But thys as I haue sayde before can not be spoken of your vnmaried and wiuelesse shauelinges for they neyther liue chastely nor yet care for the promoting or setting forth of the kyngdome of heauen but to set out theyr owne kingdome glory that they may liue like lordes kinges and haue al mens heads vnder their girdelles Nowe do ye plainely se that the places that ye haue alleadged do no more pertaine vnto your holy priests than the godly documentes of virginitie i. Corin. vii that s Paule geueth in the epistel to the Corinthians do pertaine to the hores of the stewes Wolde God suche a lawe myght be made If kinges and princes woulde once make a lawe that al priestes that be found to liue vnchastely or to lead an vncleane filthy life should be brēt vp as
reader they call matrimonye nothynge but vncleanelinesse pollution therefore that they call it a sacrament it is for none other thing but that they maye haue the handeling of it vnder theyr iurisdiction ia their spirituall court Esay v. and stinking pollution whereby it shall come to passe that we shall neuer be pure and cleane for to come to the altare of the lorde Who would not iudge I beseche you that such vyle persons are geuen ouer into a reprobate sence and that all godly knowledge and vnderstanding beinge by the righteous iudgement of god taken awaye from theym they do call that whiche is good euell and that whiche is euell good they do call lighte darkenesse and darkenesse lyghte esteminge that to be sweete which is soure and that whyche is soure to be swete In the sixt sinode or counsell that was holden kepte at Constantinople where it was forbidden The sixt Sinode holden at Constantinople that no man should take vppon him the vowe of single life and also commaunded that all they that for any ecclesiastical orders did put away their wiues should be put from the communioÌ„ of the faythful this holy decree was made If anye man presume contrarye to the rules and Canons of the Apostels to depriue anye pryestes or deacons Distinc 31. canon Quoniam in rom ordine from the touchinge and communion or felowshyp of theyr lawfull wyues let hym be deposed Againe if any priest or â—aâ—on doe for religion sake expel or put awaye hys wyfe let hym be excommunycated and if he perseuer in it let hym be deposed Manye other Canons and decrees mighte I aleadge that doe pronounce them to be accursed that either forbid priests to marrye or that goe aboute by vyolent and tirannous lawes to separate them that be alredye maryed in the lorde from theyr lawful wyues ¶ Robyn Papyst Obiection Those decrees and Canons haue bene abolyshed by the latter Concilles therefore they stand in no effect The true Christian Answere Howe shall then theyr doctrine stande where they saye that concels cannot erre Yf the later concilles do abolyshe the decrees and Canons of the olde auncyente Concilles then they must nedes graunte that they dyd erre The canons and rules of the Apostels els they wold not abrogate and put downe the decrees and Canons that haue bene made in them But nowe wyl we come to the Canons and rulers of the Apostelles whiche are set forthe vnto vs in the booke of god A byshop saieth Saint Paule muste be blamelesse the husbande of one wife i. Timo. iii suche a one as ruleth wel his owne house and such a one as hath hys children in subiection with all reuerence For if a man cannot rule hys owne house howe shall he care for the congregation of christ This shal ye haue in the third chapter of the Epistel to Timothee which chapter I wold faine haue you to reade through for there shal ye also find that both ministers and deacons oughte to be husbandes of one wyfe And besides that what qualities their wiues ought to haue The verye like shall ye haue in the fyrste Chapyter of the Epystell to Titus For Titus â— there the Apostell wryteth on this maner for this cause I left thee in Crete that thou shouldest ordeine elders in euerye citye as I had appoynted the. Gala. i. If anye be blamelesse the husbande of one wife hauinge faythfull children whyche are not flaundered of riot nor are disobedient These are the rules and canons of the holy apostelles for hauing all one spirite they did set forth all one doctrine whereby the elders or priestes of the christian church may law fully marrye And trulye if an aungell from heauen should teache any other doctrine contrarye vnto them I would coumpte him accursed ¶ Robyn Papyst Obiection But our preachers did saye that it is not the apostelles meaninge that a byshoppe must of necessitye be maried or that he must be maried wheÌ„ he is in the office of a byshop For Paule him selfe beinge a most excellent bishop was not maryed nor yet saynct Iohn the euangelist with many other that had bene byshops but that rather none that had had many wiues should be choseÌ„ to such an excellent office For so Chrysostome Ambrose Hierome and Theophylacte do expound the wordes of the apostell ¶ The true Christian When Cresconius Grammaticus did aleadge a certayne epistell of the blessed martir saynct Ciprian Aunswere for to mainteine his opinion and doctrine agaynst s Augustine Augu. contra Creiconi Gramaticum lib. 2. cap. 32. this holye byshop of God did aunswre him thus I am not moued with the auctority of this epistell for I do not take the letters of Cipriane as canonicall scriptures but I am wonte to trye his letters by theym meaninge the Canonicall scriptures and whatsoeuer in theym doth agree with the auctoritye of the canonicall scriptures I do with his prayse and thankes geuing receyue and embrace it and whatsoeuer doth not agre with the auctoritye of theym I do by his good leaue vtterly reiect and refuse it Euen so nowe will I aunswere you touching Chrisostome Ambrose Hierome and Theophilacte I do not take their writinges as canonicall scriptures vnto the which onely I do owe a consent without any contradiction or gaynesayenge but I do trye them by those heauenly and canonicall scriptures and whatsoeuer I no finde in theym to be grounded vpon the infallible worde of god the same do I with all reuerence due vnto such worthy men Aug. in epist ad fortunatianum de videndo deo embrace and receyue but if I finde any thing in theyr writinges and workes that doth disagree from the trueth of the holy and sacred scriptures geuynge them still the honour that such worthye members of the churche do deserue I do vtterly reiect and forsake it Which thing I intende to do in this text that we haue now in hand For by the leaue of holye Chrisostome and of theym all S. Paule doth not meane in this place that he whych hath bene the husband of one wife The argument of the papistes beaten vpon theyr owne Heades should be chosen to be a bishop but rather he that is the husband of one wyfe For els it should folowe that he which hath bene blamelesse not whiche is blamelesse ought to be promoted to the dignitie and office so that it were enough for him whoÌ„ they call to such an highe rowme if he hath bene blamelesse diligent sober discrete a keper of hospitalitye c. nor by their owne sayeng it is necessary requisite that he shuld be such a one neither wheÌ„ he is chosen nor yet when he is in the office it selfe For it shal be enough that he hathe bene suche a one alreadye Trulye neighbour the one doth stande with as good reason as the other Therefore I dare boldly say that the meaninge of the apostelles is that a byshop
thinge but by the vnquietnesse of the fleshe and messenger of Sathan he doeth vnderstande the persecutions and troubles whyche by the stirringe and meanes of Sathan he was faine to suffer continuallye for the Ghospell sake not onelye of the open enemyes but also of the false bretherne In so muche that some tymes he semed to be vtterlye forsaken and geuen ouer of god and that he was the most wretched myserable man in the world For why all the world was against hym He coulde not come so soone in to a towne but that he was by and by after with knockes driuen out of it Seing him selfe manye tymes betraied euen of those that he did trust beste Was not thys thinke ye a greate temptation to the fleashe Therfore did he many times praye vnto the lorde that he wolde deliuer him out those afflictions troubles whyche hys fleashe dyd grudge to beare Thus doth Theodoretus Theodoretus Ambrosius and Erasimus in .xii. capitu ii ad Corinth Ambrose and also Erasmus expouÌ„d this place Robyn Papyst Ye did say a while ago that neither fastiÌ„g nor beating of the body could quenche nor put out in man the fyer of incontinencie Obiection excepte god did put it out bi his special grace Why doth then saynct Paule saye i. Corin. ix that he dyd subdue and bryng his body vnder For our preachers do vnderstand by it that saynct Paule dyd mortify in him selfe the fyer of incontinencye by longe fastyng by putting muche water into his wine and by beating and scourging of his bodye The true Christian Although sayncte Paule had not had the gyfte of continencie or chastitie yet neded he no long fastinge Answere If our fat red cheke priests were but halfe handled as paule was they woulde not be so lusty as they are for manye times beynge shut vp in darke prisons he had nothing to eat He neded not to put much water into his wyne For he dranke nothing elles but pure water for the moste parte And what neede I praye you had he to beate and scourge his bodye Dyd not he suffer strypes enough of the enemies of the trueth And that he had the gyft of continencie it appeareth most manifestly by his owne wordes whyche he dothe speake in the fyrst epistell to the Corinthians I would sayeth he that al men were as I my selfe am But euerye man hath his propre gyfte of God one after this maner and another after that Elles without all doubt he would haue vsed the same remedye that he did prescribe and offer vnto other He did then by these wordes meane and vnderstand that he did subdue and mortifye his body i. Cor. vii What sainct Paule dyd meane in the sentence afore aleaged for to liue accordinge to the doctrine that he him selfe dyd teache that in all thinges he gaue a good example to the whole worlde For ye must vnderstaÌ„d that besides the incontineÌ„cie of the fleshe there be in maÌ„ many other concupisceÌ„ces which do moue a man to offend the lord These concupiscences oughte to be mortifyed by suche meanes as God hath appoynted Which thing saint Paule folowed in mortifiyng them that were in his body As for the fier of incontinency it was all together quenched and mortified in hym As we do learne euery where bothe by hys owne wordes and also by hys owne doinges For as I said before if he had waÌ„ted the gift of continencie or chastity he wold wyth al thankes geuing and submission of heart haue vsed the remedye that he wylled all other men to vse Robyn Papyst Are all the Christians priestes Question for me thinke that I hearde you saye of late that they were all pryestes And this dyd I not onelye heare of you but of manye other besydes I haue mused many tymes how that could be Therfore I wil desyre you afore we departe that I may heare what is your aduise in it The true Christian If ye do vnderstande by the priestes Answere suche as be anoynted of God for to offer sacrifices vnto hym I say that all Christians are pryestes All christians are pryestes and how For they are anoynted of god not wyth materiall or earthly oyle where wyth the body onely can be anointed but with the vertue of his holy spirite whiche of the blessed euangelist saint Iohn is called anointyng i. Iohn .v. The lorde then anointing all Christians with this spiritual vnction or anointinge dyd ordeine make them all a spirituall or kinglye priesthode What sacryfices the pryestes of the newe testamente do offer not for to offer brute beastes as the pryestes of the old law did but for to offer spirituall sacrifices I meane the mortyfiynge of theyr owne bodyes whyche is a liuely sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God for to offer also the sacrifice of righteousnes Roma xii of prayse of thankes geuing with a contrite and humble hearte whyche are the true sacryfyces of all them Psal iiii Psal l. Hebru xiii Psalm l. that doe sincerelye professe Chryste and are denominated or called chrystians of hym But yf by priestes ye doe vnderstande the ministers of the churche I saye that in the same signification al Christians be not pryestes for If by priestes we do vnderstand minysters all christians be not pryestes i. Corin. xiiii they be not all called to the minystration of Ecclesiastical Sacramentes nor yet to the preaching of the gospel of our sauiour Iesu christ For in the churche all thinges must be done in order ¶ Robyn Papyst And ought not the ministers of the church to be anoynted after the maner of the olde lawe Obiection The true Christian No Answere for after that Christ hath watered with his most precious bloud the consciences of the christians all such vnctions anointinges are vtterlye cessed and are no more necessarye among christians And al they that go aboute to brynge in againe or haue brought in agayne alredye into the church such Iuyshe vnctions and anointinges are false Prophetes Against whom S. paule hath written very sharply in all his epistels specially in the epistel to the Romains to the Galatians and to the Hebrues In dede the Chrystyan Churche doth vse certayne ceremonyes as is the triyng and examynyng of them whom they doe chuse vnto that worthy office What ceremonies the churche doeth vse in chosing or makyng of mynysters where vnto is added thâ— layinge on of handes Of these ceremonyes doeth Sainte Paule speakâ— in his Epystels but speciallye in thâ— Epystel to Timothee Robyn Papyst This then haue I learned in ourâ— communication Fyrste that all the scriptures whych our preachers doe aleadge The conclusion or Epitogus for to impugne and ouerthrow the maryage of pryestes are shamefully wrythed and wrasted Secondlye ye haue proued vnto me that the vowes whyches all relygyous persons or seculare priestes dyd make for to bynde them selues perpetually vnto the state of single lyfe are directly againste the holy and sacred scriptures and worde of God and that therefore they maye lawefully breake them couplynge them selues in honest Matrinony that so lyuinge in the feare of god they may kepe them selues vndefyled members of oure Sauiour Iesu Christ Thyrdlye ye haue shewed and deâ—lared moste manifestly both by the â—xamples of the scriptures and also by stronge argumente taken oute of â—he same that all religious persons â—r secular pryestes that haue not the gyfte of chastytye ought to mary in â—o much that if there were any whiâ—he hauynge not the gyfte of chastyâ—ye wolde not marrye the godlye Magystrates ought to compel them â—nd yf they bee dysobedyente to depose or put them downe lest by processe of tyme they shoulde become an open sklaunder vnto the churche Now fare ye well in the Lord til another tyme. FINIS