Responsio.

Ryght worshypfull sir, I haue receyued [Page] your gentyll answere to my simple and vn­digested wrytinge, but not without the cro­ked cauyllacions and vnseasonable obiec [...]i­ons of some chaplayne of yours, wherupon Bablings. I perceyue, that if I folowe your desyre in resoluing the doubtes therin moued, I must be enforced to answere to. ii. spretes. Firste vnto yours, which (as apereth) is full of le­nyte and gentylnesse, corresponding to your name and offyce. And than to your sayd Falshede.chaplaynes, whom I fynde foystered wyth the popes old deggres and leuen of hypocrisy. I desyre you therfore to perpēde, y ^t thoughe Socrates be a frynd, and Plato a frind, yet is the veryte to be preferred in fryndeshyp to them both. The truthe of it is, that a que­stion was axed me, whether the. xxx. chapt. of Numeri, made any thynge for the vowe of lyfe syngle, or forswearyng of marryage, Celibatus in monkes and in priestes, or nape? Chastite I can not call it, for the greate godfathers thereof calleth it, Celibatus clericorum. Wherupon I made the sayd wryting, as a lyghte aunswere to so tryfeling a question, thinking it at that tyme sufficient for a mat­ter of so smal value, as I do yet, to this hour, And to fortify the same, I adde thys moche more therunto.

The fyue bokes of Moyses, tended all Moyses. to one ende, concerning the religion, the po­lytyque [Page xvii] gouernaunce, and the oeconimicall ordre of the Iewes. The foren nacions of y ^t Gentyles, were not burdened at any tyme by Gods commaundement therwyth. The boke of Numeri, according to the tytle ther­of, nōbreth out the people of Israel, in their tribes and famelies, so dystributinge vnto them the lande of promission. The obserua­cions The Ie­wes. and sacrifices contayned in the same, only respecteth that people, comprehended in certen nombre and place appoynted to y ^• seyd trybes and famelyes. Uowes in the xxx. chaptre of Numeri, perteineth nothing to the prestes whyche receyued the offe­rynges, but altogether and alone to the com men people which broughte the offerynges to them. The chaptre it selfe is playne, to Mathe it. hym that wyll not be blynde of a stubburne wylfulnes. What ingins nowe wyll youre chaplayne brynge, to make that chaptre to serue your turne concerning prests vowes? Your whol disputaciō is here ouerthrown, the place beinge so preposterously alleged, for a presthode so preposterouse. Trulye all Sophistry the vnfounde sowderynges of Alyngtons sophistry, wyll not be found able workināly to clowte vp thys foule brokē hole. The best wer to recōpence it, w ^t an honest recātacion.

Besydes all thys, I wondre of what be­leue your sayd chaplaine is, y ^t he cōsydereth [Page] not nowe, these darke figures & shadowes, all fulfylled and fynyshed in Christ, but wil make of them a newe vncommaunded reli­gyon. I wolde wyshe that he put asyde the All done vayle from Moyses face, for a more ryghte vnderstandyng of the scryptures, or els that he remoued from his popish harte, whyche hath wretchedly blynded both hym and his fellowes, that malyce that he in his Romish masters quarell, beareth agaynste hys bre­therne, for attendynge to the onlye voyce of Uowes. their true shepeheard. Uowes in y ^•. xxx. cha. of Numeri (as I sayd afore) perteyneth to y ^• only multytude of the Iewes, as wele mar­ried as vnmarried, and nothyng at all to the prestes. I wōdre therfore what wyld worm in the ydell heade of your Chaplayne, hath now restrayned the largenesse of that place, from the commen people (to whome it was only due) to the popes sinered presthod, wil­lynge therby to make it also Iewysh. In all Non at all Chriestes doctryne is no soch kinde of vow­inges, as your chaplayn here maynteyneth, neyther yet in the whole processes and actes of hys Apostles. No, in all the. iiii. wrytten Gospels is not this wurde vouere, or votū, ones reheersed or spokē of, to help your cha­playne in this guat strayninge to swallowe in a camell.

Arlotus and other most diligēt searchers, [Page xviii] whych fyrst collected the great concordaun­ces Uouere. of the whole Byble, were neuer yet able to stretche vouere nor votum, further than for the olde testamēt. Conradus Pellicanus wronge votum one ynche further by vehe­ment strayning, addynge therunto the vow of Paule in Cenchrea, Actor. xviii. and an other tyme at Hierusalem, Acto. xxi. concer­nyng hys head sherynge, whyche wyll not serue your purpose, makyng only for a gen­tyll bearynge wyth the weake Iewysh bre­therne, Paulus. to wynne them to a better fayth. If ye take for ground of your matter, the cruel vowe of those wycked Iewes, which swore before the hygh prest, that they wolde ney­ther eate nor drink tyl they had stain Paule, Acto. xxiii. Lete it be youre owne stuffe har­dely. The descrybers of y ^e primatiue church Egesippus & Eusebius, maketh no maner of mencion of that prestysh vowe of yours. The name thereof was moche more in vse The name amonge the pagane poetes and sophisters, than among the Christen doctours, a greate whyle after Christes ascension, so famouse was it among Christians in that age. Whā monkery was ones spronge vp, by the ydel­nes of them that fled from the persecuciōs, than grewe it into a name and vse amonge that sort (as amonge the sectes of our tyme the ite racyon of baptysme) but yet not into [Page] a dampnable bondage.

For Paulus y ^e first heremite, Antonius, Hilarion, Macharius, Pambo, Pachoim­us, and a great sorte more whyche were the Heremites first founders amonge christianes of y ^e lyfe solitary, were neuer acquaynted wyth this kynde of vowyng. Frely ded their disciples inhabite the wyldernesse. Frelye lyued they after the rules of the Gospell, marryed or vnmarried, as apereth by Spiridion, Poli­crates, and other marryed bishoppes, in the Ecclesiasticall storye of Eusebius. What though their supersticiouse posteryte, the fo lysh world to delude, brought that fre estate of lyuinge into a necessite and bondage of Bondage. vowes, yet wolde they for their tymes, at­tempt nothynge that had not the scriptures authorite to beare it. The papacy ones con­firmed for money, by the trapterouse mur­therer Phocas, vowes were thoughte apte instrumentes to worke many myracles by, in the vprearynge & further mayntenaunce of that myghtye monarchy of Antichriste, Papacye. as it was in dede by the practyse of hypo­crytyshe monkes. For all thys tyme the prestes hadde their wyues, and the monkes were at their lyberte, to goo or to come, ex­cepte it were a certen of them whyche vpon their owne brayne, wholly addycted them­selues to that rule, wythoute eyther coun­sell [Page xix] or commaundemente of God, to make Moukes. Sathan apere the Aungell of lyghte to the excecated worlde, as the sequele here de­clareth.

I reade in the chronicle of Cyrillus the Greke heremyte, De processu sui ordinis ad abbatem Ioachim, that Aymericus a Aymeri­cus. frenche man, beynge the popes legate and patriarke of Antioche, gathered togither by vertu of his commission, a certen nombre of dyspersed heremytes in the mounte of Car­melus. To whome he buylded a monastery there, in the year of our Lorde a. m. c. &. xxi. compellynge them to obedience vndre one superior called Bertoldus, beinge his nygh Cyrillus. kynsman. Neuer afore (sayth Cyrillus) ded the obseruers of thys religion, bynde them­selues by any vowe, tyll this patriarke first of all enforced them to it. Nunquam (sayth the texte) ad obediendum alicui, se voto prius obligauerāt, donec patriarcha Ay­mericus, eos ad hoc primū astrinxit, & ce. Aboute. lxxviii. yeares after, folowed Al­bertus Albertus. the patriarke of Hierusalem, which in the yeare of oure Lorde a. m. c. xcix. gaue them a rule of supererrogacion, or wurkes more than neded, to confyrme them in the same. All thys tyme, and more than eyghte and fourthy yeares after, were they bounde to none other vowe, but to the onelye vowe [Page] of obedience to their pryor. Breuely is thys whole story towched, of Polydorus [...]ergi­lius, lib. vii. de rerum inuentoribus. But when these were ones entered into the pro­uynces Europa. of Europe, and compelled to seke the Romysh popes confirmacion, by two Englysh frires called Reginaldus and Pe­trus, they could not be thereunto admitted, tyll they in the year of our Lord A. M. CC. xlviii. had added thys clause to their vowe of obediēce. Cum castitate & abdicatione proprietatis.

And whan that was adioyned therunto, by the strayght commaundemente of pope Innocent the. iiii. Hugh the prest Cardinall An ordre. of S. Sabyne, and Willyam byshop of An­tirade, beynge hys commissioners, than were they allowed for a spyrytuall religion in that Sodomiticall churche of Autichrist, and myghte both preache and heare confes­sions, for mayntenaūce of the same, as testi­fyeth Sybertus de Beca in tractatu de con syderatis super regula. But marke what Frutes. frutes folowed immediatly after, of thys newly professed vow of their chastite. These religiouse bretherne frequented the houses of relygiouse systers, conuertyng their chast profession into most detestable whoredome. Wherupō Nicolaus Gallus their maistre generall, and the seuenth in nombre, a man [Page xx] of rare conuersacion, detested that kinde of religion, and wrote agaynste them a verye sharp treatise, called Ignea sagitta, a fye­ry Nicolaus Gallus. darte in the year of our Lord. a. m. cc. lxx. And in the. v. chaptre this sentence he hath amonge many other. Per plateas ciuita­tum de mane vsque ad vesperam bini et bini discurrentes, vagis gre [...]sibus cir­cuitis, ipsum haben [...]es pe [...]agogum, qui rugiendo circuit qu [...]rens quem deuoret. Et sic in vobis prophecia, In circuitu im pii ambulant, ad vestre confusion [...]s cu­mulū ver aciter est impleta. Est enim cau Causa. sa discutsuum huiusmodi principalis ac precipua, vt visi [...]e [...]is, non pupillos sed puellas, non viduas in tribulatione exi­stentes sed fatuas iuuēculas, beghinas, moniales, ac dominas. Ubi, alter in alte­rius iactantes lumina vultus. &c.

From morowe tyll nyghte (sayth he) by couples ye course y ^• stretes of cyties in ydel­nesse, hauyng him to gyde whyche gredyly Sathan. seketh whom he may deuoure. So that this propheticall sayinge, The wycked strayeth abroade, is not only veryfyed, but also ful­fylled in you. The chiefe cause of your dis­courses, is not to vysite the fatherlesse chil­dren, but dyssolute damsels, not wydowes in their trouble, but wanton wēches, beghi nes, nunnes, and vowesses, or ladyes of the mantell & the rynge, corruptinge their ydell [Page] lyues by many vncomely wayes. Thomas Cartipratensis in hys second boke, de bono vniuersali, cap. lvi. saythe. That aboute the same tyme, Nunnes were so vexed wyth cer ten nyght spretes, called Incubi, whan they were in bedde and the candell out, that ney­ther crossynge of their foreheades, nor ho­lye water, nor yet Gods bodye in the boxe, coulde defende them from beynge wyth chyld. For thus lyeth it in the text. Incubi [...]emones, it a religiosas virgines oppri­meban [...], Incubi. vt nulla cis valeret crucis sig­natio, nec aqua benedicta, nec ipsū Chri sti corporis sacramentū. Syster Christine for example, refused on a tyme, to be among her other systers howseled, bycause a sprete of that kynde had occupyed wyth her the nyght afore.

Neuer had the sothsayers of Egypte, nor Pharaoes calcars, more subtile pointes [...]owers. of conueyaunce, wyth all their incantaciōs and nec romancies, thā had these relygiouse vowers and ydell braggers of chastite, for that necessary occupyinge. And moch helpe obtayned they to practise in that arte, by the fyne wurkes of pope Syluester the second, pope Hyldebrande, fryre Albert, frire Bakō of Oxford, frire Perscrutator of York, frire Bongay, frire Some, frire Lynne, frire Ri­play, Conclusio and a great sort more. All this bring I [Page xxi] in afore my answere, to declare vnto you the begynnyng & successiō of the vowe of single lyuynge or forswearinge of marriage, in the Romish presthod & popysh relygyous, least we shuld take darknes sor lyght and Belial for Christe, or that ydolatrouse presthode & Popyshe. religyon for a presthode and religion of the scripture. Now wyll I shewe hystorycallye the forme and fashyon of that popysh vow­inge, that it may be knowne dyuerse frō y ^• ce remonial vowes in y ^e scriptures, & not to se­me worthy to haue defence of y ^• same, but ra ther by them to receyue due condēpnacyon.

None ende of dyffiniciōs hath thys kind of vowing among the scholastical maisters, Diffyny­cions. & yet not one of them to the purpose. Sūme sayth, that a vow is an holy promise to god. An other sort calleth it a desyre, of God re­quested. Sūme affirmeth it to be a wyl, mo­uinge reason to promyse. Sūme calleth it a conceyuing of a better purpose, made sure by a delyberaciō. Sūme nameth it a seruice, making religiouse mē more accepted to god thā y ^• layte. Sūme calleth it an acte to Gods hygh honour, a cōmunicacion wyth God, a Of vows seconde baptisme, & a receyuinge of holy or­ders. Summe nameth it a good wurke of sit pererrogacion, an office of special dedicaciō to God, a profession of a rule relygiouse, & an acte to Christes pleasure. Sūme sayth, it [Page] is a testificacion of a fxe promyse whyche is due to God, a promyse annexed to the rule of a monke, a spyrituall publyque welth, an offerynge to God of the whole tree wyth Diffinici­ous. his frute, and the marye of the Gospell. Summe reporteth it to be a lawe correspon­dynge to the commaundements of God, an ac [...]e hauynge an opinion of helth and rygh­teousnes, a bond [...] indispensable by autorite of the churche, and a dyrepcion or sackynge of matrimony. Summe sayth, it is a profes­sion makyng a full christen man, a religion equall wyth the Gospell, baptysme, faythe, Of vows and the wurde of God, an acte requyringe the remission of synne, iustificacion and the lyfe euerlastynge, and soche a worshypp to God as deserueth heauen.

Summe affyrmeth it to be a satisfaccion for synne, a perfeccion Euangelical, an ob­seruacion of Gods preceptes and counsels, Doctors. and the highar part of Gods true worship­pinge. Summe calleth it a couenaunte to be obserued in pylgrymage, offeryng, prayer, and fastinge in payne of dampnacion, a dis­charge from wyfe and children, father and mother, maistre and maistres, frynde, ney­bour, acquayntaunce and all, though it be to their great hinderaunce, a renouncynge of father and mother, wyfe, chyld, and maistre in the obedience of religion, & a great foule [Page xxii] rable besydes. Yea, Thomas Aquinas dyf­fyneth Thomas. it thus. A nowe (sayth he) is a certain testymonye of a fre promyse, whyche God oughte to haue, in thynges pertayninge to hym. Ricardus de Media villa sayth, that it is a promyse of a supererrogantinge pur­pose, made fyrst to God for a good ende, & brought into full strength by a delyberaciō. Thus haue I geuen you here the laboures of a meany of Nērothes builders in the let­tynge Builders. vp of this their great castel of confu­syon. Iacke dawe that threwe from hym al his fedders, was neuer more galauntly gar nyshed wyth the fedders of euerye fowle, than thys byrde of vnclennesse is decked wyth dyffynycions.

Nowe wyll I cause that ydolouse styn­kynge A monstre monstre, whom youre chaplayne so myghtely defendeth here, for a religion in­dyspensable, to shewe hym selfe abroade, in hys owne proper persoue. It is the profes­sion of a monke, or obligacion from God to the deuyll, in the blasphemouse kyngdom of Antichrist. Lete youre chaplayne auayle hys bonet, & receyue hym wyth reuerence, for here nowe he commeth. Ego frater. N. facio professionem meam, et promitto o­bedientiā Deo, bea [...]o Francisco vel Do­minico, et tibi frat [...]i. N. de. N. Priori e­ius Professio. ordinis generali, ac eius successori­bus, [Page] viuere siue proprio et in castitate se­cundum regulam predicti ordinis vsque ad mortem. I frire. N. make my profession, and promyse obedience to God, to S. Fran ces or Dominike, & to the frire Nicolas of Naples, priour generall of the seyd ordre, & to thy successours, to lyue wythout propre and in chastite, accordynge to the rule of the seyd ordre, vnto my lyues ende. Thys hath In rule. Bartholomeus Pisanus in cōformitatibus Francisci, Antoninus of Florence, Par. iii. Tit. xxiiii. cap. xiiii. and Ioannes Maria de Nouolaria in suo Mari magno. Marke the good stuffe therein contayned.

In thys holye profession, is Frances, a mā dead more than thre hondred years ago, coupled wyth God in obedience, so is bro­ther. Generall. N. of. N. the maistre general of y ^• same order, dwellynge alwayes at Rome, and ga pinge for the death of som Cardinall, to ob­tayne hys dignite for money, except it be for the tyme of hys vysitacion, or of gatheryng vppe hys ydell rentes in all the christen pro­ynces. And lyke as it was in thys ordre to Frances, so was it in other orders to Ba­syle, Benedicte, Bernarde, Augustine, Ma­rye, Fathers. and Dominycke, and to their generall monsters (maisters I shulde haue sayd) as they came by course. The obediēce of Fran ces was to pope Innocent the thyrde and to [Page xxiii] his successours canonicallye admitted bys­shoppes of Rome, as is wrytten in regula Minorum, which is not the Gospell of Ie­sus Dregges. Christ, as the seyd rule affyrmeth, but a cōtrariouse 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 ^• 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, deacō, and presthode. I saye this Orders. 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 massemōgers 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 Fre passa­ge. they suffered them alwayes wythout vowe to passe, knowing & consydering y ^t they had vowed afore in their monastycal professiōs, votū publicū & solēne, which was vnto thē a secōd baptisme, Thomas of Aquine sayth. O knauery vnspeakable. The prests vow e­stemed of a moch lowar kind, is called votū [Page] tacitum ac priuatum, hauyng thys bawdy clause therunto adioyned, Si non caste ta [...] Si non ca­ste. mē 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 o [...] religiouse, & the other secular or prophane, but onely the dyfference of their profession [...] 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 [...] Prestes. Maldon in Essexe, about. xx. yeares ago, I found an olde bishoppes ordynary, or bok [...] 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 Aunswer. lorde. But I founde therin no answere ap­poynted, to be made of them whyche recey­ued that ordre, neyther by affyrmacion no [...] yet negacion. And therfore the bonde shuld seme to stande voyde, vnlesse thys borowed clause of the lawe do helpe it. Qui tacet cō ­sentire videtur, he which holdeth his peace semeth to cōsent or agre to it, But than that same videtur, may in some case discharge if agayne. Iugum domini, is no such he any [Page xxiiii] burthen, as is so commenly eased by whore­dom and sodometrye. For the Lordes yoke doth case & not burthen, all thē 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 Orders. for prestes at their orders takynge, whyche of all men regardeth it least, But commen it is for all kyndes of people, men and womē, 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 Weake. 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, re [...]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. Ages. 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 [Page] of their own dottyng brayne. Quanto a ca­stioribus Boyes. animis proficiscūtur vota, tāto ma gis Deo placent. Quare adolescentū vota, preualēt votis seniorū. 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 ^• vowes of their el­dars. Is not here (thinke you) a lōpe of fyne dyuynyte? yes, and it wer to serue in the de­uyls blacke parlour.

The fyckle promyse of a wāton boye, not Doctryne grounded in Gods knowledge, is here pre­ferred to all other kindes of vowyng. Here is no bad doctryne, if it be wele cōsydered & wayed. Saynt Paule admitting wydowes to be foūd at y ^e charges of the congregaciō, allowed thē 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 strēgth than wil they make the vow of inconstan̄t laddes? I omitt the mysteries & frutes of this texte, least y ^e re Misteries hearsall of them, shuld be an infeccion to o­ther, in hearyng so fylthie exāples. Upon al these matters afore rehearced, I thus cōclu­de, that these vncōmaunded vowes are such ydele, mockynge & blasphemonse promyses, as of necessite ought to be brokē. And I haue I sidorus to holde with me therin. In malis promissis (inquit) res [...]inde fidem, in turpi vo [Page xxv] to muta decretū. Quod incante vouisti, ne Do it not. facias. Impia est promissio, que scelere adim pletur. In promises y ^t be euyl, discharge thy couenaūt. In a filthy vow chāge thy former decre. Fulfyll not that thou hast vowed vn­bewares, for that promyse is wycked, whi­che is not accōplished without naughtynes

Whan the kyngs grace of England by y ^e A dischar­ge. autoryte of Gods wurd, discharged y ^e mon­kish sectes of his realme, frō their vowed o­bedience to the byshop of Rome, ded he not also discharge thē in cōscience 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 garmētes? why plucked he downe their monasteryes? yea, why put he thē so at lyberte, and sent them fourth abroade? These thinges ought not to A broade. haue bene, yf that kinde of chastite had bene indispensable. For the vowes made in those relygyōs, perteyned only to the same. Whā those religiōs wer ones bānyshed 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, Papistes. callethe thys kynde of doynge, a tyranny [Page] 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 Praysed. 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 thē 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 Opinion. one man, yet shall it apere y ^t my oppnion cō cernyng vows, is not mine own priuate opi niō alone, but y ^e opynyō also of al thē 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, communycaciōs, Reasons. autorytees, writings, doctryns, or doubtes, [Page xxvi] what so euer they be, not groūded vpon thē, 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.

Responsio.

Hys examples here concerninge Helca­naes wyfe. i. Reg. i. and the Nazarees, Nu. Exāples. vi. confirmeth my dyffinicion, and confoun­deth his whol matter. For wher as he saith, that Anna grounded her vowe vpō no com­maundement or ordynaunce of God (as do monkes and prestes) he falsely reporteth it, to mayntayne a moste deuylyshe purpose in hypocrisy. For it is written. Ero. xiii. San­ctifica mihi omne primogenitum, quod aperit omnem vuluam in filiis Israel. Sanctyfye vnto me all the first borne, that openeth all matryces amonge the children of Israell. And y ^e same is cōfirmed in Christ, [Page xxx] Lu. ii. Omne masculinū adaperiēs vuluā, sanctum Domino vocabitur. Euery man childe that first openeth the wombe, shall be Scriptu­res. called holy, or dedicated to the Lorde. Amā childe was it that she desyered of the Lord, and suche a one as shuld be the first frute of her wōbe. And lyke as that was vniuersally Gods, both by ordynaunce and commaun­dement, so was the fulfyllyng and grounde of her vow. Mea enim sunt omnia primo genita filiorum Israel, tam ex homini­bus First frut. quam ex iumentis. Ex die quo per­cussi omne primogenitū in terra Aegypti, sanctifica [...]t eos michi. Numeri. viii. All the first borne amonge the chyldren of Isra­ell (sayth God) are myne both man & beaste. Because the same time that I smote the first borne in the lande of Egypte, I sanctyfyed them for my selfe.

If this be restrayned of this aduersary, to the only lawe of purificacyon, yet shall it Cleringe styll mayntayne my purpose, that Gods or­dynaunce was the ground of her vow. For she sought therby to be pourged of the con­tumelyouse reproche and maledycciō of the lawe. Moreouer she founde the lyke of all y ^t she wēt about here, in the barren mother of Samson, Iud. iii. as a matter to ground vp­on, besydes Gods wurkynge in her spretes perturbacion. The ordinaunce of God ther, [Page] is thys, myngled w ^t commaundement. S [...]e­rilis Precept. es & absque liberis, sed cōcipies & paries filiū. Laue ergo ne bibas vinū acsicerā, nec immundū quicquā comedas, quia cōcipies et paries filium, cuius non tāget caput no­uacula. Erit enim Nazareus Dei ab in­fantia sua, et ex matris vtero. Beholde thou art barren, & bearest not. But thu shalt con­ceiue & beare a sonne. And now be ware thu drynke no wyne nor lycour y ^t is strong. For lo, thu shalt cōcey [...]e & beare a son▪ And ther maye no raser or sheres come on his heade. For y ^e child shalbe a Nazare vnto God, euē A Nazare from the tyme of his byrthe. This wyse pre­late your chaplaine, wolde (as apereth) by his fonde argumentes, haue it only a wurk of nature & of mānys arte, to obtaine godly chyldren, & not the gyfte of God, speciallye whan they were appoynted to the ceremo­niall obsequyes in the howse of God, Num. viii. O beastly nody wythoute brayne.

If all thys wyll not sattle his wyld wyt­lesse head, to geue ouer to Gods ordynaūce, y ^t he hath al this tyme geuē to mānys fyckle inuencion, Than lete him marke the praper Idle head that the sayde Anna made, & he shall se sum­what more. Exultauit cormeum in domino, et exaltatum est cornu meū in Deo meo, &c. i. Reg. ii. Myne hart (sayth she) reioyseth in the Lorde, & my horne is aduaunced in my [Page xxxi] God. Let at a sum in salutari t [...]o. Non est san ctus, vt est dominus. Deus scientiarum do­minus est, et ipsi preparantur cogitationes. Dominus mortificat et viuificat. Domi­nus pauperē facit et ditat. Suscitat de pul­uere egenum, etc. I reioyce in his prepared Anna▪ helthe. Non is so holy as the Lord. The lord is a God of knowledge, & he setteth fourth y ^t wurkes (marke it sir Iohan) for what is it, that is good, which is not at Gods pleasur? The lorde kylleth and rayseth. The lord ma keth poore and enrycheth agayn. He rayseth vp the poore frō the dust, and lyfteth vp the begger from the donge hyl. Pedes sanctorū Impii▪ seruabit, et impii in tenebris cōticescent, &c. He wyl fashyō the steppes of his holy ones, But the wycked shal kepe sylence in darke­nes, &c. as a great nombre of blasphemouse papystes doth now adayes, by y ^e same hand of God. If all this be not ynough, I knowe not what wyll satissye a wycked foole.

And where as youre sayde chaplayne sayth, that it was in her power to haue done otherwyse than to haue fulfylled Gods or­dynaunce therein, it is but an homelye han­delynge Homelye▪ of the story, and nothynge pertey­nynge to the purpose. For it lyeth not onely in the texte, fac quod bonum [...]ibi vide­tur, et ma [...]e donec ablactes eum. Do what thou thynkeste beste, and tarrye tyll [Page] thu haste wened hym. But also it foloweth ther, Precorque vt imple at dominus ver­bum Derbum suum. i. Reg. i. I desyre God to per­fourme hys worde. The worde of God is neuer contrarye to it selfe, neyther had shee at that time digested it after so fyckle a sort. They whych are wyth God, & gather with him, Lu. xi. as this good woman ded in this acte, goeth not prākyng afore God, but me­kelye cometh after, els were they scatterers from hym. We whyche are the labourers, husbandrye and buyldinge of God, oughte non otherwyse to wurke than hys word ap­poynteth. i. Cor. iii. I wondre that he coulde Folishly brynge in this example, beyng so farre from the purpose of his matter. For Annaes vow was no profession of sole lyfe, but an onlye promyse of offering vp her chylde to God, for seruyce in the temple.

In hys reason concernyng the Nazarees or absteyners, he taketh the man for hys ob­seruacion, as the absteiner for his abstinēce, and so calleth him a thyng not ordayned nor commaunded of God, whych is no wurke­manly cōuepaunce. But thys wyl I say vn­to Absteiner hym, that a lawe concernynge the Naza­rees, is largely set out in the. vi. chaptre of Numeri (whyche chaptre he hath also alle­ged) yea, for an earnest ordinaūce and com­maundemēt of God, to abstayne frō wyne. [Page xxxii] There is not muche other matter in all the Blynde. whole chaptre, than for them. I wondre ther fore, he perceyued it not, in searchynge oute the place. But peraduenture he ded it, per­functorie, carptim, or cursim, in maner as y ^e olde wryters do report the dogges to drynk in Egypte, rennynge wyth all spedye haste possible, or without aduysement whether ye wyll. Hys conclusyon is as moche oute of square, as are hys premysses. If the Naza­rees Nazarei. obserued the vowes by commaunde­ment (sayth he) or prescripte ordre of God, than euery man shulde haue sinned that had not bene a Nazare. No ser, not so. God com maunded certen specyaltees to Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, with dyuerse other of the fathers, that he appointed not all men to do. Neither was Iacob bounde to do in effecte, that was precyselye cōmaunded to Isaac. Christe badde not all men preache, whan he Special­tees. sayd to hys Apostles, Go fourth & preache, And therfore youre conclusyon is nothynge worthe.

Now in the ende what make these exam­ples of Anna and the Nazarees to any pur­pose, concernynge the vowe of monkes and of prests, to lyue syngle wythout marriage? Not lyke. Anna had an husbande. Her desyre was that she myght not dye barren, but to haue a mā chyld. And her vowe was to offer that child [Page] of her owne bodye vnto God for terme of lyfe. And her vowe lasted no lōgar, than tyll her chylde was wened. Her sonne was holy Samuell, whych though he were consecra­ted to God, hadde both wyfe and chyldren, i. Regū. viii. The Nazarees had wyues, as apereth by Samson & Samuel. They drank Marryed no wyne, they ate no grapes, they had no vi­neger to sawce so longe as their vowes la­sted, as monkes and prestes haue in their daily masses and feastinges. No rasure nor sheeres myghte come vpon their heades, as doth vpō the heades of monkes and prestes. Neyther might they be seane at burials of y ^e dead, as are commenly prestes and monkes for money. And their vowes lasted no lon­gar, than for the tyme of their abstinence. Lastednot For afterwardes (the text sayth) the abstay­ner myghte drynke wyne. Thus doeth hys owne alleged stories not helpe, but clerelye confounde hys clouted vp matter for mon­kes chastite.

To couple Baptisme with the vowes of the olde lawe in one dyffynicion of vowes, he doth vnaduysedly & without all syncere iudgemēt. For they only cōprehende gyftes and offerynges, with external rytes and ce­remonies, Folyshely where as in baptysme the profes­syon is onelye faythe, called of the Apostle Prima fides. i. Timoth. v. For whan Christ [Page xxxiii] sayth, Marci. xvi. Predicate Euangelium omni creature, Go preache the Gospell to all creatures, It foloweth not there, Qui votum emiserit, he that hath made a vowe shall be saued, But Qui crediderit & cet▪ he that byleueth and is baptised, shal be saued. No vowe. By thys barbarouse and straunge coupling together of baptysme and vowes of the old lawe in one dyffynycion, he putteth no diffe­rence betwyxte the maistre and the seruaūt, the free and the bounde, the lyghte and hys shaddowe, the veryte and hys fygure, the church and the synagoge, Christ and Moy­ses, but thrusteth them in together, makyng of them an hoche poche, all contrarye to the wholesome doctryne of Saynt Paule. Ga­lat. An yl coke iiii. Also on the othersyde, me thynketh he doth baptysme great wrong, to ioyne him w ^t a monkysh vowe in the same dyffynycyō, for in so doynge he coupleth ryghteousnesse with vuryghteousnesse, and the importable yoke of straungers with the gentyll yoke of Christe. ii. Corinth. vi.

Hys aduerbe proprely, borowed of Por­phiryes princyples, is not able to make that Fōde gere enterpryse good. He maye for his pleasure, take thys kynd of learnyng out of Thomas of Aquyne, for he in dede calleth monkerye the second baptysme, I can not se that he cā fynde it anye where els. A doctryne thys [Page] maye be for turmoylynge Thomistes, but howe it myghte auayle any wele aduysed or sober christians, I can not perceyue. By ver tu of thys sophystycall aduerbe, proprely, he Conuey­aunce. restrayneth the pryuate vowes of monkes and of prestes from the generalte whych he fyndeth in baptysme, and all in the same dyffynycyon. A very clearkely cōueyaunce. But where as he thynketh it, to be in those thynges whyche be lawfull and in mannys power to be perfourmed, meanyng the cha­styte of the seyd monkes and priestes, wher­unto they were not bounde afore, Hys thin­kynge shall stande voyde, tyll he brynge fourth iuste proues by the scryptures of the Neuer. newe testament, and that wyll be (I thinke) ad calēdas Grecas. Of thys am I sure, that both hypocrytycall monkery and massynge presthode, are suche plantacions as our hea­uenly father neuer yet planted, Mathe. xv. but the vngracyouse father of Rome, the pa triarke of all myschefe.

If he had sayd, that to vowe or to promise, lyeth in mannys power, I had graunted it. For S. Paule sayth, Roma. vii. Uelle adest mihi, To wyl, is present with me. But wher as he sayth, that the thynges promysed, do To wyll lye in our power, that I vtterly deny [...] hym. For it foloweth in the texte, At vt fa [...]iam bo num, non reperio, But to perfourme that [Page xxxiiii] whyche is good, I fynde not. As chastite is a gyfte of God, so is it neyther folowed nor yet perfourmed of vs wythout hys gyfte. For the perfourmaunce thereof is not the vowers, but hys whych hath geuē the gyft. Noui enim (sayth S. Paule) quod non ha­bitet Not ours. in me, hoc est in carne mea, bonum. I knowe that in me, that is to saye, in my flesh dwelleth no good thynge. The wyse man sayth also, Sapiē. viii. Scio quoniam aliter non possum esse continens, nisi Deus det, et hoc ipsum erat summa sapientia, scire cu­ius esset hoc donum. I perceyue, that I can not kepe my selfe chast, except God geue it me. And a great point of wysdome is it also, Sapiens to knowe whose gyfte that is, or frō whence it cometh. Than is it presumptuouslye here spoken, that it shulde be in our power.

Whan Christes dyscyples vpon certen occasiōs, iudged it not good to marry, Mat. xix. Christe made thē this answere. Non oēs capaces sunt dicti huius, sed his quibus da­tum est. No man (sayth he) can awaye with that sayenge, saue they to whom it is geuen. Christus And as touchynge them whyche chastened themselues for the only kyngedome of hea­uen, whych is neyther in monkery nor mas­synge, he concluded after thys sorte. Qui po test capere, capiat. He that hath power to set hande vpon it, lete hym apprehende it in [Page] Gods name. Here is no man commaunded, No pre­cept. neyther yet counselled, to make thereof by vowe, a perpetuall bande. For so myghte it be turned from a vertuouse fredome into an horryble temptacion and snare of the de­uyl, as that vowe hath bene to innumerable both men & women. In the circunstaunces of thys longe dy [...]fynycyon, haue I smelled out this chaplayne of yours, the compylat of this matter, by these fyne rhetoryckes of monkery. Our vowe, our lyberte, our cha­styte, Foūd out in our power,, we may, we wer boūd, with such other lyke, so that he can not hyde hymselfe. But wher as he sayth, he was not bounde to be chaste, afore he ded vowe it, he must proue himselfe a lyar.

For thys God commaunded Moyses to speake to the vniuersal multitude of Israel, Uniuer­sally. Leuit. xix, & xx. Sanctificamini, et estote san cti, quia ego sanctus sum. Be holy, for I the lorde your God, am holy. Christ sayth also, Luce. xii. Sint lumbi vestri precincti. Lete youre loynes be gyrt aboute. And S. Paule i. Timo. v. Temetipsum purum serua. Kepe thy selfe pure. Sara the wyfe of Abraham, was chaste. So was Sara the doughter of Raguel, Anna the wyfe of Helcana, and Su sanna the wyfe of Ioachim, yet they neuer Paphnu­tius. vowed chastyte. Paphnutius a mā of God, [Page xxxv] sayd openly in the generall counsell of Ni­cea, that Castitas was cō [...]ubitus cum pro­pria coniuge, A companyenge of men with their owne wyues, in the acte of generaciō, and no man there withstode him. Lib. ii. histo. tripartite, cap. xiiii. A false and an hy­pocrytes opynyon is it, that chastite can not dwell in man, vnlesse it be vowed. Zacha­rias the preste and Helizabeth hys wyfe, were both chast, the Gospell sayeth, if cha­styte Chastyte be a perfectyon, and a walkynge in the lawes and ordynaunces of God wyth­out reproue. For why, Erant ambo iusti co­ram Deo (the texte sayth) vitam agentes iu­xta omnia precepta ac iura Domini, irre­prehensi. Luce. i. Both wer ryghteouse afore God, and so fashyoned their lyues after his lawes and preceptes, that no man coulde fynde faulte with them.

Notwithstandynge Epiphanius affyr­meth in libro de heresibus, that in the greate college of Hierusalem were serten Leuites, Leuytes whyche for their vowes sake wolde touche no woman in marriage, but amonge them selues they wroughte sylthynesse vnspeaka­ble. And those (sayth he) wer the chefe in opy nyon amonge the people, and moste com­mended of holynesse. And for reprehendyng those vi [...]es in thē, was good zacharias slain. zacharias. Philypp Melanchton folowynge the seyd [Page] Epiphanius, confirmeeh the same story, in his commentary vpon Daniel, ca. xi. Saint Paule confesseth holynesse and honour in S. Paule. marriage, and accordyng to them requyreth it to be vsed. i. Thess. iiii. Sciat (inquit) vnus­quisque vestrum, vas suum possidere in san­ctificatione et honore, &c. Learne euery one of yow, to vse hys vessel in holynesse and ho nour. And what more can be loked for of all your vowes? Naye, I woulde they brought Holynesse not with them the contrarye, as fylthynesse and dyshonour.

Then maketh he a conclusion of his mat­ter, declarynge the nature of hys dyffyned vowe. And so by our vowe (sayth he) we do A beast. restrayn our lyberte. The chyldrē are we of fredom and not of bōdage, and our mother a fre woman by the death of Christ, Galat. iiii. The lawe of our profession, is also a law of lyberte, Iaco. i. And where as the sprete of the Lorde is, there is perfyght lyberte, S. Paule saith, ii. Cor. iii. In the name of God, what lyberte wyll thys man restrayne by hys vowe? If hys vowe restrayne these, his Restrayne vowe is a thynge moste wycked. What ly­berte wyl it than restrayne? Lyberte to mar ry. Than is hys vowynge a doctryne of de­uyls, for their doctryne only, in all the scrip­tures, is reported to forbydde marryage, i. Timoth. iiii. Saynt Paule the elect vessell [Page xxxvi] of God, sayth. Si se nō cōtinent, nubāt, Me­lius Better. est enim nubere quam vri. i. Cor. vii. If they can not abstaine, thā let thē marry. For it is better to marry than to burne. And this is there spoken wythout restraynt or excep­cion of vowes.

Responsio.

I supposed afore that this pretēsed vowe here, had bene a professyon of chastite, whi­che is also due to marryage. But nowe I perceyue, it is an only renouncynge and vt­ter Sodoma. bannyshynge of marryage. For it folow eth in hys wrytyng. Then vowe we chastyte (sayeth he) wh [...]n we maye lawfullye go to marryage. It is true that ye do so. But what godlynesse fynde ye in so doynge, or what wynne ye in the ende, as ye seale vppe your hande for terme of lyfe? Surelye, for youre [Page xxxvii] rewarde ye wynne the sore plage, belonging to suche vngodly presumpcyon, that is, to be geuen ouer of God, vnto lustes vnlaw­full, Romano. i. as experyence hath decla­red A plage. in an hundred thousande buggerers. The frute manyfesteth what the tree is, the examples of lyfe, what the vowe is, dys­semble yow the matter neuerso longe. It is not all for naught, that Saynt Iohan was commaūded not to measure the quere, or approue it by Gods wurde, neyther yet to allowe the ordre therof for a state of rygh teousnesse, Apocalip. xi. Neyther yet is the Thequere greate spyrytuall cytie, whyche is the blas­phemouse churche of Romyshe vowers, without cause called, Sodoma and Aegyp­tus, in the selfe same chaptre.

And whan he perceyueth, that scryptu­res wyll not ayde hym in approuynge of hys bablynges, he heapeth me in, an whole halfe leafe at a dashe, oute of Saynt Augu­styne, De bono viduitatis, if it be hys, & in A doubte Psalm. lxxv. As though hys authoryte a­uayled, where scryptures are not to be had, and as though the veryte myghte be cho­ked with a multitude of wurdes. But to opē and declare thys papystes conueyaunce, I wyll first of all Englysh here these saynges of S. Augustyne, if they be hys.

[Page]☞ Saynt Augustine Englyshed.

Saynt Augustine sayth in the. xvi. chap. of hys boke concernyng honest wydowhed. Whan the desire of a better purpose (a tayle A tayle. wythout an heade) taketh awaye from the, the lyberte of that thynge whych is lawful. For it is Gods gyfte, that thu lykest not in marrye whan thu myghtest wele do it, that frō hensfourth it shulde not be lefull for the, though it lyked the. And in the. xi. chaptre. The estate of wydu al clennesse is than most fytt, whan for the vowe and profession ther of, women maye put aparte that is both ly­kynge and lefull. But as the vowe is ones Maye. professed, constantly is that to be restrayned and vanquyshed, that lyketh, for no longar is it lefull. And vpon the. lxxv. Psal. Be not slowe to vowe, yet of your owne strengthes ye shall not perfourme it. If ye presume of your selues, ye shall fayle. But yf ye be bold of him, to whome ye haue promysed, vowe Bolde hardely, for assuredly shall ye perfourme it. Uowe, and yelde it vnto our Lorde God, al yow vniuersally. But what must we vowe? To beleue in hym, to hope of hym the lyfe euerlastynge, and to lyue christenly among our neyghbours. For an ordre is prescribed to all men, in no wyse to steale. Not to the professed nonne, nor yet to the married wo­man, was it commaunded, but all folke are [Page xxxviii] charged to committ non aduoutrye. Not to To all mē folow dronkenes, wherby the soule is ouer­charged, and the temple of God defyled, is equally commaunded to all men.

Not to wexe hygh mynded, is commaun ded to all men a lyke. Not to kyll a man, not to hate their brother, and not to seke an vn­doynge to any man, is vniuersally commaū Uniuer­sally. ded to all men. Al this ought we al to vowe. These are also vowes to euerye man parti­culare. One voweth to god, chastite in wed locke, as that he wyll knowe none other thā his owne wife, and in lyke case the woman, to knowe none other but her owne husband. An other sorte promyseth, that though they haue proued the acte of marriage, yet wyll they no more do the lyke, neyther yet affect it nor fauour it, and these hath vowed sum­what more than they. An other sort voweth Uotaries vyrgynyte from their youthe, that they wyl neuer assaye that other hath assaied and left, and these in lyke maner hath vowed muche. An other sorte promyseth their howse to be herbourouse to the howsehold of fayth, and a great vowe do they make. An other man voweth to leaue all his goodes, and to asso­ciate hymselfe wyth men that are godly, he hath vowed a great vowe also. Uowe ther­fore, To learne and rendre it to your Lorde God. Lete anye man vowe that is wyllynge to vowe, [Page] takynge alwayes hede that he perfourme what he voweth. Ill is it for any mā to loke backwarde, that hath vowed, &c.

☞ S. Augustyne declared.

Firste it is to be marked, to whome, o [...] at whose instaunce, thys boke was made, who was the authour, and what is the argu­mente, The boke. or grounde thereof. The boke was writtē to one Iuliana, a professed wydowe. The tytle and argument, are corresponding to the same, for they declare the honest state of wydowhede. But the great learned man Frasmus, vtterlye denyeth the wurke to be Saynt Augustynes, and proueth it by many stronge reasons. Consydre first of all, that they are brought to a narrowe shyft, that se­keth to be holpen by womens matters. Wydows What hath wydowed to doo with prest­hode, more than womanhede with massing? Are the offyces of prestes and women by­comen nowe all one, and were wont to be so dyuerse. Then lete prestes become women also. Is not here (thynke yow) a wyttie fat­che of thys papyste, to proue his matter by? Hys firste proposycyon was (and therupon is all thys contencyon) that prestes muste be Celibes, that is to saye, men wythoute wo­men. Celibes. And nowe that matter can not be pro­ued withoute womens helpe. I haue nowe my coniecture. For I thoughte alwayes, [Page xxxix] though they had reiected women, yet wolde they seke them oute agayne for some naugh­tye purpose. They fare lyke monkes and frires, whyche neuer coulde agre, but whan some myschefe was in bruynge, agaynste the glory of God.

And in dede the prophete Daniel confes­seth, that the hartes of that generacyon, are gredely set vpon women, Dani. xi. but that [...]echerou­se. is all out of marriage. But I feare me, their labour here, tendeth to thys ende, to fynde oute amonge themselues by vertu of their orders, that prodygyouse kynde of occupy­enge without women, whych Saynt Paule appoynteth them as a plage of their errour to dampnacyon, Roman. i. They are aboute no small myracles, whan they haue suche compassynges, ye maye be sure. O execra­ble generacyon of Antichriste. Now to the Deuyls. contentes and argumente of thys alleged boke. The wurke is deuyded into two par­tes, the one conteynynge doctryne, and the other fatherly counsell, for the honeste state of wydowhede. The doctryne whyche is the strongar parte, endeth with the fyftene chaptre, and thys croked cloyner, clough­teth me in a patche of the lattre parte, Conuey­aunce. whyche is the weaker. But marke hys conueyaunce (I beseche yow) and ye shall see in hym, the cursed nature of a wycked [Page] papyste. He bryngeth me in here, the lattre end of a sentence in the. xvi. chaptre, leauing out all these wurdes. Qua in re, prius illud moneo, vt quantamcunque tibi inesse sentis Lefte oute pie continentie dilectionem, beneficio Dei tribuas, eique gratias agas, qui de spiritu suo tibi tautum largitus est, vt eius in corde tuo charitate diffusa (nowe cometh in hys patche) licite rei licentiam, tibi amor melio­ris boni auferret.

But in place of all thys, he hath trumped me in a Quando, to helpe his conueyaunce, and changed the tyme in Aufert. A false har­lot False dice (they saye) wyll neuer betrue. And thus is the sentence to be englyshed. By the waye of exhortacion or counsell (sayth the author) I admonishe the, that what loue so euer thu fyndest in the towardes godly clennesse, im pute it to God as hys benefyghte, and geue thankes to hym, whyche oute of hys owne sprete hath geuen the so moch, that hys cha­ryte beynge spred abroade in thy harte (his Quando is oute here) the loue of a better Quando thynge myght take away the lyberte of that was lawful. And what is all thys to the pur pose, to proue the folyshe vowes of monkes and of massemongers indispensable? Truly nomore thā is, Stās puer ad mensam, made by Robert Grosted of Lyncolne. The mind of the wryter was, that charite procedynge [Page xl] of fayth and not of vowynge (for here is no vowe spoken of) shulde be iudged to be the gyft of God, & that no boast shulde be made No vow therof, as of that thinge whyche were in our power. For it foloweth. Multi quippe ha­bent magna Dei dona, et nesciendo a quo habeant, impia vanitate iactantur. Manye there be (sayth he) whyche hath worthie gyf­tes of God, but for lacke of knowledge of him that is the gyuer, they wickedly & vain­ly glory in thēselues. Thys spake he against Boastyng suche iustycyaryes (as are oure braggynge papystes) whych boasted that of their owne fre wil, without the grace of God, they wer able to lyue wele.

Hys authoryte out of the. xi. chaptre and part concernynge the doctryne, is the con­clusyon of an argument, the premysses lefte Conuey­aunce. clerelye out. But to make it not so to apere, seruynge hys turne, he hath craftelye con­ueyed awaye thys wurde Ergo. Marke the good wurkemanshypp of thys Babylonish builder. The authour in that chaptre dispu­teth against them, whyche iudged the mar­ryages of professed systers or nunnes to be aduoutryes and no marryages, and conclu­deth Marrya­ges, that suche marryages oughte not so to be iudged neyther yet dyssolued, though, as in hys opynyon, the vowe breakynge he not allowable. In y ^• chaptre afore he begynneth [Page] w ^t this reasō. Qui dicūt taliū nupitas nō esse nuptias sed potius adulteria, nō mihi videntur satis acute ac diligēter cōsiderare quid di cāt. They y ^t report y ^e marryages of vowers, Unlear­ned. to be no marryages but aduoutryes, seme not to be learnedly wyse in their so saynges. And if they ground (sayth he) vpon Christes spousage, and that he is not yet dead but a­lyue, & cōclude it aduoutry that way. Thus I aunswere thē. That in there generacyon, wherein Christe is, beyng nowe rysen from the dead, ther is no such kynd of marryage.

For if they myght make that reason good, than myghte they also proue Christe an ad­uouterer, Christe. by receyuynge vpon her fayth, an other mannys wyfe. And thys I adde to it. That an horryble synne they myght also im pute to Christ, as to haue marryed hys own mother, whan she bycame her spouse, with other lyke fantasyes nothynge to the pur­pose. Neyther maye Christe (sayth he) be ta­ken for the second husband, as in that kynde of marryage, hys promyse beynge prima fi­des. Thys is no conuenyent rule therfore, No waye. of puttynge the man from the wyfe, but ra­ther a way to make them aduouterers. And after thys sorte he contynueth, tyll he come to the seyd conclusyon, Bonum ergo conti­nentie vidualis, &c. whych all I cut of here, for tyme losynge. The commodyte therfore [Page xli] (sayth he) or professyon of vydual clennesse, is than moste fytt, whan for the vowe and promyse therof, women may put apart, that is both lykynge and lefull. If this chaplayn had mynded the preferremente of a veryte, as he ded the bolsterynge oute of a falshede, A foxe. he had there more aduysedlye marked thys wurde possunt, whyche carryeth all the wayght of the whole matter. That professiō is fytt for them, whan they maye, that is to saye, whan they are able to leaue that is ly­kynge and lefull.

And that caused Saynt Paule, not afore lx. yeares of age to admytt anye wydowes Wydows to lyue at the charges of the congregacyon withoute husbandes. i. Timoth. v. Make priestes at that age, and ye maye chaunce to haue them chast, but I dare not promyse yow afore, I haue knowne so many to slyde. Lo ser, how saye ye now, haue ye not sponne here a fayre threde wyth your. ii. allegaci­ons of thys doctour, to proue, that than ye vowe chastite whan ye may lawfully go to marryage? yes that ye haue, & it were wylle Somer the kynges foole. I tolde yow afore, Somer as I tell ye now agayne, that all thys was but womēs ware, whych haue many tymes lyghte heades, & therefor (I praye yow) re­serue it to their vse, and seke out some better stayes, for the sole lyuyng or wyuelesse state [Page] of your presthod, for these are far to weake. And as touchynge the wryter, whom e y [...] call S. Augustine, vndre whose authoryte ye seke to confirme a falshede, it is yet in que­styon A doubte whether that boke where hys or no. Marke in the same. xvi. chaptre, a lytle after your first allegacyon, Sursum corda, with dignum et iustum est, and S. Gregory why­che folowed. cc. yeares after, wyll rather a­pere the authour therof, than S. Augustyne.

Now are we come to the thirde allegaci­on of thys chaplayne, Non sitis pigri ad vo uendum &c. which is S. Augustynes in dede vpon the. lxxv. Psalme. But marke hys cru­ell theft here (I beseche yow) that ye be not Augustin. an other tyme deceyued by the lyke. Thus begynneth S. Augustyne vpon thys texte of Dauid, vouete et reddite, promise & do it, or vowe & perfourme it. Quisquis quod potest (inquit) voueat et reddat. Ne voueatis & nō reddatis, sed quisque quod potest voue at & reddat. Lete euery man vowe (sayth he) y ^t he Able. is able to to performe, & lete him perfourme it in dede. Do neuer promise, vnles ye mynd to pay. But lete yche mā promyse, y ^t lyeth in his power, & so fulfyl that he hath promised. Than foloweth the texte, that he seketh to wurke his false feate with, Non sitis pigri ad vouendum. Be not slowe to vowe, and so fourth. O blessyd Augustyne, thy doctrin [Page lxii] is godlye and pure in thys matter, and not Godly. mixed with the leauen of hypocrites. As thu puttest it fourth hece, it is seasonable & good and may wholsomly feade the flocke of Ie­sus Christ. But as thys cruell enemye ded handle it afore, it was more lyke to haue poy sened than nouryshed. Full falselye art thu alleged here of thys mocker and peruerter of all godlynesse.

Thy teachynge is, that no man shulde take vpon hym to vowe that thynge, whych he is not able to perfourme, accordynge to Of power the nature and true meanynge of the texte in that Psalme. And bycause S. Augustyne wolde haue thys poynt taken for the seaso­nynge salte or grounde of all that shulde fo­lowe concernynge that matter, he reherseth it here twyse. But why left yow thys out, ye most spyghtfull aduersary to all veryte and truthe? why lete ye it passe by? yea, why toke ye it not with yow? Bycause ye would play the dissembler, lyar, mocker, poisener, thefe, and sowle murtherer, euer lyke your selfe, a vi. partes. full exercysed craftesman in that occupyeng of mischefe. But tel me maistre person, who hath taught yow to playe so wycked partes as these are. Euen the Deuyl your captain, whych seketh not els but to deuoure in dar­kenesse, yow helping him forward as moch as ye maye. For what purpose or to what [Page] ende, do ye wurke these false feates. Euen to make of the howsholde seruauntes of God, the citizēs of Sodome and Gomor. O de­uyll Cytezens. incarnate, O moste vengeable Sathan. But nowe that I haue thryse taken yow in thys kynde of robery, I wyll so holde ye by the nose, both in thys & in that whych shal fo low (be yesure of it) y ^t al they which shal lo­ke vpō yow & your wurk, shal take ye for nō other than a naughty thefe & a pycke purse.

And as touchynge S. Augustyne, he vt­terly refuseth, so to be takē or alleged of any man, that hys authoryte shulde mayntayne Doctryne a doctryne besydes y ^• scriptur. For he sayth, in prologo textii libri de trinitate. Noli meis literis quasi canonicis scriptis inseruire, &c. Geue in no case, so moche credyte to my wrytynges, as to the canonycall scryptures of the Byble. Thys sentence hath he also in his seconde boke, ad Uincenti [...]. Ideo nāque retractationum librum feci, vt discant lecto­res, Recantaci ons. neque mea per omnia mihi placere. For that only cause made I a boke of retractaci­ons, that my readers mighte wele knowe, that myne owne wrytynges ded not in all poyntes please me. Moreouer he wryteth thus in hys wurke, de natura et gratia, c [...]. lxi. Solis canonicis scripturis sine vlla re­cusatione consensum debeo. Suche a pryuy­lege belongeth to the scryptures of the By­ble, [Page xliii] that to them we muste alwayes assente without refusall. [...]o, these are ynough to clere hym in that matter. And to confirme that he hath sayd afore concerninge vowes, I remembre he hath in diuerse places of his learned wrytinges, quod vota stulta nō pro­sint Augusty. sed obsint, imo quod extra scripturā dā ­nanda sint. That folyshe vowes profyteth not but moche hyndereth, and also that they are dampnable whan they haue no ground of the scriptures. Whyche for tedyousnesse in searchynge the great heape of his wuckes to lytle profyght, I now passe ouer.

In y ^e end also wyl I say, y ^t they are yl frin­des to S. Augustyne, whych to establysh so Authoryte wycked a purpose, vsurpe his authoryte on this wyse. For though his time wer sūwhat corrupted w ^t superstycyōs, yet he neuer toke vowes as they haue bene prodigiously takē of hypocrytes in our age. That is to say, for a worshipp of God, for a meryte of ryghte­ousnesse, and for a singular perfeccyon. And though he had so done, yet is not thys couse quence therby founde true. Uowes were in vse in S. Augustynes daies, Ergo y ^e sodomy tycall professyons of cloysterers and mas­mongers, Argument are a lawfull seruyce of God. No more than this argument is good. In S. Au gustynes time some thought ther was a pur gatorye, Ergo we ought to haue masses, the [Page] popes indulgences, and chauntery founda­cyous for the dead. In bryngyng in that lōg processe of Saynt Augustyne vpon the. lxxv Psalme, thys charmynge chaplayne toke moche more peyne than he neded. For it is nothyng to the purpose to defende monkysh Monkery vowes, but that he semeth glad, to haue sum what in aperaunce, though it be moste the­uishly borowed. The vowes that he treateth of, are no forswearynges of marryage (as are the prestes vowes) for than he shuld by hys doctryne forbyd all men to marry, whi­che were moste deuelyshe. For thus he con­cludeth, Omnes communiter, vnyuersally all men.

But to put all out of questyon, thys god­ly man dyffyneth, what kynde of vowynge he meaneth. Quid de bemus vouere? inquit. Credere Credere in illum, sperare ab illo vitam eter­nam, et bene viuere secundum communem modū. What ought we to vowe? sayth he, or what promise is requyred of vs by Gods lawe? To beleue in hym, to hope by hym to obtayne the lyfe euerlastynge, and to lyue godly, non otherwyse than after the commē maner of christianyte, requyred of all men geuerally. Al the vowes that ther foloweth, be they propre or commen, are gouerned by these christen rules. Thus is thys aduersary Dowes. discharged. iii. wayes, for takynge here any [Page lxiiii] holde for his sodometrouse vowes, by quod potest, whych he hath theuyshly left out, by omnes communiter, and by credere in illū, whiche both he brought with hym with out vnderstandynge. Therefor thys deceytfull Papyste papyste maye now go, as the cōmen saynge is, and shake the dogge haye. For nothynge in all thys longe processe of S. Augustyne, wyll serue hym to hys mynde.

Responsio.

Here hath thys chaplayn ouershote his wit­tes, by callyng these thre seueral allegaciōs, but one authorite of S. Augustyne. But per aduenture he wold haue them here taken in substaunce, for. iii. persones and one God, Subtyle for aboughte soche mysteryes hys popyshe generaciō is verye busy and cōnynge. I am [Page] wele contented that he and hys hath learned in thys lattre allegacyon, whych is S. Au­gustynes in dede, that ther are vowes of. ii. dyuerse kyndes, one commen an other pro­pre, or one double and an other syngle, for the other. ii. haue no soche dyuysyon of vo­wes. But I wold he & they had learned this of S. Augustyne wythall, that those vowes Possyble. must be of thyngs whych are in our power, concernyng fayth, the cōmen christianyte, & a way to the lyfe euerlastynge, for he mente non other. To lyue without wyues by your owne appoyntement, & your other lyke vo­luntary wurkes, are as agreable to these, as mennys wayes are to Gods wayes, & light to darkenesse. A man myght here dryue yow & yours to a narrowe shyft, that wolde re­quyre of yow to proue S. Augustynes dyui­syon vpō this wurde votū, by Christes doc­tryne. A shyfte. Well, I lete yow alone cōcernyng y ^t matter for this time, & go foreward with the members of your dyuysyon, whom ye haue dyffyned full lyke your selfe.

One commen (ye say) to all men, whiche dyffereth nothing &c. I wold wysh y ^t ye had left out some of those bablynges, & y ^t ye had gyuē to this one of yours, his own ryght na Prima fi­des. me, calling him prima fides as S. Paul doth & not votū. For votū is but a borowed ba­stard name, w ^tout the scriptures of Christes [Page xlv] new testamēt. But such are y ^• buildinges of these wicked iusticiaries, to vphold in hypo crysie their volūtary wurkes. An other sin­gular (ye say) after euery mānys own deuo­cyō, in such thinges as he may lawfully for­beat &c. Mercyfull God, what cōfuse mat­ter & vnfrutefull baggage is this? Placed is it not in y ^e scriptures, vnlesse it be in y ^e smoke Smoke. rysing vp frō the bottōlesse pytt, Apocal. ix. or els in the golden cuppe of y ^• rose coloured whore, & thā is it part of y ^e abhominacyon & fylthynesse of her whoredom, Apo. xvii. Is the promyse of cōingall chastyte or faythful clennesse in marryage, as the man to knowe non other womā than hys owne wyfe, & the womā nō other man than her own husband (whych S. Augustyne here nōbreth amonge Lyberte. syngular vowes) after euerye mānys deuo­cyon, y ^t he may leaue it of if he lysteth & be­come an aduouterer? Is it also in such thyn­ges as he may lawfully forbear? Then hath God spoken it all in vayne, that in such case man shulde leaue father & mother and only cleaue to hys wyfe, and they twayne therby to be one. Gene. ii. & Math. xix.

How can ye say, that the bonde is the mā ­nys in y ^• state, whan y ^t mā hath no power of his owne body, but y ^• wyfe? i. Cor. vii. Stan­deth The bōde. the bonde of thys vowe in the promyse of mā, & in no former cōmaundemēt of god? [Page] & so leaueth him at lyberte, whether he wyll be an whoremaistre or no? What maner of doctryne call ye thys? I am not yll apayed, Fynely. that thys kynde of dyffynyng is out my dif­fynicion (as ye call it) neyther do I recken it the more vnperfyght for the want therof. I wold men ded marke this workemanshypp here, and ded se how fynely falshede as in a nette, conuayeth hymselfe. Come out ye de­uyll, I wyll yet dyscouer yow further, for all your crafty lurkinge, and clerely dispat­che ye of your holde. Uowes are here deup­ded into vowes commen, and vowes syngu­lar. Thys diuision is altogether nought, as yow haue here dyffyned the mēbres therof, Agre. though ye father it vpon S. Augustyue. For memb [...]a diuisa in genere non conueniūt, as it is requyred they shulde do. If it be answe­red y ^t they agre, in genere vocabuli. I muste say agayne, that our dyfputacyou is not su­per vocabulis, vpon wurdes and names of thynges, but vpon the very thynges sygny­fyed by them. I wyll proue by their groun­des, that they agre not in vno genere.

The ground of vowes cōmen, are Gods holy cōmaundemētes, the groūd of vowes syngular, as yow haue descrybed them, are mennys ydell deuocyons, otherwyse called Deuociōs wyll wurkes, or wurkes of supererrogaciō, that is to saye, more than nede. Howe farre [Page lxvi] these. ii. are from agrement in vuo genere, y ^• voice of Godsowne mouth by the prophete hath declared, Esa. lv. Non enim cogitatio­nes Though­tes. mee sunt cogitationes vestre, necvie ve­stre, vie mee. Sed quemadmodum celi, ter­ra sublimiores sunt, ita excedūt vie mee vias vestras, et cogitationes mee cogitationes ve­stras. My thoughtes (sayth the lord) are not your thoughtes, nor youre wayes my way­es. But so farre as the heauens are hygher than the earth, so farre do my wayes excede your wayes, & my thoughtes your though­tes. Se now howe these deuyded members agre. Who euer thus coupled hymself with God, but Antichrist the sonne of perdicion? Lucyfer whych exalteth hymselfe aboue all that be­longeth to God, ii, Thes. ii. But come down thu deuyl, that thus settyst thy chayre in hea­uen, and wyll be checke mate with the hy­ghest, [...]sa. xiiii. full vumete are thy dongysh and fylthie tradicions, to be coupled with his lawes immaculate. The daies wylones come, that thu shalte be broughte downe to the depeth of h [...]lle.

The bonde of thys vowe (sayth thys tha playne) standeth in the promyse of the man, and not in the former commaundemente of God. Wherunto I say, yet ones again, that Shame y ^t more is his shame to couple it, yea, rather to make it equal w ^t Gods cōmaundemētes. [Page] But that the myscheuouse nature of that hy­pocrytyshe generacyon is, as Christe hath declared, Mathe. xv. to make Gods com­maundementes of none effecte, for their owne be astlye tradycyons. If the bonde be of man, howe lyttle strengthe is it of? Is a Manne. synne full man of suche omnypotency, that hys vnaduysed decre must perpetually stād, leadynge to so wycked an ende? Isidorus sayth. Si quis preuentus fuerit, vt diffiniat agere aliquid eorum que non placent Deo, penitentiam agat. It quod contra manda­tum Domini statutum est, in irritum reuo­cetur. If anye man be so preuented, that he bynde hymselfe to do auye of those thyn­ges A vowe. whyche are not pleasynge to God, lete hym repente hym of that prompse. And lete that whyche was determyned wythoute Gods commaundemente, be called backe agayne and made of none effecte. Sayncte Bedas also confyrmeth the same in Rome­lia. xlv.

Si aliquid forte nos incautius iurare con­tigerit, quod obseruatum in peiorem vergat exitum, Libere illud salubriori consilio mu­tandum nouerimus, ac magis instante ne­nessitate Change. peierandum nobis, quam pro vi­tando periurio in aliud grauius esse diuer­tendum. Denique iurauit Dauid per Deū, occidere Nabal virum stultum & impium, [Page xlvii] atque omnia que ad eum pertinebant demo­liri: Sed ad primam intercessionem Abigail femine prudentis, mox remisit minas, reuo­cauit ensem in vaginam, neque aliquid cul­pe se pro tali periurio contraxisse doluit. If it hath chaunced vs (sayeth S. Bede) to be Bedas. sworne to any suche thynges, as the fulfyl­lynge therof, myght brynge vs to a greatter euyll, Beynge instructed by more wholsom counsell, we may wele breake that othe, and rather for the tyme of nede forsweare the thynge, than for doubte of periury to runne into a greatter inconuenyente. For Dauid swore by hys Lorde God to slee Nabal, a folyshe and wycked man, and to destroye all that was hys. Yet at the firste instaunce of the sobre wyse woman Abigail, he with­drewe Abigail hys anger, putte vp hys swearde, and neuer thoughte anye synne in that per­iury or breakyuge of hys vowe. The cha­playne sayeth, that thys kynde of vowes, is cleane lefte oute in my dyffynycyou. As I sayde afore, I am wele contented it is so. Saynte Paule sayeth. i. Lorinth. vi. Rygh­teousnesse canne haue no felyshyppe wyth vnryghteousnesse. Lyghte agreeth not with Christe. darkenesse, neyther hath Christe anye con­corde with Belial. And thys (he sayth) ma­heth my dyffinicion vnperfyght, As though monkyshe vowes, myghte adde perfeccyon [Page] to vowes of the olde lawe, confyrmed by y ^• scriptures. Who coulde euer haue paynted hym out more lyuely for Antichristes man, than he paynteth out hym selfe?

Responsio.

I go not about to approue thys descryp cyon of a vowe, after the ordre of Aristotles logyckes and Porphiries pryncyples, as I tolde yow afore. For so myght I do as your false generacyon doth, prepare a deceytfull bayte to circumuent the symple whych hath no foresyght, and to trappe them in a snare False. to the deuyll youre maisters behoue. Thys kynde of clowtynge ye shall kepe to youre selfe, as an arte fytt for your occupyenge, to wrynge by couples into one diffinicion of a vowe, truth & hypocrysy, veryte and false­hede, God and the deuill, agre yf they may. [Page xlviii] For otherwyse (ye saye) it can not be made Dyffyny­cyon nor come to y ^• shappe of a persyght diffyny­cyon. In allegynge Dauid, I approue a doc tryne and no dyffynycyon, the grounde of a vow after the sacred scriptures, and not the name of it, as it hath bene hurly burlyed in Antichristes kyngdom. Though the alleged textes here, maketh mencyon of no vowes, yet include they that, wherupō vowes must be groūded, yf they be of value, as are gods appoynted wayes and commaundementes, They also seclude y ^• ought not to be vowed, that is to saye, false wayes and wyckednes­ses. Hypocry­syes. And thys agreeth wele with that which is vttered in the former descrypcyon, to de­clare & shewe a playne contrariete betwyne the sober vowes of the scripture & the fran­tyck rash vowes of our clergy, least men vn bewares shulde iudge them all one, and so be parelously deceyued.

And no man can denye it, but Dauid the authour of those .ii. sentences, was a vower, for he vowed a vowe to the God of Iacob, Psalm. cxxxi. He confesseth in hys Psalmes that he was a contynuall and dayly vower. A vower In me sunt Deus, votatua, que reddā, lau­dationes tibi, Psalm. lv. I haue within me, O God (sayth he) thy vowes, whych I wyl paye the, and they are thy prayses. Reddam vota meade die in diem, Psalm. lx. I wyll [Page] perfourme my vowes from daye to daye, Reddā tibi vota, que distinxerunt labia mea. Psalm. lxv. I shall rendre the vowes, why­che my lyppes hath with deliberacyon pro­mysed. Prayses Uota mea Domino reddam in con­spectu timentium eum. Psalm. xxi. et. cxv, I wyll perfourme my [...]wes to the Lorde, in the syght of them that feare hym: Wyth a greate nombre of testymonyes more, who is than more fytt to be called to witnesse in suche a matter, than he whyche hath sought it and proued it? Or who knoweth it better than he that hath had it in so muche vse? and commaundeth men so earnestlye to vowe? by these wurdes, Uouete et reddite, & cet. Be godly. Uowe & perfourme your vowes. Psa. lxxv. These are to be loued as Gods prescripte wayes, and obserued as hys commaunde­mentes, the other are vtterly to be abhorred, as the wayes of falshede and wyckednesse. Thus perteine they sumwhat (as yow tear­me y ^• matter) to declar what is a vow, & ther for they haue wele furthered my diffinicion.

These saynges of Dauid (ye say) declare the good affeccyon of the iust man, to the ke pynge of Gods commaundementes. Here is so wayghtye a sentence, as myghte wele Wytte haue commen from them whych were wōte to synge that Psalme at their popish houres without deuocyō, it cometh fourth so fresh­ly [Page xlix] and with suche a courage of slouthe. But it is good portasse doctryne. As ye loue the scriptures, so hādle ye thē, yrkesōly, fayntly, vnsauerly, & barrēly. But as feble & as cold as ye iudge them, yet are they so full of lyfe and strengthe of Gods sprete, that all the Lyuely powers of helle are not able to preuayle a­gaynst thē. And they wyl serue the scripture vowes at nede, thoughe they serue not your popysh vowes. They declare in Dauid be­sydes your feble affeccyon, a faythe incom­parable, and an whole geuynge vp of hym selfe to God from all worldly cares. A doc­tryne from aboue, a demonstracyon of the ryghteouse, a prophecye full of pythe, a pu­ryte of Gods wurde, a consolacyō in God­lynesse, Sentēces. an hate of superstycyon, a ryghte handelyng of y ^e scriptures, a ful obseruaciō of Gods commaundementes, an obedyence to Gods byddynges a symplycite of sowle, a mekenesse of sprete, a conscyence wythout cancre, a strong loue towardes vertu, a stu­dy for ryghteousnesse, a despre of knowlege heauenly, a feruent zele in the truth, an ala­cryte Declared of sprete, an inwarde peace, a ioye in the holy Ghost, a dylygence effectuall, a cō ­stauncy in perfyghtnesse, a mygthy perseue­raūce, a gyft of Gods sprete, a syncere rely­gyō, a detestaciō of ydolatry, gods true wor shypp, a worke whych most hyghly pleaseth [Page] God and dyspleaseth the Deuyll, and an whole summe of Christianite.

Responsio.

Where as I haue in that sentence chan­ged the sygnyfycacyon of a vowe, ye coulde not therwyth be moche offended, wer ye not of a frowarde, croked, and quarellynge na­ture. Peuyshe. For y ^e best of your doctours in expow­nynge the scriptures, doth so, so wele as I, & are dryuen therunto by the dyuersyte of the places and circūstaunce of sentences. For restraynt of those vowes in the. xxx. chaptre of Numeri, to a feast called Clangor, I shal answere yow here after. I spake it in dede, that a vowe is a promyse, and the scriptures afore alleged, out of Gen. xxviii. & Psal. lxv. Scripturs hath born me good witnes, y ^t I spake y ^e truth in it, whyche to rehearce agayne were but superfluouse. But where as ye saye, I spake it generallye for all vowes of the Byble, ye shall take it to ye agayne, as a lye of youre own forging. For I neuer meane al vowes, whan I speake of a vowe, no more than I meane all men, whan I say, a man. And as I called it there a promyse, so call I it here a Meaning gyfte, a prayse, an offerynge, and a thankes [Page] gyuynge to God, and in all these wyll the scriptures honestly beare with me.

It is wrytten Leuit. xxvii. Homo qui ex­imium aliquod votum nuncupauerit, iuxta A gyfte estimationem dabit. A man that wyll geue a syngular vowe to the Lorde, shall gyue it accordynge to the value or wayght. Lo sir, here is votum a gyfte, requyrynge value or waight. Whā Iacob vowed a vow to God, Genes. xxviii. in the daye of paymente, that vowe was an offerynge of the tythes of all that he had geuen hym. Wha [...] Dauid en­tered into the howse of the Lorde, Psal. ixv. the vowes that he payed were fatt brente sa Offeryn­ges. cryfyces with the smoke of rammes, and offerynges of bullockes and gotes. Uota pinguium vestrorum non respiciam, sayeth God, Amos. v. I wyll not ones loke vpon your fatte offerynges, Moreouer it is wryt­ten Psalm. lxiiii. Te decet hymnus Deus in Syon, et tibi reddetur votum in Hierusa­lem, exaudi orationem meā, etc. It besemeth the (Lorde God) to haue prayse in Syon, a vowe shall be perfourmed to the in Hieru­salem, heare thou my prayer. Lo, here is a vowe called a prayse, a prayer, and a than­kes geuynge. In the. lv. Psalme are vowes A vowe. named laudationes, that is to saye, prayses or commendacyons. And where as Salo­mon sayeth, Prouerbio. xv. Uota iustorum [Page li] placabilia, all good exposytours calleth vota there, prayers. An hundred lyke te­stimonies are in the scriptures of the olde lawe.

Now lete vs returne to the. xxx. chaptre A gyfte of Numeri. There is it wrytten. Si quis vi­rorum votum domino vouerit. If any man vowe to the Lorde, etc. I am sure y ^t to vowe a vowe, is not to vowe the wurdes al ready spoken, but the thyng promysed in that vow ynge. It foloweth after in the texte. Si con­gnouerit pater votum quod policita est. If the father shall knowe the vowe that hys daughter hath promysed et cet. Thys vowe was not the promyse of a promyse, for than had it bene lyke the vowe that Dauy the Dauy Walshe man made vpon the sea whan he was in daunger of drownyng, to offre a can­dell as muche as the shyppe maste, whan he come ones to lande, whyche ended in the promyse and wente no farther. But it was the thynge promysed, whyche is in some places of the scrypture, a gyfte wyth pray­ses to God, & some where an offeryng with thākes geuing, as I haue proued here afore. Ye axe me thys question, how a vowe cā be both y ^e promyse of a thynge, and the thynge promysed? Wherof I greatly wondre, con­syderyng that for your pleasure, ye graunte Question [Page] a moche more maruele, that is to saye.

In your massynges, after your breathin­ges vpon the breade and wyne, ye confesse the accydentes therof to be Christes bodye and bloud. For ye saye, that the former sub­staunces of bread and wyne are taken away by a newe creacyō, whych ye prodygyously name a transubstāciacyon. By thys ye shuld Myracles seme to be in doubte also, whether Christe whyche was promysed, was the same very Christe whyche came at the tyme appoyn­ted, Gala. iiii. or nay. If it wer lawful to axe suche questyons, I myghte also axe of yow, how Sara myghte be both wyfe and systre to Abraham? bycause I fynde it so wrytten, Sara. Genes. xii. &. xx. Suche fryuolouse and vn­learned questyons, bryngynge nothyng els but contencyon, S. Paule forbyddeth vs to moue. ii. Tim. ii. & Tit. iii. ye ar a great wise prelate & wel ouersean in matters, if ye iudge votum in all partes of the Byble to importe one meanynge. Ye fare lyke a symple sur­geon or dogge leche, whō I sumtime knew, whych had but one drynke for all dyseases, and one salue for all sores. Uotum in y ^t scrip tures hath not one only sygnyfycacyon, but A surgeon many. Some where it is a knowledgyng of Gods benefyghtes, some where a faythe in hys promyses, some wher an adoracyon, a worshypp, a dedycacyon, a fre gyfte, a pro­myse, [Page lii] an offerynge, atythynge, a prayse, a prayer, an abstynence, an ordinaunce, a ce­remonye, a sacryfyce, a thankes geuynge, Uotum. and in certen places, a deuocyon, a desyre, a daunger, a destruccyon, an Anathema or se­paracyon by death, and such lyke, but neuer any forswearynge of marryage.

Afore ye were muche offended bycause I called a vowe a promyse. And nowe to proue it to be no gyfte, ye admytt it for a promyse (suche are youre mockes and A promise toyes) and ye proue it to be so, by thys sen­tence of the same. xxx. chaptre. Si vouerit et iuramento se constrinxerit, vt per ieiuniū vel ceterarum virtutum abstinentiam, affli­gat animam suain. If a wyfe hath vowed & boūde her selfe by othe, to humble her sowle by fastynge or other kynd of abstynence etc. And I graunt it yow, that by thys it is a pro myse. But if ye had gone on a lytle farther with the texte, ye had founde it a gyfte. For Gone on. anon after it foloweth. Quicquid vouerat atque promiserat, reddet. All that she hath vowed & promysed, she shall paye. Though it were but a promyse at the bargayne or co­uenaunt makynge, yet is it a thynge promy sed in the perfourmaunce or at the paymēt daye. Tyme and place hath changed manye thynges. That was in the howse a promise, becometh in the temple a payment. Haue ye [Page] forgotten your olde sophystycall dystruccy­on potentie et actus, wherwith ye were wōt to bynde b [...]ares at your pleasur? what remē bre youreselfe. Ye fare lyke them in thys Pharisees poynt, whych reckened a swearynge by the temple or aultre, for no byndynge othe, but the swearynge by the golde of the temple & offerynge of the aultre. Mathe. xxiii. Christe sayth there, he that sweareth by heauē, swea reth by the trone of God. Lo sir, how maye heauen be heauen, and the trone of God?

Eyther ye were in doubte of your allega Plesaunt cyon, Si vouerit, by these staggerynge say­enges (It maye seme, It apereth) afore and after, or els ye wer [...]yrily dysposed in your toyenge dalyaunce, but ye haue worke man­ly mocked your selfe in the ende with a ma­nyfeste lye, callynge Si vouerit, the last sen tence of that chaptre. By lyke ye were in suche poste haste, that ye toke no hede what folowed. Loke better vpon it an other time, for youre owne honestyes sake. Ye call ab­stynence and fastynge thynges lawfull, and Fastynge so do I also in the kynde God lefte them in by hys appoynted rules. But youre mon­kerye and massynge presthode, for whome ye presentlye contende, are nothynge so, wā ­tyng allowaunce of the scriptures, but they are wycked offices and abhomynacyons in the blasphemouse kyngedome of Antichrist. [Page liii] Wher as ye say, y ^t the wyfe or daughter, are Not ho [...] not bounde to perfourme suche vowes, if the husbande and father sayeth naye to it, ye speake it trulye, for the scripture there af­firmeth the same. Why than compell yow prestes, monkes, and nonnes to an indys­pensable kepynge of their vowes, of whom a greate nombre had neuer the full consente of father and mother? O deceytfull moc­kers. Scorners. Yea, why so tyrannouslye bynde ye them, to that fylthye Sodome, withoute re­dempcyon? O illuders of ryghteousnesse. God oure eternall father, Hierem. li. God hys eternall sonne, Mathe. xi. and God hys eternall sprete, Apocalip. xviii. hath mygh­tely called vs from thens.

Oure mother also, whyche is Christes immaculate spowse, by the voyce of Saynt Paule, hath geuen thys charge, to her chyl­dren. Nolite iugum ducere cum infidelibus, ii. Corinthio. vi. Beare not that yoke (mea­nynge Warning youre vowe) with the infydeles. Ne commisceamini fornicariis. i. Corinth. v. Accumpauye not with those fylthye forni­catours. Than conclude ye with as folyshe an ende, as ye had pryncyples afore. If a vowe (saye yow) be not here a gyfte but a promyse therof, for certen tymes and per­sones, then pertayne not those vowes to the feast of trumpettes. Wele sayd maistre per [Page] sone, and reasoned full lyke a polityque pul­tar. If a nette be not a nette, but y ^t shaddow of a nette than are we not lyke with our net tes to ca [...]che anye wod [...]cockes this yeare. Ser, it is so wele taken there for a gyfte as for a promyse, as is declared afore, and ther for youre v [...]discrete argumēt is discharged. Clangor But where as ye plucke those vowes from the feast of trumpet blowynge, ye do them great wronge. Better had ye done for them, to haue lefte them there styll, or els in some other place fitt for them, than to haue lefte them here so desolate, not knowynge where to become. For there is now neyther age nor tyme fytt for thē among christianes, though yow, not onlyke a Iewysh Rabi, appoynte thē al tymes & ages. Neither haue they bene [...]ibamina sens Christes ascension lawfull. S. Paule setteth so lytle by them, that he calleth them feble tradycyōs and beggarly ceremonyes, threttenyng the Galathianes dampnacion, forturnynge to them agayne. Gala. iiii.

Responsio.

Repetynge youre matter, ye se no cause why, I shuld report vowes in the. xxx. chap. of Numer. to pertayne only to that feast &c. A gnatte ye strayne oute verye sore here, to swellowe in a camell, but it wyll not proue to your mynde. I se good cause why I shuld A gnatte saye it, and I speake it (I thynke) as a frynd. For if they remayne not there, they are lyke to haue but a symple dwellynge in this age, except some superstycpouse grandame, or some olde dottynge sir Dauy, wyl harbour them for a tyme. Who wyll nowe vowe, to offre vp a yonge kydde in sacryfyce? What, thynke yow that we knowe not in what ta­kynge Sacrifyce the darke ceremonies of Moyses are now? Moyses is dead and buryed, we haue Christ alyue in the mountayne for him. The [Page] Gospell succedeth the lawe, wherin the pre­ceptes are spirytuall, and must be of vs ful­fylled in sprete and veryte, and not in olde [...]n sprete worne out shaddowes. Remyssyō of synnes cometh onely now by Christes offeryng vp­on the crosse, & not by the olde leuytycall ex­pyacyons. Christ hath wholly & perfyghtly supplyed in hys most innocent fleshe, y ^t was prefygured in the serpēt of brasse in the wyl­dernesse, that no man frō hens fourth shuld go backe agayne therunto, for recouer of y ^• Recouer venemouse bytynges of any other serpente, Numer. xxi. for no man can peryshe that be­leueth in hym, but is sure to haue the lyfe e­uerlastynge, Ioan. iii.

That feast of trompet blowynge, I trom ped ye in as a toy to help ye forward in your Iewysh creacyōs, bycause ye sought so ear­nestly to establish the chastyte of your prest­hode by that. xxx. chaptre of Nume. I gaue ye it by the waye to make yow mery wyth, Fylthines and not to ground any christen doctryn vp­on it. How thys worde only leaped into it, I can not tell. For whan I conferred youre coppy with myne, I foūd it not therin. Yow y ^t can so cōnyngly dymynysh & adde, cut of & set on, pull out & put in, as ye haue done a­fore in your Augustynes allegacyons, are able ynough to shewe your conueyaunces Lonnyng. here. As wele coulde yow here pull in thys [Page lv] worde only, as ye ther cloughted in a quādo. I am not so far ouerseane in the scriptures, but I knowe that more Iewysh feastes are cōtayned in the. xxix. cha. than festum tuba­ [...]um in the first daye of the seuenth moneth. For in y ^• tenth day of the same moneth, was Fastes. the feast of propycyacyon, & in the. xv. daye was the feaste of tabernacles. I gaue yow therfor the feast of trōpettes, as an ende like to your pryncyples. For I tolde yow after that, of S. Georges gyld at Norwych, wher I wylled yow to bestowe those vowes.

If ye bestowe the fastynges and abstay­nynges of the scriptures now, vpon such Ie wyshe feastes, ye do as ded your pay pay, Pay, pay. your papa I shuld saye, whyche appoynted thē to hys ydolatrouse dayes of ydelnesse. Those payne full wurkes (as ye call them) which are for a humyliaciō of y ^• sowle, may now be appointed to no such feastynges. In dede I know no good reasō why they shuld. But wher as ye say, ye cā not se why y ^• chap tre afor shuld be restrained to pertain to this chaptre, more than y ^• chaptre folowynge, I must saye to yow again, y ^t I can wele see it. For in y ^t scriptures is no cōfuse ordre, but a cōforme & cōsonāt ordre, one chaptre alwais Syghte approuyng & declarynge an other. These. ii. cha. treate not of cleane diuerse matters (as you vnclenly report thē) but thei both cōclud [Page] to one ende of ceremonials. The. xxix. chap. maketh mencyon of. iii. of their pryncypall feastes, sheweth what sacryfyces shuld be done in them, and on what daye of the mo­neth they shuld be celebrated. The. xxx. cha. declareth the perfourmaunce of vowes and Feastes offeringes, both of the fre and of that which is vndre subieccion, as of the father and the daughter, of the husbande and the wyfe, be­sydes the wydowe and deuorsed to the pro­fyght of the mynysters and leuites.

Ye wold knowe what reason and groūd I take thus to say, or to ioyne y ^•. ii. chapters. I haue for my ground thys laste sentence of Grounde. the. xxix. chaptre. Hec offeretis Domino in solennitatibus vestris, preter vota et obla­tiones spontaneas, in holocausto, in sacrifi­cio, in libamine, & in hostiis pacificis vestris These thynges shall ye offre to the Lorde in youre solempnytees, besydes youre vowes and deuocyon offerynges, in youre brentof­ferynges, meate offerynges, drinke offeryn­ges, & peace offerynges. This is my groūd, put yow the reason to it hardely. Ye say, ye Uowes. thynke that those vowes be neyther gyftes nor offerynges. Of that thynkynge, ye are suffycientlye dyscharged afore. Yea saye, ye haue also good cause so to thynke. And I thynke y ^• goodnesse of your cause not wurth the leape of a lowse. Ye saye, they pertayne [Page lvi] not to y ^• feast of trōpet blowing only. That only, as it standeth, is yours and not myne. And if it were myne, I wold ye ded byqueth it to S. Georges gyld at. N. as I haue done Iewysh your feaste with the Iewysh vowes and all. But wher as ye conclude, that the feast cōti­nued longar than. vii. dayes after, it shal styl rest there tyl yow be able to proue it. Ye say, it so apeareth by the texte it selfe, but ye are lyke to fynde it contrary as ye come ones to the tryall.

Bycause I sayde, that vowes in the olde lawe, or vowes in those feastes wer not per­petuall, ye vnderstande me not. In thys ye fare lyke the back or owle, whyche seeth all An owle. in the darke, and nothyng in the clere lyght. Where as Dauid speaketh of the mercye, wurkes, wysdom, and veryte of God, Psa. xci. he concludeth with thys sentence. Uir insipiens nō cognoscet, et stultus non intel­ligit hec. An vnwyse man wyll not knowe these thynges, neyther wyl a fole vnderstād A fole. them. The Babylonyanes (sayth Micheas) knoweth not the thoughtes of the lord, ney­ther vnderstād they hys counsels, Mich. iiii. All they beleued not in Christ, whyche sawe hym do myracles, Ioan. xii. In your excep­cyon, ye admytt the feast and offeringes for mere shaddowes, and why iudge ye not the same also of the vowes there? I praye yow [Page] lete the cause go fourth wyth his effecte, and The cause be not more parcyall to the one than to the other. The vowes were for the offerynges, and neuer were they perfourmed, tyll the o­ther were done in effecte. And as those offe­rynges were fynyshed, the vowes had al­wayes their ende. Howe wyll ye then make these vowes perpetuall? Me thynke, I offre Answere yow a good honest answere, and to the pur pose of that wente afore. And it semeth moche confirmed, in that Christe neuer taught thys doctryne of perpetuall vowes, by thys nor yet by anye other olde scripture or example.

Responsio.

Se how thys papyste toyeth and tryfleth [Page lvii] here, how inconstaunt, vnagreable, and con­traryouse Uowes▪ he is also to hym selfe. Afore he sayth, that there are some vowes perpetual, whyche are by commaundemente requyred of all men▪ And for example he bryngeth fourth y ^t vowe made in baptysme. Contrary wyse he affirmeth, that no vowe is perpetu­all to all men, but onely to hym that maketh it. What thynke yow of thys same fellowe, is he a philosopher or a fole? Here confesseth he playnely, that a perpetual vowe is a crea ture or ymage of synnefull mannys creaciō. And what is it than? Is it any other thā wyc Synne. kednesse? Haue we any other than synne of our selues? It is wrytten by Moyses, Gen. vi. Uidit Deus quod cuncta cogitatio cor­dis hominum intenta esset ad malum omni▪ tēpore. God behelde it, that all the ymagyna cyons & thoughtes of mennys hartes, were at all tymes euyll. Sensus enim et cogitatio humani cordis in malum prona sunt ab ado­lescentia sua, Gen. viii. The vnderstandyn­ges (sayth God) and coniectures of mannis Ma [...]. harte, are nought euē from hys very youth. All are become vnprofytable. All men are corrupte (sayeth Dauid) and becometh ab­homynable, there is not one that doth good, Psalm. xiii.

All men are synners, Psa. l. Al men are ly [...]rs psa. cxv. Alienati sūt peccatores a vulua [Page] errauerunt ab vtero, locuti sunt falsa, Psal. All men. lvii. Men are vntowarde frō their mothers wombe, they erre from their byrth, & speake lyes. Consydre thys waighty saynge of Es­dras. Iniqui omnes filii hominum, et iniqua illorum omnia opera, et non est in ipsis ve­ritas. Hi in sua iniquitate peribunt, et veri­tas manet. iii. Esdre. iiii. All the chyldren of men are vnryghteouse, and all their wurkes are wycked, and there is no truthe in them. In their vnryghteousnesse shall they also pe ryshe, but the truth endureth euer. Se now what the vowes be, whych are made by mē, Peryshe. as thys enemy here openly confesseth. They are frutes of menys inuencyons, coniectu­res, & thoughtes without Christes appoynt­ment. They are thynges vnprofytable, cor­rupcion, errour, falshede, lyes, presumpciō, naughtynesse, abhominacyon, and synne. If they be reckened a ryghteousnesse afore mē, they are suche a one as the prophete Esaias speaketh of. Quasi pannus mēstruate, vni­uerse iusticie nostre. Esa. lxiiii. Our vniuer­sall ryghteousnesses, are afore God, as clo­thes Ill frute. stayned with meustrue. Is not here ple saunt gere (thinke yow) to make a perpetual bonde of? Yea, and it were to make a perpe­tuall sacryfyce of your dyrte.

O so domytycall beastes & hypocrytes. Whan wyll ye leaue boastynge of that ye [Page lviii] were neuer yet able to perfourme? Neuer Not one. was there one of your oyled and shauen ge­neracyon yet chast, for all your stoute brag­ges and crackes. No, not one. I am able to proue it before God and man. Yea, I haue declared it in the first parte of my votaries, and wyll by Gods grace, declare it in the o­ther. ii. partes, by the styukynge actes of the holyest hypocrytes amonge yow, because I fynde yow past all shame and withoute re­pentaunce. I wondre where thys hypocryte fyndeth it, that men are bound to perfourm Hypocrite suche ydell vowes withoute Christes com­maundement. We haue of hym many fry­uolouse bablynges, but nothynge proued by the scriptures. He sayeth, it is a perpetuall true doctryne, that vowes maye lawfullye be made, but he sheweth not what vowes. If he meaneth y ^• vowe of syngle lyfe, I say, he lyeth falsly, to the face of hym. For by the Doctryne space of more than thre thousande yeares was no such doctryne, therfor it is not a per petuall doctryne. Neyther is it a true doc­tryne Sayucte Paule sayeth, but a doc­tryne of deuyls, pronounced by deceytfull hypocrytes. i. Timoth. iiii.

Thys monkysh pratler sheweth yet ones agayne, from whens he cometh. A perpetu­all true doctryne is it (sayth he) that we be Bounde bounde in payne of deadlye synne, to per­fourm [Page] our lawful vows. Marke this same, we▪ hardely, and ye shall fynde hym an olde cytiezen of Sodome and Egypte, Apoca. xi. It wer mete first of al, to proue his vow law full, whiche he hath not done yet, ere he wēt about to adde deadly synne to the breakyng therof. Dauid brake suche a vowe, S. Bede Dauid. sayth, and yet had he no conscience therin of any deadlye synne. And although it were a perpetuall doctryne that men myghte make vowes, and that they oughte to perfourme them in peyne of Gods hyghe dyspleasure. Yet were not your popyshe purpose therby moche furthered, consyderyng your vowes Name. are not of that kynde. For all that beareth name of a thynge, is not the same thyng. All that is called an apple or a foxe, is not a na­turall apple or a foxe. In the ende he cometh with a legerde mayne of tyme and condy­cyon, for hym and hys monkysh bretherne. For there is an other we. And yet we maye vowe (sayeth he) to do a thynge but for one tyme, and vpon a condycyon also. Here he tymeth and condycyoneth with God, why­che approueth nothyng, hys owne doctours sayth. Is not thys (thynke yow) a straunge Tyme. prouynge of a perpetuyte in vowes, by a howe for one tyme, and by a vowe vpon cō ­dycyon?

So wele may thys folysh reason stande, [Page lix] as that. Abraham one tyme begate Isaac. Ergo he was begettyng Isaac for the terme of hys lyfe, and all begetters after hym. If Robyne whode shote ones in Barnes dale, Folyshe. he was shotynge at Barnes dale all y ^e daies of hys lyfe, and all shoters after hym, are boūd to shote at Barnes dale. These vowes for one tyme and vpon a condicyon, he craf­telye bryngeth in, confirmynge them by ex­amples of scripture, to shaddowe hys per­petuall vowes of Gomorra with. O crafty face of the serpent, how longe wylte thu de­ceyne Deceyte the symple with that frute of falshed? Thu canuyste saye, scriptum est, as ded the Deuyll in the wyldernesse, Mathe. iiii. for thy vowes for a tyme and vpon a condycy­on. But where are thy scriptures, to proue a perpetuyte in thy Gomorreall vowes, thu fylthye Gomorreane? I tell the, that neither the vowe of Anna. i. Reg. i. nor yet the vowe Uowes. of the Israelytes, Numeri. xxi. is nowe vn­to vs christianes a perpetuall true doctryne to be folowed in effecte. For than we shulde dedycate oure chyldren afore they were borne, to the seruyce of the olde Iewysh sy­nagoge, & off [...]e vp calues or yong bullockes with thē. So shuld we also, as we had the o­uerhand of our enemyes, destroy hoth them & their cyties. For that was the vowe of the Israelites Israelytes. If we shulde folowe thys vowe [Page] in effecte, as a perpetuall true doctryne for vs christianes, we shulde not leaue one bla­sphemouse papyste, nor one false prophete of Balahams marke alyue.

Responsio.

It is no matter what yow do meane, so long as your purpose tendeth to so naughty an ende. I haue good witnesse of the scrip­tures, Hebrues y ^t the Hebrues in their priuate vows▪ wer they in their great feastes or out of thē, offered beastes in dyuerse kyndes. Abraham offered a ramme. Gen. xxii. Anna offered. iii. yonge bullockes. i. Regū. i. Samuel offered a suckynge lambe. i. Reg. vii. Dauid sayd al so. Holocausta medullata offeram tibi cum incenso arietum, offeram tibi boues cū hir­cis, Psalm. lxv. I wyll offre vnto the, fatt brent sacryfyces with the smoke of the ram­mes, I wil offre bullockes & gootes. Lawes betwene the man and the wyfe, are matry­monyal Offeryn­ges. lawes, and no laws for offerynges. The lawes also betwene the father and the daughter, are lawes of Christen educacyon and obedyence, and not of Iewyshe deuocy­ons, as both Peter and Paule hath descry­bed them. In the. xxx. chaptre of Numeri, is no suche matter contayned. If ye meane it for makynge and byndynge of vowes, as foloweth in your processe, put out, at all ty­mes. Put out. For that is youre owne pharysaycall [Page] lenen, wherwith the deuyll and yow wolde corrupt the whole batche, Gal. v. I tell yow ones agayne, as I haue told ye ofte afore, y ^t those Iewish shaddowes ar not for al times, though your Iewish heade so appoint them.

Christ wyll not haue hys pure Gospell, myngled with Iewyshnesse. Peter, Iohan, and Paule, hath tolde ye ofte that tale, and yet ye beleue it not. What ye reade, I canne Apostles not wele tel, for I am neither of your popish professyon, study, nor yet counsell. But for pryuate offerynges in thys feaste and other, ye are answered afore. Nothwithstandyng, I adde thys muche more vnto it, that they made not buttons nor shoe buckles at those solempnytees. Some occasyon (I am sure) they had of resort to the temple thā, besydes A clause. their commaunded sacryfyces. And the lat­tre clause of the. xxix. chaptre, calleth them fre wyll offerynges, or offerynges of deuo­cyon. God wylled not the prestes and leui­tes, to haue any possessyon amonge the chyl dren of Israel, but only to lyue vpon the ty­thes, firste frutes, and ob [...]acyons. For he sayd vnto Aaron, Numer. xviii. In terra eo­rum nihil possidebitis, nec habebitis partē inter eos. Ego pars et hereditss tua in me­dio filiorum Israel. Yow shall in their land No posses­syon. haue non enheritaunce, neyther yet any por­cyon amonge them. For I am onelye thy [Page lxi] porcyon and enherytaunce amonge the chyl drē of Israel. And in the same chaptre a lyt­tle afore. Omne quod ex voto reddiderint filii Israel, tuum erit. All that is geuen by vowes of the children of Israell, shall be thyne.

And Deuter. xviii. Sacrificia Domini et oblationes eius comedent, et nihil aliud acci pient de possessione fratrum suorum. The Offerings sacryfyces and offerynges of the lorde shall they eate, and shall haue none other enhery­taunce amonge their bretherne. By thys ye maye see, that the offerynges in those fea­stes, ded as wele hange vpon euerye pry­uate mannys vowe, as vpon the solempne sacryfyces for euerye daye appoynted. Els had a greate nombre of the prestes and Le­uytes, gone to bedde a hungred. Neyther was Gods seruyce therby lefte nor defrau­ded, Folyshly. as yow insipyently wryte, but rather set forewarde and furthered therby, beynge a great porcyō therof, as the text declareth. What though it laye in the father to stoppe their daughter, and the husbande the wyfe, vpon impedimentes laufull? Yet ded not all fathers stoppe their daughters, nor yet all husbandes their wyues. But all these darke shaddowes are paste, and wyll not nowe serue to mey [...]tayne the buggeryshe vowes Frutes. of youre massynge presthode. Ye saye, thys [Page] chaptre of vowes is an absolute peace, and pertayneth to the lawe. Who euer heard of a more vnlearned, blasphemouse, and folish sentence? For more than. ii. thousande and. v hondred yeares, had the Iewes thys. xxx. chaptre of Numeri, ere they had an absolute peace.

If thys chaptre had bene to them an ab­solute peace, what neded they to haue loked A peace. for Christ, by whome onlye they hoped for that absolute peace? If that absolute peace had pertayned to y ^• lawe, lytle nede had we to haue had the Gospell, whyche broughte that peace. But perauenture ye meane, that the chaptre pertayneth to the lawe. Than ar ye a very fole, to cal it an absolute peace. Ye thynke youre foly to be excused, bycause ye haue vpon your owne absolute authoryte, exempted it from the ceremony all lawe. O absolute asse heade, ydolatrouse monstre, & Absolute witlesse ydyote, y ^• thus wylte depryue Christ of y ^t whych is only hys? Christ is our peace, Saynt Paule sayth, and not the. xxx. chap. of Numeri. Ipse est enim pax nostra, qui fe­cit ex vtrisque vnum, et interstitium macerie diruit, simultatem per carnem suam, legem mādatorum in decretis sitam, abrogans, vt duos conderet in semetipso in vnum nouum Abrogate. hominem, faciens pacem, vt reconciliaret ambos in vno corpore Deo per crucē, per­empta [Page lxii] inimicitia per eam, &c. Ephe. ii. He is oure peace (sayeth he) whyche hath made of both, one, and hath broken downe the walle Hatred. that was a stoppe betwene vs, and hath also put awaye, throw hys fleshe, the cause of ha tred, euen the lawe of commaundementes contayned in the lawe wrytten, for to make of twayne one newe man in hymselfe, s [...] ma kynge peace, & to reconcyle both vnto God in one body throwe the crosse, and slewe ha­tred therby.

Thus are both your. xxx. chaptre, & lawe dyscharged of that absolute peace, yea, the morall lawe also, if ye so mente it. After that Christ had gyuen to hys dyscyples most so­uerayne Christe. consolacions agaynst all troubles, he thus concluded, Iohan. xvi. Hec locutus sum vobis, vt in me pacem habeatis. These wnrdes haue I spoken to yow, that in me ye myght haue peace. Thys peace was neuer manyfested to the worlde, tyll the Angels w ^t ioye proclamed it at Christes natyuyte on this wise. Gloria in altissimis Deo, & in ter­ra pax, hominibus bona voluntas, Luce. ii. Glorye to God on hyghe, and peace on the earth, and vnto men a good wyll in recey­uynge it. Thus in the ende ye conclude. By­cause that chaptre of vowes is an absolute Peace. peace, and pertayneth to the lawe, therfor is it not restrayned to take place in that feaste. [Page] Moyses in the reade sea is Christe that was crucyfied on Lal [...]ary, & belongeth to gods malyson, therfor may he not banket at myd­somer bone fyre. Here is a wele slauered rea­son, All tymes is it not? And as for your, at all tymes to be obserued, ye maye now kepe it to ye, for youre owne occupyenge, to playe ther­with the Iewysh papyste. For it is lyke in these dayes, to do non other seruyce. I haue suffycyently shewed yow all thys afore.

Responsio.

More darke can no man make the mat­ter, y ^t yow seke to defend here, than it is of it self. The truth truly told, is euer (I se wele) A blott. a blott in your waye. Ye go about to proue the whoredom of an whore, to be y ^• hyghest kynd of chastyte that euer was in the world. And for the precysenesse therof, ye onlye ap­poynt it to your newe God makers or mas­mongers. For in dede those transubstancia­ted Goddes, were knowne for no Goddes afore that prodigiouse kynd of chastyte was Antichrist. canonysed for thē, of your great Antichriste the holy hygh Idol of y ^• Romanes. And this chastyte ye wyll approue by the offerynges of maydens and wyues in the. xxx. chaptre of Numeri, for that is y ^t scope of our whole contēcion, or the pryck that we al thys tyme shote at. Thys is a prodygyouse enterpryse of yow, & wyll haue but slendre successe, be­ynge womens matter, as I tolde ye afore. Women For they myghte in no case fulfyll their vo­wes, were they neuer so strōgely made, but by licēs of father & husband. If ye take that chaptre for your grounde, ye can do no lesse [Page] than graunte the same to all them that hath father and mother tyll tyme they obtayne their full consente. Ye saye, by that I haue called a vowe in the olde lawe, a promyse, a gyfte, and an offerynge, I haue darkened all your matter. Then hath the lyghte sore The lyght darkened youre matter, and the scriptures of God moche blemyshed the same, for they haue myghtely borne me out therin.

I haue declared afore of thē, that a vowe in the olde lawe hath a greate meany more than these. I shall not nowe neade agayne A mocke to repete thē. It is but a slye mocke of yow, to say y ^• ye wil learne of me. For (I knowe) ye mynde nothynge lesse than to be taughte of me, eyther yet of anye of my professyon. Neuerthelesse, for so muche as ye desyre to knowe by what reason, a vowe in one place maye be taken for all these. iii. that is to say, for a promyse, a gyfte, & an offeryng, I wyll bring ye in a scriptur for your reasō, ye may Scripture take it for a reasō, if ye lyste. It is writtē Le. xxvii. Animal quod immolari potest domino si quis vouerit, sanctū erit, et mutari nō pote rit. If any mā vow a beast to y ^• Lord, whych may be lawfully offered, it shall be an holye gyfte, and maye not be altered. Also Deute. xii. Omnia que voueris, et sponte offerre vo A vowe. lueris, et primitias manuum tua [...]um, corā domino Deo tuo comedes, in loco quē ele­gerit. [Page lxiiii] All thynges that thu shalt vowe, and frely determyne to offre, and the first frutes also of thy handes, thu shalt eate before the Lorde, in place of hym appoynted. Lo sir, here is your vowe, a promyse, a gyfte, and an offerynge, and in the lattre texte, compre­hended iii. in one vndre one relatyue. A gyfte is it, that is in a vowe promysed, and an offerynge is y ^t gyfte, whā y ^e promise is ones perfourmed.

If I sayde, that their vowes stode not in abiurynge of marryage, as do the vowes of our smered massemongers, I vttered suche a truthe, as all the vowe scriptures of the A truth. olde testamēt affirmeth. Neither haue I ther in dyscommended true chastyte. For mar­ryage in my opynyō, is an ordre of chastyte, what your adulted conscyence thynketh of it, I can not tell. I recken alwayes that mar rpage vnperfyght, whych hath not chastyte and clennesse resident. Had not Mary Chri­stes Maria. mother holden marriage for an ordre of chastyte, she wolde neuer haue had Ioseph to husband. I was neuer dyscontented with your former allegacyon out of Saynte Au­gustyne, concernyng vowes syngular, quod alius vouit castitatem cōiugalem, that some man voweth coniugall chastyte, or faythfull clennesse in marryage. Why than report ye of me, that I here dyscommende the vowe of chastyte? Ye are very yll aduysed thus to [Page] do. If ye meane that vowe in your oyled cō ­panyons, trulye it maye wele stande in pro­myse, but I dare boldely saye, it came ne­uer Inpromis yet to perfourmaunce, no, not in the ho­lyest of all youre smered rable. And that is y ^• chefe cause (I thinke) that yow determyne all your vowes here, to extende no further than promyse.

Ye saye, that both Christe and S. Paule doth moche commende the vowe of prestes chastyte. What a shamefull slaundre is this A slaūdre. to them both, and how blasphemouse a lye? How shulde Christe and Saynte Paule cō ­mende, that they neuer ones named in all their doctrynes? Proue me that thys wurde [...]otum, eyther yet vouere, is ones expressed in all their teachynges, and wynne the mai­stry. O brockyshe Gomorreane, how darest thu presume to father thy fylthynesse vpon the authour of all puryte, and vpon hys cho sen vessell of eleccyon? Thu sayste also, they Paulus. exhorted all persones vnto it, that coulde take it. It is thy vtter shame so to reporte them. For whan Christe sayde, Math. xix. Qui potest capere, capiat. He that can ob­tayne it, lete hym holde it. He ment nothyng lesse than a vowe. For chastyte there, is a gift of God, in fredō & not in bondage, for preachynge the Gospell in the kyngdome of God, and not for loyterynge massynges in [Page lxv] the kyngedome of Sathan. Whan Christe Chastyte cured Peters wyues mother of a feruente feuer, Math. viii, He [...]ad hym not breake vp how sholde and professe a newe founde cha­styte.

Sayncte Paule sayeth, Romano. i. that the wrathe of God hath lyted vpon yow frō heauen, for changynge hys truthe to a lye. A change. And hath gyuen ye cleane ouer with youre vnchaste vowes, into moste shamefull lu­stes of vnclennesse, one burnynge in abho­mynable lustes to an other, and defylynge your bodyes amonge your selues for wante of the naturall vse of women. It is the plain texte that I tell yow, declarynge the holye consecrate frutes of your wyuelesse vowes. Boast no longar, but repente and be asha­med Repent. of them, ye beastlye boryshe bugge­rers. If ye denye it not, but all they in the olde lawe fauoured marryage, the mar­ryed for the bondes sake, and the v [...]mar­ryed for feare of the maledyccyon for bar­rennesse. Why grounde ye therupon, a relygyon that than was not thoughte vp­on, and iudge it a state more perfyghte? Ye saye, the newe lawe is not so. What not so? That whan they are marryed, they maye renounce marryage? Or whan they are syn­gle, they oughte not for anye nede despre it? Deuylysh Though Saynt Paule sayth. i. Corinth. vii. [Page] Qui habent vxores, sint tanquam non ha­bentes. Lete them that haue wyues, be as though they had nō. Yet teacheth he no such doctryne. For he sayth afore, aboute the be­gynnyng S. Paule. of that chaptre. Propter stupravi tanda, suam quisque vxorem habeat, et suum queque virum. For auoydynge fornycacyō, lete euery man haue hys wyfe, & euerye wo­man her husbande.

Saynte Paules meanynge is not in the texte afore, that the man shuld abst ayne frō hys wyfe, nor the wyfe frō her husbande. For he sayeth in the same chaptre, that the Marke it. husbād hath no power ouer hys own body, but the wyfe. And in like case, the wyfe hath no power ouer her owne body, but the hus­bande. Therfor he vnderstandeth it not that waye. But thys is hys meanynge, that men beynge marryed, shulde not be ouer vexed with the cares, troubles, & sorowes of mar­ryage, Troubles but so quyetously content themselues therwith, as though they were clerely with out them. For therin must the man eate hys breade with double sweate, hauynge more to prouyde for than hymselfe, and the womā muste suffre the sharpe shoures of her tra­uaylynge in delyueraunce of chylde, Gent. iii. Neyther wyll Christes wurdes, Math. Christe. xix. serue your most fryuolouse purpose. Et sunt eunuchi, qui seipsos castrauerunt prop­ter [Page lxvi] regnum celorum. Also there be gelded men, whiche haue gelded themselues for the kyngdome of heauen. Though thys wer by an abstynence from marryage for a moste godlye purpose, as is the mynystracyon of Gods wurde, yet can it not be proued to be No vowe. by vowe, nor yet by y ^t offyce of ydolatrouse massynge in Antichristes kyngedome. For your Augustyne, de bono viduitatis, ye are answered afore, I wyl spende nomore tyme about it.

Responsio.

Upon▪ ii. thynges here ye muse, by youre owne confessyon, one is, that in reportynge ii. thynges certē of [...] ^• olde fathers to be prestes, I shuld say withal, that they neuer renounced mar­ryage. Here is no small matter to muse at. If ye be not oute of this musynge tyll I ryd ye of it, ye are lyke to dwell in it a greate whyle, I knowe my matter so good. An o­ther thynge that ye muse at is thys, and it concerneth your owne propre persone. It is euen your selfe that ye muse at. For ye neuer redde (ye say) y ^t al those men, whom I haue Prestes. rehearced, were prestes, though some of thē by your owne concēt, were prestes in dede. Ye are contented wele, to allowe Aaron, Eleazar, Phinees. Sirach, Mathathias, & Zachary, Iohan Baptistes father, for pre­stes. But Samuel and Zorobabell ye wyll not admytt, but doubte of them a whyle ye saye. And full manerly ye axe me leaue so to do, whyche I graunte with good wyll. Thā 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 Samuel slendre to hold ye styl in that doubte, vnlesse [Page lxviii] 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 A preste. father after hym. And after y ^• 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 i [...]nuo­cant nomen eius. I [...]uocabant dominum et ipse exaudiebat eos. Moyses and Aaron a­monge hys prestes, & Samuel among suche Moyses. 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 istū. Though y ^t great prestes Moyses & Samuel stode afore me to make intercessyō, 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. cōtra faustū. ca. xxxiii. Nōne ab ipso regū ex Samuel. ordio cōmutatū est sacerdo tiū in Samuelē, reprobato Heli, et regnū in dauid, reprobato [Page] Saule. Is not the presthode, from the verye begynnyng of kynges, changed to Samuel, Heli beyng reiected? and the kyngedom gy­uē Heli prest. to Dauid, Saul beyng dysalowed? Bede hath also the iyke, super primo Regum, et Roman. vii. Moreouer Iohā Carion sayth, in the seconde boke of hys Chronycles. In­certitudinem imperii indigne ferens popu­lus, postulauit a Samuele summo sacer­dote, regem certum designari, qui prees­set A kynge. 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 sanctorū 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 Helcana. 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 Aarō. Aaron. Thys declareth in yow a blocky she igno­raunce, [Page lxviii] 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 nominū, that the seyd Helcana was genere Leuites, a Leuyte by hys byrthe. Pellicanus cometh after, and he Pellican. confirmeth it with this sentence vpō the. xcix Psalme, as he nombreth thē. 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 Temple. 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 stolidū caput. Thys is a reasō, 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 [Page] mino. Sed quia myraculose promissus et ge Myracle nitus diceretur, susceptus est ab Hely, et ve­lut peculiare Deo munus oblatum, diligen­tius curandū. 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, Heli sacer dos. 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 thā vycechaūceller, y ^t his wyfe was delyue­red y ^t night afore of a great gray frier. And at Londō in an inne within Smithfeld Ione Prestes borne. 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 Thornedō in Southfolke, by them that founde oute the game, that the sextēs 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 Paulus. of Rome, y ^t his owne dere daughter at dy­nerse tymes delyuered hym, besydes manye [Page lxix] other wonders▪ Some tyme these mysteryes were hyddē by the terrour of walkyng spre­tes, but now they are knowne wale ynough. Whored [...] I coulde nōbre 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 Aggeus. expresse mouth of god, vseth him as a fygur or former exāple of Christ. Agge. ii. the same is cōfirmed, Eccl. xlix. For y ^t whych zoroba­bel ded in reparing y ^e tēple & aultre made by handes, ii. Esd. iii. Iesus Christ perfourmed in y ^e tēple & aultre without handes, Heb. ix. Et zach. iiii. Manus zorobabel fundauerūt domū istā, et manus eius perficient eā. The handes of zorobabel haue layde the founda­cyon of thys house, and hys handes (that is to saye, Christes) shall fynyshe it. Thys also augmenteth my opyuyō in this behalfe, that Christ. after the captyuyte of Babylon, the Iewes were ruled most of all by the prestes, whych brought in sectes, as Pharisees, Saducees, & [Page] Esseanes, and were the fynall decay of that empyre, as were the papystes of our christia nyte. An other maner of presthode was pre­fygured in Zorobabel, than was the Leuy­tycall presthode, for that contynued, and the Christe. other peryshed. For Christe beynge of the trybe of Iuda, and a preste after the ordre of Melchisedech, turned ouer the Leuytycall presthode, euen from the verye foundacyon, and lefte nothynge remaynynge therof, lete the Iewes boast of it neuer so much, and the papystes occupye the spoyle by thefte and robory in their aulters, copes, miters, oyles, belles, and hablynges.

If there be no great matter in suche small tryfles, why sturred yow the coles, & made A case. so great matter of them? Now put yow the case, they had beue all prestes, as we maye recken (yow say) a great sort moo (& I know it to be true) why shulde I affirme that they neuer renounced marryage, seynge they had wiues? That why, in dede hath a what. For it were no good reason, that they whyche haue wyues shuld abhorre marryage. That were against the doctryne of the holy Ghost A cause through all the scriptures. But thys I vtte­red, that no man shulde thynke vowes an impedyment to marriage. For whan y ^• doc­tryne of vowes was in most force, as in the olde lawe, marryage was neuer hyudred by [Page lxx] theym. Moche lesse than in the newe lawe, whyche sheweth no manyfeste doctryne of them, beynge but ceremonyall shaddowes and no morall preceptes. If we now molly­fye that yow haue made harde, we do not a­mys, nor yet to your dyscommodyte. Yow haue made it death, a prest to marry a wyfe, Make f [...]t lyke horryble tyraūtes, to your owne damp nacyon. Ye haue also by y ^t meanes, brought into the worlde an exec [...]able arte, whyche had els neuer bene so largely knowne, that is, the prodygyouse occupyeng of Sodome & Gomorre, to double the same dāpnacion.

If we haue mollifyed these harde extre­mitees, we haue not deserued hate at youre hādes, but loue. For we haue therby sought your saluacyon by repentaunce, if it maye To saue. frutefully come forewarde. To thys ende in dede, we vse mē (as yow tearme it) to hear that prestes had wyues in y ^t scriptures, yea, we earnestly beate it into their heades, as a necessary truthe to be knowne, in spyght of Antichristes wicked hypocrysy. Why I put not here a dystynccyon betwene prestes of the old lawe and the newe, is thys. That dy­stynccyon is yours and not myne. Marry thys I reade in the scriptures, that in the old Pr [...]es. lawe were prestes of the ordre of Aaron, but in the newe lawe is non other presthode, thā after the ordre of Melchisedech, and I fynd [Page] nomore but one of that ordre, euen Iesus Christ the sonne of the lyuynge God. He is contented to admytt mynysters vndre hym, as byshoppes, superintendentes, or watch­men, Offycers. preachers, eldars, and deacons, but all presthode he reserueth to hymself only. And S. Paule sayeth, that he hath made but one peace offerynge, or full sacryfyce of hym­selfe for all, Hebr. vii. though he holdeth styl a perpetuall presthode.

Sanctificati sumus (inquit) per oblatio­nem corporis Iesu Christi semel peractā, He bre. x. We are (sayth he) sanctified by the of­feringe Offeryng of y ^t body of Iesu Christ ones for al. Though the Lenytycall prestes, the pagane prestes, and the ydolatrouse popysh prestes, haue innumerable tymes offered, yet were they neuer able with all their dead sacryfy­ces, to take away one synne. Hic vero (sayth Saincte Paule) vna pro peccatis oblata vi­ctima, perpetuo sedet ad dexteram Dei, id quod superest expectans, donec redd [...]ntur inimici ipsius scabellum pedum eius, He­breo. x. But thys preste, after he had offered one sacryfyce for synnes, sate hym downe Scabellū. for euer on the ryghte hande of God, and from hence fourth tarryeth, tyll hys ene­myes be made hys fote stole. Ye haue no­thyng in all the newe testamēt, y ^t ye can iust­ly ground vpon, for a presthode, no, nomore [Page lxxi] than ye haue to be kynges of the earth. Un­lesse ye take thys, whych is commen to all y ^• faythfull. Erunt sacerdotes Dei et Christi, Cōmen Apo. xx. They shal be y ^• prestes of God & of Christ. And y ^t can not be. For ther shal be no such kynd of presthode, tyl y ^e general rysyng of y ^t dead be past. Lete not this word presby­ter any lōgar deceyue yow, for it is an elder & no prest. Ye say the prestes of the olde lawe muste nedes haue bene marryed, bycause their ordre was mayntayned by successyon. Deceiue [...] Here are ye deceyued for wante of an other dystynccyon, for it was not their ordre, but their stocke, that was mayntayned by succes syon. Their ordre was mainteyned by sacry fyces, firste, frutes, tythes, vowes, deuocy­ons, and offerynges. Herin haue ye fowlye ouer shoten your wyttes. But I maruele, ye put not in, Gods ordynan̄ce. Leu. xxi. & Eze. Forgoten. xliiii. For a cause why they marryed. That was fowly forgotten of yow also. As con­cernyng prestes of the newe lawe, surely we can find nō such, neither in y ^• Gospel nor yet in epistle. Only behold we there, Melchise­deckes presthod, & y ^t neuer was ther any mo re of y ^t ordre thā Christ gods son, as I told ye afore. Ye say, y ^t by their vertu, they are cho­sen No prests. to y ^t ordre. Truly we neither know them nor yet their ordre, for a state allowed by y ^t scriptur, besydes y ^t we fynde them of al men [Page] furthest from vertu. Therfor lete them seke vp some other name, if they wyl be reckened men godly. For thys wyll not be allowed of them that know chese frō chalke, no, though Decey­uers. they brynge with them thre Ambroses for their witnesse. Christe tolde vs ones that a certen kynd of men, shuld in the lattre daies be amonge vs, whyche shulde saye, vnto vs, here is Christ & there is Christ, but he tolde vs withall, that we shulde fynde them false prophetes, false Christes, deceyuers, and no prestes, and earnestlye he bad vs to be ware of them. Math. xxiiii.

Responsio.

Who euer heard it, that Saynt Ambrose wrote to Timothe S. Paules discyple, whi­che was not borne almost thre hundred yea­res after hym. If ye wyll haue here youre Meanyng meanynge taken for your writyuge, as that Ambrose wrote vpon S. Paules first epistle to Timothe, ye must shewe some fygure for it, els wyll it not so be receyued▪ Youre place of Ambrose, is nothynge to the pur­pose of that we haue reasoned here. Oure whole dysputacyon is of prestes, and not of deacons, nomore thā it was afore of womē, It is a mattre muche to be wondred at, that ye are so earnest therin, & neyther can fynde scriptures in the newe testamente to serue A wondre. your purpose, nor yet expresse places in your doctours, but ye must be cōpelled thus beg­gerly to borowe of deacons and women. It is a playne token that youre matter is verye weake, whan ye seke to proue it by so slendre authorytees. Well, ye loke to be answered, and ye shall be no lesse than honestlye and [Page] truly answered. Fyrst we must waye, what Answer. S. Paule hath done in that fyrst epistle and thyrde Chaptre to Timothe, ere we meddle wyth your Ambrose whych wrote therupon at hys pleasure.

S. Paule declareth there, what maner of man a byshop ought to be, and what condi­cions, he, hys wyfe, and his chyldren, shuld or oughte to haue. He sheweth also the pro­perties Ministers required in a deacon or minister, and in hys wyfe and famyly. It behoueth a by­shop (sayth he) to be fautlesse, the husband of one wyfe, sober, discrete, and so fourth. Like wyse muste Deacons be honest, not double tounged, nor geuen to muche drynke. et cet. Wyues. Euen so must theyr wyues be honest, not e­uyl speakers, but sober and faythfull in all thynges, that is to say, both the bishops wi­nes and the deacons wyues. What can this further your purpose, that prests of the new Testament maye haue no wyues, whan S. Paule appoynteth none other to be bishops and deacons, than be the husbandes of one wyfe, by thys wurde oportet, it be houeth or Ambrose is necessarye. If youre Ambrose bryngeth fourth any other doctryne vpon that chap­ter than thys is, he falsyfyeth the text [...]. But I wold fayne know. ii. thyngs of yow. One is, whi ye ded not here as wel alledge Paul, [Page lxxiii] whych wrote the texte, as ye haue done Am­brose, The glose whych made but y ^e glose? for alwayes is the text of more authorite thā is the glose. An other, why ye haue not as wel takē mat­ters belongynge to byshops, as ye haue ta­ken matters belongynge to deacons.

For more force wolde it haue geuē to the Strength. thynge, to haue bene taken from the superi­our, than frō the inferyour, and much more wolde it haue fortifyed your cause. But ye are a wyly watte in the kyngdome of crafte and generacion of falsehede. Now wyll we go to youre Ambrose, by hym to declare yet your falshede more depely. Answer me this firste of al. Why toke ye not his glose vpon thys text of the same chapter. Oportet epis­copum Textes. irreprehen sibilem esse, vnius vxoris maritum. It behoueth a byshop to be vnre­bukeable, and the husbande of one wyfe. As wel as vpon this text for your pleasure. Di­aconi sint vnius vxoris mariti, qui liberis recte presint, et proprijs familijs. Lete y ^e dea­cons be the husbandes of one wife, and such as rule theyr chyldren wel, and theyr fami­lyes vprightly. I could in declaring the cau­ses, A Deuyl. of thys subtyle conueyaunce of yours, payn [...]e ye out lyke a dyuel in your colours, were it not for making this boke to lōg. To [Page] shorte. Youre Ambrose wold not serue yow in that poynte, and is lyke to do yow as lyt­tle good seruyce in this. Now wil I English your Ambrose, yea, rather your ragged god bettes taken out of Ambroses glose, the best partes lefte alwayes behynde yow.

For thys purpose (sayeth your Ambrose) was it graunted to the Leuites or prestes, to haue wyues for their vse, bycause they had moche vacaunt tyme from their mynystra­cyon No cause. or offyces of their presthode, &c. Than leape ye ouer. ii. longe sentences & an halfe, to the nombre of. xliii. wurdes, and there ye begynne agayne after this sort. So that they myghte se to their howses (sayeth he) for the tyme that their course was not to serue the aultre. But as the tyme of their mynystra­cyon Clense. approched, preparynge themselues certen dayes afore, they drewe towardes the tēple, to do their accustomed seruyce to god. Now must we haue seuen deacons, & some auncyentes or eldars, that there maye be in euery parysh a couple, and also one byshop in a cytie. And therby all they to abstayne from womannys cumpany, for so muche as of necessyte they ought to be always at hāde in the church, without excuse or delaye, that after they haue cumpanyed with their wy­ues, they myghte lawfullye be puryfyed, Iewysh. as were the olde Leuytes. For euerye weke [Page lxxiiii] must they offre etc. Thā ouerleape ye again, the resydue of that longe clause and an other whole sentence besydes, comprehendynge xxxiiii. wurdes, and thus ye conclude.

If he hath commaunded men of the com men sorte, for prayers sake, to withdrawe No leuites themselues for a tyme, how muche more the Leuytes or prestes, whyche oughte to praye daye and nyght for the people to them com­mitted. Therfor muste they be more cleane than the other, for they are the factours, or bayliffes of God. These are the fragmentes of your Ambrose. If ye were godly wyse, as ye are not, ye shulde wele perceyue them no thynge to the purpose, eyther of the text that he taketh in hande, or yet of any syncere chri Frinolou­se. stē ordre. S. Paule speaketh nothyng ther of y ^• Leuytes, whose offyce was to serue in the tabernacle of wytnesse, Numeri. iiii. but of deacons, whose offyce was to mynystre to the poore, Acto. vi. The offyces are as lyke, the one to the other, as a table is lyke a tem­ple. Therfor your Ambrose was as great a wyse gentyll man, to proue the one by the o­ther, if it were hys dede, as I doubt it moch, as your selfe were whan ye proued prestes chastyte, by the chastyte of women, whyche holdeth no longar in a great nomber of thē, Floyshe. than it is in promysynge.

And your owne dere Ambrose is agaynst [Page] your selfe here, for yow sayde afore, that the cause of theyr maryage, was successyon in No causes that lyue, and he applyeth it to theyr vaca [...] tyme. I woulde yow both had applyed it to Gods ordynaunce, and than had ye done it more rightly. But that ye clerely forgote. In that your Ambrose appoynteth to your pre­stes the Iudaycal expiaciōs, for compani [...] wyth theyr wyues, and chargeth them s [...] earnestly wyth an ydel watchyng in the t [...] ­ple vpon ceremonyes, wyth an abstynen [...] from theyr wyues, and wyth an vncōmaū ­ded offering euery weke, the study of God [...] Baggage. scryptures not once remembred, and in th [...] ende iudgeth maryage an vncleane state [...] liuyng, forsoth it is a praty Ambrose. Wh [...] pure christianite can we reckē in him, whi [...] appoynteth our mynysters to the offyce o [...] Leuytes, to pray and not to preach, to syng [...] and not to feede the flocke, to clense by out­warde ceremonyes, and not by the inward [...] fayth? I boldely affyrme it, nothynge at a [...] Boldely. fearyng the holynesse of your Ambrose, th [...] thys is no Christen learning, but a doctri [...] of hypocrisye, ydolatry, Iewyshnesse, yd [...] ­nesse, and deuilishnes, a forsaking of Chr [...] a curse, and dampnacion, as S. Paule [...] ­clareth through all his epistles.

If any man teache yow (sayth he) any [...] ­ther Gospell, or kynde of doctryne, that [Page lxxv] haue taught yow, holde hym accursed, Ga­lathians. Accursed. i. If any man (saith S. Iohan) wyl adde to Gods booke, God shall adde vnto hym the plages therin contayned, and wipe away hys parte out of the booke of lyfe, A­ [...]ōcalyps. xxii. Amonge so muche baggage, [...]s ye gathered of your Ambrose, why lefte [...] thys clause behynde yow, vpon the same [...]xt? Ostendit istos vnius vxoris viros esse [...]ere, vt hi ad ministerium Dei eligantur, Mariti. [...]i non sunt egressi constitutum Dei. Ho­ [...]ni enim vnam vxorem decreuit Deus, [...]m qua benedicatur. The Apostle sheweth [...]t these deacons (sayth he) ought to be the [...]ādes of one wife, that those only might [...]chosen to that Godly offyce, whych had [...]ouerleaped the instytucion of God. For [...]onely wyfe ded God gyue to man, to be [...]wyth blessynge. If ye had taken thys in One wyse [...]re waye, ye shoulde thereby haue bene [...]syoued, to haue remoued from youre [...]hode all whoremongers and Sodomy­ [...]. Ye shoulde also haue thereby knowne, [...]t marryage of wyues hathe Goddes [...]ssnge.

But perauenture ye lefte it oute, for the [...]xte clause folowynge, whyche smelleth of [...]anyfest lye. Nemo enim cum secunda [...]edicitur. No man hath Gods blessynge ii. vxo [...]. [...]the second wyfe▪ O gentil Ambrose, wher [Page] learned yow thys doctryne? Was Mary Christes mother not blessed, bicause she was Iosephs seconde wyfe? I thynke Bethsabe Dauids fourth wyfe besydes concubynes, was as blessed in her frute, as was Michol hys first wyfe in her barrennesse. Your Am Ambrose brose vpon the .xi. chaptre of S. Paules se­conde epistle to the Corinthi anes, semeth to be of an other opynyō, than he apereth here. For there he sayth, Omnes Apostoli, excep­tis Ioanne et Paulo, vxores habuerunt. Et vide, an conueniat accusare Petrum Apo­stolum, qui primus inter Apostolos est. All the apostles, excepte Iohan and Paule, had wyues. See therfor if it be fitt to accuse or speake yll by the Apostle Peter, whyche is Peter. the chefe among the Apostles? But I thynk, thys Ambrose is not the same Ambrose, but some other. And whether he be or no, it is no matter, so longe as he is so dyscordaunte to hymselfe.

Upon this broken, broused, battered, and broyled authoryte of your Ambrose, ye con­clude that my argumēt is of small strength. But ye do wele to adde vnto it, after youre opynyon, which is most popysh and folysh. Wysely. It was neuer my argumente, neyther yet my reason, that prestes now may take wy­ues because prestes in the old lawe had wy­ues. For than I shulde graunte as moche [Page lxxvi] authoryte to your prestygyouse presthode in the new lawe, as I dyd to that selected prest hode in the olde lawe. Whych I can not do, Presthode that beyng of God, and yours of Antichrist and the deuyll. I tolde yow afore, that the scriptures of the newe lawe, haue non other presthode, but only Melchysedeckes prest­hode, whyche Christe lefte not here in earth styll behynde hym, but toke it clerely awaye with hym to the ryght hande of hys father, therin to make contynuall interpellacyon for vs. Hebre .vii. et Roman .viii. In hym as we are a kyngedome, so are we a presthode Christe. to our Lorde God, Apoca .i. et. v. not by oy­lynges and shauynges, but by an vncorrup­ted faythe in hys sufferynges.

Hys prestes maye haue wyues by his ap poyntment, and neuer the lesse be cytiezens with y ^t saintes. Your prestes are vtterly for­bydden to haue wyues by Antichristes com maundement, how shulde they els become No wiues the cytiezens of your great spirytuall cytie, called Sodoma and Egyptus, Apoca .xi. If I shulde haue made the reason, I wolde not haue sayde, take wyues bycause the prestes of the olde lawe had wyues. But I wolde haue sayd with Paule, throwe from ye that abhomynable yoke of the infydeles. ii. Cor. vi. repent of that fylthy snare of the deuyll. Asuare. ii. Timothe. ii. and take ye christen wyues, [Page] bycause it is Gods holy institucion, and by­cause it is better to marry than to burnt. All thys could I haue sayed. Ye saye, the cause is goue, whych is a meruel to me, the effecte remayuynge and Gods ordinaunce beynge the cause, for auoydynge fornicacion. Ye say also, the presthode is not al one. And that I graunte you in dede, for they had not bothe Not al one one father. As great dyfference and more is betwyxt them, as is betwene Israel and Ae­gypte. But of thys I haue tolde ye ynough afore.

Ye say, theyr ministracions are as much dyfferent, as betwene brute beastes, & Chri­stes body. O blasphemouse speaker, and de­uyl A Sathan. of al deuyls, ful wicked is thy wretched body, to haue so vngodly vtteraūce. O lord, how vncomely is this fylthy talke of thyne? how darest thu take vpon the, so hyghlye to preferre the Gomorreall presthoode of thy Belphegor of Rome, aboue a presthode pe­culyarly ordayned of our eternall God, ha­uynge no authoritye of hys wurde so to do? Come downe (I say once agayne) thu filthy Downe. fynde and arrogant Sathan, that thus exal­test thy chayre of pestilēce, and seate of wic­ked scorners, aboue that almighty God and his Christ, for the table of the Lord, is not al one wyth the table of deuyls, neyther yet is the cuppe of the Lord al one wyth the cuppe [Page lxxvii] of deuyls .i. Cor. x. Though in the Leuiticall Leuites. presthoode they offered beastes, yet ded not Christ leaue it to thy massynge presthode to offer vp hys holy body and bloude, thu trai­terouse massemonger. For he was able y­noughe of hym selfe, to offer vp one effectu­all and perfyght sacrifice for al, hebre .ix.

Responsio.

I wil herin folow your former request, y ^t is to saye, vse a dyffynycyon of vowes. Not for that I seke any helpe therby in thys mat ter, but rather more clerely to manifest your Distinctio madnesse. There is votum legale et votum monachicum, a vowe of the ceremonyall lawe, and a voluntarye vowe of monkes. Where as Dauid sayth, vowe, meanynge after the rule of the vowes ceremonyall, as foloweth in the texte, qui afertis munera, yow that bringe offerynges. I wyl say also, vowe, but it shal be after a farte other sorte. For where as he biddeth yow in that place, Souete. to vowe the offeryng of calues, gootes, bul­lockes, and other kynde of beastes. I wyll bydde ye vowe your owne sowles and bo­dyes to God, in hys perfyght feare and obe dyence. I wyll exhorte yow with Paule, not to receyue the grace of God in vayne. ii. Lo­rinth. Abstayne. vi. to encreace in vertu, to abstayn frō [Page lxxviii] fornycaciō. i. Thes. iiii. and to walke in loue, as Christ hath loued vs, and to leaue youre couetouse pyllage, Ephesi. v. Dauid wolde also in an other place, that youre sacryfyce were a contrycyon of the harte, Psal. l. All these vowes pleaseth me wele.

But whan ye come to the vowes of mon­kes and prestes, whyche are monastycall & So we not voluntary, and abhorred of the holye scrip­tures. Than wyll I saye, vowe not, conclu­dynge with that voyce whyche S. Iohan hearde from heauen. Exite de illa populus meus, ne participes sitis delictorum cius, ne be plagis eius accipiatis, Apoc. xviii. Come awaye (my people) from that wycked Ba­bylon, y ^t ye be not par [...]takers of her sinnes, that ye receyue not of her plages, I graunt yow with Dauid, that promyses are to be Promyses obserued, so longe as they are godly and in our power. But as for your vow of chastite, we knowe non suche, vnlesse it be that whi­che stādeth in promyse and goth no further, whyche was yet neuer perfourmed. The vowes of the olde lawe were not promyses only, but substancyall offerynges also, your vowes are but mockynge promyses, bryng­ynge fourth nothynge but the styukynge of­ferynges Offeryn­ges. of Sodome. I can name ye a thou­sande of them that hath broken that vowe, but not one that throughlye fulfylled it, no, [Page] not the holyest of your canonised rabyes, as Dunstane, Boniface, Bregwyne, Becket, Anselme, and a great sorte more.

I haue spokē it in dede, and speake it now agayne, y ^• chastite spedeth not wel, whā it is vowed in that kynde, but hath a most fylthy procedyng: for the professours thereof, both prestes and monkes, are geuen ouer of god Illfrute. into most prodigyouse lustes of their fleshe, for contempt of hys heauenly verite, Rom. [...]. Tushe, dyssēble the matter no longer with youre fyue, smothe, counterfet lookes, and youre hypocrites bragges, for we knowe what ye are wel ynough, al fryre Bongaies mystes are not able to shadowe yow, to de­ceyue Songay. vs in these dayes. I saye not, ye maye breake it for euery temptacion, for ye neuer kept it in your temptacions. But I saye, ye oughte of necessyte, if ye wyll be saued by Christes merytes, vtterly to forsake and go frō it, for the holy Ghost calleth your spiri­tualte, a Sodome, Apocalyps. xi [...] ▪ for that Sodome. myschefe only. Fugite de medio Babilonis, et saluet vnusquisque animam suam, Hie­remie. li. Flee awaye from that Babylon (sayth the good Prophet Hieremie) and eue­rye man saue his sowle. Blame me not ther­fore though I call it a fylthye Sodometry, and a profession to myscheues vnspeakable, neyther wyl Dauids text subuerte my true Dauid. [Page lxxix] purpose in that poynte, for he neuer had ye offen suche dyrtye presentes to God, as are the promiscuouse occupyinges of whoredō and buggery.

I neuer in my lyfe restrayned Dauids Psalter to the feaste of troumpettes in the xxix. Chaptre of Numery. For than had I bene as madde as ye were, whan ye called Franti [...] the nexte Chaptre folowynge, an absolute peace pertaynyng to the lawe. I gaue ye in a maner, y ^t feast of mockage, to illude youre tragycal foly therewyth. In youre auncient doctours ye are so hyghlye ouerseane, that no wyse man is able to compare wyth yow. Lete all men marke your good handelynge of S. Augustyne here, to proue by hys say­inges that it is good to vowe papystry, and great synne to breake a vowe of that kynde. Papysme. S. Augustyne in hys lecture vpon the. lxxv. Psalme, beynge frankly disposed, told a me­ry tale of a nune whych would be marryed, like as I haue heard good Catimer do, with the best preachers of our time, to refresh the spirites of theyr audience. Thys bryngeth fourth here thys great gyaunte of oure pa­pystes, as a myghty buttrasse to vphold his maungy matter. But. ii. wayes he is lyke to haue dishonour therof, one is, bicause it is a light fable, an other bicause it is but a matter of a sylly sorysister, yet wyl I not altogither Dyshono: [Page] dyssallowe her, bycause she so honestly set­keth, rather to be a marryed woman, than a wycked prestes whore.

The hombly tale of S. Augustyne is thus to be Englyshed. Anune (sayeth he) whome Anune. I haue forgoten, or whose name I haue not now in remembraunce, wolde on a tyme ne­des marry. What wholde she? That all wa [...] ton wenches wolde. In good earneste what wolde she? Euen that her mother wolde, ye know what I meane. Wold she yll in that? yea marry. And why? For she had vowed a­fore to her lorde God. If she myghte not so do, what mente the Apostle Paule, whyche Paulus. said, y ^e the yonger widowes myght mary if they wold? I graūt, but yet he saith in a cer­ten place, the happer shall she be in my o­pynyon, if she contynue syngle. For she shal haue y ^t lesse to do. Well sir, though he saith, that she is more happy if she so remayne, yet doth he not condempne her, if she be wyl­lynge to marry. Thus endeth the firste fytte of the tale. A verye syngle shyfte hath thys captayne of the papystes, whan he is drpuē to seke thys for hys bucklar of defence. For The nūne thys nune is not here condempned yet for marryage. He setteth no greate pryce on hys matter, that begynneth hys processe with Nescio, I knowe not, I am ignoraunt, or I can not tell, as S. Augustyne doth here.

[Page lxxx]If it had bene a storye of credite, as it is a matter of daliaunce and pastyme, y ^t par­ty had bene named, and also the place of her dwellyng. As S. Luke describinge the hystory of Christes concepcion, sheweth Nameles. the condicion and name of the messenger, from wh [...]ns and from whom he came, to whom he was sent, what waa the name of that virgine, the name of her husband, and the names of the contraye and cytye wher she dwelt, and fynally what was hys mes­ssage. Luke. i. wythout these or other lyke Historia. circumstaunces, is no story of authoryte. No suche groūded matter finde we in this tryflyng fable, whych thys foly she papyst bringeth in here, to fortifye his cause with. Youre matter is of a nūne, and ye knowe not where she dwelleth, nor yet what her name is, forsoth it is a firl prati matter. By Fabula. lyke it was some nūne of waxe. Well, ye shall haue lycens to offer her vp to saynte fole, whan ye wyll.

Mocke not youre brethren thus, ye ob­styuate and indurate ranke papyst, to hold them styl captyue in these wycked snares Snares. of the deuyl. What articles of false faythe wyl [...]e buylde vpon these beggeries? fyrst ye had widowes ware to approue your po posh vowes, thā brought ye fourth the of­fyce of a deacon, and now are ye driuen to [Page] [...]elpe of a nūne and to fatche youre [...] at her tayle, and yet ye can not tell, [...] she euer lyued or no. Scryptures [...] none, of Gods holye Testament, [...] we it welynoghe, they wyll not [...] execrable purpose. O abhomy­ [...]le papystes and minysters of Sathan, whych thus seke to demente, the symple hartes of the people. Lete all them whych loue God, marke yow in these kyndes of conuepaunce, that they be no longer sedu­ced by your sorceryes and wytchecraftes. By the name of S. Augustyne, ye thinke to Augustine terrifie vs, and to driue vs from the wraste lyng place compellinge mē to beleue what yow lyste, but ye shall not so fynde it in the ende.

Responsio.

Here goeth S. Augustyne forwarde w ^t his dialogical proces, cōcerning this nūne Nameles. wythout name and monastery. Whan he hath shewed on the one syde, that he dothe not condempnt her for marryage, though he thinketh y ^t single lyfe more cōmodiouse, being without charge. He foloweth wyth hys matter after thys sorte. What sayed S. Paule (sayth he) of some whych promi­sed, and yet brake couenaūt? Dampnacion is theyrs, bycause they haue broken theyr fyrst faythe. What meane ye by that, they haue broken theyr fyrst fayth? Marry they haue vowed, and not perfourmed it. By He lyeth. that meanes may no professed brother say, I wyll departe from the mouastery. And yet shal not they which are in the monaste­ry, come alone to y ^• kingdō of heauē. Par­tayne not they whych are w ^tout it, as well to God as they? To thys wyll I answer. They neuer vowed, but y ^u haste vowed, y ^u hast loked backe or behind the, & so fourth. [Page] Than leapeth he ouer. xxvi. clauses, con­taynyng Falshede. more than▪ ccc. wurdes, thynking to be dyscharged by et cetera. But sure he escapeth me not so. Breuely wyll I tell ye the contentes thereof, that ye maye se the mānys conueyaunce.

S. Augustyne bringeth fourth the saing of Christ conceruyng Lothes wyfe. which beyng in the waye of delyueraunce from Lothes wyfe. Sodome, loked behynde her agayne, and was turned into a pyller of salt. This put­teth he not onely to relygyouse monastery brethren, but to al christen men, for an high example of wysdome, that none shuld go backe wyth his lauful promise to God, for he sayth: Illa vxor Loth, ad omnes perti­net. That wyfe of Loth (sayth he) toucheth al mē. Wher is now our namelesse nūne, eyther yet the vnwyuyng vowe of pfestes. I wold fayne ones we myght haue prestes matters, and not womēs matters, to proue Prestes. our presthode by, least in the ende we ther­by make it a womanly presthode. We pre­tende by vowe, not to meddle with womē, and yet we can not proue a chastite in oure presthode wythout women. This is a pro­digyous ordre of prouyng. It foloweth in the text of Augustine, which this chaplaine of purpose left out. Maritata mulier vo­luit facere adulterium, de loco suo quo per [Page lxxxii] uenerat retro respexit. A marryed woman A wyfe. wolde do aduoutry, she hath loked backe frō the place she was come to. A professed wydowe woulde marry (for pleasure, and of no necessyte) a mayde that is a nūne, wil be dronke, proude, and busy tongued, both they haue loked behynde them.

O tu virgo Dei, nubere voluisti, quod licet, extollis te, quod non licet. Melior vir go humilis, quam maritata humilis, sed Better. melior maritata humilis, quam virgo su­perba. Que autem respexit ad nuptias, nō quia voluit nubere damnatur, sed quia iā ante recesserat, et fit vxor Loth respicien­do retrorsum. Non sitis pigri qui potestis, quibus aspirat Deus, apprehendite gra­dus meliores. O thu professed virgin of God, thu wylt not marry, whych is leful, but thu wylt be proude, whych is vnleful. I confesse it, that better is a meke spreted mayde, than a meke marryed woman, and yet is a meke maryed woman, better than a proude virgiu. She that loketh towardes Mekenes marryage, is not therfor condempned by­cause she wold marri, but bicause she hath refused it afore by an vngodly promyse, or a vowe of y ^t whych neuer was in her po­wer, so becommynge the wyfe of Loth lo­kynge backewardes from God towarde Sodome. Be not yow stowe in vowynge, [Page] that haue power to perfourme it, lay yow of power. fyrste handes vpon it, to whom God hath geuē that gyft for a better purpose, that is, for the true ministraciō of his wurd, & nei­ther for idle mōkery nor ydolatrouse prest­hode. I wold we wel marked this doctrine of S. Augustine, whō this chaplayne hath theuishli left out here, for it is worthi note.

Et Paulo post, is an addicion of hys owne, next cosyne to et cet. & is geuē vs in stede of al thys hydden processe of S. Au­gustyne. Augustine Is it not (thynke yow) a propre & profitable change? But nowe he foloweth wyth hys lattre patch. I am quia ista trac­tauimus. now bicause we haue spokē these thinges, haply wher thu wert wel minded afore to haue vowed, thu wi [...]te from hens fourth not vow at al. But first attēd what the psalme hath vttered. It sayeth not. Se thu vowe not. But it sayth, vowe and per­fourme or kepe promyse. Bicause thu hea­rest, Kepe it. kepe promyse, y ^u wylt not vowe. This is as much to sai, as thu woldest promyse, and not pay. Yes, do both. Let the one per­tayne to thy professyon, & the other wyl be perfourmed by the helpe of God. Behold him wel y ^t leadeth the, & loke not behind, to that from whēs he hath brought the, et cet. And what is all thys to the purpose, y ^t pre­stes Prestes. should haue no wiues? Not ones hath [Page lxxxiii] he named a preste in all this rehersal or de­claraciō of vowes. The offyce of christen ministers, whō this chaplaine w ^tout autho rite calleth prestes, was not in those dayes to make vowes, but to receyue the vowes of professed widows, after pauls doctrin, for thei wer cōmēli y ^• husbāds of one wife.

As in the olde lawe (if ye wyl so take it) though y ^t prestes receiued the vowes & ob­laciōs No vow­ers. of y ^e people, yet they thēselues were no cōmen vowers, for it was not their of­fice to vowe nor yet to offee, as y ^• commen sort ded. S. Augustyne wylleth vs here, to perfourme our vowe made in baptisme, & to folow Gods cōmaundemētes. And not to turne backe frō Christes appoynted ru­les, to our owne dreames & inuēciōs, oure vowes & blind deuociōs, for y ^t is to return to Sodome, as y ^t end therof hath declared, by many a most filthy exāple. If these vo­wes Exāples. must of necessite be perfourmed, than must our vowes also to Romr, to Hierusa­lē, to s. Iames, & to walsinghā be perfour­med, specially the old vowes of the. ii. vni­uersities to be alwayes obediēte to the ma­lyguaunte seate of Antichriste. Yea, if all thynges muste be persolued, that hathe bene promysed in papisme, than must king Kynge Iohan. Iohās most in iuriouse & hurtful vowe, be also fulfilled in al his successours, kings of [Page] thys realme, to the vtter destruccion of the same both wayes which the eternall God forbyd. For al these were false promises to God, made w ^t a solēpne deliberacion, as ye say by diffyniciō, your vnchast vowes are.

Styl ye bryng in your womēs matters, lyke a womanly captayne, to prou [...] a cha­stite in your Romish presthode, wherby ye shew your selfe to be muche better learned Women. in womens affayres, than in mēnys. O [...]te of y ^e. xi. chaptre de bono viduitatis, whych ye falsely father vpon S. Augustyne, haue ye torne out a text wythout either toppe or taile, Plane non dubitauerim et ce. I wold not doubte playnely to aff yrme it, the sly­dinge [...] & ruynouse fallinges frōholi chasti­te, Chastite. whych is vowed to god, to be wurse thā aduowtryes. And thys ye alledge of pur­pose, to condempne the lauful marryages of them, whych at the voyce of God hath of late yeares forsakē your papistical prest hode and monkery. But your armour is to weake, beynge but womens ware, and so A thefe. theuishly stolne. Ones againe haue I here deprehēded yow in your falshede, ye purse pyker, and fynde ye more fytte for the pyl▪ [...]ery than the pulpet. Thus doth your doc­tour handle it, in the lettre ende of y ^t. x. ch [...]

Fit autem per hanc minus consideratā opinionem, qua putant lapsarum a sancto [Page lxxxiiii] proposito feminarum, si nupserint, nō esse Iulianus. coni [...]gia, nō paruum malum vt a maritis separentur quasi adultere sint, non vxores. Et cum volunt eas separatas reddere con­tinentie, faciunt maritos earum adulteros veros, cum suis vxoribus viu [...]s, alteras duxerint. Ca. xi. Quapropter non possum quidem dicere a proposito meliore lapsas, si nupserint feminas, adulteria esse, non cō ­ingia (now foloweth hys fragmēt) sed pla­ne non dubitauerim dicere, lapsus et rui­nas a castitate sanctiore, que vouetur deo, adulteriis esse peiores. Si enim, quod nul­lo Impostor. modo dubitandum est, ad offensionem Christi pertinet, cum membrum eius fidē non seruat marito, quanto grauius offen­ditur, cum illi ipsi non seruatur fides et ce.

Great myschefe foloweth of that incō ­uenient, whan men, by thys not wysely di­gested opynion, do thynke the mariages of professed nūnes▪ to be no marryages, and therupon compel them to be separated frō Marryed nunes. their husbandes, as aduowtrouse women and no wyues, for whan they by such dy­uorcementes attempte▪ to driue thē againe to the nūnery, they make theyr poore hus­bande aduowterers in dede, in takynge o­ther women, theyr owne wynes beynge a­lyue. Ca. xi. Wherfore I can not iustly re­port, the marriages of women fallen from [Page] relygyon, if they chaunce to marry, to be [...]ot vows. aduowtryes and no marryages. But I wold not much doubt, to cal the flydinges awaye from holy chastite, thynges wur [...]e than aduowtries, for if Christ be offended, by al mēnys opinion, whan his membre is vnfaythfull to her husbande, howe muche more than maye he be offended whan pro­myse is not kepte wyth hym selfe? et cet.

Here is a great difference betwene yow and your namelesse doctour, for your opi­nion is, that the maryages of vowers are Opinions playne aduowtryes and no marryages. Hys opinion is all contrary, that they are so lawful marryages as maye be. For he calleth the professed nūne so marryed, a lawful and perfight wife, and iudgeth her separacion from marryage, a most daun­gerouse & dāpnable incōueniēt. The scru­pul or spyced conscience that he hath in the matter, is concerning y ^• breake of her pro­myse made to God, and that putteth he in here, vngroundedly, doubtfully, hypocri­tically, and vtterly agaynst hymselfe, as to note her in one Godly office both a lawful Impostor. wyfe and an whore. This is, as though he wold seme to allowe it for Gods instituci­ons sake, & at pleasure agayne to disalowe it in an other ydle respect. He wolde fayne giue the mastry to monkishnes, but he trē ­bleth [Page lxxxv] at the matter, as he may wel inough. I vtterly deny S. Augustyne to be the au­thour Augustine of thys superstyciouse, vnsure, and doubtful doctryne. For I neuer yet coulde se hym so farre ouersene, as to preferre our voluntary workes to the sett ordynaunces of God. He was not so forgetfull of thys olde saynge of Esay, that al our righteous­nesses, appeare they neuer so holy, are as y ^• clothes stained with menstr [...]e. Es. lxiiii.

Thys nameles authour of yours, doth S. Paule much wrōge, to call the state of a syngle lyfe, an holy or Angelicall state, by­cause he hath called it a state happy or cō ­modiouse, being without charge. i. cor. vii. More [...]re. for he neuer ment it so. The spowsage of Christ standeth not in the deuyses of man­nys ydle heade, as are your voluntary vo­wes of monkery, but in a syncere faith not passing y ^• rules of his vncorrupted wurde. Thys authour of yours, called Iuliane, a Iulianus. Moore borne, and byshoppe of Tolete in Spayne, semeth wōderfully much against hymselfe, for treating in the. viii. Chaptre, why marryage oughte to be permitted to relygyouse wydowes, he hath thys cleare sentence. Si non continent, nubant. Malo enim eas [...]bere quam vri.

Hoc enim dixit, vt effrenate li [...]idinis ma­lum non precipitaretur in turpitudinem [Page] slagitiorum, cum exciperetur honestate nuptiarum et cet. Uolo igitur iuniores nu­bere. If they can not abstayne, lete them marry, for I had muche rather that they marryed, than brent. Thys spake the Apo­stle, Marry. least the vnbrideled affeccion shoulde throwe them into all kyndes of fylthynes, whyls it myght wel be restrayned by the honesty of godly marryage. I wyl therfor that the yonger wydowes marry. He hath also thys clause in the. ix. Chapter of the same boke. In coniugali quippe: vniculo, si pudicicia cōseruatur, damnatio nō time­tur. Feare not In the yoke of maryage, is no damp­nacion to be feared, if clennesse therein be obserued. So how thys sentence of youre owne doctryne, cōfoūdeth your allegaciō.

Responsio.

More mangled testymonyes bryngeth this chaplaine fourth here, but both is his doctour Iuliane of doubtful authoritie, & Women. also they pertayne to women and no men. And therfore thys presthode, for whose vn­knowen chastite he contendeth, is lyke in the eude to appeare a doubtful womanlye presthode. Thus are hys borowed senten­ces out of the. viii. Chaptre de bouo vidu­itatis, to be Fuglyshed. Wherfor the wy­dowes which can not abstaine (ye may se, sum what went afore, that he woulde not gladly touche.) Lete them marry husban­des afore they professe a chastite, and afore they make vowes to God: for if they per­fourme Professiō. not theyr promise▪ they are lawful­ly [Page] dāpned. And in an other place, the Apo­stle sayth of such women, whan they haue begōne to were wanton, than wyll they marry in Christ (your doctour Iuliane b [...] ­lyeth the texte) hauynge dampnacion, by­cause they haue broken theyr fyrste faythe, First faith that is to say, they haue turned theyr wyll frō a purposed chastite to marriage. Thus haue they made their first faith void, wher by they promised afore that they neuer en­tended to perfourme by perseueraunce.

It is deuylyshly done both of yow and your doctoure Iuliane, thus to depraue or to vyciate the holy scriptures. Neyther is S. Paule a condempner of marryage, nor S. Paule. yet a persuader of vowes makynge, but calleth thē in that kynde, a plaine doctrine of deuyls. He neuer taught any other pro­fessiō, thā that which is cōmen to al christē men & women. In al the newe testament is no doctrine of your vowes, why than im­pute yow dāpuacion to the breakyuge of thē? If dāpnacion be due to thē that breake Dāpnaciō your cōmaundemētes, thā are ye in autho­rite equal wyth God. From whens com­meth thys vsurpacion & pryde of yours? Euen frō that aduersary and sonne of per­dicion, whych exalteth hymselfe aboue all that is called God. ii. Thessa. ii. The wy­dowes y ^• S. Paule speaketh of. i. Tim. v. [Page lxxxvii] were no professed nūnes, but nomē desti­tute of fryndeshyp, whom he wylled to be Nomines prouided for of y ^t cōmen almesse. And none other admitted he therunto, but aunciente matrones of. lx. yeares of age and vpwar­des, such as were knowne to be of a moste honest and Godly cōuersacion. The yon­gar wydowes were none of that nombre. Neyther was wantonnesse imputed vnto Wātōnes thē bicause they wold marry, for marriage is there appoynted them, but bycause they wolde marry vngodly wyth the vnfayth­ful for pleasures of this world, abhorringe pouerte in the christen profession.

For this wātōnes is not a marryage in Christ, as your dottyng doctour Iulyane Agaynst Christe. and yow here do take it, for so myght eue­ry marriage in Christ, be noted a wanton­nesse to dāpnaciō, but agaynst Christ, or to Christes dishonoure, for it foloweth in the text, y ^• many of thē turned backe, & wēt af­ter Sathā, in renoūcinge the christrn faith. Thus is not the dāpnacion due to thē that breake youre vowes, but to them that for­sake Dānacion theyr Christen professyon. Neyther is dampnation here taken, for the hateful in­dygnacion of God or depryuacion of the lyfe euerlastyng, but for a fowle blotte of infamye, or a notable staundre to the chri­sten profession, for it foloweth in the texte, [Page] that occasion was gynen by such wanton­nesse to the aduersaryes to speake euyll of the Christen relygyon. Thus was it the mynde of the Apostle, that prouision were alwayes made for the yōger wydowes, to marrye wythin the congregacion least by extreme pouerte they were compelled to Pouerte. forsake theyr Christen beleue, and to gyue an occasion of dampnable slaūdre against the Gos [...]el. He that wil say with yow and youre Doctoure Iultane, that prima fi [...] des is a vowe voluntary, or a purpose frō marryage to an vncommaunded chastite: I saye, he is a lyar and a [...]euyl.

Prima fides is a fayth in Iesu Christ, to folowe the rules of his Gospel in y ^t cōmon Prima fi­de [...]. christen relygyon, and not a professyon of monkery nor yet such a bastarde presthode as hath of the scryptures no maner of au­thorite. But I praye yow, lete me aske ye a question, yow deceytful sonldyour of So­dome. Why cutte ye of thys conclusion from the lattre allegacion of yonre doc­tour? Muptiarum igitur bonum, semper quidem est bonum, sed in populo Dei fuit aliquando legis obsequsum, nunc est infir­mitatis remedium, in quibusdam vero hu­manitatis est solatium. Filiorum quippe procreationi operādare, non canino more Louingi [...]. per vsum promiscuum foeminarum, sed [Page lxxxviii] honesto ordine coniugali, nō est in homine improbandus affectus, etiam ipsum tamen laudabilius transcēdit et vincit celestia co­gitans animus Christianus. Therefore is y ^t cōmodite of marryage, alwayes a good and a godly commodite. But wher it sum­tyme was amonge Gods people, an obe­dient Marriage seruice of the lawe, it is now a reme­dy of y ^t fleshes infirmite, and also in some meu, an humayne consolacion or naturall comfort. To be geuen to begetting of chil­dren, so that it be not by a confuse occupy­inge wyth women [...]yke dogge and bytche, but in an honestor decēt ordre of marriage, that affecte or natural incliuacion in man is not to be reproued, yet is that Christen Myndes. mynde muche more to be praysed, whych ouer commeth that affecte, by the medyta­cion of thynges heauenly. All thys coulde we haue thankefully receiued of your doc­tour Iuliane, but it was not to your deui­lyshe purpose.

I do aske in dede, who shuld vowe and perfourme it, after Dauids meanynge. I knowe certainely, that they were not your popysh monkes and massemongers. For Monkes. they were not wonte to brynge offerynges of theyr owne from round about, but their gapyng was to receiue the offeringes and giftes from al quarters about, and to giue [Page] nothyng agayne, onles they gaue theyr ba­stardes to the disheretinge of the true and right heires. None otherwise do I restrain the vowes of the olde lawe, then they re­strayne Restraine them selues here in the ende of this verse, by bringyng of presentes to the lord. As for your interpretatiue and scolasticall doctoures, I neuer regarde them nor yet theyr exposicions, when they thus varye from the truthe of the scriptures, but ac­compt them bothe blasphemouse babelers and lyers. Ye saye, that vouete et reddite, after the mynde of S. Augustine and al the Generalli other doctours that you haue redde exten­deth generally, & perteineth to al good mē. Whye do you then restrayne it to youre monkes and massemongers, whyche are men neyther good nor godlye? Yea whye haue yow al thys longe tyme bene hatche­ynge of that cockatrices egge?

Ye aske, who they be that are rounde a­bout the Lord, for south it is a proper wise question, and as wysely afterward of yow Lōpassed. auswered. I neuer heard it afore, that god was euer compassed of thē y ^t brought pre­sentes to the temple. How can he that con­tayneth al thynges, hauing heauen for hys seate and the earth for hys fote stole. Acto▪ vii. be compassed of men mortal? Though [Page lxxxix] God do much regarde them, whych are of a lowly troubled sprete, and that standeth in awe of hys holy wordes. Esay. lxvi. yet Lōpassed. suffereth he not hym selfe to be compassed of them. In answerynge your owne que­styon, ye saye, that they be rounde aboute god, amongest whō he is, ouer, undre, and on euery syde. Thys muste I nedes denye yow, bycause hys beyuge among them, is not all one wyth theyr being round about. God is a sprete, how can ye thā proue him circumscriptyble or locall? How can he be Ouer all. closed wythin limytes, that ouerspreadeth the heauens and contayneth all thynges? Thys dyuinite of yours is but dougyshe daubry. We knowe that God is wyth thē y ^t ar ryghteouse of his ryghteousenes, but not with them that are of theyr own rygh­teousnesse righteouse, for them he leaueth alwayes to themselues. Rom. i.

He is at all seasons assystent in dede, to them that assemble to gyther in his name, Names. but not to them that are gathered togyther in the names of Benedict, Domynycke, and Frances, nor yet to them that are col­ledged and mynsterde in the names of Dunstane, Swythune, Becket, Erken­walde, Paule, Wylliam, & Hugh, with a great sort more of y ^t like, nether yet to thē y ^t hath mustered together & flocked in their [Page] feastes of ydelnesse, to call vpon them for help. I deny it not but that he hath shewed hys good fauer to them whō he hath foūd meke and lowly of hart, and to them that [...]owlye. hath feared hym and folowed y ^e right rule of hys wurde. But as concernynge them whych hath offered bodyes and sowles to do hym seruyce, not after hys appoynted ordre, but after theyr owne deuyses, they may wel be about him and compasse him, as the greate fatte bulles haue done hys sonne Christ and hys faythfull members, Psal. xxi. yet am I sure, they shal not catch him. The seruice y ^t god alloweth in mā, cō ­meth Seruyce. ueuer of mās voluntary offerynge, but of Gods owne free callinge and elec­cion. If your professed and neuer fulfilled chastite and obedience, be the boasted gyf­tes that ye offer, ye shal haue good leaue to take them home to ye agayne, for he neuer yet had pleasure in them. Al these, ye saye, be exhorted to vowe, and perfourme theyr vowes. If that exhortacion were giuen by Dauid to thys lattre sorte, it was of late Dauid. yeares in some secrete vysyon, for in hys tyme were no such dysgysed shauelynges and shorlynges, and I maruele why they are so slacke in perfourmaunce.

Responsio.

My grounde is so sure, so stedy, and so stronge, that neyther yow, your dreaming Deuyls. doctours, your dyrty dawbers, nor yet all the deuyls of darkenes, which hath main­teyned your cursed generacion in all kyn­des of deceyte, sens the dayes of Cain, shal be able ones to remoue it. As Iohā Baptist in the wyldernesse declared the comminge and offyce of Christ, he begāne by and by Gospel. to buylde vpon thys foūdacion. By Moy­ses (sayth he) was the lawe fyrst gyuē, but grace and veryte commeth only by Iesus Christe, Iohan. i. In stede of the lawe, he hath giuen vs a Gospel of fre forgiuenes, and a sauyng veryte in stede of vnprofita­ble shadowes. Christ hath gyuen it also to vs as a grounde to buylde vpon, that the lawe & prophetes were no longar in force, thā vnto the tyme of Iohan Baptist, Mat. xi. Ther they ceased, ther were they fully discharged, and went no further. S. Paule saith, that the lawe wurketh pre, Rom. iiii. The lawe is a power of synne. i. Cori. xv. The lawe The law bryngeth no man to perfeccyon. Heb. vii. By the lawe is no man iustyfyed. Roma. iii. We are not vndre the law (saith he) but vnder grace, Roma. vi. If we be ledde by the sprete, tha [...] are we no subiec­tes [Page xci] to the lawe. Gala. v. Christ is the ende of the lawe, and a ful ryghteousnesse to thē that beleue, Roma. x. Thys foundacion of myne, wyll not be puffed awaye wyth all Foūdaciō your sophystycal blastes, for it is not buil­ded vpon the sande, but vpon the harde rocke. Math. vii. The power of hell shall not preuayle agaynst it. Math. x.

Now come I to your specialtees, as bur­dens, mystes, and shadowes of the lawe. Burdens. Christ earnestly promised, not only to take from vs the heauye burthens of the lawe and of synne, if we resort vnto hym, but al­so to refreshe vs wyth hys Gospel (which is a law of lyberte, S. Iames sayth) and to gyue vnto our consyences a perfyght qui­etnesse in hym. Math. xi. S. Paule wylleth Bondage. al Christes seruauntes to stande fast in the lyberte, wherwyth Christ hath made them fre, and not to wrappe themselues agayne in the yoke of bondage (as are ceremonyal vowes) for so many ar gone frō Christ, as think to be instified by any point of y ^e law. Gal. v. The false teachers (S. Peter saith) which bryugeth in dāpnable sectes (by vo­wes) lyuynge at pleasure in all deceyuable waies (by vowes) ar clouds carried about of a tēpest (by those vowes) to whō is reser ued y ^• mist of darkenesse for euer. ii. Per. ii. The lawe The law (saith s. Paule) had but a shadow of good thinges to come, & not the thinges [Page] themselues in theyr owne proporcion, for it rather sygnified sumwhat, than braught thynges to effecte, Hebre. x.

Christ hath brokē downe y ^• walle, which was a stoppe betwene vs and the Iewes, and hath also put away through hys flesh, the cause of hatred, that is to say, the lawe Hatred. of commaundementes conteyned in y ^e law written, Ephe. ii. He hath abolyshed vtter­ly the hande writing of obligaciō that was agaynst vs, conteyned in the law written, and clerely taken it out of y ^e way fastening it to hys crosse, Collo. ii. What ground wyl ye nowe haue, to proue your ceremonyall vowes, no heauy burdens, no cloudy my­stes, no darke shadowes, and so not abro­gated by Christ, whan thys grounde wyll not holde them but vtterly reiecte them? Grounde. Heauen and earth shal passe, but thys doc­tryne wyl neuer be founde vntrue, dispute what ye can to the contrary for your beg­gerly vowes. Take that grounde awaye (ye say) and than wyl al the rest fal, which is knylded therupō. And it is truth in dede I am glad we haue broughte yow to that conclusyon. But your heade is so madde that ye wyl not there staye, but folowe on styl fourth in your frenesy. Ye can fynde Frenesy. it now, that to kepe avowe, that is lawful ly made (whych can not of your vowes [Page xcii] he veryfyed) is a commaundement of god. Afore ye coulde not fynde it in Anna and the Nazarees. I see it wel now, that ye can at your pleasure both fynde and not fynde.

But ye haue stretched your g [...]atte so farre, that he must nedes burste, no reme­dy. of vowes. Ye saye, the obseruacyon of vowes is commaunded of God, in the lawes natu­ral, moral, and Euangelicall. It is sonner sayde, than proued. Of lykelyhode ye are some prothonotary of Rome, that ye wold your wurdes to be beleued without reaso­nable proues. It is like here to remaiue for a fabulouse lye, tyll ye hane proued it by the scriptures, a lawe of commaundemēt in the lawe of nature. And also tyl ye haue made it good, that the ceremonials and iu­dicials A fable. of Moyses lawe, are all one wyth with the morral preceptes and the Gospel. Ye saye, that obseruacion of vowes, is nei­ther ceremony nor shadowe. It was both, whan vowes were in strengthe, that is to saye, for the tyme of Moyses lawe, If ye thynke them now chaunged, bryng fourth your honest probacyons, and ye shall be Proues. heard. If ye haue none other thyng to stay it by, but the seconde commaundement, ye are farre wyde. For thys is y ^e seconde cō ­maundemēt of god. Non facies tibi sculp­tile. Thu shalt make the no grauen image, [Page] Exodi. xx. Thys helpeth not your matter, but vtterly confoundeth it. For vowes are lyke as ymages are, wurkes onely of mās Ymages. ymaginacion, wythout commaundement of God. For ye haue graūted al this time, that they are wurkes voluntarye, and so haue ye dyffyned them.

If ye ment the thyrd commaundement, Ouersene Non assumes nomen Domini Dei tui in vanum. Thu shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vame, than were ye fow­ly deceyued, to take the thyrd for the secōd. It is a playne token, that ye are much bet­ter exercysed in the Iewyshe ceremonies, than in Gods holye commaundementes, whan ye knowe not the one frō the other. In dede I wolde wyshe, ye were sūwhat Swearing wyser. Thys thyrd commaundement wyl not serue your turne, for it pertayneth to swearing & not to vowyng, as Christ hath expownded it. If ye take vowynge for a kynde of swearing, than hath Christ vtter­ly dyscharged yow, by this myghty wurd of hys. Dico vobis ne iuretis omnino. Math. v. I charge yow, y ^t ye swear not at al, that is to saye, that ye vowe in no wyse. [...]o, wher are your vowes become now, bi your own cōfessiō? Now haue ye, by your owne procurement, brought them euen to Al loste. nothing, your old doctours were yet much [Page xciii] more wyse than yow are. For they iudged thē wyth al the other ceremonies of Moy­ses▪ to pertayne to the forth commaunde­ment, Sucked. concernyng the Saboth daye.

Though ye haue alwaies cōceiued much (as ye boast your self here) bi your exercise in the doctours, yet toke ye no hede in this poynt. Ye haue succked muche of the diui­ [...]te doggerel of that dronken papist Iohā Eckius, in thys matter. As the sayinge is, lyke wyl to lyke, as the deuyl fyndeth out the colyar. I maruel muche of your ygno­raunt beastlynesse, or els of your obstinate hypocrisye. Ye playe here the Pelagyane Pelagyan ryght oute, geuynge to our corrupted and synnefull nature, that is onelye due to the grace and mercy of God. In thys ye take from faith her perfeccion, ye defraude her of her offyce, and depryue her of her glory. Ye know not Gods eternal power, ye vn­derstande not his wurkes wonderful, nei­ther gloryfy yow hym as the authour of al goodnesse. But become obstinate, wicked, and vnthankeful, yea, ye were ful of vani­tees in your ymaginacyons, your folyshe harte couered wyth a dampnable blynd­nesse, for contemning hys truthe, Roma. i. Al vapu [...]. Of nature are we, the fleshly, synfull, and wycked chyldren of Goddes great indyg­nacion and curse, Ephesians. ii.

[Page]Than is it not nature that abhorreth to breake promyse, but fayth, whych only is the gyft of God. If we be faythful to god and our neyghbour, it is not of vs but of Faythful. hym. All that is not of faythe (S. Paule sayth) is synne. Roma. xiiii. And wythoute faythe can we kepe no promyse to Gods pleasure, Hebre. xi.

In your allegacion of Ecclesiastes, ye seme to be a greate multyplyer. For hys boke hath but. xii. Chapters in all, and yet Eccle. v. yow can allege the. l. Chapter, ere ye come to the myd part therof. It is some fygure, ye wurke by, eyther of falsehede or els of forgetfulnesse. If thu hast made a vowe to God (saythe Ecclesiastes) be not slacke to perfonrme it. As for folyshe vowes, he hath no pleasure in them. If thu promyse any thynge, paye it. For better it is, that thu make no vowe, than that thu shuldest promyse and not paye. Ecclesi. v. for what Purpose. purpose ye brought in thys text, I can not coniecture: vnlesse it were to put vs in re­membraunce, that all your prestyshe and monkysh vowes, are vanite, ydelnesse, fo­lishnesse, frenesy peuyshnes, madnes, and myschefe vnspeakeable. Not pleasing, but dylpleasynge our almyghtye maker, for so much as they are but mockyng promyses of thynges impossyble, vnprofytable, pa­relouse, [Page xciiii] wycked, vncertayne, aboue our strengthes, and al cōtrary to Christes doc­tryne. Thys texte allurynge men to per­fourme The texte. theyr vowes, wylleth them to be very circumspect in the makynge of them. For if they be made after mānis wysdome and not Gods (as ye say, your vowes are voluntary) than are they wycked and fo­lyshe. And the fulfyllyng of them, is both a dyspleasure and a mocke to God.

Responsio.

If ye onely mynde to speake of vowes lawful, thā are ye much to blame to trou­ble Sole lyfe. vs wyth your vowe of the sole or syn­gle lyfe for swearynge marryage, for that vngodly vowe was neuer yet lawfull. I wyl proue it by Ecclesiastes in the fourth [Page] chaptre. Ue soli (sayth he) quia cum cecid [...] ­rit, non habet subleuantem se. Wo to hym that is alone, for if he fall, he hath not an other to helpe hym vp agayne. If wo, be [...]ods ordre here a curse or dāpnacion, as it is holden in the scriptures for y ^t more part, it is double to yow that hath made therof a vowe or perpetual bande. To thys ende hath God ordeyned hys creatures, y ^t one shuld helpe an other. He created mā & womā y ^t the one shuld be a solace, an ayde, & a cōfort to y ^t o­ther. Thys ordre are yow able to dysolue, by the impotēcy (omnipotēcy I wold say) Exempt. of your vowe, as a God of your selfe. But more parelouse is your fall, both wayes, than ye be aware of. Ye wyll parauēture obiect agaynst me, that Christ was syngle. I must desyre yow to graunt him extraor­dynary, or exempte frō the commē ordre of men, beynge the only sonne of the highest. If ye laie Mary Christes mother, ye must lose your laboure, for she was marryed to Ioseph, & neuer dysdayned y ^t godly estate.

If ye brynge fourth Hieremy and Iohā Baptist, I answer you, that it was in them and certeyne other by specyall priuilege, and not by any vowe voluntary. If ye cā shewe vs by the sacred scryptures, that ye Priuilege. haue the same priuylege, eyther yet if we se in yow, that ye bryng fourth lyke frutes of doctryne, thā wyl we credyte yow for [Page xcv] doctryne and priuileges sake, but not for your vowes sake, for we know to much therof. Ye wryte in your Chronicles, that Edward. Etheldrede and Edwarde remayned styll byrgins after longe marriage. Suffre mai­denhede than, rather to dwell vndre mar­ryage than vndre your doubtful vowe, for so shoulde it be in muche lesse daunger. I coulde muche commende your synglenesse without vowes, if ye cared for the thinges A vowe. of the Lord. i. Cor. vii. But I can not away wyth your synglenesse in vowes, for in thē ye seke but bell ye profyghte. Thoughe the breakynge of a lawful vowe, whyche is a vowe allowed by the scriptures, be a kind of infydelyte, Yet is not the breakynge of your fylthy and popish vowes, whych are both vnlawful & cōdempned by the scrip­tures, yea, your presthode & all, a kynde of infidelyte in thē y ^t breake thē, but an euidēt Nombers profe of most faythful obedience to God. Ye are but weakely sene in nōbers, whā ye know not. v. frō. l. Ye allege y ^e. l. chap of S. Pauls first epistle to Timothe, & y ^• whole­pistle hath nomor but. vii. litle ca. But this wil I ons again ascribe to your ouersight

Your text, habētes dānacionem, is in the. fyft Chapter, and is thus Englyshed▪ Ha­uing Fyrst fayth. dampnacion, bycause they haue bro­kē theyr fyrst faith. By this wold ye proue, y ^t the breking of your popish vows were a [Page] kynde of infydelyte. But it is nothynge to the purpose, for ye are no yonge widowes. Neyther is prima fides a vowe of our ma­kyng, but the necessary couenaunt of oure christen professyon. And the dampnacyon ther, is a blotte of infamy, or an vncome­ly report, to the greate blemishyng of chri­stianite and slaunder of the Gospell, as I tolde ye afore. Your question, how should Question a man bynde hymselfe to serue God, but by a vowe or othe? is both wycked and fo­lyshe. For all we that beleue in Christes name, are chyldren & no seruauntes. Iohā. i. Our estate and relygyon, is a state of ly­berte, and no bondage. Iohā. Our law is a law of liberte & no bōdage. Iaco. i. Now ar we become sonnes by elecciō, fre heyres and inheritours wyth Christ, Gala. iiii. If we be made fre by his death, we ought no Bondage. lougar to serue that way, in bondage. For the seruaunt knoweth not the minde of his maistre. But to vs as to hys dere chyldren and frendes, hath he opened al, Ihoan. xv. If we nowe do anythyng to God, it must come of a loue in fredome, & not of a vowe or an othe in bondage.

Men haue done thynges to god, which neuer bounde themselues by vowe. We reade of many whych after the due search Good mē. of hys holy w [...]rde, haue shewed thēselues [Page xcvi] godly wyse, humble, gentyl, meke, mercy­ful, kynde, peaceable, pytyful, temperaūt, chaste, sober longe sufferyng, forgyuynge, thankeful to God, and faythful to al men. They haue embraced loue, whych is the che [...]e of perfecciō, Col. iii. Yea, they haue therwyth fulfylled the lawe, Rom. xiii. et Charyte. Gala. v. and all wythout profession of vo­wes. Ye call an othe a wytnesse of a pro­myse, and a vowe a testimony of a vowe, whych is a straunge kynde of dystynynge. I might aske yow here, how a vowe could be both a vowe, and the witnes of a vowe, an othe and the testimony of a promyse, so well as ye axed of me afore, howe a vowe coulde be both a promyse and the thynge A vowe. promysed. But I thinke it to folyshe, to be­stowe any tyme therupō. Bycause a vowe is the wytnesse of a vowe, and men bynde themselues therby to do thynges to God, therfore (ye saye) a christen mannis obedi­ence in kepyng hys promyse wyth God, is the true inwarde seruyce of God, and re­quired Seruyce. by hys commaundement. I thinke, a more folishe conclusiō was neuer heard. And therfore ye do well to adde, as yow take it.

A christen mannis obedyence standeth not in the fulfyllyng of fanaticall vowes, In faythe. as they haue bene vsed, better broken than [Page] kepte) but in the faythfull obseruacion of Gods holy preceptes, declared by Christe in hys Gospell. Though I haue taken the vowes of the olde lawe for ceremonyes & shadowes abrogated by Christ, Yet ded I neuer take your vowes for ceremonyes, but for horrible supersticious, Antichristes dyrte, and most filthy dregges of y ^• deuyll, pertayning to the feast of Sathans intro­nizacyon A feast.

If we wyll nedes serue, beynge the chyldren of the fre woman, Gala. iiii. Lete vs seke to serue in lyberte and not in bon­dage. Lete vs beare no longar a straūgers yoke wyth the vnbeleuers. ii. Cor. vi. Lete them to whom god hath gyuē knowledge, shake of those shackles, and repēt of those Snares. snares of the deuyll ii. Tim. ii. for they are the very charactes or markes of the infer­nall beast, wherby Antichristes mynisters haue power to bye and to sell in that blas­phemouse kyngdome, Apocalip. xiii. They that wyll holde of that marke, must drinke of the cuppe of Gods wrathe, Apocalips. xiiii. and fynally be turned ouer into the lake of burnynge fyre and brymstone, A­pocalips. priestes. xir. Hauynge theyr names clere­ly wyped out of the boke of lyfe. S. Paule woulde neuer entangle the Corinthianes wyth suche a snare, as these your vowes [Page xcvii] are, but gaue them erudycious honest and comely. i. Corinth. vii.

Responsio.

In case is thys hypocrite chaplayne, as was the deuil, whom Christ droue into thē A Deuyl. herde of swyne, Luke. viii. For this deuyl, called Region▪ both knew it and confessed it, that Christe was the sonne of God, as thys busye chaplayne confesseth, that it is both a manyfest truth and also the wurde of God, that is vttered here afore. Thys knowledge and confessyon notwythstan­dynge, yet thys deuyll enterynge into the swynysh byshoppes, prestes, and lawers, wythstode hys heauenly veryte, and pur­sued him for it to the very death. Who can thynke this malyciouse and frantike chap­layne, not to be possessed wyth thys deuyl? Possessed. He doth the same thynges that thys deuyll ded. He knoweth it and confesseth it to be a veryte of God, and yet he impugneth it wyth to the and nayle. If it be not a synne agaynst the holy Ghost, to wythstande a knowne & confessed verite, what is a synne against the holy Ghost? If he be not in this All true. pointe a sonne of perdicion, who euer was the sonne of perdycyon. Ye know (mai­ster chaplaine) y ^t these sētēces be true, why do ye not than allowe thē? Yea ye know, [Page xcviii] they be very true, that is to say, certaynly, groundedly, and perfyghtly true, why thā beleue ye them not? Ye knowe also, they be the wurdes of God, why than do ye not honour them, loue them, and folow them, but wyckedly impugne them?

Ye can not se, for what purpose I bring in these verytees, that the inhybycion of marryage is a doctryne of deuyls, that the A wyfe. takyng of a christen wyfe, is a folowynge of Gods institucion, and that Mary Chri­stes mother honoured that holy order. For none other purpose do I brynge them in, than for that only purpose whych god ap­poynted, as for the allowaunce of matry­mony, which is gods ordinaunce. Ye haue in tymes past, torne and taken away from Gospels. Christ, Homo quidā nobilis, in some chur­ches, and Ego sum Pastor bonus, in the o­ther churches, & giuen it to Thomas Be [...] ­ket the trayter, both at mattens and masse, vpon hys ydolatrouse dayes. Homo quidā peregre, to your Romysh Apostle Augus­tyne, to Anselme, Cutbert, Chadde, Swi­thune, Dunstane, Erkenwalde, Oswald, Osmunde, Edmunde, and a greate sorte moo. Beati pauperes, to dead mens bones Gadders. and relliques, Euntes in mūdum, to gad­ders, pylgrymes, and ydoll sekers. Amen dico vobis, ye appoynted for battel, Petite [Page] et dabitur, for sycke beastes, Factum est in vna dierum, for fayre wether, Nolite soliciti esse, for rayne, Discumbente Iesu, for mourners, Surgens Iesus de synago­ga, for pestilēce, & Dixit Simō Petrus, for S. Antonyes euill, bestowing Dixit Mar­tha ad Iesum, for all christē sowles. Thys Soules. was a great study of yow, & a clerkely dis­tributing of y ^• scriptures sūtyme. Ye cā not thinke my scriptures welbestowed, bicause they are not applyed to that vse and ende.

Ye feare least this truth here expressed, should subuert an other truth. But ye nede not so to do▪ for it is not y ^e nature of a truth to subuert or destroy a truth, but rather to ratify, mainteyne, and vphold a truth. But parauēture it is some truth of your owne, that ye meane, and than is it a very false­hede. A truth. For yow are they that cal euill good, and good euyll, makyng darkenesse lyght, & lyght darkenesse. Esay. v. Your commen custome hath bene euermore (S. Paule sa­ith) to wythholde Gods veryte in vnrigh­teousnesse, and to turne hys truth to a lye, Roma. i. Thys truth of yours, is an ex­hortacion Enemies. to a wyuelesse lyfe, or a profes­synge of vyrgynyte. Thys woorde ex­hortacion hath a fayre shewe, virginite se­meth a bewtyful thynge. Undre thys pre­tensed coulour or fayre face of the serpent, your [Page xcix] ye wyll hyde all the crafty persuasions of Sodomi­tes. your religiouse sodomites, prestes, mōkes, and fryres, which hath compassed sea and lande to make proselytes, both by confessiō and other wayes. And in the ende ye wold haue them taken for vertuouse counsels & godly professions. But doubtlesse ye come to late. Ye wolde that neyther this, nor yet y ^• blamyng or rebuking of mē, that breake Uowes. theyr vnlawfull stynkynge popish vowes, shuld be iudged any forbydding of lawful marryage, or takē for a doctrine of deuyls. But it shall be so holdē, & axe yow no leaue so longe as y ^• tree is knowne by hys frute.

Ye wyll haue the braggynges and boa­stynges of a fayned and false chastyte, which is none other than a fylthynesse vn­speakable, Beastly. to be holden as a pure commē ­daciō of y ^• true chastyte. But it wyll not be graunted yow. That detestable professyon of a lyfe so enormiouse, shall be a prohyby­cion of Godly marryage and a doctrine of deuils in hipocrisy, though ye shew a thou­sād colours to y ^• contrary. What deuyll of hel hath inspired yow, so clerely to separate christen marryage from chastite, as it had no porcyon therwyth? What wyll ye make of lawfull marryage, ye synnefull Mariage. Sodomytes and vtter enemyes of God, that ye thus cruellye seclude it from [Page] all kyndes of chaste honestie? Do ye iudge it a whore dome, an vnclennesse, a beastly­nesse? or what do ye recken of it, yow that so malyciously thus handle it? Thys dare I be bolde to affyrme, and wyl stand in the opynion to the very death, that all kyndes of continency, of clennesse, and of chastyte in the olde testament, from the begynning of Genesis to the lattre ende of the Ma­chabees, Cōmēded. hauyng the blessyng of God, per­tayneth to marriage. There is no such vn­godly separacion of virginite from marri­age, but virgines were reckened ther, most fyt for that honest, comely, & godly estate.

Uirgynite without frute, is ther deplo­red, sorowed, lamented, and bewayled, as in the daughter of Iephte, Iudi. xi. Wher as marryage is called a chaste generacion Marriage wyth vertue, her memory being immortal afore God and man, Sapi. iiii. Uirginyte wythout frute, deserued no prayse, neyther in the lawe of nature, nor yet in the law of Moyses, but as a thynge not regarded, dwelt vndre contempte, obprobry, and re­buke, without benedicciō, as apered in An na. i. Reg. i. and in Helisabeth▪ Luc. i. Whā Uowes. vowes were of most value and of Gods allowaunce, they coulde not better virgy­nytie, how can they than now better it, be­yng of lesse value, yea, wurkes of our own [Page c] innention, and not of Gods commaunde­ment? The blessynge continued in successi­on of Mariage, from age to age, and from generation to generation, tyll the promy­sed seade was come, whyche was Iesus Christ. Though he in the newe testament, beatyfyed virgynyte (as he also by many clere argumentes, dyd marryage) geuyng ther vnto, the grace of prophecy, as apered in the. iiii. daughters of Philip the Euan­gelist, Uirginite. Acto. xxi. Yet ded he not licence yow to vowe it, to bragge of it, to huylde youre presthode vpon it, to make it your bawde, your cloke, and your ydol of vnclennesse, to colour your sodometry wyth it, nor yet to contempne lawful marryage for it.

I coulde wel commende vyrginite ma­ny wayes, but not after your handelynge. Uirginite As it is Gods fre gyfte, I can praise it, but not as it is vnder band of your vowes, for I knowe the frutes to be fylthy. Ye call it the hyghar gyfte, and marryage, the low­ar gyfte, therby eralting your shauelinges aboue the layte. This is a practyse of your olde scolemaysters the Pharisees, whych preferred theyr ydell tradycyons to Gods holy commaundementes. Math. xv. By­cause that vowed chastyte commeth from Rome, whych is beyonde the Alpes, wyth The alpes oylynges and wyth shauynges, therfore is [Page] it the hyghar gyfte, for none other vertues hath it. But if ye waye it by the sty [...]chyng frutes, ye shal fynde it the lowar gyft, and the gyuer out therof, a very meane gentil­man, euen he that seketh whome he maye denouee. i. Pet. v. Moch boast is made of virginite, and yet they which bragge most of it, knoweth least of all what it is. Uyr­gynite leadeth not towardes heauen, vn­lesse it be coupled with y ^e wysdome of god. Wisdom. For we reade in the Gospel, that the. v. fo­lyshe vyrgyns were put clerely backe, for not hauynge oyle and lyght in theyr lāpes, Math. xxv. Thys is an euydent example, that vyrginite is nothynge, wythout other Godly prouisyons. No better is that vyr­ginyte whych serueth it selfe alone, than is the talent hyd vnder the groūd. Mat. xxv.

I denye not, but it is an easy, pleasa [...]t, free, and commodiouse estate, but without maidēhed. other vertues, it is of smal value. It is like a deade body whych hath no lyfe. Where S. Paule layeth fourth the frutes of the sprete, Galathyanes▪ v. whych all are wel allowed in marryage, he maketh no men­cion of vyrgynyte. Thoughe Mary Chri­stes mother be named a vyrgyne in y ^e gos­pell▪ yet is she muche more commended there for her faythe, than for virgynyte. Helisabeth full of the holy Ghost, procla­med [Page ci] her blessed amonge women, and not vyrgynes, blessed for her beleues sake▪ and not for vyrgynytees sake. Marriage shuld Mariag: not seme all voyde of vyrgynyte, by that S. Paule sayth to the marryed Corinthy­anes. Adiūxi enim vos vni viro, vt virgi­nem castam exhiberetis Christo. I haue coupled yow to one man, to make ye a chaste vyrgyne to Christe. ii. Corinth. xi. The vyrgyns whych foloweth the lambe, whyther so euer he goeth. Apocalyps. xiiii. beynge hys vndefiled congregacion, were marryed people for the more parte. Iohan Tompson▪ Tompson an olde Doctoure of yours in hys abreuiacions of Ryde [...]aus commen­taryes vpon the Mythologyes of Fulgē ­tius, affyrmeth it oute of S. Augustyne, as a grounded doctryne, that Abrahams marryage was in dygnyte equall wyth the vyrgynyte of Sayncte Iohan Bap­tyste.

In marryage God preserued Sara from the vnlawfull handelynges of Abi­melech. Genesis. xx. Where as he suffered Dina in a presumtuouse vyrgynyte to be Dil [...]y. corrupted amonge the Sichemytes, Gen. xxxiiii. In the dyl [...]y or generall floude he saued the marryed how shold of Noe, y ^e fore [...] virgines peryshyng therin. Gen. vii. [Page] hys blessynge was vpon the marryed for increase, Gen. i. viii. ix. xxxv. He also bles­sed in Abrahams sede, all peoples of the earth, Gene. xxii. Christe in thys fleshe at marryage was present, Ioan. ii. but neuer at orders gyuyng. Whan he delyuered the woman taken in aduoutry, he wrote vpon the ground y ^e vnknowne faultes of the ho­ly hypocrites, Iohan. viii. The Esseanes whych were chaste men wythout wyues, Esseanes. y ^e scriptures doth not allow, but rather cō ­dēpne them, Apo. xi. For thys special cause sprang the most worthy mē, Isaac, Iacob, Samson, Samuel, and Iohan Baptist of [...]arren women, that frutefulnesse in the fleshe shuld be knowne to be of God.

Ye saye, euerye man ones in hys lyfe tyme, hath lyberte to marry. I thynke ye meane euery popyshe man, and not euery christen mā. For the christē man (S Paule Christian. sayth) is alwayes, and not ones in his lyfe, at lyberte. ii. Cor. iii. From thys lyberte of marryage (ye saye) noman forbyddeth mē. We thanke ye for nothynge. Ye haue here forgottē your holy brethren the Tacianes, Eustachyanes, and Marcionistes, which vtterly detested marryage. I counte ye more peruerse in opinion, than your great Doctour Iulyane. For he sayth, cha. viii. De bono viduitatis. Nuptiarum bonum, Iulianus. [Page cii] semper est bonum. The cōmodite of mar­ryage, is alwayes good. Et ca. xi. Hec dis­puto, ne arbitreris vel secundas nuptias crimen esse, vel quascunque nuptias, cum sint nuptie, malum esse. These thynges do I reason at large, least thu shuldest iudge the seconde marryages synne, eyther yet reckē any marryages at all to be euyll, be­ynge marryages in dede. What speake ye than, of your, ones in thys lyfe? I hearde neuer a more papist make vtteraunce. But A papyst. if he forsaketh hys lyberte (say yow) mea­nynge your owne professed cattell. Than goeth he quite from Christ (saye I) and S. Poule confirmeth the same, Gala. v. And bynde hymselfe (say yow) by hys vowe to God, neuer to marry. If he be ones in the snare of the deuill (saye I) ye will hold him there styll.

God wil not agre to it (I saye) to be ser­ued in bondage and not in freedome, ta­kyng Fredome. vs for hys fre chyldren, and no bond seruauntes. Haue our fredome cost him so great a pryce, as is the dere bloude of hys blessed sonne, and now we wyll throw our selues agayne in bondage? What a lewde mocke is thys? What an ydiote fole is he, that wyl bynde hymselfe prentyse, hauing nothyng for it, at his fourth comming, and myght for hys fre seruyce, possesse hys fa­thers [Page] inheritaunce? I saye, he is well worthy to lose it. What rewarde lokeste thu to haue, for thy vnrequyred seruyce in forsakyng marriage, as thu here namest it, Seruyce. thu Priapus vower. Thu shalte haue the rewarde of Ouan the wycked sodomyte, whych spylled hys seede on the grounde, Gene. xxxviii. euē the maledyccion & great curse of God, with depryuacion of the life euerlastynge. Suche a wone, as thus byn­deth hymselfe not to marry, maye lawful­ly (yow say) be forbydden to marry. That is true (say I) if mānis inuented tyrāny be a lawfulnesse, or if the greate customer of Tiranye. Sodome, or terryble termagaūt of Rome, be allowed for a lawe maker aboue God. Els not. For God by his Apostle, permyt­teth euery man without excepcion to mar­ry, that can not abstayne. i. Cor. vii.

Thys inhybition (yow say) is no forbid­dyng of marryage, but a byddyng to kepe his vowe. Ther ar none of your mischefes wythoute a coloure to cloke them wyth. What is it els but a forbyddynge of mar­ryage, A coloure whan ye saye, thu shalt not take a wyfe vndre payne of perpetuall enprison­ment, or death? Nothyng is founde so per­niciouse and contrary to your vowe, as is marriage. Ye mai kepe cōcubines, whores boyes, or bytches, and yet your vowe not [Page ciii] broken, neyther yet any greuouse punysh­ment appoynted yow for it, of your owne Frindes generacion. Yea, and ye shall haue a much greatter nombre of the worlde to vpholde ye in your sodometry (I speake not of Iu­stices and lawers) than shall they whyche wolde gladly walke in the waye of rygh­teousnesse. Ye thynke it (ye say) a deuylysh doctryne, to forbydde a marryed man to marry, hys wyfe beynge alyue. God is a Tiranye. good God, whych suffereth yow, not only to erre for your vnbeleues sake, Roma i. but also to expresse and vtter your owne errour to rebuke and shame I saye, & wyll proue it, to the vtter confusion of your de­uylyshe hypocrysy, that it is no deuylyshe doctryne, but a doctryne of God, to for­byd hym to marry whych is marryed and hath hys wyfe alyue. Wher, how, or whā, can ye appoynte hym to marry, whych i [...] marryed already, and hath his wyfe aliue?

Ye thinke to blynde vs w ^t your bablyn­ges, Pitchers. do ye not? No, no, go do your feate a­monge olde dryed vp pytchers, for where as grace, wytte, and learnynge is, ye can do no great harme with these blacke thon­dre boltes. But your teaching is here none other, than ye haue for your tymes put in open practyse. The examples are to many in nōbre, to be here at this tyme rehearced. [Page] Ye folowe on styll wyth your matter, and call it also a doctryne of deuyls, to forbyd hym to marry, whych hath consecrate his body and sowle to God, and professed to lyue chaste w ^t out marryage. We consent Agrement with yow in this, & are glad we haue yow at y ^t aduauntage. For here ye condempne all your former argumentes, and confesse your whole proces to be a playne doctrine of deuyls. There lacketh nowe nothynge but an earnest repentaunce of your former euyls. I thynke it best to take good hold of yow, whils we haue ye in this good mode, for I feare me, it wyl not laste. Ye wyll [...] ­none turne agayne to your olde frenesye. Frenesy. O Forde, what a myracle is thys? that ye now confesse it a doctryne of deuils to for­hyd them to marry, whych hath professed your presthode and monkery? I feare me your heade is to ydell, to persyst in thys true confessyon.

Responsio.

I iudged afore, that this bnsy chaplaine wolde not longe perseuer in the truthe. He falleth now agayne, as a dogge, to his vo­myte, and as the sowe that was washed, into hys olde fylthy puddell. ii. Pet. ii. For A sowe. here he seketh to proue, that the tyrannouse enforcementes of Antichristes shauen cap­taynes, to the odyouse obseruaciyn of hys prophane vowes, is no forbyddynge of christen marryage. But he goeth here to preposterously [...]o wurke, to thryue by hys occupacion. For in these hys arsewarde procedynges, he woulde haue vs iudged Manychees, that do affyrme christen mar­ryage to be an ordre lawfull for all sortes An ordre of people, which otherwise can not auoide fornicaciō. But he and his vngodly rable, shall supplye the rowme of those Many­chers, so longe as they shall attempte by suche hypocrytycall colours, perpetually to seclude theyr sorcerouse shauelinges frō that godly estate, leauyng them weltering in the fowle lake of all fylthynesse. For the Manichees were not they, which affirmed maniches. [Page] the christen estate of marryage to be law­full, but cōtrary wise detested it as a thing horryble and hatefull, theyr selues leading lyues in all beastly abhompuacyons. And therfore thys typpet captayne, in bringing fourthe here S. Augustynes authoryte a­gainst Faustus the Manyche, is like to be pearced through wyth hys owne weapon, and proued a malygnaunt Manyche.

But marke fyrst of all, what plage doth folowe of thys chaplaynes inconstauncit? In bryngynge fourth the. xxx. boke of S. Augustyne, agaynst thys faustus the Ma­nyche, for the maintenaunce of a mischefe, Augusti­nus. he allegeth the. lx. chapter, that whole boke not hauyng so many chapters by. liiii. And thus is hys allegacion in that. vi. and not. lx. chaptre, to be Englyshed. Agayne, if ye shulde so be exhorted to virginite, as the A­postolyque doctryne vseth to exhorte, As thus: He that ioyneth hys mayde in mar­ryage, doth well, and he that ioyneth her not, doth better, that ye myght say, marry­age were a good thynge, but virginite the Better. better, like as y ^t church doth. et cet. Marke here the christen procedinges of S. Augus­tine. The Manichees iudged both meates & marriage to be things wicked & vnclene. And in detesting thē, vnder colour of absti­nence & virginite, they maynteyued moste execrable mischefes, as ded of late yeares [Page cv] our vngraciouse papystes. He wylleth thē here by the Apostles doctryne, in suche Papistes. kinde to persuade virginite, that they ther­by semed not to condempne marryage, or at the least, to gyue matrymony a good re­porte, which they had not done afore time. He denyeth it thē not, but that virginite or the lyfe single, is the better estate of liuing, that isto say, more cōmodiouse, easye, and Esyar. free without charges, cares, and sorowes. But not the more peyfight, for perfecciō is measured by fayth and not by maidēhede.

Thus defyneth the churche (sayth S. Augustine) que vere Christi est ecclesia, spe cially that churche whych is vnfaynedly Christes. These fyue latyne wordes, thys S. words chaplayne clerely bannyshed, declarynge therby (as I take it) y ^t he mēt nothyng lesse thā Christes true church. Now foloweth y ^• residue off. Augustines texte. If ye had so mēt it (saith he) y ^e holy Ghost had not thus detected yow, in calling yow y ^e forbidders of marriage. For he forbiddeth marriage, whych calleth it an euyllthing, and not he which to y ^t good thing preferreth y ^e better, etcet. If the Manychees had so preferred maniches. maidenhed, that they had not condempned marryage, Gods sprete had not shewed or declared them as they were in very dede, euē deuilish teachers, seducers, deceiuers, [Page] mockers, hypocrytes, heretyques, & blas­phemouse apostataes. Neyther had Gods open veryte condempned them, for prefer­rynge vyrgynyte as the better or more cō ­modyouse gyfte, or as S. Paule noteth it, more free to all godly funccions, hauynge Offyces. alwayes the fewar impedymentes. i. Cor. vii. if they had not ther with vtterly forbid­den marryage, namynge it a very naugh­ty or detestable thynge, fallynge therby to many inconuenyencyes, as foloweth in the sayd. vi. chapter.

Denique vos eum precipue concubitū detestamini, qui solus honestus et coniu­galis est, et quem matrimoniales quoque Couenaū ­tes. tabule pre se gerunt, liberorum procrean­dorum causa, vnde viro non tam concum­bere quam nubere prohibetis. Concum­bitur enim etiam causa libidinum, nubetur autem non nisi filiorum. Nec ideo vos di­catis non prohibere, quia multos vestros auditores in hoc obedire nolentes vel non valentes, salua amicitia tolleratis. Illud enim habetis in doctrina vestri erroris, hoc in necessitate societatis. Furthermore, ye chesely detest that acte of generaciō, which only is honest and coniugall, & that whych the matrymonyall couenauntes also bea­reth Honest. or aloweth for increase. Wherupō ye forbid man, not only the acte of generaciō, [Page cvi] but also the very lawfull offyce of marry­age. Copulacion maye as well be for wan­ton lustes, as els, but marryage is only for propagacion. Therfor excuse not your sel­ues, to be no condempners of marryage, bycause ye beare wyth a greate nombre of Bearers. your secte, which neyther wyll nor yet can be able in that pointe to obey yow, to hold them still in frendship. For the one (which is contempt of marryage) ye holde in your erroneouse doctryne, and the other (which is a tolleraunce among your selues) ye are compelled to suffer, least theyr more nom­bre wolde breake from yow.

In thys doth S. Augustyne declare the manyfest hypocrisyes of the Manychees, as we maye in these dayes the most deuy­lysh dyssymulacions of our papystes. Se Dissem­blynges. now what thys busy chaplaine hath wōne here. Now foloweth he wyth hys own cō ­clusion, as moche to the purpose, as to set Paules steple on the toppe of Charynge crosse. For though S, Augustyne speaketh here of virginite, yet maketh he no mency­on of vowes. Marryage (sayth thys chap­layne) is lawfull in euery persone. Thys is true (saye I) for it is both Christes doc­tryne, Doctrine. Math. xix. and also S. Paules. i. Cor. vii. et. Heb. xiii. Why than doth hys wycked geueracion so tyrannously inhy­byte [Page] any persone to set holde vpō it, as vp­on a refuge agaynst fylthy fornycacyon? For the mockynge of God (he sayth) in breakynge of promyse, is dampnable. All thys do I graunt hym, the promyse beyng made accordyng to y ^t rule of Gods wurd. But if it be fashyoned after the vayne de­uyses Deuyls. of mannis ydell harte, eyther yet of Antichristes Romyshe decrees, whych is a wycked aduersary and mocker of God (I say) they are to be broken, set at nought, and vtterly abhorred, as present poysons, blasphemouse mockes, and daungerouse frutes of dampnacyon.

For the Lorde sayth, Deut. xii. Ye shall not do, y ^t semeth good in your owne syght. But se ye do those thynges only whych I commaunde yow, nothynge adding or di­mynyshyng. Precepts. Neither is it a poynte of infi­delyte agaynst God, in them whych hath braynyshly, vngodly, and dampnably vo­wed, nor yet a goynge backe from a god­ly purpose, the vowe beynge presum­ted, dyssembled, and fayned. For it is in the whole, toppe and tayle, length and bredth, begyunynge and endynge, but hy­pocrysye, Falsehede craste, and falsehede, haue it ne­uer so gloryouse a shyne of relygyon and holynesse.

Thys rashe vowe hath doubled the [Page cvii] wyckednesse of Sodome, suche a preci­ouse thyng is it. For wher as afore it was a knowne wyckednesse, the worlde doth now, for thys vowes sake accepte it for an holy relygyon. O ydoll most perniciouse, and abhomynacion vnspeakeable. Thys chaplayne or proctour of hell concludeth, that the breakynge of thys vnaduised, yea, rather most vnhappy vowe is dampnable Popyshe. in euery persone, wythout excepcion. Here were a gorgyouse lye, if he had hys full ca­nonyzaciou. And se (I pray yow) how well fauerdly it is fathered vpō S. Paule. But it is as he vnderstandeth hym, wythout a­ny texte. Were not S. Paule well set for­wa [...]de (thynke yow) if he had many suche vnderstanders?

Concernynge vnaduysed vowes, they oughte of necessyte to be broken. For not onely are they lyes in hypocrysye, but al­so false promyses, blasphemyes, mockes, dyssemblinges with God, takynges of his Mockes. holy name in vayne, and suche ydell wur­des as the generall iudge shall call men to a reckenynge for, at the latter daye. Ther­for I counsell all men and women, which hath abused gods holy name in such ydell professyons, to breake them, forsake them, repente them, detest them, abhorre them, vtterly defye them, and to spytte at detest thē. [Page] them, as at the most fylthy dyrte of the be­uyll. Whan Dauid had made an earnest vowe to slee Nabal and all his mē seruaū ­tes, and was by the wysdome of Abigail, compelled to breake that promise, he neuer repented the breakyng therof, but lawded God and praysed the woman, callyng the Dauid. breache of so vnaduysed a vowe, an hyghe preseruacion of God from doinge of most daungerouse euyl. i. Reg. xxv. The. xl. Ie­wes, whych bounde themselues by vowe, neyther to eate nor drynke tyll they had slayne Paule, neded none other penaunce for the breakynge therof, than the torment of theyr hūgry panches, Acto. xxiii. if they had not take fode till theyr vowe had bene The iews. fulfylled. For God delyuered hym, & suf­fered them to dwell still in theyr vnaduised vowes, vnfulfylled.

Responsio.

It is wondre to me, that ye knowe no Romyshe prestes, and are so greate a cap­tayne, Prestes. counseller, and good ghostly father amonge them. Me thynke, ye shuld not be so neglygent as ye make your selfe, neither yet forgetful of a name so essencial to your sinered and shorne generacion. But do ye [Page] not knowe Romish prestes in dede? Knew ye neuer them whych were prestes by oy­lynges and shanynges, by syde gownes & by typpetes, by massinges and mōblinges, by creame boxes & confessyōs, by stooles, fāuonis, and superaltarees, by beckinges, Knowen. vowynges, breathinges, knockinges, kne­lynges, crossynges, calkynges, candell droppynges, stauerynges, slomberynges, gapynges, gaddynges, ydols sensynges, & watter cōiurynges, wyth many other fine toyes, whych all came from Rome? Were ye neuer acquaynted wyth byars and sel­lers in the temple, ydolmongers, bedemō ­gers, portasmōgers, & masmongers, wyth crownes pyepycked and dysguysed lyke daunsyng Apes, i [...]bberyng, whysperyng, and mutteryng in corners, false fyenge the Apes. holy scriptures, and lyenge in wayte to be­tray pore christianes? Knowe ye none yet, whych goeth to olde wynes, and byd them beleue as they haue done, and as theyr fa­thers ded afore them, callynge the veryte sediciouse learnynge?

Are ye sure there are non in these daies, that of set purpose rebelleth agaynste the Gospell, contempneth therof the maynte­ners, pursueth the dylygent readers, spur­neth Enemies. asyde the kynges ordinaūces, dysdai­ueth his godly procedynges, callyng Da­uids [Page cix] psalmes good christmas carolles, and Christes holy communion, Robine Who­des banket, lyke stought sturdy sawcy syr Iohans? Dwell ye so nygh Deuenshyre & Cornewayle, and are not acquainted with those ragynge ruffyanes of Antichristes brode, whych of late dayes sturred vp the lew de people agaynste theyr liege kynge, for theyr olde Latine seruyce whych they Rebelles. neuer yet vnderstode, for ymages, masses, ceremonies, presthode, coufessions, funte­halowynges, holy water cōiurynges, and other dyrty dregges of the Romyshe mon­ster? If ye knowe not those chaplaynes, your companyons, whych of late yeares not farre from Maluerne hylles brought wenches to theyr beddes to helpe theyr vowe of chastyte, by a charme called: Hec Acharme. dona † Hecmunera † Hec sancta sacrifi­cia † Belzebub et Berit † and so fourth, ye haue sūwhat lesse cōning thā I haue, for I both know y ^t story & haue theyr inchaunt­mēt to shewe. They litle nede marriage, y ^• haue so religiouse & holi spiritual prouisiōs

If ye knowe no Romish prestes, I dare boldely say it, that ye knowe no prestes at all. Forther is none other ordre of prest­hode, than is the Romyshe popets ordre. Presthode The churche that Christ sanctyfyed to the seruyce of hys eternall father, had neuer [Page] any massinga presthode. He only sēt fourth Apostles and dyscyples, faythfully to in­struct the multitude in our christen beleue▪ The Apostles by authorite of hys cōmissi­on, ordayned in euery citye receyuyng hys worde, preachynge byshops, elders, pas­tours, deacons, and other godly ministers to vpholde and increase the christen religi­on, which he had perfightly planted with­out masses. No presthode was lefte here to Relygion. be occupyed in the christianyte, but clerely was it taken awaye to the ryght hande of the father, the great sacrifice once perfour­med, as I haue declared afore. This chap­layne sayth, that prestes by Christes ordy­naunce are stewardes. We reade not in all the. iiii. Gospels, that Christ euer had any Gospels. other stewarde of housholde than Iudas, and he was a thefe. If ye take him into the ordre of your presthode, moche good do it yow with him. In some great mēnis how­ses (I haue herd say) full ill rule hath bene, where as prestes haue bene stewardes.

But the meanyng of thys chaplaine is, that prestes were stewardes of Christes misteries and sacramētes by his appoynt­ment, and preachers of hys worde, whych is a manyfest lye. For he neyther made A fable. prest, nor yet appoynted hys Apostles to make them. Neither toke he prestes of any [Page cx] other making, for they were most vnfyt for that godly offyce. None coulde than be ad­mytted to Christes relygyon, that had in those dayes bene a prest, vnlesse he fyrst of all renounced hys presthode vtterly. Hys preachers were men wythout ordres, vn­lesse preachers. they were of the ordre of fayth and of the holy Ghostes inspyraciō, wherby they become mynisters admittted of the Apo­stles. Thys chaplayne accompteth it to farre spoken, that the ende of prestes vow­ [...]s shulde be fylthy sodometry. But surely the naughtye examples of them, exten­deth A plage. moche further. It is a sore plage (S. Paule sayth) lefte them of God, for theyr vngodly presumpcion, Roma. i. So chary­table is thys chaplayne, that he reckeneth no spirituall sodomytes to be euyll liuers, whā he iudgeth the Gospellers (as he doth call them) fowle heretyques and men wor­thye of death.

He wyll not (he sayth) so vncharytably iudge (y ^t mē bawdes of Rome haue y ^t lyke in theyr mouthes) that euery man and wo­man whych professeth chastyte or widow­hed, Professiō. doth it to that ende, to lyue in such fil­thy abhominacion. If they ded (say I) hell were to good both for them, and for hym that so earnestly defendeth theyr execrable myschefes. That iudgement is not allow­able, [Page] which dependeth on the naked cause, the effecte not folowynge. And therfore Christ taught vs, not to iudge the frute by the tree, but the tree by hys frute. Of their Frutes. frutes (saith he) are the false prophetes and hypocrites knowne, Mat. vii▪ What god­ly wyse man can thynke, that vyrginite is the better, because it is vowed, or chastyte the holiar because it is professed? Is it bet­ter in synnefull mānys bandes, than in the free hande of God whych is y ^t gyuer? The shamefull successe therof, shuld seme to de­clare it otherwyse. But answer me to this, Answer. ye patrone of bawdry and fylthynesse vn­speakable. Were the prodygiouse occupi­enges of Sodome & Gomor in vse amonge the christianes, afore the profession of that counterfet vowe of yours? If ye say, yea, I can proue ye a depe lyar.

Eyther yet, were ther euer so many pro­dygyouse kyndes of that fylthye occupy­enge, in practyse, as there hath bene sens the professynge of that most wicked vowe? Professiō. If ye saye, there were, I am able to con­founde ye be a thousande examples, au­thorytees, and authours to the contrarye. Your obstinacye in thys myschefe, hath caused me moche more to trauayle in sto­ryes and chronycles of tymes, thā I wold [Page cxi] els haue done. If I cōdēpned your whole holy ghost generaciō for that wickednes of Sodome, I shulde do none other thā the holy Ghost hath done, whych neuer yet could erre. He hath proclamed it to the world by his elect Apostle S. Iohan, that your whole spiry­tua [...]te is a wycked Sodome. Apoca .xi. He hath also louyngly admonyshed hys ser­uauntes, by hys chosen vessell S. Paule, that your vowe is a folyshe presumpcyon of your owne blynde hartes, deseruynge most dāpnable plage, for your vnbeleues sake, Rom .i. Ye are not able to ouerthrow bulwerks▪ these .ii. bulwerkes wyth all Antichristes artyllery though ye be of nature most ob­stynate rebelles agaynst the truth of God. I saye therfore vnto yow, that ther is no­thynge so wycked vpon the earthe, as are your relygyouse and prestyshe vowes, if the tree maye be iudged by hys frute.

Thys chaplayne assenteth, that the vo­wes of mōkes and prestes, were neuer cō ­maunded of Christe. What hath the chris­ten Nothyng▪ man or woman to do wyth them than, saye I? Are ther other lawe makers for the sowle besydes hym? Or are ther other cō ­maundementes to be obserued in conscy­ence than hys? Thys instrumente of the deuyll, holdeth hys peace at thys poynte, and dare not vtter what he thynketh. [Page] Notwythstandynge to coloure the matter, he bryngeth in hys olde dystincciō of vow­es commen and priuate, if I so take them. No syr, I am not in these dayes so Iewish, Iewyshe. as to thynke that those vowes are to euery christē man now commen, whose perfour­maunce God so earnestly in the olde lawe required. Bullock, Calfe, Shepe, & Gote offerynges, be now all past. My opynyon is therin, as S. Paules was, that no chri­sten man ought to do them. For the lyghte beynge present, the shadowe muste gyue place, as is sayd afore. And as for pryuate promyses, or syngular vowes after euerye Deuocion mannys deuocion, thys chaplayne affyr­meth, that no mā is commaunded to make them. Than is he a lewde fole (say I) that wylleyther make them or do thē. For they are but vaine worshippinges (Christ saith) whan they are at the best. Math. xv.

No man shall receyue any rewarde for them at the latter daye, vnlesse it be the re­warde of dampnacion, for leauyng Gods Rewarde. commaundementes to do suche ydelnesse. God hath declared by the mouthe of hys prophete, that he estemeth them nomore, than he estemeth y ^• vile dyrte of mē. Mala. ii. For when they are not of hys cōmaun­dement, they are none other than mannys ydell and wicked inuenciōs. But to breake [Page cxii] these (sayth thys chaplayne) whan they are ones made after euery mannys deuocion, is prohybyted by Gods wurde and com­maundement. But he sheweth not where Forbidde. that wurd is placed, nor yet where that cō ­maundement is to be founde out. He is a prothonotary of Rome. Hys wurde stan­deth for an authoryte, if it maye be so takē. No, no, maistre papyst, that world is past. If ye thynk to be dyscharged by, vouete et reddite, ye ar fowly deceiued. For Dauid Dyrte. byd ye not there, to vowe your owne inuē ­cions, neyther yet to offer vp your owne dyrte. For suche high deuocions not ordai­ned by hym, are but your owne styncking dyrte. If ye apere afore God wyth such an vncomely present, what maye he say to his Angels? Awaye wyth that fylthy knaue, that spyghtful mocker, that tordemonger, whych dysdaynynge my preciouse precep­tes, presēteth me with his vile dirty donge.

God abhorreth hys owne lawfull or­dynaunces, whan they passe after mennys deuises, Esay. i. Hiere. vii. Amos. v. Mich. Tradiciōs vi. Zacha. vii. moche more than the selfe y­dell deuises. Are not they (thinke yow) ple­saunt gentylmen, whych stande afore god, all trapped, dysguysed, and decked in their owne stynkynge dyrte, as are monkes in theyr cowles, fryres in theyr coates, and [Page] shauen prestes in theyr dysguysynges? I thynke he hath a more iust cause to call thē mockers, than theyr predecessours in the olde lawe, Psal. xxi. Bycause ye haue no scriptures to proue that Christ commēded Christ. your popyshe vowes, it shall stande styll for a lye to your shame, & for a fowle blas­phemy to your dampnacion, if ye recant it not. Though ye be a naturall mocker by kynd, yet we pray yow, not to make Christ your mockynge stocke, for your owne ease hereafter. Saye not that he exhorted men to your sodometrouse vowes, Math. xix. for if ye do, ye blasphemously bely hym. Qui potest capere, capiat, is not to profes your vngraciouse vowe, nor yet to become Professiō. an ydell masmōger, but that they lay han­des on the free gyft of God, whych maye obtayne it, and no longer to presume ther­upon, thā he doth geue it for the kingdome of heauēs sake, whych is the Gospel prea­chinge, whom yow detest and abhorre.

No man is there exhorted to gelde him­selfe for that only kyngdomes sake. Only Chastmen is it declared of Christ, that suche there be, by the speciall gyfte of God. I haue tolde yow thys afore. Ye thynke your selfe able (ye say) to proue y ^t your wyuelesse vowes haue takē theyr groūde of y ^t Apostles doc­tryne. But ye are lyke to come vengeably short. Ded not wydowes vowe chastyte? [Page cxiii] say yow. i. Timo. v. If they ded, as y ^t mat­ter is doubtfull, what is thys to the pur­pose for prestes? Wydowes and prestes were sumtyme dyuers, both in kynde and offyce. Are they now become all one? This is truly a full mōstrouse ordre. Me thinke All ou [...]. wydowes should haue nothynge to do in thys matter, consyderyngo they want the ware that ye wote of, which are most chef­ly requyred in that holy ordre of presthode. Spadones, eunuchi, et castrati, non sunt in sacerdotes ordinandi, the Canō lawe saith, Neyther geldynges, eunukes, nor yet dys­mēbred mē, may be receyued to presthode. Wydows Moch lesse the wydowes whych neuer yet had those members. The great priapus of rome, is alwaies proued by his culliōs, an able cocke & no hen, ere he be admitted to y ^t seate of Antichrist. what shuld y ^t religiouse widows thā medle in suche hygh matters. It is ynough for thē to beleue as holi chur­che doth teache thē, & to be obediēt in theyr vocaciō, whan y ^t holy fathers hath nede of Obedient their help, & uot to come afore they are cal­led The widows were not admytted off. Paule, tyll they were of. lx. yeares of age, and past all hope of chylde bearynge. If ye will haue prestes after theyr rule, admit none to vowe chastite in y ^• presthode, till he be so old, y ^t he is past gettynge of children. [Page] And than ye shall haue as chast prestes, as S. Paule lefte wydowes. Els wyll not Ananias. thys rule serue yow. Ye aske if Ananias and Saphira ded not vowe? but your alle­gacion is to farre out of square, for ye nō ­ber. l. for. v. as one muche sene in multipli­caciōs. Of a lykelyhode ye feared to come to short, that ye rāne so fast afore. Ye must come backe agayne. xlv. degrees, if ye will touche your matter a ryghte. For the story of Ananias and Saphira, is in the. v. chap­tre of the Apostles actes, whych boke lac­keth. xxii. chapters of your set nombre. Ye aske if they ded not vowe? No truly, vnles No vowe. ye call dyssymulacion a vowe. For the text sayth, that they dyssembled, lyed, and tēp­ted the sprete of God, whych is no honest kynde of vowe makynge. Lo, here haue yt as farre ouershote your wyttes in iudge­ment, as in nombre of your chapter afore.

Ye saye, they promysed to brynge in the pryce of all theyr possession. The text spea­keth of no promyse, but it sayth, that they solde a possessyon, and kepte awaye parte Professiō. of the pryce, Than this pertaineth nothing to a vowe. What vengeaunce came vpon them, I knowe in dede, for the storye is playne in that matter. But it was not for the breakynge of a vowe, but for theyr co­lourable deceyt in a fayned christianite, as [Page cxiiii] is your coūterfet chastite in a false and de­ceyuable presthode. If it had bene a vowe, No vowe yet was it no vowe for that presthode, for neyther he was a preste, neyther yet hys wyfe a prestesse. Neither was it a vowe a­gaynst marryage, for he had a wyfe, and she a husbande. But in dede it was lyke your vowes,, in as moche as it was a dis­symulacion. Ye thought thys exāple, whā ye brought it in, very fyt for your purpose, and I thynke it also very fyt for your mat­ter. For what other is your vowe, than an hypocrisy? What other is your presthode, Hipocrisy than a false relygyon? Yea, what other are they both, than a lienge to the holy Ghost? By thys storye coulde I wonderfully de­scrybe your dyssemblinge profession, were it not for makynge my boke here to longe.

Responsio.

Basilius Magnus hath moche wronge here, to be brought in for a witnes against prestes marriage. For why his father Ba­silius y ^• elder, was a prest, Gregorius Na­ziāzenus Basilius. saith, in his funerall sermō called Monodia, Wheras he reporteth his sober nes to be such, y ^• marriage in him was nei­ther an impedimēt to vertue, nor yet to the study of godly wisdō, though he had bi his wyfe Eumelia, a daughter &. iiii. sōnes. In statu (inquit) cōiugali vitā ac ritū seruauit sacerdotalē. Ex quo tria hec, castitas, ma­trimoniū et sacerdotiū, que diuersa solēt vi iii. kindes. te genera cōstituere, nequaquā in eo pug­nātia fuere, aut virtuti vllo modo offecerūt In the matrimonyall state (sayth he) thys mā obserued throughly, both y ^• life & office [Page cxv] of a prest, wherby these. iii. thinges, chasti­te, matrimony, & presthode, which are wōt to cōstitute diuers kindes of lyfe, were ne­uer in him repugnaūt, y ^t one to y ^• other, ne­ther yet any hindraunce to perfecciō. This one cōfusion hath our chaplaine by Basili­us. Cōfusion. An other. Though y ^• said Basilius wer a collect our of mōkes or solitary men, and made thē rules accordinge, yet maketh he no great mencion of vowes in thē, neyther yet hath he taught any soūd doctrine of vo wes priuate, in al hys writting, though he sumwhat doubtfully dallyed about them.

In his epistle, ad Gregoriū Naziāzenū de vita solitaria, no maner of mēcion ma­keth he of Auanias & Saphira, which is an other blot to thys chaplaine. But in y ^• last A blotte. chapter of his boke, called, Institutio illo­rum, qui vitā cupiūt ducere perfectā, thys sētence we find. He y ^• hath kept himself vn­corrupted (saith he) all his lyfe, haih surely obteined the perfight gift of virginite. And thys he applyeth as well to marryage as mōkery, as foloweth anon after. Thā go­eth Goeth on. he on. And y ^• we may holde it (saith he) lete vscōtinually take hede, & wyth all en­deuer possyble, labour to come agayne to the symylytude of God. Lete vs also be ware, least we admit any thing vnwurthy that promyse and sure hope of ours. [Page] Ne in Ananie crimen incidamus, least we fall into the crime of Ananias, which was frawde and deceyte. Thys perteyneth as All men. well to the marryed as vnmarryed. For it foloweth there. Hoc inire ac optare licet, sine in matrimonio, seu celibem agente. Thys ought to be vnderstande and loked for, as well in marryage as in them that lyue sole. What maye be spoken more playnely?

Here ment thys chaplayne some crafte (I beleue) in brynginge fourth an authour wythout hys authorite, and in sendyng vs He sēdeth. to a place, where no suche matter is. But sure he toke one doctoure for an other, as Basyle for Gregory. For in dede, Grego­ry hath thys clause, and it is alleged in the byshop of Romes decrees. xxvii. q. i. cap. Ananias. Ananias deo pecunias vouerat, quas postea victus persuasione diaboli, subtraxit. Sed qua morte mulctatus est, scis. Siergo ille mortis pericuso dignus gregorius fuit, qui eos quos dederat nummos Deo abstulit, cousidera quanto periculo in diui­no iudicio dignus eris, qui non nummos, sed temetipsum Deo omnipotenti, cui te sub monachali habitu deuoueras, subtrax­isti. Ananias vowed money to god, whych afterwarde he agayne wythdrewe by the deuyls persuasion. But howe he dyed, thu [Page cxvi] knowest. If he than were worthye deathe, Worthye▪ that wythdrewe the moneye ones geuen, Considre thy parell in the lattre iudgemēt, whych hast geuen, not money, but thyselfe to the God almyghty, wythdrawynge the agayne from hym, to whom thu wert pro­fessed vnder a monkes cowle.

No gentill Gregori, no, Ananias neuer vowed that he toke awaye. Who taughte yow to call a lye, a vowe? Ye woulde by Monkery thys meanes, haue monkery a perfeccion in the christianite. But y ^t shall be, whā a lye is all one with a vowe. It is a money mat­ter ye go about. Ananias is most fytt, to be set in suche a foundacion. Take yow no thought for reckenynge of your monkery at the lattre daye. For it shall be plucked vp by the rootes afore, as that wythered plante which the eternall father neuer plā ­ted. A plante. Math. xv. Thys was the text that this chaplayne ment, but he feared the blacke blotte of treason for maynteynynge mon­kery, whych hys prince had condempned afore. Well, in dyssemblynge both the au­thour and the place, he hath workemanly played the false part of Ananias. Now as­keth he what it is, Mentiri spiritui sancto? And answereth it as fondely. It is (sayth Mentiri. he) to vowe and to promise a thyng to god, and not to kepe hys vowe. As thoughe the [Page] scriptures pertayned only to monkes and prestes, and to no sortes of people els.

But I wyll tell yow, maistre persone. Mētiri spiritui sācto, is to face downe the Dyffyned holy Ghoste wyth a lye, to seke to deceyue God by a falsehede, colourly and slyely to dyssemble, to deface a truth with hypocri­sye, or to speake one thynge & thynke an o­ther, as (the texte sayth) he ded, which kept away parte of the liue lode, and as yow do which professe a mōkery or false presthede, which the scripture knoweth not but to cō ­dempnacion. Sathan hath fylled the ydell hartes of all thē y ^t eyther vowe or professe suche beggeryes, as he ded the false hartes of Ananias and Saphira. Now stampeth Ananias. he like a Lyon, and steppeth fourth boldely lyke a gyaunt. Nōne manēs tibi manebat, et venundatum in tua potestate erat? Re­mayned it not wholy thyne owne, and be­ynge solde, was it not vndre thy power? Well sayd maystre persone, wyth whome do ye reson? wyth dead Ananias for lande sellynge? What is thys to the purpose of prestes vowes? If he had not (ye saye) put himselfe out of propriete of his goodes. Yt Propryete smell here of a monke, maystre persone, whych he ded by hys promyse consecrate to God. Where haue he learned, that a mannys wycked promyse, coupled wyth [Page cxvii] dyssymulacion, falsehede, and hypocrysye, coulde euer yet consecrate?

I se well, ye can finde out, more wayes cōsecracion thā one. A prodigiouse cōsecra­cion do that hart send fourth, wher Sathā hath take possessiō afore. I thynke y ^t deuill Sathan. hymselfe, had neuer yet a doctrine of more blasphemy. If he had not done this (ye sai) his fact had bene no sinne. O maistre per­son, Beatus qui intellegit, say I. Ye apere by thys doctryne, a moche better cellerer than scripturer. A more expert rent gathe­rer, than Gospell preacher. Euery man (ye saye) doth not synne, that selleth his lande. Gyuyng. No syr, geuynge the moneye to yow, to be prayed for, thoughe he, lyke an vnthrifte, therby dysheryteth hys whole posteryte. There is no synne founde, where yow are fatted. And that is the cause, that ye solēp­nised and sēsed so many dead confessours, both Kynges, Byshoppes, and Abbottes, whych had founded mynsters and monas­teries. If the Apostles were here, they were lyke to haue no parte of that pryce. Heyres. For Ananias heyres are yet alyue, and it was not promysed them afore. Here is moche a doo, and lytle helpe to the fur­theraunce of this matter, concerning pre­stes vowes. The text sayth, that hys onely dyssymulaciō, w ^tout all these other vayne [Page] bablynges, made hys facte wycked and blasphemouse.

I wyshe, that all men toke hede of thys false Apostle and messanger of Antichrist, cōutiaūce marking here hys deceytfull conueiaūces. He allegeth the. xvi. and. xvii. chapters of the seconde boke of Eusebius Cesariensis, in his ecclesiasticall history, to proue y ^• pre­stes vowes were groūded vpō y ^• Apostles doctryne, & vpon y ^• practyse of thē whych taught in y ^t Apostles tyme. I assure yow, he is in this point as he is in al others, a ve ry false harlot & a liar. For in those. ii. cha. is no suche matter to be seene, neyther yet is ther any expresse doctryne of vowes in all the whole wurke containing. ix. bokes. Doctrine. The. xvi. chaptre is very short, shewynge of the fyrst commyng of S. Marke the E­nange list into the land of Egipte, and how he declared Christes doctryne there. If he fatcheth the grounde of hys vowes from the sober lyfe, modestie, continence, tempe­raunce, and other vertues there mēcioned, he doth excedynge wronge to the christen fayth of that Godly multytude, whych was called to God by the said S. Markes S. Marke preachynge. For they were no professed prestes and nūnes, but christien men and theyr wyues. Neyther were those vertues bred of vowes, but of fayth in the Gospell [Page cxviii] of Iesus Christe. For there are they called Credentes, and not voue [...]tes, beleuers and not vowers.

Philo the Iewe, which there describeth the lyues of abstayners, dwellynge in so­lytary places, meaneth neyther chauntery nor college of prestes, neyther yet any co­uent Colleges. of ydel cloysters, but companyes of them whych folowed Christes doctryne. Notwythstandynge Eusebius concludeth there. Quod hi qui sub Apostolis ex Israe­litis credebant, Iudaicis adhuc institutio­nibus et legis obseruationibus inherebāt. Those of the Israelytes (sayth he) whych were by the Apostles conuerted, were as yet muche gyuen to Iewysh tradycyons Tradiciōs and obseruacions of Moyses lawe. Ther­for some scrupulouse persones among thē, myght parauenture holde those abrogated vowes, thoughe it be not there expressed. But wyth them hath Christes true prufes­sour, nothyng at all to do. In the. xvii. cha. of the sayed Eusebius, doth Philo call the faithful beleuers, Cultores et Cultrices, y ^• is to saye, tyllers or worshyppers, because they tylled with Gods holy worde, y ^• rude Hartes. and barē hartes of the people, perseuering in hys true worshyppynges wyth a most pure conscience. Anon after were they cal­led Christyanes, but not vowe makers. [Page] Euery where appoynted they howses of prayer (not of vowes makinge) called con­uentycles, or places of assembly for sober honestmen, and not for prestes and nūnes.

Upon a comely clennesse (sayth he) and an honest chaste behauer they plāted other vertues, but not vpon any vowe of syngle Women. lyfe. Women they had amonge them, of whom some were very auncient maydēs, integritatem casti corporis non necessitate aliqua, sed deuotione seruaūtes, obseruing a bodyly chastite, not of any necessyte but of a deuocion, not by constraynt but of fre conscience, for the only study of godly wis­dome.

Thus hath vowes here no maner of Vowes. grounde of the Apostles doctryne, ney­ther yet toke the captyuyte and tyrauny of them, any holde vpon the practyses of the preachers of theyr time. My reason is rec­kened, of thys chatteryng chaplayne, very slēdre and weake, that vowes shuld seme to take no grounde of the Apostles doc­tryne, bycause theyr selues had marryed wyues. Saynte Paule thought that rea­son not euyll, whan he argued wyth the Marry. croked Corinthianes about lyke matter. An non habemus potestatem, sororem mu­lierem circumducendi, quemadmodum et ceteri Apostoli, et fratres domini, et Ce­phas? [Page cxix] Aut solus ego, et Barnabas non ha­bemus potestatē hoc faciēdi? Haue not we power to leade about a syster to wyfe, as A syster. well as the other Apostles, and as the bre­thren of the Lorde, and as Cephas? Either haue I onli and Barnabas not power this to do. i. Corin. ix.

By that whych foloweth, he thynketh to confute both Saynte Paule and me. That were (saith he) as though a marryed man, myght not exhorte an other to chasti­te Exhort. or virginite. A foole (they say) is nothing worth wythout hys bable. Truth it is, that chastyte is a vertue to fylthynesse repug­naunt, whose offyce it is, chefely to dwell in marryage. For without chastyse, which is a refraynynge from whoredome, mar­ryage is no marryage. And therfor one marryed man, maye conuenyently and brotherlye exhorte an other to chastyte. But if he ded so persuade hym to vowe the Persuade. syngle lyfe, than were he an vtter enemye vnto Saynte Paules doctryne, whych wylleth the men to rendre to hys wife, due benyuolence, and in lyke case the wyfe to her husbande. But where hath thys chap­layne learned, that one marryed man, maye exhorte an other to vyrgynyte? they hauynge no power ouer theyr owne bo­dyes, but theyr wyues. i. Corin. vii.

[Page]In thys poynte here hath he shewed Calfam. hymselfe, a very wyse calfam. An other of hys clerkly reasons, to cōfute both me and S. Paule. A man (sayth he) that hath well dyned hymselfe, maye yet teache and set fourth the vertue and goodnes of fastyng. Is not here (thynke yow) a lompe of good wholsome learnynge?

A greate bellyed monke wyth a scarlet face, whose panche is well pampered and stuffed vp to the throte wyth all maner of delycates, and a platter faced preste, wyth Preachars a payre of chekes as bygge as a boies but­tockes, well vytayled also, maye conueny­ently stande fourthe and preache of good abstinence. A wanton gyglot maye cal mē to sorowfull repentaunce, whils she is yet in her gawdes, and the maystre of the ste­wes maye persuade mē to chastyte. Wher are than the exāples, whych ought to pre­uent Examples the doctryne of a Christen preacher? Now forsoth ye are a good robine Swine. We had alreadye out of your generacion of vowers, to great a nombre of this sorte of teachers, that wolde say moche and ne­uer do the lyke. Ye reporte me to saye it wythout excepcion, that the Apostles had wyues. Here is a sore matter now agaynst me. Marry syr, I say it agayne, to cōfirme Confyrme myne owne wurdes, and all wythout ex­cepcion. [Page cxx] And I trowe, S. Paule wythout excepcion wyll do the same. For he sayth, that Cephas, otherwyse called Peter, had a syster to wyfe, whych was amonge the Apostles, chefe in estimacion.

He reporteth also, that the brethrē of the Lorde, had systers to wyues. i. Cor. ix. I A brother. knowe not one of them, that was not a bro ther to the Lorde, by hys owne admyssion. If thys chaplayue do, lete hym brynge thē fourth, and he shall be soonar hearde than beleued. Whan Christ sent the women to declare hys resurreccion and ascencion to hys Apostels, he called them all brethren, and not one was thā exempted out of that commyssyon, Math. xxviii. et Iohan. xx. It is a wrytten veryte, that I tell thys chaplayne, what though he of obstinacye, malyce, and wylfull blindenesse, do cōfesse Malyce. it a veryte vnwrytten. Yet haue we wōne sumwhat of hym, in that he confesseth it a verite. What though your Ambrose excep teth Iohan and Paule, yet shall not your Ambroses authoryte be able to con­founde. S. Paules truthe in that matter, whych sayth, that the brethren of the Lord had fysters to wynes. We hold your Am­brose Ambrose. accursed, if he teache any other doc­tryne, thā S. Paule hath taught vs. Gal. i. Ye do your Ambrose wronge, in reporting [Page] hym the authoure of the. ii. epistle and. xi. chaptre to the Corinthianes. I wyshe ye were sumwhat wyser, for your owne ho­nesty, if it myght be.

To proue that S. Paule had a wyfe, I praye yow gyue me leaue, to allege out of y ^• same authour, y ^t ye toke sor your vowes Sped not. whan ye sped not. For I can spede therein dede, for Paules marriage, and that stròg ly. Eusebins Cesariensis, in the thyrd boke and. xxx. chaptre of hys Ecclesiasticall sto­rye, inueyghenge agaynst them that wyc­kedly impugne marryage (as our papistes do now) brought fourth a strong wysnesse from an auncient wryter, called Clemens Alexandrius, whych lyued afore Ambrose Clemens. about. ii. hondred yeares. An et Apostolos improbant? Petrus etenim [...]c Philippus, vxores habuerunt, et filias etiā viris nup­tum dederunt. Sed et Paulum non tedet Apostolum, in quadam epistola sua, men­tionē vel salutationem facere cōparis sue, quam se ideo negat circūducere, vt ad pre­dicationē Paulus. Euangelij expeditior fiat. Wyll those blasphemouse hypocrites (sayth Cle­ment) condempne the Apostles also. It is out of question, that Peter and Philippe had wyues, and that they bestowed well theyr daughters to mē in marriage. Ney­ther dysdayned Paule in a serten epistle or [Page cxxi] gentyll salutacion, to make mencion of his A wyfe. yoke fellow or wyfe, whom he at that time minded not to leade about wyth hym, by­cause he might alwayes be in a more spedy readynes, cōcerning y ^t office of preaching.

Of S. Iohan the Euangelist, your olde quere seruyce reporteth, that he was mar­ryed in Cana a citye of Galyle, Christe be­ing S. Iohan. ther present. And Guilhelmus Postil­lator saith, vpon this Gospell, Nuptie fac­te sunt in Cana. Iohan. ii. that hys wyues name was Anachita. If thys be a lye, than haue ye in your solempnytees saluted god wyth lyes. For wyth thys haue I hearde yow at mattens, vpon S. Iohannes daye wythin Christmas (as ye call it) biddē him good morrowe, the candels beynge lyghte and whyte rochettes on your backes. But Rochettes that Christ shuld plucke him away againe from hys wyfe, for example of virginite, it is a most manyfest lye, though it be so vtte­red of Isydorus, in hys boke de ortu et obi­tum sanctorum patrum, and of certeyne of your other olde doctours, and also in oure time of Baptista Mantuanus in libro. xii. mātuanus Fastorum. And thys can I proue, by S. Iohan the Euangelist, thoughe it now be nothynge to hys derogacion. That he ma­ny tymes lost the virgynyte of hys sowle, which only is accepted afore god. As thus.

[Page]He ambyciously sought, by the instaunt sute of his mother, equally to reygne wyth Christ, Mat. xx. He cōplained of hym that ded cures in Christes name, Marci. ix. He S. Iohan. wolde in his fury, haue consumed the Sa­maritans wyth fyer, Luke. ix. He arrogāt­ly contended wyth others, for the superio­rite, Luke. xxii. Persuaded by Iudas, he murmured agaynst the costes of Maryes oyntment. Math. xxvi. Whan Christ was He fled. ones takē, he fled away from hym, Mark. xiiii. And amōg other he doubted of his re­surreccion▪ Marci. xvi. In these and other lyke fa [...]tes, was faythes integrite broken, whych is the true maydenhede of y ^e soule. The other maydenhede, wythout thys, is nothyng, as well apereth by the. v. folysue vyrgynes, Math. xxv. All thys haue I vt­tered, [...]yrgyns. bycause ye make of S. Iohans vyr­gynite, an ydoll of defence, and a craftye coloured cloke, for your bawdy Sodome­trouse vowes.

Responsio.

In that takynge is this chaplaine here, that a mery felowe was in, on a time, whō I knewe. In remouynge from Boston to Eye in Sothfolke, he hyred. iii. cartes for Example. conueyenge of hys stuffe thydre. But whā it come to the poynte, it was nomore than he myght well beare awaye in a pyllowe­bere. Therfor he thanked them, and sayde, he wolde take the paynes to carry [...]t hym­selfe. He chaūced in the iournay to be lod­ged at an ale howse, wher the drinke plea­sed hym so well, y ^• ther he left behynde hym y ^• whole carryage, except the pyllowe [...]ere The case. [Page] whych he put in hys bosome, and went a­waye moche lyghter than afore. So doth thys braggyng chaplaiue here, which hath at the latter, atter longe turmoile and alle­gynge of doctours, brought hys matter to a case. For now is he dryuen to hys vtter­most shyfte (as the i [...]star was to hys pyl­lowbere) to playe Iacke sophystre altoge­ther. He putteth me here a case, that all the Apostles had wyues, as he seyth nothyng agaynst them, but they might well all haue Apostles. had wyues. Yet were they not marryed (sayth he) after they were called to prest­hode, but afore. Here is a sore reason, if ye marke it, and as myghtely proued.

But where dwelleth that presthode, which they were called to? and whan were they called vnto it? Thys wyll be learned ly answered, ad calendas Grecas, whan Answer. mattockes are men. For they haue no such presthode to shewe, by the scriptures of the newe testamente. The Apostles were no prestes, but preachers, no masmōgers, but ministers of the Lordes communiō. They made no newe sacrifyces, but put the peo­ple in a perfyght remembraunce of one perfight sacrifice ones made for all. They stode not at aulters, wyth theyr backes to the multitude, but out of the pulpet they Apostles. turned theyr faces vnto them, and syncerly [Page cxxiii] taught them the doctrine of the Lord. The record which he taketh of Ignatius epistle to y ^• Philadelphianes, is a most shamefull lye, as he doth handle it. As that Timothe­us, Titus, Clemens, and such other (Euo­dius is lefte out) had neuer wyues, bicause they were made prestes in virginite. Igna­tius Ignatius. speaketh not one wurd ther of a prest­hode, but after the rehearsall of theyr na­mes, thys is his conclusion, qui in castita­te de vita exierunt, which departed this life in chastite. Wher is than y ^e cause why they had no wyues? O beastly babler and prodigiouse lyar.

The clause whych foloweth next, con­soundeth hys whole practyse in thys mat­ter, and taketh clerely awaye the abatemēt of hys case. Non detraho autem ceteris The texte. beatis, qui nuptiis copulati fuerunt, quo­rum nunc memini. I hyndre not herein (sayth he) the other blessed mē whych were marryed and had wyues, of whom I now [...]ade mencion. These were the Apostles, elders, & deacōs, alitle afore specified. Op­to enim Deo dignus, ad vestigia eorum in regno ipsius inueniri, sicut Abraham, Isa­ac, et Iacob, sicut Ioseph et Esaias, et ce­teri prophete, sicut Petrus et Paulus, et reliqui Apostoli, qui nuptiis fuerūt sociati. Marryed. [Page] Qui non libidinis causa, sed posteritatis subrogande gratia, coninges habuerunt. My despre is (sayth good Ignatius) that I also as the feruaunt of God, may be foūde in hys kyngdome, worthely to folow their fotesteppes, as ded Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, as ded Iosephe, Esaias, and the o­ther prophets, & as ded also Peter, Paule, and the residue of y ^• Apostles, which were vndre yoke of marryage. Whych all had wyues, not for fleshly pleasure, but for the continuaunce of succession. Loo, here doth Wyues. thys holy martyr Ignatius, beynge y ^t bys­shop of Antioche, nombre himselfe amōge them that had wyues, as a marryed man, and reporteth the blessed prophetes and A­postles to be marryed men.

This might not be touched of this proc­tour of Sodome, and chaplayne of the de­uyll. Doctryne For though it were a true christē doc­tryne, and grounded vpon both the testa­mētes of God, yet was it not for his gost­ly purpose. Though holy Hierusalem ded alwayes allowe it for her godly citiezens, yet coulde bawdy Babylon, that cage of vnclēnesse, & synke of all synnefulnesse, for her wycked shorlynges & sorcerouse soul­dyours, neuer abide it. The craftes are not small, nor the conueia [...]nces fewe, that this Enemy. enemy on euery side seketh out, to driue his [Page cxxiiii] generacion from it, and to make them ab­horre it for the fylthy feates of Gomorra. Now resteth he all vpon thys, whan no­thynge els wyll serue hys crafty inggelin­nes. That though the Apostles had wiues, and though the byshops and ministers af­ter them had wyues also, yet married they not (sayth he) after they had receiued prest­hode. Thys is a buyldynge wythoute Presthode a grounde, and a very quarellynge of the temptyng serpent. Wherunto I answere, that thys is no good argument. They ded not marry, ergo they might not marri. For why, marryage was than fret for all kyn­des of men, by S. Paules doctryne.

Pro vitanda (inquit) scortatione, suam quisque vxorem habeat. Et qui se non con­tinent, Nubere. nubant. Melius est autem nubere, quam vri. For auoydynge fornicaciō (say­eth he) lete euery man haue hys wyfe. And they that can not refrayne, lete thē marry. For better it is to marry, than to burne. i. Corin. vii. Thys freedome is generall, no kynde of men secluded. Oportet episcopū irreprehensibilem esse, vnius vxoris mari­tum. A byshop muste be vnrebukable, the husbande of one wyfe. i. Timo. iii. Hono­rabile est inter ōnes con [...]giū, ac torus im­maculatus. Wedlocke is honorable amōg Wedlock. all sortes of men, and the chambre vndefy­led, [Page] Hebre. xiii. The worde of God hath se­questred noman from this lyberte, neither yet mannys ordynaunce, tyll the yeare of our Lorde a. M. lxxiiii. Wherin Gregory the. vii. otherwise called pope hyldebrand, a fylthy sodometrouse mōke of [...]lunyake, made a wycked constituciō in the generall synode at Rome, that none shuld frō thēce A Synode fourth be admytted to presthode, vnlesse he were sworue neuer after to marrye. And thus entred that execrable poysō and most dampnable mischefe, by layser, into all the christen nacions, to make of our christiani­te a very Sodome.

This witlesse chaplaine dwelleth not a­lone in this most folish opiniō, but he hath more fellowes. For the last tyme I was at Oxforde, it was tolde me of dyuerse lear­ned Oxforde. men, that one doctour Cole warden of the newe college ther, shuld openly speake it, that he neuer yet could read, that ani mā after presthode, married. In thys he shew­eth a great ignoraūce, or els y ^t he hath bene vnwyllynge to fynde it. For he that seketh shall easely finde. I haue by my finall rea­dynge, found of that matter, a great heape of examples, and of them that begate chil­dren after theyr presthode, an innumerable Begetters swarme, but y ^t is not wayed of these gnat­straynynge and spyder weauing papistes. [Page cxxv] Onely is it marryage that troubleth theyr whorysh orders, for that maketh y ^• blinde people, not to recken them so holy as they haue done. Lambertus Shafuaburgensis, Examples wryteth in his chronicle, that Burchardus the prouoste of Tryere in Germany, was marryed to the prince of the Russianes sis­ter, after hys presthode, by dyspensacyon of pope helhounde, Hildebrande I shulde say, anon after prestes marriages were for bydden. Loo, se what moneye was able to do, whan Gods lawes were ones put a backe. Uolateranus in. iiii. libro Geogra­phie, reporteth, y ^t Nicolaus Iustinianus a Nicolaus. monke, married Anne the daughter of Ui­talis Duke of Uenys, after his presthode, by dispensaciō of Adrian the. iiii. An Eng­lyshe man. The byshoppe of Siracusa had also a wyfe, Huttenus sayth.

Gaguinus in libro. iii. de gestis franco­rum sayth, that one Daniel a prest, was constitute kynge of fraunce, and marryed Constans. by dyspensacion, lyke as one Constans a monke of Wynchestre ded here in Eng­lande amonge the Brytaynes, and Ethel­nolphus amonge the Englyshe kynges, whych had bene byshoppe of Winchestre (Roger Houeden sayth) and had. iiii. son­nes by hys wyfe Osburga, whych all were kynges after hym. [Page] Iacobus Mayer in Chronicis flādrie, she­weth, that Petrus Elsatius the byshop of Cameryck, marryed Leonor the countesse of Niuerne, by dispensacion. Robertus de monte Michaelis in opere chronicorum, sayth, that Remelius a monke was made kynge of Arogone, and marryed a wyfe called Mawde after hys presthode by dif­pensacion. Achilles Gossarus wytnesseth in hys Epitome of Chronicles, that Colo­mānus Achilles. the byshop of Uaradyue was by dyspensacion made kynge of Hungary, of purpose to haue issue. Iacobus Guisianus testifieth in annalibus Hannome, that Bo­chardus Auenēsis, a great beneficed prest, marryed Margarete Baldwynes daugh­ter, that emperour of Coustantinople. Po­lidorus polidorus Uergilius, in libro. xx. Angliee his­torie, telleth that Iohan the bastarde sonne of kynge Ferdinandus, beynge a Cistrane monke, married Philip Iohan of Gaūtes daughter, that was than duke of Lancas­tre, after hys presthode, and was made kinge of Portingale. Albertus Crantus in sua Dania, sheweth that Canutus a mōke of the ordre of Clunyake, had by dispensa­cion a wyfe for moneye, so had the good abbot of Readyng here in England. Alde­wyn An abbot had a daughter, beynge byshoppe of Durham, whom Utred the Earle of Nor­thumberlande [Page cxxvi] dysdayned not afterwarde to marry. Ex chro. Dunelmēsis monachi.

Hieronymus Squarzaphicus reporteth in vita Petrarch, that Franciscus Petrar­cha, a cannon of Padua & archedeacon of Parma, had one Laureta to wyfe, by the Laureta. graunte of Benedict the. xii. Henricus A­grippa in hys declamacion aduersus Lo­uanienses, maketh menciō of a Cardinall, whom the byshop of Rome permitted to take a wyfe in marryage, that he myghte haue children to possesse his inherytaunce. Iohānes Bertandus in. iii. libro de cogna­tione S. Iohannis Baptiste declareth the Wyues. ordre for Cardynalles and byshoppes wi­ues, by the rules of Pa [...]ormitanus, and of Iohannes Andreas, whych was a pre­stes sonne. I can not thynke that Alwynus the byshop of Wynchestre, had any dys­pensacion, whan he laye wyth Emma S. Edwardes mother, bycause she ded pe­naunce. Lete these examples suffyse tyll more come. And as touchinge those which abhorred matrymony, & yetin theyr prest­hode had store of chyldren, besydes these ix. adulterouse byshoppes and abbotes, gregorius that Gregorius Turonensis maketh men­cion of in the. x. bokes of hys storyes, and a greate nombre more in other authours. Our Englyshe chronicles telleth, that an [Page] abbot of S. Albo [...]s begate pope Adriane y ^t fourth, Robert the abbot of Winchestre begate byshop Herbert of Norwyche, and Robert Peche the bishopp of Chestre and Lychefelde begate Rychard Peche arche­deacon of Couentre, and afterwarde bys­shop of the same dyocese. Bycause the nō ­bre Begetters is vnreasonably greate of thys sorte of prestes begettyng chyldren in theyr prest­hode wythout marryage, therfor Iompt them for length, tyll suche tyme as the se­conde and thyrde part of my Englysh vo­taries come foreward, which wyll be, god wyllynge, out of hande.

Neuer sawe I this chaplaine yet allege hys doctours without falsehede, craft, and lyes, as thoughe the name of the doctoure A doctour were able to authoryse a lye. Nowe bryn­geth he fourth S. Hierome agaynst Iouy­nian and reporteth hym to say, that in the necessyte of the primatiue churche, marry­ed mē beyng sober & learned, were exalted (come downe I say) to presthode. But pre­stes (he sayth) beynge called in virginite, neuer descended downe to marriage, ney­ther any man after the seconde marryage, Seconde. was euer called to presthode. And all thys he reporteth hym to speake very playnely. The sayenge of Hierome is thys, in hys fyrst boke against Iouinyan. Eliguntur [Page cxxvii] mariti in sacerdotium, non nego, quia nō sunt tanti virgines, quanti necessarij sunt sacerdotes. Num quid quia in exercitu for­tissimus eligendus est, idcirco non assumē ­tur et infirmiores, cum omnes fortes esse non possint? Marryed men are chosen to Marryed. presthode, I deny it not, for ther are not so many maiden men, as nede requyreth pre­stes. Bicause that the stronger mē are to be chosen into an hoste, shall not the weaker therfor be taken, seynge all can not be of lyke strength? And thys is all pertainynge to that purpose.

Now conferre the one wyth the other and see the beastlynesse of thys bragger. Here is no exaltynge or prankynge vp a­loft Prankyng named, neyther yet any seconde mar­ryage condemned. I woulde that both he and hys Hierome shuld well know it, that the church was neuer stronger, better, nor perfyghter, than whā it had sober, discret, and learned marryed men, for mynysters. The primatiue churche was in moch lesse necessyte, hauynge them, than was the churche in Hieromes tyme wyth her pre­stes Hierome. in vyrgynyte. For that church knewe neuer of so many superstycyons and le­cheryes. These lofty vyrgines were neuer lyke Mary, whyche threwe her vyrgynite to the grounde. Luke. i. [Page] Christ wylled hys dyscyples to be lowly, and not hygh. Math. xi. to be seruauntes, and no lordes, to be ministers, and no mai­sters, Luke. xxii. Be not as lordes in the cō ­gregacion (sayth S. Peter) but shewe an example of lowlynes and meekenesse to Mekenes the flocke. i. Pet. v. Thys hawty speaking of your Hierom and yow, sauereth of that Antichrist, which exalteth hym selfe aboue all that is called God ii. Thessa. ii. As for your presthode, ye maye both wype your tayles therwyth, for any good grounde it hath of the scryptures. Here is it praysed for so holy and hygh a degre, as maye not come downe and be dystayned wyth mar­ryage, as thoughe marryage were but a vyle iakes in comparyson therof. Yet as A Iakes. touchynge the seconde and thyrde marry­age, the said Hierome saith in y ^t same boke. Duotiescunque vxor moritur, toties ducē ­da est alia, ne fornicemur. Dui secundas tertiasque nuptias cōcessit in domino, pri­mas cum ethnico prohibet.

As often as one wyfe dyeth, so oft may an other be marryed, that we fall not to lechery. For he that graunteth the seconde Marriage and thyrde marryages in the Lorde, for­byddeth the fyrst wyth an vnfaythfull mā, for it is wythout the Lorde. Also in hys A­pology to Panmachius, agaynst the sayed [Page cxxviii] Iouinian. Aperiant queso, aures obtrecta­tores mei, vt videant me secundas et terti­as unptias concessisse in domino. Qui se­cundas et tertias nō damnaui, primū potui damnare matrimonium? Concedit Apos­tolus secundas nuptias, sed volentibus, et Seconde his que se continere non possunt. I desyre that my deprauers maye open theyr eares wyde, and that they maye well perceyue me to graunt the seconde and thyrd marri­ages in the Lorde. Coulde I than, whych haue admytted the seconde and thyrd, con­dempne the fyrst marryage? The Apostle frely graunteth thē to those that wyll, and that can not otherwyse refrayne. In an o­ther place also. Erubescat calūniator me­us, Can not. dicēs me prima damnare matrimonia, quādo legit. Non damno digamos, immo nec trigamos, ei si dici potest, octogamos. Habeat cui libet, octa [...]m maritum, et esse desinat prostituta. Lete him which wrong­fully accuseth me be ashamed, in reporting me to condempne the fyrst marryages. I The fyrst. condempne not them that hath bene twyse marryed, neyther yet thē whych hath bene thrise maried, nor if it might be said, y ^• hath bene. viii. tymes marryed. Lete her that li­keth it, haue the viii. husband hardely, and not make her selfe commen to euery man.

Now wyll I saye my mynde and con­science, [Page] concerninge this Hierome. I haue Hierome. ouerloked hys. ii. bokes & answer agaynst thys Iouinian, a monke. For hys sore tra­uayle in translatyng y ^• scriptures, I iudge hym worthy moche praise. But as concer­nynge his doctrine for marriage, of christē men he is rather to be abhorred thā lyked. Wyth so spyghtfull rebukes he taunteth marryage, as though it were a lyfe fyt for no christen man. Neuer red I Tacianyte, Encratyte, Phrygiane, Maniche, Merci­anyst, Heretykes Montanyst, nor any other heretyke, that euer was more malycyouse against it. He calleth marryage a fleshe rebellinge a­gaynst the sprete, the sea that Pharao was drowned in, the cloke that Ioseph lefte be­hynde him, an vnclennesse, an excesse, a fil­thynesse, a whoredome, an euyll, an ydoll, a blasphemy, an Egypt, a seruitude, a syn, a darkenesse, a wounde vncurable, barly, Blasphe­my. stubble, claye, a coinquynacion, a defeccy­on from Christ, and an vtter perdycyon. He compareth also a marryed wyfe, to an vncleane beast in the arke of Noe, to a pot so [...]e broken, to a draffe sacke, bryngynge in at the last, the obprobryouse tauntes Women. and raylynge reproches of the Paganes agaynst women. The kynde of women ought rather to haue had prayse, beynge the hyghe wurke of God, and marryage [Page cxxix] hys due commendacion, beyng the dyuine ordynaunce, than so abhomynably to haue bene rayled on. But what can not the de­uyll do, whan he findeth an apt instrumēt.

He sheweth here, what he was able to do by hys rhetoryck, as some vayne glory­ouse bablers haue done in our tyme wyth Gardiner theyr sophistry of the deuyll, whose pryde God hath well abated, blessed be hys holy name for it. Nowe wyll I shewe some of hys detorted scryptures, that men maye se how shamefully he hath wrasted thē from theyr ryght meanynge. Gene. iii. In the sweate of hys face, shall the marryed man eate hys breade. As though the vnmarry­ed shaulde not do the same. Luke. xvi. No The same▪ seruaunte can serue two maysters. As thoughe Matrymony were a seruyce of Mammon and not of God. i. Cor. vii. Ye are dearely boughte, become not the ser­uauntes of mē. As though marryage were an vnchristen seruitude. Roma. viii. If ye liue after the flesh, ye must dye. As though marriage wer so fleshly a lyfe, as deserued Rewarde. no lesse than death, Math. xix. The gelded shall receiue the rewarde of the kingdome of heauen. As though christen marryage had therin no maner of porciō. Who could more peruersly haut interpreted these scrip tures, than thys Hierome? whych is one [Page] of the great ydolles of the Romysh Syna­goge, and a depe maintener of theyr fylthy sodometry. Thys kyngdome of heauen in An offyce. thys lattre place, is no rewarde, but an of­fyce of preachynge the Euangelycall doc­tryne, whose rewarde is here persecucion, and in heauen a crowne of immortalyte. [...]e ware of these doctours.

Wyth. ii. thynges is thys chaplayne muche offended, concernynge S. Paules authoryte. i. Cor. ix. One is, the ryght vn­derstandynge Offences. whych by Gods mercyfull gyft, we haue therin An other is, the Eng­lysh translacion of the Byble. Wyth these is he greatly accombred. That authoryte (he sayth) after hys feble vnderstandynge, pertaineth to an other purpose. What pur pose, can ye tell? Naye, that secrete he ke­peth to hymselfe. It is some purpose that he wolde not haue knowne, or els that he is ashamed of. Why shoulde it not els be vttered? For although the Englysh Byble Byble. (he sayth) be translated accordinge to my vnderstandinge of that place.

He calleth the truth, my vnderstanding. No syr, it was the latyne Byble, that was translated into Englysh, and not the Eng­lysh Byble translated, vnlesse it were into Welche or Iryshe, whych I wolde wyshe [Page cxxx] wyth all my harte, if any good men wolde No payne. take suche labours. Moch fault ye fynde, wyth that ye neuer toke paynes in, neither can ye any skyll of it, as apereth by your good Englysh, that is to say, with the By­bles translaciō. In dede that godly wurke is moche soner founde faulte wyth, than amended.

It myght well be sayd to yow, that A­pelles sayd to y ^• braggyng sowter, for pas­synge your lymytes so farre, but I lete it passe. Yet is it not in latyne (ye say) ducere Latyne. sororem vxorem, but circumducere sororē mulierem. I woulde ye shoulde not latyne my English, vnlesse ye ded it more worke­manly. For I neuer hearde yet, that duce­re was to haue, but to leade or to marry, as it is here takē. Though your Hierome, Erasmus, and Stunica the Spanyarde, hath sororem mulierem, or sororem mulier­culā. Yet hath Laurentius [...]alla, Faber Interpre­ters. Stapulēsis, Zuinglius, Pellican, Pome­ran, Luther, Erasmus annotacions, Bib­lia Tigurina, and other, whych are more faythfull, indyfferent, and pure interpre­tours, mulierem vxorem, Ignatius, Cle­mens Alexandrinus, Eusebius, and Isido­rus, confyrmynge the same. For S. Paule commenly vseth thys Greke worde Gy­ [...]aica, for a wyfe, in his epystles. Thys tes­tyfyeth [Page] your Hierome also, in hys afore al­leged Hierome. fyrst boke agaynst Iouinyane, in de­claryng the sayd Greke wurde, though he were a most spyghtfull aduersary to mar­ryage. [...]ndoubtedly S. Paule, speaketh here of hys wyfe, whome he by theyr mu­tuall agrement, left behinde him to the ser­uyce of the Gospell, least she shuld in hys so large a progresse, through out al Grecia and Asia, from Hierusalē to Illirium, bene partaker wyth him of all his daungerouse Labours. labours, parels, hungre, thyrste, nedes, strypes, stonynges, cheanes, imprisonmē ­tes, shypwrackes, and a greate sorte more, not possible to haue bene suffered of a ten­dre and weake woman.

In that he wylled all men to be as he was (if it be obiected) he wyshed them so As he was fre a conscience wythout fleshly affecciōs, as chaunced to hym by the gyft of God, tamed, not by vowes, but by cōtynuall af­fliccions and labours for the Gospell. Cir­cumducere mulierē sororē (yow say) is to suffre ryche womē to go about with them in theyr progresse of preachynge, to beare theyr charges. Truly this is a prodigiouse kynde of interpretynge or declarynge the scriptures. Wher finde yow, that circum­ducere is to suffer? Eyther yet where haue declaring. ye redde, that soror mulier doth sygnyfye [Page cxxxi] ryche women, yea plurally? It is no mar­uayle though ye fynde faulte wyth y ^• By­bles translacion, beyng so fonde, I shulde say, so fine an interpretour. That vaine cō iecture haue ye borowed of your holy doc­tour Hierome, whych in hys foreseid boke agaynst Iouinyan, sayth that the Apostle Hierome. semeth to speake of those women, whych after the Iewes maner, ayded the prea­chers wyth theyr substaunce, They myght ayde the preachers (I graunte ye) and yet not go about wyth them. For if they were wyues, and had how sholdes, theyr offyce was to haue seane to theyr famylyes at home, and not to gadde about. Riches also Women. myght sone haue bene chaunged to pouer­te and penury, wythout dayly occupyeng, and by traualynge so farre. Where was also for y ^• tyme, theyr husbandes obediēce?

If they were wydowes, yet was the sight vncomely and the example vngodly, Gadding. specially amonge the Gentyles, to gadde after men in so longe a iournaye, as is Corinthe from Hierusalem. Agayne, it was vncōuenient to vse the Iewyshe cus­tomes in the forennacyons, whych abhor­red them. If ye seke to mayntayne your purpose, by the Sunamyte whych refre­shed Eliseus the Prophet. iiii. Regum. iiii. [...]yther yet by the good women whyche [Page] folowed Christ, and mynystred to hym of theyr substaunce. Luke. viii. as your Hie­rome doth. I answere both yow and your Answer. Hierome, that it is nothyng to the purpose of that place. For the Sunamyte went not out of her howse, neyther Christ beyonde the lymites of Iewry, as the Apostles ded. Moreouer y ^• Apostles had wy [...]es of their owne, so had neyther Eliseus nor Christ. Your Hierome sayth only, it apereth or se­meth to be the Apostles meanynge, as one not all sure of the matter. Yow as bold as blynde Baiarde, saye, that it was his mea­nynge Bayarde. in dede. I am sory that Erasmus of Reterodame, so dependeth vpon so vaine a fable, in hys learned paraphrase vpon S. Paules epistles, and hath so well declared the other opynyon in hys annotaciōs. But that in folowynge mē (as he ded thys Hie­rom) we must nedes erre. Ye say, that Pe­ter and the other Apostles suffered ryche Apostles. women to go aboute wyth them to paye theyr charges. I saye, that example had bene to vncomely, as to haue led other mē ­ [...]ys wy [...]es about wyth them, and to haue lefte theyr owne at home.

But I aske ye thys question by y ^t waye. What shift they made whā all was spent? I knowe theyr progresse was great, as ye Progresse were wont to versycle it on theyr daies. In [Page cxxxii] omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum. And I thynke theyr substa [...]ces were neither eter­nall nor yet omnypotent. How wyll ye an­swer this probleme than? Ye saye, it is eui­dent by the place it selfe, whych speaketh of takynge hys lyuynge for his preaching. No by saynte Mary syr, that place doth rychely confounde your folyshnesse ther­in. It were no reason, that S. Paule prea­ching at Corinth or Philippos shuld haue No reason hys charges payed by women of Hierusa­lem. But I thynke, it was most conueniēt, that they shulde paye hys costes, to whom he preached y ^t Gospell. I knowe this was hys meanynge whan he said. Haue we not power to eate and to drinke. i. Cor. ix. Thā was it surely for some other purpose, that Purposse. they led women about wyth thē, and none other than theyr owne wiues, as is sayd a­fore. Though yow lyke an asse heade, haue wrytten it, that there is not one wurde of a wyfe, in that place of S. Paule. And as for your doctours, for the more part, so far as I se in them, they are lyke your selfe, as the adage goeth, suche cuppe suche couer, I lyttle ca [...]e for your doctours, so long as Adage. I haue Ignatius that holy m [...]rtyr whych was in the Apostles tyme, Clemens Aler­ [...]ndrinus which folowed immediately af­ter. Eusebius Cesariensis, and Isidorus [Page] hispalensis, to fryndes in this matter.

Responsio.

If I shuld reason the matter with yow, and aske ye thys question, why chastyte is godly? I thinke, ye wold make me answer, Answer. bicause it is of God. For it is not in synne­full mās power to make thynges Godly, but in Gods power alone. Lyke wyse if I shulde demaunde, why chastite is good? I wolde loke againe to haue y ^• same answer, bycause it is of God, for so moch as Christ hath so earnestly spoken it in the Gospell, Luk. xviii. Memo bonus, nisi solus Deus. None is good, saue only God. Upō this I cōclude, y ^t chastyte is both Godly & good. And as moch may be sayd of vyrgynyte & Godly. marryage, bycause they are both of God, y ^• one beyng hys gifte, & the other his god­ly institucion. But as for your vowes and massyng presthode, they are neyther good nor yet godly, but wicked & blasphemouse, as their innumerable frutes haue declared They are neyther workes nor offyces of y ^t gospell to y ^t glory of god, but wycked wayes of synnefull mēs inuenciō, for couetousnes & vainglory of y ^t world, to apere more holy thā y ^t cōmē sort. Pope Helhoūde was Hypocrisy the fyrst after Sathās comming fourth, y ^t fashioned out his prestes & hys mōkes by thē, & that made thē indispēsable, vnlesse it wer for great sūmes of mony, as y ^t chroni­cles of all y ^• christen naciōs declareth.

[Page]Ye may call them manly or womanly, bycause they are of yow whych hath vo­wed them or made them, for you in so do­yng are theyr only creatours and makers, Makers. as the prest is of hys holy water, whā hys blessyng is a curse, Mala. ii. But godly ye can not call them, bicause ye are no Gods. I saye therfor, that your newly forged dif­fynycion here, is abhomynable, prepos [...]e­rouse, blasphemouse, & wycked. Whan ye call your vowe, which is your own wurk, a vowe of godly chastite, ye take to moche vpon yow. For in so doinge, ye make your selfe both equall wyth God and sumwhat Aboue god aboue hym, in that ye wyll be seane an au­thoure of hys heauenly gyfte, whych is a most dauylishe presumpcion. Ye say more­ouer, that thys monstruouse myngle man­gle of Gods wurke and of yours, is a pro­fession of godly liuyng. Ye arrogate moch to yourselfe, if ye promyse to paye that God hath in hys hande, and yow no iuste tytle of clayme to it. Your vowe is a pro­fessyon (I saye not naye) but that godly ly­uynge is a frute therof, ye are not able to proue, vnlesse ye set God for nothynge. In Christes obedyence is it not. For he obey­eth Not able. not Christ, that voweth in presthode & monkery, but he obeyth pope Helhounde and hys successours, Ye saye, it is a waye [Page cxxxiiii] to the perfeccion of the Gospell. O blas­phemouse Antichrist, herin hast thou shew [...] thy full imperfeccion.

Can mennis ydell inuencious adde any perfeccion to the Gospell? How feble ma­kest thu Christ here? and how vnperfyght Gospell. makest his Gospell? that woldest haue vn­comman̄ded vowes, which haue brought fourth innumerable sodomytes, to adde perfeccion to the Gospell? The Gospell is lytle beholden, eyther to the or yet to thy maynteners. God ones amende yow, or [...]s take ye from thys lyfe. Ye saye, it is a perfight ymitaciō of Christ. what a shame­lesse lye is thys, and what a bolde bragge to bolster out fylthynesse? It is no ymita­ciō of Christ, for he neuer made vowe, nei­ther proponed he any doctryne of vowes No vowe. makynge, moche lesse than any perfyght ymytacion of Christ. Rather is it a defec­cion from Christ, and the same that Paule speaketh of. ii. Thes. ii. for none were euer so obstynate agaynst hys doctrine, as they whych professed those vowes. Ye cōclude, that your vowe is the Angelycall lyfe, in places where they nether marry, nor be gyuen in marryage, but are as Angels of God. The head place where your greate vowers in Cardynall hattes, myters, hald Roms. crownes, and cowles of all kindes, marry [Page] not, is the myghty mōstrouse Sinagoge o [...] Rome. The meaner places are your mins­ters, monasteryes, couētes, colleges, and personages of other nacions, wher as also ye maye not, for your vowes sake, be gyuē fourth in marryage.

If ye say, that these leade an Angels life Examples by their vowes, we are able to condempne your saynges by the dayly exāples of their buggeryes and other beastly occupienges which we know, besydes that we haue of the scriptures, Roma. i. et. Apo. xi. whych can not lye. The place ye bring in here, Ne­que nubent. Mat. xxii. ye clerely wrast frō all true & godly meaning. For it is not spo­kē of thē whych dwell here in thys mortall & corruptible lyfe, though your Hierome so vnaptly vseth it, but of thē y ^t shall apere with immortalyte in y ^t lattre resurreccion, Resurrec­cion. In y ^t resurrecciō shall they neyther marry, nor be geuē in marriage, as here vpō earth but they shall be in heauē as the Angels of God, wher no such offyces of marriage or maydenhede shall be required. If ye wyll nedes haue your vowers here like Angels, they shall be like that Angel of darkenesse, which in all deceyt possyble, seke whō he may deuour. i. Pet. v. or els lyke those. iiii. cruell Angels of Gods permissyō, whych Angels. stoppeth y ^•. iiii. wyndes or preachinges of hys eternall testament, Apo. vii. My say­enge [Page cxxxv] (ye say) lacketh profe. What sayenge is that? I pray ye repete it. Marry that the vowe of popysh chastyte, is a profession to filthinesse vnspeakable, in the obedience of Antichrist and the de [...]yll.

Why mayster chaplayne, is thys the vowe that ye haue here maynteyned? Is it A vowe. thys y ^t ye call, a vowe of Godly chastyte, a professyon of good lyfe, an obedyence of Christ, a perfecciō of y ^t Gospell, an ymita­cion of Christ, & an Angelycall state out of marryage? I hearde neuer a more traitour make vtteraūce. Yow that make so muche of this vowe of a popish chastyte, ye make sumwhat wher ye dare, for y ^t vowe of po­pish obediēce, which is y ^t greatter of both. If my sayenges lacke profe (as I thynke they do not) in this Apology. They shall Lack none lacke no profe in the. ii. lattre partes of my votaries, which are comming forward, as spedyly as may be. Your saing (ye say) y ^t a popish vowe is no vngodly professyon to Antichrist in y ^t deuyls obedience, is proued by S. Augustyne, in the thirde chapter of his boke de fide ad Petrū diaconū. But ye had nede first of all to proue that boke S. Erasmus. Augustynes. For Erasmus hath already denyed it, for the coursenesse of the phrase and vnpurenesse of the doctryne, and also for that he maketh therof no mencyon [...] hys wurthye worke of retractacyons, [Page] wyth dyuerse other cawses.

The longe laryne allegacion of this vn­knowen doctour, is thus to be Englyshed. Furthermore (sayth he) who so euer hath Gelded, gelded hymselfe for the kyngdome of hea­uen, and hath vowed chastyte in hys hart, not onely if he be spotted wyth the deadly cryme of for [...]ycacion, but also if either the man attempte to take a wyfe, or the womā a husbande, after the Apostles opynyon he shall haue dampnacion, bycause he hath broken hys fyrst fayth. As it is therfor the mānis dewty, after the Apostles meaning, to gyue vnto hys wyfe due beneuolence, & [...]e [...]i [...]o [...]ce lyke wyse the wyfe to the man, for he that taketh a wyfe, synneth not, neither yet sin­neth y ^e maide which marrieth an husbāde, so lyke wyse after the sayenge of the same Apostle, he that hath surely fyxed in hys harte, hauynge no nede, but hauynge po­wer ouer hys owne wyll, and hath so vo­wed chaltyte to God, he ought wyth all en deuour of mynde, to the ende of hys lyfe to kepe it, least he haue dampnacion, if he breake hys fyrst fayth. Prima fi­des.

Lyke wyse the married men & the mar­ried women, if tehy by theyr both cōsfntes do vowe vnto God a perpetuall chastyte, be they sure, they are bounde to fulfill that vowe, and not from theus fourth to haue [Page cxxxvi] any carnall copulaciou, whych was law­full vnto thē afore, but to kepe that chasti­te to God whych they vowed.

Notwythstandynge that all thys mat­ter hath bene answered afore, yet fynde I sumwhat herein to be spokē. None autho­ryte can S. Augustynes name adde to this Autorytr. doctryne, bycause he is not the authour of that boke. The authour of it, is such a one as S. Paule speaketh of, Roma. i. whych withholding the truth of God in vnrygh­teousnesse, hath turned hys veryte into a lye. Many wycked errours do I fynde in thys doctrine. One is, where as he calleth Errours. geldynge or makynge chast for the kyng­dome of heauen, a voweynge of the single lyfe, whych Christ neuer ment. Math. xix. For Christ spake it of them whych sought the sowle helth of hys people, by the grace of the Gospell, and not of them which pry­uately thought to wynne heauen to them­selues alone by theyr folysh vowes. These sequestred themselues from al carnall and worldly affeccions, not by vowes, but by the mere gyft of God. Not to wynne hea­uen By gyfte. to thē selues, but to call other vnto it by preachynge the doctryne of saluacion. For heauen is not gottē by vowes, but by fearynge, beleuynge, and faythfull folow­ynge of the Gospell.

[Page]An other errour, that vowes ought so to separate man and wife, as they may ne­uer mete agayne. Thys vsurpacion is not vsurpaciō tollerable, that mannys ydell inuencion, shulde put Gods worke asyde, eyther yet hys wauerynge wyll wurke, shulde make Gods set ordinaunce of none effect. Christ hath earnestly forbydden it, Mat. xix. that any man shoulde put a sondre, that God hath ones coupled, eyther yet that ony mā shulde put awaye his wyfe, except it were for aduoutrye. What maner of newe tra­dicion, Tradyciō wyll thys namelesse doctour make than? If man be nought of nature of what value is the wurke of hys synnefull wyll? Shall it be able to ouerthrowe Gods buil­dinge?

Is mannys workemanshyppe aboue man, eyther yet aboue God? Wher is thā theyr former profession become, that the one shall not departe from the other, tyll death separate them? Oh, these are y ^e wic­ked deuyses of Antichrist. If it be obiected, Obiected. that they maye withdrawe themselues, the one from the other by consent. i. Cor. vii. I graunt it, but that is only for time of prai­er and fastynge, and not for any vowe pri­uate. For S. Paule wylleth them to come agayne togyther, least Sathan tempte thē [Page cxxxvii] for theyr incontinence.

An other errour. He cloggeth him wyth dampnacion, whych beholdyng his owne presumpcyon, forsaketh it, and submytteth Submyt. hymselfe to the hyghe wysdome ond ordy­naunce of God, not vnderstandyng what prima fides is, nor yet what is damnatio there. If it had bene prior fides, altera fi­des, or secunda fides, a former fayth, an o­ther fayth, or a seconde faythe, it myghte sumwhat haue serued thys doctoure for hys vowe.

But beynge prima fides, the first faith, hauynge none other faythe afore it, it must Fayth. nedes be the christen faythe, or professyon in baptysme, and so dysapoynte hym at hys most nede. Damnatio is not alwayes taken for a fynall destruccyon, but sum­tyme for a scathe, an infamy, a reproche, a blotte, a blame, an harme, an hurte, a dammage, a wronge, and suche lyke. For Erasmus sayth: Damnatus dicitur, qui damno afficitur. He is called damnatus, that is endamaged or hurte any wayes. If Dānaciō. it be ther a dampnacyon in dede, it is for a full renouncynge of the christen faythe or mockyng of the Gospell, and not for brea­kynge of an ydell vowe which God neuer commaunded in that kynde. But all thys is declared afore.

Responsio.

Bycause the lyenge sprete of thys coun­terfet Augustyne, is fytte to be knowne, I haue Englyshed his latine texte here. Thā Possesse. shall eche man (sayth he) possesse the kyng­dome of heauen, whych is promysed to the [Page cxxxviii] sayntes, if he forgertynge that is past, and applyenge hymselfe so that is afore hym, according to that is sayde in the psalmes: prompse, and perfourme it to your Lorde God, whych he vnderstandeth to be law­full, and knoweth to pertayne to the pro­fyte of a better lyfe, lete hym both gladly Yeldynge vowe, and swy [...]ly rendre it, & that in yel­dynge his vowe, he maye prosperousiy go forwarde. For to euery one that perfour­meth hys promyse, God wyll also gyue y ^• heauenly rewarde, whych he hath promi­sed. The seid doctour also saith, in his. xlii. chapter. Take thys assuredly, & in no wyse doubt of it, that marriage was both ordai­ned of God, and had hys blessynge. Yet myght a man do better, if he were without it, for so myght he more frely and largely Frankely thynke vpon Gods matters, how he shuld please God. Yet is there no synne to them imputed, whych hath not vowed chastyte, if eyther the woman marry, or the mā take a wyfe. Neyther were the fyrst marriages alone instituted of God, but as well the se­conde and the thyrd, and also graunted for the weakenesse of them that coulde not re­frayne. But to other whych hath vowed chastyte, whether they were marryed or Uowed. vnmarryed, it is very dampnable, if they eyther desyre the coniug all wurke, or go to [Page] it agayne, whych they haue ones forsaken, y ^• one by a fre & the other by a cōmē cōsē [...].

Many fylthye errours are in thys doc­tryne contayned, whych proueth it to be Churche. none of S. Augustynes. As the church be gāne to gather corrupcion, certen false A­postles there were and maysters of super­stycyon, whych to plante hypocrisy, a ve­ry wycked sede of the olde serpente, put fourth many noughtye workes, vndre the name of S. Augustyne and dyuerse other good doctours, that they myght the more strongely take place. And thys lewde boke was one of them, whych hauynge the pre­ciouse tytle of fayth, is full of all wycked errours, and infidelite. Marke in this lat­tre Of fayth. allegacion, how blasphemouse and ma ny they are. The authour calleth thē sain­tes, whych hath superstyciously vowed, & promyseth the possessyon of the kyngedom of heauen, to the man that leaueth hys wyfe, and the woman that leaueth her hus­bande, by theyr commen consent (as ded the Priscyllyanystes) for that deuyly she yoke. As though heauen myght be gotē by our volūtary workes, and as though they Heauen. were a perfec [...]iō farre aboue the Gospell. He hyghly commendeth the spurnynge a­syde and vtter contēpt of matrymony, for the apprehensyō of that ydell kinde of lyfe [Page cxxxix] in the monasteryes or dēnes of belly ease.

S. Augustyne vpon the. lxxv. Psalme, vseth vouete et reddite, after a farre other Authour. sort, as is afore declared. And though this blinde authour semeth at a blushe, to bring the same kynde of doctryne that he bryn­geth, as how the vower shulde vowe that thynge, that he knoweth to be lawfull and to pertayne to the better lyfe. Yet varyeth he from S. Augustyne in thys poynte, for he wolde haue it of thinges possible and in our power, and only taken for mānys tra­dycion. Hipocrisy This monkysh hipocryte boasteth it, for a worke deseruinge heauen, being no wurke of Christ, but of mānis ydell heade. S. Augustyne doth not so. He wickedly af­firmeth, that Christ hath promised heauen to vowes makyng, and that he wyll gyue it to thē that kepe vowes, whych is a false and blasphemouse opynion. He graunteth that marriage was both ordained & blessed of God. Yet preferreth he monkery, an in­uencion of man, farre aboue it, as though Monkery man in his practises, were wyser thā God. To confyrme his folye, he wringeth in the wurdes of S. Paule, that the syngle man careth for the thynges of the Lorde.

As though that care, whych is a frute of fayth in fredome of the sprete, and an offyce of the Gospell, had proceded of [Page] vowes whych are Antichristes yokes in [...]owes. fleshly bondage. He consēteth, that it is no synne to marry, no, the seconde and thyrde tyme, if nede so requireth it. And in that he is moch better, than our heretike chaplaine here, whych in dyuerse places of his man­gy obieccions, condempneth wyth y ^• Tar­tulianystes, Cataphrygeanes, and Catha­ristes, y ^• second & third marryages. Thys authour admitteth those marriages for in­fyrmytees Authour. sake, and for none other respect in the scriptures. In the ende he condemp­neth wythout respecte, all them whych breaketh that yoke of Antichrist, if they be vnmarryed, either yet that throweth asyde that s [...]are of the deuyll, and returneth a­gaine to theyr marriage, if they were mar­ryed afore. I coulde haue brought in, out of the thyrd chapter, whych this chaplaine Marryed here fyrst alleged de fide ad Petrum, to cō ­found thys naughty doctryne of the same boke, as that all is good whych is sancty­fyed of Gods mouthe, that marryage is Gods wurke, blessed, good, honourable, vnspotted, cleane, no synne, an honest re­medy, a chastyte, a mutuall faith, at liber­te, vnspotted alwayes lawfull, fyt for Gods seruaū ­tes, and other lyke, whych I omytte fo [...] prolyxite.

Responsio.

Afore ded I speake of suche vowers, as in the obedyence of Antichrist and the de­uyll, professed such a chastyte, as ought ra­ther to be called a fylthy Sodome, than a Sodome. chastyte. These (I sayd) were monstruous vowers, for so moch as both theyr vowes and theyr chastyte, were so preposterouse and prodygyously monstruouse, theyr exe­crable frutes and examples declaryng no lesse. Now come yow after, and ye bolde­ly say, that these were no monstruouse vo­wers. Ye go further in the matter, and re­port thē to be the very faythfull vowers, if they kepe theyr vowes, yea, those obedyēt vowers of Antichrist and y ^e deuil. For ther [...]owers. were none other vowers spoken of. Of a [Page] lykelyhode ye haue not yet vowed to your kynge, to be his obedyent true subiect. And if ye haue, yet are ye but a mōstruouse vo­wer. For ye seme not faythfully to kepe your vowe, that mayntaine suche kinde of vowers. Ye can not iustly say, y ^• ye meane any other, than these fylthy vowers. But that they are the very same, that ye so ear­nestly defende, euen the byshop of Romes ranke cattell. For ye haue not as yet, ones Defende. blamed theyr euils, though they haue bene layed afore your nose. But manfully haue ye defended them for necessary vertues, lyke a valyaunt captayne of theyrs, and a stought bene factour of Sodome.

If the fowle beast, with the. vii. heades and. x. hornes, which bare the great whore arayed all in purple and rose coloure, Apoca. xvii. maye be proued an odyouse mostre, I haue no doubte of it, but I shall Monstre. be able to fynde out a fylthy rable of mon­struouse vowers. For lyke as the faithfull congregacion of God, are the mystycall mēbers of his sonne Iesus Christ, so this dysguised rable of rauenours, are the mis­ticall membres of that monstruouse beast, by vertue of theyr vowes geuynge vp thē ­selues to hys ydolatrouse obseruacyons, & vpholding y ^• filthy whore his Sinagoge of Sinagoge [...]orceries, in all blasyhemy, supersticiō, and pryde. These are sealed (I saye) by vertue [Page cxli] of theyr vowes and professiōs. They haue the marke of this beast in theyr ryght han­des & foreheades, they are full of [...]lasphe­mouse names, they can opē theyr mouthes against god, they can speake blasphemies, they haue power of y ^• great serpent, they may bye & sell by hys authoryte, Apo. xiii. they can wurke suche wonders & do suche Miracles miracles, as God can not do agayne. For they can make false Goddes, and gyue to them latryall honoure. They can also set them vp aloft, salute them wyth lyes, per­fume them wyth sensynges, and cause a greate nōbre of people to worshyp thē vpō y ^e earth. Soche mōstruouse doers are they.

If these be no mōstruouse vowers, that are y ^• mēbers of thys odyouse monster by their pilde popish vowes, & cā do so many Feates. prodigiouse feates by their prestish profes­siōs, thā are they nothinge at all. They are no vowers after y ^e right shape of vowing, as were y ^• Iewysh vowers in y ^• olde testa­ment, offering calues & bullockes. Neither are they vowers after y ^• Gospell. For vo­wes are no wurkes of y ^• gospell, but of an ydell presthode & mōkery, which y ^• Gospel neuer knew. They cā not therfor be called workes Euāgelical, but workes papistical sacerdotical, monastical, & fātasticall. The Offyce. office of a mā or womā professinge Christ, [Page] is to do all thynges in fredome and not [...] bondage of vowes, consydering he is fre­ly regenerate, and hath a fre womā to his mother. Gal. iiii. They are therfor vnfaith ful vowers that professe those vowes, and moch more vnfaithfull that kepe them. Ye saye, those vowers are, aboue all other, of princes to be trusted. But ye do not tell vs here, what prynces▪ye meane▪ Byshoppes wyth y ^e helpe of abbottes and other ghost­ly Abbottes. fathers, were wonte to be prynces of thys worlde, vnder the greate Mahounde of Rome, whan they had the consciences of kynges vndre theyr subiecciō. Though these prycke eared prynces myghte truste those vowers, as hawkes made to theyr handes, yet wolde I counsell the christen prynces in no wyse to trust them.

For as we fynde in the Englyshe chro­nycles, they haue in confessions, made kin­ges wiues and daughters, to make vowes [...]awdries of vnchastyte vnto them. And for full per­fourmaūce of y ^e same, they haue sent their folysh husbandes by vowe, on pilgrimage to Rome. Loke the lyues of kyuge Inas, Ladwallader, Kenredus, Ethelwulfus, Offa, Ethelredus, and dyuerse other, be­sydes them that were poysoned, deposed, and made monkes, to geue place to they [...] vnknowne bastardes. Who can rec [...]en [Page cxlii] them fyt to be trusted of christen prynces, which haue for theyr carnal commodities, so ofte changed the great monarchie of the Carnall. Romyshe emppre, from the Romanes to the Grekes, from the Grekes to the frēth men, frō the frenche mē to the Germanes, and now wolde they translate it from the Germans to y ^• Spannyerdes. They haue Pleasures in a maner, made all the christen prynces their captiue slaues▪ til now of late yeares. They haue at theyr pleasures, disposed di­uerse of theyr kynge domes, yea, they haue enforced them to anthoryse theyr lyes, to fauer theyr hypocrisyes, to vpholde theyr [...]irānies, to support their sorceryes, to main teine theyr ydolatryes, to magt [...]ye theyr whordomes, & to worship they [...]wdries.

Not one kynge hath bene in Englande sens the conquest, but they haue twygged hym one way or other, and had theyr false flynges at him, I could shewe it by course. Flyng [...]. It were great pitie therfor, but these vow­ers were trusted of christen prynces, they haue bene so faythfull, specyally in keping the vowes of theyr Romysh fathers obe­dience. What caused them of late yeares to stnrre vp commociōs in the North, and now the last yeare in Deuenshire & Lor [...] ­wale, for theyr Romysh remnauntes, but the relygyous fulfyllynge of theyr vowes [Page] to holy churche the mother of theyr olde māmetryes? Afore God, I iudge yow, to be one of that lewde assembly, eyther by Mother. your acte or councell, by thys your fyue workemāship for theyr defence. Ye wolde neuer els so earnestli haue called thē faith­full vowers, in kepynge theyr vowes so well to your mynde. But truly ye haue done Christ moche wrong, to call hym an exhorter therunto. For he neuer exhorted a ny mā to such vowes, neither yet to any o­ther Gospell. kinde of vowes. For his gospell is no doctrine of vowes, but of faith. These pro­digiouse vowers, ar y ^• locustes y ^• came out of the bottomles pyt, to stinge mēs cenfei­ēces as doth scorpiōs. Apo. ix. And they for fulfiling theyr nowes in y ^• seruice of y ^• rose coloured whore, shall go into perdycyon. Apoc. xvii.

If ye condēpne all them for vnfaithfull mē in theyr promises, y ^• haue brokē vowes made to y ^• ydolouse mōster of Rome. Thā must ye condēpne all those kynges of thys Condēpne realme whych folowed after kynge Iohā, and so contynued tyll the. xxvi. yeare of kynge Henry the. viii. bycause they fulfyl­led not that profession, whych he made for hymselfe & hys successours. The vowe y ^• he made by theyr cōpulsiō, is this word by worde, as I fynde it regestred in cōpendio noui chronici de gestis regū Anglicorum collected by a monke of Cantirbury, Ego [Page cxliii] Ioānes rex Anglie, Wallie, et Hiberme, in Uotum Regis. ro fidelitatē Deo et sancte ecclesie Roma­ne, ac domino Innocentio tertio pape, ad manus Nicolai Cardinalis ei [...]sdem pape penitētiarn, ad tenendum regnū Anglie de eo sine detractatione aliqua imperpetu [...], reddēd o domino pape Innocentio tertio ān [...]ati [...]i nulle marcas argenti, et suis suc­cessoribus canonice intrantibus. I Iohan Kynge Iohan. kynge of Englande, Wales, and Ireland, promyse by othe to be faythfull to God, & to my lorde pope Innocēt the thyrde, at the handes of Nicolas a Cardinall & peniten­cer of the sayd pope, to hold the kingdome of England of hym & hys successours for euermore, wythout any contradycciō, [...]i­enge to them a thousand markes by yeare. Uowes. And the bishops and Barons of England, cōstraiued him for his owne part to fulfyl this vngodly professiō. After this sort were all y ^• mōkes vowes, the friers professiōs, & y ^• prestes promises for degres in y ^• vniuersi tees, which this wicked chaplaine calleth faithful vowes, & wold haue thē stil kept.

He accounteth them vnfaithfull in their promyses, y ^t hath broken these vowes, but of breaking gods cōmaūdemēts & disobei­ing of his holy worde, he maketh no recke­ning. Worde. It is not lykely (he sayth) y ^t he wil be faithful to god y ^• thus breaketh promise [...] man, [Page] Yes wythout doubt, it is most lykely that they be faithfull to God, that in their good doynges dysobeyeth that sort of noughty men, and so Christ ment it, whan he sayed. Feare not them that kyll the body, and be not able to kill y ^e sowle, Mat. x. Ye knowe maystre chaplaine, that God is able to de­stroye Destroye both body and sowle, and to throw them into hell, and yet ye feare not to blas­pheme both hym and hys holy word. Care not yow for the fydelite of them towardes christen prynces, whych abhorreth your monstruouse sorceries. For theyr faithfull hartes are knowne good and godly, wher as yours be false and deuylyshe. To con­clude. Your vowes were neuer other, thā myghte alwayes be dyspensed wyth for money. For Iohan Skuish a Cornish mā, hath in hys Englyshe chronicle, taken out of Mathew Paris and other old wryters, that in the yeare of our Lord a. M. cc. lviii. a Graye fryer called Mansuetus, came in A fryer. post haste from Rome, as a great commis­syoner from pope Alexander the forth, to dyspēse with all periures, forgers of false­hede, and vowe breakers. And many wyse men, the storye sayth, deryded that wicked folyshnes. I maruell therfor, that ye make so moche a do for those vowes.

Responsio.

God shall not be true in your opinyon, as apeareth here by your wrytyng, nor yet hys instytucion lawfull, but whan it shall lyke the stoute rabyes of your vayneglori­ouse Rabyes. Synagoge so to allowe them. Ye af­fyrme it nowe to be true, that marryage is a thynge godly, and that it is a prouysion, ordinaunce, helpe, remedy, and waye, pro­uided of God for man to auoyde fornica­cion and other vncomely vyces. All thys y [...] admyt at thys tyme w ^tout contradycci­on, but it hath a tayle. For ye saye, it is on­ly true in them that maye lawfully marry. Lawfully Than is there a kynde of people, whych [Page] maye not lawfully marry? And those are your vowers, ye saye. God ordayned mar­ryage for hys people, to kepe them in good ordre. Pope Helhound ordained vowes a­gaynst marryage for hys professed cattell, to brynge them out of ordre. Thus is mar­ryage an holy instytucion of God, for the conseruacion of man. And vowes agaynst marryage are a wycked constytucion of pope Helhounde, for destruccion of body & sowle. Matrymony must be good, bycause Cōstituci­on. it is of hym that is good, whych is God. Uowes against marriage must be naugh­ty and deuylyshe, bycause they are of hym that is deuylysh, whych is pope Helhoūd.

That thynge whych is good, is fyt for all thē that are good. And that is naught, is only fyt for them that are naught. Here­in are to be seane, the dyuerse natures and Dyuers. disposicions of men, and the one to be kno­wen from the other. The nature of a good man, is not to forsake by vowe, that thinge that is good, but that which is euyll. Con­trary wyse, the nature of an euyll mā, is to refuse, as euyll, that thyng that is good, as yow papystes haue done marryage, and to admyt that poison which is perniciouse to the sowle, as ye haue done wycked bug­gery. Buggery. A more euydent open sygne can not be of an Antichrist, thā to say naye, to gods yea, and yea to hys naye, as yow do hert▪ [Page cxlv] God sayth, that marryage is lawfull in hys. Gene. ii. et Math, ix. Yow saye, it is vnlawfull in yours. He sayth, it is holy in hys. Yow saye, it is vnholy in yours. He holdeth it for a ryghte ousnesse in his. Yow holde it for an vnryghteousnesse in yours. Thus are your wayes not all one wyth Gods waies, nor your people all one with hys people. But so dyuerse is the one from People▪ the other, as is lyght from darkenesse. Yet must your people, be the holy spirituall people for theyr vowes sake, ordayned by pope Helhound, and gods people a lewde laye people, onely bycause of theyr marry­age, whych is of God.

Thys is (I thynke) a preposterouse or­dre. S. Paule sayth. Honorabile est inter ō ­nes cōiugiū, ac thorus immaculatus. Heb. xiii. Wedlock is honourable amōg al peo­ple, Wedlock & the bed therof vndefiled. Either your people holding marriage vnhonourable in their ordre, ar no people, or els they ar such a people as are not reckened in thys vny­uersall nombre of Gods electes. An other text hath, y ^• marriage is honourable in all thynges, which proueth, y ^• either your vo­wes are no thinges, for not holdyng mar­riage honourable, or els y ^t they ar thynges Thynges vngodly. And I think, ye are no thinges in ded, for god created al thīgs in y ^• beginīg, & [Page] by bryngynge your selues by vowes, into a newe creacion and vse, I recken you to be nothynges to hys vse. Thys is my con­iecture Uowers. of yow, becommynge Antichristes creatures. But truly, thoughe yow wyth your vowes take no place in thys text, yet your conuersacion beynge as it is, ye may be sure to take place in the nexte. Scorta­tores autem et adulteros, iudicabit deus, in y ^e same chaptre. Whore kepers and ad­uonterers God wyll condempne.

If the readers of thys boke, wolde ear­nestly marke yow in thys poynt (whych I ii. euyls. desyre them instauntly to do) they shoulde well perceyue that your vowes and prest­hode, are no lesse execrable and deuilyshe, than is afore declared. I wyll go no fur­ther than your owne wrytynge. Ye saye, that marryages in them that hath vowed the contrary, are peiores adulterijs, worse than aduoutryes. Than wyll I saye, that no poyson is lyke your vowes, neyther yet any other deuylishnesse to be compared to Mariage. them. Marriage of it selfe, is godly, good, honest, holy, and ryghteouse, for it is gods owne institucion. What can make a good thynge naught, but that whych is naught in the selfe afore? What els can make it wurse than synne? but that which is wurse than sinne of it selfe. Haue ye not well pro­moted [Page cxlvi] your vowes? And I thinke in dede, they are no better than yow reporte them here. All christen men therfor be ware of them, as of a most peruyciouse poyson. I thought one tyme or other, ye wolde tho­rowly dyscouer your owne myscheues, as mischeues ye haue now done in dede. And we thanke yow for it, for we shal be the warer of thē. But ye do S. Augustyne wronge, to make hym the authour of your conueyaunce. He neuer made that boke, de bono viduitatis, but one Iulianus a Moore borne, whych was byshoppe of Tolete in Spayne, as I tolde ye afore.

And hym ye slaundre also. For he in the x. chapter of the same boke, calleth your o­pinyon concernynge those marryages, a very wytlesse and wycked opynyon, con­cludyng Wytlesse. therwith in the. xi. chaptre. Prop­terea non possum dicere, lapsarum a meli­ore proposito feminarum coningia, adulte­ria esse, non coningia. For this cause (saith he) can I not report the marryages of nū ­nes, to be aduoutryes and no marryages, but I must call thē true marryages. Thus doth your owne authour proue ye a wyc­ked lyar, and a spyghtfull enemy agaynst marryage. That whych foloweth, sed pla­ue foloweth nō dubitauerim dicere, lapsus et rumas a castitate sanctiore, que vouetur Deo, ad­ulterijs [Page] esse peiores, toucheth not theyr marryages, but theyr slydynges away frō theyr vowed chastite. And yet he is muche more gentyll in that also, than yow ar. For he sayth, he wolde not moche doubt, to call those slydynges wurse than aduoutryes, whych proueth not that he expresly so cal­leth Spyght. them. But yow spyghtfully, call the very marryages so wythout any honest aduysement. Wherfore ye shall go for no lesse, than for a deceitful prophet teaching lyes in hypocresy, to maynteyne the doc­tryne of deuyls, and to forbyd marryage as ded the Esseanes, for Iewysh supersty­cions or vowes. i. Timo. iiii.

Moche were it to declare your folysh­nesse and ignoraūt beastlinesse, in alleging Chrisostome. For ye report that rawe and ragged clause whych ye haue vntowardly A clause. torne out of hys. xxi. homely, in the second tome, to be in the▪ vi. epistle, ad Theodorū monachum. But I can tell what deceyued yow, and I wolde my readers shulde not laughe therat. Ye toke a page or syde of a leafe for a pistle, and. vi. for. lxvi. For that homely, otherwyse called posterior pare­nesis ad Theodorum monachum, begyn­neth in the. lxvi. page of the seconde tome of Chrisostomes workes. If ye be not a Chrisostō. wyse clarke, and moche good frute to be [Page cxlvii] had at your hande, I reporte me. Your de­curted or headlesse clause, Augelorū enim [...]t cet, is thus Englyshed. For that is ones ioyned w ^t y ^e cūpany of Angels, the same to forsake, & to be wrapped in the snares of a wyfe, is playnely to enter into y ^t cryme of aduoutry. Though y ^u neuer so oft, call that thynge marryage, yet I saye vnto the that it is so muche wurse than aduoutry, as is Wurse. the mortall Angel greater & better. All this is to be cōsidered in this matter. Chrisostō wrote all in y ^• Greke tongue, & his Latyne interpretour hath no name, and therfor we can not iudge of hys faythfulnesse.

Moreouer y ^e selfe authour Chrisostome, was to moche addycted to monkery, and gaue it more commendacyous then was conuenient, abusyuge the synceryte of the Abusyuge holy scryptures. Theodorus, to whom he wrote thys homely of admonicion, was a monke, and in the tyme of hys monkery, frequented the cōpany of an whore. Unto thys fallen monke, he wrote an other trea­tyse afore, called prior parenesis, which he entytled, de reparatione lapsi, of y ^e repaire A monke. or restauraciō of y ^e fallē. Wherin he decla­reth the aduoutry of thys mōke after thys forte. Beatus Dauid casu decidit nō leui­ore, quā tu modo, immo nō tātū equali, sub­inde enim aliud flagitū adiecit, n [...]pe ced [...] [Page] atrocissimā innocentis Drie. Blessed Da­uid chaunced to fall, the condicion therof beynge no lesse greuouse than thyne, but yet not all one. For he added therunto an other greate synne, euen the vnpptie full Drias. slaughter of innocent Dry. By thys it ap­peareth, that it was an other mānis wyfe, and not hys owne wyfe, that thys monke occupyed, whych was not only reprehen­syble but also abhomynable.

If Chrisostome calleth thys wycked kynde of copulacion, or rather mysusynge of an other mannis wyfe, no kynde of ho­nest Wycked. marryage, but a wyckednesse more to be detested than opē whoredome, we hold with him therin, and as depely do abhorre it as he ded. But wher as he calleth a mōk a mortall Angell, I thynke he toke one for an other, as the Angell of darkenes for the Angell of lyght. For S. Paule sayth, that Sathan can transfourme himselfe into the Angell of lyghte. ii. Corin. xi. And thoughe Chrisostome denyed monkes to marry, yet Chrisostō. he neuer wythstode the marryage of mar­ryed prestes, for it hath euer bene in vse amonge the Grekes. Neyther doth Chri­sostome in all hys wrytynges, maynteyne any doctryne of Dowes, search them who lyste. He wryteth moche agaynst them that improueth marriage as an vnclean thing, [Page cxlviii] specyally in the fourth homely of his first tome. Where as he moche commendeth marryage in Esay the Prophet, in Moy­ses, in Abraham, in the mother of the. vii. Machabees, in Peter the Apostle, in Phi­lyp, in Zachary Iohan Baptistes father, and in Mary Christes mother, declaringe Petrus. it to be no impedymente to any kynde of Godlynesse. Chryste (he sayth) honoured marriage with virginite. Only is it Anti­christ which dishonoureth it wyth all kyn­des of fylthye occupyenge, vndre colour of the same.

Thus haue I answered (right worship­full syr) your popyshe chaplayne at large, and accordynge to your request, declared the matters & doubtes, wherin ye thought Doubtes your selfe not fully resolued. If it be more sharpe than ye loked for, ye shall the lesse blame me, bicause God is in your wryting so depely dyshonoured, and hys heauenly veryte blasphemed. For though I can lete myne owne iniuries passe by vureuenged, yet can I not suffer wyth conscyence, hys so great dyshonour vnrebuked. I exhorte Beware yow therfor, as ye tendre your owne sal­uacion, to be ware of these deceytfull Si­renes or flatterynge whysperers for that whoryshe kyngedome, but yet vnlearned, whose pleasaunt balletes, allureth to des­truccion. [Page] Be not carried about wyth theyr diuerse and straunge learninges, Heb. xiii. Be not led awaye wyth euery wynde of vncerteyne doctryne, into wicked errours by the craftye wyles of these Sophisters. Ephe. iiii. for by theyr subtyle wayes we maye doubt in thinges which we nede not Doubte. to doubt of, and be caught in snares of de­ceyt, which we nede not to be caught in. If it be a folye to stycke vnto shadowes, the clere lyght sh [...]ynge ouer us. It is more than a folye, yea, it is mere madnesse to lyngre styll in the darkenesse selfe, the myd day apearyng freshe. The presthode & the vowes about whom we haue all this long tyme contended, what are they els but Ie­wyshe supersticions in theyr best aperell? Iewyshe. Lete vs than with all godly endeuour, ab­horre thē both, and be no longar obstinate papystes to Gods hyghe dyshonoure and our princes dysobedience.

So be it.