Against a Rank Papist

Obiectio.

I have at my laysur, perused & diligently considered youre writing, concerning the matter of vows, & the declaracion of the. xxx. chapter of Numeri. Wherein your opinion, being but one mā, without farther reasons and proves added to the same, cannot as yet fully deduce me to believe the contrary of that which I have conceived by the cōmunicacion of lear ned men in times past, and also by other books and authorytees, as it hath been my chance to have red, concerning that matter. Wherefore I have added to every parcel of your writing, such doubts as I thought myself not fully resolved in, desyrynge thereby your further declaration of the matter, with the opening and dyssoluynge of the same doubts.

Responsio.

Ryght worshipful sir, I have received your gentle answer to my simple and undigested wrytinge, but not without the crooked cauyllacions and unseasonable obiec • ions of some chaplain of yours, whereupon I perceive, that if I follow your desire in resolving the doubts therein moved, I must be enforced to answer to. ii. spirits. Firste unto yours, which (as appeareth) is full of lenyte and gentylnesse, corresponding to your name and office. And than to your said chaplaynes, whom I find foystered with the popes old deggres and leaven of hypocrisy. I desire you therefore to perpēde, y ^t though Socrates be a frynd, and Plato a frind, yet is the verity to be preferred in fryndeshyp to them both. The truth of it is, that a question was axed me, whether the. xxx. chapt. of Numeri, made any thing for the vow of life single, or forswearyng of marriage, in monks and in priests, or nape? Chastite I cannot call it, for the great godfathers thereof calleth it, Celibatus clericorum. Wherupon I made the said writing, as a light answer to so tryfeling a question, thinking it at that time sufficient for a matter of so small value, as I do yet, to this hour, And to fortify the same, I add this moche more thereunto.

The five books of Moses, tended all to one ende, concerning the religion, the polytyque governance, and the oeconimicall order of the Jews. The foren nations of y ^t Gentyles, were not burdened at any time by God's commandment therwyth. The boke of Numeri, according to the title thereof, nonebreth out the people of Israel, in their tribes and famelies, so dystributinge unto them the lande of promission. The obseruacions and sacrifices contained in the same, only respecteth that people, comprehended in certain number and place appointed to y ^• said trybes and famelyes. Uowes in the xxx. chapter of Numeri, pertaineth nothing to the priests which received the offerings, but altogether and alone to the come men people which brought the offerings to them. The chapter it self is plain, to him that will not be blind of a stubborn wylfulnes. What ingins now will youre chaplain bring, to make that chapter to serve your turn concerning prests vows? Your whole disputaciō is here overthrown, the place being so preposterously alleged, for a priesthood so preposterouse. Trulye all the vnfounde sowderynges of Alyngtons sophistry, will not be found able workinālie to clowte up this foul brokē hole. The best wer to recompense it, w ^t an honest recātacion.

Besydes all this, I wonder of what believe your said chaplain is, y ^t he cōsydereth not now, these dark figures & shadows, all fulfilled and fynyshed in Christ, but will make of them a new vncommaunded religyon. I would wish that he put aside the veil from Moses face, for a more right understanding of the scriptures, or else that he removed from his popish heart, which hath wretchedly blinded both him and his fellows, that malice that he in his Romish masters quarrel, beareth against his bretheren, for attendynge to the only voice of their true shepherd. Uowes in y ^• . xxx. cha. of Numeri (as I said afore) pertaineth to y ^• only multitude of the Jews, as well married as unmarried, and nothing at all to the priests. I woēdre therefore what wyld worm in the idle head of your Chaplayne, hath now restrained the largeness of that place, from the common people (to whom it was only due) to the popes sinered presthod, willynge thereby to make it also Iewysh. In all Chriestes doctrine is no such kind of vowinges, as your chaplayn here maynteyneth, neither yet in the whole processes and acts of his Apostles. No, in all the. iiii. written Gospels is not this word vouere, or votū, ones reheersed or spokē of, to help your chaplain in this guat strayninge to swallow in a camel.

Arlotus and other most diligent searchers, which first collected the great concordaunces of the whole Bible, were never yet able to stretch vouere nor votum, further than for the old testament. Conradus Pellicanus wrong votum one ynche further by vehement straining, addynge thereunto the vow of Paul in Cenchrea, Actor. xviii. and another time at Jerusalem, Acto. xxi. concerning his head sherynge, which will not serve your purpose, making only for a gentle bearing with the weak Iewysh bretheren, to wynne them to a better faith. If ye take for ground of your matter, the cruel vow of those wicked Jews, which swore before the high pressed, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had stain Paul, Acto. xxiii. Lete it be youre own stuff hardly. The descrybers of y ^e primative church Egesippus & Eusebius, maketh no manner of mention of that prestysh vow of yours. The name thereof was moche more in use among the pagane poetes and sophisters, than among the Christian doctors, a great while after Christ's ascension, so famous was it among Christians in that age. Whā monkery was ones spronge up, by the ydelnes of them that fled from the persecuciōs, than grew it into a name and use among that sort (as among the sects of our time the ite racyon of baptysme) but yet not into a damnable bondage.

For Paulus y ^e first heremite, Antonius, Hilarion, Macharius, Pambo, Pachoimus, and a great sort more which were the first founders among christianes of y ^e life solitary, were never acquainted with this kind of vowyng. Frely ded their disciples inhabit the wyldernesse. Frelye lived they after the rules of the Gospel, married or unmarried, as appeareth by Spiridion, Policrates, and other married bishops, in the Ecclesiastical story of Eusebius. What though their supersticiouse posteryte, the fo lysh world to delude, brought that free estate of living into a necessity and bondage of vows, yet would they for their times, attempt nothing that had not the scriptures authority to bear it. The papacy ones confirmed for money, by the trapterouse murderer Phocas, vows were thought apt instruments to work many miracles by, in the vprearynge & further maintenance of that mighty monarchy of Antichrist, as it was in deed by the practice of hypocrytyshe monks. For all this time the priests had their wives, and the monks were at their liberty, to goo or to come, except it were a certain of them which upon their own brain, wholly addycted themselves to that rule, without either counsel or commandment of God, to make Satan appear the Angel of light to the excecated world, as the sequel here declareth.

I read in the chronicle of Cyrillus the Greke heremyte, De processu sui ordinis ad abbatem Joachim, that Aymericus a frenche man, being the popes legate and patriarch of Antioch, gathered together by vertu of his commission, a certain number of dyspersed heremytes in the mount of Carmelus. To whom he builded a monastery there, in the year of our Lord a. m. c. &. xxi. compellynge them to obedience under one superior called Bertoldus, being his nygh kynsman. Never afore (saith Cyrillus) ded the observers of this religion, bind themselves by any vow, till this patriarch first of all enforced them to it. Nunquam (saith the text) ad obediendum alicui, se voto prius obligauerāt, donec patriarcha Aymericus, eos ad hoc primū astrinxit, & ce. Aboute. lxxviii. years after, followed Albertus the patriarch of Jerusalem, which in the year of our Lord a. m. c. xcix. gave them a rule of supererrogacion, or wurkes more than needed, to confyrme them in the same. All this time, and more than eyghte and fourthy years after, were they bound to none other vow, but to the only vow of obedience to their pryor. Breuely is this whole story touched, of Polydorus • ergilius, lib. vii. de rerum inuentoribus. But when these were ones entered into the prouynces of Europe, and compelled to seek the Romish popes confirmation, by two English frires called Reginaldus and Petrus, they could not be thereunto admitted, till they in the year of our Lord A. M. CC. xlviii. had added this clause to their vow of obedience. Cum castitate & abdicatione proprietatis.

And whan that was adjoined thereunto, by the straight commandment of pope Innocent the. iiii. Hugh the pressed Cardinal of S. Sabyne, and Willyam bishop of Antirade, being his commissioners, than were they allowed for a spyrytuall religion in that Sodomitical church of Autichrist, and might both preach and hear confessions, for mayntenaūce of the same, as testifieth Sybertus de Beca in tractatu de con syderatis super regula. But mark what fruits followed immediately after, of this newly professed vow of their chastity. These religious bretheren frequented the houses of relygiouse systers, conuertyng their chaste profession into most detestable whoredom. Wherupō Nicolaus Gallus their maistre general, and the seventh in number, a man of rare conversation, detested that kind of religion, and wrote against them a very sharp treatise, called Ignea sagitta, a fiery darte in the year of our Lord. a. m. cc. lxx. And in the. v. chapter this sentence he hath among 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 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 morrow till night (saith he) by couples ye course y ^• stretes of cities in ydelnesse, having him to gyde which gredyly seeketh whom he may devour. So that this prophetical saying, The wicked strayeth abroad, is not only veryfyed, but also fulfilled in you. The chief cause of your discourses, is not to vysite the fatherless children, but dyssolute damsels, not widows in their trouble, but wanton wēches, beghi nes, nunnes, and vowesses, or ladyes of the mantell & the rynge, corruptinge their idle lives by many uncomely ways. Thomas Cartipratensis in his second boke, de bono vniuersali, cap. lvi. saith. That about the same time, Nuns were so vexed with cer ten night spirits, called Incubi, whan they were in bed and the candell out, that neither crossynge of their foreheads, nor holy water, nor yet God's body in the box, could defend them from being with child. For thus lieth it in the text. Incubi • emones, it a religiosas virgins opprimeban • , vt nulla cis valeret crucis signatio, nec aqua benedicta, nec ipsū Chri sti corporis sacramentū. Syster Christine for example, refused on a time, to be among her other systers howseled, because a spirit of that kind had occupied with her the night afore.

Never had the sothsayers of Egypt, nor Pharaoh's calcars, more subtle pointes of conueyaunce, with all their incantaciōs and nec romancies, thā had these relygiouse vowers and idle braggers of chastity, for that necessary occupyinge. And much help obtained they to practice in that art, by the fine wurkes of pope Sylvester the second, pope Hyldebrande, friar Albert, frire Bakō of Oxford, frire Perscrutator of York, frire Bongay, frire Some, frire Lynne, frire Riplay, and a great sort more. All this bring I in afore my answer, to declare unto you the beginning & successiō of the vow of single living or forswearinge of marriage, in the Romish presthod & popish relygyous, least we should take darkness sor light and Belial for Christ, or that ydolatrouse priesthood & religyon for a priesthood and religion of the scripture. Now will I show hystorycallye the form and fashyon of that popish vowinge, that it may be known diverse frō y ^• ce remonial vows in y ^e scriptures, & not to seme worthy to have defense of y ^• same, but ra there by them to receive due condēpnacyon.

None ende of dyffiniciōs hath this kind of vowing among the scholastical masters, & yet not one of them to the purpose. Sūme saith, that a vow is an holy promise to god. An other sort calleth it a desire, of God requested. Sūme affirmeth it to be a will, mouinge reason to promise. Sūme calleth it a conceyuing of a better purpose, made sure by a delyberaciō. Sūme nameth it a service, making religious mē more accepted to god thā y ^• layte. Sūme calleth it an act to God's high honor, a cōmunicacion with God, a seconde baptism, & a receyuinge of holy orders. Sum nameth it a good wurke of sit pererrogacion, an office of special dedicaciō to God, a profession of a rule relygiouse, & an act to Christ's pleasure. Sūme saith, it is a testificacion of a fxe promise which is due to God, a promise annexed to the rule of a monk, a spyrituall publyque wealth, an offering to God of the whole tree with his fruit, and the marry of the Gospel. Sum reporteth it to be a law correspondynge to the commandments of God, an ac • e having an opinion of health and righteousness, a bond • indispensable by authority of the church, and a dyrepcion or sackynge of matrimony. Sum saith, it is a profession making a full christen man, a religion equal with the Gospel, baptysme, faith, and the word of God, an act requyringe the remission of sin, justification and the life everlasting, and such a worshypp to God as deserveth heaven.

Sum affyrmeth it to be a satisfaccion for sin, a perfeccion Evangelical, an obseruacion of God's precepts and counsels, and the highar part of God's true worshiping. Sum calleth it a couenaunte to be observed in pilgrimage, offering, prayer, and fasting in pain of damnation, a discharge from wife and children, father and mother, maistre and maistres, frynde, neybour, acquaintance and all, though it be to their great hinderance, a renouncynge of father and mother, wife, child, and maistre in the obedience of religion, & a great foul rabble besides. Yea, Thomas Aquinas dyffyneth it thus. A now (saith he) is a certain testymonye of a free promise, which God ought to have, in things pertayninge to him. Ricardus de Media villa saith, that it is a promise of a supererrogantinge purpose, made first to God for a good ende, & brought into full strength by a delyberaciō. Thus have I given you here the labors of a meany of Nērothes builders in the lettynge up of this their great castel of confusyon. Jack dawe that threw from him all his fedders, was never more galauntly gar nyshed with the fedders of every fowl, than this byrde of vnclennesse is decked with dyffynycions.

Now will I cause that ydolouse stinking monstre, whom youre chaplain so myghtely defendeth here, for a religion indyspensable, to show him self abroad, in his own proper persoue. It is the profession of a monk, or obligacion from God to the devil, in the blasphemous kingdom of Antichrist. Lete youre chaplain avail his bonet, & receive him with reverence, for here now he cometh. Ego frater. N. facio professionem meam, et promitto obedientiā Deo, bea • o Francisco vel Dominico, et tibi frat • i. N. de. N. Priori eius ordinis generali, ac eius successoribus, viuere sieve proprio et in castitate secundum regulam predicti ordinis vsque ad mortem. I frire. N. make my profession, and promise obedience to God, to S. Fran ces or Dominike, & to the frire Nicolas of Naples, priour general of the said order, & to thy successors, to live without proper and in chastity, according to the rule of the said order, unto my lives ende. Thys hath Bartholomeus Pisanus in cōformitatibus Francisci, Antoninus of Florence, Par. iii. Tit. xxiiii. cap. xiiii. and Johannes Maria de Nouolaria in suo Mari magno. Mark the good stuff therein contained.

In this holy profession, is Frances, a mā dead more than three hundred years ago, coupled with God in obedience, so is brother. N. of. N. the maistre general of y ^• same order, dwelling always at Rome, and ga pinge for the death of some Cardinal, to obtain his dignity for money, except it be for the time of his vysitacion, or of gatheryng up his idle rentes in all the christen proynces. And like as it was in this order to Frances, so was it in other orders to Basyle, Benedicte, Bernard, Augustine, Mary, and Dominycke, and to their general monsters (masters I should have said) as they came by course. The obedience of Fran ces was to pope Innocent the third and to his successors canonicallye admitted bishops of Rome, as is written in regula Minorum, which is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as the said rule affyrmeth, but a cōtrariouse doctrine of Antichrist his great enemy. It followeth consequently, that these relygiouse vowers, must live without their own and in chastity according to the rule of y ^• said order (not of Christ's Gospel for that hath no vows) unto their lives ende.

And if youre chaplain will yet farther contend for their vows in holy orders of subdeacon, deacō, and priesthood. I say this unto him, and can prove it by a thousand wytuesses, if need be, that the Monckes or relygiouse votaries, coming to these whorish or ydolatrouse orders of Antichrist, toke never those vows of the bishops suffcaganes, as the popes massemōgers ded whom they than called the secular priests. For the suffragans wer not their ordynary prelates, neither had they power to extorte any new profession of them. But in deed they suffered them always without vow to pass, knowing & considering y ^t they had vowed afore in their monastycal professions, votū publicū & solemn, which was unto thē a second baptism, Thomas of Aquine saith. O knavery unspeakable. The prests vow esteemed of a much lowar kind, is called votū tacitum ac priuatum, having this bawdy clause thereunto adjoined, Si non caste ta • mē caute, whereby they might occupy other men's wives and daughters, for not having wives of their own: for what else caused the one sort to be called regular o • religious, & the other secular or profane, but only the dyfference of their profession • and vowinges?

Yet to speak it truly, I could never thoroughly know, what a priests profession was in those days, by all that ever I red. Sauynge ones (I remember) as I was • Maldon in Essexe, about. xx. years ago, I found an old bishops ordynary, or bok • of their exorcisms, for church halowinges, belle blessings, and oiled orders giving. Wherein I beheld this only clause, for the oblygacyon or charge of their chastity, Accipe iugum domini. Take the yoke of the lord. But I found therein no answer appointed, to be made of them which received that order, neither by affyrmacion no • yet negacion. And therefore the bond should seme to stand void, unless this borrowed clause of the law do help it. Qui tacet cōsentire videtur, he which holdeth his peace seemeth to consent or agre to it, But than that same videtur, may in some case discharge if again. Iugum domini, is no such he any burden, as is so commonly eased by whoredom and sodometrye. For the Lord's yoke doth case & not burden, all thē y ^t are loaden. Math. xi. My yoke (saith Christ) is easy, & my burden is light. Thys yoke is a gentle sufferance of heart, or an humble endeuer to do the will of God. And is not only for priests at their orders taking, which of all men regardeth it least, But common it is for all kinds of people, men and womē, married or unmarried, maid, widow, husband, wife, and all.

Except your chaplain can make, these afore rehearced professions good by y ^e scriptures, which (I know) he shall never be able to do, Lete him not contend with those men for their vows in this age, which hath in the obedience of God's holy word & their kings commandment, re • ounced those wicked kinds of relygions and priesthood, and by vertu of that word now taken them wives in marriage. For truly, and as the Lord liveth, of these most detestable kinds only, were all the vows which they professed. I speak not here of the ages from. vii. to. xiiii. which was the year of profession, & from. xiiii. to. xxi. which was the year of taking their orders. Whych their dyuynyte masters alloweth, having in their unsavory commentaryes, this unsavory sentence of their own dottyng brain. Quanto a castioribus animis proficiscūtur vota, tāto ma gis Deo placent. Quare adolescentū vota, preualēt votis seniorū. The more chaste those hearts be (say they) from whens the vows come, the more acceptable are those vows to God. Wherfor the vows of young boys are better in value, than y ^• vows of their eldars. Is not here (think you) a lōpe of fine dyuynyte? yes, and it wer to serve in the devils black parlor.

The fyckle promise of a wanton boy, not grounded in God's knowledge, is here preferred to all other kinds of vowyng. Here is no bad doctrine, if it be well cōsydered & weighed. Saint Paul admitting widows to be found at y ^e charges of the congregaciō, allowed thē not to vow the sole life (if ye will there have it a vow) afore y ^e age of. lx. years. i. Tim. v. Of what strength than will they make the vow of inconstan̄t laddes? I omit the mysteries & fruits of this text, least y ^e re hearsall of them, should be an infeccion to other, in hearing so fylthie examples. Upon all these matters afore rehearced, I thus conclude, that these vncōmaunded vows are such ydele, mockynge & blasphemonse promises, as of necessity ought to be brokē. And I have I sidorus to hold with me therein. In malis promissis (inquit) res • inde fidem, in turpi vo to muta decretū. Quod incante vouisti, ne facias. Impia est promissio, que scelere adim pletur. In promises y ^t be evil, discharge thy couenaūt. In a filthy vow change thy former decree. Fulfyll not that thou hast vowed vnbewares, for that promise is wicked, which is not accomplished without naughtynes

Whan the kings grace of England by y ^e autoryte of God's word, discharged y ^e monkish sects of his realm, frō their vowed obedience to the bishop of Rome, ded he not also discharge thē in conscience of y ^t vow of Sodometry, which altogether made them Antichrists creatures? If he did not so mind it, why altered he their relygions? why toke he from them their disgysed garments? why plucked he down their monasteryes? yea, why put he thē so at liberty, and sent them fourth abroad? These things ought not to have been, if that kind of chastity had been indispensable. For the vows made in those relygyōs, pertained only to the same. Whā those religions wer ones bānyshed y ^e realm, was it not necessary that those vows should be also bannyshed with them, which made them relygions? Wolde ye have men in one point to be the kings true subjects, and in another the Romish popes sworn creatures? The holy Ghoste in the scriptures, callethe this kind of doing, a tyranny of Sodom, & an obstinate rebellion against God. From this generation are we called by a voice from heaven, which thus saith unto us, Apoca. xviii. Come away from her (my people) least ye be partakers of her sins, and so receive of her plages.

I herein dyscommende not the honorable state of virgynyte, neither yet of faithful wydowed, whom I know to have their worthy praises of the scriptures, but this hellyshe lake & synke of sylthynesse unspeakable. All this have I written afore, lease we should take evil for good, and couple sower with sweet, making of thē a mingle mangle for pigges of the popes old puddel. From hens fourth will I answer to your chaplaynes froward obieccions. Though The reported in youre writing to be but one man, yet shall it appear y ^t my oppnion cō cernyng vows, is not mine own private opi niō alone, but y ^e opynyō also of all thē which ar ruled by y ^e sacred scriptures. I am fully persuaded in conscience, y ^t those most wholesome pastures of the holy Ghost are plenteouse and fait enough for any christen man's feadynge, and are able alone to sustayn us without all other prouysions, into the life everlasting. Al other reasons, proves, declaracyons, opynions, communycaciōs, autorytees, writings, doctryns, or doubts, what so ever they be, not grounded upon thē, are nothing worth at all, be they never so delycately prepared. For without the verite, they mynistre nothing to man, but iyes, corrupcion, & poison. Now followeth here the process of your writing.

Obiectio.

First ye begin with the dyffinicion of a vow, what it is in y ^e old law. Wher in ye tell first, what it is not, and so • eclare, that it is not a profession of any rash brain. And therein I agree with you. For in every vow, as I think, the • must be a delyberacyon and a sure purpose. So y ^t mad men, • are brains, children, fools, and such like, can make no vow whereunto they ought to be bounden. Ye say, it is an earnest promise, to fulfill that which God hath ordained and commanded. Wherein ye seme to say true, but not all the truth, to make a perfect dyffynycion. For y ^e name of a vow extendeth to many moo things, than your dyffynycyon doth.

Responsio.

It is at his pleasure, that your chaplain here with mock and all, reporteth me to dyffyne a vow. For I mente nothing less at that time, than to dy • fine it after Aristot • les Toppkes, as he require th it. I have left him good store of such dyffynicions here afore, taken out of a great rabble of his dottynge doctors or sophistical sentency • ners, & yet not one of them to any purpose concerning the scripture. I never yet judged of the holy scriptures, as Aristotle ded • nes judge of dysfynycyons, which in the xii. boke of his Metaphisickes, saith that, De diffinitionibus potest esse scientia. A scyence may be of dyffynicions. For of the scriptures can we make neither art nor sciēce no more than we cā make an art or sciēce of God's eternal wisdom. And though it were thus Englished, that knowledge may come by dyffynycyons, yet holdeth not the comparison, for God's ways are not all one with man's inuencyōs. Esa. lv. If I have said, in descrybyng a vow, concerning diverse places of the old testament, that it is not a profession of any rash brain, as all monkysh vows wer, I think I have said the truth, yea, and such a truth as youre chaplain is not able to w ^t stand by any just ground to the contrary. If I have also uttered, that it is there an earneste promise of fulfilling that which God hath ordained and commanded, neither have I taught an old wives fable, for the scriptures standeth strongely on my side.

As Jacob in y ^t way going towards L • ban his uncle, vowed a vow, that if God preserved & prospered him in that journey, he would acknowledge him to be his Lord God, by y ^e tythe offerings of that he should send him, Gene. xxviii. was that vow any other than a faithful promise to God? grounded upon commandment afore to Abraham, to be taken for his God. Genes. xvii. Nō other opiniō had David of vows, than this whan he said. Psalm. lxv. Introibo in domū tuā in holoca • stis, reddam tibi vota que distinxerunt labia mea, et locutum est os meum in tribulatione. I will enter into thy house with brent offerings, to perform the vows which I promised with my lips, and uttered with my mouthe, whan I was in trouble. As frankly disposed as your chaplayn was, to tryfle & to toy with my dyffynycion, as he scornfully calleth it, with it is and it is not, yet is he in the ende compelled to agre with me therein, & to confirm it with a reason of his own. But because I find his reason barren, braynlesse, and without any ground, except it be of the sophisters dyffynycyons, I reject it utterly, and will confirm the order there of by a sentence of him, whose wurdes were never yet out of order.

Nō facietis singuli, quod sibi rectum videtur. Sed quod precipio tibi, hoc tantū facito domino, nec addas quicquā, nec minuas, Deute. xii. Ye shall not do (saith God) that seemeth good to me • nis private judgments. But do only that which I command you, & se that ye add nothing thereunto, neither yet dyminysh from it. Lo sir, here is both, ye shall and ye shall not, and all about one commandment, and your voluntarye vows dyspatched clearly, come they with delyberacion or without delyberacyon, with sure purpose or without sure purpose, because they have non allowaunce of God's word, but a manifest condempnacion. An other like sentence. Non recedat volumen legis huius ab ore tuo, sed meditaberis in eo diebus ac noctibus, vt custodias et facias omnia quecūque sunt in eo. Non declines ab ea ad dexteram nec ad sinistram. Joshua. i. Lete not the • oke of this law (saith the Lord) be out of thy mouthe, but study therein day and night, to accomplish and do what so ever I have commanded the. Se thou decline from that law neither the one way nor the other. Non vltra vocaberis Jacob, sed Israel erit nomen tuum. Gene. xxxv. Thu shalt be no more called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name.

Not only by bread liveth man, but by every word which cometh from God's mouthe. Math. iiii. Not for our ryghteouse works, but of his own mere mercy hath he saved us, Tit. iii. Neither in mannys will, nor yet in his runnynge, is the attaynement of salvation, but in God's mercy aloue, Ro. ix. Thus have I proved by the scriptures, that a truth may be set forewarde by, it is & it is not, ye shall and ye shall not. And all the commandments of God, are given after y ^e same order. As thus: Thu shalt have non other God's in my sight. Thu shalt hallow the sabbath day. Thu shalt make the no graven image. Thu shalt honor father and mother. Thu shalt not kylle. Thu shalt not stele, and so fourth. Here is a great matter than, that youre chaplain dwelleth upon, but that of nature he must play the mocker, to maintain a mock against all godliness, if it would be taken at his hand, as it will not. But of one thing I do not a little marvel, that in my dyscrypcion of a vow, a poor adverb of negaciō should so much offend him, and the usurped lord shyppes with all out ragiouse pride in the clergy, offendeth him nothing at all, by this erneste warninge of Christ, Uos autem non sic.

A plain token is it, that he playeth the part of Jack Nitigo, as y ^e saying is, he seith, but he will not se, or else that he seyth a small mote, and leteth the great beam pass by, as ded the hypocrites, Math. vii. He hath a straight eye to vows, but their stinkinge fruits in all execrable occupying of y ^• flesh, he respecteth not. The delyberaciō and sure purpose, which he bryageth me in here, to seclude from his popish vowers the rashenesse of brayn, are neither borrowed of Christ nor of Paul, But of Richard Mydylton a gray frire, otherwise called, de media villa, or of some of his disciples in the scol • doctrine of braulers, as though a monkish profession were lawful and good prevented by a delyberacion. Here is proper stuff to uphold these wares of filthiness, to Antichrists behoove. He neither weigheth this monkyshe profession here, nor yet dyscretely examineth it, whether it be by the scriptures lawful or unlawful. But rashly he judgeth the rash vows thereof both good and sufficient universally (for he saith here in every vow) having a delyberacion and a sure purpose. But what is the delyberacion ye speak of? What is the sure purpose ye require? wherewith are they seasoned? with the obedience of God's word, or with hope of belly ease? This is not here declared, No, nor God's word ones called to counsel. A thief waytyng his pray, taketh a deliberacion. An aduouterer hath a sure purpose of that he sekyth.

Thys rash kind of vowyng, so rashly described, he may well bequethe to his mad men, his harebraynes, his children, & his fools, as he hath put them here by order, for fytt they are not for men of wisdom and godliness. A sober delyberacion might here have done him good service in a far better purpose than this is. Whereas I call a vow, an earnest promise to do those things which God hath ordained and commanded, I dyffyne not the general name of a vow, as he capcyously layeth it to me. I only show my mind, what I think a vow to be concerning a great number of places in the old testament, that they might the rather appear unmeet to allow y ^e popes sodometry in that contrary kind of vows. And therefore I grant, that the name extendeth farther than my former dyffini • ion, and so is it like to do still, for ought that I will do more therein. Agareues, Turks, Jews, Idolaters, Papystes, and the Deuyll, maketh vows in their sortes, which I intend not to couple in one dyffinicion, with the vows of the sacred scriptures. No, that marriage were not lawful. And of this have I written enough afore.

Obiectio.

Anna i. Regū. i. ded vow to God y ^• • rute of her womb. which God should give her, and yet she was not commanded of God so to do. But it was in her power to have fulfilled that which God had ordained and commanded, & also to have done other wise. Nazarei, which ded vow & dedicate themselves to God, as it is expressyd, Num. vi. ded not vow that thing which was commanded by God. For than every man should have had sinned that had not been Nezareus, because they fulfilled not gods commandment. Ther for your diffynicion semyth vnperfyght. For a vow although it be sumtymes in those things that be commanded and required of all men, as the vow which is made in baptism, yet proprely, me think, it is in those things which be lawful, and in our power, and whereunto we wer not boun den before, And so by our vow, do restrain our lyberty.

Responsio.

Hys examples here concerning Helcanaes wife. i. Reg. i. and the Nazarees, Nu. vi. confirmeth my dyffinicion, and confoundeth his whole matter. For where as he saith, that Anna grounded her vow vpō no commandment or ordinance of God (as do monks and priests) he falsely reporteth it, to maintain a moste deuylyshe purpose in hypocrisy. For it is written. Ero. xiii. Sanctifica mihi omne primogenitum, quod aperit omnem vuluam in filiis Israel. Sanctyfye unto me all the first borne, that openeth all matryces among the children of Israel. And y ^e same is confirmed in Christ, Lu. ii. Omne masculinū adaperiēs vuluā, sanctum Domino vocabitur. Every man child that first openeth the womb, shall be called holy, or dedicated to the Lord. Amā child was it that she desyered of the Lord, and such a one as should be the first fruit of her womb. And like as that was universally God's, both by ordinance and commandment, so was the fulfyllyng and ground of her vow. Mea enim sunt omnia primo genita filiorum Israel, tam ex hominibus quam ex iumentis. Ex die quo percussi omne primogenitū in terra Aegypti, sanctifica • t eos michi. Numeri. viii. All the first borne among the children of Israel (saith God) are mine both man & beast. Because the same time that I smote the first borne in the lande of Egypt, I sanctyfyed them for myself.

If this be restrained of this adversary, to the only law of purificacyon, yet shall it still maintain my purpose, that God's ordinance was the ground of her vow. For she sought thereby to be pourged of the contumelyouse reproach and maledycciō of the law. Moreover she found the like of all y ^t she went about here, in the barren mother of Samson, Iud. iii. as a matter to ground upon, besides God's wurkynge in her spirits perturbacion. The ordinance of God there, is this, mingled w ^t commandment. S • erilis 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. Behold thou art barren, & bearest not. But thu shalt conceive & bear a son. And now be ware thu drink no wyne nor lycour y ^t is strong. For lo, thu shalt cōcey • e & bear a son▪ And there may no raser or sheres come on his head. For y ^e child shall be a Nazare unto God, evē from the time of his birth. This wise prelate your chaplain, would (as appeareth) by his fond arguments, have it only a wurk of nature & of mannys art, to obtain godly children, & not the gift of God, specially whan they were appointed to the ceremonial obsequyes in the house of God, Num. viii. O beastly nody without brain.

If all this will not sattle his wyld wytlesse head, to give over to God's ordynaūce, y ^t he hath all this time givē to mannys fyckle inuencion, Than lete him mark the praper that the said Anna made, & he shall se somewhat more. Exultauit cormeum in domino, et exaltatum est cornu meū in Deo meo, &c. i. Reg. ii. Myne heart (saith she) rejoiceth in the Lord, & my horn is advanced in my God. Let at a sum in salutari t • o. Non est san ctus, vt est dominus. Deus scientiarum dominus est, et ipsi preparantur cogitations. Dominus mortificat et viuificat. Dominus pauperē facit et ditat. Suscitat de puluere egenum, etc. I rejoice in his prepared health. Non is so holy as the Lord. The lord is a God of knowledge, & he setteth fourth y ^t wurkes (mark it sir Johan) for what is it, that is good, which is not at God's pleasure? The lord kylleth and raiseth. The lord ma keth poor and enrycheth again. He raiseth up the poor frō the dust, and lyfteth up the beggar from the donge hyl. Pedes sanctorū seruabit, et impii in tenebris cōticescent, &c. He will fashyō the steppes of his holy ones, But the wicked shall keep silence in darkness, &c. as a great number of blasphemous papists doth nowadays, by y ^e same hand of God. If all this be not enough, I know not what will satissye a wicked fool.

And where as youre said chaplain saith, that it was in her power to have done otherwise than to have fulfilled God's ordinance therein, it is but an homelye handelynge of the story, and nothing perteynynge to the purpose. For it lieth not only in the text, fac quod bonum • ibi videtur, et ma • e donec ablactes eum. Do what thou thynkeste best, and tarrye till thu haste wened him. But also it followeth there, Precorque vt imple at dominus verbum suum. i. Reg. i. I desire God to perform his word. The word of God is never contrary to it self, neither had she at that time digested it after so fyckle a sort. They which are with God, & gather with him, Lu. xi. as this good woman ded in this act, goeth not prāking afore God, but mekelye cometh after, else were they scatterers from him. We which are the laborers, husbandrye and buyldinge of God, ought non otherwise to wurke than his word appointeth. i. Cor. iii. I wonder that he could bring in this example, being so far from the purpose of his matter. For Annaes vow was no profession of sole life, but an only promise of offering up her child to God, for service in the temple.

In his reason concerning the Nazarees or absteyners, he taketh the man for his obseruacion, as the absteiner for his abstinence, and so calleth him a thing not ordained nor commanded of God, which is no wurkemanly cōuepaunce. But this will I say unto him, that a law concerning the Nazarees, is largely set out in the. vi. chapter of Numeri (which chapter he hath also alleged) yea, for an earnest ordinance and commandment of God, to abstain frō wyne. There is not much other matter in all the whole chapter, than for them. I wonder there fore, he perceived it not, in searchynge out the place. But peradventure he ded it, perfunctory, carptim, or cursim, in manner as y ^e old writers do report the dogs to drynk in Egypt, rennynge with all spedye haste possible, or without aduysement whether ye will. Hys conclusyon is as moche out of square, as are his premysses. If the Nazarees observed the vows by commandment (saith he) or prescripte order of God, than every man should have sinned that had not been a Nazare. No ser, not so. God come maunded certain specyaltees to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with diverse other of the fathers, that he appointed not all men to do. Neither was Jacob bound to do in effect, that was precyselye commanded to Isaac. Christ bad not all men preach, whan he said to his Apostles, Go fourth & preach, And therefore youre conclusyon is nothing worth.

Now in the ende what make these examples of Anna and the Nazarees to any purpose, concerning the vow of monks and of prests, to live single without marriage? Anna had an husband. Her desire was that she might not die barren, but to have a mā child. And her vow was to offer that child of her own body unto God for term of life. And her vow lasted no lōgar, than till her child was wened. Her son was holy Samuel, which though he were consecrated to God, had both wife and children, i. Regū. viii. The Nazarees had wives, as appeareth by Samson & Samuel. They drank no wyne, they ate no grapes, they had no vinegar to sauce so longe as their vows lasted, as monks and priests have in their daily masses and feastinges. No rasure nor sheeres might come upon their heads, as doth vpō the heads of monks and priests. Neither might they be seen at burials of y ^e dead, as are commonly priests and monks for money. And their vows lasted no longer, than for the time of their abstinence. For afterwards (the text saith) the abstayner might drink wyne. Thus doeth his own alleged stories not help, but clearly confound his clouted up matter for monks chastity.

To couple Baptism with the vows of the old law in one dyffynicion of vows, he doth vnaduysedly & without all sincere judgment. For they only cōprehende gifts and offerings, with external rites and ceremonies, where as in baptysme the professyon is only faith, called of the Apostle Prima fides. i. Timoth. v. For whan Christ saith, Marci. xvi. Predicate Euangelium omni creature, Go preach the Gospel to all creatures, It followeth not there, Qui votum emiserit, he that hath made a vow shall be saved, But Qui crediderit & cet▪ he that byleueth and is baptized, shall be saved. By this barbarouse and strange coupling together of baptysme and vows of the old law in one dyffynycion, he putteth no difference betwyxte the maistre and the servant, the free and the bound, the light and his shaddow, the verity and his figure, the church and the synagoge, Christ and Moses, but thrusteth them in together, making of them an hoche poche, all contrary to the wholesome doctrine of Saint Paul. Galat. iiii. Also on the othersyde, me thinketh he doth baptysme great wrong, to join him w ^t a monkysh vow in the same dyffynycyō, for in so doing he coupleth righteousness with vuryghteousnesse, and the importable yoke of strangers with the gentle yoke of Christ. ii. Corinth. vi.

Hys adverb proprely, borrowed of Porphiryes princyples, is not able to make that enterprise good. He may for his pleasure, take this kind of learning out of Thomas of Aquyne, for he in deed calleth monkerye the second baptysme, I cannot se that he cā find it any where else. A doctrine this may be for turmoylynge Thomistes, but howe it might avail any well aduysed or sober Christians, I cannot perceive. By ver tu of this sophystycall adverb, proprely, he restrayneth the private vows of monks and of priests from the generalte which he fyndeth in baptysme, and all in the same dyffynycyon. A very clearkely cōueyaunce. But where as he thinketh it, to be in those things which be lawful and in man's power to be performed, meaning the chastity of the said monks and priests, whereunto they were not bound afore, Hys thinkynge shall stand void, till he bring fourth just proves by the scriptures of the new testament, and that will be (I think) ad call̄das Grecas. Of this am I sure, that both hypocrytycall monkery and massynge priesthood, are such plantacions as our heavenly father never yet planted, Mathe. xv. but the vngracyouse father of Rome, the pa triarke of all mischief.

If he had said, that to vow or to promise, lieth in man's power, I had granted it. For S. Paul saith, Roma. vii. Uelle adest mihi, To will, is present with me. But where as he saith, that the things promised, do lie in our power, that I utterly deny • him. For it followeth in the text, At vt fa • iam bo num, non reperio, But to perform that which is good, I find not. As chastity is a gift of God, so is it neither followed nor yet performed of us without his gift. For the performance thereof is not the vowers, but his which hath givē the gift. Noui enim (saith S. Paul) quod non habitet in me, hoc est in carne mea, bonum. I know that in me, that is to say, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. The wise man saith 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 perceive, that I cannot keep myself chaste, except God give it me. And a great point of wisdom is it also, to know whose gift that is, or frō whence it cometh. Than is it presumptuouslye here spoken, that it should be in our power.

Whan Christ's dyscyples upon certain occasions, judged it not good to marry, Mat. xix. Christ made thē this answer. Non oēs capaces sunt dicti huius, sed his quibus datum est. No man (saith he) can away with that saying, save they to whom it is given. And as touching them which chastened themselves for the only kingdom of heaven, which is neither in monkery nor massynge, he concluded after this sort. Qui po test capere, capiat. He that hath power to set hand upon it, lete him apprehend it in God's name. Here is no man commanded, neither yet counseled, to make thereof by vow, a perpetual bande. For so might it be turned from a virtuous freedom into an horrible temptation and snare of the devil, as that vow hath been to innumerable both men & women. In the circunstaunces of this longe dy • fynycyon, have I smelled out this chaplain of yours, the compylat of this matter, by these fine rhetoryckes of monkery. Our vow, our liberty, our chastity, in our power,, we may, we wer bound, with such other like, so that he cannot hyde himself. But where as he saith, he was not bound to be chaste, afore he ded vow it, he must prove himself a liar.

For this God commanded Moses to speak to the universal multitude of Israel, Levite. xix, & xx. Sanctificamini, et estote san cti, quia ego sanctus sum. Be holy, for I the lord your God, am holy. Christ saith also, Luce. xii. Sint lumbi vestri precincti. Lete youre loins be gyrt about. And S. Paul i. Timo. v. Temetipsum purum serua. Kepe thyself pure. Sara the wife of Abraham, was chaste. So was Sara the daughter of Raguel, Anna the wife of Helcana, and Su sanna the wife of Joachim, yet they never vowed chastity. Paphnutius a mā of God, said openly in the general counsel of Nicaea, that Castitas was cō • ubitus cum propria coniuge, A companyenge of men with their own wives, in the act of generaciō, and no man there withstode him. Lib. ii. histo. tripartite, cap. xiiii. A false and an hypocrites opynyon is it, that chastity cannot dwell in man, unless it be vowed. Zacharias the priest and Helizabeth his wife, were both chaste, the Gospel saith, if chastity be a perfectyon, and a walking in the laws and ordynaunces of God without reprove. For why, Erant ambo iusti coram Deo (the text saith) vitam agents iuxta omnia precepta ac iura Domini, irreprehensi. Luce. i. Both wer ryghteouse afore God, and so fashyoned their lives after his laws and precepts, that no man could find fault with them.

Notwithstandynge Epiphanius affyrmeth in libro de heresibus, that in the great college of Jerusalem were certain Levites, which for their vows sake would touche no woman in marriage, but among them selves they wrought sylthynesse unspeakable. And those (saith he) wer the chief in opy nyon among the people, and moste commended of holiness. And for reprehendyng those vi • es in thē, was good zacharias slain. Philypp Melanchthon following the said Epiphanius, confirmeeh the same story, in his commentary upon Daniel, ca. xi. Saint Paul confesseth holiness and honor in marriage, and according to them requireth it to be used. i. Thess. iiii. Sciat (inquit) vnusquisque vestrum, vas suum possidere in sanctificatione et honor, &c. Learn everyone of yow, to use his vessel in holiness and ho nour. And what more can be looked for of all your vows? Nay, I would they brought not with them the contrary, as filthiness and dyshonour.

Then maketh he a conclusion of his matter, declaring the nature of his dyffyned vow. And so by our vow (saith he) we do restrain our liberty. The chyldrē are we of freedom and not of bondage, and our mother a free woman by the death of Christ, Galat. iiii. The law of our profession, is also a law of liberty, Iaco. i. And where as the spirit of the Lord is, there is perfect liberty, S. Paul saith, ii. Cor. iii. In the name of God, what liberty will this man restrain by his vow? If his vow restrain these, his vow is a thing moste wicked. What liberty will it than restrain? Lyberte to mar ry. Than is his vowynge a doctrine of devils, for their doctrine only, in all the scriptures, is reported to forbydde marriage, i. Timoth. iiii. Saint Paul the elect vessel of God, saith. Si se nō cōtinent, nubāt, Melius est enim nubere quam vri. i. Cor. vii. If they cannot abstain, thā let thē marry. For it is better to marry than to burn. And this is there spoken without restraynt or excepcion of vows.

Obiectio.

And than we vow chastity, whan we may lawfully go to marriage, as S. August. saith, de bono viduitatis, cap. xvi. Quando licite rei licentiam tibi, amor melioris boni aufert. Donauit enim ne liberet nubere cum liceret, vt iam non liceret, etiam si liberet. Et ca. xi. Bonum continentie vidualis luculentius de • et, cum pro illo vouendo et profit̄do, possunt femine quod et libet et licet. S • d post vot • professionem perseueranter frenandum et vincend •• est quod libet, quia iā non licet. Et psal. lxxv. Non sitis pigri ad vouendum. Non enim viribus vestris implebitis. Deficietis side vobis presumitis. Si autem de illo cui vouetis, vouete, securi redditi • . Uouete et reddite domino Deo nostro omnes cōmuniter Quid debemus vouere? Credere in ilium, sperare ab illo vitam eternam, been viuere secundum communem mo dum. Est enim quidam modus communis omnibus, furtum non facere, non castimoniali pre cipitur, et nupte non precipitur, Adulterium nō facere omnibus precipitur. Non amare vinolentiam, qua ingurgitatur anima, et cortumpitur in se templum Dei, omnibus equaliter precipitur.

Non superbire, omnibus equaliter precipitur. Non hominem occidisse, non odisse fratrē, non aduersus aliquem tenere perniciem, omnibus in communi precipitur. Hoc totum omnes vouere debemus. Sunt etiam vota singulorū. Alius vouet Deo castitatem coniugalē, vt preter vxorē suā nō nouerit aliā. Sic et femina pre ter virum suum non nouerit alium. A ••• etiam vouent, etsi experti tale coniugium, vltra nihil tale pati, nihil tale concupiscere, aut sustinere. Et ipsi vouerunt aliquid maius quam illi. A ••• virginitatē ipsam ab ineunte etate vouēt, vt nihil tale experiātur, quale ill • experti sunt, et reliquerunt. Et isti vouerūt plurimum, Alii vouent domum suam esse hospitalem omnidu • sanctis aduenientibus. Magnum votum vouent. Alius vouet relinquere omn • a sua, distribuendo pauperibus, et ire in communem vitā, in societatem sanctorum, magnum vou • t votum. Uouete et reddite Domino Deo vestre, et cet. Quisque quod vouere voluerit, voueat, illudque attendat, vt quod vouerit reddat, Unusquisque Deo quod vouet, si respi • it retrorsum, malum est, etc.

Responsio.

I supposed afore that this pretēsed vow here, had been a professyon of chastity, which is also due to marriage. But now I perceive, it is an only renouncynge and utter bannyshynge of marriage. For it follow eth in his wrytyng. Then vow we chastity (saith he) wh • n we may lawfullye go to marriage. It is true that ye do so. But what godliness find ye in so doing, or what wynne ye in the ende, as ye seal up your hand for term of life? Surelye, for youre reward ye wynne the sore plage, belonging to such ungodly presumpcyon, that is, to be given over of God, unto lusts unlawful, Romano. i. as experyence hath declared in an hundred thousand buggerers. The fruit manyfesteth what the tree is, the examples of life, what the vow is, dyssemble yow the matter neuerso longe. It is not all for naught, that Saint Johan was commanded not to measure the query, or approve it by God's word, neither yet to allow the order thereof for a state of rygh teousnesse, Apocalip. xi. Neither yet is the great spyrytuall city, which is the blasphemous church of Romish vowers, without cause called, Sodoma and Aegyptus, in the self same chapter.

And whan he perceyueth, that scriptures will not aid him in approuynge of his bablynges, he heapeth me in, an whole half leaf at a dashe, out of Saint Augustine, De bono viduitatis, if it be his, & in Psalm. lxxv. As though his authority auayled, where scriptures are not to be had, and as though the verity might be choked with a multitude of wurdes. But to opē and declare this papists conueyaunce, I will first of all English here these sayings of S. Augustine, if they be his.

Saint Augustine Englyshed.

Saint Augustine saith in the. xvi. chap. of his boke concerning honest wydowhed. Whan the desire of a better purpose (a tail without an head) taketh away from the, the liberty of that thing which is lawful. For it is God's gift, that thu lykest not in marry whan thu myghtest well do it, that frō hensfourth it should not be lefull for the, though it lyked the. And in the. xi. chapter. The estate of wydu all clennesse is than most fytt, whan for the vow and profession there of, women may put apart that is both lykynge and lefull. But as the vow is ones professed, constantly is that to be restrained and vanquyshed, that lyketh, for no longer is it lefull. And upon the. lxxv. Psal. Be not slow to vow, yet of your own strengths ye shall not perform it. If ye presume of yourselves, ye shall fail. But if ye be bold of him, to whom ye have promised, vow hardly, for assuredly shall ye perform it. Uowe, and yield it unto our Lord God, all yow universally. But what must we vow? To believe in him, to hope of him the life everlasting, and to live christenly among our neighbors. For an order is prescribed to all men, in no wise to steal. Not to the professed nonne, nor yet to the married woman, was it commanded, but all folk are charged to commit non aduoutrye. Not to follow dronkenes, whereby the soul is overcharged, and the temple of God defiled, is equally commanded to all men.

Not to wexe high minded, is commaun ded to all men a like. Not to kill a man, not to hate their brother, and not to seek an vndoynge to any man, is universally commaū ded to all men. Al this ought we all to vow. These are also vows to every man particular. One voweth to god, chastity in wed lock, as that he will know none other thā his own wife, and in like case the woman, to know none other but her own husband. An other sort promyseth, that though they have proved the act of marriage, yet will they no more do the like, neither yet affect it nor favor it, and these hath vowed somewhat more than they. An other sort voweth vyrgynyte from their youth, that they will never assaye that other hath assayed and left, and these in like manner hath vowed much. An other sort promyseth their house to be herbourouse to the howsehold of faith, and a great vow do they make. An other man voweth to leave all his goods, and to associate himself with men that are godly, he hath vowed a great vow also. Uowe therefore, and render it to your Lord God. Lete any man vow that is willing to vow, taking always hede that he perform what he voweth. Ill is it for any mā to loke backwarde, that hath vowed, &c.

S. Augustine declared.

Firste it is to be marked, to whom, o • at whose instance, this boke was made, who was the author, and what is the argument, or ground thereof. The boke was writ̄ to one Iuliana, a professed widow. The title and argument, are corresponding to the same, for they declare the honest state of wydowhede. But the great learned man Frasmus, utterly denieth the wurke to be Saint Augustynes, and proveth it by many strong reasons. Consydre first of all, that they are brought to a narrow shyft, that seeketh to be holpen by women's matters. What hath wydowed to do with priesthood, more than womanhede with massing? Are the offices of priests and women bycomen now all one, and were wont to be so diverse. Then lete priests become women also. Is not here (think yow) a wyttie fatche of this papyste, to prove his matter by? Hys first proposycyon was (and thereupon is all this contencyon) that priests must be Celibes, that is to say, men without women. And now that matter cannot be proved without women's help. I have now my conjecture. For I thought always, though they had rejected women, yet would they seek them out again for some naughtye purpose. They fare like monks and frires, which never could agre, but whan some mischief was in bruynge, against the glory of God.

And in deed the prophet Daniel confesseth, that the hearts of that generation, are gredely set upon women, Dani. xi. but that is all out of marriage. But I fear me, their labor here, tendeth to this ende, to find out among themselves by vertu of their orders, that prodygyouse kind of occupyenge without women, which Saint Paul appointeth them as a plage of their error to dampnacyon, Roman. i. They are about no small miracles, whan they have such compassynges, ye may be sure. O execrable generation of Antichrist. Now to the contents and argument of this alleged boke. The wurke is divided into two partes, the one conteynynge doctrine, and the other fatherly counsel, for the honest state of wydowhede. The doctrine which is the strongar parte, endeth with the fyftene chapter, and this crooked cloyner, cloughteth me in a patche of the latter parte, which is the weaker. But mark his conueyaunce (I beseech yow) and ye shall see in him, the cursed nature of a wicked papyste. He bringeth me in here, the latter end of a sentence in the. xvi. chapter, leaving out all these wurdes. Qua in re, prius illud moneo, vt quantamcunque tibi inesse sentis pie continentie dilectionem, beneficio Dei tribuas, eique gratias agas, qui de spiritu suo tibi tautum largitus est, vt eius in cord tuo charitate diffusa (now cometh in his patche) licite rei licentiam, tibi amor melioris boni auferret.

But in place of all this, he hath trumped me in a Quando, to help his conueyaunce, and changed the time in Aufert. A false harlot (they say) will never betrue. And thus is the sentence to be englyshed. By the way of exhortation or counsel (saith the author) I admonish the, that what love so ever thu fyndest in the towards godly clennesse, im pute it to God as his benefyghte, and give thanks to him, which out of his own spirit hath given the so much, that his charyte being spread abroad in thy heart (his Quando is out here) the love of a better thing might take away the liberty of that was lawful. And what is all this to the pur pose, to prove the foolish vows of monks and of massemongers indispensable? Truly no more thā is, Stās pure ad mensam, made by Robert Grosted of Lyncolne. The mind of the writer was, that charity procedynge of faith and not of vowynge (for here is no vow spoken of) should be judged to be the gift of God, & that no boast should be made thereof, as of that thing which were in our power. For it followeth. Multi quippe habent magna Dei dona, et nesciendo a quo habeant, impia vanitate iactantur. Manye there be (saith he) which hath worthy gifts of God, but for lack of knowledge of him that is the gyuer, they wickedly & vainly glory in thenselves. Thys spake he against such iustycyaryes (as are our braggynge papists) which boasted that of their own free will, without the grace of God, they wer able to live well.

Hys authority out of the. xi. chapter and part concerning the doctrine, is the conclusyon of an argument, the premysses left clearly out. But to make it not so to appear, serving his turn, he hath craftelye conveyed away this word Ergo. Mark the good wurkemanshypp of this Babylonish builder. The author in that chapter disputeth against them, which judged the marryages of professed systers or nunnes to be aduoutryes and no marryages, and concludeth that such marryages ought not so to be judged neither yet dyssolued, though, as in his opynyon, the vow breaking he not allowable. In y ^• chapter afore he beginneth w ^t this reasō. Qui dicūt taliū nupitas nō esse nuptias sed potius adulteria, nō mihi videntur satis acute ac diligēter cōsiderare quid di cant. They y ^t report y ^e marryages of vowers, to be no marryages but aduoutryes, seme not to be learnedly wise in their so sayings. And if they ground (saith he) upon Christ's spousage, and that he is not yet dead but alive, & conclude it aduoutry that way. Thus I answer thē. That in there generation, wherein Christ is, being now risen from the dead, there is no such kind of marriage.

For if they might make that reason good, than might they also prove Christ an aduouterer, by receiving upon her faith, another man's wife. And this I add to it. That an horrible sin they might also im pute to Christ, as to have married his own mother, whan she bycame her spouse, with other like fantasyes nothing to the purpose. Neither may Christ (saith he) be taken for the second husband, as in that kind of marriage, his promise being prima fides. Thys is no conuenyent rule therefore, of putting the man from the wife, but rather a way to make them aduouterers. And after this sort he contynueth, till he come to the said conclusyon, Bonum ergo continentie vidualis, &c. which all I cut of here, for time losynge. The commodyte therefore (saith he) or professyon of vydual clennesse, is than moste fytt, whan for the vow and promise thereof, women may put apart, that is both lykynge and lefull. If this chaplayn had minded the preferremente of a verity, as he ded the bolsterynge out of a falshede, he had there more aduysedlye marked this word possunt, which carrieth all the wayght of the whole matter. That professiō is fytt for them, whan they may, that is to say, whan they are able to leave that is lykynge and lefull.

And that caused Saint Paul, not afore lx. years of age to admytt any widows to live at the charges of the congregation without husbands. i. Timoth. v. Make priests at that age, and ye may chance to have them chaste, but I dare not promise yow afore, I have known so many to slyde. Lo ser, how say ye now, have ye not sponne here a fair threde with your. ii. allegacions of this doctor, to prove, that than ye vow chastity whan ye may lawfully go to marriage? yes that ye have, & it were will Somer the kings fool. I told yow afore, as I tell ye now again, that all this was but womens ware, which have many times light heads, & therefor (I pray yow) reserve it to their use, and seek out some better stays, for the sole living or wyuelesse state of your presthod, for these are far to weak. And as touching the writer, whom e y • call S. Augustine, under whose authority ye seek to confirm a falshede, it is yet in question whether that boke where his or no. Mark in the same. xvi. chapter, a little after your first allegacyon, Sursum corda, with dignum et iustum est, and S. Gregory which followed. cc. years after, will rather appear the author thereof, than S. Augustine.

Now are we come to the third allegacion of this chaplain, Non sitis pigri ad vo uendum &c. which is S. Augustynes in deed upon the. lxxv. Psalm. But mark his cruel theft here (I beseech yow) that ye be not another time deceived by the like. Thus beginneth S. Augustine upon this text of David, vouete et reddite, promise & do it, or vow & perform it. Quisquis quod potest (inquit) voueat et reddat. Ne voueatis & nō reddatis, sed quisque quod potest voue at & reddat. Lete every man vow (saith he) y ^t he is able to to perform, & lete him perform it in deed. Do never promise, unless ye mind to pay. But lete yche mā promise, y ^t lieth in his power, & so fulfyl that he hath promised. Than followeth the text, that he seeketh to wurke his false seat with, Non sitis pigri ad vouendum. Be not slow to vow, and so fourth. O blessyd Augustine, thy doctrine is godly and pure in this matter, and not mixed with the leaven of hypocrites. As thu puttest it fourth hece, it is seasonable & good and may wholesomely feade the flock of Jesus Christ. But as this cruel enemy ded handle it afore, it was more like to have poy sened than nouryshed. Full falsely art thu alleged here of this mocker and peruerter of all godliness.

Thy teaching is, that no man should take upon him to vow that thing, which he is not able to perform, according to the nature and true meaning of the text in that Psalm. And because S. Augustine would have this point taken for the seasonynge salt or ground of all that should follow concerning that matter, he reherseth it here twice. But why left yow this out, ye most spyghtfull adversary to all verity and truth? why lete ye it pass by? yea, why toke ye it not with yow? Bycause ye would play the dissembler, liar, mocker, poisener, thief, and sowle murderer, ever like yourself, a full exercysed craftesman in that occupyeng of mischefe. But tell me maistre person, who hath taught yow to play so wicked partes as these are. Even the Deuyl your captain, which seeketh not else but to devour in darkness, yow helping him forward as much as ye may. For what purpose or to what ende, do ye wurke these false feats. Even to make of the howsholde servants of God, the citizens of Sodom and Gomor. O devil incarnate, O moste vengeable Satan. But now that I have thryse taken yow in this kind of robery, I will so hold ye by the nose, both in this & in that which shall fo low (be yesure of it) y ^t all they which shall loke vpō yow & your wurk, shall take ye for nō other than a naughty thief & a pycke purse.

And as touching S. Augustine, he utterly refuseth, so to be takē or alleged of any man, that his authority should maintain a doctrine besides y ^• scriptur. For he saith, in prologo textii libri de trinitate. Noli meis literis quasi canonicis scriptis inseruire, &c. Geue in no case, so moche credyte to my writings, as to the canonycall scriptures of the Bible. Thys sentence hath he also in his seconde boke, ad Uincenti • . Ideo nāque retractationum librum feci, vt discant lectores, neque mea per omnia mihi placere. For that only cause made I a boke of retractacions, that my readers might well know, that mine own writings ded not in all points please me. Moreover he writeth thus in his wurke, de natura et gratia, c • . lxi. Solis canonicis scriptures sine vlla recusatione consensum debeo. Suche a pryuylege belongeth to the scriptures of the Bible, that to them we must always assente without refusal. • o, these are enough to clear him in that matter. And to confirm that he hath said afore concerning vows, I remember he hath in diverse places of his learned writings, quod vota stulta nō prosint sed obsint, imo quod extra scripturā dānanda sint. That foolish vows profyteth not but moche hyndereth, and also that they are damnable whan they have no ground of the scriptures. Whyche for tedyousnesse in searchynge the great heap of his wuckes to little profyght, I now pass over.

In y ^e end also will I say, y ^t they are ill frindes to S. Augustine, which to establysh so wicked a purpose, usurp his authority on this wise. For though his time wer sūwhat corrupted w ^t superstycyōs, yet he never toke vows as they have been prodigiously takē of hypocrites in our age. That is to say, for a worship of God, for a meryte of righteousness, and for a singular perfeccyon. And though he had so done, yet is not this couse quence thereby found true. Uowes were in use in S. Augustynes days, Ergo y ^e sodomy tycall professyons of cloysterers and masmongers, are a lawful service of God. No more than this argument is good. In S. Au gustynes time some thought there was a pur gatorye, Ergo we ought to have masses, the popes indulgences, and chauntery foundacyous for the dead. In bringing in that long process of Saint Augustine upon the. lxxv Psalm, this charmynge chaplain toke moche more pain than he needed. For it is nothing to the purpose to defend monkysh vows, but that he seemeth glad, to have sum what in aperaunce, though it be moste theuishly borrowed. The vows that he treateth of, are no forswearynges of marriage (as are the priests vows) for than he should by his doctrine forbid all men to marry, which were moste deuelyshe. For thus he concludeth, Omnes communiter, vnyuersally all men.

But to put all out of question, this godly man dyffyneth, what kind of vowynge he meaneth. Quid de bemus vouere? inquit. Credere in illum, sperare ab illo vitam eternam, et been viuere secundum communem modū. What ought we to vow? saith he, or what promise is required of us by God's law? To believe in him, to hope by him to obtain the life everlasting, and to live godly, non otherwise than after the commē manner of christianyte, required of all men geuerally. Al the vows that there followeth, be they proper or common, are governed by these christen rules. Thus is this adversary discharged. iii. ways, for taking here any hold for his sodometrouse vows, by quod potest, which he hath theuyshly left out, by omnes communiter, and by credere in illū, which both he brought with him without understanding. Therefor this deceitful papyste may now go, as the common saying is, and shake the dog haye. For nothing in all this longe process of S. Augustine, will serve him to his mind.

Obiectio.

By this authority of S. August. we learn, that there be. • i. kinds of vows. One commē to all men. which differeth nothing from the office and duty of a christen man, whereunto every man is bound more by God's law than by his own promise. An other singular, after every man's own deuocyon, in such things as he may lawfully forbear, and yet by his vow doth bind himself to the perfourmaūce of them. The bond, whereof standeth in the promise of the man, not in no former commaun dement of God. Thys kind of vow, is clean left out in your dyffynycyon, which maketh it vnperfyght in my mind.

Responsio.

Here hath this chaplayn ouershote his wits, by calling these three several allegaciōs, but one authority of S. Augustine. But per adventure he would have them here taken in substance, for. iii. persons and one God, for aboughte such mysteries his popish generaciō is very busy and cōnynge. I am well contented that he and his hath learned in this latter allegacyon, which is S. Augustynes in deed, that there are vows of. ii. diverse kinds, one common another proper, or one double and another single, for the other. ii. have no such dyuysyon of vows. But I would he & they had learned this of S. Augustine withal, that those vows must be of things which are in our power, concerning faith, the common christianyte, & a way to the life everlasting, for he mente non other. To live without wives by your own appoyntement, & your other like voluntary wurkes, are as agreeable to these, as men's ways are to God's ways, & light to darkness. A man might here drive yow & yours to a narrow shyft, that would require of yow to prove S. Augustynes dyuisyon vpō this word votū, by Christ's doctrine. Well, I lete yow alone concerning y ^t matter for this time, & go foreward with the members of your dyuysyon, whom ye have dyffyned full like yourself.

One common (ye say) to all men, which dyffereth nothing &c. I would wish y ^t ye had left out some of those bablynges, & y ^t ye had givē to this one of yours, his own right na me, calling him prima fides as S. Paul doth & not votū. For votū is but a borrowed bastard name, w ^t out the scriptures of Christ's new testament. But such are y ^• buildings of these wicked iusticiaries, to uphold in hypo crysie their voluntary wurkes. An other singular (ye say) after every mannys own deuocyō, in such things as he may lawfully forbeat &c. Mercyfull God, what cōfuse matter & unfruitful baggage is this? Placed is it not in y ^e scriptures, unless it be in y ^e smoke rising up frō the bottōless pytt, Apocal. ix. or else in the golden cup of y ^• rose coloured whore, & thā is it part of y ^e abhominacyon & filthiness of her whoredom, Apo. xvii. Is the promise of cōingall chastity or faithful clennesse in marriage, as the man to know non other womā than his own wife, & the womā nō other man than her own husband (which S. Augustine here nonebreth among singular vows) after every mannys deuocyon, y ^t he may leave it of if he lysteth & become an aduouterer? Is it also in such things as he may lawfully forbear? Then hath God spoken it all in vain, that in such case man should leave father & mother and only cleave to his wife, and they twayne thereby to be one. Gene. ii. & Math. xix.

How can ye say, that the bond is the mannys in y ^• state, whan y ^t mā hath no power of his own body, but y ^• wife? i. Cor. vii. Standeth the bond of this vow in the promise of mā, & in no former commandment of god? & so leaveth him at liberty, whether he will be an whoremaistre or no? What manner of doctrine call ye this? I am not ill apayed, that this kind of dyffynyng is out my diffynicion (as ye call it) neither do I reckon it the more vnperfyght for the want thereof. I would men ded mark this workemanshypp here, and ded se how fynely falshede as in a net, conuayeth himself. Come out ye devil, I will yet dyscouer yow further, for all your crafty lurkinge, and clearly dispatche ye of your hold. Uowes are here deupded into vows common, and vows singular. Thys division is altogether naught, as yow have here dyffyned the menbres thereof, though ye father it upon S. Augustyue. For memb • a diuisa in genere non conueniūt, as it is required they should do. If it be answered y ^t they agre, in genere vocabuli. I must say again, that our dyfputacyou is not super vocabulis, upon wurdes and names of things, but upon the very things sygnyfyed by them. I will prove by their grounds, that they agre not in vno genere.

The ground of vows common, are God's holy commandments, the ground of vows singular, as yow have described them, are men's idle deuocyons, otherwise called will wurkes, or wurkes of supererrogaciō, that is to say, more than need. Howe far these. ii. are from agrement in vuo genere, y ^• voice of Godsowne mouth by the prophet hath declared, Esa. lv. Non enim cogitations me sunt cogitations vestre, necvie vestre, vie me. Sed quemadmodum celi, terra sublimiores sunt, ita excedūt vie me vias vestras, et cogitations me cogitations vestras. My thoughts (saith the lord) are not your thoughts, nor youre ways my ways. But so far as the heavens are higher than the earth, so far do my ways exceed your ways, & my thoughts your thoughts. Se now howe these divided members agre. Who ever thus coupled himself with God, but Antichrist the son of perdition? which exalteth himself above all that belongeth to God, ii, Thes. ii. But come down thu devil, that thus settyst thy chair in heaven, and will be check mate with the highest, • sa. xiiii. full vumete are thy dongysh and fylthie traditions, to be coupled with his laws immaculate. The days wylones come, that thu shalt be brought down to the depeth of h • lle.

The bond of this vow (saith this tha plain) standeth in the promise of the man, and not in the former commandment of God. Wherunto I say, yet ones again, that y ^t more is his shame to couple it, yea, rather to make it equal w ^t God's commandments. But that the myscheuouse nature of that hypocrytyshe generation is, as Christ hath declared, Mathe. xv. to make God's commandments of none effect, for their own be astlye traditions. If the bond be of man, howe little strength is it of? Is a sin full man of such omnypotency, that his vnaduysed decree must perpetually stand, leadynge to so wicked an ende? Isidorus saith. 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 any man be so prevented, that he bind himself to do auye of those things which are not pleasynge to God, lete him repent him of that prompse. And lete that which was determined without God's commandment, be called back again and made of none effect. 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 instant nenessitate peierandum nobis, quam pro vitando periurio in aliud grauius esse diuertendum. Denique iurauit David per Deū, occidere Nabal virum stultum & impium, 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 chanced us (saith S. Bede) to be sworn to any such things, as the fulfilling thereof, might bring us to a greatter evil, Beynge instructed by more wholesome counsel, we may well break that oath, and rather for the time of need forswear the thing, than for doubt of perjury to run into a greatter inconuenyente. For David swore by his Lord God to slee Nabal, a foolish and wicked man, and to destroy all that was his. Yet at the first instance of the sobre wise woman Abigail, he withdrew his anger, put up his sword, and never thought any sin in that perjury or breakyuge of his vow. The chaplain saith, that this kind of vows, is clean left out in my dyffynycyou. As I said afore, I am well contented it is so. Saynte Paul saith. i. Lorinth. vi. Ryghteousnesse can have no felyshyppe with vnryghteousnesse. Lyghte agreeth not with darkness, neither hath Christ any concord with Belial. And this (he saith) maheth my dyffinicion vnperfyght, As though monkyshe vows, might add perfeccyon to vows of the old law, confyrmed by y ^• scriptures. Who could ever have painted him out more lively for Antichrists man, than he paynteth out him self?

Obiectio.

Than ye go about to prove it by the sayings of David, which sayings declare the good af fectyon of the just man, to the keeping of God's commandments, and seme to pertain nothing to declare what is a vow. And therefore in my mind, your dyffynycyon is nothing fur thered by these authoritees. The just mā saith, I have loved thy commandments above gold and precious stone. Thys proveth not that a vow is only a promise to keep God's commandments. For it speaketh not of a vow, but declareth his affeccyon and obedience to God, So I take it, except yow se further in it, and can otherwise declare it.

Responsio.

I go not about to approve this descryp cyon of a vow, after the order of Aristotle's logyckes and Porphiries pryncyples, as I told yow afore. For so might I do as your false generation doth, prepare a deceitful bait to circumvent the simple which hath no foresyght, and to trappe them in a snare to the devil youre masters behoove. Thys kind of clowtynge ye shall keep to youre self, as an art fytt for your occupyenge, to wrynge by couples into one diffinicion of a vow, truth & hypocrysy, verity and falsehede, God and the devil, agre if they may. For otherwise (ye say) it cannot be made nor come to y ^• shappe of a persyght diffynycyon. In allegynge David, I approve a doc tryne and no dyffynycyon, the ground of a vow after the sacred scriptures, and not the name of it, as it hath been hurly burlyed in Antichrists kingdom. Though the alleged texts here, maketh mencyon of no vows, yet include they that, wherupō vows must be grounded, if they be of value, as are gods appointed ways and commandments, They also seclude y ^• ought not to be vowed, that is to say, false ways and wyckednesses. And this agreeth well with that which is uttered in the former descrypcyon, to declare & show a plain contrariete betwyne the sober vows of the scripture & the frantyck rash vows of our clergy, least men vn bewares should judge them all one, and so be parelously deceived.

And no man can deny it, but David the author of those .ii. sentences, was a vower, for he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob, Psalm. cxxxi. He confesseth in his Psalms that he was a continual and daily vower. In me sunt Deus, votatua, que reddā, laudations tibi, Psalm. lv. I have within me, O God (saith he) thy vows, which I will pay the, and they are thy praises. Reddam vota meade die in diem, Psalm. lx. I will perform my vows from day today, Reddā tibi vota, que distinxerunt labia mea. Psalm. lxv. I shall render the vows, which my lips hath with deliberacyon promised. Uota mea Domino reddam in conspectu timentium eum. Psalm. xxi. et. cxv, I will perform my •• wes to the Lord, in the sight of them that fear him: Wyth a great number of testymonyes more, who is than more fytt to be called to witness in such a matter, than he which hath sought it and proved it? Or who knoweth it better than he that hath had it in so much use? and commandeth men so earnestly to vow? by these wurdes, Uouete et reddite, & cet. Uowe & perform your vows. Psa. lxxv. These are to be loved as God's prescripte ways, and observed as his commandments, the other are utterly to be abhorred, as the ways of falshede and wickedness. Thus pertain they somewhat (as yow term y ^• matter) to declar what is a vow, & there for they have well furthered my diffinicion.

These sayings of David (ye say) declare the good affeccyon of the just man, to the ke pynge of God's commandments. Here is so wayghtye a sentence, as might well have common from them which were woēte to sing that Psalm at their popish hours without deuocyō, it cometh fourth so freshly and with such a courage of slouthe. But it is good portasse doctrine. As ye love the scriptures, so handle ye thē, yrkesōlie, fayntly, vnsauerly, & bar̄lie. But as feeble & as cold as ye judge them, yet are they so full of life and strength of God's spirit, that all the powers of hell are not able to prevail against thē. And they will serve the scripture vows at need, though they serve not your popish vows. They declare in David besides your feeble affeccyon, a faith incomparable, and an whole giving up of him self to God from all worldly cares. A doctrine from above, a demonstracyon of the ryghteouse, a prophecy full of pythe, a puryte of God's word, a consolacyō in Godliness, an hate of superstycyon, a right handelyng of y ^e scriptures, a full obseruaciō of God's commandments, an obedience to God's byddynges a symplycite of sowle, a mekenesse of spirit, a conscience without cancre, a strong love towards vertu, a study for righteousness, a despre of knowledge heavenly, a fervent zeal in the truth, an alacryte of spirit, an inward peace, a joy in the holy Ghost, a dylygence effectual, a cōstauncy in perfyghtnesse, a mygthy perseueraūce, a gift of God's spirit, a sincere relygyō, a detestaciō of ydolatry, gods true wor shypp, a work which most highly pleaseth God and dyspleaseth the Deuyll, and an whole sum of Christianite.

Obiectio.

In this sentence, ye seme to change the sygnyfycacyon of vows, and also to restrain thē to one feast called Clangor. For vows (ye say) are gifts, with praises unto god, or offering with thanks giving. And before ye said generally, that a vow in the old law, was a pro myse etc. How can it be both the promise of a thing, and the thing promised? And by the chapter it self, it may seme to be taken for the promysyng of a thing to God, and not for a gift or offering promised. For the last sentence saith thus. Si vouerit, et iuramento se constrinrerit, vt per ieiunium vel ceterarum rerum abstinentiam, affligat animam suam et •• . By which words it appeareth, that a vow is not taken for a gift or an offering, but for the promise of some lawful thing, as fasting, abstynence, or such like. Whyche promise the wife or daughter is not bound to perform, if the husband or the father by and by gain • aye. Than if a vow here be not taken for a gift or an offering, but for a promise of any lawful thing, which promise in some persons, at some times, in this chapter is declared not to bind, It followeth that those vows do not pertain only to the feast of truē pettes, but to every time and age, whan so ever any such vow shall be lawfully made.

Responsio.

Whereas I have in that sentence changed the sygnyfycacyon of a vow, ye could not therwyth be moche offended, wer ye not of a froward, crooked, and quarellynge nature. For y ^e best of your doctors in expownynge the scriptures, doth so, so well as I, & are driven thereunto by the dyuersyte of the places and circūstaunce of sentences. For restraynt of those vows in the. xxx. chapter of Numeri, to a feast called Clangor, I shall answer yow here after. I spake it in deed, that a vow is a promise, and the scriptures afore alleged, out of Gen. xxviii. & Psal. lxv. hath born me good witness, y ^t I spake y ^e truth in it, which to rehearce again were but superfluouse. But where as ye say, I spake it generallye for all vows of the Bible, ye shall take it to ye again, as a lie of youre own forging. For I never mean all vows, whan I speak of a vow, no more than I mean all men, whan I say, a man. And as I called it there a promise, so call I it here a gift, a praise, an offering, and a thanks giving to God, and in all these will the scriptures honestly bear with me.

It is written Levite. xxvii. Homo qui eximium aliquod votum nuncupauerit, iuxta estimationem dabit. A man that will give a singular vow to the Lord, shall give it according to the value or wayght. Lo sir, here is votum a gift, requyrynge value or weight. Whā Jacob vowed a vow to God, Genes. xxviii. in the day of paymente, that vow was an offering of the tithes of all that he had given him. Wha • David entered into the house of the Lord, Psal. ixv. the vows that he paid were fat brente sa cryfyces with the smoke of rams, and offerings of bullocks and gotes. Uota pinguium vestrorum non respiciam, saith God, Amos. v. I will not ones loke upon your fat offerings, Moreover it is written Psalm. lxiiii. Te decet hymnus Deus in Zion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem, exaudi orationem meā, etc. It besemeth the (Lord God) to have praise in Zion, a vow shall be performed to the in Jerusalem, hear thou my prayer. Lo, here is a vow called a praise, a prayer, and a thanks giving. In the. lv. Psalm are vows named laudations, that is to say, praises or commendacyons. And where as Solomon saith, Prouerbio. xv. Uota iustorum placabilia, all good exposytours calleth vota there, prayers. An hundred like testimonies are in the scriptures of the old law.

Now lete us return to the. xxx. chapter of Numeri. There is it written. Si quis virorum votum domino vouerit. If any man vow to the Lord, etc. I am sure y ^t to vow a vow, is not to vow the wurdes all ready spoken, but the thing promised in that vow ynge. It followeth after in the text. Si congnouerit pater votum quod policita est. If the father shall know the vow that his daughter hath promised et cet. Thys vow was not the promise of a promise, for than had it been like the vow that Dauy the Walshe man made upon the sea whan he was in danger of drownyng, to offer a candell as much as the shyppe maste, whan he come ones to lande, which ended in the promise and went no farther. But it was the thing promised, which is in some places of the scripture, a gift with praises to God, & some where an offering with thankes giving, as I have proved here afore. Ye axe me this question, how a vow cā be both y ^e promise of a thing, and the thing promised? Wherof I greatly wonder, consyderyng that for your pleasure, ye grant a moche more marvel, that is to say.

In your massynges, after your breathinges upon the bread and wyne, ye confess the accydentes thereof to be Christ's body and blood. For ye say, that the former substaunces of bread and wyne are taken away by a new creacyō, which ye prodygyously name a transubstāciacyon. By this ye should seme to be in doubt also, whether Christ which was promised, was the same very Christ which came at the time appointed, Gala. iiii. or nay. If it wer lawful to axe such questyons, I might also axe of yow, how Sara might be both wife and systre to Abraham? because I find it so written, Genes. xii. &. xx. Suche fryuolouse and unlearned questyons, bringing nothing else but contencyon, S. Paul forbiddeth us to move. ii. Tim. ii. & Tit. iii. ye ar a great wise prelate & well ouersean in matters, if ye judge votum in all partes of the Bible to import one meaning. Ye fare like a simple surgeon or dog leche, whō I sumtime knew, which had but one drink for all dyseases, and one salve for all sores. Uotum in y ^t scrip tures hath not one only sygnyfycacyon, but many. Some where it is a knowledgyng of God's benefyghtes, some where a faith in his promises, some where an adoracyon, a worshypp, a dedycacyon, a free gift, a promise, an offering, atythynge, a praise, a prayer, an abstynence, an ordinance, a ceremonye, a sacrifice, a thanks giving, and in certain places, a deuocyon, a desire, a danger, a destruccyon, an Anathema or separacyon by death, and such like, but never any forswearynge of marriage.

Afore ye were much offended because I called a vow a promise. And now to prove it to be no gift, ye admytt it for a promise (such are youre mocks and toys) and ye prove it to be so, by this sentence of the same. xxx. chapter. Si vouerit et iuramento se constrinxerit, vt per ieiuniū vel ceterarum virtutum abstinentiam, affligat animam suain. If a wife hath vowed & bound her self by oath, to humble her sowle by fasting or other kind of abstynence etc. And I grant it yow, that by this it is a pro myse. But if ye had gone on a little farther with the text, ye had found it a gift. For anon after it followeth. Quicquid vouerat atque promiserat, reddet. All that she hath vowed & promised, she shall pay. Though it were but a promise at the bargayne or covenant making, yet is it a thing promy sed in the performance or at the payment day. Tyme and place hath changed many things. That was in the house a promise, becometh in the temple a payment. Have ye forgotten your old sophystycall dystruccyon potentie et actus, wherewith ye were wont to bind b • ares at your pleasure? what remē bre youreselfe. Ye fare like them in this point, which reckoned a swearing by the temple or aultre, for no byndynge oath, but the swearing by the gold of the temple & offering of the aultre. Mathe. xxiii. Christ saith there, he that sweareth by heavē, swea reth by the trone of God. Lo sir, how may heaven be heaven, and the trone of God?

Either ye were in doubt of your allega cyon, Si vouerit, by these staggerynge sayenges (It may seme, It appeareth) afore and after, or else ye wer •• yrily dysposed in your toyenge dalyaunce, but ye have work manly mocked yourself in the ende with a manyfeste lie, calling Si vouerit, the last sen tense of that chapter. By like ye were in such post haste, that ye toke no hede what followed. Loke better upon it another time, for youre own honestyes sake. Ye call abstynence and fasting things lawful, and so do I also in the kind God left them in by his appointed rules. But youre monkerye and massynge priesthood, for whom ye presentlye contend, are nothing so, wātyng allowaunce of the scriptures, but they are wicked offices and abhomynacyons in the blasphemous kingdom of Antichrist. Wher as ye say, y ^t the wife or daughter, are not bound to perform such vows, if the husband and father saith nay to it, ye speak it truly, for the scripture there affirmeth the same. Why than compel yow priests, monks, and nonnes to an indyspensable keeping of their vows, of whom a great number had never the full consent of father and mother? O deceitful mockers. Yea, why so tyrannouslye bind ye them, to that filthy Sodom, without redempcyon? O illuders of righteousness. God our eternal father, Hierem. li. God his eternal son, Mathe. xi. and God his eternal spirit, Apocalip. xviii. hath myghtely called us from thens.

Oure mother also, which is Christ's immaculate spouse, by the voice of Saint Paul, hath given this charge, to her children. Nolite iugum ducere cum infidelibus, ii. Corinthio. vi. Bear not that yoke (meaning youre vow) with the infydeles. Ne commisceamini fornicariis. i. Corinth. v. Accumpauye not with those filthy fornicators. Than conclude ye with as foolish an ende, as ye had pryncyples afore. If a vow (say yow) be not here a gift but a promise thereof, for certain times and persons, then pertain not those vows to the feast of trumpettes. Wele said maistre per sone, and reasoned full like a polityque pultar. If a net be not a net, but y ^t shadow of a net than are we not like with our net tes to ca • che any wod • cockes this year. Ser, it is so well taken there for a gift as for a promise, as is declared afore, and there for youre v • discrete argument is discharged. But where as ye pluck those vows from the feast of trumpet blowynge, ye do them great wrong. Better had ye done for them, to have left them there still, or else in some other place fit for them, than to have left them here so desolate, not knowing where to become. For there is now neither age nor time fytt for thē among christianes, though yow, not onlyke a Iewysh Rabi, appoint thē all times & ages. Neither have they been sense Christ's ascension lawful. S. Paul setteth so little by them, that he calleth them feeble tradycyōs and beggarly ceremonies, threttenyng the Galathianes damnation, forturnynge to them again. Gala. iiii.

Obiectio.

I se no cause why ye should say, they pertain only to that feast, seeing that fasting, abstynence and such like painful works be not gifts and offerings appointed by God to be offered in that feast only. I think, yow think it no good reason to say so, because in the chapter before, menciō is made of that feast and of such things as God. will have offered unto him, than I cannot se why this chapter should more • e restrained to pertain to the chapter before, thā the next to this, entreating all three of clean diverse matters. Therefore I would know what reason • ground ye take so to say. For as yet I think (and have good cause why I should so do) that vows here be neither gifts nor offeryngs, neither they pertain to that feast only, and that the feast contynued longer than. vii. days, as it appeareth by the text it self. And therefore by the conclusyō, that these vows were not perpetual, I under stand not what ye mean, except it be that the feast nor the offerings of the feast, were not perpetual, being but shadows, which saying followeth not of that before.

Responsio.

Repetynge youre matter, ye se no cause why, I should report vows in the. xxx. chap. of Numer. to pertain only to that feast &c. A gnatte ye strayne out very sore here, to swellowe in a camel, but it will not prove to your mind. I se good cause why I should say it, and I speak it (I think) as a frynd. For if they remain not there, they are like to have but a simple dwelling in this age, except some superstycpouse grandame, or some old dottynge sir Dauy, will harbor them for a time. Who will now vow, to offer up a young kydde in sacrifice? What, think yow that we know not in what taking the dark ceremonies of Moses are now? Moses is dead and buried, we have Christ alive in the mountain for him. The Gospel succedeth the law, wherein the precepts are spiritual, and must be of us fulfilled in spirit and verity, and not in old worn out shadows. Remyssyō of sins cometh only now by Christ's offering upon the cross, & not by the old leuytycall expyacyons. Christ hath wholly & perfyghtly supplied in his most innocent flesh, y ^t was prefygured in the serpent of brass in the wyldernesse, that no man frō hens fourth should go back again thereunto, for recover of y ^• venemouse bytynges of any other serpent, Numer. xxi. for no man can perish that believeth in him, but is sure to have the life everlasting, John. iii.

That feast of trumpet blowynge, I trom ped ye in as a toy to help ye forward in your Iewysh creacyōs, because ye sought so earnestly to establish the chastity of your priesthood by that. xxx. chapter of Nume. I gave ye it by the way to make yow merry with, and not to ground any christen doctryn upon it. How this word only leaped into it, I cannot tell. For whan I conferred youre coppy with mine, I found it not therein. Yow y ^t can so cōnyngly dymynysh & add, cut of & set on, pull out & put in, as ye have done afore in your Augustynes allegacyons, are able enough to show your conueyaunces here. As well could yow here pull in this word only, as ye there cloughted in a quādo. I am not so far ouerseane in the scriptures, but I know that more Iewysh feasts are contained in the. xxix. cha. than festum tuba • um in the first day of the seventh month. For in y ^• tenth day of the same month, was the feast of propycyacyon, & in the. xv. day was the feast of tabernacles. I gave yow therefore the feast of trōpettes, as an ende like to your pryncyples. For I told yow after that, of S. Georges gyld at Norwych, where I willed yow to bestow those vows.

If ye bestow the fastynges and abstaynynges of the scriptures now, upon such Ie wish feasts, ye do as ded your pay pay, your papa I should say, which appointed thē to his ydolatrouse days of ydelnesse. Those pain full wurkes (as ye call them) which are for a humyliaciō of y ^• sowle, may now be appointed to no such feastynges. In deed I know no good reasō why they should. But where as ye say, ye cā not se why y ^• chap tree afor should be restrained to pertain to this chapter, more than y ^• chapter following, I must say to yow again, y ^t I can well see it. For in y ^t scriptures is no cōfuse order, but a cōform & cōsonāt order, one chapter always approuyng & declaring another. These. ii. cha. treat not of clean diverse matters (as you vnclenly report thē) but thei both cōclud to one ende of ceremonials. The. xxix. chap. maketh mencyon of. iii. of their pryncypall feasts, showeth what sacryfyces should be done in them, and on what day of the month they should be celebrated. The. xxx. cha. declareth the performance of vows and offerings, both of the free and of that which is under subieccion, as of the father and the daughter, of the husband and the wife, besides the widow and deuorsed to the profyght of the mynysters and Levites.

Ye would know what reason and ground I take thus to say, or to join y ^• . ii. chapters. I have for my ground this last sentence of the. xxix. chapter. Hec offeretis Domino in solennitatibus vestris, preter vota et oblationes spontaneas, in holocausto, in sacrificio, in libamine, & in hostiis pacificis vestris These things shall ye offer to the Lord in youre solempnytees, besides youre vows and deuocyon offerings, in youre brentofferynges, meat offerings, drink offerings, & peace offerings. This is my ground, put yow the reason to it hardly. Ye say, ye think that those vows be neither gifts nor offerings. Of that thinking, ye are suffycientlye dyscharged afore. Yea say, ye have also good cause so to think. And I think y ^• goodness of your cause not wurth the leap of a lowse. Ye say, they pertain not to y ^• feast of trōpet blowing only. That only, as it standeth, is yours and not mine. And if it were mine, I would ye ded byqueth it to S. Georges gyld at. N. as I have done your feast with the Iewysh vows and all. But where as ye conclude, that the feast continued longer than. vii. days after, it shall still rest there till yow be able to prove it. Ye say, it so appeareth by the text it self, but ye are like to find it contrary as ye come ones to the trial.

Bycause I said, that vows in the old law, or vows in those feasts wer not perpetual, ye understand me not. In this ye fare like the back or owl, which seeth all in the dark, and nothing in the clear light. Whereas David speaketh of the mercy, wurkes, wisdom, and verity of God, Psa. xci. he concludeth with this sentence. Uir insipiens nō cognoscet, et stultus non intelligit hec. An unwise man will not know these things, neither will a fole understand them. The Babylonyanes (saith Micah) knoweth not the thoughts of the lord, neither understand they his counsels, Mich. iiii. All they believed not in Christ, which saw him do miracles, John. xii. In your excepcyon, ye admytt the feast and offerings for mere shadows, and why judge ye not the same also of the vows there? I pray yow lete the cause go fourth with his effect, and be not more parcyall to the one than to the other. The vows were for the offerings, and never were they performed, till the other were done in effect. And as those offerings were fynyshed, the vows had always their ende. Howe will ye then make these vows perpetual? Me think, I offer yow a good honest answer, and to the pur pose of that went afore. And it seemeth moche confirmed, in that Christ never taught this doctrine of perpetual vows, by this nor yet by any other old scripture or example.

Obiectio.

For the perpetuyte of vows in deed, me think that no vow is perpetual to all then, but only to him that maketh it, which vow he is bound to perform, durynge all the time he intended to bind himself, and no longer▪ Moreover that vows may lawfully be made, is a perpetual true doctrine. That we be bound upon pain of deadly sin to perform our lawful vows, is a perpetual true doctrine, and yet we may vow to do a thing but for one time, and upon a condycyon also. As Anna did. • . Reg. i. And also the children of Israel did, as apeteth. Numeri. xxi.

Responsio.

Se how this papyste toyeth and tryfleth here, how inconstaunt, vnagreable, and contraryouse he is also to him self. Afore he saith, that there are some vows perpetual, which are by commandment required of all men▪ And for example he bringeth fourth y ^t vow made in baptysme. Contrary wise he affirmeth, that no vow is perpetual to all men, but only to him that maketh it. What think yow of this same fellow, is he a philosopher or a fole? Here confesseth he plainly, that a perpetual vow is a crea ture or image of sinful man's creaciō. And what is it than? Is it any other thā wyc kednesse? Have we any other than sin of our selves? It is written by Moses, Gen. vi. Uidit Deus quod cuncta cogitatio cordis hominum intenta esset ad malum omni▪ tēpore. God beheld it, that all the ymagyna cyons & thoughts of men's hearts, were at all times evil. Sensus enim et cogitatio humani cordis in malum prona sunt ab adolescentia sua, Gen. viii. The vnderstandynges (saith God) and conjectures of man's heart, are naught evē from his very youth. All are become unprofitable. All men are corrupt (saith David) and becometh abominable, there is not one that doth good, Psalm. xiii.

All men are sinners, Psa. l. Al men are lie • rs psa. cxv. Alienati sūt peccatores a vulua errauerunt ab vtero, locuti sunt falsa, Psal. lvii. Men are untoward frō their mothers womb, they err from their birth, & speak lies. Consydre this weighty saying 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 children of men are vnryghteouse, and all their wurkes are wicked, and there is no truth in them. In their vnryghteousnesse shall they also pe ryshe, but the truth endureth ever. Se now what the vows be, which are made by mē, as this enemy here openly confesseth. They are fruits of menys inuencyons, conjectures, & thoughts without Christ's appointment. They are things unprofitable, corrupcion, error, falshede, lies, presumpciō, naughtynesse, abhominacyon, and sin. If they be reckoned a righteousness afore mē, they are such a one as the prophet Isaiah speaketh of. Quasi pannus menstruate, universe iusticie nostre. Esa. lxiiii. Our universal ryghteousnesses, are afore God, as clothes stained with meustrue. Is not here ple saunt gere (think yow) to make a perpetual bond of? Yea, and it were to make a perpetual sacrifice of your dyrte.

O so domytycall beasts & hypocrites. Whan will ye leave boastynge of that ye were never yet able to perform? Never was there one of your oiled and shaven generation yet chaste, for all your stout brags and crackes. No, not one. I am able to prove it before God and man. Yea, I have declared it in the first parte of my votaries, and will by God's grace, declare it in the other. ii. partes, by the styukynge acts of the holiest hypocrites among yow, because I find yow past all shame and without repentance. I wonder where this hypocryte fyndeth it, that men are bound to perfourm such idle vows without Christ's commandment. We have of him many fryuolouse bablynges, but nothing proved by the scriptures. He saith, it is a perpetual true doctrine, that vows may lawfullye be made, but he showeth not what vows. If he meaneth y ^• vow of single life, I say, he lieth falsely, to the face of him. For by the space of more than three thousand years was no such doctrine, therefore it is not a per petuall doctrine. Neither is it a true doctrine Sayucte Paul saith, but a doctrine of devils, pronounced by deceitful hypocrites. i. Timoth. iiii.

Thys monkysh pratler showeth yet ones again, from whens he cometh. A perpetual true doctrine is it (saith he) that we be bound in pain of deadly sin, to perfourm our lawful vows. Mark this same, we▪ hardly, and ye shall find him an old cytiezen of Sodom and Egypt, Apoca. xi. It wer mete first of all, to prove his vow law full, which he hath not done yet, ere he went about to add deadly sin to the breaking thereof. David brake such a vow, S. Bede saith, and yet had he no conscience therein of any deadly sin. And although it were a perpetual doctrine that men might make vows, and that they ought to perform them in pain of God's high dyspleasure. Yet were not your popish purpose thereby moche furthered, consyderyng your vows are not of that kind. For all that beareth name of a thing, is not the same thing. All that is called an apple or a fox, is not a natural apple or a fox. In the ende he cometh with a legerde main of time and condycyon, for him and his monkysh bretheren. For there is another we. And yet we may vow (saith he) to do a thing but for one time, and upon a condycyon also. Here he tymeth and condycyoneth with God, which approveth nothing, his own doctors saith. Is not this (think yow) a strange prouynge of a perpetuyte in vows, by a howe for one time, and by a vow upon cōdycyon?

So well may this folysh reason stand, as that. Abraham one time begat Isaac. Ergo he was begettyng Isaac for the term of his life, and all begetters after him. If Robyne whode shote ones in Barns dale, he was shotynge at Barns dale all y ^e days of his life, and all shoters after him, are bound to shote at Barns dale. These vows for one time and upon a condicyon, he craftelye bringeth in, confirmynge them by examples of scripture, to shaddow his perpetual vows of Gomorrah with. O crafty face of the serpent, how longe wilt thu deceyne the simple with that fruit of falshed? Thu canuyste say, scriptum est, as ded the Deuyll in the wyldernesse, Mathe. iiii. for thy vows for a time and upon a condycyon. But where are thy scriptures, to prove a perpetuyte in thy Gomorreall vows, thu filthy Gomorreane? I tell the, that neither the vow of Anna. i. Reg. i. nor yet the vow of the Israelytes, Numeri. xxi. is now unto us christianes a perpetual true doctrine to be followed in effect. For than we should dedycate our children afore they were borne, to the service of the old Iewysh synagoge, & off • e up calves or young bullocks with thē. So should we also, as we had the ouerhand of our enemies, destroy hath them & their cities. For that was the vow of the Israelytes. If we should follow this vow in effect, as a perpetual true doctrine for us christianes, we should not leave one blasphemous papyste, nor one false prophet of Balahams mark alive.

Obiectio.

Ye perceive what moved me to think, that the vows in this feast stood not in offering of young bullocks etc. For in this chapter God doth give laws between the man & the wife, the father and the daughter, and for every other person concerning making and byndyng of vows in all times. Nor we read not that any man ded vow to offer in that feast or any other: But the offerings for every day, were appointed by God, what they should be, and ded no hange upon every private man's vow. For so the service of God in y ^• feast might (ye know well) have been left & defrauded, seeing it lay in the husband to stop the vow of the wife. But this chapter of vows, is an absolute peace, and pertaineth to the law. And therefore is not restrained to take place only in that feast, but at all times is to be observed, except yow can show the contrary.

Responsio.

It is no matter what yow do mean, so long as your purpose tendeth to so naughty an ende. I have good witness of the scriptures, y ^t the Hebrews in their private vows▪ wer they in their great feasts or out of thē, offered beasts in diverse kinds. Abraham offered a ram. Gen. xxii. Anna offered. iii. young bullocks. i. Regū. i. Samuel offered a suckynge lamb. i. Reg. vii. David said all so. Holocausta medullata offeram tibi cum incenso arietum, offeram tibi boues cū hircis, Psalm. lxv. I will offer unto the, fat brent sacryfyces with the smoke of the rams, I will offer bullocks & gootes. Laws between the man and the wife, are matrymonyal laws, and no laws for offerings. The laws also between the father and the daughter, are laws of Christian educacyon and obedience, and not of Iewyshe deuocyons, as both Peter and Paul hath described them. In the. xxx. chapter of Numeri, is no such matter contained. If ye mean it for making and byndynge of vows, as followeth in your process, put out, at all times. For that is youre own pharysaycall lenen, wherewith the devil and yow would corrupt the whole batche, Gal. v. I tell yow ones again, as I have told ye often afore, y ^t those Jewish shadows ar not for all times, though your Jewish head so appoint them.

Christ will not have his pure Gospel, mingled with Iewyshnesse. Peter, Johan, and Paul, hath told ye often that tale, and yet ye believe it not. What ye read, I can not well tell, for I am neither of your popish professyon, study, nor yet counsel. But for private offerings in this feast and other, ye are answered afore. Nothwithstandyng, I add this much more unto it, that they made not buttons nor shoe buckles at those solempnytees. Some occasion (I am sure) they had of resort to the temple thā, besides their commanded sacryfyces. And the latter clause of the. xxix. chapter, calleth them free will offerings, or offerings of deuocyon. God willed not the priests and Levites, to have any possessyon among the chyl dren of Israel, but only to live upon the tithes, first fruits, and ob • acyons. For he said unto 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 have non enheritaunce, neither yet any porcyon among them. For I am only thy porcyon and enherytaunce among the chyl drē of Israel. And in the same chapter a little afore. Omne quod ex voto reddiderint filii Israel, tuum erit. All that is given by vows of the children of Israel, shall be thine.

And Deuter. xviii. Sacrificia Domini et oblationes eius comedent, et nihil aliud acci pient de possessione fratrum suorum. The sacryfyces and offerings of the lord shall they eat, and shall have none other enherytaunce among their bretheren. By this ye may see, that the offerings in those feasts, ded as well hange upon every private man's vow, as upon the solempne sacryfyces for every day appointed. Els had a great number of the priests and Leuytes, gone to bed a hungered. Neither was God's service thereby left nor defrauded, as yow insipyently write, but rather set forewarde and furthered thereby, being a great porcyō thereof, as the text declareth. What though it lay in the father to stop their daughter, and the husband the wife, upon impedimentes lawful? Yet ded not all fathers stop their daughters, nor yet all husbands their wives. But all these dark shadows are paste, and will not now serve to mey • tayne the buggeryshe vows of youre massynge priesthood. Ye say, this chapter of vows is an absolute peace, and pertaineth to the law. Who ever heard of a more unlearned, blasphemous, and foolish sentence? For more than. ii. thousand and. v hundred years, had the Jews this. xxx. chapter of Numeri, ere they had an absolute peace.

If this chapter had been to them an absolute peace, what needed they to have looked for Christ, by whom only they hoped for that absolute peace? If that absolute peace had pertained to y ^• law, little need had we to have had the Gospel, which brought that peace. But perauenture ye mean, that the chapter pertaineth to the law. Than ar ye a very fole, to cal it an absolute peace. Ye think youre folly to be excused, because ye have upon your own absolute authority, exempted it from the ceremony all law. O absolute asse head, ydolatrouse monstre, & witless ydyote, y ^• thus wilt depryue Christ of y ^t which is only his? Christ is our peace, Saint Paul saith, 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 mandatorum in decretis sitam, abrogans, vt duos conderet in semetipso in vnum nouum hominem, faciens pacem, vt reconciliaret ambos in vno corpore Deo per crucē, perempta inimicitia per eam, &c. Ephe. ii. He is our peace (saith he) which hath made of both, one, and hath broken down the walle that was a stop between us, and hath also put away, throw his flesh, the cause of ha tread, even the law of commandments contained in the law written, for to make of twayne one new man in himself, s • ma king peace, & to reconcyle both unto God in one body throw the cross, and slew hatred thereby.

Thus are both your. xxx. chapter, & law dyscharged of that absolute peace, yea, the moral law also, if ye so mente it. After that Christ had given to his dyscyples most souerayne consolacions against all troubles, he thus concluded, Johan. xvi. Hec locutus sum vobis, vt in me pacem habeatis. These wnrdes have I spoken to yow, that in me ye might have peace. Thys peace was never manyfested to the world, till the Angels w ^t joy proclaimed it at Christ's natyuyte on this wise. Gloria in altissimis Deo, & in terra pax, hominibus bona voluntas, Luce. ii. Glorye to God on high, and peace on the earth, and unto men a good will in receiving it. Thus in the ende ye conclude. Bycause that chapter of vows is an absolute peace, and pertaineth to the law, therefore is it not restrained to take place in that feast. Moses in the read sea is Christ that was crucyfied on Lal • ary, & belongeth to gods malyson, therefore may he not banket at mydsomer bone fire. Here is a well slauered reason, is it not? And as for your, at all times to be observed, ye may now keep it to ye, for youre own occupyenge, to play therewith the Iewysh papyste. For it is like in these days, to do non other service. I have suffycyently shown yow all this afore.

Obiectio.

Moreover your own wurdes maketh the matter to be more dark than it was. Firste ye • all a vow in the old law, an earnest promise to fulfill God's commandment. Then ye call a vow a gift or an offering with thanks ge uynge. Now ye say, a vow standeth in the offe ring of a gift. I would gladly learn of yow, by what reason it may be taken all these. iii. ways in one place? Ye say, their vows stood not in renouncyng of marriage. Wherfor this is brought in, I can not see, except it be to dyscommend • the vow of chastity, which • Christ and Saint Paul doth commend so moche, and exhort all persons unto it, that can take it. No man saith, they renounced mar ryage. For either they were married and so could not renounce, or else they wer single and desired it because in Moses law, that person was taken to be under a maledyccyon, that had no seed in Israel. But in the new law it is not so▪ but Qui habent vxores, sint tanquam non habentes. i. Corinthio. vii. Et sunt enuchi qui se castrauetūt propter regnum Dei, Math. xi • . which dyffynycyon Sayncte Augustine doth declare playnelye, in the. vii. • viii. chapter de bone viduitatis.

Responsio.

More dark can no man make the matter, y ^t yow seek to defend here, than it is of itself. The truth truly told, is ever (I se well) a blott in your way. Ye go about to prove the whoredom of an whore, to be y ^• highest kind of chastity that ever was in the world. And for the precysenesse thereof, ye only appoint it to your new God makers or masmongers. For in deed those transubstanciated God's, were known for no God's afore that prodigiouse kind of chastity was canonysed for thē, of your great Antichrist the holy high Idol of y ^• Romans. And this chastity ye will approve by the offerings of maidens and wives in the. xxx. chapter of Numeri, for that is y ^t scope of our whole contēcion, or the pryck that we all this time shote at. Thys is a prodygyouse enterprise of yow, & will have but slendre success, being women's matter, as I told ye afore. For they might in no case fulfill their vows, were they never so strōgely made, but by licēs of father & husband. If ye take that chapter for your ground, ye can do no less than grant the same to all them that hath father and mother till time they obtain their full consent. Ye say, by that I have called a vow in the old law, a promise, a gift, and an offering, I have darkened all your matter. Then hath the light sore darkened youre matter, and the scriptures of God moche blemyshed the same, for they have myghtely borne me out therein.

I have declared afore of thē, that a vow in the old law hath a great meany more than these. I shall not now neade again to repeat thē. It is but a sly mock of yow, to say y ^• ye will learn of me. For (I know) ye mind nothing less than to be taught of me, either yet of any of my professyon. Nevertheless, for so much as ye desire to know by what reason, a vow in one place may be taken for all these. iii. that is to say, for a promise, a gift, & an offering, I will bring ye in a scriptur for your reasō, ye may take it for a reasō, if ye lyste. It is writ̄ 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, which may be lawfully offered, it shall be an holy gift, and may not be altered. Also Deute. xii. Omnia que voueris, et sponte offerre vo lueris, et primitias manuum tua • um, corā domino Deo tuo comedes, in loco quē elegerit. All things that thu shalt vow, and freely determine to offer, and the first fruits also of thy hands, thu shalt eat before the Lord, in place of him appointed. Lo sir, here is your vow, a promise, a gift, and an offering, and in the latter text, comprehended under one relatyue. A gift is it, that is in a vow promised, and an offering is y ^t gift, whā y ^e promise is ones performed.

If I said, that their vows stood not in abiurynge of marriage, as do the vows of our smered massemongers, I uttered such a truth, as all the vow scriptures of the old testament affirmeth. Neither have I there in dyscommended true chastity. For marriage in my opynyō, is an order of chastity, what your adulted conscience thinketh of it, I cannot tell. I reckon always that mar rpage vnperfyght, which hath not chastity and clennesse resident. Had not Mary Christ's mother holden marriage for an order of chastity, she would never have had Joseph to husband. I was never dyscontented with your former allegacyon out of Saynte Augustine, concerning vows singular, quod alius vouit castitatem cōiugalem, that some man voweth conjugal chastity, or faithful clennesse in marriage. Why than report ye of me, that I here dyscommende the vow of chastity? Ye are very ill aduysed thus to do. If ye mean that vow in your oiled cōpanyons, truly it may well stand in promise, but I dare boldly say, it came never yet to performance, no, not in the holiest of all youre smered rabble. And that is y ^• chief cause (I think) that yow determine all your vows here, to extend no further than promise.

Ye say, that both Christ and S. Paul doth moche commend the vow of priests chastity. What a shameful slaundre is this to them both, and how blasphemous a lie? How should Christ and Saynte Paul cōmende, that they never ones named in all their doctrynes? Prove me that this word • otum, either yet vouere, is ones expressed in all their teachynges, and wynne the maistry. O brockyshe Gomorreane, how darest thu presume to father thy filthiness upon the author of all puryte, and upon his cho sen vessel of eleccyon? Thu sayste also, they exhorted all persons unto it, that could take it. It is thy utter shame so to report them. For whan Christ said, Math. xix. Qui potest capere, capiat. He that can obtain it, lete him hold it. He meant nothing less than a vow. For chastity there, is a gift of God, in fredō & not in bondage, for preaching the Gospel in the kingdom of God, and not for loyterynge massynges in the kingdom of Satan. Whan Christ cured Peters wives mother of a feruente fever, Math. viii, He • ad him not break up how should and profess a new found chastity.

Sayncte Paul saith, Romano. i. that the wrath of God hath lyted upon yow frō heaven, for changynge his truth to a lie. And hath given ye clean over with youre unchaste vows, into moste shameful lusts of vnclennesse, one burning in abominable lusts to another, and defylynge your bodies among yourselves for want of the natural use of women. It is the plain text that I tell yow, declaring the holy consecrate fruits of your wyuelesse vows. Boast no longer, but repent and be ashamed of them, ye beastly boryshe buggerers. If ye deny it not, but all they in the old law favored marriage, the married for the bonds sake, and the v • married for fear of the maledyccyon for barrenness. Why ground ye thereupon, a religion that than was not thought upon, and judge it a state more perfyghte? Ye say, the new law is not so. What not so? That whan they are married, they may renounce marriage? Or whan they are single, they ought not for any need despre it? Though Saint Paul saith. i. Corinth. vii. Qui habent vxores, sint tanquam non habentes. Lete them that have wives, be as though they had nō. Yet teacheth he no such doctrine. For he saith afore, about the beginning of that chapter. Propter stupravi tanda, suam quisque vxorem habeat, et suum queque virum. For auoydynge fornycacyō, lete every man have his wife, & every woman her husband.

Saynte Paul's meaning is not in the text afore, that the man should abst ayne frō his wife, nor the wife frō her husband. For he saith in the same chapter, that the husband hath no power over his own body, but the wife. And in like case, the wife hath no power over her own body, but the husband. Therfor he understandeth it not that way. But this is his meaning, that men being married, should not be over vexed with the cares, troubles, & sorrows of marriage, but so quyetously content themselves therewith, as though they were clearly without them. For therein must the man eat his bread with double sweat, having more to provide for than himself, and the womā must suffer the sharp shoures of her trauaylynge in deliverance of child, Gent. iii. Neither will Christ's wurdes, Math. xix. serve your most fryuolouse purpose. Et sunt eunuchi, qui seipsos castrauerunt propter regnum celorum. Also there be gelded men, which have gelded themselves for the kingdom of heaven. Though this wer by an abstynence from marriage for a moste godly purpose, as is the mynystracyon of God's word, yet can it not be proved to be by vow, nor yet by y ^t office of ydolatrouse massynge in Antichrists kingdom. For your Augustine, de bono viduitatis, ye are answered afore, I will spend no more time about it.

Obiectio.

Ye reckon upon certain of the old fathers that were priests, & yet ded not renounce marriage. Whych thing made me to muse, because I never red y ^• all those wer priests, although some of thē wer. I will doubt of come of thē a while, by your leave. As of Samuel, seeing neither his father nor son were priests, nor he borne of the stock of Aaron, & by his mothers vow, offered to serve in the temple. Whyche she needed not to have done, if he had been a priest borne. And also of zorobabel, which was de tribu Judah. But in such small tryfles is no great matter. Put the cause they were all priests, as ye may reckon a great sort more, seeing they had wives, as yow say, why should yow affirm that they never renounced marriage? except ye say so, to mollify the matter, and to use men to bear that priests had wives in the scripture. But why do yow not put here youre dystinccyon between priests of the old law, which must needs be married, because their order was maintained by successyon only of the stock of Aaron, And priests of the new law, which for their vertu are chosen unto that order, as S. Ambrose saith, et • et.

Responsio.

Upon▪ ii. things here ye muse, by youre own confession, one is, that in reportynge certē of • ^• old fathers to be priests, I should say withal, that they never renounced marriage. Here is no small matter to muse at. If ye be not out of this musynge till I ryd ye of it, ye are like to dwell in it a great while, I know my matter so good. An other thing that ye muse at is this, and it concerneth your own proper person. It is even yourself that ye muse at. For ye never red (ye say) y ^t all those men, whom I have rehearced, were priests, though some of thē by your own concēt, were priests in deed. Ye are contented well, to allow Aaron, Eleazar, Phinehas. Sirach, Mathathias, & Zacharias, Johan Baptists father, for priests. But Samuel and Zorobabell ye will not admytt, but doubt of them a while ye say. And full mannerly ye axe me leave so to do, which I grant with good will. Thā fall ye to a nughty straining of this gnatte. Your doubt first of all, is of Samuel (ye say) considering that neither his father nor soune were priests. Thys reason is to slendre to hold ye still in that doubt, unless ye will doubt of purpose. For Melchizedek was the priest of the highest, Gen. xiiii and yet we find not that his father was a priest, neither yet his son after him.

But this dare I boldelye affirm, that both Samuel was a pressed, and Helchana his father after him. And after y ^• death of Heli, not only he succeeded in the seignourye or pryncypalyte over the Israelytes, but also in the high priesthood. Mark his authority. i. Reg. iii. his intercessyon & sacrifice for the people. i. Reg. vii. which all pertained to his priesthood. 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. Moses and Aaron among his priests, & Samuel among such as call upon his name. They called upon y ^e lord, and he heard them. The like is written also, Hier. xv. Si steterint Moses et Samuel coram me, non est anima mea ad popu lum istū. Though y ^t great priests Moses & Samuel stood afore me to make intercessyō, yet have I no heart to this people. For the priests were they which ded that office, Iohel. ii. S. Augustine writeth thus, in. xii. lib. contra faustū. ca. xxxiii. Nōne ab ipso regū ex ordio cōmutatū est sacerdo tiū in Samuelē, reprobato Heli, et regnū in dauid, reprobato Saul. Is not the priesthood, from the very beginning of kings, changed to Samuel, Heli being rejected? and the kyngedom givē to David, Saul being dysalowed? Bede hath also the iyke, super primo Regum, et Roman. vii. Moreover Iohā Carion saith, in the seconde boke of his Chronycles. Incertitudinem imperii indign ferens populus, postulauit a Samuele summo sacerdote, regem certum designari, qui preesset regno. The people grudgyng at the incer taynte of their empyre, required of Samuel the high priest, that a king might be certainly appointed to govern them. Petrus Equilimus in sanctorū Catalogo, showeth the same.

And for his father, Conradus Pellicanus saith upon the first chapter of the first boke of kings, Pater Samuelis sacerdos erat, mater prophetissa. The father of Samuel was a priest, and his mother a prophe tysse. It is also in the Bible text. i. Reg. i. quod Helcana immolauit. I pray you, what call ye that? Lo sir, this is enough to prove Samuel a priest, and to dyscharge youre great doubt. Yet for so much as ye reason further, ye shall have further answer. Ye say, Samuel cannot be proved a priest, because he came not out of the stock of Aarō. Thys declareth in yow a blocky she ignorance, and as though ye had seen nothing. Josephus in the first boke and the. xv. chapter of his Antiquytees, saith, that Helcana Samuel's father was vir Leuita, a man of the stock of Levi. Althamerus writeth also in sylua Byblicorum nominū, that the said Helcana was genere Levites, a Leuyte by his birth. Pellicanus cometh after, and he confirmeth it with this sentence vpō the. xcix Psalm, as he nombreth thē. Erat sane Samuelex genere Levi per Cahat, ex quo & Aaron et Moses nati sunt. Certaynely (saith he) or without question, Samuel was of the stock of Levi by Cahat, of whom spronge fourth Aaron and Moses. And he sendeth us there to the pedigrew of the Levites. i. Pa ralip. vi. where as it is regestred at large.

Yet are ye not contented, but Samuel must still be no priest, because his mother offered him up to serve in the temple. Which she needed not to have done (ye say) if he had been a priest borue, O brutysh bussarde ac stolidū caput. Thys is a reasō, as though God's favor and singular grace had been bound under law, as in that age sinful men were. Thys phantasy of yours. S Jerome with youre other old doctors have dyscharged, Pellicanus comprehendynge their minds in this only sentence, Preter legem erat, infantem Leuiticum offerre doceretur mino. Sed quia myraculose promissus et ge nitus diceretur, susceptus est ab Hely, et velut peculiare Deo munus oblatum, diligentius curandū. It was above the law to offer the lord a child of Leuyes stock. But because that Samuel should be famed abroad to have been promised and borne by miracle, he was received of Heli the high priest, and offered as a peculyar gift to God, to be more dylygently looked to. The Bible ma keth mencyon of Leuytes & Aaronytes, but not of priests borne, as ye do call them. For priests borne are no babes, but great lubber knaves, as I have both heard and seen.

I remember ones at Cambridge, a good fellow complained to doctor Edmondes thā vycechaūcellar, y ^t his wife was delivered y ^t night afore of a great gray frier. And at Londō in an inne within Smithfeld Ione Swepestake was delivered of the limitour of Ware. Which swepte clean away his clock, cowle, purse, petycote, botes, hatte, horse & all, leaving him in bed all naked. I heard it also at Thornedō in Southfolke, by them that found out the game, that the sextēs wife there was delivered of the parrysh priest, at eleven a clock in the night. I have red of Paulus tertius y ^e last biship of Rome, y ^t his own dere daughter at dynerse times delivered him, besides many other wonders▪ Some time these mysteries were hid̄ by the terror of walking spirits, but now they are known wale enough. I could nonebre ye out a great sort of your vn chaste mass mongers, y ^t have thus been delivered of late years, & yet they will have no wives of their own, so holy a thing is whoredom in youre whoryshe church. Now come we to Zerubbabel, which could be no priest (say yow) because he was de tribu Judah. If that rule should stand, than must ye also deny Christ's priesthood, which was de tribu Judah both by Matthew and Luke's Gospel, and by all the other scriptures.

I am the boldar to confess Zerubbabel a priest, because the prophet Aggeus, by the express mouth of god, useth him as a fygur or former example of Christ. Agge. ii. the same is confirmed, Eccl. xlix. For y ^t which zorobabel ded in reparing y ^e temple & aultre made by hands, ii. Esd. iii. Jesus Christ performed in y ^e temple & aultre without hands, Heb. ix. Et zach. iiii. Manus zorobabel fundauerūt domū istā, et manus eius perficient eā. The hands of zorobabel have laid the foundacyon of this house, and his hands (that is to say, Christ's) shall fynyshe it. Thys also augmenteth my opyuyō in this behalf, that after the captyuyte of Babylon, the Jews were ruled most of all by the priests, which brought in sects, as Pharisees, Sadducees, & Esseanes, and were the fynall decay of that empyre, as were the papists of our christia nyte. An other manner of priesthood was prefygured in Zerubbabel, than was the Leuytycall priesthood, for that contynued, and the other perished. For Christ being of the trybe of Judah, and a priest after the order of Melchizedek, turned over the Leuytycall priesthood, even from the very foundacyon, and left nothing remaynynge thereof, lete the Jews boast of it never so much, and the papists occupy the spoil by theft and robory in their altars, copes, miters, oils, belles, and hablynges.

If there be no great matter in such small tryfles, why sturred yow the coles, & made so great matter of them? Now put yow the case, they had beue all priests, as we may reckon (yow say) a great sort moo (& I know it to be true) why should I affirm that they never renounced marriage, seeing they had wives? That why, in deed hath a what. For it were no good reason, that they which have wives should abhor marriage. That were against the doctrine of the holy Ghost through all the scriptures. But this I uttered, that no man should think vows an impedyment to marriage. For whan y ^• doctrine of vows was in most force, as in the old law, marriage was never hyudred by them. Moche less than in the new law, which showeth no manyfeste doctrine of them, being but ceremonyall shadows and no moral precepts. If we now mollyfye that yow have made hard, we do not amys, nor yet to your dyscommodyte. Yow have made it death, a pressed to marry a wife, like horrible tyraūtes, to your own damp nacyon. Ye have also by y ^t means, brought into the world an exec • able art, which had else never been so largely known, that is, the prodygyouse occupyeng of Sodom & Gomorre, to double the same dāpnacion.

If we have mollifyed these hard extremitees, we have not deserved hate at youre hands, but love. For we have thereby sought your salvation by repentance, if it may frutefully come forewarde. To this ende in deed, we use mē (as yow term it) to hear that priests had wives in y ^t scriptures, yea, we earnestly beat it into their heads, as a necessary truth to be known, in spyght of Antichrists wicked hypocrysy. Why I put not here a dystynccyon between priests of the old law and the new, is this. That dystynccyon is yours and not mine. Marry this I read in the scriptures, that in the old law were priests of the order of Aaron, but in the new law is non other priesthood, thā after the order of Melchizedek, and I find no more but one of that order, even Jesus Christ the son of the living God. He is contented to admytt mynysters under him, as bishops, superintendentes, or watchmen, preachers, eldars, and deacons, but all priesthood he reserveth to himself only. And S. Paul saith, that he hath made but one peace offering, or full sacrifice of himself for all, Hebr. vii. though he holdeth still a perpetual priesthood.

Sanctificati sumus (inquit) per oblationem corporis Jesus Christi semel peractā, He bre. x. We are (saith he) sanctified by the offering of y ^t body of Jesus Christ ones for all. Though the Lenytycall priests, the pagane priests, and the ydolatrouse popish priests, have innumerable times offered, yet were they never able with all their dead sacryfyces, to take away one sin. Hic vero (saith Saint Paul) 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 this priest, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, sat him down forever on the right hand of God, and from hence fourth tarrieth, till his enemies be made his foot stole. Ye have nothing in all the new testament, y ^t ye can justly ground upon, for a priesthood, no, no more than ye have to be kings of the earth. Unless ye take this, which is common to all y ^• faithful. Erunt sacerdotes Dei et Christi, Apo. xx. They shall be y ^• priests of God & of Christ. And y ^t cannot be. For there shall be no such kind of priesthood, till y ^e general rysyng of y ^t dead be past. Lete not this word presbyter any lōgar deceive yow, for it is an elder & no pressed. Ye say the priests of the old law must needs have been married, because their order was maintained by successyon. Here are ye deceived for want of another dystynccyon, for it was not their order, but their stock, that was maintained by succes syon. Their order was maintained by sacry fyces, first, fruits, tithes, vows, deuocyons, and offerings. Herin have ye fowlye over shoten your wyttes. But I marvel, ye put not in, God's ordynan̄ce. Leu. xxi. & Eze. xliiii. For a cause why they married. That was foully forgotten of yow also. As concerning priests of the new law, surely we can find nō such, neither in y ^• Gospel nor yet in epistle. Only behold we there, Melchisedeckes presthod, & y ^t never was there any mo re of y ^t order thā Christ gods son, as I told ye afore. Ye say, y ^t by their vertu, they are chosen to y ^t order. Truly we neither know them nor yet their order, for a state allowed by y ^t scriptur, besides y ^t we find them of all men furthest from vertu. Therfor lete them seek up some other name, if they will be reckoned men godly. For this will not be allowed of them that know chese frō chalk, no, though they bring with them three Ambroses for their witness. Christ told us ones that a certain kind of men, should in the latter days be among us, which should say, unto us, here is Christ & there is Christ, but he told us withal, that we should find them false prophets, false Christ's, deceyuers, and no priests, and earnestly he bad us to be ware of them. Math. xxiiii.

Obiectio.

Saint Ambrose saith. i. Tim, iii. Ue •• ribus idcirco concessum est Leuitis aut sacerdo tibus, vxores ad vsum habere, quia multum tēpus otio vacabāt a ministerio aut sacerdotio •• . Ita vt tempore quo non illos cōtingebat desit uire altari, domorum suarum agerēt curam. It vbi tempus imminebat ministerit, purificati aliquantis diebus acc • derent ad tēplum offer •• Deo. Nunc autem septem diaconos esse oportet, aliquantos presbyteros, vt bini sint pet ecclesias, et vnus in ciuitate episcopus, ac pet hoc omnes a conuētu femine abstinere debert, quia necesse est eos quotidie presto esse in ecclesia, nec habere dilationem vt post conuenium legitime purificētur, sicut veteres. Omni enim hebdomada offerendum est et ce. Si plebeis hominibus orationis causa, ad tempus abstinere se precipit, vt vacent orationi, quanto magi • Leuitis aut sacerdotibus, quos die nectuque pro plebe sibi commissa oporteret orare. Mundiores ergo esse debēt ceteris quia actoree Dei sunt. Therfor your argument is of small strength in my mind, whan ye reason that priests now may take wives, because priests in the old law had wives. For the cause is gone, and the priesthood is not all one. And their my • ystracyō is as much dyfferēt, as between brute beasts and Christ's body.

Responsio.

Who ever heard it, that Saint Ambrose wrote to Timothy S. Paul's discyple, which was not borne almost three hundred years after him. If ye will have here youre meaning taken for your writyuge, as that Ambrose wrote upon S. Paul's first epistle to Timothy, ye must show some figure for it, else will it not so be received▪ Youre place of Ambrose, is nothing to the purpose of that we have reasoned here. Oure whole dysputacyon is of priests, and not of deacons, no more thā it was afore of womē, It is a mattre much to be wondered at, that ye are so earnest therein, & neither can find scriptures in the new testament to serve your purpose, nor yet express places in your doctors, but ye must be compelled thus beggarly to borowe of deacons and women. It is a plain token that youre matter is very weak, whan ye seek to prove it by so slendre authorytees. Well, ye loke to be answered, and ye shall be no less than honestlye and truly answered. Fyrst we must way, what S. Paul hath done in that first epistle and third Chaptre to Timothy, ere we meddle with your Ambrose which wrote thereupon at his pleasure.

S. Paul declareth there, what manner of man a bishop ought to be, and what conditions, he, his wife, and his children, should or ought to have. He showeth also the properties required in a deacon or minister, and in his wife and famyly. It behooveth a bishop (saith he) to be fautlesse, the husband of one wife, sober, discrete, and so fourth. Like wise must Deacons be honest, not double tounged, nor given to much drink. et cet. Even so must their wives be honest, not evil speakers, but sober and faithful in all things, that is to say, both the bishops wines and the deacons wives. What can this further your purpose, that prests of the New Testament may have no wives, whan S. Paul appointeth none other to be bishops and deacons, than be the husbands of one wife, by this word oportet, it be houeth or is necessary. If youre Ambrose bringeth fourth any other doctrine upon that chapter than this is, he falsyfyeth the text • . But I would fain know. ii. things of yow. One is, whi ye ded not here as well allege Paul, which wrote the text, as ye have done Ambrose, which made but y ^e gloss? for always is the text of more authority thā is the gloss. An other, why ye have not as well takē matters belongynge to bishops, as ye have taken matters belongynge to deacons.

For more force would it have givē to the thing, to have been taken from the superior, than frō the inferyour, and much more would it have fortified your cause. But ye are a wily watte in the kingdom of craft and generation of falsehede. Now will we go to youre Ambrose, by him to declare yet your falshede more depely. Answer me this first of all. Why toke ye not his gloss upon this text of the same chapter. Oportet episcopum irreprehen sibilem esse, vnius vxoris maritum. It behooveth a bishop to be unrebukable, and the husband of one wife. As well as upon this text for your pleasure. Diaconi sint vnius vxoris mariti, qui liberis recte presint, et proprijs familijs. Lete y ^e deacons be the husbands of one wife, and such as rule their children well, and their families uprightly. I could in declaring the causes, of this subtle conueyaunce of yours, pain • e ye out like a dyuel in your colors, were it not for making this boke to long. To short. Youre Ambrose would not serve yow in that point, and is like to do yow as little good service in this. Now will I English your Ambrose, yea, rather your ragged god bettes taken out of Ambroses gloss, the best partes left always behind yow.

For this purpose (saith your Ambrose) was it granted to the Levites or priests, to have wives for their use, because they had moche vacaunt time from their mynystracyon or offices of their priesthood, &c. Than leap ye over. ii. longe sentences & an half, to the number of. xliii. wurdes, and there ye begin again after this sort. So that they might se to their houses (saith he) for the time that their course was not to serve the aultre. But as the time of their mynystracyon approached, preparynge themselves certain days afore, they drew towards the temple, to do their accustomed service to god. Now must we have seven deacons, & some auncyentes or eldars, that there may be in every parysh a couple, and also one bishop in a city. And thereby all they to abstain from womannys cumpany, for so much as of necessyte they ought to be always at hand in the church, without excuse or delaye, that after they have cumpanyed with their wives, they might lawfullye be puryfyed, as were the old Leuytes. For every week must they offer etc. Thā ouerleape ye again, the resydue of that longe clause and another whole sentence besides, comprehendynge xxxiiii. wurdes, and thus ye conclude.

If he hath commanded men of the come men sort, for prayers sake, to withdraw themselves for a time, how much more the Leuytes or priests, which ought to pray day and night for the people to them committed. Therfor must they be more clean than the other, for they are the factors, or bayliffes of God. These are the fragments of your Ambrose. If ye were godly wise, as ye are not, ye should well perceive them no thing to the purpose, either of the text that he taketh in hand, or yet of any sincere chri stē order. S. Paul speaketh nothing there of y ^• Leuytes, whose office was to serve in the tabernacle of witness, Numeri. iiii. but of deacons, whose office was to mynystre to the poor, Acto. vi. The offices are as like, the one to the other, as a table is like a temple. Therfor your Ambrose was as great a wise gentle man, to prove the one by the other, if it were his deed, as I doubt it much, as yourself were whan ye proved priests chastity, by the chastity of women, which holdeth no longer in a great number of thē, than it is in promysynge.

And your own dere Ambrose is against yourself here, for yow said afore, that the cause of their marriage, was successyon in that live, and he applieth it to their vaca •• time. I would yow both had applied it to God's ordinance, and than had ye done it more rightly. But that ye clearly forgote. In that your Ambrose appointeth to your priests the Iudaycal expiaciōs, for compani •• with their wives, and chargeth them s • earnestly with an ydel watchyng in the t • ple upon ceremonies, with an abstynen •• from their wives, and with an vncōmaūded offering every week, the study of God • scriptures not once remembered, and in th • ende judgeth marriage an unclean state •• living, forsooth it is a praty Ambrose. Wh •• pure christianite can we reck̄ in him, whi •• appointeth our mynysters to the office o • Leuytes, to pray and not to preach, to sing • and not to feed the flock, to cleanse by outward ceremonies, and not by the inward • faith? I boldly affirm it, nothing at a •• fearing the holiness of your Ambrose, th •• this is no Christian learning, but a doctri •• of hypocrisye, ydolatry, Iewyshnesse, yd •• nesse, and deuilishnes, a forsaking of Chr ••• a curse, and damnation, as S. Paul •• clareth through all his epistles.

If any man teache yow (saith he) any • there Gospel, or kind of doctrine, that have taught yow, hold him accursed, Galatians. i. If any man (saith S. Johan) will add to God's book, God shall add unto him the plages therein contained, and wipe away his parte out of the book of life, A • oncalyps. xxii. Amonge so much baggage, • s ye gathered of your Ambrose, why left •• this clause behind yow, upon the same •• xt? Ostendit istos vnius vxoris viros esse •• ere, vt hi ad ministerium Dei eligantur, •• i non sunt egressi constitutum Dei. Ho •• ni enim vnam vxorem decreuit Deus, 〈…〉 m qua benedicatur. The Apostle showeth 〈…〉 t these deacons (saith he) ought to be the 〈…〉 andes of one wife, that those only might 〈…〉 chosen to that Godly office, which had 〈…〉 ouerleaped the instytucion of God. For 〈…〉 only wife ded God give to man, to be 〈…〉 with blessing. If ye had taken this in 〈…〉 re way, ye should thereby have been 〈…〉 syoued, to have removed from youre 〈…〉 hode all whoremongers and Sodomy 〈…〉 . Ye should also have thereby known, 〈…〉 t marriage of wives hath God's 〈…〉 ssnge.

But perauenture ye left it out, for the 〈…〉 xte clause following, which smelleth of 〈…〉 anyfest lie. Nemo enim cum secunda 〈…〉 edicitur. No man hath God's blessing 〈…〉 the second wife▪ O gentil Ambrose, where learned yow this doctrine? Was Mary Christ's mother not blessed, because she was Joseph's seconde wife? I think Bethsabe David's fourth wife besides concubynes, was as blessed in her fruit, as was Michal his first wife in her barrenness. Your Am brose upon the .xi. chapter of S. Paul's seconde epistle to the Corinthi anes, seemeth to be of another opynyō, than he appeareth here. For there he saith, Omnes Apostoli, exceptis Ioanne et Paulo, vxores habuerunt. Et vide, an conueniat accusare Petrum Apostolum, qui primus inter Apostolos est. All the apostles, except Johan and Paul, had wives. See therefore if it be fit to accuse or speak ill by the Apostle Peter, which is the chief among the Apostles? But I think, this 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 himself.

Upon this broken, broused, battered, and broiled authority of your Ambrose, ye conclude that my argument is of small strength. But ye do well to add unto it, after youre opynyon, which is most popish and folysh. It was never my argument, neither yet my reason, that priests now may take wives because priests in the old law had wives. For than I should grant as moche authority to your prestygyouse priesthood in the new law, as I did to that selected pressed hode in the old law. Whych I cannot do, that being of God, and yours of Antichrist and the devil. I told yow afore, that the scriptures of the new law, have non other priesthood, but only Melchysedeckes priesthood, which Christ left not here in earth still behind him, but toke it clearly away with him to the right hand of his father, therein to make continual interpellacyon for us. Hebre .vii. et Roman .viii. In him as we are a kingdom, so are we a priesthood to our Lord God, Apoca .i. et. v. not by oylynges and shauynges, but by an uncorrupted faith in his sufferynges.

Hys priests may have wives by his ap poyntment, and never the less be cytiezens with y ^t saints. Your priests are utterly forbydden to have wives by Antichrists come maundement, how should they else become the cytiezens of your great spiritual city, called Sodoma and Egyptus, Apoca .xi. If I should have made the reason, I would not have said, take wives because the priests of the old law had wives. But I would have said with Paul, throw from ye that abominable yoke of the infydeles. ii. Cor. vi. repent of that filthy snare of the devil. ii. Timothy. ii. and take ye christen wives, because it is God's holy institution, and because it is better to marry than to burnt. All this could I have said. Ye say, the cause is goue, which is a meruel to me, the effect remayuynge and God's ordinance being the cause, for auoydynge fornicacion. Ye say also, the priesthood is not all one. And that I grant you in deed, for they had not both one father. As great dyfference and more is betwyxt them, as is between Israel and Egypt. But of this I have told ye enough afore.

Ye say, their ministracions are as much dyfferent, as between brute beasts, & Christ's body. O blasphemous speaker, and devil of all devils, full wicked is thy wretched body, to have so ungodly vtteraūce. O lord, how uncomely is this filthy talk of thine? how darest thu take upon the, so hyghlye to prefer the Gomorreall presthoode of thy Belphegor of Rome, above a priesthood peculyarly ordained of our eternal God, having no authority of his word so to do? Come down (I say once again) thu filthy find and arrogant Satan, that thus exaltest thy chair of pestilence, and seat of wicked scorners, above that almighty God and his Christ, for the table of the Lord, is not all one with the table of devils, neither yet is the cup of the Lord all one with the cup of devils .i. Cor. x. Though in the Levitical presthoode they offered beasts, yet ded not Christ leave it to thy massynge priesthood to offer up his holy body and blood, thu traiterouse massemonger. For he was able enough of him self, to offer up one effectual and perfect sacrifice for all, hebre .ix.

Obiectio.

David saith, vow, and yow seme to say, vow not. David saith, perform your promises, and yow say, a man need not keep his vow of chastity, but may break it for every temptation, and calleth it here after, a way to filthy Sodometry and a profession to fylthynes unspeakable. Thys terrsemeth to subvert all your purpose. If ye will restrain David's Psalter, and say, it pertaineth only to the feast of trompettes in the .xxix. Chapter of Nume. Than yow say your own mind alone, for I never red any ancient doctors that said so. What doth David teache us here? But that it is good to vow, and sin to break a vow once lawfully made. Uouete et reddite. Thus doeth Saynete Augustine expound it. Nescio que castimonialis nubere voluit. Quid voluit? Quod et virgo quelibet. Quid voluit? Quod et mater ipsiue. Aliquid mali voluit? Mal • plane. Quare? Quia iam vouerat domino Deosuo. Quid enim dirit de talibus Apostolus Paulus, cum dicat viduas adulescentulas nubere si velint? S • d tamen art quodam loto. Beatior autem erit si sic permanserit secundum meum consihum. Ostendit beatiorem si sic permanserit, non tamen dampnand • sinubere voluerit.

Responsio.

I will herein follow your former request, y ^t is to say, use a dyffynycyon of vows. Not for that I seek any help thereby in this mat ter, but rather more clearly to manifest your madness. There is votum legale et votum monachicum, a vow of the ceremonyall law, and a voluntarye vow of monks. Whereas David saith, vow, meaning after the rule of the vows ceremonyall, as followeth in the text, qui afertis munera, yow that bring offerings. I will say also, vow, but it shall be after a farte other sort. For where as he biddeth yow in that place, to vow the offering of calves, gootes, bullocks, and other kind of beasts. I will bydde ye vow your own souls and bodies to God, in his perfect fear and obe dyence. I will exhort yow with Paul, not to receive the grace of God in vain. ii. Lorinth. vi. to encreace in vertu, to abstayn frō fornycaciō. i. Thes. iiii. and to walk in love, as Christ hath loved us, and to leave youre covetous pyllage, Ephesi. v. David would also in another place, that youre sacrifice were a contrycyon of the heart, Psal. l. All these vows pleaseth me well.

But whan ye come to the vows of monks and priests, which are monastycall & voluntary, and abhorred of the holy scriptures. Than will I say, vow not, concludynge with that voice which S. Johan heard from heaven. Exite de illa populus meus, ne participes sitis delictorum cius, ne be plagis eius accipiatis, Apoc. xviii. Come away (my people) from that wicked Babylon, y ^t ye be not par • takers of her sins, that ye receive not of her plages, I grant yow with David, that promises are to be observed, so longe as they are godly and in our power. But as for your vow of chastity, we know non such, unless it be that which standeth in promise and goth no further, which was yet never performed. The vows of the old law were not promises only, but substancyall offerings also, your vows are but mockynge promises, bringing fourth nothing but the styukynge offerings of Sodom. I can name ye a thousand of them that hath broken that vow, but not one that throughlye fulfilled it, no, not the holiest of your canonised rabyes, as Dunstane, Boniface, Bregwyne, Becket, Anselm, and a great sort more.

I have spokē it in deed, and speak it now again, y ^• chastity spedeth not well, whā it is vowed in that kind, but hath a most filthy proceeding: for the professors thereof, both priests and monks, are given over of god into most prodigyouse lusts of their flesh, for contempt of his heavenly verite, Rom. • . Tushe, dyssēble the matter no longer with youre five, smothe, counterfeit looks, and youre hypocrites brags, for we know what ye are well enough, all friar Bongaies mystes are not able to shadow yow, to deceive us in these days. I say not, ye may break it for every temptation, for ye never kept it in your temptacions. But I say, ye ought of necessyte, if ye will be saved by Christ's merits, utterly to forsake and go frō it, for the holy Ghost calleth your spiritualte, a Sodom, Apocalypse. xi •• ▪ for that mischief only. Fugite de medio Babilonis, et saluet vnusquisque animam suam, Hieremie. li. Flee away from that Babylon (saith the good Prophet Hieremie) and every man save his sowle. Blame me not therefore though I call it a filthy Sodometry, and a profession to myscheues unspeakable, neither will David's text subuerte my true purpose in that point, for he never had ye offen such dirty presents to God, as are the promiscuouse occupyinges of whoredō and buggery.

I never in my life restrained David's Psalter to the feast of troumpettes in the xxix. Chaptre of Numery. For than had I been as mad as ye were, whan ye called the next Chaptre following, an absolute peace pertaynyng to the law. I gave ye in a manner, y ^t feast of mockage, to illude youre tragycal folly therewyth. In youre ancient doctors ye are so hyghlye ouerseane, that no wise man is able to compare with yow. Lete all men mark your good handelynge of S. Augustine here, to prove by his sayings that it is good to vow papystry, and great sin to break a vow of that kind. S. Augustine in his lecture upon the. lxxv. Psalm, being frankly disposed, told a merry tale of a nune which would be married, like as I have heard good Catimer do, with the best preachers of our time, to refresh the spirits of their audience. Thys bringeth fourth here this great gyaunte of our papists, as a mighty buttrasse to uphold his maungy matter. But. ii. ways he is like to have dishonor thereof, one is, because it is a light fable, another because it is but a matter of a sylly sorysister, yet will I not altogether dyssallowe her, because she so honestly setketh, rather to be a married woman, than a wicked priests whore.

The hombly tale of S. Augustine is thus to be Englyshed. Anune (saith he) whom I have forgoten, or whose name I have not now in remembrance, would on a time needs marry. What wholde she? That all wa • ton wenches would. In good earneste what would she? Even that her mother would, ye know what I mean. Wold she ill in that? yea marry. And why? For she had vowed afore to her lord God. If she might not so do, what mente the Apostle Paul, which said, y ^e the younger widows might mary if they would? I grant, but yet he saith in a certain place, the happer shall she be in my opynyon, if she continue single. For she shall have y ^t less to do. Well sir, though he saith, that she is more happy if she so remain, yet doth he not condemn her, if she be willing to marry. Thus endeth the first fytte of the tale. A very single shyfte hath this captain of the papists, whan he is drpuē to seek this for his bucklar of defense. For this nune is not here condemned yet for marriage. He setteth no great price on his matter, that beginneth his process with Nescio, I know not, I am ignorant, or I cannot tell, as S. Augustine doth here.

If it had been a story of credit, as it is a matter of daliaunce and pastyme, y ^t party had been named, and also the place of her dwelling. As S. Luke describinge the history of Christ's concepcion, showeth the condition and name of the messenger, from wh • ns and from whom he came, to whom he was sent, what waa the name of that virgins, the name of her husband, and the names of the contraye and cytye where she dwelt, and finally what was his messsage. Luke. i. without these or other like circumstances, is no story of authority. No such grounded matter find we in this tryflyng fable, which this folly she papist bringeth in here, to fortifye his cause with. Youre matter is of a nūne, and ye know not where she dwelleth, nor yet what her name is, forsooth it is a firl prati matter. By like it was some nūne of wax. Well, ye shall have lycens to offer her up to saynte fole, whan ye will.

Mocke not youre brethren thus, ye obstyuate and indurate rank papist, to hold them still captive in these wicked snares of the devil. What articles of false faith will • e build upon these beggeries? first ye had widows ware to approve your po posh vows, thā brought ye fourth the office of a deacon, and now are ye driven to 〈…〉 elpe of a nūne and to fatche youre 〈…〉 at her tail, and yet ye cannot tell, 〈…〉 she ever lived or no. Scryptures 〈…〉 none, of God's holy Testament, 〈…〉 we it welynoghe, they will not 〈…〉 execrable purpose. O abhomy ••• le papists and minysters of Satan, which thus seek to demente, the simple hearts of the people. Lete all them which love God, mark yow in these kinds of conuepaunce, that they be no longer seduced by your sorceryes and wytchecraftes. By the name of S. Augustine, ye think to terrify us, and to drive us from the wraste lyng place compellinge mē to believe what yow lyste, but ye shall not so find it in the ende.

Obiectio.

Quid autem ait de quibusdam, que vouerunt et non reddiderunt? habentes, inquit, damnacionem, quia primam fidem irritā fecerunt. Quid est, primam fidem irritam feceruut? Uouerunt et nō reddiderūt. Nemo erg • positus in monasterio frater dicat, recedo de monasterio. Neque enim soli qui sun • in monasterio, peruēturi sunt ad regnum celorum. Et illi qui non sunt, ad Deum non pertinēt • Respondetur ei: Sed illi non vouerunt, • u vouisti, tu retro respexisti, et cet. Et Paul post. I am quia ista tractauimus, forte volebas vouere, et modo non vis vouere. Sed quid dixerit psalmus, attend. Non dixit, no • lite vouere, sed dixit, vouere et reddite. Quid audisti, red dite, non vis vouere? Ergo vouere volebas et non reddere? Immo vtrumque far. Unum sit exprofessione tua, aliud ex adiutoaio Dei perficietur. Aspice eum qui te ducit, et non respiries retro vnde te educit et cet. Also he saith, de bouo viduitatis. La. xi. plane nō dub it auerim ditere, lapsus et tuinas a castitate sanctiore que vouetur Deo, adulteriis esse peiores.

Responsio.

Here goeth S. Augustine forward w ^t his dialogical process, concerning this nūne without name and monastery. Whan he hath shown on the one side, that he doth not condempnt her for marriage, though he thinketh y ^t single life more cōmodiouse, being without charge. He followeth with his matter after this sort. What said S. Paul (saith he) of some which promised, and yet brake couenaūt? Dampnacion is theirs, because they have broken their first faith. What mean ye by that, they have broken their first faith? Marry they have vowed, and not performed it. By that means may no professed brother say, I will depart from the mouastery. And yet shall not they which are in the monastery, come alone to y ^• kingdō of heavē. Partayne not they which are w ^t out it, as well to God as they? To this will I answer. They never vowed, but y ^u haste vowed, y ^u hast looked back or behind the, & so fourth. Than leapeth he over. xxvi. clauses, contaynyng more than▪ ccc. wurdes, thynking to be dyscharged by et cetera. But sure he escapeth me not so. Breuely will I tell ye the contents thereof, that ye may se the mannys conueyaunce.

S. Augustine bringeth fourth the saying of Christ conceruyng Lothes wife. which being in the way of deliverance from Sodom, looked behind her again, and was turned into a pyller of salt. This putteth he not only to relygyouse monastery brethren, but to all christen men, for an high example of wisdom, that none should go back with his lauful promise to God, for he saith: Illa vxor Loth, ad omnes pertinet. That wife of Loth (saith he) toucheth all mē. Wher is now our nameless nūne, either yet the vnwyuyng vow of pfestes. I would fain ones we might have priests matters, and not womens matters, to prove our priesthood by, least in the ende we thereby make it a womanly priesthood. We pretend by vow, not to meddle with womē, and yet we cannot prove a chastity in our priesthood without women. This is a prodigyous order of prouyng. It followeth in the text of Augustine, which this chaplain of purpose left out. Maritata mulier voluit facere adulterium, de loco suo quo per uenerat retro respexit. A married woman would do aduoutry, she hath looked back frō the place she was come to. A professed widow would marry (for pleasure, and of no necessyte) a maid that is a nūne, will be drunk, proud, and busy tongued, both they have looked behind them.

O tu virgo Dei, nubere voluisti, quod licet, extollis te, quod non licet. Melior vir go humilis, quam maritata humilis, sed 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 wilt not marry, which is leful, but thu wilt be proud, which is vnleful. I confess it, that better is a meek spreted maid, than a meek married woman, and yet is a meek married woman, better than a proud virgiu. She that looketh towards marriage, is not therefore condemned because she would marri, but because she hath refused it afore by an ungodly promise, or a vow of y ^t which never was in her power, so becommynge the wife of Loth looking backewardes from God toward Sodom. Be not yow stowe in vowynge, that have power to perform it, lay yow first hands upon it, to whom God hath givē that gift for a better purpose, that is, for the true ministraciō of his word, & neither for idle mōkery nor ydolatrouse priesthood. I would we well marked this doctrine of S. Augustine, whō this chaplain hath theuishli left out here, for it is worthy note.

Et Paulo post, is an addicion of his own, next cosyne to et cet. & is givē us in stead of all this hidden process of S. Augustine. Is it not (think yow) a proper & profitable change? But now he followeth with his latter patch. I am quia ista tractauimus. now because we have spokē these things, haply where thu wert well minded afore to have vowed, thu wi • te from hens fourth not vow at all. But first attend what the psalm hath uttered. It saith not. Se thu vow not. But it saith, vow and perform or keep promise. Bicause thu hearest, keep promise, y ^u wilt not vow. This is as much to sai, as thu wouldest promise, and not pay. Yes, do both. Let the one pertain to thy professyon, & the other will be performed by the help of God. Behold him well y ^t leadeth the, & loke not behind, to that from whens he hath brought the, et cet. And what is all this to the purpose, y ^t priests should have no wives? Not ones hath he named a priest in all this rehersal or declaraciō of vows. The office of christen ministers, whō this chaplain w ^t out autho rite calleth priests, was not in those days to make vows, but to receive the vows of professed widows, after pauls doctrine, for thei wer comēli y ^• husbands of one wife.

As in the old law (if ye will so take it) though y ^t priests received the vows & oblaciōs of y ^e people, yet they thenselves were no common vowers, for it was not their office to vow nor yet to offee, as y ^• common sort ded. S. Augustine willeth us here, to perform our vow made in baptism, & to follow God's commandments. And not to turn back frō Christ's appointed rules, to our own dreams & inuēciōs, our vows & blind deuociōs, for y ^t is to return to Sodom, as y ^t end thereof hath declared, by many a most filthy example. If these vows must of necessity be performed, than must our vows also to Romr, to Hierusalē, to s. James, & to walsinghā be performed, specially the old vows of the. ii. universities to be always obediēte to the malyguaunte seat of Antichrist. Yea, if all things must be persolued, that hath been promised in papisme, than must king Johanns most in iuriouse & hurtful vow, be also fulfilled in all his successors, kings of this realm, to the utter destruction of the same both ways which the eternal God forbid. For all these were false promises to God, made w ^t a solēpne deliberacion, as ye say by diffyniciō, your unchaste vows are.

Styl ye bring in your womens matters, like a womanly captain, to prou • a chastity in your Romish priesthood, whereby ye show yourself to be much better learned in women's affairs, than in mennys. O • te of y ^e . xi. chapter de bono viduitatis, which ye falsely father upon S. Augustine, have ye torn out a text without either top or tail, Plane non dubitauerim et ce. I would not doubt plainly to aff yrme it, the slydinge • & ruynouse fallinges fromholi chastity, which is vowed to god, to be wurse thā aduowtryes. And this ye allege of purpose, to condemn the lauful marryages of them, which at the voice of God hath of late years forsakē your papistical pressed hode and monkery. But your armor is to weak, being but women's ware, and so theuishly stolen. Ones again have I here deprehēded yow in your falshede, ye purse pyker, and find ye more fytte for the pyl▪ • ery than the pulpet. Thus doth your doctor handle it, in the letter ende of y ^t . x. ch •

Fit autem per hanc minus consideratā opinionem, qua putant lapsarum a sancto proposito feminarum, si nupserint, nō esse coni • gia, nō paruum malum vt a maritis separentur quasi adultere sint, non vxores. Et cum volunt ease 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 cōingia (now followeth his fragmēt) sed plane non dubitauerim dicere, lapsus et ruinas a castitate sanctiore, que vouetur deo, adulteriis esse peiores. Si enim, quod nullo 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 mischief followeth of that incōuenient, whan men, by this not wysely digested opinion, do think the marriages of professed nūnes▪ to be no marryages, and thereupon compel them to be separated frō their husbands, as aduowtrouse women and no wives, for whan they by such dyuorcementes attempt▪ to drive thē again to the nūnery, they make their poor husband aduowterers in deed, in taking other women, their own wynes being alive. Ca. xi. Wherefore I cannot justly report, the marriages of women fallen from religion, if they chance to marry, to be aduowtryes and no marryages. But I would not much doubt, to cal the flydinges away from holy chastity, things wur • e than aduowtries, for if Christ be offended, by all mennys opinion, whan his member is unfaithful to her husband, howe much more than may he be offended whan promise is not kept with him self? et cet.

Here is a great difference between yow and your nameless doctor, for your opinion is, that the maryages of vowers are plain aduowtryes and no marryages. Hys opinion is all contrary, that they are so lawful marryages as may be. For he calleth the professed nūne so married, a lawful and perfight wife, and judgeth her separacion from marriage, a most daungerouse & dāpnable incōueniēt. The scrupul or spyced conscience that he hath in the matter, is concerning y ^• break of her promise made to God, and that putteth he in here, vngroundedly, doubtfully, hypocritically, and utterly against himself, as to note her in one Godly office both a lawful wife and an whore. This is, as though he would seme to allow it for God's institucions sake, & at pleasure again to disalowe it in another idle respect. He would fain give the mastry to monkishnes, but he treēbleth at the matter, as he may well enough. I utterly deny S. Augustine to be the author of this superstyciouse, unsure, and doubtful doctrine. For I never yet could se him so far ouersene, as to prefer our voluntary works to the set ordynaunces of God. He was not so forgetful of this old saying of Isaiah, that all our righteousnesses, appear they never so holy, are as y ^• clothes stained with menstr • e. Es. lxiiii.

Thys nameless author of yours, doth S. Paul much wrōge, to call the state of a single life, an holy or Angelical state, because he hath called it a state happy or cōmodiouse, being without charge. i. cor. vii. for he never meant it so. The spowsage of Christ standeth not in the deuyses of man's idle head, as are your voluntary vows of monkery, but in a sincere faith not passing y ^• rules of his uncorrupted word. Thys author of yours, called Iuliane, a Moore borne, and bishop of Tolete in Spain, seemeth wonderfully much against himself, for treating in the. viii. Chaptre, why marriage ought to be permitted to relygyouse widows, he hath this clear sentence. Si non continent, nubant. Malo enim ease •• bere quam vri.

Hoc enim dixit, vt effrenate li • idinis malum non precipitaretur in turpitudinem slagitiorum, cum exciperetur honestate nuptiarum et cet. Uolo igitur iuniores nubere. If they cannot abstain, lete them marry, for I had much rather that they married, than brent. Thys spake the Apostle, least the unbridled affeccion should throw them into all kinds of fylthynes, whyls it might well be restrained by the honesty of godly marriage. I will therefore that the younger widows marry. He hath also this clause in the. ix. Chapter of the same boke. In coniugali quippe: vniculo, si pudicicia cōseruatur, damnatio nō timetur. In the yoke of marriage, is no damnation to be feared, if clennesse therein be observed. So how this sentence of youre own doctrine, cōfoūdeath your allegaciō.

Obiectio.

And also, Cha. viii Proinde quise non continent, nubant antequam continentiam profiteantur, antequam Deo voueant, quod nisi reddant, iure damnantur. Alio quippe loto de talibus dicit. Cumenim in delitus egerint in Christo nubere volunt, habentes damnationem, quoniam primam fidem irretā fecerunt, id est, voluntatem ad nuptias a proposito continentie destererūt. Irritam quippe facerunt fidem qua prius vouerant, quod perseuerantia implete voluerunt. Further ye ask who should do it? and answer by the verse that followeth: Al you that be round about, bringing presētes to the Lord. If yow restrain performing of vows, only to the bringing of outward presents, thā ye make a sense of this verse after your own mind alone, and expound it other wise thā the doctors do. For both the sentences after S. Augustynes mind, and all other doctors that I have red, be general, and pertain to all good mē. Who be they that be round about the Lord? They amongst whom God is, they that be just and gathered in his name, they that be humble and fear God, and offer to him to do him service, their bodies, souls, and all the other gaftes of God. All such be about him, and all such be exhorted to vow and perform their vows.

Responsio.

More mangled testymonyes bringeth this chaplain fourth here, but both is his doctor Iuliane of doubtful authority, & also they pertain to women and no men. And therefore this priesthood, for whose unknown chastity he contendeth, is like in the eude to appear a doubtful womanlye priesthood. Thus are his borrowed sentences out of the. viii. Chaptre de bouo viduitatis, to be Fuglyshed. Wherfor the widows which cannot abstain (ye may se, sum what went afore, that he would not gladly touche.) Lete them marry husbands afore they profess a chastity, and afore they make vows to God: for if they perform not their promise▪ they are lawfully dāpned. And in another place, the Apostle saith of such women, whan they have begōne to were wanton, than will they marry in Christ (your doctor Iuliane b • lieth the text) having damnation, because they have broken their first faith, that is to say, they have turned their will frō a purposed chastity to marriage. Thus have they made their first faith void, where by they promised afore that they never intended to perform by perseueraunce.

It is deuylyshly done both of yow and your doctoure Iuliane, thus to deprave or to vyciate the holy scriptures. Neither is S. Paul a condempner of marriage, nor yet a persuader of vows making, but calleth thē in that kind, a plain doctrine of devils. He never taught any other professiō, thā that which is common to all christē men & women. In all the new testament is no doctrine of your vows, why than impute yow dāpuacion to the breakyuge of thē? If dāpnacion be due to thē that break your commandments, thā are ye in authority equal with God. From whens cometh this vsurpacion & pride of yours? Even frō that adversary and son of perdition, which exalteth himself above all that is called God. ii. Thessa. ii. The widows y ^• S. Paul speaketh of. i. Tim. v. were no professed nūnes, but nomē destitute of fryndeshyp, whom he willed to be provided for of y ^t common almesse. And none other admitted he thereunto, but ancient matrones of. lx. years of age and vpwardes, such as were known to be of a moste honest and Godly cōuersacion. The yongar widows were none of that number. Neither was wantonness imputed unto thē because they would marry, for marriage is there appointed them, but because they would marry ungodly with the unfaithful for pleasures of this world, abhorringe pouerte in the christen profession.

For this wātōnes is not a marriage in Christ, as your dottyng doctor Iulyane and yow here do take it, for so might every marriage in Christ, be noted a wantonness to dāpnaciō, but against Christ, or to Christ's dishonoure, for it followeth in the text, y ^• many of thē turned back, & went after Sathā, in renoūcinge the christrn faith. Thus is not the dāpnacion due to thē that break youre vows, but to them that forsake their Christian professyon. Neither is damnation here taken, for the hateful indygnacion of God or depryuacion of the life everlasting, but for a fowl blot of infamy, or a notable staundre to the christen profession, for it followeth in the text, that occasion was gynen by such wantonness to the adversaries to speak evil of the Christian religion. Thus was it the mind of the Apostle, that provision were always made for the yōger widows, to marry within the congregation least by extreme pouerte they were compelled to forsake their Christian believe, and to give an occasion of damnable slaūdre against the Gos • el. He that will say with yow and youre Doctoure Iultane, that prima fi • des is a vow voluntary, or a purpose frō marriage to an vncommaunded chastity: I say, he is a liar and a • evil.

Prima fides is a faith in Jesus Christ, to follow the rules of his Gospel in y ^t common christen religion, and not a professyon of monkery nor yet such a bastard priesthood as hath of the scriptures no manner of authority. But I pray yow, lete me ask ye a question, yow deceytful sonldyour of Sodom. Why cut ye of this conclusion from the latter allegacion of yonre doctor? 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 per vsum promiscuum foeminarum, sed 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 marriage, always a good and a godly commodite. But where it sometime was among God's people, an obedient service of the law, it is now a remedy of y ^t fleshes infirmite, and also in some meu, an human consolacion or natural comfort. To be given to begetting of children, so that it be not by a confuse occupyinge with women • yke dog and bytche, but in an honestor decēt order of marriage, that affecte or natural incliuacion in man is not to be reproved, yet is that Christian mind much more to be praised, which over cometh that affecte, by the medytacion of things heavenly. All this could we have thankfully received of your doctor Iuliane, but it was not to your deuilyshe purpose.

I do ask in deed, who should vow and perform it, after David's meaning. I know certainly, that they were not your popish monks and massemongers. For they were not wont to bring offerings of their own from round about, but their gapyng was to receive the offerings and gifts from all quarters about, and to give nothing again, unless they gave their bastards to the disheretinge of the true and right heirs. None otherwise do I restrain the vows of the old law, then they restrain them selves here in the ende of this verse, by bringing of presents to the lord. As for your interpretatiue and scolasticall doctoures, I never regard them nor yet their exposicions, when they thus varye from the truth of the scriptures, but accompt them both blasphemous babelers and liars. Ye say, that vouete et reddite, after the mind of S. Augustine and all the other doctors that you have red extendeth generally, & pertaineth to all good mē. Whye do you then restrain it to youre monks and massemongers, which are men neither good nor godly? Yea why have yow all this longe time been hatcheynge of that cockatrices egg?

Ye ask, who they be that are round about the Lord, for south it is a proper wise question, and as wysely afterward of yow auswered. I never heard it afore, that god was ever compassed of thē y ^t brought presents to the temple. How can he that containeth all things, having heaven for his seat and the earth for his foot stole. Acto▪ vii. be compassed of men mortal? Though God do much regard them, which are of a lowly troubled spirit, and that standeth in awe of his holy words. Isaiah. lxvi. yet suffereth he not him self to be compassed of them. In answerynge your own question, ye say, that they be round about god, amongst whō he is, over, undre, and on every side. Thys must I needs deny yow, because his beyuge among them, is not all one with their being round about. God is a spirit, how can ye thā prove him circumscriptyble or local? How can he be closed within limytes, that ouerspreadeth the heavens and containeth all things? Thys dyuinite of yours is but dougyshe daubry. We know that God is with thē y ^t ar ryghteouse of his ryghteousenes, but not with them that are of their own righteousness righteous, for them he leaveth always to themselves. Rom. i.

He is at all seasons assystent in deed, to them that assemble to gyther in his name, but not to them that are gathered together 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, Paul, Wylliam, & Hugh, with a great sort more of y ^t like, nether yet to thē y ^t hath mustered together & flocked in their feasts of ydelnesse, to call upon them for help. I deny it not but that he hath shown his good favor to them whō he hath found meek and lowly of heart, and to them that hath feared him and followed y ^e right rule of his word. But as concerning them which hath offered bodies and souls to do him service, not after his appointed order, but after their own deuyses, they may well be about him and compass him, as the great fat bulls have done his son Christ and his faithful members, Psal. xxi. yet am I sure, they shall not catch him. The service y ^t god alloweth in mā, cometh ueuer of mans voluntary offering, but of God's own free calling and eleccion. If your professed and never fulfilled chastity and obedience, be the boasted gifts that ye offer, ye shall have good leave to take them home to ye again, for he never yet had pleasure in them. Al these, ye say, be exhorted to vow, and perform their vows. If that exhortation were given by David to this latter sort, it was of late years in some secrete vysyon, for in his time were no such dysgysed shauelynges and shorlynges, and I marvel why they are so slack in performance.

Obiectio.

Take away your ground, that is to say, that vows be heavy burdens and dark misty shadows, and so abrogate by Christ, thā will all the rest fall, which is builded vpō that ground. To keep a vow that is lawfullye made, is a commandment of God's law natural, and so commanded in his moral law, and also in his Evangelical law. And is not a ceremony or a shaddow, as yow say. And is contained under the seconde commandment. Non assumes nomen Dei tui in vanū. Thus did I always conceive of the doctors before. If nature abhor, that one man should break promise with another, much more it abhorreth, that a man should break promise with his Lord God. Ecclesiastes saith, Ca. l. Si quid vouisti Deo, nō moreris reddere. Displicet enim ei infidelis et slul •• promissio. Sed quodcumque voueris, red. Multoque melius est non vouere, quam post votum, promiss a non reddere.

Responsio.

My ground is so sure, so steady, and so strong, that neither yow, your dreaming doctors, your dyrty daubers, nor yet all the devils of darkness, which hath maintained your cursed generation in all kinds of deceyte, sense the days of Cain, shall be able ones to remove it. As Iohā Baptist in the wyldernesse declared the coming and office of Christ, he beganne by and by to build upon this foūdacion. By Moses (saith he) was the law first givē, but grace and verity cometh only by Jesus Christ, Johan. i. In stead of the law, he hath given us a Gospel of free forgiveness, and a saving verity in stead of unprofitable shadows. Christ hath given it also to us as a ground to build upon, that the law & prophets were no longer in force, thā unto the time of Johan Baptist, Mat. xi. Ther they ceased, there were they fully discharged, and went no further. S. Paul saith, that the law wurketh pre, Rom. iiii. The law is a power of sin. i. Cori. xv. The law bringeth no man to perfeccyon. Heb. vii. By the law is no man iustyfyed. Roma. iii. We are not under the law (saith he) but under grace, Roma. vi. If we be led by the spirit, tha • are we no subjects to the law. Gala. v. Christ is the ende of the law, and a full righteousness to thē that believe, Roma. x. Thys foundation of mine, will not be puffed away with all your sophystycal blasts, for it is not built upon the sand, but upon the hard rock. Math. vii. The power of hell shall not prevail against it. Math. x.

Now come I to your specialtees, as burdens, mystes, and shadows of the law. Christ earnestly promised, not only to take from us the heavy burdens of the law and of sin, if we resort unto him, but also to refresh us with his Gospel (which is a law of liberty, S. James saith) and to give unto our consyences a perfect quietness in him. Math. xi. S. Paul willeth all Christ's servants to stand fast in the liberty, wherewith Christ hath made them free, and not to wrap themselves again in the yoke of bondage (as are ceremonyal vows) 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 sects (by vows) living at pleasure in all deceyuable ways (by vows) ar clouds carried about of a tempest (by those vows) to whō is reser ued y ^• mist of darkness forever. ii. Per. ii. The law (saith s. Paul) had but a shadow of good things to come, & not the things themselves in their own proporcion, for it rather sygnified somewhat, than braught things to effect, Hebre. x.

Christ hath brokē down y ^• walle, which was a stop between us and the Jews, and hath also put away through his flesh, the cause of hatred, that is to say, the law of commandments contained in y ^e law written, Ephe. ii. He hath abolyshed utterly the hand writing of obligaciō that was against us, contained in the law written, and clearly taken it out of y ^e way fastening it to his cross, Collo. ii. What ground will ye now have, to prove your ceremonyall vows, no heavy burdens, no cloudy mystes, no dark shadows, and so not abrogated by Christ, whan this ground will not hold them but utterly reject them? Heaven and earth shall pass, but this doctrine will never be found untrue, dispute what ye can to the contrary for your beggarly vows. Take that ground away (ye say) and than will all the rest fall, which is knylded therupō. And it is truth in deed I am glad we have brought yow to that conclusyon. But your head is so mad that ye will not there stay, but follow on still fourth in your frenesy. Ye can find it now, that to keep avowe, that is lawful lie made (which cannot of your vows he veryfyed) is a commandment of god. Afore ye could not find it in Anna and the Nazarees. I see it well now, that ye can at your pleasure both find and not find.

But ye have stretched your g • atte so far, that he must needs burste, no remedy. Ye say, the obseruacyon of vows is commanded of God, in the laws natural, moral, and Evangelical. It is sonner said, than proved. Of lykelyhode ye are some prothonotary of Rome, that ye would your wurdes to be believed without reasonable proves. It is like here to remaiue for a fabulouse lie, till ye hane proved it by the scriptures, a law of commandment in the law of nature. And also till ye have made it good, that the ceremonials and iudicials of Moses law, are all one with with the morral precepts and the Gospel. Ye say, that obseruacion of vows, is neither ceremony nor shadow. It was both, whan vows were in strength, that is to say, for the time of Moses law, If ye think them now changed, bring fourth your honest probacyons, and ye shall be heard. If ye have none other thing to stay it by, but the seconde commandment, ye are far wyde. For this is y ^e seconde commandment of god. Non facies tibi sculptile. Thu shalt make the no graven image, Exodi. xx. Thys helpeth not your matter, but utterly confoundeth it. For vows are like as images are, wurkes only of mans ymaginacion, without commandment of God. For ye have granted all this time, that they are wurkes voluntarye, and so have ye dyffyned them.

If ye meant the third commandment, Non assumes nomen Domini Dei tui in vanum. Thu shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vame, than were ye foully deceived, to take the third for the second. It is a plain token, that ye are much better exercysed in the Iewyshe ceremonies, than in God's holy commandments, whan ye know not the one frō the other. In deed I would wish, ye were sūwhat wiser. Thys third commandment will not serve your turn, for it pertaineth to swearing & not to vowyng, as Christ hath expownded it. If ye take vowynge for a kind of swearing, than hath Christ utterly dyscharged yow, by this mighty word of his. Dico vobis ne iuretis omnino. Math. v. I charge yow, y ^t ye swear not at all, that is to say, that ye vow in no wise. • o, where are your vows become now, bi your own cōfessiō? Now have ye, by your own procurement, brought them even to nothing, your old doctors were yet much more wise than yow are. For they judged thē with all the other ceremonies of Moses▪ to pertain to the forth commandment, concerning the Saboth day.

Though ye have always conceived much (as ye boast yourself here) bi your exercise in the doctors, yet toke ye no hede in this point. Ye have succked much of the diui •• te doggerel of that drunken papist Iohā Eckius, in this matter. As the saying is, like will to like, as the devil fyndeth out the colyar. I marvel much of your ygnoraunt beastlynesse, or else of your obstinate hypocrisye. Ye play here the Pelagyane right out, giving to our corrupted and sinful nature, that is only due to the grace and mercy of God. In this ye take from faith her perfeccion, ye defraud her of her office, and depryue her of her glory. Ye know not God's eternal power, ye understand not his wurkes wonderful, neither gloryfy yow him as the author of all goodness. But become obstinate, wicked, and unthankful, yea, ye were full of vanitees in your ymaginacyons, your foolish heart covered with a damnable blindness, for contemning his truth, Roma. i. Of nature are we, the fleshly, sinful, and wicked children of God's great indygnacion and curse, Ephesians. ii.

Than is it not nature that abhorreth to break promise, but faith, which only is the gift of God. If we be faithful to god and our neighbor, it is not of us but of him. All that is not of faith (S. Paul saith) is sin. Roma. xiiii. And without faith can we keep no promise to God's pleasure, Hebre. xi.

In your allegacion of Ecclesiastes, ye seme to be a great multyplyer. For his boke hath but. xii. Chapters in all, and yet yow can allege the. l. Chapter, ere ye come to the myd part thereof. It is some figure, ye wurke by, either of falsehede or else of forgetfulness. If thu hast made a vow to God (saith Ecclesiastes) be not slack to perfonrme it. As for foolish vows, he hath no pleasure in them. If thu promise any thing, pay it. For better it is, that thu make no vow, than that thu shuldest promise and not pay. Ecclesi. v. for what purpose ye brought in this text, I cannot conjecture: unless it were to put us in remembrance, that all your prestyshe and monkysh vows, are vanite, ydelnesse, folishnesse, frenesy peuyshnes, madness, and mischief unspeakable. Not pleasing, but dylpleasynge our almighty maker, for so much as they are but mockyng promises of things impossyble, unprofitable, parelouse, wicked, uncertain, above our strengths, and all contrary to Christ's doctrine. Thys text allurynge men to perform their vows, willeth them to be very circumspect in the making of them. For if they be made after mannis wisdom and not God's (as ye say, your vows are voluntary) than are they wicked and foolish. And the fulfyllyng of them, is both a dyspleasure and a mock to God.

Obiectio.

Also the breaking of a lawful vow, is one kind of infidelyte, which Paul proveth i. Time. l. Habētes damnationem, quia primam fidem irritam fecerunt. How should a man bind himself to God, to do anything, but by a vow or an oath, which is a testimony of his promise or vow? Therefore a christen mannys obedience, in keeping his promise with God, is the true inward service of God, and required by gods plain commandment, as I take it. Not an outward ceremony or shadow pertaynyng to one feast, which is abrogate by Christ's coming.

Responsio.

If ye only mind to speak of vows lawful, thā are ye much to blame to trouble us with your vow of the sole or single life for swearing marriage, for that ungodly vow was never yet lawful. I will prove it by Ecclesiastes in the fourth chapter. Ue soli (saith he) quia cum cecid • rit, non habet subleuantem se. Woe to him that is alone, for if he fall, he hath not another to help him up again. If woe, be 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 thereof a vow or perpetual bande. To this ende hath God ordained his creatures, y ^t one should help another. He created mā & womā y ^t the one should be a solace, an aid, & a comfort to y ^t other. Thys order are yow able to dysolue, by the impotēcy (omnipotēcy I would say) of your vow, as a God of yourself. But more parelouse is your fall, both ways, than ye be aware of. Ye will parauēture object against me, that Christ was single. I must desire yow to grant him extraordynary, or exempte frō the commē order of men, being the only son of the highest. If ye lay Mary Christ's mother, ye must lose your labor, for she was married to Joseph, & never dysdayned y ^t godly estate.

If ye bring fourth Hieremy and Iohā Baptist, I answer you, that it was in them and certain other by specyall privilege, and not by any vow voluntary. If ye cā show us by the sacred scriptures, that ye have the same priuylege, either yet if we se in yow, that ye bring fourth like fruits of doctrine, thā will we credyte yow for doctrine and privileges sake, but not for your vows sake, for we know to much thereof. Ye write in your Chronicles, that Etheldrede and Edward remained still byrgins after longe marriage. Suffre maidenhede than, rather to dwell under marriage than under your doubtful vow, for so should it be in much less danger. I could much commend your synglenesse without vows, if ye cared for the things of the Lord. i. Cor. vii. But I cannot away with your synglenesse in vows, for in thē ye seek but bell ye profyghte. Thoughe the breaking of a lawful vow, which is a vow allowed by the scriptures, be a kind of infydelyte, Yet is not the breaking of your filthy and popish vows, which are both unlawful & condemned by the scriptures, yea, your priesthood & all, a kind of infidelyte in thē y ^t break thē, but an evident proof of most faithful obedience to God. Ye are but weakly seen in nonebers, whā ye know not. v. frō. l. Ye allege y ^e . l. chap of S. Paul's first epistle to Timothy, & y ^• wholepistle hath nomor but. vii. little ca. But this will I ons again ascribe to your oversight

Your text, habētes dānacionem, is in the. fyft Chapter, and is thus Englyshed▪ Having damnation, because they have brokē their first faith. By this would ye prove, y ^t the breking of your popish vows were a kind of infydelyte. But it is nothing to the purpose, for ye are no young widows. Neither is prima fides a vow of our making, but the necessary covenant of our christen professyon. And the dampnacyon there, is a blot of infamy, or an uncomely report, to the great blemishyng of christianite and slander of the Gospel, as I told ye afore. Your question, how should a man bind himself to serve God, but by a vow or oath? is both wicked and foolish. For all we that believe in Christ's name, are children & no servants. Iohā. i. Our estate and religion, is a state of liberty, and no bondage. Iohā. Our law is a law of liberty & no bondage. Iaco. i. Now ar we become sons by elecciō, free heirs and inheritors with Christ, Gala. iiii. If we be made free by his death, we ought no lougar to serve that way, in bondage. For the servant knoweth not the mind of his maistre. But to us as to his dere children and friends, hath he opened all, Ihoan. xv. If we now do anythyng to God, it must come of a love in freedom, & not of a vow or an oath in bondage.

Men have done things to god, which never bound themselves by vow. We read of many which after the due search of his holy w • rde, have shown thenselves godly wise, humble, gentyl, meek, merciful, kind, peaceable, pytyful, temperaūt, chaste, sober longe suffering, forgyuynge, thankful to God, and faithful to all men. They have embraced love, which is the che • e of perfecciō, Col. iii. Yea, they have therwyth fulfilled the law, Rom. xiii. et Gala. v. and all without profession of vows. Ye call an oath a witness of a promise, and a vow a testimony of a vow, which is a strange kind of dystynynge. I might ask yow here, how a vow could be both a vow, and the witness of a vow, an oath and the testimony of a promise, so well as ye axed of me afore, howe a vow could be both a promise and the thing promised. But I think it to foolish, to bestow any time therupō. Bycause a vow is the witness of a vow, and men bind themselves thereby to do things to God, therefore (ye say) a christen man's obedience in keeping his promise with God, is the true inward service of God, and required by his commandment. I think, a more foolish conclusiō was never heard. And therefore ye do well to add, as yow take it.

A christen man's obedience standeth not in the fulfyllyng of fanatical vows, as they have been used, better broken than kept) but in the faithful obseruacion of God's holy precepts, declared by Christ in his Gospel. Though I have taken the vows of the old law for ceremonies & shadows abrogated by Christ, Yet ded I never take your vows for ceremonies, but for horrible superstitious, Antichrists dyrte, and most filthy dregs of y ^• devil, pertaining to the feast of Satan's intronizacyon

If we will needs serve, being the children of the free woman, Gala. iiii. Lete us seek to serve in liberty and not in bondage. Lete us bear no longer a strangers yoke with the unbelievers. ii. Cor. vi. Lete them to whom god hath givē knowledge, shake of those shackles, and reap̄t of those snares of the devil ii. Tim. ii. for they are the very charactes or marks of the infernal beast, whereby Antichrists ministers have power to bye and to sell in that blasphemous kingdom, Apocalip. xiii. They that will hold of that mark, must drink of the cup of God's wrath, Apocalypse. xiiii. and finally be turned over into the lake of burning fire and brimstone, Apocalypse. xir. Hauynge their names clearly wiped out of the boke of life. S. Paul would never entangle the Corinthianes with such a snare, as these your vows are, but gave them erudycious honest and comely. i. Corinth. vii.

Obiectio.

All this is very true, being God's word. But for what purpose ye bring it in, I do not plainly see, except it be to subvert another truth. As though the exhortation or professynge of vyrgynite, or blamynge of men that break their vows, were a forbyddyng of marriage, and so a doctrine of devils. It is to strange to say, that the commendynge of the higher gift of chastity, should be a condempnynge of the lowar gift of marriage. Every man ones in his life, hath lybertye to marry, from the which marriage no man forbiddeth him.

But if he forsake his liberty, and bind himself by his vow to God, never to marry. Than he may be lawfully forbydde to marry, not forbyddynge marriage, but byddynge him keep his vow.

It is a deuylyshe doctrine (as I think) to forbydde a married man to marry, his wise being alive.

And also to forbid him to marry, that hath consecrate his body and sowle to God, & professed to live chaste without marriage.

Responsio.

In case is this hypocrite chaplain, as was the devil, whom Christ drove into thē heard of swine, Luke. viii. For this devil, called Region▪ both knew it and confessed it, that Christ was the son of God, as this busy chaplain confesseth, that it is both a manifest truth and also the word of God, that is uttered here afore. Thys knowledge and confession notwithstanding, yet this devil enterynge into the swynysh bishops, priests, and lawyers, wythstode his heavenly verity, and pursued him for it to the very death. Who can think this malyciouse and frantic chaplain, not to be possessed with this devil? He doth the same things that this devil ded. He knoweth it and confesseth it to be a verity of God, and yet he impugneth it with to the and nail. If it be not a sin against the holy Ghost, to wythstande a known & confessed verite, what is a sin against the holy Ghost? If he be not in this pointe a son of perdition, whoever was the son of perdycyon. Ye know (master chaplain) y ^t these sētēces be true, why do ye not than allow thē? Yea ye know, they be very true, that is to say, certainly, groundedly, and perfyghtly true, why thā believe ye them not? Ye know also, they be the wurdes of God, why than do ye not honor them, love them, and follow them, but wyckedly impugn them?

Ye cannot se, for what purpose I bring in these verytees, that the inhybycion of marriage is a doctrine of devils, that the taking of a christen wife, is a following of God's institution, and that Mary Christ's mother honored that holy order. For none other purpose do I bring them in, than for that only purpose which god appointed, as for the allowaunce of matrymony, which is gods ordinance. Ye have in times past, torn and taken away from Christ, Homo quidā nobilis, in some churches, and Ego sum Pastor bonus, in the other churches, & given it to Thomas Be • ket the trayter, both at matins and mass, upon his ydolatrouse days. Homo quidā peregre, to your Romish Apostle Augustine, to Anselm, Cutbert, Chadde, Swithune, Dunstane, Erkenwalde, Oswald, Osmunde, Edmunde, and a great sort moo. Beati paupers, to dead men's bones and relliques, Euntes in mūdum, to gadders, pylgrymes, and ydoll sekers. Amen dico vobis, ye appointed for battle, Petite et dabitur, for sick beasts, Factum est in vna dierum, for fair wether, Nolite soliciti esse, for rain, Discumbente Jesus, for mourners, Surgens Jesus de synagoga, for pestilence, & Dixit Simō Petrus, for S. Antonyes evil, bestowing Dixit Martha ad Iesum, for all christē souls. Thys was a great study of yow, & a clerkely distributing of y ^• scriptures sūtime. Ye cā not think my scriptures welbestowed, because they are not applied to that use and ende.

Ye fear least this truth here expressed, should subvert another truth. But ye need not so to do▪ for it is not y ^e nature of a truth to subvert or destroy a truth, but rather to ratify, maintain, and uphold a truth. But parauēture it is some truth of your own, that ye mean, and than is it a very falsehede. For yow are they that cal evil good, and good evil, making darkness light, & light darkness. Isaiah. v. Your common custom hath been evermore (S. Paul saith) to wythholde God's verity in unrighteousness, and to turn his truth to a lie, Roma. i. Thys truth of yours, is an exhortation to a wyuelesse life, or a professynge of vyrgynyte. Thys word exhortation hath a fair show, virginite seemeth a bewtyful thing. Undre this pretensed color or fair face of the serpent, your ye will hyde all the crafty persuasions of your religious sodomites, priests, monks, and fryres, which hath compassed sea and lande to make proselytes, both by confessiō and other ways. And in the ende ye would have them taken for virtuous counsels & godly professions. But doubtless ye come to late. Ye would that neither this, nor yet y ^• blamyng or rebuking of mē, that break their unlawful stinking popish vows, should be judged any forbydding of lawful marriage, or takē for a doctrine of devils. But it shall be so hold̄, & axe yow no leave so longe as y ^• tree is known by his fruit.

Ye will have the braggynges and boastynges of a feigned and false chastity, which is none other than a filthiness unspeakable, to be holden as a pure commondaciō of y ^• true chastity. But it will not be granted yow. That detestable professyon of a life so enormiouse, shall be a prohybycion of Godly marriage and a doctrine of devils in hipocrisy, though ye show a thousand colors to y ^• contrary. What devil of hell hath inspired yow, so clearly to separate christen marriage from chastity, as it had no porcyon therwyth? What will ye make of lawful marriage, ye sinful Sodomytes and utter enemies of God, that ye thus cruelly seclude it from all kinds of chaste honesty? Do ye judge it a whore dome, an vnclennesse, a beastlynesse? or what do ye reckon of it, yow that so malyciously thus handle it? Thys dare I be bold to affirm, and will stand in the opinion to the very death, that all kinds of continency, of clennesse, and of chastity in the old testament, from the beginning of Genesis to the latter ende of the Maccabees, having the blessing of God, pertaineth to marriage. There is no such ungodly separacion of virginite from marriage, but virgins were reckoned there, most fit for that honest, comely, & godly estate.

Uirgynite without fruit, is there deplored, sorowed, lamented, and bewailed, as in the daughter of Iephte, Iudi. xi. Wher as marriage is called a chaste generation with virtue, her memory being immortal afore God and man, Sapi. iiii. Uirginyte without fruit, deserved no praise, neither in the law of nature, nor yet in the law of Moses, but as a thing not regarded, dwelt under contempt, obprobry, and rebuke, without benedicciō, as apered in An na. i. Reg. i. and in Helisabeth▪ Luc. i. Whā vows were of most value and of God's allowaunce, they could not better virgynytie, how can they than now better it, being of less value, yea, wurkes of our own innention, and not of God's commandment? The blessing continued in succession of Marriage, from age to age, and from generation to generation, till the promised seade was come, which was Jesus Christ. Though he in the new testament, beatyfyed virgynyte (as he also by many clear arguments, did marriage) giving there unto, the grace of prophecy, as apered in the. iiii. daughters of Philip the Evangelist, Acto. xxi. Yet ded he not license yow to vow it, to brag of it, to huylde youre priesthood upon it, to make it your bawde, your cloke, and your ydol of vnclennesse, to color your sodometry with it, nor yet to contempne lawful marriage for it.

I could well commend vyrginite many ways, but not after your handelynge. As it is God's free gift, I can praise it, but not as it is under band of your vows, for I know the fruits to be filthy. Ye call it the hyghar gift, and marriage, the lowar gift, thereby eralting your shauelinges above the layte. This is a practice of your old scolemaysters the Pharisees, which preferred their idle traditions to God's holy commandments. Math. xv. Bycause that vowed chastity cometh from Rome, which is beyond the Alps, with oylynges and with shauynges, therefore is it the hyghar gift, for none other virtues hath it. But if ye way it by the sty • chyng fruits, ye shall find it the lowar gift, and the gyuer out thereof, a very mean gentilman, even he that seeketh whom he may denouee. i. Pet. v. Moch boast is made of virginite, and yet they which brag most of it, knoweth least of all what it is. Uyrgynite leadeth not towards heaven, unless it be coupled with y ^e wisdom of god. For we read in the Gospel, that the. v. foolish vyrgyns were put clearly back, for not having oil and light in their lāpes, Math. xxv. Thys is an euydent example, that vyrginite is nothing, without other Godly prouisyons. No better is that vyrginyte which serveth it self alone, than is the talent hyd under the ground. Mat. xxv.

I deny not, but it is an easy, pleasa • t, free, and commodiouse estate, but without other virtues, it is of small value. It is like a dead body which hath no life. Where S. Paul layeth fourth the fruits of the spirit, Galathyanes▪ v. which all are well allowed in marriage, he maketh no mention of vyrgynyte. Thoughe Mary Christ's mother be named a vyrgyne in y ^e gospel▪ yet is she much more commended there for her faith, than for virgynyte. Helisabeth full of the holy Ghost, proclaimed her blessed among women, and not vyrgynes, blessed for her beleues sake▪ and not for vyrgynytees sake. Marriage should not seme all void of vyrgynyte, by that S. Paul saith to the married Corinthyanes. Adiūxi enim vos vni viro, vt virginem castam exhiberetis Christo. I have coupled yow to one man, to make ye a chaste vyrgyne to Christ. ii. Corinth. xi. The vyrgyns which followeth the lamb, whither so ever he goeth. Apocalypse. xiiii. being his undefiled congregation, were married people for the more parte. Johan Thompson an old Doctoure of yours in his abreuiacions of Ryde • aus commentaryes upon the Mythologyes of Fulgētius, affyrmeth it out of S. Augustine, as a grounded doctrine, that Abraham's marriage was in dygnyte equal with the vyrgynyte of Sayncte Johan Baptyste.

In marriage God preserved Sara from the unlawful handelynges of Abimelech. Genesis. xx. Whereas he suffered Dinah in a presumtuouse vyrgynyte to be corrupted among the Sichemytes, Gen. xxxiiii. In the dyl •• y or general flood he saved the married how should of Noah, y ^e fore • virgins peryshyng therein. Gen. vii. his blessing was upon the married for increase, Gen. i. viii. ix. xxxv. He also blessed in Abraham's seed, all people's of the earth, Gene. xxii. Christ in this flesh at marriage was present, John. ii. but never at orders giving. Whan he delivered the woman taken in aduoutry, he wrote upon the ground y ^e unknown faults of the holy hypocrites, Johan. viii. The Esseanes which were chaste men without wives, y ^e scriptures doth not allow, but rather cōdēpne them, Apo. xi. For this special cause sprang the most worthy mē, Isaac, Jacob, Samson, Samuel, and Johan Baptist of • arren women, that frutefulnesse in the flesh should be known to be of God.

Ye say, every man ones in his life time, hath liberty to marry. I think ye mean every popish man, and not every christen mā. For the christē man (S Paul saith) is always, and not ones in his life, at liberty. ii. Cor. iii. From this liberty of marriage (ye say) noman forbiddeth mē. We thank ye for nothing. Ye have here forgottē your holy brethren the Tacianes, Eustachyanes, and Marcionistes, which utterly detested marriage. I count ye more perverse in opinion, than your great Doctor Iulyane. For he saith, cha. viii. De bono viduitatis. Nuptiarum bonum, semper est bonum. The cōmodite of marriage, is always good. Et ca. xi. Hec disputo, ne arbitreris vel secundas nuptias crimen esse, vel quascunque nuptias, cum sint nuptie, malum esse. These things do I reason at large, least thu shuldest judge the seconde marryages sin, either yet reck̄ any marryages at all to be evil, being marryages in deed. What speak ye than, of your, ones in this life? I heard never a more papist make utterance. But if he forsaketh his liberty (say yow) meaning your own professed cattle. Than goeth he quite from Christ (say I) and S. Poule confirmeth the same, Gala. v. And bind himself (say yow) by his vow to God, never to marry. If he be ones in the snare of the devil (say I) ye will hold him there still.

God will not agre to it (I say) to be served in bondage and not in freedom, taking us for his free children, and no bond servants. Have our freedom cost him so great a price, as is the dere blood of his blessed son, and now we will throw our selves again in bondage? What a lewd mock is this? What an ydiote fole is he, that will bind himself prentyse, having nothing for it, at his fourth coming, and might for his free service, possess his fathers inheritance? I say, he is well worthy to lose it. What reward lokeste thu to have, for thy vnrequyred service in forsakyng marriage, as thu here namest it, thu Priapus vower. Thu shalt have the reward of Ouan the wicked sodomyte, which spylled his seed on the ground, Gene. xxxviii. evē the maledyccion & great curse of God, with depryuacion of the life everlasting. Suche a won, as thus byndeth himself not to marry, may lawfully (yow say) be forbydden to marry. That is true (say I) if mannis invented tyranny be a lawfulness, or if the great customer of Sodom, or terrible termagaūt of Rome, be allowed for a law maker above God. Els not. For God by his Apostle, permytteth every man without excepcion to marry, that cannot abstain. i. Cor. vii.

Thys inhybition (yow say) is no forbidding of marriage, but a byddyng to keep his vow. Ther ar none of your mischefes without a color to cloke them with. What is it else but a forbyddynge of marriage, whan ye say, thu shalt not take a wife under pain of perpetual enprisonment, or death? Nothyng is found so perniciouse and contrary to your vow, as is marriage. Ye may keep cōcubines, whores boys, or bytches, and yet your vow not broken, neither yet any grievous punyshment appointed yow for it, of your own generation. Yea, and ye shall have a much greatter number of the world to uphold ye in your sodometry (I speak not of Justices and lawyers) than shall they which would gladly walk in the way of righteousness. Ye think it (ye say) a deuylysh doctrine, to forbydde a married man to marry, his wife being alive. God is a good God, which suffereth yow, not only to err for your vnbeleues sake, Roma i. but also to express and utter your own error to rebuke and shame I say, & will prove it, to the utter confusion of your deuylyshe hypocrysy, that it is no deuylyshe doctrine, but a doctrine of God, to forbid him to marry which is married and hath his wife alive. Wher, how, or whā, can ye appoint him to marry, which i • married already, and hath his wife alive?

Ye think to blind us w ^t your bablynges, do ye not? No, no, go do your seat among old dried up pytchers, for where as grace, wit, and learning is, ye can do no great harm with these black thondre boltes. But your teaching is here none other, than ye have for your times put in open practice. The examples are to many in nonebre, to be here at this time rehearced. Ye follow on still with your matter, and call it also a doctrine of devils, to forbid him to marry, which hath consecrate his body and sowle to God, and professed to live chaste w ^t out marriage. We consent with yow in this, & are glad we have yow at y ^t advantage. For here ye condemn all your former arguments, and confess your whole process to be a plain doctrine of devils. There lacketh now nothing but an earnest repentance of your former euyls. I think it best to take good hold of yow, whils we have ye in this good mode, for I fear me, it will not last. Ye will • none turn again to your old frenesye. O Forde, what a miracle is this? that ye now confess it a doctrine of devils to forhyd them to marry, which hath professed your priesthood and monkery? I fear me your head is to idle, to persyst in this true confession.

Obiectio.

S. Augustine saith, libro. xxx. Contr • faustum Manicheum, ca. lx. Iterum si ad vir ginitatē sic hortaremini, quemadmodū hoy tatur apostolica doctrina, Qui dat nuptum, been farit, et qui non dat nuptum, melius facit, vt bonum esse nu • tias diceretis, sed melidrem virginitatem. sicut facit ecclesia, non vos spiritussanctus ita pronunciaret, dicens, prohibentes nubere, Ille enim prohibit, qui hoc malum esse dicit, non qui huic bono aliud melius anteponit, et cet. Marryage is lawful in every person • , but the mockynge of God, breaking of promise, and intidelyte with God, going back from a godly purpose after his vow, is dāpnable in every person, as S. Paulc saith, as I understand him.

Responsio.

I judged afore, that this bnsy chaplain would not longe persevere in the truth. He falleth now again, as a dog, to his vomyte, and as the sow that was washed, into his old filthy puddell. ii. Pet. ii. For here he seeketh to prove, that the tyrannouse enforcementes of Antichrists shaven captaynes, to the odyouse obseruaciyn of his profane vows, is no forbyddynge of christen marriage. But he goeth here to preposterously • o wurke, to thryue by his occupacion. For in these his arsewarde proceedings, he would have us judged Manychees, that do affirm christen marriage to be an order lawful for all sortes of people, which otherwise cannot avoid fornicaciō. But he and his ungodly rabble, shall supplye the room of those Manychers, so longe as they shall attempt by such hypocrytycall colors, perpetually to seclude their sorcerouse shauelinges frō that godly estate, leaving them weltering in the fowl lake of all filthiness. For the Manichees were not they, which affirmed the christen estate of marriage to be lawful, but contrary wise detested it as a thing horrible and hateful, their selves leading lives in all beastly abhompuacyons. And therefore this typpet captain, in bringing fourth here S. Augustynes authority against Faustus the Manyche, is like to be pierced through with his own weapon, and proved a malygnaunt Manyche.

But mark first of all, what plage doth follow of this chaplaynes inconstauncit? In bringing fourth the. xxx. boke of S. Augustine, against this faustus the Manyche, for the maintenance of a mischefe, he allegeth the. lx. chapter, that whole boke not having so many chapters by. liiii. And thus is his allegacion in that. vi. and not. lx. chapter, to be Englyshed. Agayne, if ye should so be exhorted to virginite, as the Apostolyque doctrine useth to exhort, As thus: He that joineth his maid in marriage, doth well, and he that joineth her not, doth better, that ye might say, marriage were a good thing, but virginite the better, like as y ^t church doth. et cet. Mark here the christen procedinges of S. Augustine. The Manichees judged both meats & marriage to be things wicked & unclean. And in detesting thē, under color of abstinence & virginite, they maynteyued moste execrable mischefes, as ded of late years our vngraciouse papists. He willeth thē here by the Apostles doctrine, in such kind to persuade virginite, that they thereby seemed not to condemn marriage, or at the least, to give matrymony a good report, which they had not done afore time. He denieth it thē not, but that virginite or the life single, is the better estate of living, that isto say, more cōmodiouse, easy, and free without charges, cares, and sorrows. But not the more peyfight, for perfecciō is measured by faith and not by maid̄hede.

Thus defyneth the church (saith S. Augustine) que vere Christi est ecclesia, spe cially that church which is unfeignedly Christ's. These five Latin words, this chaplain clearly bannyshed, declaring thereby (as I take it) y ^t he ment nothing less thā Christ's true church. Now followeth y ^• residue off. Augustine's text. If ye had so ment it (saith he) y ^e holy Ghost had not thus detected yow, in calling yow y ^e forbidders of marriage. For he forbiddeth marriage, which calleth it an euyllthing, and not he which to y ^t good thing preferreth y ^e better, etcet. If the Manychees had so preferred maidenhed, that they had not condemned marriage, God's spirit had not shown or declared them as they were in very deed, evē devilish teachers, seducers, deceivers, mockers, hypocrites, heretics, & blasphemous apostataes. Neither had God's open verity condemned them, for preferrynge vyrgynyte as the better or more cōmodyouse gift, or as S. Paul noteth it, more free to all godly funccions, having always the fewar impedymentes. i. Cor. vii. if they had not there with utterly forbidden marriage, namynge it a very naughty or detestable thing, fallynge thereby to many inconuenyencyes, as followeth in the said. vi. chapter.

Denique vos eum precipue concubitū detestamini, qui solus honestus et coniugalis est, et quem matrimoniales quoque 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 auditors 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 act of generaciō, which only is honest and conjugal, & that which the matrymonyall couenauntes also beareth or alloweth for increase. Wherupō ye forbid man, not only the act of generaciō, but also the very lawful office of marriage. Copulacion may as well be for wanton lusts, as else, but marriage is only for propagacion. Therfor excuse not yourselves, to be no condempners of marriage, because ye bear with a great number of your sect, which neither will nor yet can be able in that pointe to obey yow, to hold them still in friendship. For the one (which is contempt of marriage) ye hold in your erroneouse doctrine, and the other (which is a tolleraunce among yourselves) ye are compelled to suffer, least their more number would break from yow.

In this doth S. Augustine declare the manifest hypocrisyes of the Manychees, as we may in these days the most deuylysh dyssymulacions of our papists. Se now what this busy chaplain hath woēne here. Now followeth he with his own conclusion, as moche to the purpose, as to set Paul's steple on the top of Charynge cross. For though S, Augustine speaketh here of virginite, yet maketh he no mencyon of vows. Marryage (saith this chaplain) is lawful in every person. Thys is true (say I) for it is both Christ's doctrine, Math. xix. and also S. Paul's. i. Cor. vii. et. Heb. xiii. Why than doth his wicked geueracion so tyrannously inhybyte any person to set hold vpō it, as upon a refuge against filthy fornycacyon? For the mockynge of God (he saith) in breaking of promise, is damnable. All this do I grant him, the promise being made according to y ^t rule of God's word. But if it be fashyoned after the vain deuyses of man's idle heart, either yet of Antichrists Romish decrees, which is a wicked adversary and mocker of God (I say) they are to be broken, set at naught, and utterly abhorred, as present poisons, blasphemous mocks, and daungerouse fruits of dampnacyon.

For the Lord saith, Deut. xii. Ye shall not do, y ^t seemeth good in your own sight. But se ye do those things only which I command yow, nothing adding or dimynyshyng. Neither is it a point of infidelyte against God, in them which hath braynyshly, ungodly, and dampnably vowed, nor yet a going back from a godly purpose, the vow being presumted, dyssembled, and feigned. For it is in the whole, top and tail, length and breadth, begyunynge and endynge, but hypocrysye, craste, and falsehede, have it never so glorious a shine of religion and holiness.

Thys rash vow hath doubled the wickedness of Sodom, such a precious thing is it. For where as afore it was a known wickedness, the world doth now, for this vows sake accept it for an holy religion. O ydoll most perniciouse, and abhomynacion unspeakable. Thys chaplain or proctor of hell concludeth, that the breaking of this unadvised, yea, rather most unhappy vow is damnable in every person, without excepcion. Here were a gorgyouse lie, if he had his full canonyzaciou. And se (I pray yow) how well fauerdly it is fathered vpō S. Paul. But it is as he understandeth him, without any text. Were not S. Paul well set forwa • de (think yow) if he had many such vnderstanders?

Concernynge vnaduysed vows, they ought of necessyte to be broken. For not only are they lies in hypocrysye, but also false promises, blasphemies, mocks, dyssemblinges with God, takynges of his holy name in vain, and such idle wurdes as the general judge shall call men to a reckenynge for, at the latter day. Therfor I counsel all men and women, which hath abused gods holy name in such idle professyons, to break them, forsake them, repent them, detest them, abhor them, utterly defye them, and to spytte at them, as at the most filthy dyrte of the beuyll. Whan David had made an earnest vow to slee Nabal and all his mē servants, and was by the wisdom of Abigail, compelled to break that promise, he never repented the breaking thereof, but lawded God and praised the woman, calling the breach of so vnaduysed a vow, an high preservation of God from doing of most daungerouse evil. i. Reg. xxv. The. xl. Jews, which bound themselves by vow, neither to eat nor drink till they had slain Paul, needed none other penance for the breaking thereof, than the torment of their hungry panches, Acto. xxiii. if they had not take food till their vow had been fulfilled. For God delivered him, & suffered them to dwell still in their unadvised vows, vnfulfylled.

Obiectio.

Romys • priests we know none. For priests be by Christ's ordinance, stewards of his mysteries and sacraments, and preathers of his word. That the vows of such, have their ende most fylchy sodometry, is, me think, sum what to far spoken. For I will not so uncharitably judge, that every mā and womā, which profess chastity or widowhed, do it for that ende, to live in such filthy abhomynacion. That the vows of monks and priests were never commannded of Christ, I do assente. If ye take vows, not for those which be common to every Christian man, which, as you said, be God's commaūdementes, but for those which be private and singular after every man's deuocion. For to make such vows, is not commanded. But to break thē whan they be made, is prohibyted by God's word and commandment. Yet they be commended by Christ, and men ethorted unto thē by Christ, Mat. xix. That these vows ded take their ground of the Apostles doctrine, me think, I am able to prove. Ded not widows vow chastyter l. Timo. v. Ded not Ananias and Sapphira. Acto. l. vow and promise to bring in the price of all their possessyōs? what vengeance came to thē for breakīg their vow, ye know.

Responsio.

It is wonder to me, that ye know no Romish priests, and are so great a captain, counselor, and good ghostly father among them. Me think, ye should not be so neglygent as ye make yourself, neither yet forgetful of a name so essencial to your sinered and shorn generation. But do ye not know Romish priests in deed? Knew ye never them which were priests by oylynges and shanynges, by side gowns & by typpetes, by massinges and mōblinges, by cream boxes & confessyōs, by stools, fāuonis, and superaltarees, by beckinges, vowynges, breathinges, knockinges, knelynges, crossynges, calkynges, candell droppynges, stauerynges, slomberynges, gapynges, gaddynges, ydols sensynges, & watter cōiurynges, with many other fine toys, which all came from Rome? Were ye never acquainted with byars and sellers in the temple, ydolmongers, bedemōgers, portasmōgers, & masmongers, with crowns pyepycked and dysguysed like daunsyng Apes, i • bberyng, whysperyng, and mutteryng in corners, false fyenge the holy scriptures, and lying in wait to betray pore christianes? Knowe ye none yet, which goeth to old wynes, and bid them believe as they have done, and as their fathers ded afore them, calling the verity sediciouse learning?

Are ye sure there are non in these days, that of set purpose rebelleth against the Gospel, contempneth thereof the maynteners, pursueth the dylygent readers, spurneth aside the kings ordinances, dysdaiueth his godly proceedings, calling David's psalms good christmas carolles, and Christ's holy communion, Robine Whodes banket, like stought sturdy saucy syr Iohans? Dwell ye so nygh Deuenshyre & Cornewayle, and are not acquainted with those raging ruffyanes of Antichrists broad, which of late days sturred up the lew de people against their liege king, for their old Latin service which they never yet understood, for images, masses, ceremonies, priesthood, coufessions, funtehalowynges, holy water cōiurynges, and other dyrty dregs of the Romish monster? If ye know not those chaplaynes, your companyons, which of late years not far from Maluerne hylles brought wenches to their beds to help their vow of chastity, by a charm called: Hec dona † Hecmunera † Hec sancta sacrificia † Belzebub et Berit † and so fourth, ye have sūwhat less cōning thā I have, for I both know y ^t story & have their inchauntmēt to show. They little need marriage, y ^• have so religious & holy spiritual provisions

If ye know no Romish priests, I dare boldly say it, that ye know no priests at all. Forther is none other order of priesthood, than is the Romish popets order. The church that Christ sanctyfyed to the service of his eternal father, had never any massinga priesthood. He only sent fourth Apostles and dyscyples, faithfully to instruct the multitude in our christen believe▪ The Apostles by authority of his commission, ordained in every city receyuyng his word, preaching bishops, elders, pastors, deacons, and other godly ministers to uphold and increase the christen religion, which he had perfightly planted without masses. No priesthood was left here to be occupied in the christianyte, but clearly was it taken away to the right hand of the father, the great sacrifice once performed, as I have declared afore. This chaplain saith, that priests by Christ's ordinance are stewards. We read not in all the. iiii. Gospels, that Christ ever had any other steward of household than Judas, and he was a thief. If ye take him into the order of your priesthood, moche good do it yow with him. In some great mennis houses (I have herd say) full ill rule hath been, where as priests have been stewards.

But the meaning of this chaplain is, that priests were stewards of Christ's mysteries and sacraments by his appointment, and preachers of his word, which is a manifest lie. For he neither made pressed, nor yet appointed his Apostles to make them. Neither toke he priests of any other making, for they were most vnfyt for that godly office. None could than be admytted to Christ's religion, that had in those days been a pressed, unless he first of all renounced his priesthood utterly. Hys preachers were men without ordres, unless they were of the order of faith and of the holy Ghostes inspyraciō, whereby they become ministers admittted of the Apostles. Thys chaplain accounteth it to far spoken, that the ende of priests vow • s should be filthy sodometry. But surely the naughtye examples of them, extendeth moche further. It is a sore plage (S. Paul saith) left them of God, for their ungodly presumpcion, Roma. i. So charytable is this chaplain, that he reckoneth no spiritual sodomytes to be evil livers, whā he judgeth the Gospellers (as he doth call them) fowl heretics and men worthy of death.

He will not (he saith) so vncharytably judge (y ^t mē bauds of Rome have y ^t like in their mouths) that every man and woman which professeth chastity or widowhed, doth it to that ende, to live in such filthy abomination. If they ded (say I) hell were to good both for them, and for him that so earnestly defendeth their execrable myschefes. That judgment is not allowable, which dependeth on the naked cause, the effect not following. And therefore Christ taught us, not to judge the fruit by the tree, but the tree by his fruit. Of their fruits (saith he) are the false prophets and hypocrites known, Mat. vii▪ What godly wise man can think, that vyrginite is the better, because it is vowed, or chastity the holiar because it is professed? Is it better in sinful mannys bands, than in the free hand of God which is y ^t gyuer? The shameful success thereof, should seme to declare it otherwise. But answer me to this, ye patron of bawdry and filthiness unspeakable. Were the prodygiouse occupienges of Sodom & Gomor in use among the christianes, afore the profession of that counterfeit vow of yours? If ye say, yea, I can prove ye a depe liar.

Either yet, were there ever so many prodygyouse kinds of that filthy occupyenge, in practice, as there hath been sense the professynge of that most wicked vow? If ye say, there were, I am able to confound ye be a thousand examples, authorytees, and authors to the contrary. Your obstinacye in this mischief, hath caused me moche more to travail in stories and chronycles of times, thā I would else have done. If I cōdēpned your whole generaciō for that wickedness of Sodom, I should do none other thā the holy Ghost hath done, which never yet could err. He hath proclaimed it to the world by his elect Apostle S. Johan, that your whole spirytua • te is a wicked Sodom. Apoca .xi. He hath also lovingly admonyshed his servants, by his chosen vessel S. Paul, that your vow is a foolish presumpcyon of your own blind hearts, deseruynge most dāpnable plage, for your vnbeleues sake, Rom .i. Ye are not able to overthrow these .ii. bulwerkes with all Antichrists artyllery though ye be of nature most obstynate rebels against the truth of God. I say therefore unto yow, that there is nothing so wicked upon the earth, as are your relygyouse and prestyshe vows, if the tree may be judged by his fruit.

Thys chaplain assenteth, that the vows of monks and priests, were never commanded of Christ. What hath the christen man or woman to do with them than, say I? Are there other law makers for the sowle besides him? Or are there other commandments to be observed in conscience than his? Thys instrumente of the devil, holdeth his peace at this point, and dare not utter what he thinketh. Notwythstandynge to color the matter, he bringeth in his old dystincciō of vows common and private, if I so take them. No syr, I am not in these days so Jewish, as to think that those vows are to every christē man now common, whose performance God so earnestly in the old law required. Bullock, Calf, Shepe, & Gote offerings, be now all past. My opynyon is therein, as S. Paul's was, that no christen man ought to do them. For the light being present, the shadow must give place, as is said afore. And as for private promises, or singular vows after every man's deuocion, this chaplain affyrmeth, that no mā is commanded to make them. Than is he a lewd fole (say I) that wylleyther make them or do thē. For they are but vain worshippings (Christ saith) whan they are at the best. Math. xv.

No man shall receive any reward for them at the latter day, unless it be the reward of damnation, for leaving God's commandments to do such ydelnesse. God hath declared by the mouthe of his prophet, that he estemeth them no more, than he estemeth y ^• vile dyrte of mē. Mala. ii. For when they are not of his commandment, they are none other than man's idle and wicked inuenciōs. But to break these (saith this chaplain) whan they are ones made after every man's deuocion, is prohybyted by God's word and commandment. But he showeth not where that word is placed, nor yet where that commandment is to be found out. He is a prothonotary of Rome. Hys word standeth for an authority, if it may be so takē. No, no, maistre papist, that world is past. If ye think to be dyscharged by, vouete et reddite, ye ar foully deceived. For David bid ye not there, to vow your own inuēcions, neither yet to offer up your own dyrte. For such high deuocions not ordained by him, are but your own styncking dyrte. If ye appear afore God with such an uncomely present, what may he say to his Angels? Awaye with that filthy knave, that spyghtful mocker, that tordemonger, which dysdaynynge my precious precepts, presēteth me with his vile dirty donge.

God abhorreth his own lawful ordynaunces, whan they pass after men's devises, Isaiah. i. Hiere. vii. Amos. v. Mich. vi. Zacha. vii. moche more than the self idle devises. Are not they (think yow) pleasant gentylmen, which stand afore god, all trapped, dysguysed, and decked in their own stinking dyrte, as are monks in their cowles, fryres in their coats, and shaven priests in their dysguysynges? I think he hath a more just cause to call thē mockers, than their predecessors in the old law, Psal. xxi. Bycause ye have no scriptures to prove that Christ commonded your popish vows, it shall stand still for a lie to your shame, & for a fowl blasphemy to your damnation, if ye recant it not. Though ye be a natural mocker by kind, yet we pray yow, not to make Christ your mockynge stock, for your own ease hereafter. Saye not that he exhorted men to your sodometrouse vows, Math. xix. for if ye do, ye blasphemously bely him. Qui potest capere, capiat, is not to profess your vngraciouse vow, nor yet to become an idle masmōger, but that they lay hands on the free gift of God, which may obtain it, and no longer to presume thereupon, thā he doth give it for the kingdom of heavens sake, which is the Gospel preaching, whom yow detest and abhor.

No man is there exhorted to gelde himself for that only kingdoms sake. Only is it declared of Christ, that such there be, by the special gift of God. I have told yow this afore. Ye think yourself able (ye say) to prove y ^t your wyuelesse vows have takē their ground of y ^t Apostles doctrine. But ye are like to come vengeably short. Ded not widows vow chastity? say yow. i. Timo. v. If they ded, as y ^t matter is doubtful, what is this to the purpose for priests? Wydowes and priests were sometime divers, both in kind and office. Are they now become all one? This is truly a full mōstrouse order. Me think widows should have nothing to do in this matter, consyderyngo they want the ware that ye wote of, which are most chefly required in that holy order of priesthood. Spadones, eunuchi, et castrati, non sunt in sacerdotes ordinandi, the Canō law saith, Neither geldynges, eunukes, nor yet dysmēbred mē, may be received to priesthood. Moch less the widows which never yet had those members. The great priapus of rome, is always proved by his culliōs, an able cock & no hen, ere he be admitted to y ^t seat of Antichrist. what should y ^t religious widows thā medle in such high matters. It is enough for thē to believe as holy church doth teache thē, & to be obedient in their vocaciō, whan y ^t holy fathers hath need of their help, & uot to come afore they are called The widows were not admytted off. Paul, till they were of. lx. years of age, and past all hope of child bearing. If ye will have priests after their rule, admit none to vow chastity in y ^• priesthood, till he be so old, y ^t he is past gettynge of children. And than ye shall have as chaste priests, as S. Paul left widows. Els will not this rule serve yow. Ye ask if Ananias and Sapphira ded not vow? but your allegacion is to far out of square, for ye noneber. l. for. v. as one much seen in multiplicaciōs. Of a lykelyhode ye feared to come to short, that ye rāne so fast afore. Ye must come back again. xlv. degrees, if ye will touche your matter a right. For the story of Ananias and Sapphira, is in the. v. chapter of the Apostles acts, which boke lacketh. xxii. chapters of your set number. Ye ask if they ded not vow? No truly, unless ye call dyssymulacion a vow. For the text saith, that they dyssembled, lied, and tempted the spirit of God, which is no honest kind of vow making. Lo, here have yt as far ouershote your wyttes in judgment, as in number of your chapter afore.

Ye say, they promised to bring in the price of all their possession. The text speaketh of no promise, but it saith, that they sold a possessyon, and kept away parte of the price, Than this pertaineth nothing to a vow. What vengeance came upon them, I know in deed, for the story is plain in that matter. But it was not for the breaking of a vow, but for their colorable deceit in a feigned christianite, as is your coūterfet chastity in a false and deceyuable priesthood. If it had been a vow, yet was it no vow for that priesthood, for neither he was a priest, neither yet his wife a prestesse. Neither was it a vow against marriage, for he had a wife, and she a husband. But in deed it was like your vows,, in as moche as it was a dissymulacion. Ye thought this example, whā ye brought it in, very fit for your purpose, and I think it also very fit for your matter. For what other is your vow, than an hypocrisy? What other is your priesthood, than a false religion? Yea, what other are they both, than a lienge to the holy Ghost? By this story could I wonderfully descrybe your dyssemblinge profession, were it not for making my boke here to longe.

Obiectio.

Of this matter speaketh Basilius Magnus de vita solitaria. What is mentiri spiritui sancto? but to promise and vow a thing to God, and not to keep his vow. Nonne manēs, tibi manebat, et venundatū in tua potestate erat? If he had not put himself out of the propriete of his goods, which he ded by his promise consecrate to God, his fact had been no sin, for every man doth not sin, that selleth not his lands, and bringeth not the price to the Apostles, except he had promised so before. That these vows were grounded of the Apostles doctrine, and of the practice of them in the Apostles time, Eusebius declareth in Ecclesiastica historia, li. ii. ca xvi. et. xvii. Now your reason that for loweth, is very slendre and simple, which is this. • owes take no ground of the Apostles doct • yne, because they had wives thenselves. As though a married man, might not erhorte another to chastity or virginite. A man that hath well dyned himself, may yet teach and set fourth y ^• virtue and goodness of fasting. Ye said without exception, that the Apostles had wives. Of all the rest, except Peter, if it be a verity, it is an vnwrytteu verity. And yet S. Ambrose excepteth Johan and Paul. ii. Cor. xi. which were never married.

Responsio.

Basilius Magnus hath moche wrong here, to be brought in for a witness against priests marriage. For why his father Basilius y ^• elder, was a pressed, Gregorius Naziāzenus saith, in his funeral sermō called Monodia, Whereas he reporteth his sober nes to be such, y ^• marriage in him was neither an impediment to virtue, nor yet to the study of godly wisdō, though he had bi his wife Eumelia, a daughter &. iiii. sonnes. In statu (inquit) cōiugali vitā ac ritū seruauit sacerdotalē. Ex quo tria hec, castitas, matrimoniū et sacerdotiū, que diuersa solēt vi te genera cōstituere, nequaquā in eo pugnātia fuere, aut virtuti vllo modo offecerūt In the matrimonyall state (saith he) this mā observed thoroughly, both y ^• life & office of a pressed, whereby these. iii. things, chastity, matrimony, & priesthood, which are wont to cōstitute diverse kinds of life, were never in him repugnaūt, y ^t one to y ^• other, nether yet any hindraunce to perfecciō. This one confusion hath our chaplain by Basilius. An other. Though y ^• said Basilius wer a collect our of monks or solitary men, and made thē rules according, yet maketh he no great mention of vows in thē, neither yet hath he taught any sound doctrine of vo wes private, in all his writing, though he somewhat doubtfully dallied about them.

In his epistle, ad Gregoriū Naziāzenū de vita solitaria, no manner of mencion maketh he of Auanias & Sapphira, which is another blot to this chaplain. But in y ^• last chapter of his boke, called, Institutio illorum, qui vitā cupiūt ducere perfectā, this sētense we find. He y ^• hath kept himself uncorrupted (saith he) all his life, haih surely obtained the perfight gift of virginite. And this he applieth as well to marriage as mōkery, as followeth anon after. Thā goeth he on. And y ^• we may hold it (saith he) lete vscōtinually take hede, & with all endeuer possyble, labor to come again to the symylytude of God. Lete us also be ware, least we admit anything vnwurthy that promise and sure hope of ours. Ne in Ananie crimen incidamus, least we fall into the crime of Ananias, which was frawde and deceyte. Thys pertaineth as well to the married as unmarried. For it followeth there. Hoc inire ac optare licet, sine in matrimonio, seu celibem agent. Thys ought to be understand and looked for, as well in marriage as in them that live sole. What may be spoken more plainly?

Here meant this chaplain some craft (I believe) in brynginge fourth an author without his authority, and in sending us to a place, where no such matter is. But sure he toke one doctoure for another, as Basyle for Gregory. For in deed, Gregory hath this clause, and it is alleged in the bishop of Rome's decrees. xxvii. q. i. cap. Ananias. Ananias deo pecunias vouerat, quas postea victus persuasione diaboli, subtraxit. Sed qua morte mulctatus est, scis. Siergo ill mortis pericuso dignus 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, which afterward he again withdrew by the devils persuasion. But howe he died, thu knowest. If he than were worthy death, that withdrew the money ones given, Considre thy parell in the latter judgment, which hast given, not money, but thyselfe to the God almyghty, wythdrawynge the again from him, to whom thu wert professed under a monks cowle.

No gentill Gregori, no, Ananias never vowed that he toke away. Who taught yow to call a lie, a vow? Ye would by this means, have monkery a perfeccion in the christianite. But y ^t shall be, whā a lie is all one with a vow. It is a money matter ye go about. Ananias is most fytt, to be set in such a foundation. Take yow no thought for reckenynge of your monkery at the latter day. For it shall be plucked up by the roots afore, as that wythered plant which the eternal father never planted. Math. xv. Thys was the text that this chaplain meant, but he feared the black blot of treason for maynteynynge monkery, which his prince had condemned afore. Well, in dyssemblynge both the author 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 (saith he) to vow and to promise a thing to god, and not to keep his vow. As though the scriptures pertained only to monks and priests, and to no sortes of people else.

But I will tell yow, maistre person. Mētiri spiritui sācto, is to face down the holy Ghoste with a lie, to seek to deceive God by a falsehede, colourly and slyely to dyssemble, to deface a truth with hypocrisye, or to speak one thing & think another, as (the text saith) he ded, which kept away parte of the live lode, and as yow do which profess a mōkery or false presthede, which the scripture knoweth not but to cōdempnacion. Satan hath filled the idle hearts of all thē y ^t either vow or profess such beggeryes, as he ded the false hearts of Ananias and Sapphira. Now stampeth he like a Lyon, and steppeth fourth boldly like a gyaunt. Nōne manēs tibi manebat, et venundatum in tua potestate erat? Remayned it not wholly thine own, and being sold, was it not under thy power? Well said maystre person, with whom do ye reason? with dead Ananias for lande sellynge? What is this to the purpose of priests vows? If he had not (ye say) put himself out of propriete of his goods. Yt smell here of a monk, maystre person, which he ded by his promise consecrate to God. Where have he learned, that a man's wicked promise, coupled with dyssymulacion, falsehede, and hypocrysye, could ever yet consecrate?

I se well, ye can find out, more ways cōsecracion thā one. A prodigiouse cōsecracion do that heart send fourth, where Sathā hath take possessiō afore. I think y ^t devil himself, had never yet a doctrine of more blasphemy. If he had not done this (ye sai) his fact had been no sin. O maistre person, Beatus qui intellegit, say I. Ye appear by this doctrine, a moche better cellerer than scripturer. A more expert rent gatherer, than Gospel preacher. Every man (ye say) doth not sin, that selleth his lande. No syr, giving the money to yow, to be prayed for, though he, like an vnthrifte, thereby dysheryteth his whole posteryte. There is no sin found, where yow are fatted. And that is the cause, that ye solēpnised and sēsed so many dead confessors, both Kynges, Bishops, and Abbottes, which had founded mynsters and monasteries. If the Apostles were here, they were like to have no parte of that price. For Ananias heirs are yet alive, and it was not promised them afore. Here is moche a do, and little help to the furtherance of this matter, concerning priests vows. The text saith, that his only dyssymulaciō, w ^t out all these other vain bablynges, made his fact wicked and blasphemous.

I wish, that all men toke hede of this false Apostle and messanger of Antichrist, marking here his deceitful conueiaūces. He allegeth the. xvi. and. xvii. chapters of the seconde boke of Eusebius Cesariensis, in his ecclesiastical history, to prove y ^• priests vows were grounded vpō y ^• Apostles doctrine, & upon y ^• practice of thē which taught in y ^t Apostles time. I assure yow, he is in this point as he is in all others, a ve ry false harlot & a liar. For in those. ii. cha. is no such matter to be seen, neither yet is there any express doctrine of vows in all the whole wurke containing. ix. books. The. xvi. chapter is very short, shewynge of the first coming of S. Mark the Enange list into the land of Egypt, and how he declared Christ's doctrine there. If he fatcheth the ground of his vows from the sober life, modesty, continence, temperaunce, and other virtues there mencioned, he doth exceeding wrong to the christen faith of that Godly multitude, which was called to God by the said S. Markes preaching. For they were no professed priests and nūnes, but christien men and their wives. Neither were those virtues bred of vows, but of faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For there are they called Credentes, and not voue • tes, believers and not vowers.

Philo the Jew, which there describeth the lives of abstayners, dwelling in solytary places, meaneth neither chauntery nor college of priests, neither yet any convent of ydel cloisters, but companyes of them which followed Christ's doctrine. Notwythstandynge Eusebius concludeth there. Quod hi qui sub Apostolis ex Israelites credebant, Iudaicis adhuc institutionibus et legis obseruationibus inherebāt. Those of the Israelytes (saith he) which were by the Apostles converted, were as yet much given to Iewysh traditions and obseruacions of Moses law. Therfor some scrupulouse persons among thē, might parauenture hold those abrogated vows, though it be not there expressed. But with them hath Christ's true prufessour, nothing at all to do. In the. xvii. cha. of the said Eusebius, doth Philo call the faithful believers, Cultores et Cultrices, y ^• is to say, tyllers or worshyppers, because they tylled with God's holy word, y ^• rude and barē hearts of the people, persevering in his true worshippings with a most pure conscience. Anon after were they called Christyanes, but not vow makers. Every where appointed they houses of prayer (not of vows making) called conuentycles, or places of assembly for sober honestmen, and not for priests and nūnes.

Upon a comely clennesse (saith he) and an honest chaste behauer they planted other virtues, but not upon any vow of single life. Women they had among them, of whom some were very ancient maid̄s, integritatem casti corporis non necessitate aliqua, sed deuotione servants, observing a bodily chastity, not of any necessyte but of a deuocion, not by constraynt but of free conscience, for the only study of godly wisdom.

Thus hath vows here no manner of ground of the Apostles doctrine, neither yet toke the captyuyte and tyrauny of them, any hold upon the practyses of the preachers of their time. My reason is reckoned, of this chatteryng chaplain, very slēdre and weak, that vows should seme to take no ground of the Apostles doctrine, because their selves had married wives. Saynte Paul thought that reason not evil, whan he argued with the crooked Corinthianes about like matter. An non habemus potestatem, sororem mulierem circumducendi, quemadmodum et ceteri Apostoli, et fratres domini, et Cephas? Aut solus ego, et Barnabas non habemus potestatē hoc faciēdi? Have not we power to lead about a syster to wife, as well as the other Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and as Cephas? Either have I onli and Barnabas not power this to do. i. Corin. ix.

By that which followeth, he thinketh to confute both Saynte Paul and me. That were (saith he) as though a married man, might not exhort another to chastity or virginite. A fool (they say) is nothing worth without his bable. Truth it is, that chastity is a virtue to filthiness repugnaunt, whose office it is, chefely to dwell in marriage. For without chastyse, which is a refraynynge from whoredom, marriage is no marriage. And therefore one married man, may conuenyently and brotherlye exhort another to chastity. But if he ded so persuade him to vow the single life, than were he an utter enemy unto Saynte Paul's doctrine, which willeth the men to render to his wife, due benyuolence, and in like case the wife to her husband. But where hath this chaplain learned, that one married man, may exhort another to vyrgynyte? they having no power over their own bodies, but their wives. i. Corin. vii.

In this point here hath he shown himself, a very wise calfam. An other of his clerkly reasons, to confute both me and S. Paul. A man (saith he) that hath well dyned himself, may yet teache and set fourth the virtue and goodness of fasting. Is not here (think yow) a lompe of good wholesome learning?

A great bellyed monk with a scarlet face, whose panche is well pampered and stuffed up to the throat with all manner of delycates, and a platter faced priest, with a pair of chekes as bygge as a boies buttockes, well vytayled also, may conuenyently stand fourth and preach of good abstinence. A wanton gyglot may cal mē to sorrowful repentance, whils she is yet in her gawdes, and the maystre of the stews may persuade mē to chastity. Wher are than the examples, which ought to prevent the doctrine of a Christian preacher? Now forsooth ye are a good robine Swine. We had already out of your generation of vowers, to great a number of this sort of teachers, that would say moche and never do the like. Ye report me to say it without excepcion, that the Apostles had wives. Here is a sore matter now against me. Marry syr, I say it again, to cōfirm mine own wurdes, and all without excepcion. And I trow, S. Paul without excepcion will do the same. For he saith, that Cephas, otherwise called Peter, had a syster to wife, which was among the Apostles, chief in estimation.

He reporteth also, that the brethrē of the Lord, had systers to wives. i. Cor. ix. I know not one of them, that was not a bro there to the Lord, by his own admyssion. If this chaplayue do, lete him bring thē fourth, and he shall be soonar heard than believed. Whan Christ sent the women to declare his resurrection and ascencion to his Apostles, he called them all brethren, and not one was thā exempted out of that commyssyon, Math. xxviii. et Johan. xx. It is a written verity, that I tell this chaplain, what though he of obstinacye, malice, and willful blindness, do confess it a verity unwritten. Yet have we woēne somewhat of him, in that he confesseth it a verite. What though your Ambrose excep teth Johan and Paul, yet shall not your Ambroses authority be able to confound. S. Paul's truth in that matter, which saith, that the brethren of the Lord had fysters to wynes. We hold your Ambrose accursed, if he teache any other doctrine, thā S. Paul hath taught us. Gal. i. Ye do your Ambrose wrong, in reporting him the author of the. ii. epistle and. xi. chapter to the Corinthianes. I wish ye were somewhat wiser, for your own honesty, if it might be.

To prove that S. Paul had a wife, I pray yow give me leave, to allege out of y ^• same author, y ^t ye toke sor your vows whan ye sped not. For I can speed therein deed, for Paul's marriage, and that strog lie. Eusebins Cesariensis, in the third boke and. xxx. chapter of his Ecclesiastical story, inueyghenge against them that wyckedly impugn marriage (as our papists do now) brought fourth a strong wysnesse from an ancient writer, called Clemens Alexandrius, which lived afore Ambrose about. ii. hundred years. 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 Euangelij expeditior fiat. Wyll those blasphemous hypocrites (saith Clement) condemn the Apostles also. It is out of question, that Peter and Philippe had wives, and that they bestowed well their daughters to mē in marriage. Neither dysdayned Paul in a certain epistle or gentle salutacion, to make mention of his yoke fellow or wife, whom he at that time minded not to lead about with him, because he might always be in a more spedy readynes, concerning y ^t office of preaching.

Of S. Johan the Evangelist, your old query service reporteth, that he was married in Cana a city of Galyle, Christ being there present. And Guilhelmus Postillator saith, upon this Gospel, Nuptie fact sunt in Cana. Johan. ii. that his wives name was Anachita. If this be a lie, than have ye in your solempnytees saluted god with lies. For with this have I heard yow at matins, upon S. Johannes day within Christmas (as ye call it) bid̄ him good morrow, the candles being light and white rochettes on your backs. But that Christ should pluck him away again from his wife, for example of virginite, it is a most manifest lie, though it be so uttered of Isydorus, in his boke de ortu et obitum sanctorum patrum, and of certain of your other old doctors, and also in our time of Baptista Mantuanus in libro. xii. Fastorum. And this can I prove, by S. Johan the Evangelist, though it now be nothing to his derogacion. That he many times lost the virgynyte of his sowle, which only is accepted afore god. As thus.

He ambyciously sought, by the instaunt suit of his mother, equally to reign with Christ, Mat. xx. He complained of him that ded cures in Christ's name, Marci. ix. He would in his fury, have consumed the Samaritans with fire, Luke. ix. He arrogātly contended with others, for the superiorite, Luke. xxii. Persuaded by Judas, he murmured against the costs of Mary's ointment. Math. xxvi. Whan Christ was ones takē, he fled away from him, Mark. xiiii. And among other he doubted of his resurrection▪ Marci. xvi. In these and other like fa • tes, was faythes integrite broken, which is the true maydenhede of y ^e soul. The other maydenhede, without this, is nothing, as well appeareth by the. v. folysue vyrgynes, Math. xxv. All this have I uttered, because ye make of S. Iohans vyrgynite, an ydoll of defense, and a crafty coloured cloke, for your bawdy Sodometrouse vows.

Obiectio.

But put case, they had all wives, yet they were not married after they were ca • led to priesthood, but before. Timothy, Titus. Clemens, and such other, as Ignatius sa ieh, ep i • tola ad Philadelphienses, never had wives, because they were made priests in virginitate. S. Jerome cō • ra Iou • anū teacheth plainly, how that in the necessity of the prymatyue church, married men being sober and learned, were exalted to priesthood. But he saith, priests being called in virginite, never descended down to marriage, nor no man after the seconde marriage, was ever called to priesthood. As for the authority of S. Paul. • . Cor. ix. it pertaineth in my judgment to another purpose. For although the English Bible, be translated according to your understanding of this place, Yet it is not in Latin, Ducere sororem v • orem, as yow say, but circumducere sororē mullerem, which is, to suffe • rythe women to go about with thē in their progress of preaching, to bear their charges, as Peter and the other Apostles ded For it is euydent by the place it self, which speaketh of taking hy • living for his preaching, where never one word is of a wife in that place, as the doctors also say.

Responsio.

In that taking is this chaplain here, that a merry fellow was in, on a time, whō I knew. In remouynge from Boston to Eye in Sothfolke, he hired. iii. cartes for conueyenge of his stuff thydre. But whā it come to the point, it was no more than he might well bear away in a pyllowebere. Therfor he thanked them, and said, he would take the pains to carry • t himself. He chanced in the iournay to be lodged at an ale house, where the drink pleased him so well, y ^• there he left behind him y ^• whole carryage, except the pyllowe • ere which he put in his bosom, and went away moche lyghter than afore. So doth this braggyng chaplaiue here, which hath at the latter, atter longe turmoile and allegynge of doctors, brought his matter to a case. For now is he driven to his uttermost shyfte (as the i • star was to his pyllowbere) to play Jack sophystre altogether. He putteth me here a case, that all the Apostles had wives, as he seyth nothing against them, but they might well all have had wives. Yet were they not married (saith he) after they were called to priesthood, but afore. Here is a sore reason, if ye mark it, and as myghtely proved.

But where dwelleth that priesthood, which they were called to? and whan were they called unto it? Thys will be learned lie answered, ad calendas Grecas, whan mattockes are men. For they have no such priesthood to show, by the scriptures of the new testament. The Apostles were no priests, but preachers, no masmōgers, but ministers of the Lord's communiō. They made no new sacrifices, but put the people in a perfect remembrance of one perfight sacrifice ones made for all. They stood not at altars, with their backs to the multitude, but out of the pulpet they turned their faces unto them, and syncerly taught them the doctrine of the Lord. The record which he taketh of Ignatius epistle to y ^• Philadelphianes, is a most shameful lie, as he doth handle it. As that Timothy, Titus, Clemens, and such other (Euodius is left out) had never wives, because they were made priests in virginite. Ignatius speaketh not one word there of a priesthood, but after the rehearsal of their names, this is his conclusion, qui in castitate de vita exierunt, which departed this life in chastity. Wher is than y ^e cause why they had no wives? O beastly babbler and prodigiouse liar.

The clause which followeth next, consoundeth his whole practice in this matter, and taketh clearly away the abatemēt of his case. Non detraho autem ceteris beatis, qui nuptiis copulati fuerunt, quorum nunc memini. I hyndre not herein (saith he) the other blessed mē which were married and had wives, of whom I now • ade mention. These were the Apostles, elders, & deacōs, alitle afore specified. Opto enim Deo dignus, ad vestigia eorum in regno ipsius inueniri, sicut Abraham, Isaac, et Jacob, sicut Joseph et Isaiah, et ceteri prophet, sicut Petrus et Paulus, et reliqui Apostoli, qui nuptiis fuerūt sociati. Qui non libidinis causa, sed posteritatis subrogande gratia, coninges habuerunt. My despre is (saith good Ignatius) that I also as the feruaunt of God, may be found in his kingdom, worthily to follow their fotesteppes, as ded Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as ded Iosephe, Isaiah, and the other prophets, & as ded also Peter, Paul, and the residue of y ^• Apostles, which were under yoke of marriage. Whych all had wives, not for fleshly pleasure, but for the continuance of succession. Loo, here doth this holy martyr Ignatius, being y ^t bysshop of Antioch, number himself among them that had wives, as a married man, and reporteth the blessed prophets and Apostles to be married men.

This might not be touched of this proctor of Sodom, and chaplain of the devil. For though it were a true christē doctrine, and grounded upon both the testamētes of God, yet was it not for his gostly purpose. Though holy Jerusalem ded always allow it for her godly citiezens, yet could bawdy Babylon, that cage of unclēnesse, & synke of all synnefulnesse, for her wicked shorlynges & sorcerouse souldyours, never abide it. The crafts are not small, nor the conueia • nces few, that this enemy on every side seeketh out, to drive his generation from it, and to make them abhor it for the filthy feats of Gomorrah. Now resteth he all upon this, whan nothing else will serve his crafty inggelinnes. That though the Apostles had wives, and though the bishops and ministers after them had wives also, yet married they not (saith he) after they had received priesthood. Thys is a building without a ground, and a very quarellynge of the temptyng serpent. Wherunto I answer, that this is no good argument. They ded not marry, ergo they might not marri. For why, marriage was than fret for all kinds of men, by S. Paul's doctrine.

Pro vitanda (inquit) scortatione, suam quisque vxorem habeat. Et qui se non continent, nubant. Melius est autem nubere, quam vri. For auoydynge fornicaciō (saith he) lete every man have his wife. And they that cannot refrain, lete thē marry. For better it is to marry, than to burn. i. Corin. vii. Thys freedom is general, no kind of men secluded. Oportet episcopū irreprehensibilem esse, vnius vxoris maritum. A bishop must be vnrebukable, the husband of one wife. i. Timo. iii. Honorabile est inter onnes con •• giū, ac torus immaculatus. Wedlocke is honorable among all sortes of men, and the chambre undefiled, Hebre. xiii. The word of God hath sequestered noman from this liberty, neither yet man's ordinance, till the year of our Lord a. M. lxxiiii. Wherein Gregory the. vii. otherwise called pope hyldebrand, a filthy sodometrouse monk of • lunyake, made a wicked constituciō in the general synod at Rome, that none should frō thence fourth be admytted to priesthood, unless he were sworue never after to marry. And thus entered that execrable poysō and most damnable mischefe, by layser, into all the christen nations, to make of our christianite a very Sodom.

This witless chaplain dwelleth not alone in this most foolish opiniō, but he hath more fellows. For the last time I was at Oxford, it was told me of diverse learned men, that one doctor Cole warden of the new college there, should openly speak it, that he never yet could read, that ani mā after priesthood, married. In this he showeth a great ignorance, or else y ^t he hath been vnwyllynge to find it. For he that seeketh shall easily find. I have by my final reading, found of that matter, a great heap of examples, and of them that begat children after their priesthood, an innumerable swarm, but y ^t is not weighed of these gnatstraynynge and spyder weaving papists. Only is it marriage that troubleth their whorysh orders, for that maketh y ^• blind people, not to reckon them so holy as they have done. Lambertus Shafuaburgensis, writeth in his chronicle, that Burchardus the prouoste of Tryere in Germany, was married to the prince of the Russianes sister, after his priesthood, by dyspensacyon of pope helhounde, Hildebrand I should say, anon after priests marriages were for bydden. Loo, se what money was able to do, whan God's laws were ones put a back. Uolateranus in. iiii. libro Geography, reporteth, y ^t Nicolaus Iustinianus a monk, married Anne the daughter of Uitalis Duke of Uenys, after his priesthood, by dispensaciō of Adrian the. iiii. An English man. The bishop of Siracusa had also a wife, Huttenus saith.

Gaguinus in libro. iii. de gestis francorum saith, that one Daniel a pressed, was constitute king of fraunce, and married by dyspensacion, like as one Constance a monk of Winchester ded here in England among the Brytaynes, and Ethelnolphus among the English kings, which had been bishop of Winchestre (Roger Houeden saith) and had. iiii. sons by his wife Osburga, which all were kings after him. Jacobus Mayer in Chronicis flādry, showeth, that Petrus Elsatius the bishop of Cameryck, married Leonor the countesse of Niuerne, by dispensacion. Robertus de monte Michaelis in opere chronicorum, saith, that Remelius a monk was made king of Arogone, and married a wife called Mawde after his priesthood by difpensacion. Achilles Gossarus witnesseth in his Epitome of Chronicles, that Colomānus the bishop of Uaradyue was by dyspensacion made king of Hungary, of purpose to have issue. Jacobus Guisianus testifieth in annalibus Hannome, that Bochardus Auenēsis, a great beneficed pressed, married Margarete Baldwynes daughter, that emperor of Coustantinople. Polidorus Uergilius, in libro. xx. Angliee history, telleth that Johan the bastard son of king Ferdinandus, being a Cistrane monk, married Philip Johan of Gaūtes daughter, that was than duke of Lancastre, after his priesthood, and was made king of Portingale. Albertus Crantus in sua Dania, showeth that Canutus a monk of the order of Clunyake, had by dispensacion a wife for money, so had the good abbot of Readyng here in England. Aldewyn had a daughter, being bishop of Durham, whom Utred the Earl of Northumberlande dysdayned not afterward 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 wife, by the grant of Benedict the. xii. Henricus Agrippa in his declamacion aduersus Louanienses, maketh menciō of a Cardinal, whom the bishop of Rome permitted to take a wife in marriage, that he might have children to possess his inherytaunce. Johannnes Bertandus in. iii. libro de cognatione S. Johannes Baptist declareth the order for Cardynalles and bishops wives, by the rules of Pa • ormitanus, and of Johannes Andreas, which was a priests son. I cannot think that Alwynus the bishop of Winchester, had any dyspensacion, whan he lay with Emma S. Edward's mother, because she ded penance. Lete these examples suffyse till more come. And as touching those which abhorred matrymony, & yetin their priesthood had store of children, besides these ix. adulterouse bishops and abbotes, that Gregorius Turonensis maketh mention of in the. x. books of his stories, and a great number more in other authors. Our English chronicles telleth, that an abbot of S. Albo • s begat pope Adriane y ^t fourth, Robert the abbot of Winchestre begat bishop Herbert of Norwyche, and Robert Peche the biship of Chestre and Lychefelde begat Rychard Peche archedeacon of Couentre, and afterward bysshop of the same dyocese. Bycause the nonebre is unreasonably great of this sort of priests begettyng children in their priesthood without marriage, therefore Iompt them for length, till such time as the seconde and third part of my English votaries come foreward, which will be, god willing, out of hand.

Never saw I this chaplain yet allege his doctors without falsehede, craft, and lies, as though the name of the doctoure were able to authoryse a lie. Now bringeth he fourth S. Jerome against Iouynian and reporteth him to say, that in the necessyte of the primative church, married mē being sober & learned, were exalted (come down I say) to priesthood. But priests (he saith) being called in virginite, never descended down to marriage, neither any man after the seconde marriage, was ever called to priesthood. And all this he reporteth him to speak very plainly. The saying of Jerome is this, in his first boke against Iouinyan. Eliguntur mariti in sacerdotium, non nego, quia nō sunt tanti virgins, quanti necessarij sunt sacerdotes. Num quid quia in exercitu fortissimus eligendus est, idcirco non assumētur et infirmiores, cum omnes fortes esse non possint? Marryed men are chosen to priesthood, I deny it not, for there are not so many maiden men, as need requireth priests. Bicause that the stronger mē are to be chosen into an host, shall not the weaker therefore be taken, seeing all cannot be of like strength? And this is all pertainynge to that purpose.

Now confer the one with the other and see the beastlynesse of this bragger. Here is no exaltynge or prankynge up aloft named, neither yet any seconde marriage condemned. I would that both he and his Jerome should well know it, that the church was never stronger, better, nor perfyghter, than whā it had sober, discret, and learned married men, for mynysters. The primative church was in much less necessyte, having them, than was the church in Jerome's time with her priests in vyrgynyte. For that church knew never of so many superstycyons and lecheryes. These lofty vyrgines were never like Mary, which threw her vyrgynite to the ground. Luke. i. Christ willed his dyscyples to be lowly, and not high. Math. xi. to be servants, and no lords, to be ministers, and no masters, Luke. xxii. Be not as lords in the cōgregacion (saith S. Peter) but show an example of lowlynes and meekness to the flock. i. Pet. v. Thys hawty speaking of your Jerome and yow, sauereth of that Antichrist, which exalteth him self above all that is called God ii. Thessa. ii. As for your priesthood, ye may both wype your tales therwyth, for any good ground it hath of the scriptures. Here is it praised for so holy and high a degree, as may not come down and be dystayned with marriage, as though marriage were but a vile iakes in comparyson thereof. Yet as touching the seconde and third marriage, the said Jerome saith in y ^t same boke. Duotiescunque vxor moritur, toties ducēda est alia, ne fornicemur. Dui secundas tertiasque nuptias cōcessit in domino, primas cum ethnico prohibit.

As often as one wife dieth, so oft may another be married, that we fall not to lechery. For he that granteth the seconde and third marryages in the Lord, forbiddeth the first with an unfaithful mā, for it is without the Lord. Also in his Apology to Panmachius, against the said Jovinian. 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 his que se continere non possunt. I desire that my deprauers may open their ears wyde, and that they may well perceive me to grant the seconde and third marriages in the Lord. Coulde I than, which have admytted the seconde and third, condemn the first marriage? The Apostle freely granteth thē to those that will, and that cannot otherwise refrain. In another place also. Erubescat calūniator meus, 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 condemn the first marryages. I condemn not them that hath been twice married, neither yet thē which hath been thrice married, nor if it might be said, y ^• hath been. viii. times married. Lete her that liketh it, have the viii. husband hardly, and not make her self common to every man.

Now will I say my mind and conscience, concerning this Jerome. I have ouerloked his. ii. books & answer against this Jovinian, a monk. For his sore travail in translatyng y ^• scriptures, I judge him worthy moche praise. But as concerning his doctrine for marriage, of christē men he is rather to be abhorred thā lyked. Wyth so spyghtfull rebukes he taunteth marriage, as though it were a life fit for no christen man. Never red I Tacianyte, Encratyte, Phrygiane, Maniche, Mercianyst, Montanyst, nor any other heretic, that ever was more malycyouse against it. He calleth marriage a flesh rebellinge against the spirit, the sea that Pharaoh was drowned in, the cloke that Joseph left behind him, an vnclennesse, an excess, a filthiness, a whoredom, an evil, an ydoll, a blasphemy, an Egypt, a servitude, a syn, a darkness, a wound incurable, barley, stubble, claye, a coinquynacion, a defeccyon from Christ, and an utter perdycyon. He compareth also a married wife, to an unclean beast in the ark of Noah, to a pot so • e broken, to a draff sack, bringing in at the last, the obprobryouse taunts and raylynge reproaches of the Pagans against women. The kind of women ought rather to have had praise, being the high wurke of God, and marriage his due commendacion, being the dyuine ordinance, than so abhomynably to have been railed on. But what cannot the devil do, whan he findeth an apt instrument.

He showeth here, what he was able to do by his rhetoryck, as some vain glorious bablers have done in our time with their sophistry of the devil, whose pride God hath well abated, blessed be his holy name for it. Now will I show some of his detorted scriptures, that men may se how shamefully he hath wrasted thē from their right meaning. Gene. iii. In the sweat of his face, shall the married man eat his bread. As though the unmarried shaulde not do the same. Luke. xvi. No servant can serve two masters. As though Matrymony were a service of Mammon and not of God. i. Cor. vii. Ye are dearly boughte, become not the servants of mē. As though marriage were an vnchristen servitude. Roma. viii. If ye live after the flesh, ye must die. As though marriage wer so fleshly a life, as deserved no less than death, Math. xix. The gelded shall receive the reward of the kingdom of heaven. As though christen marriage had therein no manner of porciō. Who could more perversely haut interpreted these scrip tures, than this Jerome? which is one of the great ydolles of the Romish Synagogue, and a depe maintener of their filthy sodometry. Thys kingdom of heaven in this latter place, is no reward, but an office of preaching the Euangelycall doctrine, whose reward is here persecucion, and in heaven a crown of immortalyte. • e ware of these doctors.

Wyth. ii. things is this chaplain much offended, concerning S. Paul's authority. i. Cor. ix. One is, the right understanding which by God's merciful gift, we have therein An other is, the English translacion of the Bible. Wyth these is he greatly accombred. That authority (he saith) after his feeble understanding, pertaineth to another purpose. What pur pose, can ye tell? Nay, that secrete he keepeth to himself. It is some purpose that he would not have known, or else that he is ashamed of. Why should it not else be uttered? For although the English Bible (he saith) be translated according to my understanding of that place.

He calleth the truth, my understanding. No syr, it was the Latin Bible, that was translated into English, and not the English Bible translated, unless it were into Welche or Iryshe, which I would wish with all my heart, if any good men would take such labors. Moch fault ye find, with that ye never toke pains in, neither can ye any skyll of it, as appeareth by your good English, that is to say, with the Bybles translaciō. In deed that godly wurke is moche sooner found fault with, than amended.

It might well be said to yow, that Apelles said to y ^• braggyng sowter, for passynge your lymytes so far, but I lete it pass. Yet is it not in Latin (ye say) ducere sororem vxorem, but circumducere sororē mulierem. I would ye should not Latin my English, unless ye ded it more workemanly. For I never heard yet, that ducere was to have, but to lead or to marry, as it is here takē. Though your Jerome, Erasmus, and Stunica the Spanyarde, hath sororem mulierem, or sororem mulierculā. Yet hath Laurentius • alla, Faber Stapulēsis, Zwingli, Pelican, Pomeran, Luther, Erasmus annotacions, Biblia Tigurina, and other, which are more faithful, indyfferent, and pure interpretours, mulierem vxorem, Ignatius, Clemens Alexandrinus, Eusebius, and Isidorus, confyrmynge the same. For S. Paul commonly useth this Greke word Gy • aica, for a wife, in his epystles. Thys testyfyeth your Jerome also, in his afore alleged first boke against Iouinyane, in declaring the said Greke word, though he were a most spyghtfull adversary to marriage. • ndoubtedly S. Paul, speaketh here of his wife, whom he by their mutual agrement, left behind him to the service of the Gospel, least she should in his so large a progress, through out all Grecia and Asia, from Hierusalē to Illirium, been partaker with him of all his daungerouse labors, parels, hungre, thyrste, needs, strypes, stonynges, cheanes, imprisonmētes, shypwrackes, and a great sort more, not possible to have been suffered of a tendre and weak woman.

In that he willed all men to be as he was (if it be objected) he wished them so free a conscience without fleshly affecciōs, as chanced to him by the gift of God, tamed, not by vows, but by cōtynuall affliccions and labors for the Gospel. Circumducere mulierē sororē (yow say) is to suffer rich womē to go about with them in their progress of preaching, to bear their charges. Truly this is a prodigiouse kind of interpretynge or declaring the scriptures. Wher find yow, that circumducere is to suffer? Either yet where have ye red, that soror mulier doth sygnyfye rich women, yea plurally? It is no marvel though ye find fault with y ^• Bybles translacion, being so fond, I should say, so fine an interpretour. That vain cō iecture have ye borrowed of your holy doctor Jerome, which in his foreseid boke against Iouinyan, saith that the Apostle seemeth to speak of those women, which after the Jews manner, aided the preachers with their substance, They might aid the preachers (I grant ye) and yet not go about with them. For if they were wives, and had how sholdes, their office was to have seen to their famylyes at home, and not to gadde about. Riches also might sone have been changed to pouerte and penury, without daily occupyeng, and by traualynge so far. Where was also for y ^• time, their husbands obedience?

If they were widows, yet was the sight uncomely and the example ungodly, specially among the Gentyles, to gadde after men in so longe a iournaye, as is Corinth from Jerusalem. Agayne, it was vncōuenient to use the Iewyshe customs in the forennacyons, which abhorred them. If ye seek to maintain your purpose, by the Sunamyte which refreshed Eliseus the Prophet. iiii. Regum. iiii. • yther yet by the good women which followed Christ, and mynystred to him of their substance. Luke. viii. as your Jerome doth. I answer both yow and your Jerome, that it is nothing to the purpose of that place. For the Sunamyte went not out of her house, neither Christ beyond the lymites of Jewry, as the Apostles ded. Moreover y ^• Apostles had wy • es of their own, so had neither Eliseus nor Christ. Your Jerome saith only, it appeareth or seemeth to be the Apostles meaning, as one not all sure of the matter. Yow as bold as blind Baiarde, say, that it was his meaning in deed. I am sory that Erasmus of Reterodame, so dependeth upon so vain a fable, in his learned paraphrase upon S. Paul's epistles, and hath so well declared the other opynyon in his annotaciōs. But that in following mē (as he ded this Jerome) we must needs err. Ye say, that Peter and the other Apostles suffered rich women to go about with them to pay their charges. I say, that example had been to uncomely, as to have led other mē • ys wy • es about with them, and to have left their own at home.

But I ask ye this question by y ^t way. What shift they made whā all was spent? I know their progress was great, as ye were wont to versycle it on their days. In omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum. And I think their substa • ces were neither eternal nor yet omnypotent. How will ye answer this problem than? Ye say, it is evident by the place it self, which speaketh of taking his living for his preaching. No by saynte Mary syr, that place doth rychely confound your folyshnesse therein. It were no reason, that S. Paul preaching at Corinth or Philippos should have his charges paid by women of Jerusalem. But I think, it was most convenient, that they should pay his costs, to whom he preached y ^t Gospel. I know this was his meaning whan he said. Have we not power to eat and to drink. i. Cor. ix. Thā was it surely for some other purpose, that they led women about with thē, and none other than their own wives, as is said afore. Though yow like an asse head, have written it, that there is not one word of a wife, in that place of S. Paul. And as for your doctors, for the more part, so far as I se in them, they are like yourself, as the adage goeth, such cup such cover, I little ca • e for your doctors, so long as I have Ignatius that holy m • rtyr which was in the Apostles time, Clemens Aler • ndrinus which followed immediately after. Eusebius Cesariensis, and Isidorus hispalensis, to friends in this matter.

Obiectio.

The vow of godly chastity, is a professiō of godly living in the obedience of Christ, a way towards the perfectiō of the Gospel, and a perfight ymitaciō of Christ, & the Angelycall life, vbi nec nubent nec nubentur. sed sunt sicut Angeli Dei, Mat. xx • i Your saying lacketh proof, & my saying is proved by S. Augustine. De fide ad Petrum, ca. iii. Ceterum, quisquis seipsū castrauerit propter regnum celorū, et in cord suo continentiam deo vouerit, non solum si mort • ifero fornicationis crimine maculetur, verumetiam si aut vir vxorem accipere, aut mulier nubere voluerit, secundum Apostoli sententiam, damnationē habebit, quia primā fidem irritam fecit. Sicut ergo secundū Apostoli sentenciam, dignū est vt vxori vir debitū reddat, similiter vxo • viro, quia si q • is acceperit vxorē, nō peccat, et si nupserit virgo, nō peccat: ita secūdum eiusdē • postoli dictū, qui statuit in cord suo fi • mus, nō habens necessitatē, potestatē aūt habens sue volūtatis, et vouerit cōtinentiā deo, debet vsque in finem tota mentis solicitudine • nstodire, ne dānationē habeat, si primā fidē irritam fecerit. Similiter et coniugati viri, t • tōiugate mulieres. si ex cōsensu perēnem deo vouerint continenciam, nouerint se sui vot • obnoxios detineri, nec iam sibi debere commi • tionem carnis, quā primitus licitā habuerūt, sed deo se debere cōtinētiā quā vouerūt.

Responsio.

If I should reason the matter with yow, and ask ye this question, why chastity is godly? I think, ye would make me answer, because it is of God. For it is not in sinful mans power to make things Godly, but in God's power alone. Lyke wise if I should demand, why chastity is good? I would loke again to have y ^• same answer, because it is of God, for so much as Christ hath so earnestly spoken it in the Gospel, Luk. xviii. Memo bonus, nisi solus Deus. None is good, save only God. Upō this I conclude, y ^t chastity is both Godly & good. And as much may be said of vyrgynyte & marriage, because they are both of God, y ^• one being his gift, & the other his godly institution. But as for your vows and massyng priesthood, they are neither good nor yet godly, but wicked & blasphemous, as their innumerable fruits have declared They are neither works nor offices of y ^t gospel to y ^t glory of god, but wicked ways of sinful mens inuenciō, for covetousness & vainglory of y ^t world, to appear more holy thā y ^t comē sort. Pope Helhoūde was the first after Satans coming fourth, y ^t fashioned out his priests & his monks by thē, & that made thē indispēsable, unless it wer for great sūmes of money, as y ^t chronicles of all y ^• christen naciōs declareth.

Ye may call them manly or womanly, because they are of yow which hath vowed them or made them, for you in so doing are their only creatours and makers, as the pressed is of his holy water, whā his blessing is a curse, Mala. ii. But godly ye cannot call them, because ye are no God's. I say therefore, that your newly forged diffynycion here, is abominable, prepos • erouse, blasphemous, & wicked. Whan ye call your vow, which is your own wurk, a vow of godly chastity, ye take to moche upon yow. For in so doing, ye make yourself both equal with God and somewhat above him, in that ye will be seen an author of his heavenly gift, which is a most dauylishe presumpcion. Ye say moreover, that this monstruouse myngle mangle of God's wurke and of yours, is a profession of godly living. Ye arrogate much to yourself, if ye promise to pay that God hath in his hand, and yow no just title of claim to it. Your vow is a professyon (I say not nay) but that godly living is a fruit thereof, ye are not able to prove, unless ye set God for nothing. In Christ's obedience is it not. For he obeyeth not Christ, that voweth in priesthood & monkery, but he obeyth pope Helhounde and his successors, Ye say, it is a way to the perfeccion of the Gospel. O blasphemous Antichrist, herein hast thou show •• thy full imperfeccion.

Can mennis idle inuencious add any perfeccion to the Gospel? How feeble makest thu Christ here? and how vnperfyght makest his Gospel? that wouldest have vncomman̄ded vows, which have brought fourth innumerable sodomytes, to add perfeccion to the Gospel? The Gospel is little beholden, either to the or yet to thy maynteners. God ones amende yow, or •• s take ye from this life. Ye say, it is a perfight ymitaciō of Christ. what a shameless lie is this, and what a bold brag to bolster out filthiness? It is no ymitaciō of Christ, for he never made vow, neither proponed he any doctrine of vows making, moche less than any perfect ymytacion of Christ. Rather is it a defeccion from Christ, and the same that Paul speaketh of. ii. Thes. ii. for none were ever so obstynate against his doctrine, as they which professed those vows. Ye conclude, that your vow is the Angelycall life, in places where they nether marry, nor be given in marriage, but are as Angels of God. The head place where your great vowers in Cardynall hattes, myters, hald crowns, and cowles of all kinds, marry not, is the mighty mōstrouse Sinagoge o • Rome. The meaner places are your minsters, monasteryes, couētes, colleges, and personages of other nations, where as also ye may not, for your vows sake, be givē fourth in marriage.

If ye say, that these lead an Angels life by their vows, we are able to condemn your sayings by the daily examples of their buggeryes and other beastly occupienges which we know, besides that we have of the scriptures, Roma. i. et. Apo. xi. which cannot lie. The place ye bring in here, Neque nubent. Mat. xxii. ye clearly wrast frō all true & godly meaning. For it is not spokē of thē which dwell here in this mortal & corruptible life, though your Jerome so unaptly useth it, but of thē y ^t shall appear with immortalyte in y ^t latter resurrection, In y ^t resurrecciō shall they neither marry, nor be givē in marriage, as here vpō earth but they shall be in heavē as the Angels of God, where no such offices of marriage or maydenhede shall be required. If ye will needs have your vowers here like Angels, they shall be like that Angel of darkness, which in all deceit possyble, seek whō he may devour. i. Pet. v. or else like those. iiii. cruel Angels of God's permissyō, which stoppeth y ^• . iiii. winds or preachings of his eternal testament, Apo. vii. My saying (ye say) lacketh proof. What saying is that? I pray ye repeat it. Marry that the vow of popish chastity, is a profession to filthiness unspeakable, in the obedience of Antichrist and the de • ill.

Why master chaplain, is this the vow that ye have here maintained? Is it this y ^t ye call, a vow of Godly chastity, a professyon of good life, an obedience of Christ, a perfecciō of y ^t Gospel, an ymitacion of Christ, & an Angelycall state out of marriage? I heard never a more traitor make vtteraūce. Yow that make so much of this vow of a popish chastity, ye make somewhat where ye dare, for y ^t vow of popish obedience, which is y ^t greatter of both. If my sayenges lack proof (as I think they do not) in this Apology. They shall lack no proof in the. ii. latter partes of my votaries, which are coming forward, as spedyly as may be. Your saying (ye say) y ^t a popish vow is no ungodly professyon to Antichrist in y ^t devils obedience, is proved by S. Augustine, in the third chapter of his boke de fide ad Petrū diaconū. But ye had need first of all to prove that boke S. Augustynes. For Erasmus hath already denied it, for the coursenesse of the phrase and vnpurenesse of the doctrine, and also for that he maketh thereof no mencyon •• his wurthye work of retractacyons, with diverse other causes.

The longe laryne allegacion of this unknown doctor, is thus to be Englyshed. Furthermore (saith he) who so ever hath gelded himself for the kingdom of heaven, and hath vowed chastity in his heart, not only if he be spotted with the deadly crime of for • ycacion, but also if either the man attempt to take a wife, or the womā a husband, after the Apostles opynyon he shall have damnation, because he hath broken his first faith. As it is therefore the mannis dewty, after the Apostles meaning, to give unto his wife due benevolence, & like wise the wife to the man, for he that taketh a wife, sinneth not, neither yet sinneth y ^e maid which marrieth an husbāde, so like wise after the saying of the same Apostle, he that hath surely fyxed in his heart, having no need, but having power over his own will, and hath so vowed chaltyte to God, he ought with all en devour of mind, to the ende of his life to keep it, least he have damnation, if he break his first faith.

Lyke wise the married men & the married women, if tehy by their both cōsfntes do vow unto God a perpetual chastity, be they sure, they are bound to fulfill that vow, and not from theus fourth to have any carnal copulaciou, which was lawful unto thē afore, but to keep that chastity to God which they vowed.

Notwythstandynge that all this matter hath been answered afore, yet find I somewhat herein to be spokē. None authority can S. Augustynes name add to this doctrine, because he is not the author of that boke. The author of it, is such a one as S. Paul speaketh of, Roma. i. which withholding the truth of God in vnryghteousnesse, hath turned his verity into a lie. Many wicked errors do I find in this doctrine. One is, where as he calleth geldynge or making chaste for the kingdom of heaven, a voweynge of the single life, which Christ never meant. Math. xix. For Christ spake it of them which sought the sowle health of his people, by the grace of the Gospel, and not of them which pryuately thought to wynne heaven to themselves alone by their folysh vows. These sequestered themselves from all carnal and worldly affeccions, not by vows, but by the mere gift of God. Not to wynne heaven to thē selves, but to call other unto it by preaching the doctrine of salvation. For heaven is not got̄ by vows, but by fearing, believing, and faithful following of the Gospel.

An other error, that vows ought so to separate man and wife, as they may never mete again. Thys vsurpacion is not tolerable, that man's idle inuencion, should put God's work aside, either yet his wauerynge will wurke, should make God's set ordinance of none effect. Christ hath earnestly forbydden it, Mat. xix. that any man should put a sondre, that God hath ones coupled, either yet that ony mā should put away his wife, except it were for aduoutrye. What manner of new tradicion, will this nameless doctor make than? If man be naught of nature of what value is the wurke of his sinful will? Shall it be able to overthrow God's buildinge?

Is man's workemanshyppe above man, either yet above God? Wher is thā their former profession become, that the one shall not depart from the other, till death separate them? Oh, these are y ^e wicked deuyses of Antichrist. If it be objected, that they may withdraw themselves, the one from the other by consent. i. Cor. vii. I grant it, but that is only for time of prayer and fasting, and not for any vow private. For S. Paul willeth them to come again together, least Satan tempt thē for their incontinence.

An other error. He cloggeth him with damnation, which beholding his own presumpcyon, forsaketh it, and submytteth himself to the high wisdom ond ordinance of God, not understanding what prima fides is, nor yet what is damnatio there. If it had been prior fides, altera fides, or secunda fides, a former faith, another faith, or a seconde faith, it might somewhat have served this doctoure for his vow.

But being prima fides, the first faith, having none other faith afore it, it must needs be the christen faith, or professyon in baptysme, and so dysapoynte him at his most need. Damnatio is not always taken for a fynall destruccyon, but sometime for a scathe, an infamy, a reproach, a blot, a blame, an harm, an hurt, a damage, a wrong, and such like. For Erasmus saith: Damnatus dicitur, qui damno afficitur. He is called damnatus, that is endamaged or hurt any ways. If it be there a dampnacyon in deed, it is for a full renouncynge of the christen faith or mockyng of the Gospel, and not for breaking of an idle vow which God never commanded in that kind. But all this is declared afore.

Obiectio.

Tūe enim vnusquisqne regnum celor • ▪ quod sanctis promittitur, possidebit, si obliu • scens que retro sunt, et in anteriora extendens seipsum, secundum quod in psalmis dicitur, voucte, et reddite Domino Deo vestro▪ quod seit esse licitum, et ad prof • ctum melioris vite pertinere cognoscit, et • ibenter voue • at, et celeriter reddat, et in hoc quod votum reddit, meliore semper conatu proficiat. Omni enim vouēti Deo et reddenti quod vouit, ipse quoque deus reddet • el • stis regni premi • que promisit. And also cap. xlii. Firm • ssime tene, et nullatenus dubites, nu • c • as quoqut diuinitus institut • s • t benedictss, et melius quidem si quisquam sine coniugio sit, vt libetius atque plenius cogitet que sunt dei, quomodo placeat deo, tamen illis qui continentiā non voueruut, nullum esse peccatū, si vel mulier nubat, vel vir vxorem ducat. Nec solas primas nuptias a Deo institutas. sed etiam secūdas et tertias, pro eorum qui se continere non possunt infirmitate con • cssas. Eis ver • qui sieve coniugati, sieve a coniugio liberi, continentiam deo vouerunt, admodum esse damnabile, si vel illi cōiugale opus volu • rint appetere, quo se non accessuros, vel illi repetere, a quo se recessuros, illi libera, illi commun • professi sunt voluntate.

Responsio.

Bycause the lying spirit of this counterfeit Augustine, is fytte to be known, I have Englyshed his latin text here. Thā shall eche man (saith he) possess the kingdom of heaven, which is promised to the saints, if he forgertynge that is past, and applyenge himself so that is afore him, according to that is said in the psalms: prompse, and perform it to your Lord God, which he understandeth to be lawful, and knoweth to pertain to the profit of a better life, lete him both gladly vow, and swy •• lie render it, & that in yeldynge his vow, he may prosperousiy go forward. For to everyone that perfourmeth his promise, God will also give y ^• heavenly reward, which he hath promised. The seid doctor also saith, in his. xlii. chapter. Take this assuredly, & in no wise doubt of it, that marriage was both ordained of God, and had his blessing. Yet might a man do better, if he were without it, for so might he more freely and largely think upon God's matters, how he should please God. Yet is there no sin to them imputed, which hath not vowed chastity, if either the woman marry, or the mā take a wife. Neither were the first marriages alone instituted of God, but as well the seconde and the third, and also granted for the weakness of them that could not refrain. But to other which hath vowed chastity, whether they were married or unmarried, it is very damnable, if they either desire the coniug all wurke, or go to it again, which they have ones forsaken, y ^• one by a free & the other by a comē cōsē • .

Many filthy errors are in this doctrine contained, which proveth it to be none of S. Augustynes. As the church be gāne to gather corrupcion, certain false Apostles there were and masters of superstycyon, which to plant hypocrisy, a very wicked seed of the old serpent, put fourth many noughtye works, under the name of S. Augustine and diverse other good doctors, that they might the more strongely take place. And this lewd boke was one of them, which having the precious title of faith, is full of all wicked errors, and infidelite. Mark in this latter allegacion, how blasphemous and ma ny they are. The author calleth thē saints, which hath superstyciously vowed, & promyseth the possessyon of the kyngedom of heaven, to the man that leaveth his wife, and the woman that leaveth her husband, by their common consent (as ded the Priscyllyanystes) for that deuyly she yoke. As though heaven might be gotē by our voluntary works, and as though they were a perfec • iō far above the Gospel. He highly commendeth the spurnynge aside and utter contempt of matrymony, for the apprehensyō of that idle kind of life in the monasteryes or dēnes of belly ease.

S. Augustine upon the. lxxv. Psalm, useth vouete et reddite, after a far other sort, as is afore declared. And though this blind author seemeth at a blush, to bring the same kind of doctrine that he bringeth, as how the vower should vow that thing, that he knoweth to be lawful and to pertain to the better life. Yet varyeth he from S. Augustine in this point, for he would have it of things possible and in our power, and only taken for mannys tradycion. This monkysh hipocryte boasteth it, for a work deseruinge heaven, being no wurke of Christ, but of mannis idle head. S. Augustine doth not so. He wickedly affirmeth, that Christ hath promised heaven to vows making, and that he will give it to thē that keep vows, which is a false and blasphemous opinion. He granteth that marriage was both ordained & blessed of God. Yet preferreth he monkery, an inuencion of man, far above it, as though man in his practices, were wiser thā God. To confyrme his folye, he wringeth in the wurdes of S. Paul, that the single man careth for the things of the Lord.

As though that care, which is a fruit of faith in freedom of the spirit, and an office of the Gospel, had proceeded of vows which are Antichrists yokes in fleshly bondage. He consēteth, that it is no sin to marry, no, the seconde and third time, if need so requireth it. And in that he is much better, than our heretic chaplain here, which in diverse places of his mangy obieccions, condempneth with y ^• Tartulianystes, Cataphrygeanes, and Catharistes, y ^• second & third marryages. Thys author admitteth those marriages for infyrmytees sake, and for none other respect in the scriptures. In the ende he condempneth without respect, all them which breaketh that yoke of Antichrist, if they be unmarried, either yet that throweth aside that s • are of the devil, and returneth again to their marriage, if they were married afore. I could have brought in, out of the third chapter, which this chaplain here first alleged de fide ad Petrum, to confound this naughty doctrine of the same boke, as that all is good which is sanctyfyed of God's mouthe, that marriage is God's wurke, blessed, good, honorable, unspotted, clean, no sin, an honest remedy, a chastity, a mutual faith, at liberty, always lawful, fit for God's servants, and other like, which I omytte fo • prolyxite.

Obiectio.

They be no monstrouse vowers, but faithful vowers, if they keep their vows, and better to be trusted of princes, following Christ's exhortaciō thereunto, thā they which break their vows & be unfaithful in their promises. It is not lykely, y ^e he will be faithful to man, who can but kill the body, that will not be faithful in keeping promise with God, that hath power to send both body and sowle to hell.

Responsio.

Afore ded I speak of such vowers, as in the obedience of Antichrist and the devil, professed such a chastity, as ought rather to be called a filthy Sodom, than a chastity. These (I said) were monstrous vowers, for so much as both their vows and their chastity, were so preposterouse and prodygyously monstruouse, their execrable fruits and examples declaring no less. Now come yow after, and ye boldly say, that these were no monstruouse vowers. Ye go further in the matter, and report thē to be the very faithful vowers, if they keep their vows, yea, those obedyēt vowers of Antichrist and y ^e devil. For there were none other vowers spoken of. Of a lykelyhode ye have not yet vowed to your king, to be his obedyent true subject. And if ye have, yet are ye but a mōstruouse vower. For ye seme not faithfully to keep your vow, that maintain such kind of vowers. Ye cannot justly say, y ^• ye mean any other, than these filthy vowers. But that they are the very same, that ye so earnestly defend, even the bishop of Rome's rank cattle. For ye have not as yet, ones blamed their evils, though they have been laid afore your nose. But manfully have ye defended them for necessary virtues, like a valyaunt captain of theirs, and a stought been factor of Sodom.

If the fowl beast, with the. vii. heads and. x. horns, which bare the great whore arrayed all in purple and rose color, Apoca. xvii. may be proved an odyouse mostre, I have no doubt of it, but I shall be able to find out a filthy rabble of monstruouse vowers. For like as the faithful congregation of God, are the mystycall menbers of his son Jesus Christ, so this dysguised rabble of rauenours, are the mystical members of that monstruouse beast, by virtue of their vows giving up thenselves to his ydolatrouse obseruacyons, & upholding y ^• filthy whore his Sinagoge of • orceries, in all blasyhemy, supersticiō, and pride. These are sealed (I say) by virtue of their vows and professions. They have the mark of this beast in their right hands & foreheads, they are full of • lasphemouse names, they can opē their mouths against god, they can speak blasphemies, they have power of y ^• great serpent, they may bye & sell by his authority, Apo. xiii. they can wurke such wonders & do such miracles, as God cannot do again. For they can make false God's, and give to them latryall honor. They can also set them up aloft, salute them with lies, perfume them with sensynges, and cause a great nonebre of people to worship thē vpō y ^e earth. Soche mōstruouse doers are they.

If these be no mōstruouse vowers, that are y ^• menbers of this odyouse monster by their pilde popish vows, & cā do so many prodigiouse feats by their prestish professions, thā are they nothing at all. They are no vowers after y ^e right shape of vowing, as were y ^• Iewysh vowers in y ^• old testament, offering calves & bullocks. Neither are they vowers after y ^• Gospel. For vows are no wurkes of y ^• gospel, but of an idle priesthood & mōkery, which y ^• Gospel never knew. They cā not therefore be called works Evēgelical, but works papistical sacerdotical, monastical, & fātasticall. The office of a mā or womā professinge Christ, is to do all things in freedom and not •• bondage of vows, considering he is freely regenerate, and hath a free womā to his mother. Gal. iiii. They are therefore vnfaith full vowers that profess those vows, and much more unfaithful that keep them. Ye say, those vowers are, above all other, of princes to be trusted. But ye do not tell us here, what princes▪ye mean▪ Bishops with y ^e help of abbottes and other ghostly fathers, were wont to be princes of this world, under the great Mahounde of Rome, whan they had the consciences of kings under their subiecciō. Though these prycke eared princes might trust those vowers, as hawks made to their hands, yet would I counsel the christen princes in no wise to trust them.

For as we find in the English chronycles, they have in confessions, made kings wives and daughters, to make vows of vnchastyte unto them. And for full perfourmaūce of y ^e same, they have sent their folysh husbands by vow, on pilgrimage to Rome. Loke the lives of kyuge Inas, Ladwallader, Kenredus, Ethelwulfus, Offa, Ethelredus, and diverse other, besides them that were poisoned, deposed, and made monks, to give place to they • unknown bastards. Who can rec • en them fit to be trusted of christen princes, which have for their carnal commodities, so often changed the great monarchy of the Romish emppre, from the Romans to the Greeks, from the Greeks to the freēth men, frō the frenche mē to the Germans, and now would they translate it from the Germans to y ^• Spannyerdes. They have in a manner, made all the christen princes their captive slaves▪ til now of late years. They have at their pleasures, disposed diverse of their king domes, yea, they have enforced them to anthoryse their lies, to favor their hypocrisyes, to uphold their • irānies, to support their sorceryes, to main teine their ydolatryes, to magt ••• ye their whoredoms, & to worship they •• wdries.

Not one king hath been in England sense the conquest, but they have twygged him one way or other, and had their false flynges at him, I could show it by course. It were great pity therefore, but these vowers were trusted of christen princes, they have been so faithful, specyally in keeping the vows of their Romish fathers obedience. What caused them of late years to stnrre up commociōs in the North, and now the last year in Deuenshire & Lor • wale, for their Romish remnauntes, but the relygyous fulfilling of their vows to holy church the mother of their old manmetryes? Afore God, I judge yow, to be one of that lewd assembly, either by your act or council, by this your five workemāship for their defense. Ye would never else so earnestli have called thē faithful vowers, in keeping their vows so well to your mind. But truly ye have done Christ moche wrong, to call him an exhorter thereunto. For he never exhorted a ny mā to such vows, neither yet to any other kind of vows. For his gospel is no doctrine of vows, but of faith. These prodigiouse vowers, ar y ^• locusts y ^• came out of the bottomless pyt, to stinge mens cenfeiēces as doth scorpiōs. Apo. ix. And they for fulfiling their nowes in y ^• service of y ^• rose coloured whore, shall go into perdycyon.

If ye condēpne all them for unfaithful mē in their promises, y ^• have brokē vows made to y ^• ydolouse mōster of Rome. Thā must ye condēpne all those kings of this realm which followed after king Iohā, and so contynued till the. xxvi. year of king Henry the. viii. because they fulfilled not that profession, which he made for himself & his successors. The vow y ^• he made by their cōpulsiō, is this word by word, as I find it regestred in cōpendio noui chronici de gestis regū Anglicorum collected by a monk of Cantirbury, Ego Ioānes rex Anglie, Wallie, et Hiberme, in ro fidelitatē Deo et sancte ecclesie Roman, ac domino Innocentio tertio pape, ad manus Nicolai Cardinalis ei • sdem pape penitētiarn, ad tenendum regnū Anglie de eo sine detractatione aliqua imperpetu • , red̄d o domino pape Innocentio tertio ann • ati • i nulle marcas argenti, et suis successoribus canonice intrantibus. I Johan king of England, Wales, and Ireland, promise by oath to be faithful to God, & to my lord pope Innocēt the third, at the hands of Nicolas a Cardinal & penitencer of the said pope, to hold the kingdom of England of him & his successors for evermore, without any contradycciō, •• ienge to them a thousand marks by year. And the bishops and Barons of England, cōstraiued him for his own part to fulfyl this ungodly professiō. After this sort were all y ^• monks vows, the friers professions, & y ^• priests promises for degres in y ^• vniuersi tees, which this wicked chaplain calleth faithful vows, & would have thē still kept.

He accounteth them unfaithful in their promises, y ^t hath broken these vows, but of breaking gods cōmaūdemēts & disobeiing of his holy word, he maketh no reckoning. It is not lykely (he saith) y ^t he will be faithful to god y ^• thus breaketh promise •• man, Yes without doubt, it is most lykely that they be faithful to God, that in their good doings dysobeyeth that sort of noughty men, and so Christ meant it, whan he said. Fear not them that kill the body, and be not able to kill y ^e sowle, Mat. x. Ye know maystre chaplain, that God is able to destroy both body and sowle, and to throw them into hell, and yet ye fear not to blaspheme both him and his holy word. Care not yow for the fydelite of them towards christen princes, which abhorreth your monstruouse sorceries. For their faithful hearts are known good and godly, where as yours be false and deuylyshe. To conclude. Your vows were never other, thā might always be dyspensed with for money. For Johan Skuish a Cornish mā, hath in his English chronicle, taken out of Matthew Paris and other old writers, that in the year of our Lord a. M. cc. lviii. a Graye fryer called Mansuetus, came in post haste from Rome, as a great commissyoner from pope Alexander the forth, to dyspēse with all periures, forgers of falsehede, and vow breakers. And many wise men, the story saith, deryded that wicked folyshnes. I marvel therefore, that ye make so moche a do for those vows.

Obiectio.

Thys is true, in them that may lawfully marry. But in them that have vowed the contrary, tales nuptie sunt peiores adulteriis. as S. Augustine saith, de bono viduitatis, ca▪ xi. And as Chrysostom saith, epistola. vi. ad Theodorum monachū. Angelorum enim societate semel iunetum, illud relinquere, et vxoris laqu • is implicari, adulterii crimen •• curr • re est, Quamuis frequēter hoc ipsū nuptias voces, ego tamen et adulterio tanto perus illud affirmo, quanto major ac melior mortalis Angelus.

Responsio.

God shall not be true in your opinyon, as appeareth here by your wrytyng, nor yet his instytucion lawful, but whan it shall like the stout rabyes of your vaynegloriouse Synagogue so to allow them. Ye affirm it now to be true, that marriage is a thing godly, and that it is a prouysion, ordinance, help, remedy, and way, provided of God for man to avoid fornicacion and other uncomely vices. All this y • admyt at this time w ^t out contradyccion, but it hath a tail. For ye say, it is only true in them that may lawfully marry. Than is there a kind of people, which may not lawfully marry? And those are your vowers, ye say. God ordained marriage for his people, to keep them in good order. Pope Helhound ordained vows against marriage for his professed cattle, to bring them out of order. Thus is marriage an holy instytucion of God, for the conseruacion of man. And vows against marriage are a wicked constytucion of pope Helhounde, for destruction of body & sowle. Matrymony must be good, because it is of him that is good, which is God. Uowes against marriage must be naughty and deuylyshe, because they are of him that is deuylysh, which is pope Helhoūd.

That thing which is good, is fit for all thē that are good. And that is naught, is only fit for them that are naught. Herein are to be seen, the diverse natures and disposicions of men, and the one to be known from the other. The nature of a good man, is not to forsake by vow, that thing that is good, but that which is evil. Contrary wise, the nature of an evil mā, is to refuse, as evil, that thing that is good, as yow papists have done marriage, and to admyt that poison which is perniciouse to the sowle, as ye have done wicked buggery. A more euydent open sign cannot be of an Antichrist, thā to say nay, to gods yea, and yea to his nay, as yow do hert▪ God saith, that marriage is lawful in his. Gene. ii. et Math, ix. Yow say, it is unlawful in yours. He saith, it is holy in his. Yow say, it is unholy in yours. He holdeth it for a right ousnesse in his. Yow hold it for an vnryghteousnesse in yours. Thus are your ways not all one with God's ways, nor your people all one with his people. But so diverse is the one from the other, as is light from darkness. Yet must your people, be the holy spiritual people for their vows sake, ordained by pope Helhound, and gods people a lewd lay people, only because of their marriage, which is of God.

Thys is (I think) a preposterouse order. S. Paul saith. Honorabile est inter onnes cōiugiū, ac thorus immaculatus. Heb. xiii. Wedlock is honorable among all people, & the bed thereof undefiled. Either your people holding marriage vnhonourable in their order, ar no people, or else they ar such a people as are not reckoned in this universal number of God's electes. An other text hath, y ^• marriage is honorable in all things, which proveth, y ^• either your vows are no things, for not holding marriage honorable, or else y ^t they ar things ungodly. And I think, ye are no things in ded, for god created all things in y ^• beginīg, & by bringing yourselves by vows, into a new creation and use, I reckon you to be nothynges to his use. Thys is my conjecture of yow, becommynge Antichrists creatures. But truly, though yow with your vows take no place in this text, yet your conversation being as it is, ye may be sure to take place in the next. Scortatores autem et adulteros, iudicabit deus, in y ^e same chapter. Whore kepers and aduonterers God will condemn.

If the readers of this boke, would earnestly mark yow in this point (which I desire them instauntly to do) they should well perceive that your vows and priesthood, are no less execrable and deuilyshe, than is afore declared. I will go no further than your own writing. Ye say, that marryages in them that hath vowed the contrary, are peiores adulterijs, worse than aduoutryes. Than will I say, that no poison is like your vows, neither yet any other deuylishnesse to be compared to them. Marriage of it self, is godly, good, honest, holy, and ryghteouse, for it is gods own institution. What can make a good thing naught, but that which is naught in the self afore? What else can make it wurse than sin? but that which is wurse than sin of it self. Have ye not well promoted your vows? And I think in deed, they are no better than yow report them here. All christen men therefore be ware of them, as of a most peruyciouse poison. I thought one time or other, ye would thoroughly dyscouer your own myscheues, as ye have now done in deed. And we thank yow for it, for we shall be the warer of thē. But ye do S. Augustine wrong, to make him the author of your conueyaunce. He never made that boke, de bono viduitatis, but one Julianus a Moore borne, which was bishop of Tolete in Spain, as I told ye afore.

And him ye slaundre also. For he in the x. chapter of the same boke, calleth your opinyon concerning those marryages, a very wytlesse and wicked opynyon, concludyng therewith in the. xi. chapter. 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 nūnes, to be aduoutryes and no marryages, but I must call thē true marryages. Thus doth your own author prove ye a wicked liar, and a spyghtfull enemy against marriage. That which followeth, sed plaue nō dubitauerim dicere, lapsus et rumas a castitate sanctiore, que vouetur Deo, adulterijs esse peiores, toucheth not their marryages, but their slydynges away frō their vowed chastity. And yet he is much more gentle in that also, than yow ar. For he saith, he would not moche doubt, to call those slydynges wurse than aduoutryes, which proveth not that he expressly so calleth them. But yow spyghtfully, call the very marryages so without any honest aduysement. Wherefore ye shall go for no less, than for a deceitful prophet teaching lies in hypocresy, to maintain the doctrine of devils, and to forbid marriage as ded the Esseanes, for Iewysh superstycions or vows. i. Timo. iiii.

Moche were it to declare your folyshnesse and ignorant beastliness, in alleging Chrysostom. For ye report that raw and ragged clause which ye have untowardly torn out of his. xxi. homely, in the second tome, to be in the▪ vi. epistle, ad Theodorū monachum. But I can tell what deceived yow, and I would my readers should not laughe thereat. Ye toke a page or side of a leaf for a pistle, and. vi. for. lxvi. For that homely, otherwise called posterior parenesis ad Theodorum monachum, beginneth in the. lxvi. page of the seconde tome of Chrisostomes works. If ye be not a wise clarke, and moche good fruit to be had at your hand, I report me. Your decurted or headless clause, Augelorū enim • t cet, is thus Englyshed. For that is ones joined w ^t y ^e cūpany of Angels, the same to forsake, & to be wrapped in the snares of a wife, is plainly to enter into y ^t crime of aduoutry. Though y ^u never so oft, call that thing marriage, yet I say unto the that it is so much wurse than aduoutry, as is the mortal Angel greater & better. All this is to be considered in this matter. Chrisostō wrote all in y ^• Greke tongue, & his Latyne interpretour hath no name, and therefore we cannot judge of his faythfulnesse.

Moreover y ^e self author Chrysostom, was to moche addycted to monkery, and gave it more commendacyous then was convenient, abusyuge the synceryte of the holy scriptures. Theodorus, to whom he wrote this homely of admonition, was a monk, and in the time of his monkery, frequented the company of an whore. Unto this fallen monk, he wrote another treatise afore, called prior parenesis, which he entytled, de reparatione lapsi, of y ^e repair or restauraciō of y ^e fall̄. Wherein he declareth the aduoutry of this monk after this forte. Beatus David casu decidit nō leuiore, quā tu modo, immo nō tātū equali, subinde enim aliud flagitū adiecit, n • pe ced • atrocissimā innocentis Drie. Blessed David chanced to fall, the condition thereof being no less grievous than thine, but yet not all one. For he added thereunto another great sin, even the vnpptie full slaughter of innocent Dry. By this it appeareth, that it was another mannis wife, and not his own wife, that this monk occupied, which was not only reprehensyble but also abominable.

If Chrysostom calleth this wicked kind of copulacion, or rather mysusynge of another man's wife, no kind of honest marriage, but a wickedness more to be detested than opē whoredom, we hold with him therein, and as depely do abhor it as he ded. But where as he calleth a mōk a mortal Angel, I think he toke one for another, as the Angel of darkness for the Angel of light. For S. Paul saith, that Satan can transfourme himself into the Angel of light. ii. Corin. xi. And though Chrysostom denied monks to marry, yet he never wythstode the marriage of married priests, for it hath ever been in use among the Greeks. Neither doth Chrysostom in all his writings, maintain any doctrine of Dowes, search them who lyste. He writeth moche against them that improueth marriage as an unclean thing, specyally in the fourth homely of his first tome. Whereas he moche commendeth marriage in Isaiah the Prophet, in Moses, in Abraham, in the mother of the. vii. Maccabees, in Peter the Apostle, in Philyp, in Zacharias Johan Baptists father, and in Mary Christ's mother, declaringe it to be no impedymente to any kind of Godliness. Christ (he saith) honored marriage with virginite. Only is it Antichrist which dishonoreth it with all kinds of filthy occupyenge, under color of the same.

Thus have I answered (right worshipful syr) your popish chaplain at large, and according to your request, declared the matters & doubts, wherein ye thought yourself not fully resolved. If it be more sharp than ye looked for, ye shall the less blame me, because God is in your writing so depely dyshonoured, and his heavenly verity blasphemed. For though I can lete mine own injuries pass by vureuenged, yet can I not suffer with conscience, his so great dyshonour vnrebuked. I exhort yow therefore, as ye tendre your own salvation, to be ware of these deceitful Sirenes or flattering whysperers for that whoryshe kingdom, but yet unlearned, whose pleasant balletes, allureth to destruction. Be not carried about with their diverse and strange learninges, Heb. xiii. Be not led away with every wind of vncerteyne doctrine, into wicked errors by the crafty wyles of these Sophisters. Ephe. iiii. for by their subtle ways we may doubt in things which we need not to doubt of, and be caught in snares of deceit, which we need not to be caught in. If it be a folye to stycke unto shadows, the clear light sh •• ynge over us. It is more than a folye, yea, it is mere madness to lyngre still in the darkness self, the myd day apearyng fresh. The priesthood & the vows about whom we have all this long time contended, what are they else but Iewyshe superstitions in their best aperell? Lete us than with all godly endeavor, abhor thē both, and be no longer obstinate papists to God's high dyshonoure and our princes dysobedience.

So be it.