The Apology of johan Bale against a rank papist, answering both him and his doctors, that neither their vows nor yet their priesthood are of the Gospel, but of Antichrist. Anno Do. M. CCCCC. L.  
☞ A brief exposition also upon the xxx chapter of Numeri, which was the first occasion of this present variance.  
¶ Save thyself, O Zion, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon,  Zach. two. 
¶ Ye shall departed from Babylon, & escape the Caldeanes with a merry voice, for the Lord hath preserved his servant jacob.  Esa. xlviii. 
¶ Flee away from Babylon, every man save his soul. let no man hold his tongue over her wickedness, for the time of the lords vengeance is come.  Hier. li. 
☞ Cum Privilegio ad imprimendum solum.   

To the most virtuous, mighty, and excellent Prince, Edward the. vi. by the grace of God King of England, France, & Ireland, defender of the faith, and in earth under Christ, of the Churches of the said England & Ireland the supreme head, his most humble subject john Bale wisheth all honour, health, and felicity.  
LONG was it (most worthy and excellent Prince) ere the divine majesty would fully condescend, that Israel should have a King 
A king.  to reign over them, as had the foreign nations, considering that he had been of so long time their high governor, leader, & defender. i. Regum. viii. But when it was once determinately granted them, what was more earnestly required of God in that magnifycent ministration, than were the necessary affairs of religion? 
David.  How diligent was king David in numbering the levities, in assygning their offices, and in appointing the sacryfysers, syngers, servitors, porters, and other ministers, in their places, lots, and courses. i. Para. xxiii. How studious was king Solomon 
Solomon.  in building the house of the Lord. three Reg. vi. and in disposing the priests, levities, choristers, & door keepers, according to the order that his father David had set. 
Abia.  two. Para●. viii. King Abia strongly warred upon Israel which had than rebelled against the Lord, because they had rejected the priesthood of Aaron, for a wicked priesthood of the idolatrous nations, to do them service in a counterfeit and false religion, which were no gods but idols. 
Asa.  two. Paralip. xiii. King Asa followed the pleasure of God. He overthrew the idolatrous altars, destroyed false worshippings, cut down the yrgroves, broke in sondre their images, deposed his own mother for idolatry, abolished the stews of male children, and commanded juda to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do in all things according to his law and commandments. iii. Reg. xv.  
King josaphat having an heart courageous 
josaphat.  in the ways of the Lord, banished the hill altars and grove chapels out of juda, he sought out the word of God, he sent fourth faithful preachers in the third year of his reign, which took with them the book of the law, and taught the people in all the cities of the land. two. Paralip. xvii. King jehu executed the revengement of 
jehu.  God, for the innocent blood of his holy prophets & servants, that was cruelly shed. He slew the great tyrants, joram, Ochosias', and queen jesabel, with their children & kindreds, he destroyed all the false prophet's▪ & priests, consuming the idolaters with their idolatries, & made comen takes of their churches. iiii. Re. ix. & ten King Ezechias did clean to the Lord, put away 
Ezechias.  the hill altars, consumed the images, struck down the groves, and all to broke the brazen serpent that Moses' had made. iii. Reg. xviii. He prepared the temple, purified the sanctuary, purged the Levites, reform the priests, restored again the true religion of juda, pro vided for the ministers, & offered up the lacri fyces to the Lord. two. Par. xxix. King josias 
josias.  in like case restored again the decayed religion, brought the laws of the Lord to light, commanded the people diligently to observe them, put down the false religions which had done sacrifices to the host of heaven, brent their images, defaced their altars, & stamped them to powder, broke down y● bugger● places in the 
massmongers.  house of the lord, slew all the ydolatrouse priest's ● brent their bones in places of their wicked sacrifices, and he put out of the way all soothsayers, sorcerers, enchanters, witches, and removed all other abominations of the ungodly, reducing the people to the true service of God. iiii. Reg. xxiii.  
sufficient are these most worthy examples of the scripture, to declare what y● duty of a king is, concerning the affairs of our Christian religion. Two things have 
two. evils,  chiefly been the cause of the utter decay & full destruction thereof, continually from time to time, both in the old law and in the new, which are disputed and improved in this treatise here following. The one of them is a prodigyouse priesthood, in no point agreeable to the prescrypcyous, ordinances, or determinate rules of God. The other is 
Uowes.  a strange kind of vowing, neither taught of Christ nor yet persuaded of his Apostles, but expressly condemned of them both, for an horrible hypocrisy and manifest doctrine of devils. In the Testament of Moy ses, is only the priesthood of Aaron, and in the Testament of Christ, the only priesthood of Melchisedech. The first as a figure was finished in Christ, in the other he perpetually reigneth at the right hand of God the father. Let your learned majesty then 
Priesthed  consider, what priesthood it is, that these wily, wilful, wicked, arrogant, & obstinate papists of your Realm, extol so mallopertly & boast so stoutly, these two priesthodes taken clearly from this earth? way also what the vows are, that setteth it in force to work all ungodliness, and still to uphold the wretched world in the most execrable vices of idolatry and buggery, to remain the wicked members of that great city which 
Members.  the holy Ghost calleth Sodom and egypt. Apocal. two.  
None authority have these vows and this priesthood of the holy scriptures, though they a thousand times allege for them: vovere & reddite. Psa. lxxv. for vovere in that place pertaineth no more to their unwining state, than doth reddere there to the office of their massing priesthood. Uowes in that 
Uowes.  kind, are not of faith, but of superstition, not of Christ's doctrine, but of the Pagans fables. Mark the foolishness of them, when they are of things impossible. Who can promise to do miracles & perform it at his pleasure? who can vow that his hair shall not grow, nor his nails increase, and fulfil it in effect? no more can they do to live chaste, unless the Lord give it, which he never doth in causes unnecessary. An office was this practised priesthood, not of God, 
Of both.  but of idols, and that kind of vowing, an invention of the old Pagans for their vestals and monials. So that an offycein idolatry is the priesthood, and the vow that they call of their chastity, a service of prodigious buggery, much detested of saint 
priests.  Paul. Roma. i. In Christ we have a priesthood, so many as believe in him and are regenerate. i Petri. two. & Apocal. v. why should that false priesthood of Antichrist, deprive us thereof, for their oylynges and sha●ynges, & convert us into a layte, to give place to that devilrye?  
Is darkness above light, unrighteousness above righteousness, or Belial above Christ? Oh break down these gates of Gaza and buildings of hell, like a mighty strong Samson, & from hens fourth suffer 
Samson.  no such filthy orders to be given in your realm. In some places of the old testament is this usurped priesthood called the priesthood of Baal. three Reg. xviiii. & Hier. xxiii and in some places the priesthood of Bel, Daniel xiiii. isaiah. xlvi. In the new testament, the massing priesthood, whych●is the sinful sink and confuse Chaos of all idolatry▪ 
Chaos.  was reared up by the devils general vicar, the bawdy bishop of Rome, and put in full strength, Satan once set at large after his thousand years inprisonment. Apocalip. xx. Mark the proceedings of pope hellhound or Hildebrande, otherwise called Gregory the. seven. which first deposed priests that had wives, and enacted in the general synod at Rome, that none should be admitted to that massing ordre, unless he professed the life sodomyticall under a contrary title of chastity, in 
Profession.  the year of our Lord a. M. lxxiiii. Never were they able afore that day, of their little cakes to make them pratye gods by their transubstanciations▪ nor yet to bring the blind people in a madness to worship them.  
As it was with the priesthood of the old idolaters, so was it in continuance with this massing priesthood of antichrist. For the Egypcyanes' which were the first authors 
Egypci●●  of the false religion, would never admit any man to their priesthood, that had not been nuzzled up from his youth in the rules of that most filthy idol Priapus. Which bawdy custom is not only received of the Romish church, but also with all diligent looking on, both maintained & religiously observed. None may be admitted to their whorish orders, that hath not those instruments, whereby men are known to be men, no, not the great Priapus of Rome 
Priapus.  his own person. Though they professed hypocritically a perpetual abstinence from lawful generation, yet were they not all without their unlawful remedies, when the unquenchable heats came upon them. The bishops had their dedicated ladies and madams, the monks their veiled mo●yals, the canons their professed nuns, the frpres 
Provision  their religious sisters, the great cathedral churches, minsters, & colleges, had stews at their very gates, besides all their other more than beastly occupyings, not with a comely honest to be named.  
These. two. horrible monsters, the romish Pope's priesthood, and the vow of his boryshe buggery, which hath filled all the whole world with so many idolatries, sorceries, adulteries, lecheries, ●odometries, 
Fruits.  tyrannies, trayteries, seditions, conspiracies, and innumerable treasons, hath not been so noyous and hurtful to the christian comen wealth, but it hath still to this day very earnest upholders & maintainers, not only of the clergy, but also of the laity, not of the meaner sort of men, but of them that will be cheche mate with the best at home in their shires or contrayes, as appeareth by 
Proved.  this treatise following. I therefore exhort your excellent majesty in the bowels of jesus Christ, as ye undoubtedly intent the glory of God and wealth of your christian Realm, not only to remove this vow & this priesthood, hence, but also clearly to abolish their names with the name of their first founder the bishop of Rome. Suffer not the title 
Nopriests  of a priest to remain within your christian dominion, nor yet the note of that buggery vow, but away with them both, as with the most pestilent poisons that ever inhabited here.  
If holy S. Paul willed fornication not once to be spoken of among the Ephesians, Ephes. v. let not these two, much greater 
two. evils.  evils, which hath bred and brought forth so exceeding many mischiefs, dwell still among your people to their deadly corrupting. Send them again to Rome, from whence they came first of all, to their pompose patriarch, and permit them no longer to maintain his cursed cattle here. let the one bear away the other, the blind priesthood 
Cattles.  the lame vow, and let them trudge hence apace, till they come to their master of mischief. And let their names be as audible to your majesties liege people, as their fruits hath been execrable and wicked, else are ye never like to have quietness within your own land. Account not him for 
Enemy.  your majesties faithful subject, that here a after shall support them or defend them by any kind of false doctrine, for in the end ye shall not find him a faithful subject.  
The testament of Christ hath names sufficient 
Names.  for the ministers of his congregation, as preaching bishops, superintendentes, watch men, pastors, evangelists, instructors, elders, deacons, stewards of his mysteries, and such other like, though we horowe not these blasphemous titles of antichrist.  
Rote out these temple chaplains and altar priests, from the multitude of your people in the English and Irish churches, for those priests were never like the priests 
Borrowed  of the Lord, though they borrowed of them both dysgyfinges and observations in outward apearaunce, but like the false priests of the pdolatrouse nations. The Lord hath promised to dispatch the shaven Madya●ytes, Heir. ix. and those priests whom he utterly forbade to shave their crowns, Levi. 
●hauen.  nineteen. &. xxi. Deuter. xiiii. & Ezech. xliiii. be you a faithful and earnest minister in executing that Godly office. Destroy the male stews (as is said afore) within your own land, as did noble king Asa. iii. Reg. xv. Break down the buggery places in the house of the lord, as did good king josias. iiii. Reg. 
josias.  xxiii. And drive out of the temple, the unlawful buyers and sellers, with jesus the son of God, Luc. x. deliver your people, like a valiant Moses, from the manifold bondage of that Babylon and egypt, that they may stead fastly stand and persever in the freedom, whereunto Christ hath most graciously called them. I beseech the almighty God to preserve your excellent majesty, and 
Prayer.  to guide you always in his true fear and love, to prosper you in long life to his pleasure, and to send you evermore over his cruel enemies and yours, triumphant victory, to the glory of his holy name & comfort of yont faithful subjects.  
☞ So be it.   

¶ johan Bale to the Reader.  
IN the very time (most gentle Reader) that Christ appeared in the flesh for the restoration of man, diverse alterations ha' 
Alterations.  pened in the world, & many strange wone dear were seen, prenunciate afore by the Prophets, and afterwards in the chronicles declared to be paste. The high priesthood and sacrifices of the jews, with all the temple ceremonies then ceased. The symulachres or idols of the gen tiles, fell down to y● ground & were broken both at Rome and in Egypt, yea, great Romulus and all. In token that he was 
Romulus  come into this earth, which should both end that priesthood, and by his lively doctrine abolish all superstitions and false religion. The ordre appointed to him alone of his heavenly father, Christ in that flesh took upon him, which was the high priesthood of Melchisedech. In that priesthood he uttered the eternal testament, performed the general sacrifice 
Christ.  ones for all, paid the price of a full redemption for sin, and pacified for man his father's wrath for ever. In that priesthood he arose from death and appointed to heaven, he sitteth now on the right hand of his father almighty, continually he maketh interpellation for us sinners, and shall come at the latter day to judge the quick & the dead. This priesthood 
Priesthood  requireth neither oil nor shaven crown, neither chalice nor altar, neither mitre nor cope, neither vestiment nor cross, with such like toys of Antichrist.  
Of this priesthood are we priests, so many as believe in him, to offer up ourselves as a sacrifice to God, to become his free children by adoption, & to receive the 
Priests.  inheritance of immortality. The priesthood which hath of long time been used in the christian church, is a false and deceitful priesthed, practised of the Romish popettes & brought into an use by their covetous conveyances, the observations thereof borrowed of the jews shadows 
Apes.  and pagans superstitions. To nothing might the priests of the priesthood, be more ap tely compared, than to dancing apes, whose natural property is, to counterfeit all things that they see done afore them, and yet are they never that they seem to resemble. For those mocking massmongers have counterfeited Aaron in their apa 〈…〉 aylinge, altars, and ceremonies, yet 〈…〉 o they never as was Aaron, Eleazar, 
Mockers  or Phinees. They have counterfeited Chri stes sufferings, in crossing one hand over an other, and in spredinge their arms abroad, judas in kyssinge, Cayphas in prelating, & Pilate in washing their hands, with an hundred toys more, yet were they never right Christ's, but such disguised monsters with crowns shaue● round, as ye never saw the like.  
And what else hath set forward this prestigious priesthood, but a prodigious kind of vowing, in lewdness not unlike 
Uowing●  to y● same, which never was in full force till Satan was at liberty, Apocali. xx. So long as they were permitted to have wives in marriage, they were ministers of the church and no priests. But now since they have left marriage, by virtue of their vows, they became priests and no godly ministers, to serve antichrist and the Devil in all blasphemous idolatries. And because men shall not be ignorant of their vows, I will declare unto them 
Uowes.  what they are and from whence they came, ere they shall enter into the reading of this book following. This was their first original, as I have gathered of most learned and ancient writers. A manner the people among the old pagans conceived first of all, to give gifts to their superior governors, to obtain thereby their benevolence and favour, the 
For favour  dyspersed commons to their kings, and the enclosed citizens to their magistrates. And as they perceived this commodious in serving their expectation, they practised upon the same a religion to their gods, to please them by the like, having it in a continual & daily exercise, whereby they obtained in process of time, both 
gains.  prodigious answers of their false gods, and also miracles of diverse kinds, as the devil is ever ready where true faith is wanting, and his word neglected, to subvert all order of godliness.  
The hebrews though they were the peculiar and chosen people of God, continually exercised in his good doctrine, by 
Teachers  Melchisedech, Abraham, Isaac, jacob, Io seph, and other gracious fathers in that succession, yet were they very flexible and prone to idolatry, which lay moche in that practised kind of vowing, or promising somewhat. God therefore of mercy, not willing to lose that people of his, but favourably to bear with their babysh weakness, gave fourth certain ru 
Rules.  les and precepts by his servant Moy ses, for sacrifices, vows, & ceremonies, not in all points unlike to theirs, to serve their tender infauncy till they came to more years of discretion. Though these vows were thus converted into a religion by the set ordinance of God, and served to these. two. very profitable ends, to keep the hebrews from the filthiness 
hebrews  of idolatry, and to be special types or figures of Christ in this flesh, yet were they in themselves but ceremonial shadows. Continual were they not, because they were but tolerate for a time for man's infirmities sake, and had not their first institution of God. For by his holy prophets he sometime reproved them, and sometime forbade them, and by his son jesus Christ he utterly abolished 
Uowes.  them in the end as vain worshippings, S. Paul allowing them for none other but very barren, weak and beggarly traditions, Gala. iiii.  
In brent offerings to the Lord (saith David) thou haste no delight, Psalm. l. I hate your feastful days and fastings (saith the Lord) even from my very heart, 
Reproved  Esay. i. Where as ye sense me when ye come together, I will not accept it, Amos. v. In vain ye worship me (saith Christ) teaching the doctryves & precepts of men, Mathe. xv. with a great sort of witnesses more. To proceed further 
Uowes.  in this matter, when vows are at the best, they are no profitable works of the Gospel, but unprofitable works of the law, which justifieth no man, Roman. iii. & Galat. two. Yea, now clearly abolished and taken away by Christ, we are compelled by his lively documents to judge them much worse. They be now no better than men's fleshly 
Wurkes.  dreams, voluntary wurkes, monastycal wurkes, hipocritysh wurkes, and in that kind, sinful, wicked, blasphemous, and devilish wurkes, proceeding of a damnable dark ignorance of Christ's lively doctrine. Of this am I sure, that vows may weal make pharisees, hypocrites, dissemblers, idolaters, and beastly buggers, as they have done without 
Uowes.  number. They may set forth pagan priests, masking monks, turkish nuns and vestals, massmongers & idle prebends, with other disguised apes of antichrist but they can make no godly Christians.  
let no man then fear to forsake them, no more than he shall fear to forsake wicked sy●. For they are not only a miserable 
Uowes.  captivity & servitude of Egipte, but also a clog, a yoke, a snare of sathan, a chain of iniquity, and the most sinful character of the great beast, or a mark to buy and sell by, which is to have an occupying in that wicked generacton, Apo. xiii. He that beareth that character or mark in his forehead & hand, that is to say, he that believeth that wicked doctrine 
Doctrine  of Antichrist, and followeth it in his life, shall drink of the cup of God's heavy wrath, Apocai. xiiii. A noisome wound and sore botch falleth upon all them that beareth the mark of that horrible monster, Apo. xvi. for so have they their consciences defiled with filthiness unspea kable, & are given up into their own lusts. They which bear that character in the beasts obedience, are stain by the sword 
Character  that proceedeth from the mouth of him which sitteth on the horse. Apo. nineteen. that is, they be condemned utterly by the word of God written, johan. iii. & by that which shall be pronounced at the lattre day by Christ sitting on the judgement seat in our humanity. Math. xxv. Lo, this is the reward of idle vowers, that neglecting God's ways, will follow their own inventions. Nothing ought of a christian 
Reward.  man to be attempted, that is not expressly taught in the testament of Christ. For that which is not in the scriptures contained, is frivolous, vain, and wicked.  
Here peradventure it will be reasoned. How can I be Gods, unless I do vow myself unto him? Thus I answer thy unlearned and folly she question. In the old law, the first borne were the lords, 
Answer  levit. xxvii. yet they never vowed themselves unto him. In the new law are we the first borne so many as believe in Christ, and are regenerate, johan. i. than are we his by faith and baptism, & not by vows. God's creatures we are by creation, 
Of God.  his servants by redemption, his children & heirs by adoption, by vows are we in no point his, but our own. Uowes being works of our sinful will, may add unto his works great imperfection and weakness, but no per feccyon and strength can they add. We may do as deo the sons of Aaron, ministre 
Aaron.  a strange fire in the sacrifice, & be consumed of the same, Levitic. x. We may put to his word, and be found reprovable liars. Proverbio. thirty. We may add to his book of prophecy, and have added unto us the plagues therein written, Apoca. xxii. Oh tempt not the lord to much, least in his high displeasure for thy wilful rebellion, be destroy the 
Rebellion  for ever with Core, Dathau, and Abiron, Nun. xvi. None of us liveth his own servant (saith S. Paul) neither doth any of us die his own servant. But whether we live or die, we are the Lords, Roma. xiiii.  
A promise or vow, is always of this nature, it dyspossesseth the first owner, & maketh the thing promised, to be his, whose it was not afore. See than what 
A vow,  thou dost, when thou bringest thyself vudre a vow. Where as thu wert the Lords afore, thou becomest thine own by a new creation, as the tree that is ●ewen down and made an image, becometh of Gods, the carvers. A miserable mutation is this, if thou mark it. For by thy vow, thou thus becomest of God's creature, an ydol of thine own. But this thu wilt offer to God? This sacrifice is unsavoury. Thu cannist not herein please 
An idol  him, but most wickedly blaspheme him. When thou art his creature, it standeth weal with the to be saved by Christ's merits. But when thou art thine own, thou wilt make claim to thine own deservings, which can not further the to salvation. Thu wilt peradventure say, that thou art still Gods, notwithstanding thy vow, though thou in that pel 
Not gods  try be nothing less. For thus is a vow defined of Lyra. Uotum est, cum aliquid de nostris offerimus deo. We calit a vow when we offer any thing of our own to God. But standing the case, that thou wert his in deed, thou dost but mock him, if thu offer him his own, for thou cannyst not do it without a theft. Remember how dysdaynouslye and lothesomly they are pleased with gifts, that 
A theft.  have this homely adage in their mouths, he giveth me a pig of mine own sow, and thu shalt we'll perceive how much God is pleased with thy foe lyshe and idle vows.  
O bruty she fool and beastly ydyote, thu seekest and procurest by thine own devices to make God's commandments of none affect for Antichrist's wicked traditions, Mathe. xv. Thy labour in this work is none other, but as the enemies was, which sowed the unhappy tars among the good wheat, whiles the 
Wickedli  tyllers' were a sleep, Mathe. xiii. In the idle slothfulness of the church, when the profitable tilth of Christ was not regarded, the wily old serpent sent fourth his wicked messengers, to plant in the ignorant hearts that most execrable superstition of vowing. Thu 
tars.  blyude and witless ass, dost take it for an high religion, but in the last judgement day, it shall be reckoned to the among idle words, in apparel equal with the blaspheming of God's holy name. Repent it therefore, as thou wouldst repent sin, and forsake it utterly as thou wilt forsake thy damnation. Con 
Covert.  vert thyself again into the freedom of God's children, & be not a captive slave in the loathsome kingdom of Antichrist. Tarry not upon the unlearned and witless persuasions, of such babbling papists, as is he that is here confuted, for their ways and doctrines leadeth clearly to perdition. They unprofytablye cry, doctors, doctors, as the jews 
The jews.  sometime cried, the temple, the temple, Hier. seven. but trust not thou in their false lying words. We can never have a better doctor than was Christ, whom God the father commanded us to hear, Mathe. iii. for other doctors we have no commandment.  
He that voweth to live without a wife, or any other kind of papystry, is no more bound to perform the ungodly vow, than he 
Not bosid  that hath professed the faith of a jew or the religion of a Turk, is bound to observe it to his lives end. If an English vower in the time of peace, should promise by oath to serve the French king of a thousand vows at a certain day, and war betwixt England and France were proclaimed in the mean time, he 
Break it.  should better please God to break his oath, than to keep it. Like consideration is to be had of the unadvised vow of priests chastity. If a man professing that life, should afterward feel himself not able to perform it, but were like to fall into greater mischiefs than is the breaking thereof, he may break it without danger, as a thing begun of rashness. 
Submit.  For no man ought to prefer his own act to the ordinance of God. And again, the change of things by his secret providence, dischargeth the necessity of the oath or promise. How foolish, unadvised, and presumptuous is the vow, when promise is made to live all the year of an other man's purse without his grant or consent? How frantycke 
A vow.  and perilous, when that is behested wherein standeth the danger of life, as to give a sharp knife to a child? How doubtful and wicked, when that thing is professed which is impossible, as that the hear and nails shall not grow.  
Sucht are the rash vows of the ydolatrouse and mocking papists. They profess to be chaste, the gift remaining 
Mockers  in the hands of God, and not promised to that kind of vowers. They fear not the apparel of that which is most dangerous, as to give to a mad man a weapon, that may sty therewith. Neither doubt they the impossibility of that which is to nature unpossible, as to live without sustenance of meat and of drink, or when they have eaten, never to avoid the superfluous matter. I would wish that all rash vowers would layserly consider 
Dewers'  the rash vow of Peter the Apostle, to what conclusion it brought him, and so with him to repent it at the lattre. He vowed to go with Christ into prison, and to stand by him to the very death. But what followed of that rashness? He was never able to perform his vow, because God had not promised to assist it. But in the end he fled from it, shamefully forsaking him, leaving him, and devyenge him utterly. If repentance 
Peter.  had not graciously followed thereupon, he had without question been dampened as was judas that betrayed him. Such are the fruits of all rash vowers, they deny their Lord God in the end, for want of performance. let them therefore repent, and follow his comen ordinance. Marriage is the institution of God, and virginity his noble gift. Why these. two. virtues should fall at variance 
two. virtues  or contend for the highar place, I can not by the scriptures conceive. They were in Mary Christ's mother at a peaceable agreement, and the one served at his incarnation so weal as the other. Neither was the one more praised for her service there, than was the other.  
But in this idle priesthood, the one could never abide the name of the other, by reason of the vow that antichrist had placed therein. Which in process of time 
The vow.  exiled them both, & nourished for them. two. un happy gests, called whoredom and buggery. Away with that wicked vow, that setteth variance among virtues, & that placeth in their rooms most execrable vices. That vow is not all unlike to that Angel of mischief, which set the first strife among Angels in heaven, & amongst 
Doctors.  men here in earth. I marvel what hath moved the fickle heads of our doctors, so earnestly to maintain a matter by their doctrine, of so much mischief. It is in my opinion a great madness, to at tend so much to the voices of Jerome, Ambrose, & Gregory, dyssuading from mar 
Apostle.  riage, & so little to regard him which created man to live honestly therein, commanding by his Apostle, that men should rather marry than burn, rather to have wives of their own, than inordinately to affect the wives, daughters or maid servants 
Jerome  of others. i Cor. seven. Though Jerome were a great prater & boaster of virginity, yet was he no virgin, but may be suspected of ill rule with young women, for his to moche familiarite which them, as appeareth by his epistles. Ambrose & Gregori, should seem by some of their writings, to be as chaste as error in hypocrisy would permit them. augustine which is brought in 
Augustine:  in the invective here following for a strong witness for the vow of priests chastity, had for his time & occupying three concu bynes, & by one of them a bastard called Theodatus, as his written life manifesteth. The other scrupulous fathers and scolding school doctors, which cried with wide throats both in chairs & in pulpetes chastity, chastity, ded after many prodi giouse sorts, most shamefully slide from their vowed professions. If this kind of doc 
Doctrine  trin had not been first practised, more for the insatiable belly, than for the right honour of god, it had never obtained so strong & strought maintenance. I omit to declare for length of the matter, what mischief and confusion, vows brought to this realm by the Danes and Normannes, when the lives of the vowers in their monasteries were more beastly than 
Beastly.  either among pagans or Turks. All pratlynges of foolish papists set apart, that ye must fulfil your promise once made, though it were most presumptuous and wicked. Consydre this question that God ones axed of the jews by his holy prophet. Quis ista quesivit de manibus vestris? ut ambularetis in atriis meis? isaiah. l. Who hath required these 
In vapne.  things at your hands? to travail which them in my porches? Who set ye a work, or who shall regard them? And it may in conscience be your discharge, having repeutaunce for your rashness.  
I exhort thee (gentle reader) to accept all things here, as I do mean them. If thou be of God, to the glory of God, for to that end have I proponed them. If thou 
The end.  be of Antichrist & will not change, I leave the at thy liberty, to wax angry, hot, furious, and mad at thy pleasure, for I know thy frantic head. Turmoil in the spirit of thy beastly father, for the wicked vow and the priesthood that I disallow here, and hardly spare not. As the Angel said to S. johan the Apostle of such wrangeling hypocrites. Apo. xxii. 
filthy  Qui nocet, noceat adhuc, et qui sordidus est, sordescat adhuc. He that doth evil, let him still do evil, and he that is filthy, let him still be filthy. I will not seek to call the back, no more than the holy Ghost doth in that place, for the labour were all in vain, thou being a vessel of reprobation. The word of the Lord is able to turn thy contrary and froward buildings to dust, and to blow them away with the wind. Psalm. i. In shar pely rebuking the superstitions, me think, 
Rebukes.  I should not offend the righteous, but the spiteful rebellers and obstinates only. Therefore I humbly require the inhabitants of this realm, as they love God and the christian comen wealth thereof, no longer to be led by the wicked spirit of error. But in the meekness and true fear of his mighty majesty, to obey their most lawful king, graciously given them of the lord as a godly, favourable, and learned josias. Also to obey 
josias,  his most noble counsel, as the chief under him in the public authority. And in the end, to follow their godly proceedings, to the glory of God, honour of the king, wealth of this realm, & comfort of the commons.  
☞ So be it.   

An Apology or answer of johan Bale to an heap of fanatycall reasons, pretending the maintenance of sodometrouse vows, in the priesthood of antichrist, with a brief exposition upon the▪ thirty. chapter of Numeri.  
AFewe months ago, by chance, as I sat at supper, this question was moved unto me, by one that servantly loveth God's verity, and mightily detesteth all falsehood in hypocrisy. Whether the vows expressed in the. thirty. chapter of Numeri, giveth any establishment to the 
Dove's.  vow of our priests now, to live without wives of their own, or nay? for the same party, as I perceived anon after, had been assaulted and chased the day afore, with that most frivolous disputation. To whom (I remember) I gave this short answer, that 
Answer  they made for that kind of vowing, nothing at all, but condemned it. For as I than judged of that matter, so judge I now still, that those vows were of things than present and so fourth continuing, till Christ's 
Christ.  coming in the flesh, concerning the only nation of the jews. And now to be of no force towards us, for so moche as they were not expressly confirmed, declared, and taught of Christ, as were the moral precepts of the law. Math. v. Moreover I considered, that Christ being the clear light of the world, johan. viii. and brightness of his father's glory, Hebru. i. Left Moses far behind him, as a bare shadow or figure, constituting one only religion of us and the jews, 
Religion.  whose perfection standeth not in the works of the law, neither in renouncing of christian marriage, but in a pure and constant faith in him and his Gospel.  
In the end I was required to write by a sentence or two, what I thought in discharge of so single and sleeveless a matter. Whereupon the next day, I turned me towards a window, and wrote the few sentences here following in this book, which I have therein placed under this word Cen sura, to make it several from y● other. two. processes. 
Writing  For a matter of so small weight, discretion, and learning, I thought not only those few words to suffice, but also the time to be ill bestowed that should be more spent thereupon. In conclusion the writing was delivered to him that was the capitain 
delivered.  of this play being by birth a man of worship. gently was it received at the first and so entertained by the space of five or six weeks. Nevertheless with in the same time, entering into the hands of a chaplain, it hath been so handled and tosed among the spiders web wevers of Babylon the great city, Esa. lix, and Apocal. 
Wevers  xviii. that it is become moche larger both in length and breadth than afore. I have smelled them out, by these their monkish the torykes, wherewith their objections are greatly reple●yshed, that is to say, our vow, our chastity, in our power, we may, we were bound, with a great sort more of the like, which I will always touch as I come to their dwelling places. And for so moche 
Sacks.  as they have shaken so lousy bags of beg gerye with so earnest a stomach, let them not doubt of it, but the stinking dust thereof, shall be turned to them again, brush it of their side gowns if they can.  
My first writing, whom I little thought to find so studious commentors in that generation, that diligent reader shall always find, under this word, Censura, Their obieccpons, 
Note it.  or old sack shakings of fryres, under this word, Obieccio, And finally my simple answers, under this word, Responsio.  

Censura.  
☞ A vow in the old law, is not a profession of any rash brain, as all mon 
A vow.  kith vows were, but it is an earnest pro mice to fulfil that which God hath ordained and commanded. For why, David saith: I have loved thy commandments above gold and precious stone. I observe thy precepts, & all false ways I abhor. Also in an other place. blessed are they which walk in God's ways, and do no wickedness. Psalm. cxviii.  

Obiectio.  
¶ I have at my laysur, perused & diligently considered your writing, concerning the 
Uowes.  matter of vows, & the declaration of the. thirty. chapter of Numeri. Wherein your opinion, being but one man, without farther reasons and proves added to the same, can not as yet fully deduce me to believe the contrary of that which I have conceived by the communication of learned men in times past, and also by other books 
johan Eckius  and authorities, 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, desiring thereby your further declaration of the matter, with the opening and dissolving of the same doubts.   

Responsio.  
Right worshipful sir, I have received your gentle answer to my simple and undigested writing, but not without the crooked cavilations and unseasonable objections of some chaplain of yours, whereupon 
babblings.  I perceive, that if I follow your desire in resolving the doubts therein moved, I must be enforced to answer to. two. spretes. first unto yours, which (as appeareth) is full of lenyte and gentleness, corresponding to your name and office. And than to your said 
falsehood.  chaplains, whom I find foystered with the pope's old deggres and leaven of hypocrisy. I desire you therefore to perpend, that though Socrates be a friend, and Plato a friend, 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. thirty. chapped. of Numeri, made any thing for the vow of life single, or forswearing of marriage, 
Celibatus  in monks and in priests, or nape? chastity I can not call it, for the great godfathers thereof calleth it, Celibatus clericorum. Whereupon 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 
Moses.  to one end, concerning the religion, the politic governance, and the oeconimicall ordre of the jews. The foreign nations of that gentiles, were not burdened at any time by God's commandment therewith. The book of Numeri, according to the title thereof, numbereth out the people of Israel, in their tribes and famelies, so dystributinge unto them the land of promission. The observations 
The jews.  and sacrifices contained in the same, only respecteth that people, comprehended in certain number and place appointed to y● said tribes and famelyes. Uowes in the thirty. 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 itself is plain, to 
Mathe it.  him that will not be blind of a stubborn wilfulness. What engines now will your chaplain bring, to make that chapter to serve your turn concerning priests vows? Your whole disputation is here overthrown, the place being so preposterously alleged, for a priesthood so preposterous. truly all 
Sophistry  the unfound sowderynges of Alyngtons' sophistry, will not be found able workinanly to clout up this foul broken hole. The best were to recompense it, with an honest recantation.  
Besides all this, I wondre of what believe your said chaplain is, that he considereth not now, these dark figures & shadows, all fulfilled and finished in Christ, but will make of them a new uncommanded religion. I would wish that he put aside the 
All done  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 brethren, for attending to the only voice of 
Uowes.  their true shepherd. Uowes in y●. thirty. cha. of Numeri (as I said afore) pertaineth to y● only multitude of the jews, as weal married as unmarried, and nothing at all to the priests. I wonder therefore what wild worm in the idle head of your chaplain, hath now restrained the largeness of that place, from the comen people (to whom it was only due) to the pope's sinered priesthood, willing thereby to make it also jewish. In all 
Non at all  Chriestes' doctrine is no such kind of vowinge, as your chaplain here maintaineth, neither yet in the whole processes and acts of his Apostles. No, in all the. iiii. written Gospels is not this word vovere, or votum, once reheersed or spoken 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 
Uovere.  of the whole Bible, were never yet able to stretch vovere nor votum, further than for the old testament. Conradus Pellicanus wrong votum one inch further by vehement straining, adding thereunto the vow of Paul in Cenchrea, Actor. xviii. and an other time at Jerusalem, Acto. xxi. concerning his head shearing, which will not serve your purpose, making only for a gentle bearing with the weak jewish brethren, 
Paulus.  to win 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 priest, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had stain Paul, Acto. xxiii. let it be your own stuff hardly. The descrybers of the primative church Egesippus & Eusebius, maketh no manner of mention of that prestysh vow of yours. The name thereof was moche more in use 
The name  among the pagan poets and sophisters, than among the Christian doctors, a great while after Christ's ascension, so famous was it among Christians in that age. When monkery was once sprung up, by the idleness of them that fled from the persecutions, than grew it into a name and use among that sort (as among the sects of our time the ite racyon of baptism) but yet not into a damnable bondage.  
For Paulus the first eremite, Antonius, Hilarion, Macharius, Pambo, Pachoimus, and a great sort more which were the 
hermits  first founders among Christian of the life solitary, were never acquainted with this kind of vowing. Freely ded their disciples inhabit the wilderness. freely lived they after the rules of the Gospel, married or unmarried, as appeareth by Spiridion, Polycrates, and other married bishops, in the Ecclesiastical story of Eusebius. What though their superstitious posterity, the foe lysh world to delude, brought that free estate of living into a necessity and bondage of 
Bondage.  vows, yet would they for their times, attempt nothing that had not the scriptures authority to bear it. The papacy once confirmed for money, by the trapterouse murderer Phocas, vows were thought apt instruments to work many miracles by, in the uprearing & further maintenance of that mighty monarchy of antichrist, 
Papacye.  as it was in deed by the practise of hypocrytyshe monks. For all this time the priests had their wives, and the monks were at their liberty, to go or to come, except it were a certain of them which upon their own brain, wholly addicted themselves to that rule, without either counsel or commandment of God, to make 
Moukes.  Satan apere the Angel of light to the excecated world, as the sequel here declareth.  
I read in the chronicle of Cyrillus the Greek hermit, De processu sui ordinis ad abbatem joachim, that Aymericus a 
Aymericus.  french man, being the pope's legate and patriarch of Antioch, gathered together by virtue of his commission, a certain number of dyspersed hermits in the mount of Carmelus. To whom he builded a monastery there, in the year of our Lord a. m. c. &. xxi. compelling them to obedience under one superior called Bertoldus, being his nigh 
Cyrillus.  kinsman. 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 obligaverant, donec patriarcha Aymericus, eos ad hoc primum astrinxit, &ce. About. lxxviii. years after, followed Albertus 
Albertus.  the patriarch of Jerusalem, which in the year of our Lord a. m. c. xcix. gave them a rule of supererrogation, or works more than needed, to confirm them in the same. All this time, and more than eight and fourthy years after, were they bound to none other vow, but to the only vow of obedience to their prior. Brevely is this whole story touched, of Polydorus ●ergilius, lib. seven. de rerum inventoribus. But when these were once entered into the provinces 
Europa.  of Europe, and compelled to seek the Romish pope's confirmation, by two English friars 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 when that was adjoined thereunto, by the straight commandment of pope Innocent the. iiii. Hugh the priest Cardinal 
An ordre.  of S. Sabyne, and William bishop of Antirade, being his commissioners, than were they allowed for a spiritual religion in that Sodomitical church of Autichrist, and might both preach and hear confessions, for maintenance of the same, as testifieth Sybertus de Became in tractatu de con syderatis super regula. But mark what 
Fruits.  fruits followed immediately after, of this newly professed vow of their chastity. These religious brethren frequented the houses of religious sisters, converting their chaste profession into most detestable whoredom. Whereupon Nicolaus Gallus their master 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 
Nicolaus Gallus.  dart in the year of our Lord. a. m. cc. lxx. And in the. v. chapter this sentence he hath among many other. Per plateas civitatum de mane usque ad vesperam bini et bini discurrentes, vagis gre●sibus circuitis, ipsum haben●es pe●agogum, qui rugiendo circuit qu●rens quem devoret. Et sic in vobis prophecia, In circuitu impii ambulant, ad vestre confusion's cumulum ver aciter est impleta. Est enim causa 
Causa.  discutsuum huiusmodi principalis ac precipua, ut visi●e●is, non pupillos sed puellas, non viduas in tribulatione existentes sed fatuas iwenculas, beghinas, moniales, ac dominas. Ubi, alter in alterius iactantes lumina vultus. etc.  
From morrow till night (saith he) by couples ye course the streets of cities in idleness, having him to guide which greedily 
Satan.  seeketh whom he may devour. So that this prophetical saying, The wicked strayeth abroad, is not only verified, but also fulfilled in you. The chief cause of your discourses, is not to visit the fatherless children, but dissolute damsels, not widows in their trouble, but wanton wenches, beghines, nuns, and vowesses, or ladies of the mantel & the ring, corrupting their idle lives by many uncomely ways. Thomas Cartipratensis in his second book, de bono universali, cap. lvi. saith. That about the same time, Nuns were so vexed with certain night spretes, called Incubi, when they were in bed and the candle out, that neither crossing 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●, 
Incubi.  ut nulla cis valeret crucis signatio, nec aqua benedicta, nec ipsum Chri sti corporis sacramentum. Sister Christine for example, refused on a time, to be among her other sisters houseled, because a spirit of that kind had occupied with her the night afore.  
Never had the soothsayers of egypt, nor Pharaoes' calcars, more subtle points 
●owers.  of conveyance, with all their incantations and nec romancies, than had these religious vowers and idle bragger's of chastity, for that necessary occupying. And much help obtained they to practise in that art, by the fine wurkes of pope Sylvester the second, pope Hyldebrande, friar Albert, frire Bacon of Oxford, frire Perscrutator of York, frire Bongay, frire Some, frire Lynne, frire Riplay, 
Conclusio  and a great sort more. All this bring I in afore my answer, to declare unto you the beginning & succession of the vow of single living or forswearing of marriage, in the Romish priesthood & popish religious, lest we should take darkness for light and Belial for Christ, or that idolatrous priesthood & 
popish.  religion for a priesthood and religion of the scripture. Now will I show hystorycallye the form and fashion of that popish vowing, that it may be known diverse from y● ceremonial vows in the scriptures, & not to seem worthy to have defence of the same, but ra ther by them to receive due condemnation.  
None end of dyffinitions hath this kind of vowing among the scholastical masters, 
Diffynytions.  & yet not one of them to the purpose. Sum saith, that a vow is an holy promise to god. another sort calleth it a desire, of God requested. Sum affirmeth it to be a will, moving reason to promise. Sum calleth it a conceiving of a better purpose, made sure by a deliberation. Sum nameth it a service, making religious men more accepted to god than the layte. Sum calleth it an act to God's high honour, a communication with God, a 
Of vows  second baptism, & a receiving of holy orders. Sum nameth it a good work of sit pererrogation, an office of special dedication to God, a profession of a rule religious, & an act to Christ's pleasure. Sum saith, it is a testification of a fxe promise which is due to God, a promise annexed to the rule of a monk, a spiritual public wealth, an offering to God of the whole tree with 
Diffinicious.  his fruit, and the mary of the Gospel. Sum reporteth it to be a law corresponding to the commandments of God, an ac●e having an opinion of health and righteousness, a bond● indispensible by authority of the church, and a dyreption or sacking of matrimony. Sum saith, it is a profession making a full christian man, a religion equal with the Gospel, baptism, faith, 
Of vows  and the word of God, an act requiring the remission of sin, justification and the life everlasting, and such a worship to God as deserveth heaven.  
Sum affirmeth it to be a satisfaction for sin, a perfection evangelical, an observation of God's precepts and counsels, 
Doctors.  and the highar part of God's true worshipping. Sum calleth it a covenant to be observed in pilgrimage, offering, prayer, and fasting in pain of damnation, a discharge from wife and children, father and mother, master and masters, friend, neighbour, acquaintance and all, though it be to their great hindrance, a renouncing of father and mother, wife, child, and master in the obedience of religion, & a great foul rabble besides. Yea, Thomas Aquinas defineth 
Thomas.  it thus. A now (saith he) is a certain testimony of a free promise, which God ought to have, in things pertaining to him. Ricardus de Media villa saith, that it is a promise of a supererrogantinge purpose, made first to God for a good end, & brought into full strength by a deliberation. Thus have I given you here the labours of a meany of Nenrothes builders in the letting 
Builders.  up of this their great castle of confusion. jacke daw that threw from him all his fedders, was never more galauntly garnished with the fedders of every fowl, than this bird of uncleanness is decked with dyffynytions.  
Now will I cause that ydolouse stinking 
A monster  monster, whom your chaplain so mightily defendeth here, for a religion indyspensable, to show himself abroad, in his own proper persove. It is the profession of a monk, or obligation from God to the devil, in the blasphemous kingdom of Antichrist. let your chaplain avail his bonnet, & receive him with reverence, for here now he cometh. Ego frater. N. facio professionem meam, et promitto obedientiam Deo, bea●o Francisco vel Dominico, et tibi frat●i. N. de. N. Priori eius 
Professio.  ordinis generali, ac eius successoribus, vivere sive proprio et in castitate secundum regulam predicti ordinis usque 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 ordre, & to thy successors, to live without proper and in chastity, according to the rule of the said ordre, unto my lives end. This hath 
In rule.  Bartholomeus Pisanus in conformitatibus Francisci, Antoninus of Florence, Par. iii. Tit. xxiiii. cap. xiiii. and joannes Maria de Novolaria in suo Mari magno. Mark the good stuff therein contained.  
In this holy profession, is Frances, a man dead more than three hundred years ago, coupled with God in obedience, so is brother. 
General.  N. of. N. the master general of the same order, dwelling always at Rome, and gapinge for the death of some Cardinal, to obtain his dignity for money, except it be for the time of his visitation, or of gathering up his idle rents in all the christian proynces. And like as it was in this ordre to Frances, so was it in other orders to basil, benedict, bernard, Augustine, mary, 
Fathers.  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 canonically admitted bishops of Rome, as is written in regula Minorum, which is not the Gospel of jesus 
dregs.  Christ, as the said rule affirmeth, but a contrarious doctrine of Antichrist his great enemy. It followeth consequently, that these religious vowers, must live without their own and in chastity according to the rule of y● said ordre (not of Christ's Gospel for that hath no vows) unto their lives end.  
And if your chaplain will yet farther contend for their vows in holy orders of subdeacon, deacon, and priesthood. I say this 
Orders.  unto him, and can prove it by a thousand wytuesses, if need be, that the monks or religious votaries, coming to these whorish or idolatrous orders of Antichrist, took never those vows of the bishops suffcaganes, as the pope's massmongers ded whom they than called the secular priests. For the suffragans were not their ordinary prelate's, neither had they power to extort any new profession of them. But in deed 
Fre passage.  they suffered them always without vow to pass, knowing & considering that they had vowed afore in their monastycal professions, votum publicum & solemn, which was unto them a second baptism, Thomas of Aquine saith. O knavery unspeakable. The priests vow esteemed of a much lowar kind, is called votum tacitum ac privatum, having this bawdy clause thereunto adjoined, Si non caste ta● 
Si non caste.  men 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 difference of their profession● and vowinge?  
Yet to speak it truly, I could never thoroughly know, what a priests profession was in those days, by all that ever I red. Saving once (I remember) as I was ● 
priests.  Maldon in Essexe, about. xx. years ago, I found an old bishops ordinary, or book of their exorcisms, for church hallowings, bell blessings, and oiled orders giving. Wherein I beheld this only clause, for the obligation or charge of their chastity, Accipe jugum domini. Take the yoke of the 
Answer.  lord. But I found therein no answer appointed, to be made of them which received that order, neither by affirmation no● yet negation. And therefore the bond should seem to stand void, unless this borrowed clause of the law do help it. Qui tacet consentire videtur, he which holdeth his peace seemeth to consent or agree to it, But than that same videtur, may in some case discharge if again. jugum domini, is no such he any burden, as is so commonly eased by whoredom and sodometry. For the lords yoke doth case & not burden, all them that are loaden. Math. xi. My yoke (saith Christ) is easy, & my burden is light. This yoke is a gentle sufferance of heart, or an humble endeavour to do the will of God. And is not only 
Orders.  for priests at their orders taking, which of all men regardeth it least, But comen it is for all kinds of people, men and women, married or unmarried, maid, widow, husband, wife, and all.  
Except your chaplain can make, these afore rehearsed professions good by the scriptures, which (I know) he shall never be able 
Weak.  to do, let 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, renounced those wicked kinds of religions and priesthood, and by virtue 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. 
Ages.  I speak not here of the ages from. seven. to. xiiii. which was the year of profession, & from. xiiii. to. xxi. which was the year of taking their orders. Which their divinity masters alloweth, having in their unsavoury commentaries, this unsavoury sentence of their own dotting brain. Quanto a castioribus 
Boys.  animis proficiscuntur vota, tanto magis Deo placent. Quare adolescentum vota, prevalent votis seniorum. The more chaste those hearts be (say they) from whence the vows come, the more acceptable are those vows to God. Wherefore the vows of young boys are better in value, than y● vows of their eldars. Is not here (think you) a lump of fine divinity? yes, and it were to serve in the devils black parlour.  
The fickle promise of a wanton boy, not 
Doctrine  grounded in God's knowledge, is here preferred to all other kinds of vowing. Here is no bad doctrine, if it be weal considered & weighed. Saint Paul admitting widows to be found at the charges of the congregation, allowed them not to vow the sole life (if ye will there have it a vow) afore the age of. lx. years. i Tim. v. Of what strength than will they make the vow of inconstannt lads? I omit the mysteries & fruits of this text, lest the rehearsal 
Mysteries  of them, should be an infection to other, in hearing so filthy examples. Upon all these matters afore rehearsed, I thus conclude, that these uncommanded vows are such ydele, mocking & blasphemonse promises, as of necessity aught to be broken. And I have I sidorus to hold with me therein. In malis promissis (inquit) res●inde fidem, in turpi vo to muta decretum. Quod incante vovisti, ne 
Do it not.  facias. Impia est promissio, que scelere adim pletur. In promises that be evil, discharge thy covenant. In a filthy vow change thy former decree. Fulfil not that thou hast vowed unbewares, for that promise is wicked, which is not accomplished without naughtiness  
When the kings grace of England by the 
A discharge.  authority of God's word, discharged the monkish sects of his realm, from their vowed obedience to the bishop of Rome, ded he not also discharge them in conscience of that vow of Sodometry, which altogether made them antichrist's creatures? If he did not so mind it, why altered he their religions? why took he from them their disguised garments? why plucked he down their monasteries? yea, why put he them so at liberty, and sent them fourth abroad? These things ought not to 
A broad.  have been, if that kind of chastity had been indispensible. For the vows made in those relygyons, pertained only to the same. When those religions were once banished the realm, was it not necessary that those vows should be also banished with them, which made them religions? Would ye have men in one point to be the kings true subjects, and in an other the romish pope's sworn creatures? The holy Ghost in the scriptures, 
Papists.  calleth 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) lest ye be partakers of her sins, and so receive of her plagues.  
I herein dyscommende not the honourable state of virginity, neither yet of faithful wydowed, whom I know to have their worthy praises of the scriptures, but this 
Praised.  hellish lake & sink of sylthynesse unspeakable. All this have I written afore, least we should take evil for good, and couple sour with sweet, making of them a mingle mangle for pigs of the pope's old puddle. From hens fourth will I answer to your chaplains froward objections. Though The reported in your writing to be but 
Opinion.  one man, yet shall it apere that my oppnion concernyng vows, is not mine own private opi nion alone, but the opinion also of all them which are ruled by the sacred scriptures. I am fully persuaded in conscience, that those most wholesome pastures of the holy Ghost are plenteous and fait enough for any christian man's feeding, and are able alone to sustain us without all other provisions, into the life everlasting. All other reasons, proofs, declarations, opinions, communications, 
Reasons.  autorytees, writings, doctryns, or doubts, what so ever they be, not grounded upon them, are nothing worth at all, be they never so delicately prepared. For without the verity, they minister nothing to man, but iyes, corruption, & poison. Now followeth here the process of your writing.   

Obiectio.  
☞ First ye begin with the definition of a vow, what it is in the old law. Where 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 deliberation and a sure purpose. 
●otaries.  So that 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 fulfil that which God hath ordained and commanded. Wherein ye seem to say true, but not all the truth, to make a perfect definition. For the name of a vow extendeth to many moo things, than your definition doth.   

Responsio.  
It is at his pleasure, that your chaplain here with mock and all, reporteth me to define a vow. For I mente nothing less at that time, than to dy●fyne it after Aristot●les Toppkes, as he require th' it. I have left him good store of such dyffynitions 
Dyffyne.  here afore, taken out of a great rabble of his doting 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 
Aristotle  ●nes judge of disfinitions, which in the xii. book of his Metaphysics, saith that, De diffinitionibus potest esse scientia. A science may be of dyffynitions. For of the scriptures can we make neither art nor science no more than we can make an art or science of God's eternal wisdom. And though it were thus Englished, that knowledge may come by definitions, yet holdeth not the comparison, for God's ways are not all one with man's inventions. Esa. lv. If I have 
A vow.  said, in describing a vow, concerning diverse places of the old testament, that it is not a profession of any rash brain, as all monkish vows were, I think I have said the truth, yea, and such a truth as your chaplain is not able to withstand by any just 
A promise  ground to the contrary. If I have also uttered, that it is there an earnest promise of fulfilling that which God hath ordained and commanded, neither have I taught an old wives fable, for the scriptures standeth strongly on my side.  
As jacob in that way going towards L● 
jacob.  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 the tithe 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. Non other opinion had David of vows, 
David.  than this when he said. Psalm. lxv. Introibo in domum tuam 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 mouth, when I was in trouble. As frankly disposed as your chaplain was, to trifle & to toy with my definition, as he scornfully calleth it, with it is and it is not, yet is he in the end compelled to agree with me therein, & to confirm it with a reason of his own. But because I find his reason barren, 
A reason  brainless, and without any ground, except it be of the sophisters definitions, I reject it utterly, and will confirm the ordre there of by a sentence of him, whose words were never yet out of order.  
Non facietis singuli, quod sibi rectum videtur. Sed quod precipio tibi, hoc tantum facito domino, nec addas quicquam, nec minuas, duty. xii. Ye shall not do (saith 
As are vows.  God) that seemeth good to me●nis private judgements. But do only that which I command you, & see 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 voluntary vows dispatched clearly, come they with deliberation or without deliberation, with sure purpose or without sure purpose, because they have non allowance 
Delybera ●yon.  of Gods word, but a manifest condemnation. An other like sentence. Non recedat volumen legis huius ab ore tuo, sed meditaberis in eo diebus ac noctibus, ut custodias et facias omnia quecunque sunt in eo. Non declines ab ea ad dexteram nec ad sinistram. joshua. i. let not the ●oke of this law (saith the Lord) be out of thy mouth, but study therein day and night, to accomplish and do what so ever I have commanded the. See thou decline 
The law  from that law neither the one way nor the other. Non ultra 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 mouth. Math. iiii. Not for our righteous works, but of his own mere mercy hath 
Mercy.  he saved us, Tit. iii. Neither in man's will, nor yet in his running, is the attainment of salvation, but in God's mercy alone, Ro. ix. Thus have I proved by the scriptures, that a truth may be set forward by, it is & it is not, ye shall and ye shall not. And all the commandments of God, are given after the same order. As thus: Thu shalt have none other Gods in my sight. Thu shalt 
commandments.  hallow the sabbath day. Thu shalt make the no graven image. Thu shalt honour father and mother. Thu shalt not kill. Thu shalt not steel, and so fourth. Here is a great matter than, that your 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 
Negation  do not a little marvel, that in my dyscryption of a vow, a poor adverb of negation should so much offend him, and the usurped lord ships with all out ragiouse pride in the clergy, offendeth him nothing at all, by this earnest warning of Christ, Uos autem non sic.  
A plain token is it, that he playeth the part of jack Nitigo, as the saying is, he seith, 
See not,  but he will not see, or else that he saith a small moat, and letteth the great beam pass by, as ded the hypocrites, Math. seven. He hath a straight eye to vows, but their stinking fruits in all execrable occupying of y● flesh, he respecteth not. The deliberation and sure purpose, which he bryageth me in here, to seclude from his popish vowers the rashness of brain, are neither borrowed of Christ 
Mydylton.  nor of Paul, But of richard Mydylton a grey frire, otherwise called, de media villa, or of some of his disciples in the scol● doctrine of brawlers, as though a monkish profession were lawful and good prevented by a deliberation. Here is proper stuff to uphold these wares of filthiness, to Antichrist's behove. He neither weigheth this monkish profession here, nor yet discreetly examineth it, whether it be by the scriptures lawful or unlawful. But rashly he judgeth 
rashly  the rash vows thereof both good and sufficient universally (for he saith here in every vow) having a deliberation and a sure purpose. But what is the deliberation 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 Gods wurde ones called to counsel. A thief waiting his pray, taketh a deliberation. An adulterer hath a sure purpose of that he seeketh.  
This rash kind of vowing, so rashly 
Mad men  described, he may weal bequeatheth to his mad men, his harebraynes, his children, & his fools, as he hath put them here by order, for fit they are not for men of wisdom and godliness. A sober deliberation might here have done him good service in a far better purpose than this is. Where as I call a vow, an earnest promise to do those things which God hath ordained and commanded, I define not the general 
Author.  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 apere unmeet to allow the pope's 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. Agareves, Turks, 
Turks.  jews, Idolaters, papists, and the devil, maketh vows in their sorts, which I intend not to couple in one definition, with the vows of the sacred scriptures. No, that marriage were not lawful. And of this have I written enough afore.   

Obiectio.  
¶ Anna i. Regum. i ded vow to God y scrute ●rute of her womb. which God should give her, and yet she was not commanded of God so to do. 
Anna.  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 expressed, 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. There for your diffynition 
Nazarei,  seemeth unperfyght. For a vow although it be sometimes in those things that be commanded and required of all men, as the vow which is made in baptism, yet properly, me think, it is in those things which be lawful, and in our power, and whereunto we were not boun den before, And so by our vow, do restrain 
Propely  our liberty.   

Responsio.  
His examples here concerning Helcanaes' wife. i Reg. i. and the Nazarees, Nu. 
Examples.  vi. confirmeth my definition, and confoundeth his whole matter. For where as he saith, that Anna grounded her vow upon no commandment or ordinance of God (as do monks and priests) he falsely reporteth it, to maintain a most devilish purpose in hypocrisy. For it is written. Ero. xiii. Sanctifica mihi omne primogenitum, quod aperit omnem vuluam in filiis Israel. sanctify unto me all the first borne, that openeth all matryces among the children of Israel. And the same is confirmed in Christ, Lu. two. Omne masculinum adaperiens vuluam, sanctum Domino vocabitur. Every man child that first openeth the womb, shall be 
Scriptures.  called holy, or dedicated to the Lord. Aman child was it that she desired of the Lord, and such a one as should be the first fruit of her womb. And like as that was universally Gods, both by ordinance and commandment, so was the fulfilling and ground of her vow. Mea enim sunt omnia primo genita filiorum Israel, tam ex hominibus 
First fruit.  quam ex iumentis. Ex die quo percussi omne primogenitum 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 land of egypt, I sanctified them for myself.  
If this be restrained of this adversary, to the only law of purification, yet shall it 
Cleringe  still maintain my purpose, that God's ordinance was the ground of her vow. For she sought thereby to be purged of the contumelyouse reproach and maledyction of the law. Moreover she found the like of all that she went about here, in the barren mother of Samson, jud. iii. as a matter to ground upon, besides Gods working in her spretes perturbation. The ordinance of God there, is this, mingled with commandment. S●erilis 
Precept.  es & absque liberis, sed concipies & paries filium. Lave ergo ne bibas vinum acsiceran, nec immundum quicquam comedas, quia concipies et paries filium, cuius non tanget caput novacula. Erit enim Nazareus Dei ab infantia sua, et ex matris utero. Behold thou art barren, & bearest not. But thou shalt conceive & bear a son. And now be ware thu drink no wine nor liquor that is strong. For lo, thou shalt concey●e & bear a son▪ And there may no razor or shears come on his head. For the child shallbe a Nazare unto God, even 
A Nazare  from the time of his birth. This wise prelate your chaplain, would (as appeareth) by his fond arguments, have it only a work of nature & of man's art, to obtain godly children, & not the gift of God, specially when they were appointed to the ceremonial obsequys in the house of God, Num. viii. O beastly noddy without brain.  
If all this will not sattle his wild witless head, to give over to God's ordinance, that he hath all this time given to man's fickle invention, Than let him mark the praper 
Idle head  that the said Anna made, & he shall see somewhat more. Exultavit cormeum in domino, et exaltatum est cornu meum in Deo meo, etc. i. Reg. two. Mine 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, ut est dominus. Deus scientiarum dominus est, et ipsi preparantur cogitationes. Dominus mortificat et vivificat. Dominus pauperem facit et ditat. Suscitat de pulvere egenum, etc. I rejoice in his prepared 
Anna.  health. Non is so holy as the Lord. The lord is a God of knowledge, & he setteth fourth that works (mark it sir johan) for what is it, that is good, which is not at God's pleasure? The lord killeth and raiseth. The lord maketh poor and enrycheth again. He raiseth up the poor from the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dung hill. Pedes sanctorum 
Impii.  servabit, et impii in tenebris conticescent, etc. He will fashion the steps of his holy ones, But the wicked shall keep silence in darkness, etc. as a great number of blasphemous papists doth now adays, by the same hand of God. If all this be not enough, I know not what will satissye a wicked fool.  
And where as your 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 homely handling 
Homely.  of the story, and nothing pertaining 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 thinkest best, and tarry till thu haste weaned him. But also it followeth there, Precorque ut imple at dominus verbum 
Derbum  suum. i Reg. i. I desire God to perform his word. The word of God is never contrary to itself, neither had she at that time digested it after so fickle a sort. They which are with God, & gather with him, Lu. xi. as this good woman ded in this act, goeth not pranking afore God, but meekly cometh after, else were they scatterers from him. We which are the labourers, husbandry and building of God, ought none otherwise to work than his word appointeth. i Cor. iii. I wonder that he could 
Foolishly  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 abstainers, he taketh the man for his observation, as the absteiner for his abstinence, and so calleth him a thing not ordained nor commanded of God, which is no wurkemanly convepaunce. But this will I say unto 
Absteiner  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 from wine. There is not much other matter in all the 
Blind.  whole chapter, than for them. I wondre therefore, he perceived it not, in searching out the place. But peradventure he ded it, perfunctory, carptim, or cursim, in manner as the old writers do report the dogs to drink in egypt, running with all speedy haste possible, or without advisement whether ye will. His conclusion is as much out of square, as are his premisses. If the Nazarees 
Nazarei.  observed the vows by commandment (saith he) or prescript ordre of God, than every man should have sinned that had not been a Nazare. No sir, not so. God come manded 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, when he 
Specialtees.  said to his Apostles, Go fourth & preach, And therefore your conclusion is nothing worth.  
Now in the end what make these examples of Anna and the Nazarees to any purpose, concerning the vow of monks and of priests, to live single without marriage? 
Not like.  Anna had an husband. Her desire was that she might not die barren, but to have a man child. And her vow was to offer that child of her own body unto God for term of life. And her vow lasted no longer, than till her child was weaned. Her son was holy Samuel, which though he were consecrated to God, had both wife and children, i. Regum. viii. The Nazarees had wives, as appeareth by Samson & Samuel. They drank 
Married  no wine, they ate no grapes, they had no vinegar to sauce so long as their vows lasted, as monks and priests have in their daily masses and feastings. No rasure nor shears might come upon their heads, as doth upon the heads of monks and priests. Neither might they be scene at burials of the dead, as are commonly priests and monks for money. And their vows lasted no longer, than for the time of their abstinence. 
Lastednot  For afterwards (the text saith) the abstayner might drink wine. Thus doth 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 dyffynition of vows, he doth unadvisedly & without all sincere judgement. For they only comprehend gifts and offerings, with external rites and ceremonies, 
Folyshely  where as in baptism the profession is only faith, called of the Apostle Prima fides. i. Timoth. v. For when Christ saith, Marci. xvi. Predicate evangelium 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 believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. 
No vow.  By this barbarous and strange coupling together of baptism and vows of the old law in one definition, he putteth no difference betwixt the master and the servant, the free and the bound, the light and his shadow, the verity and his figure, the church and the synagogue, Christ and Moses, but thrusteth them in together, making of them an hoche poche, all contrary to the wholesome doctrine of Saint Paul. Galat. 
An ill coke  iiii. Also on the otherside, me thinketh he doth baptism great wrong, to join him with a monkish vow in the same definition, for in so doing he coupleth righteousness with vuryghteousnesse, and the importable yoke of strangers with the gentle yoke of Christ. two. Corinth. vi.  
His adverb properly, borrowed of Porphiryes principles, is not able to make that 
Fond gear  enterprise good. He may for his pleasure, take this kind of learning out of Thomas of aquine, for he in deed calleth monkery the second baptism, I can not see that he can find it any where else. A doctrine this may be for turmoyling Thomists, but how it might avail any weal advised or sober christians, I can not perceive. By ver tu of this sophistical adverb, properly, he 
Conveyance.  restraineth the private vows of monks and of priests from the generalte which he findeth in baptism, and all in the same definition. A very clearkely conveyance. 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, His thinking shall stand void, till he bring fourth just proves by the scriptures of the 
Never.  new testament, and that will be (I think) ad calendas Grecas. Of this am I sure, that both hypocrytycall monkery and massing priesthood, are such plantations as our heavenly father never yet planted, Mathe. xv. but the ungracious father of Rome, the patriarch 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. seven. Uelle adest mihi, To will, is present with me. But where as he saith, that the things promised, do 
To will  lie in our power, that I utterly deny● him. For it followeth in the text, At ut 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 given the gift. Novi enim (saith S. Paul) quod non habitet 
Not ours.  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, Sapien. 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 can not keep myself chaste, except God give it me. And a great point of wisdom is it also, 
Sapiens  to know whose gift that is, or from whence it cometh. Than is it presumptuously here spoken, that it should be in our power.  
When Christ's disciples upon certain occasions, judged it not good to marry, Mat. nineteen. Christ made them this answer. Non oens 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. 
Christus  And as touching them which chastened themselves for the only kingdom of heaven, which is neither in monkery nor massing, he concluded after this sort. Qui potest capere, capiat. He that hath power to set hand upon it, let him apprehend it in God's name. Here is no man commanded, 
No precept.  neither yet counseled, to make thereof by vow, a perpetual band. 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 long definition, 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, 
Found out  in our power,, we may, we were bound, with such other like, so that he can not hide 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, 
Universally.  levit. nineteen, & 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. let your loins be girt about. And S. Paul i. Timo. v. Temetipsum purum serua. Keep 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 
Paphnutius.  vowed chastity. Paphnutius a man 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 generation, and no man there withstood him. Lib. two. histo. tripartite, cap. xiiii. A false and an hypocrites opinion is it, that chastity can not dwell in man, unless it be vowed. Zacharias the pressed and Helizabeth his wife, were both chaste, the Gospel sayeth, if chastity 
chastity  be a perfection, and a walking in the laws and ordinances of God without reprove. For why, Erant ambo justi coram Deo (the text saith) vitam agentes juxta omnia precepta ac iura Domini, irreprehensi. Luce. i. Both were righteous afore God, and so fashioned their lives after his laws and precepts, that no man could find fault with them.  
notwithstanding Epiphanius affirmeth in libro de heresibus, that in the great college of Jerusalem were certain Levites, 
levities  which for their vows sake would touch no woman in marriage, but among themselves they wrought sylthynesse unspeakable. And those (saith he) were the chief in opy nyon among the people, and most commended of holiness. And for reprehending those vi●es in them, was good zacharias slain. 
zacharias.  Philypp Melanchton following the said Epiphanius, confirmeeh the same story, in his commentary upon Daniel, ca xi. Saint Paul confesseth holiness and honour in 
S. Paul.  marriage, and according to them requireth it to be used. i Thess. iiii. Sciat (inquit) unusquisque vestrum, vas suum possidere in sanctificatione et honore, etc. Learn every one of you, to use his vessel in holiness and honour. And what more can be looked for of all your vows? Nay, I would they brought 
Holiness  not with them the contrary, as filthiness and dishonour.  
Then maketh he a conclusion of his matter, declaring the nature of his dyffyned vow. And so by our vow (saith he) we do 
A beast.  restrain our liberty. The children 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, jaco. i. And where as the spirit of the Lord is, there is perfect liberty, S. Paul saith, two. Cor. iii. In the name of God, what liberty will this man restrain by his vow? If his vow restrain these, his 
Restrain  vow is a thing most wicked. What liberty will it than restrain? liberty to marry. Than is his vowing a doctrine of devils, for their doctrine only, in all the scriptures, is reported to forbid marriage, i. Timoth. iiii. Saint Paul the elect vessel of God, saith. Si se non continent, nubant, Melius 
Better.  est enim nubere quam uri. i Cor. seven. If they can not abstain, than let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn. And this is there spoken without restraint or exception of vows.   

Obiectio.  
☞ And than we vow chastity, when we may lawfully go to marriage, as S. August. sayth, de bono viduitatis, cap. xvi. Quando licite 
A foule lie.  rei licentiam tibi, amor melioris boni aufert. Donavit enim ne liberet nubere cum liceret, ut iam non liceret, etiam si liberet. Et ca xi. Bonum continentie vidualis luculentius de●et, cum pro illo vovendo et profitendo, possunt femine quod et libet et licet. S●d post vot● professionem perseveranter frenandum et vincend●● est quod libet, quia iam non licet. Et psal. lxxv. 
Augustin.  Non sitis pigri ad vovendum. Non enim viribus vestris implebitis. Deficietis side vobis presumitis. Si autem de illo cui vovetis, vovete, securi redditi●. Uouete et reddite domino Deo nostro omnes communiter Quid debemus vovere? Credere in ilium, sperare ab illo vitam eternam, bene vivere secundum communem mo dum. Est enim quidam modus communis omnibus, 
Communis  furtum non facere, non castimoniali pre cipitur, et nupte non precipitur, Adulterium non 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 fratrem, 
In communi.  non adversus aliquem tenere perniciem, omnibus in communi precipitur. Hoc totum omnes vovere debemus. Sunt etiam vota singulorum. Alius vovet Deo castitatem coniugalem, ut preter uxorem svam non noverit aliam. Sic et femina pre ter virum suum non noverit alium. A●●● etiam vovent, etsi experti tale coniugium, ultra nihil tale pati, nihil tale concupiscere, aut sustinere. Et ipsi voverunt aliquid maius quam illi. 
Maius  A●●● virginitatem ipsam ab ineunte etate vovent, ut nihil tale experiantur, quale ill● experti sunt, et reliquerunt. Et isti voverunt plurimum, Alii vovent domum suam esse hospitalem omnidu● sanctis advenientibus. Magnum votum vovent. Alius vovet relinquere omn●a sua, distribuendo pauperibus, et ire in communem vitam, in societatem sanctorum, magnum vou●t votum. 
Magnum  Uouete et reddite Domino Deo vestre, et cet. Quisque quod vovere volverit, voveat, illudque attendat, ut quod voverit reddat, Unusquisque Deo quod vovet, si respi●it retrorsum, malum est, etc.   

Responsio.  
I supposed afore that this pretenced vow here, had been a profession of chastity, which is also due to marriage. But now I perceive, it is an only renouncing and utter 
Sodoma.  banishing of marriage. For it followeth in his writing. Then vow we chastity (sayeth he) wh●n we may lawfully go to marriage. It is true that ye do so. But what godliness find ye in so doing, or what win ye in the end, as ye seal up your hand for term of life? surely, for your reward ye win the sore plague, belonging to such ungodly presumption, that is, to be given over of God, unto lusts unlawful, Romano. i. as experience hath declared 
A plague.  in an hundred thousand buggers. The fruit manifesteth what the tree is, the examples of life, what the vow is, dissemble you the matter neverso long. It is not all for nought, that Saint johan was commanded not to measure the quere, or approve it by Gods word, neither yet to allow the order thereof for a state of rygh teousnesse, Apocalip. xi. Neither yet is the 
Thequere  great spiritual city, which is the blasphemous church of romish vowers, without cause called, Sodoma and Aegyptus, in the self same chapter.  
And when he perceiveth, that scriptures will not aid him in approving of his babblings, he heapeth me in, an whole half leaf at a dash, out of Saint augustine, De bono viduitatis, if it be his, & in 
A doubt  Psalm. lxxv. As though his authority availed, where scriptures are not to be had, and as though the verity might be choked with a multitude of words. But to open and declare this papists conveyance, I will first of all English here these sayings of S. augustine, if they be his.  
☞ Saint Augustine englished.  
Saint Augustine saith in the. xvi. chap. of his book concerning honest wydowhed. When the desire of a better purpose (a tail 
A tail.  without an head) taketh away from thee, the liberty of that thing which is lawful. For it is God's gift, that thu likest not in marry when thou mightest weal do it, that from hensfourth it should not be leeful for thee, though it liked the. And in the. xi. chapter. The estate of wydu all cleanness is than most fit, when for the vow and profession there of, women may put apart that is both liking and leeful. But as the vow is one's 
may.  professed, constantly is that to be restrained and vanquished, that liketh, for no longer is it leeful. 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 
Bold  hardly, for assuredly shall ye perform it. Vow, and yield it unto our Lord God, all you universally. But what must we vow? To believe in him, to hope of him the life everlasting, and to live christianly among our neighbours. For an ordre is prescribed to all men, in no wise to steal. Not to the professed nun, nor yet to the married woman, was it commanded, but all folk are charged to commit non adultery. Not to 
To all men  follow drunkenness, whereby the soul is overcharged, and the temple of God defiled, is equally commanded to all men.  
Not to wax high minded, is command ded to all men a like. Not to kill a man, not to hate their brother, and not to seek an undoing to any man, is universally commanded 
Universally.  to all men. All this aught 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 than his own wife, and in like case the woman, to know none other but her own husband. another sort promiseth, that though they have proved the act of marriage, yet will they no more do the like, neither yet affect it nor favour it, and these hath vowed somewhat more than they. another sort voweth 
Uotaries'  virginity from their youth, that they will never assay that other hath assayed and left, and these in like manner hath vowed much. another sort promiseth their house to be herbourouse to the howsehold of faith, and a great vow do they make. another man voweth to leave all his goods, and to associate himself with men that are godly, he hath vowed a great vow also. Vow therefore, 
To learn  and render it to your Lord God. let any man vow that is willing to vow, taking always heed that he perform what he voweth. Ill is it for any man to look backward, that hath vowed, etc.  
☞ S. augustine declared.  
first it is to be marked, to whom, o● at whose instance, this book was made, who was the author, and what is the argument, 
The book.  or ground thereof. The book was written to one juliana, a professed widow. The title and argument, are corresponding to the same, for they declare the honest state of widowhood. But the great learned man Frasmus, utterly denieth the work to be Saint augustine's, and proveth it by many strong reasons. Consydre first of all, that they are brought to a narrow shift, that seeketh to be helped by women's matters. 
Wydows  What hath wydowed to do with priesthood, more than womanhood with massing? Are the offices of priests and women becomen now all one, and were wont to be so diverse. Then let priests become women also. Is not here (think you) a witty fetch of this papist, to prove his matter by? His first proposition was (and thereupon is all this contention) that priests must be Celibes, that is to say, men without women. 
Celibes.  And now that matter can not 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 naughty purpose. They far like monks and friars, which never could agree, but when some mischief was in brewing, against the glory of God.  
And in deed the prophet Daniel confesseth, that the hearts of that generation, are greedily set upon women, Dani. xi. but that 
●echerouse.  is all out of marriage. But I fear me, their labour here, tendeth to this end, to find out among themselves by virtue of their orders, that prodigious kind of occupying without women, which Saint Paul appointeth them as a plague of their error to damnation, Roman. i. They are about no small miracles, when they have such compassynges, ye may be sure. O execrable generation of antichrist. Now to the 
devils.  contents and argument of this alleged book. The work is divided into two parts, the one containing doctrine, and the other fatherly counsel, for the honest state of widowhood. The doctrine which is the stronger part, endeth with the fifteen chapter, and this crooked cloyner, cloughteth me in a patch of the lattre part, 
Conveyance.  which is the weaker. But mark his conveyance (I beseech you) and ye shall see in him, the cursed nature of a wicked papist. He bringeth me in here, the lattre end of a sentence in the. xvi. chapter, leaving out all these words. Qua in re, prius illud moneo, ut quantamcunque tibi inesse sentis 
Left out  pie continenty dilectionem, beneficio Dei tribuas, eique gratias agas, qui de spiritu suo tibi tautum largitus est, ut eius in cord tuo charitate diffusa (now cometh in his patch) licite rei licentiam, tibi amor melioris boni auferret.  
But in place of all this, he hath trumped me in a Quando, to help his conveyance, and changed the time in Aufert. A false harlot 
False dice  (they say) will never betrue. And thus is the sentence to be englished. By the way of exhortation or counsel (saith the author) I admonish thee, that what love so ever thu findest in the towards godly cleanness, impute it to God as his benefyghte, and give thanks to him, which out of his own spirit hath given the so much, that his charity being spread abroad in thy heart (his Quando is out here) the love of a better 
Quando  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 massmongers indispensible? Truly no more than is, Stans puer ad mensam, made by Robert Grosted of Lyncolne. The mind of the writer was, that charity proceeding of faith and not of vowing (for here is no vow spoken of) should be judged to be the gift of God, & that no boast should be made 
No vow  thereof, as of that thing which were in our power. For it followeth. Multi quip habent magna Dei dona, et nesciendo a quo habeant, impia vanitate iactantur. Many there be (saith he) which hath worthy gifts of God, but for lack of knowledge of him that is the giver, they wickedly & vainly glory in themselves. This spoke he against 
Boasting  such iustycyaryes (as are our bragging papists) which boasted that of their own free will, without the grace of God, they were able to live weal.  
His authority out of the. xi. chapter and part concerning the doctrine, is the conclusion of an argument, the premisses left 
Conveyance.  clearly out. But to make it not so to apere, serving his turn, he hath craftily conveyed away this word Ergo. Mark the good wurkemanshypp of this Babylonish builder. The author in that chapter disputeth against them, which judged the marriages of professed sisters or nuns to be adulteries and no marriages, and concludeth 
Marriages,  that such marriages ought not so to be judged neither yet dissolved, though, as in his opinion, the vow breaking he not allowable. In y● chapter afore he beginneth with this reason. Qui dicunt talium nupitas non esse nuptias sed potius adulteria, non mihi videntur satis acute ac diligenter considerare quid dicant. They that report the marriages of vowers, 
Unlearned.  to be no marriages but adulteries, seem 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 adultery that way. Thus I answer them. 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 adulterer, 
Christ.  by receiving upon her faith, an other man's wife. And this I add to it. That an horrible sin they might also impute to Christ, as to have married his own mother, when she became her spouse, with other like fantasies 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. This is no convenient rule therefore, 
No way.  of putting the man from the wife, but rather a way to make them adulterers. And after this sort he continueth, till he come to the said conclusion, Bonum ergo continentie vidualis, etc. which all I cut of here, for time losing. The commodity therefore (saith he) or profession of vydual cleanness, is than most fit, when for the vow and promise thereof, women may put apart, that is both liking and leeful. If this chaplain had minded the preferment of a verity, as he ded the bolstering out of a falsehood, 
A fox.  he had there more advysedlye marked this word possunt, which carrieth all the weight of the whole matter. That profession is fit for them, when they may, that is to say, when they are able to leave that is liking and leeful.  
And that caused Saint Paul, not afore lx. years of age to admit any widows 
Wydows  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 you afore, I have known so many to slide. Lo sir, how say ye now, have ye not spun here a fair thread with your. two. allegations of this doctor, to prove, that than ye vow chastity when ye may lawfully go to marriage? yes that ye have, & it were wylle Summer the kings fool. I told you afore, 
Summer  as I tell ye now again, that all this was but women's ware, which have many times light heads, & therefore (I pray you) reserve it to their use, and seek out some better stays, for the sole living or wifeless state of your priesthood, 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 falsehood, it is yet in question 
A doubt  whether that book where his or no. Mark in the same. xvi. chapter, a little after your first allegation, Sursum corda, with dignum et justum est, and S. Gregory which followed. cc. years after, will rather apere the author thereof, than S. augustine.  
Now are we come to the third allegation of this chaplain, Non sitis pigri ad vo vendum etc. which is S. augustine's in deed upon the. lxxv. Psalm. But mark his cruel theft here (I beseech you) that ye be not 
Augustin.  an other time deceived by the like. Thus beginneth S. augustine upon this text of David, vovete et reddite, promise & do it, or vow & perform it. Quisquis quod potest (inquit) voveat et reddat. Ne voveatis & non reddatis, sed quisque quod potest vove at & reddat. let every man vow (saith he) that he 
Able.  is able to to perform, & let him perform it in deed. Do never promise, unless ye mind to pay. But let each man promise, that lieth in his power, & so fulfil that he hath promised. Than followeth the text, that he seeketh to work his false feat with, Non sitis pigri ad vovendum. Be not slow to vow, and so fourth. O blessed augustine, thy doctrine is godly and pure in this matter, and not 
Godly.  mixed with the leaven of hypocrites. As thou puttest it fourth hence, it is seasonable & good and may wholesomely feed the flock of jesus Christ. But as this cruel enemy ded handle it afore, it was more like to have poisoned than nourished. Full falsely art thou alleged here of this mocker and perverter 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 
Of power  the nature and true meaning of the text in that Psalm. And because S. augustine would have this point taken for the seasoning salt or ground of all that should follow concerning that matter, he rehearseth it here twice. But why left you this out, ye most spiteful adversary to all verity and truth? why let ye it pass by? yea, why took ye it not with you? Because ye would play the dissembler, liar, mocker, poisener, thief, and soul murderer, ever like yourself, a 
vi. parts.  full exercised craftsman in that occupying of mischief. But tell me master person, who hath taught you to play so wicked parts as these are. Even the devil your captain, which seeketh not else but to devour in darkness, you helping him forward as much as ye may. For what purpose or to what end, do ye work these false feats. Even to make of the household servants of God, the citizens of Sodom and Gomor. O devil 
citizens.  incarnate, O most vengeable Satan. But now that I have thrice taken you in this kind of robbery, I will so hold ye by the nose, both in this & in that which shall follow (be yesure of it) that all they which shall look upon you & your work, shall take ye for none other than a naughty thief & a pick purse.  
And as touching S. augustine, he utterly refuseth, so to be taken or alleged of any man, that his authority should maintain 
Doctrine  a doctrine besides the scripture. For he saith, in prologo textii libri de trinitate. Noli meis literis quasi canonicis scriptis inseruire, etc. give in no case, so moche credit to my writings, as to the canonical scriptures of the Bible. This sentence hath he also in his second book, ad Uincenti●. Ideo namque retractationum librum feci, ut discant lectores, 
recantations.  neque mea per omnia mihi placere. For that only cause made I a book of retractations, that my reader's might we'll know, that mine own writings ded not in all points please me. Moreover he writeth thus in his work, de natura et gratia, c●. lxi. Solis canonicis scripturis sine ulla recusatione consensum debeo. Such a privilege belongeth to the scriptures of the Bible, that to them we must always assent 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 non prosint 
Augusty.  sed obsint, imo quod extra scripturam damnanda sint. That foolish vows profiteth not but moche hindereth, and also that they are damnable when they have no ground of the scriptures. Which for tediousness in searching the great heap of his wuckes to little profit, I now pass over.  
In the end also will I say, that they are ill friends to S. augustine, which to establish so 
authority  wicked a purpose, usurp his authority on this wise. For though his time were somewhat corrupted with superstitions, yet he never took vows as they have been prodigiously taken of hypocrites in our age. That is to say, for a worship of God, for a merit of righteousness, and for a singular perfection. And though he had so done, yet is not this couse quence thereby found true. Uowes were in use in S. Augustine's days, Ergo the sodomy tycall professyons of cloisterers and massmongers, 
Argument  are a lawful service of God. No more than this argument is good. In S. Augustine time some thought there was a pur gatorye, Ergo we ought to have masses, the pope's indulgences, and chauntery foundacyous for the dead. In bringing in that long process of Saint augustine upon the. lxxv Psalm, this charming chaplain took moche more pain than he needed. For it is nothing to the purpose to defend monkish 
Monkery  vows, but that he seemeth glad, to have sum what in appearance, though it be most thevishly 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 most devilish. For thus he concludeth, Omnes communiter, universally all men.  
But to put all out of question, this godly man defineth, what kind of vowing he meaneth. Quid de bemus vovere? inquit. 
Credere  Credere in illum, sperare ab illo vitam eternam, et bene vivere secundum communem modum. 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, none otherwise than after the comen manner of christianyte, required of all men geverally. All the vows that there followeth, be they proper or comen, are governed by these christian rules. Thus is this adversary 
Dove's.  discharged. three ways, for taking here any hold for his sodometrouse vows, by quod potest, which he hath thevyshly left out, by omnes communiter, and by credere in illum, which both he brought with him with out understanding. therefore this deceitful 
Papyste  papist may now go, as the comen saying is, and shake the dog hay. For nothing in all this long 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 comen to all men. which differeth nothing from the office and duty of a christian man, whereunto every man is bound more by God's law than by his own promise. another singular, after every man's own devotion, in such things 
two. Uowes  as he may lawfully forbear, and yet by his vow doth bind himself to the performance of them. The bond, whereof standeth in the promise of the man, not in no former command dement of God. This kind of vow, is clean left out in your definition, which maketh it unperfectly in my mind.   

Responsio.  
Here hath this chaplain overshoot his wits, by calling these three several allegations, but one authority of S. augustine. But per adventure he would have them here taken in substance, for. three persons and one God, 
gentle  for aboughte such mysteries his popish generation is very busy and cunning. I am weal contented that he and his hath learned in this lattre allegation, which is S. augustine's in deed, that there are vows of. two. diverse kinds, one comen an other propre, or one double and an other single, for the other. two. have no such division of vows. But I would he & they had learned this of S. augustine withal, that those vows 
Possible.  must be of things which are in our power, concerning faith, the comen christianyte, & a way to the life everlasting, for he mente non other. To live without wives by your own appointment, & 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 you & yours to a narrow shift, that would require of you to prove S. augustine's division upon this word votum, by Christ's doctrine. 
A shift.  Well, I let you alone concerning that matter for this time, & go forward with the members of your division, whom ye have defined full like yourself.  
One comen (ye say) to all men, which differeth nothing etc. I would wish that ye had left out some of those babblings, & that ye had given to this one of yours, his own right na 
Prima fides.  me, calling him prima fides as S. Paul doth & not votum. For votum is but a borrowed bastard name, without the scriptures of Christ's new testament. But such are the buildings of these wicked justiciaries, to uphold in hypo crysie their voluntary works. another singular (ye say) after every man's own devotion, in such things as he may lawfully forbeat etc. Merciful God, what confuse matter & unfruitful baggage is this? Placed is it not in the scriptures, unless it be in the smoke 
Smoke.  rising up from the bottomless pit, Apocal. ix. or else in the golden cup of the rose coloured whore, & than is it part of the abomination & filthiness of her whoredom, Apo. xvii. Is the promise of coningall chastity or faithful cleanness in marriage, as the man to know none other woman than his own wife, & the woman non other man than her own husband (which S. augustine here numbereth among 
liberty.  singular vows) after every man's devotion, that he may leave it of if he lysteth & become an adulterer? 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 twain thereby to be one. Gene. two. & Math. nineteen.  
How can ye say, that the bond is the man's in the state, when that man hath no power of his own body, but y● wife? i. Cor. seven. Standeth 
The bond.  the bond of this vow in the promise of man, & 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 apaid, 
finely.  that this kind of dyffyning is out my diffynition (as ye call it) neither do I reckon it the more unperfyght for the want thereof. I would men ded mark this workemanshypp here, and ded se how finely falsehood as in a net, conveyeth himself. Come out ye devil, I will yet discover you further, for all your crafty lurking, and clearly dispatch ye of your hold. Uowes are here deupded into vows comen, and vows singular. This division is altogether nought, as you have here defined the members thereof, 
Agree.  though ye father it upon S. Augustyve. For memb●a divisa in genere non conveniunt, as it is required they should do. If it be answered that they agree, in genere vocabuli. I must say again, that our dyfputacyou is not super vocabulis, upon words and names of things, but upon the very things signified by them. I will prove by their grounds, that they agree not in uno genere.  
The ground of vows comen, are Gods holy commandments, the ground of vows singular, as you have describe them, are men's idle devotions, otherwise called 
Devotions'  will wurkes, or works of supererrogation, that is to say, more than need. How far these. two. are from agreement in vuo genere, the voice of Godsowne mouth by the prophet hath declared, Esa. lv. Non enim cogitationes 
Thoughts.  me sunt cogitationes vestre, necvie vestre, vie me. Sed quemadmodum celi, terra sublimiores sunt, ita excedunt vie me vias vestras, et cogitationes mee cogitationes vestras. My thoughts (saith the lord) are not your thoughts, nor your 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. See now how these divided members agree. Who ever thus coupled himself with God, but Antichrist the son of perdition? 
lucifer  which exalteth himself above all that belongeth to God, two, Thes. two. But come down thou devil, that thus settyst thy chair in heaven, and will be check mate with the highest, ●sa. xiiii. full vumete are thy dongysh and filthy 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. Whereunto I say, yet once again, that 
Shame  that more is his shame to couple it, yea, rather to make it equal with God's commandments. But that the mischievous 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, how little strength is it of? Is a 
Man.  sin full man of such omnypotency, that his unadvised decree must perpetually stand, leading to so wicked an end? Isidorus saith. Si quis preventus fuerit, ut diffiniat agere aliquid eorum que non placent Deo, penitentiam agate. It quod contra mandatum Domini statutum est, in irritum revocetur. If any man be so prevented, that he bind himself to do avy of those things 
A vow.  which are not pleasing to God, let him repent him of that prompse. And let that which was determined without God's commandment, be called back again and made of none effect. Sayncte Bedas also confirmeth the same in Romelia. xlv.  
Si aliquid forte nos incautius jurare contigerit, quod obseruatum in peiorem vergat exitum, Libere illud salubriori consilio mutandum noverimus, ac magis instant nenessitate 
Change.  peierandum nobis, quam pro vitando periurio in aliud gravius esse divertendum. Denique iuravit david per Deum, occidere Nabal virum stultum & impium, atque omnia que ad eum pertinebant demoliri: Sed ad primam intercessionem Abigail femine prudentis, mox remisit minas, revocavit ensem in vaginam, neque aliquid culpe se pro tali periurio contraxisse doluit. If it hath chanced us (sayeth S. Bede) to be 
Bedas.  sworn to any such things, as the fulfilling thereof, might bring us to a greater evil, Being instructed by more wholesome counsel, we may weal break that oath, and rather for the time of need forswear the thing, than for doubt of perjury to run into a greater inconuenyente. For David swore by his Lord God to slay Nabal, a foolish and wicked man, and to destroy all that was his. Yet at the first instance of the sober wise woman Abigail, he withdrew 
Abigail  his anger, put up his sword, and never thought any sin in that perjury or breakyuge of his vow. The chaplain sayeth, that this kind of vows, is clean left out in my dyffynycyou. As I said afore, I am weal contented it is so. saint Paul sayeth. i. Lorinth. vi. righteousness can have no fellowship with unrighteousness. Light agreeth not with 
Christ.  darkness, neither hath Christ any concord with Belial. And this (he saith) maheth my definition unperfyght, As though monkish vows, might add perfection to vows of the old law, confirmed by the scriptures. Who could ever have painted him out more lively for Antichrist's man, than he painteth out himself?   

Obiectio.  
Than ye go about to prove it by the sayings 
David  of David, which sayings declare the good of fectyon of the just man, to the keeping of God's commandments, and seem to pertain nothing to declare what is a vow. And therefore in my mind, your definition is nothing fur thered by these authorities. The just man saith, I have loved thy commandments above gold and precious stone. This proveth not that a vow is only a promise to keep God's commandments. For it speaketh not of a vow, but declareth his affection and obedience 
A vow.  to God, So I take it, except you see 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 principles, as I told you afore. For so might I do as your false generation doth, prepare a deceitful bait to cirumvent the simple which hath no foresight, and to trap them in a snare 
False.  to the devil your masters behove. This kind of clouting ye shall keep to yourself, as an art fit for your occupying, to wring by couples into one definition of a vow, truth & hypocrisy, verity and falsehood, God and the devil, agre if they may. For otherwise (ye say) it can not be made 
definition  nor come to y● shape of a persyght definition. In alleging David, I approve a doc tryne and no definition, the ground of a vow after the sacred scriptures, and not the name of it, as it hath been hurly burlyed in Antichrist's kingdom. Though the alleged texts here, maketh mention of no vows, yet include they that, whereupon vows must be grounded, if they be of value, as are gods appointed ways and commandments, They also seclude that aught not to be vowed, that is to say, false ways and wickednesses. 
Hypocrysyes.  And this agreeth weal with that which is uttered in the former description, to declare & show a plain contrariety between the sober vows of the scripture & the frantic rash vows of our clergy, least men unbewares 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. 
A vower  In me sunt Deus, votatua, que reddan, laudationes tibi, Psalm. lv. I have within me, O God (saith he) thy vows, which I will pay thee, and they are thy praises. Reddam vota mead die in diem, Psalm. lx. I will perform my vows from day to day, Reddan tibi vota, que distinxerunt labia mea. Psalm. lxv. I shall render the vows, which my lips hath with deliberation promised. 
Praises  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: With a great number of testimonies more, who is than more fit 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 words, Uovete et reddite, & cet. 
Be godly.  Vow & perform your vows. Psa. lxxv. These are to be loved as God's prescript ways, and observed as his commandments, the other are utterly to be abhorred, as the ways of falsehood and wickedness. Thus pertain they somewhat (as you term the matter) to declare what is a vow, & there for they have weal furthered my definition.  
These sayings of David (ye say) declare the good affection of the just man, to the kepynge of God's commandments. Here is so weighty a sentence, as might weal 
Wit  have comen from them which were wont to sing that Psalm at their popish hours without devotion, it cometh fourth so freshly and with such a courage of sloth. But it is good portasse doctrine. As ye love the scriptures, so handle ye them, yrkesonly, faintly, unsavourly, & barrenly. 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 
lively  powers of hell are not able to prevail against them. And they will serve the scripture vows at need, though they serve not your popish vows. They declare in David besides your feeble affection, a faith incomparable, and an whole giving up of himself to God from all worldly cares. A doctrine from above, a demonstration of the righteous, a prophecy full of pith, a purity of Gods word, a consolation in Godliness, 
Sentences.  an hate of superstition, a right handling of the scriptures, a full observation of God's commandments, an obedience to God's biddings a simplicity of soul, a meekness of spirit, a conscience without cancre, a strong love towards virtue, a study for righteousness, a despre of knowledge heavenly, a fervent zeal in the truth, an alacryte 
Declared  of spirit, an inward peace, a joy in the holy Ghost, a diligence effectual, a constauncy in perfyghtnesse, a mygthy perseverance, a gift of God's spirit, a sincere religion, a detestation of idolatry, gods true worship, a work which most highly pleaseth God and displeaseth the devil, and an whole sum of Christianite.    

Censura.  
☞ Uowes in the xxx chapter of Numeri, are gifts with praises unto God, or offerings with thanks giving. And they pertain to a feast of the jews, called 
Clangor  Clangor, or the day of trumpet blow king, which feast came but ones in the year, and continued but vii days after. And therefore those vows were not perpetual.  

Obiectio.  
¶ In this sentence, ye seem to change the signification of vows, and also to restrain them to one feast called Clangor. For vows (ye say) are gifts, with praises unto god, or offering 
Dove's.  with thanks giving. And before ye said generally, that a vow in the old law, was a pro mice etc. How can it be both the promise of a thing, and the thing promised? And by the chapter itself, it may seem to be taken for the promising of a thing to God, and not for a gift or offering promised. For the last sentence saith thus. Si voverit, et juramento se constrinrerit, ut per jeiunium vel ceterarum rerum abstinentiam, affligat animam suam et●●. By which words it appeareth, that a vow is 
Promise.  not taken for a gift or an offering, but for the promise of some lawful thing, as fasting, abstinence, or such like. Which 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 
A gift  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 trun pettes, but to every time and age, when so ever any such vow shall be lawfully made.   

Responsio.  
Where as I have in that sentence changed the signification of a vow, ye could not therewith be much offended, were ye not of a froward, crooked, and quarrelling nature. 
Pevyshe.  For the best of your doctors in exponing the scriptures, doth so, so weal as I, & are driven thereunto by the diversity of the places and circumstance of sentences. For restraint of those vows in the. thirty. chapter of Numeri, to a feast called Clangor, I shall answer you here after. I spoke it in deed, that a vow is a promise, and the scriptures afore alleged, out of Gen. xxviii. & Psal. lxv. 
Scriptures  hath born me good witness, that I spoke the truth in it, which to rehearse again were but superfluous. But where as ye say, I spoke it generally for all vows of the Bible, ye shall take it to ye again, as a lie of your own forging. For I never mean all vows, when I speak of a vow, no more than I mean all men, when I say, a man. And as I called it there a promise, so call I it here a 
Meaning  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 levit. xxvii. Homo qui eximium aliquod votum nuncupaverit, juxta 
A gift  estimationem dabit. A man that will give a singular vow to the Lord, shall give it according to the value or weight. Lo sir, here is votum a gift, requiring value or weight. When jacob vowed a vow to God, Genes. xxviii. in the day of payment, 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 brent sa 
offerings.  cryfyces with the smoke of rams, and offerings of bullocks and goats. Uota pinguium vestrorum non respiciam, sayeth God, Amos. v. I will not once look upon your fat offerings, Moreover it is written Psalm. lxiiii. Te decet hymnus Deus in Zion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem, exaudi orationem meam, etc. It beseemeth thee (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 
A vow.  named laudationes, that is to say, praises or commendations. And where as Solomon sayeth, Proverbio. xv. Uota justorum placabilia, all good expositors calleth vota there, prayers. An hundred like testimonies are in the scriptures of the old law.  
Now let us return to the. thirty. chapter 
A gift  of Numeri. There is it written. Si quis virorum votum domino voverit. If any man vow to the Lord, etc. I am sure that to vow a vow, is not to vow the words all ready spoken, but the thing promised in that vow ing. It followeth after in the text. Si congnoverit pater votum quod policita est. If the father shall know the vow that his daughter hath promised et cet. This vow was not the promise of a promise, for than had it been like the vow that Davy the 
Davy  Walshe man made upon the sea when he was in danger of drowning, to offer a candle as much as the ship mast, when he come once to land, 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 thanks giving, as I have proved here afore. Ye axe me this question, how a vow can be both the promise of a thing, and the thing promised? Whereof I greatly wondre, considering that for your pleasure, ye grant 
Question  a moche more marvel, that is to say.  
In your massynges, after your breathings upon the bread and wine, ye confess the accidents thereof to be Christ's body and blood. For ye say, that the former substances of bread and wine are taken away by a new creation, which ye prodygyously name a transubstantiation. By this ye should 
Miracles  seem 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 were lawful to axe such questions, I might also axe of you, how Sara might be both wife and sister to Abraham? because I find it so written, 
Sara.  Genes. xii. &. xx. Such frivolous and unlearned questions, bringing nothing else but contention, S. Paul forbiddeth us to move. two. Tim. two. & Tit. iii. ye are a great wise prelate & well oversean in matters, if ye judge votum in all parts of the Bible to import one meaning. Ye far like a simple surgeon or dog leech, whom I sumtime knew, which had but one drink for all diseases, and one salve for all sores. Uotum in that scriptures hath not one only signification, but 
A surgeon  many. Some where it is a knowledging of God's benefyghtes, some where a faith in his promises, some where an adoration, a worship, a dedication, a free gift, a promise, an offering, atything, a praise, a prayer, an abstinence, an ordinance, a ceremony, a sacrifice, a thanks giving, 
Uotum.  and in certain places, a devotion, a desire, a danger, a destruction, an Anathema or separation by death, and such like, but never any forswearing of marriage.  
Afore ye were much offended because I called a vow a promise. And now to prove it to be no gift, ye admit it for a promise (such are your mocks and 
A promise  toys) and ye prove it to be so, by this sentence of the same. thirty. chapter. Si voverit et juramento se constrinxerit, ut per jeiunium vel ceterarum virtutum abstinentiam, affligat animam suain. If a wife hath vowed & bound herself by oath, to humble her soul by fasting or other kind of abstinence etc. And I grant it you, that by this it is a pro mice. But if ye had gone on a little farther with the text, ye had found it a gift. For 
Gone on.  anon after it followeth. Quicquid voverat atque promiserat, reddet. All that she hath vowed & promised, she shall pay. Though it were but a promise at the bargain or covenant making, yet is it a thing promy said in the performance or at the payment day. Time and place hath changed many things. That was in the house a promise, becometh in the temple a payment. Have ye forgotten your old sophistical destruction potenty et actus, wherewith ye were wont to bind b●ares at your pleasure? what remembre yourself. Ye far like them in this 
Pharisees  point, which reckoned a swearing by the temple or aultre, for no binding oath, but the swearing by the gold of the temple & offering of the aultre. Mathe. xxiii. Christ saith there, he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God. Lo sir, how may heaven be heaven, and the throne of God?  
Either ye were in doubt of your allega 
pleasant  cyon, Si voverit, by these staggering sayings (It may seem, It appeareth) afore and after, or else ye were ●●yrily disposed in your toyenge dalliance, but ye have work manly mocked yourself in the end with a manifest lie, calling Si voverit, the last sen tense of that chapter. By like ye were in such post haste, that ye took no heed what followed. Look better upon it an other time, for your own honesties sake. Ye call abstinence and fasting things lawful, and 
Fasting  so do I also in the kind God left them in by his appointed rules. But your monkery and massing priesthood, for whom ye presently contend, are nothing so, wanting allowance of the scriptures, but they are wicked offices and abominations in the blasphemous kingdom of Antichrist. Where as ye say, that the wife or daughter, are 
Not ho●●●  not bound to perform such vows, if the husband and father sayeth nay to it, ye speak it truly, for the scripture there affirmeth the same. Why than compel you priests, monks, and nuns to an indyspensable keeping of their vows, of whom a great number had never the full consent of father and mother? O deceitful mockers. 
Scorners.  Yea, why so tyrannously bind ye them, to that filthy Sodom, without redemption? O illuders of righteousness. God our eternal father, Hierem. li. God his eternal son, Mathe. xi. and God his eternal spirit, Apocalip. xviii. hath mightily called us from thence.  
Our mother also, which is Christ's immaculate spouse, by the voice of Saint Paul, hath given this charge, to her children. Nolite jugum ducere cum infidelibus, two. Corinthio. vi. Bear not that yoke (meaning 
Warning  your vow) with the infidels. Ne commisceamini fornicariis. i. Corinth. v. Accumpavye not with those filthy fornicators. Than conclude ye with as foolish an end, as ye had principles afore. If a vow (say you) be not here a gift but a promise thereof, for certain times and persons, then pertain not those vows to the feast of trumpets. We'll said master person, and reasoned full like a polityque pultar. If a net be not a net, but that shadow of a net than are we not like with our nets to cacche any wod●cockes this year. sir, it is so weal taken there for a gift as for a promise, as is declared afore, and there for your undiscrete argument is discharged. 
Clangor  But where as ye pluck those vows from the feast of trumpet blowing, 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 fit for them among Christian, though you, not onlyke a jewish Rabi, appoint them all times & ages. Neither have they been 
●ibamina  since Christ's ascension lawful. S. Paul setteth so little by them, that he calleth them feeble traditions and beggarly ceremonies, threttening the Galathianes damnation, forturning to them again. Gala. iiii.   

Obiectio.  
I see no cause why ye should say, they pertain only to that feast, saying that fasting, abstinence and such like painful works be not gifts and offerings appointed by God to be offered in that feast only. I think, you 
wily  think it no good reason to say so, because in the chapter before, mention is made of that feast and of such things as God. will have offered unto him, than I can not see why this chapter should more ●e restrained to pertain to the chapter before, than the next to this, entreating all three of clean diverse matters. Therefore I 
Bernard.  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 offerings, neither they pertain to that feast only, and that the feast continued longer than. seven. days, as it appeareth by the text itself. And therefore by the conclusion, that these vows were not perpetual, I under stand not what ye mean, except it be that the 
Blind  feast nor the offerings of the feast, were not perpetual, being but shadows, which saying followeth not of that before.   

Responsio.  
repeating your matter, ye see no cause why, I should report vows in the. thirty. chap. of Numer. to pertain only to that feast etc. A gnat ye strain out very sore here, to swellowe in a camel, but it will not prove to your mind. I see good cause why I should 
A gnat  say it, and I speak it (I think) as a friend. For if they remain not there, they are like to have but a simple dwelling in this age, except some superstycpouse grandam, or some old doting sir Davy, will harbour them for a tyme. Who will now vow, to offer up a young kid in sacrifice? What, think you that we know not in what taking 
Sacrifice  the dark ceremonies of Moses are now? Moses is dead and buried, we have Christ alive in the mountain for him. The Gospel succeedeth the law, wherein the precepts are spiritual, and must be of us fulfilled in spirit and verity, and not in old 
●n spirit  worn out shadows. remission of sins cometh only now by Christ's offering upon the cross, & not by the old levitical expiations. Christ hath wholly & perfectly supplied in his most innocent flesh, that was prefigured in the serpent of brass in the wilderness, that no man from hens fourth should go back again thereunto, for recover of the 
Recover  venomous bytynge of any other serpent, Numer. xxi. for no man can perish that believeth in him, but is sure to have the life everlasting, joan. iii.  
That feast of trumpet blowing, I tromped ye in as a toy to help ye forward in your jewish creacyons, because ye sought so earnestly to establish the chastity of your priesthood by that. thirty. chapter of Nun. I gave ye it by the way to make you merry with, 
filthiness  and not to ground any christian doctrine upon it. How this word only leapt into it, I can not tell. For when I conferred your copy with mine, I found it not therein. You that can so cunningly dymynysh & add, cut of & set on, pull out & put in, as ye have done afore in your Augustine's allegations, are able enough to show your conveyances 
Lonning.  here. As weal could you here pull in this word only, as ye there cloughted in a quando. I am not so far overseen in the scriptures, but I know that more jewish 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 
Fasts.  the feast of propitiation, & in the. xv. day was the feast of tabernacles. I gave you therefore the feast of trumpets, as an end like to your principles. For I told you after that, of S. George's gyld at Norwych, where I willed you to bestow those vows.  
If ye bestow the fastings and abstaynynges of the scriptures now, upon such je wish feasts, ye do as ded your pay pay, 
Pay, pay.  your papa I should say, which appointed them to his idolatrous days of idleness. Those pain full wurkes (as ye call them) which are for a humiliation of the soul, may now be appointed to no such feastings. In deed I know no good reason why they should. But where as ye say, ye can not see why the chap tre afore should be restrained to pertain to this chapter, more than the chapter following, I must say to you again, that I can weal see it. For in that scriptures is no confuse ordre, but a conform & consonant ordre, one chapter always 
Sight  approving & declaring an other. These. two. cha. treat not of clean diverse matters (as you uncleanly report them) but they both conclude to one end of ceremonials. The. xxix. chap. maketh mention of. iii. of their principal feasts, showeth what sacrifices should be done in them, and on what day of the month they should be celebrated. The. thirty. cha. declareth the performance of vows and 
Feasts  offerings, both of the fire and of that which is under subjection, as of the father and the daughter, of the husband and the wife, besides the widow and divorced to the profit of the ministers and levites.  
Ye would know what reason and ground I take thus to say, or to join the. two. chapters. I have for my ground this last sentence of 
Ground.  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 your solemnities, besides your vows and devotion offerings, in your brentofferynges, meat offerings, drink offerings, & peace offerings. This is my ground, put you the reason to it hardly. Ye say, ye 
Uowes.  think that those vows be neither gifts nor offerings. Of that thinking, ye are sufficiently discharged afore. Yea say, ye have also good cause so to think. And I think the goodness of your cause not wurth the leap of a louse. Ye say, they pertain not to the feast of trumpet 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. George's gyld at. N. as I have done 
jewysh  your feast with the jewish vows and all. But where as ye conclude, that the feast continued longer than. seven. days after, it shall still rest there till you be able to prove it. Ye say, it so appeareth by the text itself, but ye are like to find it contrary as ye come ones to the trial.  
Because I said, that vows in the old law, or vows in those feasts were not perpetual, ye understand me not. In this ye far like the back or owl, which seeth all 
An owl.  in the dark, and nothing in the clear light. Where as David speaketh of the mercy, works, wisdom, and verity of God, Psa. xci. he concludeth with this sentence. Uir insipiens non cognoscet, et stultus non intelligit hec. An unwise man will not know these things, neither will a fool understand 
A fool.  them. The Babylonyanes' (saith Micheas) 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, joan. xii. In your exception, ye admit the feast and offerings for mere shadows, and why judge ye not the same also of the vows there? I pray you let the cause go fourth with his effect, and 
The cause  be not more partial 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 finished, the vows had always their end. How will ye then make these vows perpetual? Me think, I offer 
Answer  you 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 perpetuity of vows in deed, me think that no vow is perpetual to all then, but only to him that maketh it, which vow 
Maker.  he is bound to perform, during 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 
Doctrine  but for one time, and upon a condition also. As Anna did. ●. Reg. i. And also the children of Israel did, as apeteth. Numeri. xxi.   

Responsio.  
See how this papist toyeth and tryfleth here, how inconstant, unagreeable, and contraryouse 
Uowes.  he is also to himself. Afore he saith, that there are some vows perpetual, which are by commandment required of all men▪ And for example he bringeth fourth that vow made in baptism. Contrary wise he affirmeth, that no vow is perpetual to all men, but only to him that maketh it. What think you of this same fellow, is he a philosopher or a fool? Here confesseth he plainly, that a perpetual vow is a creature or image of sinful man's creation. And what is it than? Is it any other than wyc 
Sin.  kednesse? Have we any other than sin of ourselves? It is written by Moses, Gen. vi. Uidit Deus quod cuncta cogitatio cordis hominum intenta esset ad malum omni▪ tempore. God beheld it, that all the imaginations & 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 understandings (saith God) and conjectures of man's 
Ma●●●.  heart, are nought even from his very youth. All are become unprofitable. All men are corrupt (sayeth David) and becometh abominable, there is not one that doth good, Psalm. xiii.  
All men are sinners, Psa. l. All men are lie ●rs psa. cxv. Alienati sunt peccatores a vulua erraverunt ab utero, locuti sunt falsa, Psal. 
All men.  lvii. Men are untoward from their mother's 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 unryghteouse, and all their wurkes are wicked, and there is no truth in them. In their unrighteousness shall they also perish, but the truth endureth ever. See now what the vows be, which are made by men, 
Perish.  as this enemy here openly confesseth. They are fruits of men's inventions, conjectures, & thoughts without Christ's appointment. They are things unprofitable, corruption, error, falsehood, lies, presumption, naughtiness, abomination, and sin. If they be reckoned a righteousness afore men, they are such a one as the prophet Esaias speaketh of. Quasi pannus menstruate, universe justice nostre. Esa. lxiiii. Our universal righteousness, are afore God, as clothes 
Ill fruit.  stained with meustrue. Is not here pleasant gear (think you) to make a perpetual bond of? Yea, and it were to make a perpetual sacrifice of your dirt.  
O so dominical beasts & hypocrites. When will ye leave boasting of that ye were never yet able to perform? Never 
Not one.  was there one of your oiled and shaven generation yet chaste, for all your stout brags and cracks. No, not one. I am able to prove it before God and man. Yea, I have declared it in the first part of my votaries, and will by God's grace, declare it in the other. two. parts, by the styuking acts of the holiest hypocrites among you, because I find you past all shame and without repentance. I wondre where this hypocrite findeth it, that men are bound to perform 
Hypocrite  such idle vows without Christ's commandment. We have of him many fryvolouse babblings, but nothing proved by the scriptures. He sayeth, it is a perpetual true doctrine, that vows may lawfully be made, but he showeth not what vows. If he meaneth the vow of single life, I say, he lieth falsely, to the face of him. For by the 
Doctrine  space of more than three thousand years was no such doctrine, therefore it is not a per petual doctrine. Neither is it a true doctrine Sayucte Paul sayeth, but a doctrine of devils, pronounced by deceitful hypocrites. i. Timoth. iiii.  
This monkish prattler showeth yet once again, from whence he cometh. A perpetual true doctrine is it (saith he) that we be 
Bound  bound in pain of deadly sin, to perform our lawful vows. Mark this same, we▪ hardly, and ye shall find him an old cytiezen of Sodom and egypt, Apoca. xi. It were meet 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 broke such a vow, S. Bede 
David.  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 displeasure. Yet were not your popish purpose thereby much furthered, considering your vows 
Name.  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 end he cometh with a legerde main of time and condition, for him and his monkish brethren. For there is an other we. And yet we may vow (sayeth he) to do a thing but for one time, and upon a condition also. Here he tymeth and conditioneth with God, which approveth nothing, his own doctors saith. Is not this (think you) a strange 
Time.  proving of a perpetuity in vows, by a how for one time, and by a vow upon condition?  
So weal may this foolish reason stand, as that. Abraham one time begat Isaac. Ergo he was begetting Isaac for the term of his life, and all begetters after him. If Robyne whode shoot ones in Barnes dale, 
foolish.  he was shooting at Barnes dale all the days of his life, and all shooters after him, are bound to shoot at Barnes dale. These vows for one time and upon a condition, he craftily bringeth in, confirming them by examples of scripture, to shadow his perpetual vows of Gomorra with. O crafty face of the serpent, how long wilt thou deceyne 
Deceit  the simple with that fruit of falsehood? Thu canuyste say, scriptum est, as ded the devil in the wilderness, Mathe. iiii. for thy vows for a time and upon a condition. But where are thy scriptures, to prove a perpetuity in thy Gomorreall vows, thou filthy Gomorreane? I tell thee, that neither the vow of Anna. i. Reg. i nor yet the vow 
Uowes.  of the israelites, Numeri. xxi. is now unto us christians a perpetual true doctrine to be followed in effect. For than we should dedicate our children afore they were borne, to the service of the old jewish synagogue, & offer up calves or young bullocks with them. So should we also, as we had the overhand of our enemies, destroy both them & their cities. For that was the vow of the 
Israelites  israelites. If we should follow this vow in effect, as a perpetual true doctrine for us Christian, we should not leave one blasphemous papyste, nor one false prophet of Balahams' mark alive.    

Censura.  
☞ In this solemnity (& other like) 
offerings.  their vows stood not in renouncing mar ryage, but in offering of young bullocks, rams, sheep, and gootes, in brent offerings, smoke offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings, as is spe cifyed in the chapter afore. Aaron, Eleazar, Phinees, Samuel, Sirach, zorobabel, Mathatvias, & zachary, johan Bap tystes father, which all were priests, observed 
priests.  these vows, yet they never renounced marriage.  

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 binding of vows in all times. Nor we read 
Laws.  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 hang upon every private man's vow. For so the service of God in the feast might (ye know well) have been left & defrauded, saying it lay in the husband to stop the vow of the wife. But this chapter 
devotion  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 
laws  is to be observed, except you can show the contrary.   

Responsio.  
It is no matter what you do mean, so long as your purpose tendeth to so naughty an end. I have good witness of the scriptures, 
hebrews  that the hebrews in their private vows▪ were they in their great feasts or out of them, offered beasts in diverse kinds. Abraham offered a ram. Gen. xxii. Anna offered. iii. young bullocks. i. Regum. i. Samuel offered a sucking lamb. i Reg. seven. David said all so. Holocausta medullata offeram tibi cum incenso arietum, offeram tibi boves cum hircis, Psalm. lxv. I will offer unto thee, fat brent sacrifices with the smoke of the rams, I will offer bullocks & gootes. Laws between the man and the wife, are matrymonyal 
offerings.  laws, and no laws for offerings. The laws also between the father and the daughter, are laws of Christian education and obedience, and not of jewish devotions, as both Peter and Paul hath describe them. In the. thirty. chapter of Numeri, is no such matter contained. If ye mean it for making and binding of vows, as followeth in your process, put out, at all times. 
Put out.  For that is your own pharysaycall lenen, wherewith the devil and you would corrupt the whole batch, Gal. v. I tell you once again, as I have told ye oft afore, that those jewish shadows are not for all times, though your jewish head so appoint them.  
Christ will not have his pure Gospel, mingled with jewyshnesse. Peter, johan, and Paul, hath told ye oft that tale, and yet ye believe it not. What ye read, I can 
Apostles  not we'll tell, for I am neither of your popish profession, study, nor yet counsel. But for private offerings in this feast and other, ye are answered afore. notwithstanding, I add this much more unto it, that they made not buttons nor shoe buckles at those solemnities. Some occasion (I am sure) they had of resort to the temple than, besides 
A clause.  their commanded sacrifices. And the lattre clause of the. xxix. chapter, calleth them free will offerings, or offerings of devotion. God willed not the priests and levites, to have any possession among the children of Israel, but only to live upon the tithes, first fruits, and oblations. For he said unto Aaron, Numer. xviii. In terra eorum nihil possidebitis, nec habebitis partem inter eos. Ego pars et hereditss tua in medio filiorum Israel. You shall in their land 
No possession.  have non inheritance, neither yet any portion among them. For I am only thy portion and inheritance among the children 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 
Offerings  sacrifices and offerings of the lord shall they eat, and shall have none other inheritance among their brethren. By this ye may see, that the offerings in those feasts, ded as we'll hang upon every private man's vow, as upon the solemn sacrifices for every day appointed. Else had a great number of the priests and levities, gone to bed a hungered. Neither was Gods service thereby left nor defrauded, 
foolishly.  as you insipyently write, but rather set forward and furthered thereby, being a great portion thereof, as the text declareth. What though it lay in the father to stop their daughter, and the husband the wife, upon impediments 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 
Fruits.  of your massing 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. two. thousand and. v hundred years, had the jews this. thirty. 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 
A peace.  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 peradventure ye mean, that the chapter pertaineth to the law. Than are ye a very fool, to call it an absolute peace. Ye think your folly to be excused, because ye have upon your own absolute authority, exempted it from the ceremony all law. O absolute ass head, ydolatrouse monster, & 
Absolute  witless ydyote, that thus wilt deprive Christ of that which is only his? Christ is our peace, Saint Paul saith, and not the. thirty. chap. of Numeri. Ipse est enim pax nostra, qui fecit ex utrisque unum, et interstitium macerie diruit, simultatem per carnem suam, legem mandatorum in decretis sitam, abrogans, ut duos conderet in semetipso in unum nowm 
Abrogate.  hominem, faciens pacem, ut reconciliaret ambos in uno corpore Deo per crucem, perempta inimicitia per eam, etc. Ephe. two. He is our peace (sayeth he) which hath made of both, one, and hath broken down the wall 
Hatred.  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 twain one new man in himself, s● ma king peace, & to reconcile both unto God in one body throw the cross, and slew hatred thereby.  
Thus are both your. thirty. chapter, & law discharged of that absolute peace, yea, the moral law also, if ye so mente it. After that Christ had given to his disciples most sovereign 
Christ.  consolations against all troubles, he thus concluded, johan. xvi. Hec locutus sum vobis, ut in me pacem habeatis. These wnrdes have I spoken to you, that in me ye might have peace. This peace was never manifested to the world, till the Angel's with joy proclaimed it at Christ's nativity on this wise. Gloria in altissimis Deo, & in terra pax, hominibus bona voluntas, Luce. two. Glory to God on high, and peace on the earth, and unto men a good will in receiving it. Thus in the end ye conclude. Because that chapter of vows is an absolute 
Peace.  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 crucified on Lal●ary, & belongeth to god's malyson, therefore may he not banquet at midsummer bone fire. Here is a weal slavered reason, 
All times  is it not? And as for your, at all times to be observed, ye may now keep it to ye, for your own occupying, to play therewith the jewish papist. For it is like in these days, to do none other service. I have sufficiently showed you all this afore.   

Obiectio.  
¶ Moreover your own words maketh the matter to be more dark than it was. first ye 
A vow.  ● all a vow in the old law, an earnest promise to fulfil God's commandment. Then ye call a vow a gift or an offering with thanks giving. Now ye say, a vow standeth in the off ring of a gift. I would gladly learn of you, by what reason it may be taken all these. three ways in one place? Ye say, their vows stood not in renouncing of marriage. Wherefore this is brought in, I can not see, except it be to 
Buggery.  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 were single and desired it because in Moses' law, that person was taken to be under a malediction, that had no seed in Israel. But in the new law it is not so▪ but Qui habent uxores, sint 
New law  tanquam non habentes. i. Corinthio. seven. Et sunt enuchi qui se castravetunt propter regnum Dei, Math. xi●. which definition saint augustine doth declare plainly, in the. seven. ● viii. chapter de bone viduitatis.   

Responsio.  
More dark can no man make the matter, that you seek to defend here, than it is of itself. The truth truly told, is ever (I see we'll) 
A blot.  a blot 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 massmongers. For in deed those transubstantiated Gods, were known for no Gods afore that prodigious kind of chastity was 
Antichrist.  canonized for them, of your great antichrist the holy high Idol of the Romans. And this chastity ye will approve by the offerings of maidens and wives in the. thirty. chapter of Numeri, for that is that scope of our whole contention, or the prick that we all this time shoot at. This is a prodigious enterprise of you, & will have but slender success, being women's matter, as I told ye afore. 
Women  For they might in no case fulfil their vows, were they never so strongly made, but by licens 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 
The light  darkened your matter, and the scriptures of God moche blemished the same, for they have mightily borne me out therein.  
I have declared afore of them, that a vow in the old law hath a great meany more than these. I shall not now need again 
A mock  to repeat them. It is but a sly mock of you, to say that ye will learn of me. For (I know) ye mind nothing less than to be taught of me, either yet of any of my profession. 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 scripture for your reason, ye may 
Scripture  take it for a reason, if ye list. It is written Le. xxvii. Animal quod immolari potest domino si quis voverit, sanctum erit, et mutari non pote rit. If any man vow a beast to the Lord, which may be lawfully offered, it shall be an holy gift, and may not be altered. Also duty. xii. Omnia que voveris, et sponte offer vo 
A vow.  lueris, et primitias manuum tua●um, coram domino Deo tuo comedes, in loco quem 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 lattre text, comprehended 
iii. in one  under one relative. A gift is it, that is in a vow promised, and an offering is that gift, when the promise is once performed.  
If I said, that their vows stood not in abiuring of marriage, as do the vows of our smeared massmongers, I uttered such a truth, as all the vow scriptures of the 
A truth.  old testament affirmeth. Neither have I there in dyscommended true chastity. For marriage in my opinion, is an order of chastity, what your adulted conscience thinketh of it, I can not tell. I reckon always that mar rpage unperfyght, which hath not chastity and cleanness resident. Had not Mary Christ's 
Maria.  mother holden marriage for an order of chastity, she would never have had joseph to husband. I was never discontented with your former allegation out of saint augustine, concerning vows singular, quod alius vovit castitatem coniugalem, that some man voweth conjugal chastity, or faithful cleanness in marriage. Why than report ye of me, that I here dyscommende the vow of chastity? Ye are very ill advised thus to do. If ye mean that vow in your oiled companions, truly it may weal stand in promise, but I dare boldly say, it came never 
Inpromis  yet to performance, no, not in the holiest of all your smeared rabble. And that is the chief cause (I think) that you 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 slander is this 
A slander.  to them both, and how blasphemous a lie? How should Christ and saint Paul commend, that they never once named in all their doctrines? Prove me that this word ●otum, either yet vovere, is once expressed in all their teachings, and win the mastery. O brockyshe Gomorreane, how darest thou presume to father thy filthiness upon the author of all purity, and upon his chosen vessel of election? Thu saist also, they 
Paulus.  exhorted all persons unto it, that could take it. It is thy utter shame so to report them. For when Christ said, Math. nineteen. Qui potest capere, capiat. He that can obtain it, let him hold it. He meant nothing less than a vow. For chastity there, is a gift of God, in freedom & not in bondage, for preaching the Gospel in the kingdom of God, and not for loitering massynges in the kingdom of Satan. When Christ 
chastity  cured Peter's wives mother of a fervent fever, Math. viii, He ●ad him not break up how should and profess a new found chastity.  
Sayncte Paul sayeth, Romano. i. that the wrath of God hath lyted upon you from heaven, for changing his truth to a lie. 
A change.  And hath given ye clean over with your unchaste vows, into most shameful lusts of uncleanness, one burning in abominable lusts to an other, and defyling your bodies among yourselves for want of the natural use of women. It is the plain text that I tell you, declaring the holy consecrate fruits of your wifeless vows. Boast no longer, but repent and be ashamed 
Repent.  of them, ye beastly boryshe buggers. If ye deny it not, but all they in the old law favoured marriage, the married for the bonds sake, and the unmarried for fear of the malediction for barrenness. Why ground ye thereupon, a religion that than was not thought upon, and judge it a state more perfect? Ye say, the new law is not so. What not so? That when they are married, they may renounce marriage? Or when they are single, they ought not for any need despre it? 
Devylysh  Though Saint Paul saith. i. Corinth. seven. Qui habent uxores, sint tanquam non habentes. let them that have wives, be as though they had none. Yet teacheth he no such doctrine. For he saith afore, about the beginning 
S. Paul.  of that chapter. Propter stupravi tanda, suam quisque uxorem habeat, et suum queque virum. For avoiding fornication, let every man have his wife, & every woman her husband.  
saint Paul's meaning is not in the text afore, that the man should abst ayne from his wife, nor the wife from her husband. For he sayeth in the same chapter, that the 
Mark it.  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. Therefore 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, 
Troubles  but so quyetously content themselves therewith, as though they were clearly with out them. For therein must the man eat his bread with double sweat, having more to provide for than himself, and the woman must suffer the sharp showers of her travailing in deliverance of child, Gent. iii. Neither will Christ's words, Math. 
Christ.  nineteen. serve your most frivolous purpose. Et sunt eunuchi, qui seipsos castraverunt propter regnum celorum. Also there be gelded men, which have gelded themselves for the kingdom of heaven. Though this were by an abstinence from marriage for a most godly purpose, as is the ministration of Gods word, yet can it not be proved to be 
No vow.  by vow, nor yet by that office of ydolatrouse massing in Antichrist's 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. Which thing made me to muse, because 
Musing  I never red that all those were priests, although some of them were. I will doubt of come of them 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 mother's vow, offered to serve in the temple. Which she needed not to have done, if he had been a pressed borne. And also of zorobabel, which was de tribu juda. But in such small trifles is no 
zorobabel  great matter. Put the cause they were all priests, as ye may reckon a great sort more, seeing they had wives, as you say, why should you 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 you not put here your distinction between priests of the old law, which must needs be married, because their 
definition  ordre was maintained by succession only of the stock of Aaron, And priests of the new law, which for their virtue are chosen unto that order, as S. Ambrose saith, et ●et.   

Responsio.  
Upon▪ two. things here ye muse, by your own confession, one is, that in reporting 
two. things  certain 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 musing till I rid ye of it, ye are like to dwell in it a great while, I know my matter so good. another 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) that all those men, whom I have 
priests.  rehearsed, were priests, though some of them by your own consent, were priests in deed. Ye are contented weal, to allow Aaron, Eleazar, Phinees. Sirach, Mathathias, & Zachary, johan Baptistes father, for priests. But Samuel and zorobabel ye will not admit, but doubt of them a while ye say. And full mannerly ye axe me leave so to do, which I grant with good will. Than fall ye to a nughty straining of this gnat. Your doubt first of all, is of Samuel (ye say) considering that neither his father nor son were priests. This reason is to 
Samuel  slender to hold ye still in that doubt, unless ye will doubt of purpose. For Melchisedech was the pressed of the highest, Gen. xiiii and yet we find not that his father was a pressed, neither yet his son after him.  
But this dare I boldly affirm, that both Samuel was a priest, and Helchana his 
A pressed.  father after him. And after the death of Heli, not only he succeeded in the signory or pryncypalyte over the israelites, but also in the high priesthood. Mark his authority. i Reg. iii. his intercession & sacrifice for the people. i Reg. seven. which all pertained to his priesthood. This confirmeth Da vid. 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 
Moses.  as call upon his name. They called upon the 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 istum. Though that great priests Moses & Samuel stood afore me to make intercession, yet have I no heart to this people. For the priests were they which deed that office, johel. two. S. augustine writeth thus, in. xii. lib. contra faustum. ca xxxiii. Nun ab ipso regum ex 
Samuel.  ordio commutatum est sacerdo tius in Samuelen, reprobato Heli, et regnum in david, reprobato Saul. Is not the priesthood, from the very beginning of kings, changed to Samuel, Heli being rejected? and the kingdom given 
Heli priest.  to David, Saul being disallowed? Bede hath also the iyke, super primo Regum, et Roman. seven. Moreover johan Carion saith, in the second book of his chronicles. Incertitudinem imperii indign ferens populus, postulavit a Samuele summo sacerdote, regem certum designari, qui preesset 
A king.  regno. The people grudging at the incer taint of their empire, required of Samuel the high pressed, that a king might be certainly appointed to govern them. Petrus Equilimus in sanctorum Catalogo, showeth the same.  
And for his father, Conradus Pellicanus saith upon the first chapter of the first book of kings, Pater Samuelis sacerdos erat, matter prophetissa. The father of Samuel 
Helcana.  was a pressed, and his mother a prophe tysse. It is also in the Bible text. i Reg. i. quod Helcana immolavit. I pray you, what call ye that? Lo sir, this is enough to prove Samuel a pressed, and to discharge your great doubt. Yet for so much as ye reason further, ye shall have further answer. Ye say, Samuel can not be proved a pressed, because he came not out of the stock of Aaron. 
Aaron.  This declareth in you a blocky she ignorance, and as though ye had seen nothing. josephus in the first book and the. xv. chapter of his antiquities, saith, that Helcana samuel's father was vir Levita, a man of the stock of Levi. Althamerus writeth also in sylua Byblicorum nominum, that the said Helcana was genere levites, a levity by his birth. Pellicanus cometh after, and he 
Pelican.  confirmeth it with this sentence upon the. xcix Psalm, as he numbereth them. Erat sane Samuelex genere levi per Cahat, ex quo & Aaron et Moses nati sunt. Certainly (sayeth he) or without question, Samuel was of the stock of Levi by Cahat, of whom sprung fourth Aaron and Moses. And he sendeth us there to the pedigrew of the Levites. i. Paralip. vi. where as it is registered at large.  
Yet are ye not contented, but Samuel must still be no pressed, because his mother 
Temple.  offered him up to serve in the temple. Which she needed not to have done (ye say) if he had been a pressed borue, O brutish buzzard ac stolidum caput. This is a reason, as though God's favour and singular grace had been bound under law, as in that age sinful men were. This fantasy of yours. S Jerome with your other old doctors have discharged, Pellicanus comprehending their minds in this only sentence, Preter legem erat, infantem Leviticum offerre doceretur mino. Sed quia myraculose promissus et ge 
Miracle  nitus diceretur, susceptus est ab Hely, et velut peculiare Deo munus oblatum, diligentius curandum. It was above the law to offer the lord a child of levies stock. But because that Samuel should be famed abroad to have been promised and borne by miracle, 
Heli sacer does.  he was received of Heli the high pressed, and offered as a peculiar gift to God, to be more diligently looked to. The Bible maketh mention of levities & 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 scene.  
I remember once at Cambridge, a good fellow complained to doctor Edmondes than vycechaunceller, that his wife was delivered that night afore of a great grey friar. And at London in an inn within Smithfeld jone 
priests borne.  Swepestake was delivered of the limitour of Ware. Which swept clean away his clock, cowl, purse, petticoat, botes, hat, horse & all, leaving him in bed all naked. I heard it also at Thornedom in Southfolke, by them that found out the game, that the sextens wife there was delivered of the parrysh pressed, at eleven a clock in the night. I have red of Paulus tertius the last bishop 
Paulus.  of Rome, that his own dear daughter at dynerse times delivered him, besides many other wonders▪ Some time these mysteries were hidden by the terror of walking spretes, but now they are known wale enough. 
Whored●  I could number ye out a great sort of your unchased mass mongers, that have thus been delivered of late years, & yet they will have no wives of their own, so holy a thing is whoredom in your whorish church. Now come we to Zorobabel, which could be no pressed (say you) because he was de tribu juda. If that rule should stand, than must ye also deny Christ's priesthood, which was de tribu juda both by Matthew and Luke's Gospel, and by all the other scriptures.  
I am the boldar to confess Zorobabel a pressed, because the prophet Aggeus, by the 
Aggeus.  express mouth of god, useth him as a fygur or former example of Christ. Agge. two. the same is confirmed, Eccl. xlix. For that which zorobabel ded in repairing the temple & aultre made by hands, two. Esd. iii. jesus Christ performed in the temple & aultre without hands, Heb. ix. Et zach. iiii. Manus zorobabel fundaverunt domum istam, et manus eius perficient eam. The hands of zorobabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands (that is to say, Christ's) shall finish it. This also augmenteth my opyvyon in this behalf, that 
Christ.  after the captivity of Babylon, the jews were ruled most of all by the priests, which brought in sects, as Pharisees, Saducees, & Esseanes, and were the final decay of that empire, as were the papists of our christia nyte. another manner of priesthood was prefigured in Zorobabel, than was the levitical priesthood, for that continued, and the 
Christ.  other perished. For Christ being of the tribe of juda, and a pressed after the order of Melchisedech, turned over the levitical priesthood, even from the very foundation, and left nothing remaining thereof, let the Jews boast of it never so much, and the papists occupy the spoil by theft and robory in their altars, copes, mitres, oils, bells, and hablynges.  
If there be no great matter in such small trifles, why stirred you the coals, & made 
A case.  so great matter of them? Now put you the case, they had been all priests, as we may reckon (you say) a great sort moo (& I know it to be true) why should I affirm that they never renounced marriage, saying 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 
A cause  through all the scriptures. But this I uttered, that no man should think vows an impediment to marriage. For when 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 manifest doctrine of them, being but ceremonial shadows and no moral precepts. If we now mollify that you have made hard, we do not amiss, nor yet to your dyscommodyte. You have made it death, a priest to marry a wife, 
Make f●●t  like horrible tyrants, to your own damp nation. Ye have also by that means, brought into the world an execrable art, which had else never been so largely known, that is, the prodigious occupying of Sodom & Gomorre, to double the same damnation.  
If we have mollified these hard extremities, we have not deserved hate at your hands, but love. For we have thereby sought your salvation by repentance, if it may 
To save.  fruitfully come forward. To this end in deed, we use men (as you term it) to hear that priests had wives in that scriptures, yea, we earnestly beat it into their heads, as a necessary truth to be known, in spite of Antichrist's wicked hypocrisy. Why I put not here a distinction between priests of the old law and the new, is this. That distinction is yours and not mine. Marry this I read in the scriptures, that in the old 
Pr●●es.  law were priests of the order of Aaron, but in the new law is none other priesthood, than after the order of Melchisedech, and I find no more but one of that order, even jesus Christ the son of the living God. He is contented to admit ministers under him, as bishops, superintendentes, or watchmen, 
officers.  preachers, eldars, and deacons, but all priesthood he reserveth to himself only. And S. Paul sayeth, that he hath made but one peace offering, or full sacrifice of himself for all, Hebr. seven. though he holdeth still a perpetual priesthood.  
Sanctificati sumus (inquit) per oblationem corporis jesu Christi semel peractan, He bre. x. We are (saith he) sanctified by the offering 
Offering  of that body of jesus Christ once for al. Though the lentical priests, the pagan priests, and the ydolatrouse popish priests, have innumerable times offered, yet were they never able with all their dead sacrifices, to take away one sin. Hic vero (saith Saint Paul) una 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 pressed, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, sat him down 
Scabellun.  for ever 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, that 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 comen to all the faithful. Erunt sacerdotes Dei et Christi, 
comen  Apo. xx. They shall be y● priests of God & of Christ. And that can not be. For there shall be no such kind of priesthood, till the general rising of that dead be past. let not this word presbyter any longer deceive you, for it is an elder & no priest. Ye say the priests of the old law must needs have been married, because their ordre was maintained by succession. 
Deceiue●  Here are ye deceived for want of an other distinction, for it was not their order, but their stock, that was maintained by success zion. Their ordre was maintained by sacry fyces, first, fruits, tithes, vows, devotions, and offerings. Herein have ye foully over shoten your wits. But I marvel, ye put not in, God's ordinance. Leu. xxi. & Eze. 
forgotten.  xliiii. For a cause why they married. That was foully forgotten of you also. As concerning priests of the new law, surely we can find none such, neither in y● Gospel nor yet in epistle. Only behold we there, Melchisedeckes priesthood, & that never was there any more of that ordre than Christ gods son, as I told ye afore. Ye say, that by their virtue, they are chosen 
No priests.  to that order. Truly we neither know them nor yet their order, for a state allowed by that scripture, besides that we find them of all men furthest from virtue. Therefore let them seek up some other name, if they will be reckoned men godly. For this will not be allowed of them that know cheese from chalk, no, though 
deceivers.  they bring with them three Ambroses' for their witness. Christ told us once that a certain kind of men, should in the lattre 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, deceivers, and no priests, and earnestly he bade us to be ware of them. Math. xxiiii.   

Obiectio.  
saint Ambrose sayth. i. Tim, iii. Ue●●ribus idcirco concessum est Levitis aut sacerdo tibus, uxores ad usum habere, quia multum tempus 
●xores.  otio vacabant a ministerio aut sacerdotio ●●. Ita ut tempore quo non illos contingebat desit vire altari, domorum suarum agerent curam. It ubi tempus imminebat ministerit, purificati aliquantis diebus acc●derent ad templum offer●● Deo. Nunc autem septem diaconos esse oportet, aliquantos presbyteros, ut bini sint pet ecclesias, et unus in civitate episcopus, ac pet hoc omnes a conuentu femine abstinere debert, quia necesse est eos quotidie presto esse in ecclesia, nec habere dilationem ut post convenium legitime purificentur, sicut veteres. Omni enim 
Abstinere.  hebdomada offerendum est et ce. Si plebeis hominibus orationis causa, ad tempus abstinere se precipit, ut vacent orationi, quanto magi● Levitis aut sacerdotibus, quos die nectuque pro plebe sibi commissa oporteret orare. Mundiores ergo esse debent ceteris quia actoree Dei 
Argument.  sunt. Therefore your argument is of small strength in my mind, when 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 dyfferent, as between brute beasts and Christ's body.   

Responsio.  
Who ever heard it, that Saint Ambrose wrote to Timothe S. Paul's disciple, which was not borne almost three hundred years after him. If ye will have here your 
Meaning  meaning taken for your writyuge, as that Ambrose wrote upon S. Paul's first epistle to Timothe, ye must show some figure for it, else will it not so be received▪ Your place of Ambrose, is nothing to the purpose of that we have reasoned here. Our whole disputation is of priests, and not of deacons, no more than it was afore of women, 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 
A wondre.  your purpose, nor yet express places in your doctors, but ye must be compelled thus beggarly to borrow of deacons and women. It is a plain token that your matter is very weak, when ye seek to prove it by so slender authorities. Well, ye look to be answered, and ye shall be no less than honestly and truly answered. first we must way, what 
Answer.  S. Paul hath done in that first epistle and third chapter to Timothe, 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 
Ministers  required in a deacon or minister, and in his wife and family. It behoveth a bishop (saith he) to be faultless, the husband of one wife, sober, discrete, and so fourth. Like wise must Deacons be honest, not double tongued, nor given to much drink. et cet. 
wives.  Even so must their wives be honest, not evil speakers, but sober and faithful in all things, that is to say, both the bishop's wines and the deacons wives. What can this further your purpose, that priests of the new Testament may have no wives, when S. Paul appointeth none other to be bishops and deacons, than be the husbands of one wife, by this word oportet, it be hoveth or 
Ambrose  is necessary. If your Ambrose bringeth fourth any other doctrine upon that chapter than this is, he falsyfyeth the texts. But I would fain know. two. things of you. One is, why ye ded not here as well allege Paul, which wrote the text, as ye have done Ambrose, 
The gloze  which made but the gloze? for always is the text of more authority than is the gloze. An other, why ye have not as well taken matters belonging to bishops, as ye have taken matters belonging to deacons.  
For more force would it have given to the 
Strength.  thing, to have been taken from the superior, than from the inferior, and much more would it have fortified your cause. But ye are a wily watte in the kingdom of craft and generation of falsehood. Now will we go to your Ambrose, by him to declare yet your falsehood more deeply. Answer me this first of al. Why took ye not his gloze upon this text of the same chapter. Oportet episcopum 
Texts.  irreprehen sibilem esse, unius uxoris maritum. It behoveth a bishop to be unrebukable, and the husband of one wife. As well as upon this text for your pleasure. Diaconi sint unius uxoris mariti, qui liberis recte presint, et proprijs familijs. let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, and such as rule their children well, and their families uprightly. I could in declaring the causes, 
A Devil.  of this subtile conveyance of yours, payn●e ye out like a devil in your colours, were it not for making this book to long. To short. Your Ambrose would not serve you in that point, and is like to do you as little good service in this. Now will I English your Ambrose, yea, rather your ragged god bets taken out of Ambroses' gloze, the best parts left always behind you.  
For this purpose (sayeth your Ambrose) was it granted to the Levites or priests, to have wives for their use, because they had moche vacaunt time from their ministration 
No cause.  or offices of their priesthood, etc. Than leap ye over. two. long sentences & an half, to the number of. xliii. words, and there ye begin again after this sort. So that they might see to their houses (sayeth he) for the time that their course was not to serve the aultre. But as the time of their ministration 
Cleanse.  approached, preparing themselves certain days afore, they drew towards the temple, to do their accustomed service to god. Now must we have seven deacons, & some ancients or eldars, that there may be in every parish a couple, and also one bishop in a city. And thereby all they to abstain from woman's company, for so much as of necessity they ought to be always at hand in the church, without excuse or delay, that after they have cumpanyed with their wives, they might lawfully be purified, 
jewish.  as were the old levities. For every week must they offer etc. Than overleape ye again, the residue of that long clause and an other whole sentence besides, comprehending xxxiiii. words, and thus ye conclude.  
If he hath commanded men of the come men sort, for prayers sake, to withdraw 
No levites  themselves for a time, how much more the levities or priests, which ought to pray day and night for the people to them committed. Therefore must they be more clean than the other, for they are the factors, or bailiffs of God. These are the fragments of your Ambrose. If ye were godly wise, as ye are not, ye should weal perceive them no thing to the purpose, either of the text that he taketh in hand, or yet of any sincere chri 
Frinolouse.  sten ordre. S. Paul speaketh nothing there of the levities, whose office was to serve in the tabernacle of witness, Numeri. iiii. but of deacons, whose office was to minister to the poor, Acto. vi. The offices are as like, the one to the other, as a table is like a temple. Therefore 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 when ye proved priests chastity, by the chastity of women, which holdeth no longer in a great number of them, 
Floyshe.  than it is in promising.  
And your own dear Ambrose is against yourself here, for you said afore, that the cause of their marriage, was succession in 
No causes  that live, and he applieth it to their vaca●● tyme. I would you both had applied it to God's ordinance, and than had ye done it more rightly. But that ye clearly forgot. In that your Ambrose appointeth to your priests the Judaical expiations, for compani●● with their wives, and chargeth them s● earnestly with an idle watching in the tipple upon ceremonies, with an abstynen●● from their wives, and with an uncommaunded offering every week, the study of God● 
Baggage.  scriptures not once remembered, and in th● end judgeth marriage an unclean state ●● living, forsooth it is a praty Ambrose. Wh●● pure christianity can we reckon in him, whi●● appointeth our ministers to the office o● levities, to pray and not to preach, to synge and not to feed the flock, to cleanse by outward ceremonies, and not by the inward faith? I boldly affirm it, nothing at a●● 
Boldly.  fearing the holiness of your Ambrose, th●● this is no Christian learning, but a doctri●● of hypocrisy, idolatry, jewyshnesse, idleness, and devilishness, a forsaking of Chr●●● a curse, and damnation, as S. Paul declareth through all his epistles.  
If any man teach you (saith he) any ●ther Gospel, or kind of doctrine, that have taught you, hold him accursed, Galathians. 
Accursed.  i. If any man (saith S. johan) will add to God's book, God shall add unto him the plagues therein contained, and wipe away his part out of the book of life, A●ōcalyps. xxii. Among so much baggage, ●s ye gathered of your Ambrose, why left ●● this clause behind you, upon the same ●●xt? Ostendit istos unius uxoris viros esse ●●ere, ut hi ad ministerium Dei eligantur, 
Mariti.  ●●i non sunt egressi constitutum Dei. Ho●●ni enim unam uxorem decrevit 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 〈…〉 overleaped the institution of God. For 〈…〉 only wife ded God give to man, to be 〈…〉 with blessing. If ye had taken this in 
One wise  〈…〉 re way, ye should thereby have been 〈…〉 syoved, to have removed from your 〈…〉 hood all whoremongers and Sodomy 〈…〉. Ye should also have thereby known, 〈…〉 t marriage of wives hath God's 〈…〉 ssnge.  
But peradventure ye left it out, for the 〈…〉 xte clause following, which smelleth of 〈…〉 anyfest lie. Nemo enim cum secunda 〈…〉 edicitur. No man hath Gods blessing 
two. vxo●.  〈…〉 the second wife▪ O gentle Ambrose, where learned you this doctrine? Was Mary Christ's mother not blessed, because she was joseph's second wife? I think Bethsabe David's fourth wife besides concubines, was as blessed in her fruit, as was Michol his first wife in her barrenness. Your Ambrose 
Ambrose  upon the xi chapter of S. Paul's second epistle to the Corinthi anes, seemeth to be of an other opinion, than he appeareth here. For there he saith, Omnes Apostoli, exceptis joanne et Paulo, uxores habuerunt. Et vide, an conveniat 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 
Peter.  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 long as he is so dyscordaunte to himself.  
Upon this broken, browsed, battered, and broiled authority of your Ambrose, ye conclude that my argument is of small strength. But ye do weal to add unto it, after your opinion, which is most popish and foolish. 
Wisely.  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 much authority to your prestygyouse priesthood in the new law, as I did to that selected priesthood in the old law. Which I can not do, 
priesthood  that being of God, and yours of Antichrist and the devil. I told you afore, that the scriptures of the new law, have none other priesthood, but only Melchysedeckes priesthood, which Christ left not here in earth still behind him, but took it clearly away with him to the right hand of his father, therein to make continual interpellation for us. Hebre vii et Roman viii In him as we are a kingdom, so are we a priesthood 
Christ.  to our Lord God, Apoca i et. v. not by oylynges and havings, but by an uncorrupted faith in his sufferings.  
His priests may have wives by his ap pointment, and never the less be cytiezens with that saints. Your priests are utterly forbidden to have wives by Antichrist's come mandment, how should they else become 
No wives  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 infidels. two. Cor. vi. repent of that filthy snare of the devil. 
Asuare.  two. Timothe. two. and take ye christian wives, because it is Gods holy institution, and because it is better to marry than to burnt. All this could I have said. Ye say, the cause is gone, which is a marvel to me, the effect remayving and Gods ordinance being the cause, for avoiding fornication. Ye say also, the priesthood is not all one. And that I grant you in deed, for they had not both 
Not all one  one father. As great difference and more is betwixt them, as is between Israel and Egypt. But of this I have told ye enough afore.  
Ye say, their ministrations are as much different, as between brute beasts, & Christ's body. O blasphemous speaker, and devil 
A Satan.  of all devils, full wicked is thy wretched body, to have so ungodly utterance. O lord, how uncomely is this filthy talk of thine? how darest thou take upon thee, so highly to prefer the Gomorreall priesthood of thy Belphegor of Rome, above a priesthood peculiarly ordained of our eternal God, having no authority of his word so to do? Come down (I say once again) thou filthy 
Down.  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 
Levites.  priesthood they offered beasts, yet ded not Christ leave it to thy massing priesthood to offer up his holy body and blood, thou traitorous massmonger. For he was able enough of himself, to offer up one effectual and perfect sacrifice for all, hebre ix    

Censura.  

Uovete.  ☞ Vow (saith David) and perform your promise. But who shall do it? Al you (saith he) that be round about, bryng●yng presents unto the Lord. Psa. lxxv.  

Obiectio.  
¶ David sayeth, vow, and you seem to say, 
Buggery.  vow not. David saith, perform your promises, and you 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 filthiness unspeakable. This terrsemeth to subvert all your purpose. If ye will restrain David's Psalter, and say, it pertaineth only to the feast of trumpets in the xxix Chapter of Nun. 
Doctors  Than you say your own mind alone, for I never red any ancient doctors that said so. What doth David teach us here? But that it is good to vow, and sin to break a vow once lawfully made. Uovete et reddite. Thus doth Saynete augustine expound it. Nescio que castimonialis nubere voluit. Quid voluit? Quod et virgo quelibet. Quid voluit? Quod et matter ipsive. Aliquid mali voluit? Mal● plane. Quare? Quia iam voverat 
Facete.  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 volverit.   

Responsio.  
I will herein follow your former request, that is to say, use a definition of vows. Not for that I seek any help thereby in this matter, but rather more clearly to manifest your 
Distinctio  madness. There is votum legal et votum monachicum, a vow of the ceremonial law, and a voluntary vow of monks. Where as David saith, vow, meaning after the rule of the vows ceremonial, as followeth in the text, qui afertis munera, you that bring offerings. I will say also, vow, but it shall be after a farte other sort. For where as he biddeth you in that place, 
Sovete.  to vow the offering of calves, gootes, bullocks, and other kind of beasts. I will bid ye vow your own souls and bodies to God, in his perfect fear and obe dyence. I will exhort you with Paul, not to receive the grace of God in vain. two. Lorinth. 
Abstain.  vi. to increase in virtue, to abstain from fornication. i Thes. iiii. and to walk in love, as Christ hath loved us, and to leave your covetous pillage, Ephesi. v. David would also in an other place, that your sacrifice were a contrition of the heart, Psal. l. All these vows pleaseth me weal.  
But when ye come to the vows of monks and priests, which are monastical & 
So we not  voluntary, and abhorred of the holy scriptures. Than will I say, vow not, concluding 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, that ye be not par●takers of her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues, I grant you with David, that promises are to be 
Promises  observed, so long as they are godly and in our power. But as for your vow of chastity, we know none 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 substantial offerings also, your vows are but mocking promises, bringing fourth nothing but the styuking offerings 
offerings.  of Sodom. I can name ye a thousand of them that hath broken that vow, but not one that throughly fulfilled it, no, not the holiest of your canonized rabyes, as Dunstane, Boniface, Bregwyne, Becket, Anselme, and a great sort more.  
I have spoken it in deed, and speak it now again, the chastity speedeth not well, when 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 
Illfrute.  into most prodigyouse lusts of their flesh, for contempt of his heavenly verity, Rom. ●. Tush, dyssemble the matter no longer with your five, smooth, counterfeit looks, and your hypocrites brags, for we know what ye are well enough, all friar Bongays mists are not able to shadow you, to deceive 
Songay.  us in these days. I say not, ye may break it for every temptation, for ye never kept it in your temptations. But I say, ye ought of necessity, if ye will be saved by Christ's merits, utterly to forsake and go from it, for the holy Ghost calleth your spiritualty, a Sodom, Apocalyps. xi●●▪ for that 
Sodom.  mischief only. Fugite de medio Babilonis, et saluet unusquisque animam suam, Hieremie. li. Flee away from that Babylon (saith the good Prophet Hieremie) and every man save his soul. Blame me not therefore though I call it a filthy Sodometry, and a profession to mischiefs unspeakable, neither will David's text subvert my true 
David.  purpose in that point, for he never had ye offen such dirty presents to God, as are the promiscuous occupyings of whoredom and buggery.  
I never in my life restrained David's Psalter to the feast of troumpettes in the xxix. chapter of Numery. For than had I been as mad as ye were, when ye called 
Franti●●●  the next chapter following, an absolute peace pertaining to the law. I gave ye in a manner, that feast of mockage, to illude your tragycal folly therewith. In your ancient doctors ye are so highly overseen, that no wise man is able to compare with you. let all men mark your good handling 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. 
Papysme.  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. This bringeth fourth here this great giant of our papists, as a mighty buttrasse to uphold his mangy matter. But. two. ways he is like to have dishonour thereof, one is, because it is a light fable, an other because it is but a matter of a silly sorysister, yet will I not altogether 
Dyshono:  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 englished. Anune (sayeth he) whom 
Anune.  I have forgotten, 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 earnest what would she? Even that her mother would, ye know what I mean. Would 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 
Paulus.  said, the the younger widows might marry if they would? I grant, but yet he saith in a certain place, the happer shall she be in my opinion, if she continue single. For she shall have that 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 fit of the tale. A very syngle shift hath this captain of the papists, when he is drpuen to seek this for his bucklar of defence. For 
The nun  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 can not tell, as S. augustine doth here.  
If it had been a story of credit, as it is a matter of dalliance and pastime, that party had been named, and also the place of her dwelling. As S. Luke describing the history of Christ's conception, showeth 
nameless.  the condition and name of the messenger, from whence and from whom he came, to whom he was sent, what waa the name of that virgin, the name of her husband, and the names of the country and city where she dwelled, and finally what was his messsage. Luke. i. without these or other like 
Historia.  circumstances, is no story of authority. No such grounded matter find we in this trifling fable, which this folly she papyst bringeth in here, to fortify his cause with. Your matter is of a nun, and ye know not where she dwelleth, nor yet what her name is, forsooth it is a firl prati matter. By 
Fabula.  like it was some nun of wax. Well, ye shall have lycens to offer her up to saint fool, when ye will.  
Mock not your brethren thus, ye obstyvate and indurate rank papyst, to hold them still captive in these wicked snares 
Snares.  of the devil. What articles of false faith will ●e build upon these beggary's? first ye had widows ware to approve your Popish vows, than brought ye fourth the office of a deacon, and now are ye driven to 〈…〉 elpe of a nun and to fetch your 〈…〉 at her tail, and yet ye can not tell, 〈…〉 she ever lived or no. Scriptures 〈…〉 none, of God's holy Testament, 〈…〉 we it welynoghe, they will not 〈…〉 execrable purpose. O abominable papists and ministers of Satan, which thus seek to dement, the simple hearts of the people. let all them which love God, mark you in these kinds of convepaunce, that they be no longer seduced by your sorceries and witchcrafts. By the name of S. augustine, ye think to 
Augustine  terrify us, and to drive us from the wrastelyng place compelling men to believe what you list, but ye shall not so find it in the end.   

Obiectio.  
☞ Quid autem ait de quibusdam, que voverunt et non reddiderunt? habentes, inquit, damnacionem, quia primam fidem irritam fecerunt. Quid est, primam fidem irritam feceruut? 
Prima sides.  Uoverunt et non reddiderunt. Nemo erg● positus in monasterio frater dicat, recedo de monasterio. Neque enim soli qui sun● in monasterio, perventuri sunt ad regnum celorum. Et illi qui non sunt, ad Deum non pertinēt● Respondetur ei: Sed illi non voverunt, ●u vovisti, tu retro respexisti, et cet. Et Paule post. I am quia ista tractavimus, forte volebas vovere, et modo non vis vovere. Sed quid dixerit psalmus, attend. Non dixit, no● 
●ouere.  lite vovere, sed dixit, vovere et reddite. Quid audisti, red dite, non vis vovere? Ergo vovere volebas et non reddere? Immo utrumque far. Unum sit exprofessione tua, aliud ex adiutoaio Dei perficietur. Aspice eum qui te ducit, et non respiries retro unde te educit et cet. Also he saith, de bovo viduitatis. La. xi. plane 
ano●imus  non dub it averim ditere, lapsus et tuinas a castitate sanctiore que vovetur Deo, adulteriis esse peiores.   

Responsio.  
Here goeth S. augustine forward with his dialogical process, concerning this nun 
nameless.  without name and monastery. When he hath showed on the one side, that he doth not condempnt her for marriage, though he thinketh that single life more commodious, being without charge. He followeth with his matter after this sort. What said S. Paul (saith he) of some which promised, and yet broke covenant? Damnation 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 
He lieth.  that means may no professed brother say, I will depart from the movastery. And yet shall not they which are in the monastery, come alone to y● kingdom of heaven. Partayne not they which are without it, as well to God as they? To this will I answer. They never vowed, but thou haste vowed, thou hast looked back or behind thee, & so fourth. Than leapeth he over. xxvi. clauses, containing 
falsehood.  more than▪ ccc. words, thinking to be discharged by et cetera. But sure he escapeth me not so. Briefly will I tell ye the contents thereof, that ye may see the man's conveyance.  
S. augustine bringeth fourth the saying of Christ concerning Loathes wife. which being in the way of deliverance from 
Loathes wife.  Sodom, looked behind her again, and was turned into a pillar of salt. This putteth he not only to religious monastery brethren, but to all christian men, for an high example of wisdom, that none should go back with his lawful promise to God, for he saith: Illa uxor Loth, ad omnes pertinet. That wife of Loth (saith he) toucheth all men. Where is now our nameless nun, either yet the unwyving vow of pfestes. I would fain ones we might have priests matters, and not women's matters, to prove 
priests.  our priesthood by, least in the end we thereby make it a womanly priesthood. We pretend by vow, not to meddle with women, and yet we can not prove a chastity in our priesthood without women. This is a prodigyous ordre of proving. It followeth in the text of Augustine, which this chaplain of purpose left out. Maritata mulier voluit facere adulterium, de loco suo quo per venerat retro respexit. A married woman 
A wife.  would do adultery, she hath looked back from the place she was come to. A professed widow would marry (for pleasure, and of no necessity) a maid that is a nun, 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 
Better.  melior maritata humilis, quam virgo superba. Que autem respexit ad nuptias, non quia voluit nubere damnatur, sed quia iam ante recesserat, et fit uxor Loth respiciendo retrorsum. Non sitis pigri qui potestis, quibus aspirat Deus, apprehendite gradus meliores. O thou professed virgin of God, thu wilt not marry, which is leeful, but thou wilt be proud, which is unleeful. 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 
meekness  marriage, is not therefore condemned because she would marri, but because she hath refused it afore by an ungodly promise, or a vow of that which never was in her power, so becoming the wife of Loath looking backwards from God toward Sodom. Be not you stowe in vowing, that have power to perform it, lay you 
of power.  first hands upon it, to whom God hath given that gift for a better purpose, that is, for the true ministration of his word, & neither for idle monkery nor ydolatrouse priesthood. I would we well marked this doctrine of S. Augustine, whom this chaplain hath thevishli left out here, for it is worthy note.  
Et Paulo post, is an addition of his own, next cousin to et cet. & is given us in stead of all this hidden process of S. augustine. 
Augustine  Is it not (think you) a proper & profitable change? But now he followeth with his lattre patch. I am quia ista tractavimus. now because we have spoken these things, haply where thu wert well minded afore to have vowed, thou wi●te from hens fourth not vow at al. But first attend what the psalm hath uttered. It sayeth not. Se thou vow not. But it saith, vow and perform or keep promise. Because thou hearest, 
Keep it.  keep promise, thou wilt not vow. This is as much to sai, as thou wouldest promise, and not pay. Yes, do both. Let the one pertain to thy profession, & the other will be performed by the help of God. Behold him well that leadeth thee, & look not behind, to that from whence he hath brought thee, et cet. And what is all this to the purpose, that priests 
priests.  should have no wives? Not ones hath he named a pressed in all this rehearsal or declaration of vows. The office of christian ministers, whom this chaplain without autho rite calleth priests, was not in those days to make vows, but to receive the vows of professed widows, after pauls doctrine, for they were commenli the husband's of one wife.  
As in the old law (if ye will so take it) though that priests received the vows & oblations 
No vowers.  of the people, yet they themselves were no comen vowers, for it was not their office to vow nor yet to offee, as y● comen sort ded. S. augustine willeth us here, to perform our vow made in baptism, & to follow God's commandments. And not to turn back from Christ's appointed rules, to our own dreams & inventions, our vows & blind devotions, for that is to return to Sodom, as that end thereof hath declared, by many a most filthy example. If these vows 
Examples.  must of necessity be performed, than must our vows also to Romr, to Jerusalem, to s. james, & to walsinghan be performed, specially the old vows of the. two. universities to be always obedient to the malyguaunte seat of antichrist. Yea, if all things must be persolued, that hath been promised in papism, than must king 
King johan.  johans' 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 with a solemn deliberation, as ye say by diffynition, your unchaste vows are.  
Still ye bring in your women's matters, like a womanly captain, to prou● a chastity in your Romish priesthood, whereby ye show yourself to be much better learned 
Women.  in women's affairs, than in men's. O●te of the .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 dubitaverim etc. I would not doubt plainly to aff yrme it, the slydinge● & ruynouse fallings fronholi chastity, 
chastity.  which is vowed to god, to be worse than advowtryes. And this ye allege of purpose, to condemn the lawful marriages of them, which at the voice of God hath of late years forsaken your papistical priesthood and monkery. But your armour is to weak, being but women's ware, and so 
A thief.  thevishly stolen. Ones again have I here deprehended you in your falsehood, ye purse pyker, and find ye more fit for the pill▪ ●ery than the pulpit. Thus doth your doctor handle it, in the lettre end of the .x. ch●  
Fit autem per hanc minus consideratam opinionem, qua putant lapsarum a sancto proposito feminarum, si nupserint, non esse 
julianus.  coni●gia, non parvum malum ut a maritis separentur quasi adultere sint, non uxores. Et cum volunt eas separatas reddere continenty, faciunt maritos earum adulteros veros, cum suis uxoribus viu●s, alteras duxerint. Ca xi. Quapropter non possum quidem dicere a proposito meliore lapsas, si nupserint feminas, adulteria esse, non coningia (now followeth his fragment) said plane non dubitaverim dicere, lapsus et ruinas a castitate sanctiore, que vovetur deo, adulteriis esse peiores. Si enim, quod nullo 
Impostor.  modo dubitandum est, ad offensionem Christi pertinet, cum membrum eius fidem non servat marito, quanto gravius offenditur, cum illi ipsi non servatur fides etc.  
Great mischief followeth of that inconvenient, when men, by this not wisely digested opinion, do think the marriages of professed nuns▪ to be no marriages, and thereupon compel them to be separated from 
Married nunes.  their husbands, as advowtrouse women and no wives, for when they by such dyvorcementes attempt▪ to drive them again to the nunnery, they make their poor husband advowterers in deed, in taking other women, their own wines being alive. Ca xi. Wherefore I can not justly report, the marriages of women fallen from religion, if they chance to marry, to be 
●ot vows.  advowtryes and no marriages. But I would not much doubt, to call the flydinges away from holy chastity, things worse than advowtries, for if Christ be offended, by all men's opinion, when his member is unfaithful to her husband, how much more than may he be offended when promise is not kept with himself? et cet.  
Here is a great difference between you and your nameless doctor, for your opinion is, that the marriages of vowers are 
Opinions  plain advowtryes and no marriages. His opinion is all contrary, that they are so lawful marriages as may be. For he calleth the professed nun so married, a lawful and perfect wife, and judgeth her separation from marriage, a most dangerous & damnable inconvenient. The scrupul or spiced conscience that he hath in the matter, is concerning the break of her promise made to God, and that putteth he in here, ungroundedly, doubtfully, hypocritically, and utterly against himself, as to note her in one Godly office both a lawful 
Impostor.  wife and an whore. This is, as though he would seem to allow it for God's institutions sake, & at pleasure again to disallow it in an other idle respect. He would fain give the mastery to monkishnes, but he trembleth at the matter, as he may well enough. I utterly deny S. augustine to be the author 
Augustine  of this superstyciouse, unsure, and doubtful doctrine. For I never yet could see him so far overseen, as to prefer our voluntary works to the set ordinances of God. He was not so forgetful of this old saying of Esay, that all our righteousnesses, appear they never so holy, are as the clothes stained with menstr●e. Es. lxiiii.  
This nameless author of yours, doth S. Paul much wrong, to call the state of a single life, an holy or Angelical state, because he hath called it a state happy or commodious, being without charge. i. cor. seven. 
More ●re.  for he never meant it so. The spowsage of Christ standeth not in the devices of man's idle head, as are your voluntary vows of monkery, but in a sincere faith not passing the rules of his uncorrupted word. This author of yours, called Julian, a 
julianus.  Moor borne, and bishop of Tolete in Spain, seemeth wonderfully much against himself, for treating in the. viii. chapter, why marriage ought to be permitted to religious widows, he hath this clear sentence. Si non continent, nubant. Malo enim eas ●●bere quam uri.  
Hoc enim dixit, ut effrenate li●idinis malum non precipitaretur in turpitudinem slagitiorum, cum exciperetur honestate nuptiarum et cet. Uolo igitur iuniores nubere. If they can not abstain, let them marry, for I had much rather that they married, than brent. This spoke the Apostle, 
Marry.  lest the unbridled affection should throw them into all kinds of filthiness, whiles 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 book. In coniugali quip: uniculo, si pudicicia conseruatur, damnatio non timetur. 
Fear not  In the yoke of marriage, is no damnation to be feared, if cleanness therein be observed. So how this sentence of your own doctrine, confoundeth your allegation.   

Obiectio.  
☞ And also, Cham viii Proinde quise non continent, nubant antequam continentiam profiteantur, antequam Deo voveant, quod 
Infamantur  nisi reddant, iure damnantur. Alio quip 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 destererunt. Irritam quip facerunt fidem qua prius voverant, quod perseverantia implete volverunt. Further ye ask who should do it? and answer by the verse that followeth: All you that be round about, 
Offerings  bringing presents to the Lord. If you restrain performing of vows, only to the bringing of outward presents, than ye make a sense of this verse after your own mind alone, and expound it other wise than the doctors do. For both the sentences after S. augustine's mind, and all other doctors that I have red, be general, and pertain to all 
A question  good men. 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 testimonies bringeth this chaplain fourth here, but both is his doctor Julian of doubtful authority, & 
Women.  also they pertain to women and no men. And therefore this priesthood, for whose unknown chastity he contendeth, is like in the end to appear a doubtful womanly priesthood. Thus are his borrowed sentences out of the. viii. chapter de bovo viduitatis, to be Fuglyshed. Wherefore the widows which can not abstain (ye may see, sum what went afore, that he would not gladly touch.) let them marry husbands afore they profess a chastity, and afore they make vows to God: for if they perform 
Profession.  not their promise▪ they are lawfully dampened. And in an other place, the Apostle saith of such women, when they have begun to were wanton, than will they marry in Christ (your doctor Julian b●lyeth the text) having damnation, because they have broken their first faith, 
First faith  that is to say, they have turned their will from 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 perseverance.  
It is devylyshly done both of you and your doctor Julian, thus to deprave or to vyciate the holy scriptures. Neither is S. Paul a condempner of marriage, nor 
S. Paul.  yet a persuader of vows making, but calleth them in that kind, a plain doctrine of devils. He never taught any other profession, than that which is comen to all christian men & women. In all the new testament is no doctrine of your vows, why than impute you dampuation to the breakyuge of them? If damnation be due to them that break 
damnation  your commandments, than are ye in authority equal with God. From whence cometh this usurpation & pride of yours? Even from that adversary and son of perdition, which exalteth himself above all that is called God. two. Thessa. two. The widows y● S. Paul speaketh of. i Tim. v. were no professed nuns, but nomen destitute of fryndeshyp, whom he willed to be 
Nomines  provided for of that comen alms. And none other admitted he thereunto, but ancient matrons of. lx. years of age and upwards, such as were known to be of a most honest and Godly conversation. The yongar widows were none of that number. Neither was wantonness imputed unto 
Wantonness  them because they would marry, for marriage is there appointed them, but because they would marry ungodly with the unfaithful for pleasures of this world, abhorring poverty in the christian profession.  
For this wantonness is not a marriage in Christ, as your dotting doctor Julian 
Against Christ.  and you here do take it, for so might every marriage in Christ, be noted a wantonness to damnation, but against Christ, or to Christ's dishonour, for it followeth in the text, that many of them turned back, & went after Satan, in renouncinge the christrn faith. Thus is not the damnation due to them that break your vows, but to them that forsake 
Damnation  their Christian profession. Neither is damnation here taken, for the hateful indignation of God or depryvation of the life everlasting, but for a fowl blot of infamy, or a notable staundre to the christian 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 younger widows, to marry within the congregation lest by extreme poverty they were compelled to 
poverty.  forsake their Christian believe, and to give an occasion of damnable slander against the Gospel. He that will say with you and your doctor jultane, that prima fi● des is a vow voluntary, or a purpose from marriage to an uncommanded chastity: I say, he is a liar and a ●euyl.  
Prima fides is a faith in jesus Christ, to follow the rules of his Gospel in that common 
Prima fide●.  christian religion, and not a profession of monkery nor yet such a bastard priesthood as hath of the scriptures no manner of authority. But I pray you, let me ask ye a question, you deceitful sonldyour of Sodom. Why cut ye of this conclusion from the lattre allegation 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 quip procreationi operandare, non canino more 
Louingi●.  per usum promiscuum foeminarum, sed honesto ordine coniugali, non est in homine improbandus affectus, etiam ipsum tamen laudabilius transcendit et vincit celestia cogitans animus Christianus. Therefore is that commodity of marriage, always a good and a godly commodity. But where it sometime was among God's people, an obedient 
Marriage  service of the law, it is now a remedy of that flesh's infirmity, and also in some meu, an human consolation or natural comfort. To be given to begetting of children, so that it be not by a confuse occupying with women ●yke dog and bitch, but in an honestor decent ordre of marriage, that affect or natural inclivation in man is not to be reproved, yet is that Christian 
Minds.  mind much more to be praised, which over cometh that affect, by the meditation of things heavenly. All this could we have thankfully received of your doctor Julian, but it was not to your devilish 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 massmongers. For 
Monks.  they were not wont to bring offerings of their own from round about, but their gaping 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, than they restrain 
Restrain  themselves here in the end of this verse, by bringing of presents to the lord. As for your interpretative and scholastical doctoures, I never regard them nor yet their expositions, when they thus vary from the truth of the scriptures, but account them both blasphemous babelers and liars. Ye say, that vovete et reddite, after the mind of S. Augustine and all the 
Generalli  other doctors that you have red extendeth generally, & pertaineth to all good men. Why do you then restrain it to your monks and massmongers, which are men neither good nor godly? Yea why have you all this long time been hatcheing 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 wisely afterward of you 
Lompassed.  auswered. I never heard it afore, that god was ever compassed of them that 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▪ seven. 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. Esay. lxvi. yet 
Lompassed.  suffereth he not himself to be compassed of them. In answering your own question, ye say, that they be round about god, amongst whom he is, over, undre, and on every side. This must I needs deny you, because his beyuge among them, is not all one with their being round about. God is a spirit, how can ye than prove him circumscriptible or local? How can he be 
Over all.  closed within limits, that overspreadeth the heavens and containeth all things? This divinity of yours is but dougyshe daubry. We know that God is with them that are righteous of his righteousness, 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 assistant in deed, to them that assemble together in his name, 
Names.  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, William, & Hugh, with a great sort more of that like, nether yet to them that hath mustered together & flocked in their feasts of idleness, to call upon them for help. I deny it not but that he hath showed his good favour to them whom he hath found meek and lowly of heart, and to them that 
foully.  hath feared him and followed the right rule of his word. But as concerning them which hath offered bodies and souls to do him service, not after his appointed ordre, but after their own devices, 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 that god alloweth in man, cometh 
service.  never of man's voluntary offering, but of Gods own free calling and election. 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. All these, ye say, be exhorted to vow, and perform their vows. If that exhortation were given by David to this lattre sort, it was of late 
David.  years in some secret vision, for in his time were no such dysgysed shavelings and shorlynges, and I marvel why they are so slack in performance.    

Censura.  
¶ Of all these heavy burdens and ●arke misty shadows, yea, from the feast of trumpet blowing and all, hath the son of God most mercifully delivered us. The brotherhood of S. Beorges' gild at Norwyche, may observe those 
Christ.  vows by their own appointment, if they list, to make themselves myrry therewith. But Christ's redeemed brotherhood are clearly discharged, & ●ede no more therewith to meddle. He that from hens fourth uncircumspectly and unbrotherly seeketh to clog us with these vows, mindeth to sand us again 
A clog.  back to Moses, and so utterly to deprive us of that salvation which we have in Christ Iesu. Bala. v.  

Obiectio.  
☞ Take away your ground, that is to say, that vows be heavy burdens and dark misty shadows, and so abrogate by Christ, than will all the rest fall, which is builded upon that 
Coelebatus.  ground. To keep a vow that is lawfully 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 shadow, as you say. And is contained under the second commandment. Non assumes nomen Dei tui in vanum. 
Borrowed.  Thus did I always conceive of the doctors before. If nature abhor, that one man should break promise with an other, much more it abhorreth, that a man should break promise with his Lord God. Ecclesiastes saith, Ca l. Si quid vovisti Deo, non moreris reddere. Displicet enim ei infidelis et slul●● 
Eccle. v.  promissio. Sed quodcumque voveris, red. Multoque melius est non vovere, quam post votum, promise a non reddere.   

Responsio.  
My ground is so sure, so steady, and so strong, that neither you, your dreaming 
devils.  doctors, your dirty daubers, nor yet all the devils of darkness, which hath maintained your cursed generation in all kinds of deceit, since the days of Cain, shall be able ones to remove it. As johan Baptist in the wilderness declared the coming and office of Christ, he began by and by 
Gospel.  to build upon this foundation. By Moses (saith he) was the law first given, 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, than unto the time of johan Baptist, Mat. xi. There they ceased, there were they fully discharged, and went no further. S. Paul saith, that the law worketh pre, Rom. iiii. The law is a power of sin. i Cori. xv. 
The law  The law bringeth no man to perfection. Heb. seven. By the law is no man justified. 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 end of the law, and a full righteousness to them that believe, Roma. x. This foundation of mine, will not be puffed away with all 
Foundation  your sophystycal blasts, for it is not builded upon the sand, but upon the hard rock. Math. seven. The power of hell shall not prevail against it. Math. x.  
Now come I to your specialtees, as burdens, mists, and shadows of the law. 
Burdens.  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 
Bondage.  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 are gone from Christ, as think to be justified by any point of the law. Gal. v. The false teachers (S. Peter saith) which bryugeth in damnable sects (by vows) living at pleasure in all deceivable ways (by vows) are clouds carried about of a tempest (by those vows) to whom is reserved the mist of darkness for ever. two. Per. two. 
The law  The law (saith s. Paul) had but a shadow of good things to come, & not the things themselves in their own proportion, for it rather signified somewhat, than brought things to effect, Hebre. x.  
Christ hath broken down the wall, 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 
Hatred.  of commandments contained in the law written, Ephe. two. He hath abolished utterly the hand writing of obligation that was against us, contained in the law written, and clearly taken it out of the way fastening it to his cross, Collo. two. What ground will ye now have, to prove your ceremonial vows, no heavy burdens, no cloudy mists, no dark shadows, and so not abrogated by Christ, when this ground will not hold them but utterly reject them? 
Ground.  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 thereupon. And it is truth in deed I am glad we have brought you to that conclusion. But your head is so mad that ye will not there stay, but follow on still fourth in your frenzy. Ye can find 
Frenesy.  it now, that to keep avow, that is lawful lie made (which can not of your vows he verified) 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 gratte so far, that he must needs burst, no remedy. 
of vows.  Ye say, the observation of vows is commanded of God, in the laws natural, moral, and evangelical. It is sooner said, than proved. Of likelihood ye are some protonotary of Rome, that ye would your words to be believed without reasonable proofs. It is like here to remaive for a fabulous lie, till ye have 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 judicials 
A fable.  of Moses' law, are all one with with the moral precepts and the Gospel. Ye say, that observation of vows, is neither ceremony nor shadow. It was both, when vows were in strength, that is to say, for the time of Moses' law, If ye think them now changed, bring fourth your honest probations, and ye shall be 
Proves.  heard. If ye have none other thing to stay it by, but the second commandment, ye are far wide. For this is the second commandment of god. Non facies tibi sculptile. Thu shalt make the no graven image, Exodi. xx. This helpeth not your matter, but utterly confoundeth it. For vows are like as images are, works only of man's 
images.  imagination, without commandment of God. For ye have granted all this time, that they are works voluntary, and so have ye defined them.  
If ye meant the third commandment, 
overseen  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 exercised in the jewish ceremonies, than in God's holy commandments, when ye know not the one from the other. In deed I would wish, ye were somewhat 
Swearing  wiser. This third commandment will not serve your turn, for it pertaineth to swearing & not to vowing, as Christ hath expounded it. If ye take vowing for a kind of swearing, than hath Christ utterly discharged you, by this mighty word of his. Dico vobis ne iuretis omnino. Math. v. I charge you, that ye swear not at all, that is to say, that ye vow in no wise. ●o, where are your vows become now, by your own confession? Now have ye, by your own procurement, brought them even to 
All lost.  nothing, your old doctors were yet much more wise than you are. For they judged them with all the other ceremonies of Moses▪ to pertain to the forth commandment, 
Sucked.  concerning the Saboth day.  
Though ye have always conceived much (as ye boast yourself here) by your exercise in the doctors, yet took ye no heed in this point. Ye have succked much of the divinity doggerel of that drunken papist johan Eckius, in this matter. As the saying is, like will to like, as the devil findeth out the colyar. I marvel much of your ignorant beastliness, or else of your obstinate hypocrisy. Ye play here the Pelagyane 
Pelagyan  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 perfection, ye defraud her of her office, and deprive her of her glory. Ye know not Gods eternal power, ye understand not his works wonderful, neither glorify you him as the author of all goodness. But become obstinate, wicked, and unthankful, yea, ye were full of vanities in your imaginations, your foolish heart covered with a damnable blindness, for contemning his truth, Roma. i. 
All vapu●.  Of nature are we, the fleshly, sinful, and wicked children of God's great indignation and curse, Ephesians. two.  
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 neighbour, it is not of us but of 
faithful.  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 allegation of Ecclesiastes, ye seem to be a great multyplyer. For his book hath but. xii. Chapters in all, and yet 
Eccle. v.  you can allege the. l. Chapter, ere ye come to the mid part thereof. It is some figure, ye work by, either of falsehood or else of forgetfulness. If thou haste made a vow to God (saith Ecclesiastes) be not slack to perfonrme it. As for foolish vows, he hath no pleasure in them. If thou promise any thing, pay it. For better it is, that thou make no vow, than that thou shouldest promise and not pay. Ecclesi. v. for what 
Purpose.  purpose ye brought in this text, I can not conjecture: unless it were to put us in remembrance, that all your prestyshe and monkish vows, are vanity, idleness, foolishness, frenzy pevyshnes, madness, and mischief unspeakable. Not pleasing, but dylpleasing our almighty maker, for so much as they are but mocking promises of things impossible, unprofitable, perilous, wicked, uncertain, above our strengths, and all contrary to Christ's doctrine. This text alluring men to perform 
The text.  their vows, willeth them to be very circumspect in the making of them. For if they be made after man's wisdom and not Gods (as ye say, your vows are voluntary) than are they wicked and foolish. And the fulfilling of them, is both a displeasure and a mock to God.   

Obiectio.  
☞ Also the breaking of a lawful vow, is one kind of infidelity, which Paul proveth i. Time. l. Habentes damnationem, quia primam fidem irritam fecerunt. How should a 
Infamy.  man bind himself to God, to do any thing, but by a vow or an oath, which is a testimony of his promise or vow? Therefore a christian man's 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 
Take it.  ceremony or shadow pertaining to one feast, which is abrogate by Christ's coming.   

Responsio.  
If ye only mind to speak of vows lawful, than are ye much to blame to trouble 
Sole life.  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 sublevantem se. Woe to him that is alone, for if he fall, he hath not an other to help him up again. If woe, be 
●ods ordre  here a curse or damnation, as it is holden in the scriptures for that more part, it is double to you that hath made thereof a vow or perpetual band. To this end hath God ordained his creatures, that one should help an other. He created man & woman that the one should be a solace, an aid, & a comfort to that other. This ordre are you able to dysolue, by the impotency (omnipotency I would say) 
Exempt.  of your vow, as a God of yourself. But more perilous is your fall, both ways, than ye be aware of. Ye will peraventure object against me, that Christ was single. I must desire you to grant him extraordynary, or exempt from the comen ordre of men, being the only son of the highest. If ye lay Mary Christ's mother, ye must lose your labour, for she was married to joseph, & never disdained that godly estate.  
If ye bring fourth Hieremy and johan Baptist, I answer you, that it was in them and certain other by special privilege, and not by any vow voluntary. If ye can show us by the sacred scriptures, that ye 
Privilege.  have the same privilege, either yet if we see in you, that ye bring fourth like fruits of doctrine, than will we credit you for doctrine and privileges sake, but not for your vows sake, for we know to much thereof. Ye write in your Chronicles, that 
Edward.  etheldred and Edward remained still byrgins after long marriage. Suffer maidenhead 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 singleness without vows, if ye cared for the things 
A vow.  of the Lord. i. Cor. seven. But I can not away with your singleness in vows, for in them ye seek but bell ye profyghte. Though the breaking of a lawful vow, which is a vow allowed by the scriptures, be a kind of infidelity, 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 infidelity in them that break them, but an evident 
numbers  proof of most faithful obedience to God. Ye are but weakly seen in numbers, when ye know not. v. from. l. Ye allege the ..l. chap of S. Paul's first epistle to Timothe, & the wholepistle hath nomor but seven little ca But this will I once again ascribe to your oversight  
Your text, habentes damnacionem, is in the. fift Chapter, and is thus englished▪ Having 
first faith.  damnation, because they have broken their first faith. By this would ye prove, that the breaking of your popish vows were a kind of infidelity. 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 christian profession. And the damnation there, is a blot of infamy, or an uncomely report, to the great blemishing of christianity and slander of the Gospel, as I told ye afore. Your question, how should 
Question  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. johan. i. Our estate and religion, is a state of liberty, and no bondage. johan. Our law is a law of liberty & no bondage. jaco. i. Now are we become sons by election, free heirs and inheritors with Christ, Gala. iiii. If we be made fire by his death, we ought no 
Bondage.  lougar to serve that way, in bondage. For the servant knoweth not the mind of his master. But to us as to his dear children and friends, hath he opened all, Ihoan. xv. If we now do anything 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 
Good men.  of his holy w●rde, have showed themselves godly wise, humble, gentle, meek, merciful, kind, peaceable, pytyful, temperaunt, chaste, sober long suffering, forgiving, thankful to God, and faithful to all men. They have embraced love, which is the che●e of perfection, Col. iii. Yea, they have therewith fulfilled the law, Rom. xiii. et 
charity.  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 dystyning. I might ask you 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, how a vow could be both a promise and the thing 
A vow.  promised. But I think it to foolish, to bestow any time thereupon. Because a vow is the witness of a vow, and men bind themselves thereby to do things to God, therefore (ye say) a christian man's obedience in keeping his promise with God, is the true inward service of God, and required 
service.  by his commandment. I think, a more foolish conclusion was never heard. And therefore ye do well to add, as you take it.  
A christian man's obedience standeth not in the fulfilling of fanatical vows, 
In faith.  as they have been used, better broken than kept) but in the faithful observation 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, Antichrist's dirt, and most filthy dregs of the devil, pertaining to the feast of Satan's intronization 
A feast.   
If we will needs serve, being the children of the free woman, Gala. iiii. let us seek to serve in liberty and not in bondage. let us bear no longer a strangers yoke with the unbelievers. two. Cor. vi. let them to whom god hath given knowledge, shake of those shackles, and repent of those 
Snares.  snares of the devil two. Tim. two. for they are the very charactes or marks of the infernal beast, whereby Antichrist's ministers have power to buy 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. 
priests.  xir. Having their names clearly wiped out of the book of life. S. Paul would never entangle the corinthians with such a snare, as these your vows are, but gave them erudycious honest and comely. i. Corinth. seven.    

Censura.  
¶ The forbidding of marriage is a 
S. Paul.  doctrine of devils, S. Paul saith. i. Timothe. iiii. Where as the observing thereof is a comely fulfilling of God's institution, which Mary Christ's mother honoured.  

Obiectio.  
☞ All this is very true, being Gods wurd. But for what purpose ye bring it in, I do not plainly see, except it be to subvert an other truth. As though the exhortation or professing of virginity, or blaming of men 
No sight.  that break their vows, were a forbidding of marriage, and so a doctrine of devils. It is to strange to say, that the commending of the higher gift of chastity, should be a condemning of the lowar gift of marriage. Every man ones in his life, hath liberty 
Liberty.  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 forbid to marry, not forbidding marriage, but bidding him keep his vow.  
It is a devilish doctrine (as I think) 
Doctrine  to forbid a married man to marry, his wise being alive.  
And also to forbid him to marry, that hath consecrate his body and soul to God, & professed to live chaste without marriage.   

Responsio.  
In case is this hypocrite chaplain, as was the devil, whom Christ drove into them 
A Devil.  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. This knowledge and confession notwithstanding, yet this devil entering into the swinish bishops, priests, and layers, withstood his heavenly verity, and pursued him for it to the very death. Who can think this malicious and frantic chaplain, not to be possessed with this devil? 
Possessed.  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 withstand a known & confessed verity, what is a sin against the holy Ghost? If he be not in this 
All true.  point a son of perdition, who ever was the son of perdition. Ye know (master chaplain) that these sentences be true, why do ye not than allow them? Yea ye know, they be very true, that is to say, certainly, groundedly, and perfectly true, why than believe ye them not? Ye know also, they be the words of God, why than do ye not honour them, love them, and follow them, but wickedly impugn them?  
Ye can not see, for what purpose I bring in these verities, that the inhybytion of marriage is a doctrine of devils, that the 
A wife.  taking of a christian wife, is a following of God's institution, and that Mary Christ's mother honoured that holy order. For none other purpose do I bring them in, than for that only purpose which god appointed, as for the allowance of matrimony, which is god's ordinance. Ye have in times past, torn and taken away from 
Gospels.  Christ, Homo quidam nobilis, in some churches, and Ego sum Pastor bonus, in the other churches, & given it to Thomas Be●ket the traitor, both at matins and mass, upon his idolatrous days. Homo quidam peregre, to your Romish Apostle augustine, to Anselme, Cuthbert, Chadde, Swithune, Dunstane, Erkenwalde, Oswald, Osmunde, edmund, and a great sort moo. Beati pauperes, to dead men's bones 
Gadders.  and relics, Euntes in mundum, to gadders, pilgrims, and idol sekers. Amen dico vobis, ye appointed for battle, Petite et dabitur, for sick beasts, Factum est in una dierum, for fair wether, Nolite soliciti esse, for rain, Discumbente jesu, for mourners, Surgens jesus de synagoga, for pestilence, & Dixit Simon Petrus, for S. Antony's evil, bestowing Dixit Martha ad jesum, for all christian souls. This 
Souls.  was a great study of you, & a clerkly distributing of y● scriptures sometime. Ye can not think my scriptures welbestowed, because they are not applied to that use and end.  
Ye fear least this truth here expressed, should subvert an other truth. But ye need not so to do▪ for it is not the nature of a truth to subvert or destroy a truth, but rather to ratify, maintain, and uphold a truth. But peraventure it is some truth of your own, that ye mean, and than is it a very falsehood. 
A truth.  For you are they that call evil good, and good evil, making darkness light, & light darkness. Esay. v. Your comen custom hath been evermore (S. Paul saith) to withhold God's verity in unrighteousness, and to turn his truth to a lie, Roma. i. This truth of yours, is an exhortation 
Enemies.  to a wifeless life, or a professing of virginity. This word exhortation hath a fair show, virginity seemeth a bewtyful thing. Undre this pretenced colour or fair face of the serpent, your ye will hide all the crafty persuasions of 
Sodomites.  your religious sodomites, priests, monks, and fryres, which hath compassed sea and land to make proselytes, both by confession and other ways. And in the end ye would have them taken for virtuous counsels & godly professions. But doubtless ye come to late. Ye would that neither this, nor yet the blaming or rebuking of men, that break 
Uowes.  their unlawful stinking popish vows, should be judged any forbidding of lawful marriage, or taken for a doctrine of devils. But it shall be so held, & axe you no leave so long 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, 
Beastly.  to be holden as a pure commendation of the true chastity. But it will not be granted you. That detestable profession of a life so enormiouse, shall be a prohibition of Godly marriage and a doctrine of devils in hypocrisy, though ye show a thousand colours to y● contrary. What devil of hell hath inspired you, so clearly to separate christian marriage from chastity, as it had no portion therewith? What will ye make of lawful marriage, ye sinful 
Marriage.  sodomites and utter enemies of God, that ye thus cruelly seclude it from all kinds of chaste honesty? Do ye judge it a whore doom, an uncleanness, a beastliness? or what do ye reckon of it, you that so maliciously thus handle it? This dare I be bold to affirm, and will stand in the opinion to the very death, that all kinds of continency, of cleanness, and of chastity in the old testament, from the beginning of Genesis to the lattre end of the Maccabees, 
Commended.  having the blessing of God, pertaineth to marriage. There is no such ungodly separation of virginity from marriage, but virgins were reckoned there, most fit for that honest, comely, & godly estate.  
Uirgynite without fruit, is there deplored, sorrowed, lamented, and bewailed, as in the daughter of jephte, judi. xi. Where as marriage is called a chaste generation 
Marriage  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, dwelled under contempt, obprobry, and rebuke, without benediction, as appeared in An na. i Reg. i. and in Helisabeth▪ Luc. i. When 
Uowes.  vows were of most value and of God's allowance, they could not better virgynytie, how can they than now better it, being of less value, yea, works 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 seed was come, which was jesus Christ. Though he in the new testament, beatyfyed virginity (as he also by many clear arguments, did marriage) giving there unto, the grace of prophecy, as appeared in the. iiii. daughters of Philip the Evangelist, 
Uirginite.  Acto. xxi. Yet ded he not licence you to vow it, to brag of it, to huylde your priesthood upon it, to make it your bawd, your cloak, and your ydol of uncleanness, to colour your sodometry with it, nor yet to contemn lawful marriage for it.  
I could well commend virginity many ways, but not after your handling. 
Uirginite  As it is Gods 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 shavelings above the layte. This is a practise of your old scolemaysters the Pharisees, which preferred their idle traditions to Gods holy commandments. Math. xv. Because that vowed chastity cometh from Rome, which is beyond the Alpes, with 
The alpes  oylynges and with havings, 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 giver out thereof, a very mean gentleman, even he that seeketh whom he may denovee. i Pet. v. Much boast is made of virginity, 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 the wisdom of god. 
Wisdom.  For we read in the Gospel, that the. v. foolish virgins were put clearly back, for not having oil and light in their lamps, Math. xxv. This is an evident example, that virginity is nothing, without other Godly provisions. No better is that virginity which serveth itself alone, than is the talon hid under the ground. Mat. xxv.  
I deny not, but it is an easy, pleasant, free, and commodious estate, but without 
maidenhed.  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 virginity. Though Mary Christ's mother be named a virgin in the gospel▪ yet is she much more commended there for her faith, than for virginity. Helisabeth full of the holy Ghost, proclaimed her blessed among women, and not virgins, blessed for her believes sake▪ and not for vyrgynytees sake. Marriage should 
marriage:  not seem all void of virginity, by that S. Paul saith to the married Corinthyanes'. Adiunxi enim vos uni viro, ut virginem castam exhiberetis Christo. I have coupled you to one man, to make ye a chaste virgin to Christ. two. Corinth. xi. The virgins which followeth the lamb, whither so ever he goeth. Apocalyps. xiiii. being his undefiled congregation, were married people for the more part. johan 
Tompson.  Tompson an old doctor of yours in his abreviations of Ryde●aus commentaries upon the Mythologyes of Fulgentius, affirmeth it out of S. augustine, as a grounded doctrine, that Abraham's marriage was in dignity equal with the virginity of saint johan baptist.  
In marriage God preserved Sara from the unlawful handlings of Abimelech. Genesis. xx. Where as he suffered Dina in a presumtuouse virginity to be 
Dil●●y.  corrupted among the Sichemytes, Gen. xxxiiii. In the dyl●●y or general flood he saved the married how should of Noah, the fore● virgins peryshing therein. Gen. seven. his blessing was upon the married for increase, Gen. i. viii. ix. xxxv. He also blessed in Abraham's seed, all peoples of the earth, Gene. xxii. Christ in this flesh at marriage was present, joan. two. but never at order's giving. When he delivered the woman taken in adultery, he wrote upon the ground the unknown faults of the holy hypocrites, johan. viii. The Esseanes which were chaste men without wives, 
Esseanes.  the scriptures doth not allow, but rather condemn them, Apo. xi. For this special cause sprang the most worthy men, Isaac, jacob, Samson, Samuel, and johan Baptist of ●arren women, that fruitfulness 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 christian man. For the christian man (S Paul 
Christian.  saith) is always, and not once in his life, at liberty. two. Cor. iii. From this liberty of marriage (ye say) noman forbiddeth men. We thank ye for nothing. Ye have here forgotten your holy brethren the Tacianes, Eustachyanes', and Marcionistes, which utterly detested marriage. I count ye more perverse in opinion, than your great Doctor Julian. For he saith, cha. viii. De bono viduitatis. Nuptiarum bonum, 
julianus.  semper est bonum. The commodity 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 thou shouldest judge the second marriages sin, either yet reckon any marriages at all to be evil, being marriages in deed. What speak ye than, of your, ones in this life? I heard never a more papist make utterance. But 
A papist.  if he forsaketh his liberty (say you) 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 you) by his vow to God, never to marry. If he be once in the snare of the devil (say I) ye will hold him there still.  
God will not agree to it (I say) to be served in bondage and not in freedom, taking 
freedom.  us for his free children, and no bond servants. Have our freedom cost him so great a price, as is the dear blood of his blessed son, and now we will throw ourselves again in bondage? What a lewd mock is this? What an idiot fool is he, that will bind himself prentice, having nothing for it, at his fourth coming, and might for his free service, possess his father's inheritance? I say, he is well worthy to lose it. What reward lokeste thu to have, for thy unrequired service in forsaking marriage, as thou here namest it, 
service.  thou Priapus vower. Thu shalt have the reward of Ouan the wicked sodomyte, which spilled his seed on the ground, Gene. xxxviii. even the malediction & great curse of God, with depryvation of the life everlasting. Such a won, as thus bindeth himself not to marry, may lawfully (you say) be forbidden to marry. That is true (say I) if man's invented tyranny be a lawfulness, or if the great customer of 
Tiranye.  Sodom, or terrible termagant of Rome, be allowed for a law maker above God. Else not. For God by his Apostle, permitteth every man without exception to marry, that can not abstain. i Cor. seven.  
This inhybition (you say) is no forbidding of marriage, but a bidding to keep his vow. There are none of your mischiefs without a colour to cloak them with. What is it else but a forbidding of marriage, 
A colour  when ye say, thu shalt not take a wife under pain of perpetual enprisonment, or death? Nothing is found so pernicious and contrary to your vow, as is marriage. Ye mai keep concubines, whores boys, or bitches, and yet your vow not broken, neither yet any grievous punishment appointed you for it, of your own 
friends  generation. Yea, and ye shall have a much greater number of the world to uphold ye in your sodometry (I speak not of justices and layers) than shall they which would gladly walk in the way of righteousness. Ye think it (ye say) a devilish doctrine, to forbid a married man to marry, his wife being alive. God is a 
Tiranye.  good God, which suffereth you, not only to err for your unbeleves 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 devilish hypocrisy, that it is no devilish doctrine, but a doctrine of God, to forbid him to marry which is married and hath his wife alive. Where, how, or when, can ye appoint him to marry, which i● married already, and hath his wife alive?  
Ye think to blind us which your babblings, 
Pitchers.  do ye not? No, no, go do your feat among old dried up pitchers, for where as grace, wit, and learning is, ye can do no great harm with these black thondre bolts. But your teaching is here none other, than ye have for your times put in open practise. The examples are to many in number, to be here at this time rehearsed. 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 soul to God, and professed to live chaste with out marriage. We consent 
Agreement  with you in this, & are glad we have you at that 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 evils. I think it best to take good hold of you, whiles we have ye in this good mode, for I fear me, it will not last. Ye will inone turn again to your old frenzy. 
Frenesy.  O Ford, 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 persist in this true confession.   

Obiectio.  
☞ S. augustine saith, libro. thirty. Contr● faustum Manicheum, ca lx. Iterum si ad vir ginitatem sic hortaremini, quemadmodum hoy tatur apostolica doctrina, Qui dat nuptum, 
i Cor. seven.  bene farit, et qui non dat nuptum, melius facit, ut bonum esse nu●tias diceretis, sed melidrem virginitatem. sicut facit ecclesia, non vos spiritussanctus ita pronunciaret, dicens, prohibentes nubere, Ille enim prohibet, qui hoc malum esse dicit, non qui huic bono aliud melius anteponit, et cet. Marriage is lawful in every person●, but the mocking of God, 
Mocking  breaking of promise, and intidelyte with God, going back from a godly purpose after his vow, is damnable in every person, as S. Paulc saith, as I understand him.   

Responsio.  
I judged afore, that this bnsy chaplain would not long persever in the truth. He falleth now again, as a dog, to his vomit, and as the sow that was washed, into his old filthy puddle. two. Pet. two. For 
A sow.  here he seeketh to prove, that the tyrannous enforcements of Antichrist's shaven captains, to the odious obseruaciyn of his profane vows, is no forbidding of christian marriage. But he goeth here to preposterously ●o work, to thrive by his occupation. For in these his arsewarde proceedings, he would have us judged manichees, that do affirm christian marriage to be an ordre lawful for all sorts 
An ordre  of people, which otherwise can not avoid fornication. But he and his ungodly rabble, shall supply the room of those Manychers, so long as they shall attempt by such hypocrytycall colours, perpetually to seclude their sorcerous shavelings from that godly estate, leaving them weltering in the fowl lake of all filthiness. For the Manichees were not they, which affirmed 
manichees.  the christian estate of marriage to be lawful, but contrary wise detested it as a thing horrible and hateful, theirselves leading lives in all beastly abominations. And therefore this tippet captain, in bringing forth here S. augustine's authority against Faustus the Manyche, is like to be pierced through with his own weapon, and proved a malignant Manyche.  
But mark first of all, what plague doth follow of this chaplains inconstauncit? In bringing fourth the. thirty. book of S. augustine, against this faustus the Manyche, for the maintenance of a mischief, 
Augustinus.  he allegeth the. lx. chapter, that whole book not having so many chapters by. liv. And thus is his allegation in that. vi. and not. lx. chapter, to be englished. Again, if ye should so be exhorted to virginity, as the apostolic 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 virginity the 
Better.  better, like as that church doth. et cet. Mark here the christian procedings of S. Augustine. The Manichees judged both meats & marriage to be things wicked & unclean. And in detesting them, under colour of abstinence & virginity, they maynteyved most execrable mischiefs, as ded of late years our ungracious papists. He willeth them here by the Apostles doctrine, in such 
Papists.  kind to persuade virginity, that they thereby seemed not to condemn marriage, or at the least, to give matrimony a good report, which they had not done afore time. He denieth it then not, but that virginity or the life single, is the better estate of living, that isto say, more commodious, easy, and 
Esyar.  free without charges, cares, and sorrows. But not the more peyfight, for perfection is measured by faith and not by maidenhede.  
Thus defineth the church (saith S. Augustine) que vere Christi est ecclesia, spe cial that church which is unfeignedly Christ's. These five latin words, this 
S. words  chaplain clearly banished, declaring thereby (as I take it) that he meant nothing less than Christ's true church. Now followeth the residue off. Augustine's text. If ye had so meant it (saith he) the holy Ghost had not thus detected you, in calling you the forbidders of marriage. For he forbiddeth marriage, which calleth it an evyllthing, and not he which to that good thing preferreth the better, etcet. If the manichees had so preferred 
manichees.  maidenhed, that they had not condemned marriage, God's spirit had not showed or declared them as they were in very deed, even devilish teachers, seducers, deceivers, mockers, hypocrites, heretyques, & blasphemous apostates. Neither had Gods open verity condemned them, for preferring virginity as the better or more commodyouse gift, or as S. Paul noteth it, more free to all godly functions, having 
Offices.  always the fewar impediments. i Cor. seven. if they had not there with utterly forbidden marriage, naming it a very naughty or detestable thing, falling thereby to many inconuenyencyes, as followeth in the said. vi. chapter.  
Denique vos eum praecipue concubitum detestamini, qui solus honestus et coniugalis est, et quem matrimoniales quoque 
covenants.  tabule pre se gerunt, liberorum procreandorum causa, unde viro non tam concumbere quam nubere prohibetis. Concumbitur enim etiam causa libidinum, nubetur autem non nisi filiorum. Nec ideo vos dicatis non prohibere, quia multos vestros auditores in hoc obedire nolentes vel non valentes, salva amicitia tolleratis. Illud enim habetis in doctrina vestri erroris, hoc in necessitate societatis. Furthermore, ye chesely detest that act of generation, which only is honest and conjugal, & that which the matrymonyall covenants also beareth 
Honest.  or alloweth for increase. Whereupon ye forbidden man, not only the act of generation, but also the very lawful office of marriage. Copulation may as well be for wanton lusts, as else, but marriage is only for propagation. Therefore excuse not your selves, to be no condempners of marriage, because ye bear with a great number of 
Bearers.  your sect, which neither will nor yet can be able in that point to obey you, to hold them still in friendship. For the one (which is contempt of marriage) ye hold in your erroneous doctrine, and the other (which is a tolerance among yourselves) ye are compelled to suffer, lest their more number would break from you.  
In this doth S. augustine declare the manifest hypocrisyes of the manichees, as we may in these days the most devilish dyssymulations of our papists. See 
Dissemblynges.  now what this busy chaplain hath won here. Now followeth he with his own conclusion, as much to the purpose, as to set Paul's steeple on the top of Charing cross. For though S, augustine speaketh here of virginity, yet maketh he no mention of vows. Marriage (saith this chaplain) is lawful in every person. This is true (say I) for it is both Christ's doctrine, 
Doctrine.  Math. nineteen. and also S. Paul's. i Cor. seven. et. Heb. xiii. Why than doth his wicked geveration so tyrannously inhybyte any person to set hold upon it, as upon a refuge against filthy fornication? For the mocking of God (he saith) in breaking of promise, is damnable. All this do I grant him, the promise being made according to that rule of Gods wurd. But if it be fashioned after the vain devices 
devils.  of man's idle heart, either yet of Antichrist's romish decrees, which is a wicked adversary and mocker of God (I say) they are to be broken, set at nought, and utterly abhorred, as present poisons, blasphemous mocks, and dangerous fruits of damnation.  
For the Lord saith, Deut. xii. Ye shall not do, that seemeth good in your own sight. But see ye do those things only which I command you, nothing adding or dimynyshing. 
Precepts.  Neither is it a point of infidelity against God, in them which hath braynyshly, ungodly, and damnably 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, begyuning and ending, but hypocrisy, 
falsehood  craste, and falsehood, have it never so glorious a shine of religion and holiness.  
This 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 idol most pernicious, and abomination unspeakable. This chaplain or proctor of hell concludeth, that the breaking of this unadvised, yea, rather most unhappy vow is damnable 
popish.  in every person, without exception. Here were a grievous lie, if he had his full canonyzaciou. And see (I pray you) how well faverdly it is fathered upon S. Paul. But it is as he understandeth him, without any text. Were not S. Paul well set forward (think you) if he had many such understanders?  
Concerning unadvised vows, they ought of necessity to be broken. For not only are they lies in hypocrisy, but also false promises, blasphemies, mocks, dyssemblinge with God, takynges of his 
Mocks.  holy name in vain, and such idle words as the general judge shall call men to a reckoning for, at the latter day. Therefore 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 defy them, and to spit at 
detest them.  them, as at the most filthy dirt of the bevyll. When David had made an earnest vow to slay Nabal and all his men servants, and was by the wisdom of Abigail, compelled to break that promise, he never repented the breaking thereof, but lawd God and praised the woman, calling the 
David.  breach of so unadvised a vow, an high preservation of God from doing of most dangerous 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 paunches, Acto. xxiii. if they had not take food till their vow had been 
The jews.  fulfilled. For God delivered him, & suffered them to dwell still in their unadvised vows, unfulfilled.    

Censura.  
¶ The vows of Romish monks & priests, whose end is most filthy sodometry, were never commanded of Christ, neither yet took they ground of the Apostles doctrine. For they had wives 
Apostles.  in marriage, not women unfaithful, but sisters, that is to say, women of the same Christian believe, that their selves were of. i Cor. ix.  

Obiectio.  
☞ Romish 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, 
Uowes.  have their end most fylchy sodometry, is, me think, sum what to far spoken. For I will not so uncharitably judge, that every man and woman, which profess chastity or widowhood, do it for that end, to live in such filthy abomination. That the vows of monks and priests were never commanded of Christ, I do assent. If ye take vows, not for 
Uowes.  those which be comen to every Christian man, which, as you said, be God's commandments, but for those which be private and singular after every man's devotion. For to make such vows, is not commanded. But to break them when they be made, is prohibited by God's word and commandment. Yet they be commended by Christ, and men ethorted unto them by Christ, Mat. nineteen. That 
Think.  these vows ded take their ground of the Apostles doctrine, me think, I am able to prove. Deed not widows vow chastyter l. Timo. v. Deed not Ananias and Saphira. Acto. l. vow and promise to bring in the price of all their possessions? what vengeance came to them for breaking their vow, ye know.   

Responsio.  
It is wonder to me, that ye know no romish priests, and are so great a captain, 
priests.  counsellor, and good ghostly father among them. Me think, ye should not be so negligent as ye make yourself, neither yet forgetful of a name so essential 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 momblinge, by cream boxes & confessions, by stools, fanuonis, and superaltarees, by beckinges, 
Known.  vowynge, breathings, knockings, kneelings, crossynges, calkynge, candle droppynges, staverynges, slomberynges, gapynges, gaddynges, idols sensings, & water coniurynges, with many other fine toys, which all came from Rome? Were ye never acquainted with byars and sellers in the temple, ydolmongers', bedemongers, portasmongers, & massmongers, with crowns pyepycked and disguised like dancing Apes, i●bberyng, whispering, and muttering in corners, false fyenge the 
Apes.  holy scriptures, and dying in wait to betray poor Christian? Know ye none yet, which goeth to old wines, and bid them believe as they have done, and as their father's ded afore them, calling the verity seditious learning?  
Are ye sure there are none in these days, that of set purpose rebelleth against the Gospel, condemneth thereof the maintainers, pursueth the diligent readers, spurneth 
Enemies.  aside the kings ordinances, dysdaiveth his godly proceedings, calling David's psalms good christmas carolles, and Christ's holy communion, Robine Whodes banquet, like stought sturdy saucy sir johans? Dwell ye so nigh devonshire & cornwall, and are not acquainted with those raging ruffyanes of Antichrist's broad, which of late days stirred up the lewd people against their liege king, for their old Latin service which they 
Rebels.  never yet understood, for images, masses, ceremonies, priesthood, coufessions, funtehalowynges, holy water coniurynges, and other dirty dregs of the romish monster? If ye know not those chaplains, your companions, which of late years not far from Maluerne hills brought wenches to their beds to help their vow of chastity, by a charm called: Hec 
Acharme.  dona † Hecmunera † Hec sancta sacrificia † Belzebub et Berit † and so fourth, ye have somewhat less cunning than I have, for I both know that story & have their enchantment to show. They little need marriage, that have so religious & holy spiritual provisions  
If ye know no Romish priests, I dare boldly say it, that ye know no priests at all. Further is none other order of priesthood, than is the romish popets ordre. 
priesthood  The church that Christ sanctified to the service of his eternal father, had never any massinga priesthood. He only sent fourth Apostles and disciples, faithfully to instruct the multitude in our christian believe▪ The Apostles by authority of his commission, ordained in every city receiving his word, preaching bishops, elders, pastors, deacons, and other godly ministers to uphold and increase the christian religion, which he had perfectly planted without masses. No priesthood was left here to 
Religion.  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 
Gospels.  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 you with him. In some great men's 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 
A fable.  priest, nor yet appointed his Apostles to make them. Neither took he priests of any other making, for they were most unfyt for that godly office. None could than be admitted to Christ's religion, that had in those days been a priest, unless he first of all renounced his priesthood utterly. His preachers were men without ordres, unless 
preachers.  they were of the order of faith and of the holy Ghosts inspiration, whereby they become ministers admittted of the Apostles. This chaplain accounteth it to far spoken, that the end of priests vow●s should be filthy sodometry. But surely the naughty examples of them, extendeth 
A plague.  moche further. It is a sore plague (S. Paul saith) left them of God, for their ungodly presumption, Roma. i. So chartable is this chaplain, that he reckoneth no spiritual sodomites to be evil livers, when he judgeth the Gospelers (as he doth call them) fowl heretyques and men worthy of death.  
He will not (he saith) so uncharitably judge (that men bawds of Rome have that like in their mouths) that every man and woman which professeth chastity or widowhed, 
Profession.  doth it to that end, 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 mischiefs. That judgement 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.  fruits (saith he) are the false prophets and hypocrites known, Mat. seven▪ What godly wise man can think, that virginity is the better, because it is vowed, or chastity the holiar because it is professed? Is it better in sinful man's bands, than in the free hand of God which is that giver? The shameful success thereof, should seem to declare it otherwise. But answer me to this, 
Answer.  ye patron of bawdry and filthiness unspeakable. Were the prodygiouse occupienges of Sodom & Gomor in use among the Christian, afore the profession of that counterfeit vow of yours? If ye say, yea, I can prove ye a deep liar.  
Either yet, were there ever so many prodigious kinds of that filthy occupying, in practise, as there hath been since the professing of that most wicked vow? 
Profession.  If ye say, there were, I am able to confound ye be a thousand examples, authorities, and authors to the contrary. Your obstinacy in this mischief, hath caused me much more to travail in stories and chronicles of times, than I would else have done. If I condemned your whole 
holy ghost  generation for that wickedness of Sodom, I should do none other than 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 admonished his servants, by his chosen vessel S. Paul, that your vow is a foolish presumption of your own blind hearts, deserving most damnable plague, for your unbeleves sake, Rom. i Ye are not able to overthrow 
bulwerks.  these ii bulwarks with all Antichrist's artillery though ye be of nature most obstinate rebels against the truth of God. I say therefore unto you, that there is nothing so wicked upon the earth, as are your religious and prestyshe vows, if the tree may be judged by his fruit.  
This chaplain assenteth, that the vows of monks and priests, were never commanded of Christ. What hath the christian 
Nothing.  man or woman to do with them than, say I? Are there other law makers for the soul besides him? Or are there other commandments to be observed in conscience than his? This instrument of the devil, holdeth his peace at this point, and dare not utter what he thinketh. notwithstanding to colour the matter, he bringeth in his old dystinction of vows comen and private, if I so take them. No sir, I am not in these days so jewish, 
jewyshe.  as to think that those vows are to every christian man now comen, whose performance God so earnestly in the old law required. Bullock, Calf, Sheep, & Goat offerings, be now all past. My opinion is therein, as S. Paul's was, that no christian 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 
Devotion  man's devotion, this chaplain affirmeth, that no man is commanded to make them. Than is he a lewd fool (say I) that wylleyther make them or do them. For they are but vain worshippings (Christ saith) when 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 Gods 
Reward.  commandments to do such idleness. God hath declared by the mouth of his prophet, that he esteemeth them no more, than he esteemeth the vile dirt of men. Mala. two. For when they are not of his commandment, they are none other than man's idle and wicked inventions. But to break these (saith this chaplain) when they are once made after every man's devotion, is prohibited by Gods word and commandment. But he showeth not where 
Forbid.  that word is placed, nor yet where that commandment is to be found out. He is a protonotary of Rome. His word standeth for an authority, if it may be so taken. No, no, master papyst, that world is past. If ye think to be discharged by, vovete et reddite, ye are foully deceived. For David 
dirt.  bid ye not there, to vow your own inventions, neither yet to offer up your own dirt. For such high devotions not ordained by him, are but your own styncking dirt. If ye apere afore God with such an uncomely present, what may he say to his Angels? Away with that filthy knave, that spyghtful mocker, that tordemonger, which disdaining my precious precepts, presenteth me with his vile dirty dung.  
God abhorreth his own lawful ordinances, when they pass after men's devices, Esay. i. Heir. seven. Amos. v. Mich. 
Traditions  vi. Zacha. seven. much more than the self idle devices. Are not they (think you) pleasant gentlemen, which stand afore god, all trapped, disguised, and decked in their own stinking dirt, as are monks in their cowls, fryres in their coats, and shaven priests in their dysguysynges? I think he hath a more just cause to call than mockers, than their predecessors in the old law, Psal. xxi. Because ye have no scriptures to prove that Christ commended 
Christ.  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 you, not to make Christ your mocking stock, for your own ease hereafter. say not that he exhorted men to your sodometrouse vows, Math. nineteen. for if ye do, ye blasphemously belly him. Qui potest capere, capiat, is not to profess your ungracious vow, nor yet to become 
Profession.  an idle masmonger, but that they lay hands on the free gift of God, which may obtain it, and no longer to presume thereupon, than he doth give it for the kingdom of heavens sake, which is the Gospel preaching, whom you detest and abhor.  
No man is there exhorted to geld himself for that only kingdoms sake. Only 
Chastmen  is it declared of Christ, that such there be, by the special gift of God. I have told you this afore. Ye think yourself able (ye say) to prove that your wifeless vows have taken their ground of that Apostles doctrine. But ye are like to come vengeably short. Deed not widows vow chastity? say you. i Timo. v. If they ded, as that matter is doubtful, what is this to the purpose for priests? Widows and priests were sometime divers, both in kind and office. Are they now become all one? This is truly a full monstrous ordre. Me think 
All ou●.  widows should have nothing to do in this matter, consyderyngo they want the ware that ye wot of, which are most chiefly required in that holy order of priesthood. Spadones, eunuchi, et castrati, non sunt in sacerdotes ordinandi, the Canon law saith, Neither geldings, eunuches, nor yet dysmembred men, may be received to priesthood. 
Wydows  Much less the widows which never yet had those members. The great priapus of rome, is always proved by his cullions, an able cock & no hen, ere he be admitted to that seat of Antichrist. what should that religious widows than meddle in such high matters. It is enough for them to believe as holy church doth teach them, & to be obedient in their vocation, when that holy fathers hath need of 
Obedient  their help, & not to come afore they are called The widows were not admitted 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 the priesthood, till he be so old, that he is past getting of children. And than ye shall have as chaste priests, as S. Paul left widows. Else will not 
Ananias.  this rule serve you. Ye ask if Ananias and Saphira ded not vow? but your allegation is to far out of square, for ye number. l. for. v. as one much seen in multiplications. Of a likelihood ye feared to come to short, that ye ran so fast afore. Ye must come back again. xlv. degrees, if ye will touch your matter a right. For the story of Ananias and Saphira, is in the. v. chapter of the Apostles acts, which book lacketh. xxii. chapters of your set number. Ye ask if they ded not vow? No truly, unless 
No vow.  ye call dissimulation a vow. For the text saith, that they dissembled, lied, and tempted the spirit of God, which is no honest kind of vow making. Lo, here have it as far overshoot your wits in judgement, 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 possession, and kept away part 
Profession.  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 colourable deceit in a feigned christianity, as is your counterfeit chastity in a false and deceivable priesthood. If it had been a vow, 
No vow  yet was it no vow for that priesthood, for neither he was a pressed, 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 much as it was a dissimulation. Ye thought this example, when 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, 
Hypocrisy  than a false religion? Yea, what other are they both, than a lying to the holy Ghost? By this story could I wonderfully describe your dyssemblinge profession, were it not for making my book here to long.   

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. Nun manens, tibi manebat, et venundatum in 
Mentiri.  tua potestate erat? If he had not put himself out of the propriety 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 practise of them in the Apostles time, Eusebius declareth in Ecclesiastica historia, 
Grounded.  li. two. ca xvi. et. xvii. Now your reason that for loweth, is very slender and simple, which is this. ●owes take no ground of the Apostles doctrine, because they had wives themselves. As though a married man, might not erhorte an other to chastity or virginity. A man that hath well dined himself, may yet teach and 
Fylg●t.  set fourth the 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 unwrytteu verity. And yet S. Ambrose excepteth johan and Paul. two. 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 the elder, was a priest, Gregorius Nazianzenus 
Basilius.  saith, in his funeral sermon called Monodia, Whereas he reporteth his soberness to be such, the marriage in him was neither an impediment to virtue, nor yet to the study of godly wisdom, though he had by his wife Eumelia, a daughter &. iiii. sons. In statu (inquit) coniugali vitam ac ritum seruavit sacerdotalem. Ex quo tria hec, castitas, matrimonium et sacerdotium, que diversa solent vi 
three kinds.  te genera constituere, nequaquam in eo pugnantia fuere, aut virtuti vllo modo offecerunt In the matrimonyall state (saith he) this man observed thoroughly, both the life & office of a priest, whereby these. three things, chastity, matrimony, & priesthood, which are wont to constitute divers kinds of life, were never in him repugnant, that one to that other, nether yet any hindrance to perfection. This one confusion hath our chaplain by Basilius. 
Confusion.  An other. Though y● said Basilius were a collect our of monks or solitary men, and made them rules according, yet maketh he no great mention of vows in them, neither yet hath he taught any sound doctrine of vows private, in all his writing, though he somewhat doubtfully dallied about them.  
In his epistle, ad Gregorium Naziāzenū de vita solitaria, no manner of mention maketh he of Auanias & Saphira, which is an other blot to this chaplain. But in the last 
A blot.  chapter of his book, called, Institutio illorum, qui vitam cupiunt ducere perfectan, this sentence we find. He that hath kept himself uncorrupted (saith he) all his life, haih surely obtained the perfect gift of virginity. And this he applieth as well to marriage as monkery, as followeth anon after. Than goeth 
Goeth on.  he on. And that we may hold it (saith he) let uscontinually take heed, & with all endeavour possible, labour to come again to the similitude of God. let us also be ware, lest we admit any thing unworthy that promise and sure hope of ours. Ne in Ananie crimen incidamus, lest we fall into the crime of Ananias, which was fraud and deceit. This pertaineth as 
All men.  well to the married as unmarried. For it followeth there. Hoc inire ac optare licet, sine in matrimonio, seu celibem agente. This aught 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 bringing fourth an author without his authority, and in sending us 
He sendeth.  to a place, where no such matter is. But sure he took one doctor for an other, as basil 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 voverat, quas postea victus persuasione diaboli, subtraxit. Sed qua morte mulctatus est, scis. Siergo ille mortis pericuso dignus 
gregorius  fuit, qui eos quos dederat nummos Deo abstulit, cousidera quanto periculo in divino judicio dignus eris, qui non nummos, sed temetipsum Deo omnipotenti, cui te sub monachali habitu devoueras, subtraxisti. Ananias vowed money to god, which afterward he again withdrew by the devils persuasion. But how he died, thou knowest. If he than were worthy death, 
Worthy.  that withdrew the money once given, consider thy apparel in the lattre judgement, which hast given, not money, but thyself to the God almighty, withdrawing the again from him, to whom thu wert professed under a monks cowl.  
No gentle Gregori, no, Ananias never vowed that he took away. Who taught you to call a lie, a vow? Ye would by 
Monkery  this means, have monkery a perfection in the christianity. But that shall be, when a lie is all one with a vow. It is a money matter ye go about. Ananias is most fit, to be set in such a foundation. Take you no thought for reckoning of your monkery at the lattre day. For it shall be plucked up by the roots afore, as that withered plant which the eternal father never planted. 
A plant.  Math. xv. This was the text that this chaplain meant, but he feared the black blot of treason for maintaining monkery, which his prince had condemned afore. Well, in dissembling both the author and the place, he hath workmanly played the false part of Ananias. Now asketh he what it is, Mentiri spiritui sancto? And answereth it as fondly. It is (saith 
Mentiri.  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 sorts of people else.  
But I will tell you, master person. Mentiri spiritui sancto, is to face down the 
defined  holy Ghost with a lie, to seek to deceive God by a falsehood, colourly and slily to dissemble, to deface a truth with hypocrisy, or to speak one thing & think an other, as (the text saith) he ded, which kept away part of the livelihood, and as you do which profess a monkery or false presthede, which the scripture knoweth not but to condemnation. Satan hath filled the idle hearts of all them that either vow or profess such beggeryes, as he ded the false hearts of Ananias and Saphira. Now stampeth 
Ananias.  he like a Lion, and steppeth fourth boldly like a giant. Nun manens tibi manebat, et venundatum in tua potestate erat? Remained it not wholly thine own, and being sold, was it not under thy power? Well said master person, with whom do ye reason? with dead Ananias for land selling? What is this to the purpose of priests vows? If he had not (ye say) put himself out of propriety of his goods. It 
Propryete  smell here of a monk, master person, which he ded by his promise consecrate to God. Where have he learned, that a man's wicked promise, coupled with dissimulation, falsehood, and hypocrisy, could ever yet consecrate?  
I see well, ye can find out, more ways consecration than one. A prodigious consecration do that heart send fourth, where Satan hath take possession afore. I think that devil 
Satan.  himself, had never yet a doctrine of more blasphemy. If he had not done this (ye sai) his fact had been no sin. O master person, Beatus qui intellegit, say I. Ye apere by this doctrine, a moche better cellerer than scripturer. A more expert rend gatherer, than gospel preacher. Every man (ye say) doth not sin, that selleth his land. 
giving.  No sir, giving the money to you, to be prayed for, though he, like an unthrift, thereby dysheryteth his whole posterity. There is no sin found, where you are fatted. And that is the cause, that ye solempnised and sensed so many dead confessors, both Kings, bishops, and abbots, which had founded minsters and monasteries. If the Apostles were here, they were like to have no part of that price. 
Heirs.  For Ananias heirs are yet alive, and it was not promised them afore. Here is much a do, and little help to the furtherance of this matter, concerning priests vows. The text saith, that his only dyssymulation, without all these other vain babblings, made his fact wicked and blasphemous.  
I wish, that all men took heed of this false Apostle and messenger of Antichrist, 
conutiaunce  marking here his deceitful conveiaunces. He allegeth the. xvi. and. xvii. chapters of the second book of Eusebius Cesariensis, in his ecclesiastical history, to prove the priests vows were grounded upon the Apostles doctrine, & upon the practise of them which taught in that Apostles tyme. I assure you, he is in this point as he is in all others, a very false harlot & a liar. For in those. two. cha. is no such matter to be seen, neither yet is there any express doctrine of vows in all the whole work containing. ix. books. 
Doctrine.  The. xvi. chapter is very short, showing of the first coming of S. Mark the Enange list into the land of Egipte, and how he declared Christ's doctrine there. If he fatcheth the ground of his vows from the sober life, modesty, continence, temperance, and other virtues there mentioned, he doth exceeding wrong to the christian faith of that Godly multitude, which was called to God by the said S. Marks 
S. Mark  preaching. For they were no professed priests and nuns, but christian 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 abstainers, dwelling in solitary places, meaneth neither chauntery nor college of priests, neither yet any covent 
Colleges.  of idle cloisters, but companies of them which followed Christ's doctrine. notwithstanding Eusebius concludeth there. Quod hi qui sub Apostolis ex Israelitis credebant, judaicis adhuc institutionibus et legis obseruationibus inherebant. Those of the israelites (saith he) which were by the Apostles converted, were as yet much given to jewish traditions 
Traditions  and observations of Moses' law. Therefore some scrupulous persons among them, might peraventure 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, that is to say, tillers or worshippers, because they tilled with God's holy word, the rude 
Hearts.  and barren hearts of the people, persevering in his true worshippings with a most pure conscience. Anon after were they called christians, but not vow makers. Every where appointed they houses of prayer (not of vows making) called conventicles, or places of assembly for sober honestmen, and not for priests and nuns.  
Upon a comely cleanness (saith he) and an honest chaste behaviour they planted other virtues, but not upon any vow of single 
Women.  life. Women they had among them, of whom some were very ancient maidens, integritatem casti corporis non necessitate aliqua, sed devotione servants, observing a bodily chastity, not of any necessity but of a devotion, not by constraint but of free conscience, for the only study of godly wisdom.  
Thus hath vows here no manner of 
Vows.  ground of the Apostles doctrine, neither yet took the captivity and tyrauny of them, any hold upon the practises of the preachers of their time. My reason is reckoned, of this chattering chaplain, very slender and weak, that vows should seem to take no ground of the Apostles doctrine, because theirselves had married wives. saint Paul thought that reason not evil, when he argued with the 
Marry.  crooked corinthians 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 potestatem hoc faciendi? Have not we power to lead about a sister to wife, as 
A sister.  well as the other Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and as Cephas? Either have I only and Barnabas not power this to do. i Corin. ix.  
By that which followeth, he thinketh to confute both saint Paul and me. That were (saith he) as though a married man, might not exhort an other to chastity 
Exhort.  or virginity. A fool (they say) is nothing worth without his babble. Truth it is, that chastity is a virtue to filthiness repugnant, whose office it is, chiefly to dwell in marriage. For without chastise, which is a refraining from whoredom, marriage is no marriage. And therefore one married man, may conveniently and brotherly exhort an other to chastity. But if he ded so persuade him to vow the 
Persuade.  single life, than were he an utter enemy unto saint Paul's doctrine, which willeth the men to render to his wife, due benevolence, and in like case the wife to her husband. But where hath this chaplain learned, that one married man, may exhort an other to virginity? they having no power over their own bodies, but their wives. i Corin. seven.  
In this point here hath he showed 
Calfam.  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 dined himself, may yet teach and set fourth the virtue and goodness of fasting. Is not here (think you) a lump of good wholesome learning?  
A great bellied monk with a scarlet face, whose paunch is well pampered and stuffed up to the throat with all manner of delicates, and a platter faced pressed, with 
Preachars  a pair of cheeks as big as a boys buttocks, well victualed also, may conveniently stand fourth and preach of good abstinence. A wanton gyglot may call men to sorrowful repentance, whiles she is yet in her gauds, and the master of the stews may persuade men to chastity. Where are than the examples, which ought to prevent 
Examples  the doctrine of a Christian preacher? Now forsooth ye are a good robin 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 exception, that the Apostles had wives. Here is a sore matter now against me. Marry sir, I say it again, to confirm 
Confirm  mine own words, and all without exception. And I trow, S. Paul without exception will do the same. For he saith, that Cephas, otherwise called Peter, had a sister to wife, which was among the Apostles, chief in estimation.  
He reporteth also, that the brethren of the Lord, had sisters to wives. i Cor. ix. I 
A brother.  know not one of them, that was not a bro ther to the Lord, by his own admyssion. If this chaplayve do, let him bring them fourth, and he shall be soonar heard than believed. When Christ sent the women to declare his resurrection and ascension to his apostles, he called them all brethren, and not one was than exempted out of that commission, Math. xxviii. et johan. xx. It is a written verity, that I tell this chaplain, what though he of obstinacy, malice, and wilful blindness, do confess 
Malice.  it a verity unwritten. Yet have we won somewhat of him, in that he confesseth it a verity. What though your Ambrose excepteth 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 wines. We hold your Ambrose 
Ambrose.  accursed, if he teach any other doctrine, than S. Paul hath taught us. Gal. i. Ye do your Ambrose wrong, in reporting him the author of the. two. epistle and. xi. chapter to the corinthians. I wish ye were somewhat wiser, for your own honesty, if it might be.  
To prove that S. Paul had a wife, I pray you give me leave, to allege out of the same author, that ye took for your vows 
Sped not.  when ye sped not. For I can speed therein deed, for Paul's marriage, and that stròg lie. Eusebins Cesariensis, in the third book and. thirty. chapter of his Ecclesiastical story, inveyghenge against them that wickedly impugn marriage (as our papists do now) brought fourth a strong wiseness from an ancient writer, called Clemens Alexandrius, which lived afore Ambrose 
Clemens.  about. two. hundred years. An et Apostolos improbant? Petrus etenim ●c Philippus, uxores habuerunt, et filias etiam viris nuptum dederunt. Sed et Paulum non tedet Apostolum, in quadam epistola sua, mentionem vel salutationem facere comparis sue, quam se ideo negat circumducere, ut ad predicationem 
Paulus.  evangelii expeditior fiat. Will 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 men in marriage. Neither disdained Paul in a certain epistle or gentle salutation, to make mention of his 
A wife.  yoke fellow or wife, whom he at that time minded not to lead about with him, because he might always be in a more speedy readiness, concerning that office of preaching.  
Of S. johan the Evangelist, your old quere service reporteth, that he was married in Cana a city of Galyle, Christ being 
S. johan.  there present. And Guilhelmus Postillator saith, upon this Gospel, Nuptie fact sunt in Cana. johan. two. that his wives name was Anachita. If this be a lie, than have ye in your solemnities saluted god with lies. For with this have I heard you at matins, upon S. johannes day within Christmas (as ye call it) bidden him good morrow, the candles being light and white rochets on your backs. But 
Rochettes  that Christ should pluck him away again from his wife, for example of virginity, it is a most manifest lie, though it be so uttered of Isydorus, in his book 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. 
mantuanus  Fastorum. And this can I prove, by S. johan the Evangelist, though it now be nothing to his derogation. That he many times lost the virginity of his soul, which only is accepted afore god. As thus.  
He ambyciously sought, by the instant 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 
S. johan.  would in his fury, have consumed the Samaritans with fire, Luke. ix. He arrogantly contended with others, for the superiority, Luke. xxii. Persuaded by judas, he murmured against the costs of mary's ointment. Math. xxvi. When Christ was 
He fled.  once taken, 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 faiths integrite broken, which is the true maidenhead of the soul. The other maidenhead, without this, is nothing, as well appeareth by the. v. folysue virgins, Math. xxv. All this have I uttered, 
●yrgyns.  because ye make of S. johans' virginity, an idol of defence, and a crafty coloured cloak, 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. Timotheus, Titus. Clemens, and such other, as Ignatius sa ieh, epistola ad Philadelphienses, never had 
Loclebes.  wives, because they were made priests in virginitate. S. Hierom con●ra Iou●anū teacheth plainly, how that in the necessity of the primitive church, married men being sober and learned, were exalted to priesthood. But he saith, priests being called in virginity, never descended down to marriage, nor no man after the second marriage, was ever called to 
second.  priesthood. As for the authority of S. Paul. ●. Cor. ix. it pertaineth in my judgement to an other 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 you say, but circumducere sororem mullerem, which is, to suffe● rythe women to go about with them in their progress of preaching, to bear their charges, as Peter and the other Apostles ded 
To pay.  For it is evident by the place itself, 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, whom I knew. In removing from Boston to Eye in Sothfolke, he hired. three carts for 
Example.  conveying of his stuff thydre. But when it come to the point, it was no more than he might well bear away in a pyllowebere. Therefore he thanked them, and said, he would take the pains to carry ●t himself. He chanced in the journey to be lodged at an ale house, where the drink pleased him so well, that ther he left behind him the whole carriage, except the pillow ●ere 
The case.  which he put in his bosom, and went away much lighter than afore. So doth this bragging chaplain here, which hath at the latter, atter long turmoil and alleging of doctors, brought his matter to a case. For now is he driven to his uttermost shift (as the i●star was to his pyllowberes) to play jacke sophystre altogether. He putteth me here a case, that all the Apostles had wives, as he saith nothing against them, but they might well all have 
Apostles.  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 mightily proved.  
But where dwelleth that priesthood, which they were called to? and when were they called unto it? This will be learned lie answered, ad calendas Grecas, when 
Answer.  mattocks 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 masmongers, but ministers of the lords communion. They made no new sacrifices, but put the people in a perfect remembrance of one perfect sacrifice once made for all. They stood not at altars, with their backs to the multitude, but out of the pulpit they 
Apostles.  turned their faces unto them, and sincerely taught them the doctrine of the Lord. The record which he taketh of Ignatius epistle to the Philadelphianes, is a most shameful lie, as he doth handle it. As that Timotheus, Titus, Clemens, and such other (Euodius is left out) had never wives, because they were made priests in virginity. Ignatius 
Ignatius.  speaketh not one wurd 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. Where is than the cause why they had no wives? O beastly babbler and prodigious liar.  
The clause which followeth next, confound his whole practise in this matter, and taketh clearly away the abatement of his case. Non detraho autem ceteris 
The text.  beatis, qui nuptiis copulati fuerunt, quorum nunc memini. I hinder not herein (saith he) the other blessed men which were married and had wives, of whom I now ●ade mention. These were the Apostles, elders, & deacons, a little afore specified. Opto enim Deo dignus, ad vestigia eorum in regno ipsius inveniri, sicut Abraham, Isaac, et jacob, sicut joseph et Esaias, et ceteri prophet, sicut Petrus et Paulus, et reliqui Apostoli, qui nuptiis fuerunt sociati. 
Married.  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 footsteps, as ded Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, as ded joseph, Esaias, and the other prophets, & as ded also Peter, Paul, and the residue of the Apostles, which were under yoke of marriage. Which all had wives, not for fleshly pleasure, but for the continuance of succession. Loo, here doth 
wives.  this holy martyr Ignatius, being that bishop 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. 
Doctrine  For though it were a true christian doctrine, and grounded upon both the testaments of God, yet was it not for his ghostly purpose. Though holy Jerusalem ded always allow it for her godly citizens, yet could bawdy Babylon, that cage of uncleanness, & sink of all synnefulnesse, for her wicked shorlynges & sorcerous soldiers, never abide it. The crafts are not small, nor the conueia●nces few, that this 
Enemy.  enemy on every side seeketh out, to drive his generation from it, and to make them abhor it for the filthy feats of Gomorra. Now resteth he all upon this, when 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. This is a building without 
priesthood  a ground, and a very quarrelling of the tempting serpent. Whereunto I answer, that this is no good argument. They deed 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 uxorem habeat. Et qui se non continent, 
Nubere.  nubant. Melius est autem nubere, quam uri. For avoiding fornication (sayeth he) let every man have his wife. And they that can not refrain, let them marry. For better it is to marry, than to burn. i Corin. seven. This freedom is general, no kind of men secluded. Oportet episcopum irreprehensibilem esse, unius uxoris maritum. A bishop must be unrebukable, the husband of one wife. i Timo. three Honorabile est inter onnes con●●gium, ac torus immaculatus. Wedlock is honourable among 
Wedlock.  all sorts 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. seven. otherwise called pope hyldebrand, a filthy sodometrouse monk of ●lunyake, made a wicked constitution in the general synod at Rome, that none should from thence 
A Synod  fourth be admitted to priesthood, unless he were sworue never after to marry. And thus entered that execrable poison and most damnable mischief, by leisure, into all the christian nations, to make of our christianity a very Sodom.  
This witless chaplain dwelleth not alone in this most foolish opinion, but he hath more fellows. For the last time I was at Oxford, it was told me of diverse learned 
Oxford.  men, that one doctor Cole warden of the new college there, should openly speak it, that he never yet could read, that any man after priesthood, married. In this he showeth a great ignorance, or else that he hath been unwilling 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 
Begetters  swarm, but that is not weighed of these gnatstrayning and spider weaving papists. Only is it marriage that troubleth their whorish orders, for that maketh the blind people, not to reckon them so holy as they have done. Lambertus Shafuaburgensis, 
Examples  writeth in his chronicle, that Burchardus the provost of Tryere in Germany, was married to the prince of the Russianes sister, after his priesthood, by dispensation of pope hellhound, Hildebrande I should say, anon after priests marriages were for bidden. Loo, see what money was able to do, when Gods laws were once put a back. Uolateranus in. iiii. libro geography, reporteth, that Nicolaus justinianus a 
Nicolaus.  monk, married Anne the daughter of Uitalis Duke of Uenys, after his priesthood, by dispensation 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 priest, was constitute king of france, and married 
Constans.  by dispensation, like as one Constans a monk of Wynchestre ded here in England among the britains, and Ethelnolphus among the english kings, which had been bishop of Winchestre (Roger Hoveden saith) and had. iiii. sons by his wife Osburga, which all were kings after him. jacobus Mayer in Chronicis flandrie, showeth, that Petrus Elsatius the bishop of Cameryck, married Leonor the countess of Niverne, by dispensation. 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 difpensation. Achilles' Gossarus witnesseth in his Epitome of Chronicles, that Colomamnus 
Achilles.  the bishop of Uaradyve was by dispensation made king of Hungary, of purpose to have issue. jacobus Guisianus testifieth in annalibus Hannome, that Bochardus Auenensis, a great beneficed priest, married Margarete Baldwynes daughter, that emperor of Coustantinople. Polidorus 
polidorus  Uergilius, in libro. xx. Angliee history, telleth that johan the bastard son of king Ferdinandus, being a Cistrane monk, married Philip johan of Gauntes' daughter, that was than duke of Lancastre, after his priesthood, and was made king of Portugal. Albertus' Crantus in sua Dania, showeth that Canutus a monk of the order of Clunyake, had by dispensation a wife for money, so had the good abbot of Reading here in England. Aldewyn 
An abbot  had a daughter, being bishop of Durham, whom Utred the Earl of Northumberlande disdained not afterward to marry. Ex chro. Dunelmensis monachi.  
Hieronymus Squarzaphicus reporteth in vita Petrarch, that Franciscus Petrarcha, a cannon of Padua & archdeacon of Parma, had one Laureta to wife, by the 
Laureta.  grant of Benedict the. xii. Henricus Agrippa in his declamation adversus Lovanienses, maketh mention of a Cardinal, whom the bishop of Rome permitted to take a wife in marriage, that he might have children to possess his inheritance. johannes Bertandus in. three libro de cognatione S. johannis baptist declareth the 
wives.  ordre for Cardynalles and bishops wives, by the rules of Pa●ormitanus, and of johannes Andreas, which was a priests son. I can not think that Alwynus the bishop of Wynchestre, had any dispensation, when he lay with Emma S. Edward's mother, because she ded penance. let these example's suffice till more come. And as touching those which abhorred matrimony, & yetin their priesthood had store of children, besides these ix. adulterous bishops and abbots, 
gregorius  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 that fourth, Robert the abbot of Winchestre begat bishop Herbert of Norwyche, and Robert Peche the bishop of Chestre and lichfield begat Richard Peche archdeacon of coventry, and afterward bishop of the same diocese. Because the number 
Begetters  is unreasonably great of this sort of priests begetting children in their priesthood without marriage, therefore jompt them for length, till such time as the second and third part of my English votaries come forward, which will be, god willing, out of hand.  
Never saw I this chaplain yet allege his doctors without falsehood, craft, and lies, as though the name of the doctor 
A doctor  were able to authoryse a lie. Now bringeth he fourth S. Jerome against jovynian and reporteth him to say, that in the necessity of the primative church, married men being sober & learned, were exalted (come down I say) to priesthood. But priests (he saith) being called in virginity, never descended down to marriage, neither any man after the second marriage, 
second.  was ever called to priesthood. And all this he reporteth him to speak very plainly. The saying of Jerome is this, in his first book against jovinyan. Eliguntur mariti in sacerdotium, non nego, quia non sunt tanti virgins, quanti necessarij sunt sacerdotes. Num quid quia in exercitu fortissimus eligendus est, idcirco non assumentur et infirmiores, cum omnes fortes esse non possint? Married men are chosen to 
Married.  priesthood, I deny it not, for there are not so many maiden men, as need requireth priests. Because that the stronger men are to be chosen into an host, shall not the weaker therefore be taken, saying all can not be of like strength? And this is all pertaining to that purpose.  
Now confer the one with the other and see the beastliness of this bragger. Here is no exalting or pranking up aloft 
Pranking  named, neither yet any second marriage condemned. I would that both he and his Jerome should well know it, that the church was never stronger, better, nor perfyghter, than when it had sober, discreet, and learned married men, for ministers. The primative church was in much less necessity, having them, than was the church in Hieromes time with her priests 
Jerome.  in virginity. For that church knew never of so many superstitions and lecheries. These lofty vyrgines were never like Mary, which threw her virginity to the ground. Luke. i. Christ willed his disciples 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 congregation (saith S. Peter) but show an example of lowliness and meekness to 
meekness  the flock. i Pet. v. This haughty speaking of your Hierom and you, savoureth of that Antichrist, which exalteth himself above all that is called God two. Thessa. two. As for your priesthood, ye may both wipe your tails therewith, 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 jakes in comparison thereof. Yet as 
A jakes.  touching the second and third marriage, the said Jerome saith in that same book. Duotiescunque uxor moritur, toties ducenda est alia, ne fornicemur. Dui secundas tertiasque nuptias concessit in domino, primas cum ethnico prohibet.  
As often as one wife dieth, so oft may an other be married, that we fall not to lechery. For he that granteth the second 
Marriage  and third marriages in the Lord, forbiddeth the first with an unfaithful man, for it is without the Lord. Also in his Apology to Panmachius, against the said jovinian. Aperiant queso, aures obtrectatores mei, ut videant me secundas et tertias unptias concessisse in domino. Qui secundas et tertias non damnavi, primum potui damnare matrimonium? Concedit Apostolus secundas nuptias, sed volentibus, et 
second  his que se continere non possunt. I desire that my depravers may open their ears wide, and that they may well perceive me to grant the second and third marriages in the Lord. Could I than, which have admitted the second and third, condemn the first marriage? The Apostle freely granteth them to those that will, and that can not otherwise refrain. In an other place also. Erubescat calunniator meus, 
Can not.  dicens me prima damnare matrimonia, quando legit. Non damno digamoes, immo nec trigamoes, ei si dici potest, octogamoes. Habeat cui libet, octa●●m maritum, et esse desinat prostituta. let him which wrongfully accuseth me be ashamed, in reporting me to condemn the first marriages. I 
The first.  condemn not them that hath been twice married, neither yet than which hath been thrice married, nor if it might be said, that hath been. viii. times married. let her that liketh it, have the viii. husband hardly, and not make herself comen to every man.  
Now will I say my mind and conscience, concerning this Jerome. I have 
Jerome.  overloked his. two. books & answer against this jovinian, a monk. For his sore travail in translating the scriptures, I judge him worthy moche praise. But as concerning his doctrine for marriage, of christian men he is rather to be abhorred than liked. With so spiteful rebukes he taunteth marriage, as though it were a life fit for no christian man. Never read I Tacianyte, Encratyte, Phrygiane, Maniche, Mercianyst, 
Heretics  Montanyst, nor any other heretic, that ever was more malicious against it. He calleth marriage a flesh rebelling against the spirit, the sea that Pharaoh was drowned in, the cloak that joseph left behind him, an uncleanness, an excess, a filthiness, a whoredom, an evil, an idol, a blasphemy, an Egypt, a servitude, a sin, a darkness, a wound uncurable, barley, 
Blasphemy.  stubble, clay, a coinquynation, a defection from Christ, and an utter perdition. 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 
Women.  and railing reproaches of the Pagans against women. The kind of women ought rather to have had praise, being the high work of God, and marriage his due commendation, being the divine ordinance, than so abominably to have been railed on. But what can not the devil do, when he findeth an apt instrument.  
He showeth here, what he was able to do by his rhetoryck, as some vain glorious babblers have done in our time with 
Gardiner  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 see how shamefully he hath wrested them 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 
The same.  servant can serve two masters. As though Matrimony were a service of Mammon and not of God. i. Cor. seven. Ye are dearly bought, become not the servants of men. As though marriage were an unchristen servitude. Roma. viii. If ye live after the flesh, ye must die. As though marriage were so fleshly a life, as deserved 
Reward.  no less than death, Math. nineteen. The gelded shall receive the reward of the kingdom of heaven. As though christian marriage had therein no manner of portion. Who could more perversely haut interpreted these scriptures, than this Jerome? which is one of the great idols of the Romish synagogue, and a deep maintainer of their filthy sodometry. This kingdom of heaven in 
An office.  this lattre place, is no reward, but an office of preaching the evangelical doctrine, whose reward is here persecution, and in heaven a crown of immortality. ●e ware of these doctors.  
With. two. things is this chaplain much offended, concerning S. Paul's authority. i Cor. ix. One is, the right understanding 
Offences.  which by God's merciful gift, we have therein An other is, the English translation of the Bible. With these is he greatly accumbered. That authority (he saith) after his feeble understanding, pertaineth to an other purpose. What pur pose, can ye tell? Nay, that secret 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 
Bible.  (he saith) be translated according to my understanding of that place.  
He calleth the truth, my understanding. No sir, it was the latin Bible, that was translated into English, and not the English Bible translated, unless it were into Welsh or Irish, which I would wish with all my heart, if any good men would 
No pain.  take such labours. Much fault ye find, with that ye never took pains in, neither can ye any skill of it, as appeareth by your good English, that is to say, with the bibles translation. In deed that godly work is moche sooner found fault with, than amended.  
It might well be said to you, that Apelles said to y● bragging souter, for passing your limits so far, but I let it pass. Yet is it not in latin (ye say) ducere 
Latin.  sororem uxorem, but circumducere sororem mulierem. I would ye should not latin my English, unless ye ded it more workmanly. For I never heard yet, that ducere was to have, but to lead or to marry, as it is here taken. Though your Jerome, Erasmus, and Stunica the spaniard, hath sororem mulierem, or sororem mulierculam. Yet hath Laurentius ●alla, Faber 
Interpreters.  Stapulensis, Zuinglius, Pelican, Pomeran, Luther, Erasmus annotations, Biblia Tigurina, and other, which are more faithful, indifferent, and pure interpreters, mulierem uxorem, Ignatius, Clemens Alexandrinus, Eusebius, and Isidorus, confirming the same. For S. Paul commonly useth this Greek word Gy●aica, for a wife, in his epistles. This testifieth your Jerome also, in his afore alleged 
Jerome.  first book against jovinyane, in declaring the said Greek word, though he were a most spiteful adversary to marriage. ●ndoubtedly S. Paul, speaketh here of his wife, whom he by their mutual agreement, left behind him to the service of the Gospel, lest she should in his so large a progress, through out all Grecia and Asia, from Jerusalem to Illyria, been partaker with him of all his dangerous 
Labours.  labours, parels, hungers, thirst, needs, stripes, stonynges, cheanes, imprisonmentes, shypwrackes, and a great sort more, not possible to have been suffered of a tender and weak woman.  
In that he willed all men to be as he was (if it be objected) he wished them so 
As he was  free a conscience without fleshly affections, as chanced to him by the gift of God, tamed, not by vows, but by continual afflictions and labours for the Gospel. Circumducere mulierem sororem (you say) is to suffer rich women to go about with them in their progress of preaching, to bear their charges. Truly this is a prodigious kind of interpreting or declaring the scriptures. Where find you, that circumducere is to suffer? Either yet where have 
declaring.  ye red, that soror mulier doth signify rich women, yea plurally? It is no marvel though ye find fault with the Bybles translation, being so fond, I should say, so fine an interpreter. That vain conjecture have ye borrowed of your holy doctor Jerome, which in his foreseid book against jovinyan, saith that the Apostle 
Jerome.  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 households, their office was to have scene to their families at home, and not to gad about. Riches also 
Women.  might soon have been changed to poverty and penury, without daily occupying, and by travaling so far. Where was also for y● time, their husbands obedience?  
If they were widows, yet was the sight uncomely and the example ungodly, 
Gadding.  specially among the gentiles, to gad after men in so long a journey, as is Corinthe from Jerusalem. Again, it was unconvenient to use the jewish 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 ministered to him of their substance. Luke. viii. as your Jerome doth. I answer both you and your 
Answer.  Jerome, that it is nothing to the purpose of that place. For the Sunamyte went not out of her house, neither Christ beyond the limits of jewry, as the Apostles ded. Moreover the 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. You as bold as blind Baiarde, say, that it was his meaning 
baiard.  in deed. I am sorry 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 opinion in his annotations. But that in following men (as he ded this Hierom) we must needs err. Ye say, that Peter and the other Apostles suffered rich 
Apostles.  women to go about with them to pay their charges. I say, that example had been to uncomely, as to have led other mennies wy●es about with them, and to have left their own at home.  
But I ask ye this question by that way. What shift they made when all was spent? I know their progress was great, as ye 
Progress  were wont to versicle it on their days. In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum. And I think their substances were neither eternal nor yet omnipotent. How will ye answer this problem than? Ye say, it is evident by the place itself, which speaketh of taking his living for his preaching. No by saint Mary sir, that place doth richly confound your foolishness therein. It were no reason, that S. Paul preaching at Corinth or Philippos should have 
No reason  his charges paid by women of Jerusalem. But I think, it was most convenient, that they should pay his costs, to whom he preached that Gospel. I know this was his meaning when he said. Have we not power to eat and to drink. i Cor. ix. Than was it surely for some other purpose, that 
purpose.  they led women about with them, and none other than their own wives, as is said afore. Though you like an ass 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 see in them, they are like yourself, as the adage goeth, such cup such cover, I little ca●e for your doctors, so long as 
Adage.  I have Ignatius that holy martyr which was in the Apostles time, Clemens Aler●ndrinus which followed immediately after. Eusebius Cesariensis, and Isidorus hispalensis, to friends in this matter.    

Censura.  
¶ The vow of popish chastity, is a 
popish  profession to filthiness unspeakable, in the blasphemous obedience of Antichrist and the devil.  

Obiectio.  
☞ The vow of godly chastity, is a profession of godly living in the obedience of Christ, a way towards the perfection of the Gospel, 
falsehede.  and a perfect ymitacion of Christ, & the angelical life, ubi 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 seipsum castraverit propter regnum celorum, et in cord suo continentiam deo voverit, non solum si mort●ifero fornicationis crimine maculetur, verumetiam si aut vir uxorem accipere, aut mulier nubere volverit, secundum Apostoli sententiam, damnationem habebit, quia primam fidem irritam fecit. Sicut 
Nubere.  ergo secundum Apostoli sentenciam, dignum est ut uxori vir debitum reddat, similiter uxo ● viro, quia si q●is acceperit uxorem, non peccat, et si nupserit virgo, non peccat: ita secundum eiusdē●postoli dictum, qui statuit in cord suo fi●mus, non habens necessitatem, potestatem aunt habens sue voluntatis, et voverit continentiam deo, debet usque in finem tota mentis solicitudine ●nstodire, ne damnationem habeat, si primam fidem irritam fecerit. Similiter et coniugati viri, t● 
Custodire  tōiugate mulieres. si ex consensu perennem deo voverint continenciam, noverint se sui vot● obnoxios detineri, nec iam sibi debere commi●tionem carnis, quam primitus licitam habuerunt, sed deo se debere continentiam quam voverunt.   

Responsio.  
If I should reason the matter with you, and ask ye this question, why chastity is godly? I think, ye would make me answer, 
Answer.  because it is of God. For it is not in sinful man's power to make things Godly, but in God's power alone. Like wise if I should demand, why chastity is good? I would look again to have the 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. Upon this I conclude, that chastity is both Godly & good. And as much may be said of virginity & 
Godly.  marriage, because they are both of God, the one being his gift, & the other his godly institution. But as for your vows and massing priesthood, they are neither good nor yet godly, but wicked & blasphemous, as their innumerable fruits have declared They are neither works nor offices of that gospel to that glory of god, but wicked ways of sinful men's invention, for covetousness & vainglory of that world, to apere more holy than that comen sort. Pope Hellhound was 
Hypocrisy  the first after Satan's coming fourth, that fashioned out his priests & his monks by them, & that made them indispensible, unless it were for great sums of money, as that chronicles of all the christian nations declareth.  
Ye may call them manly or womanly, because they are of you which hath vowed them or made them, for you in so doing are their only creators and makers, 
Makers.  as the priest is of his holy water, when his blessing is a curse, Mala. two. But godly ye can not call them, because ye are no Gods. I say therefore, that your newly forged diffynytion here, is abominable, prepos●erouse, blasphemous, & wicked. When ye call your vow, which is your own work, a vow of godly chastity, ye take to much upon you. For in so doing, ye make yourself both equal with God and somewhat 
Above god  above him, in that ye will be scene an author of his heavenly gift, which is a most davylishe presumption. Ye say moreover, that this monstrous mingle mangle of Gods work 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 you no just title of claim to it. Your vow is a profession (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 able.  not Christ, that voweth in priesthood & monkery, but he obeyth pope Hellhound and his successors, Ye say, it is a way to the perfection of the Gospel. O blasphemous Antichrist, herein hast thou show ●● thy full imperfection.  
Can men's idle inventious add any perfection to the Gospel? How feeble makest thou Christ here? and how unperfectly 
Gospel.  makest his Gospel? that wouldest have uncommannded vows, which have brought fourth innumerable sodomites, to add perfection to the Gospel? The Gospel is little beholden, either to the or yet to thy maintainers. God ones amend you, or ●●s take ye from this life. Ye say, it is a perfect ymitacion of Christ. what a shameless lie is this, and what a bold brag to bolster out filthiness? It is no ymitacion of Christ, for he never made vow, neither proponed he any doctrine of vows 
No vow.  making, moche less than any perfect imitation of Christ. Rather is it a defection from Christ, and the same that Paul speaketh of. two. Thes. two. for none were ever so obstinate against his doctrine, as they which professed those vows. Ye conclude, that your vow is the angelical 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 cardinal hats, miters, hauled 
Roms.  crowns, and cowls of all kinds, marry not, is the mighty monstrous synagogue o● Rome. The meaner places are your ministers, monasteries, covents, colleges, and personages of other nations, where as also ye may not, for your vows sake, be given fourth in marriage.  
If ye say, that these lead an Angel's life 
Examples  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 can not lie. The place ye bring in here, Neque nubent. Mat. xxii. ye clearly wrest from all true & godly meaning. For it is not spoken of them which dwell here in this mortal & corruptible life, though your Jerome so unaptly useth it, but of them that shall apere with immortality in that lattre resurrection, 
resurrection.  In that resurrection shall they neither marry, nor be given in marriage, as here upon earth but they shall be in heaven as the Angels of God, where no such offices of marriage or maidenhead 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 possible, seek whom he may devour. i Pet. v. or else like those. iiii. cruel Angels of God's permissyon, which 
Angels.  stoppeth the. iiii. winds or preachings of his eternal testament, Apo. seven. 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 devil.  
Why master chaplain, is this the vow that ye have here maintained? Is it 
A vow.  this that ye call, a vow of Godly chastity, a profession of good life, an obedience of Christ, a perfection of that Gospel, an imitation of Christ, & an angelical state out of marriage? I heard never a more traitor make utterance. You that make so much of this vow of a popish chastity, ye make somewhat where ye dare, for that vow of popish obedience, which is that greater of both. If my sayings lack proof (as I think they do not) in this Apology. They shall 
Lack none  lack no proof in the. two. lattre parts of my votaries, which are coming forward, as speedily as may be. Your saying (ye say) that a popish vow is no ungodly profession to Antichrist in that devils obedience, is proved by S. augustine, in the third chapter of his book de fide ad Petrum diaconum. But ye had need first of all to prove that book S. 
Erasmus.  augustine's. For Erasmus hath already denied it, for the coarseness of the phrase and unpureness of the doctrine, and also for that he maketh thereof no mention ●● his wurthye work of retractations, with diverse other causes.  
The long laryne allegation of this unknown doctor, is thus to be englished. Furthermore (saith he) who so ever hath 
Gelded,  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 woman a husband, after the Apostles opinion he shall have damnation, because he hath broken his first faith. As it is therefore the man's duty, after the Apostles meaning, to give unto his wife due benevolence, & 
●e●i●o●●ce  like wise the wife to the man, for he that taketh a wife, sinneth not, neither yet sinneth the maid which marrieth an husband, so like wise after the saying of the same Apostle, he that hath surely fixed 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 end of his life to keep it, lest he have damnation, if he break his first faith. 
Prima fides.   
Like wise the married men & the married women, if tehy by their both consfntes do vow unto God a perpetual chastity, be they sure, they are bound to fulfil that vow, and not from theus fourth to have any carnal copulaciou, which was lawful unto them afore, but to keep that chastity to God which they vowed.  
notwithstanding that all this matter hath been answered afore, yet find I somewhat herein to be spoken. None authority can S. Augustine's name add to this 
Autorytr.  doctrine, because he is not the author of that book. The author of it, is such a one as S. Paul speaketh of, Roma. i. which withholding the truth of God in unrighteousness, hath turned his verity into a lie. Many wicked errors do I find in this doctrine. One is, where as he calleth 
Errors.  gelding or making chaste for the kingdom of heaven, a voweing of the single life, which Christ never meant. Math. nineteen. For Christ spoke it of them which sought the soul health of his people, by the grace of the Gospel, and not of them which privately thought to win heaven to themselves alone by their foolish vows. These sequestered themselves from all carnal and worldly affections, not by vows, but by the mere gift of God. Not to win heaven 
By gift.  to themselves, but to call other unto it by preaching the doctrine of salvation. For heaven is not gotten by vows, but by fearing, believing, and faithful following of the Gospel.  
another error, that vows ought so to separate man and wife, as they may never meet again. This usurpation is not 
usurpation  tolerable, that man's idle invention, should put Gods work aside, either yet his wavering will work, should make Gods set ordinance of none effect. Christ hath earnestly forbidden it, Mat. nineteen. that any man should put a sondre, that God hath once coupled, either yet that any man should put away his wife, except it were for adultery. What manner of new tradition, 
tradition  will this nameless doctor make than? If man be nought of nature of what value is the work of his sinful will? Shall it be able to overthrow Gods building?  
Is man's workmanship above man, either yet above God? Where is than their former profession become, that the one shall not depart from the other, till death separate them? Oh, these are the wicked devices of Antichrist. If it be objected, 
Objected.  that they may withdraw themselves, the one from the other by consent. i Cor. seven. 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, lest Satan tempt them for their incontinence.  
another error. He cloggeth him with damnation, which beholding his own presumption, forsaketh it, and submitteth 
submit.  himself to the high wisdom and 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, an other faith, or a second faith, it might somewhat have served this doctor for his vow.  
But being prima fides, the first faith, having none other faith afore it, it must 
faith.  needs be the christian faith, or profession in baptism, and so dysapoynte him at his most need. Damnatio is not always taken for a final destruction, 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 
Damnation.  it be there a damnation in deed, it is for a full renouncing of the christian faith or mocking 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 unusquisqne regnum celor●▪ quod sanctis promittitur, possidebit, si obliu●scens que retro sunt, et in anteriora extendens seipsum, secundum quod in psalmis dicitur, 
Impostor.  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 voventi Deo et reddenti quod vovit, ipse quoque deus reddet ●el●stis regni premi● que promisit. And also cap. xlii. Firm●ssime tene, et nullatenus dubites, nu●c●as quoqut divinitus institut●s ●t benedictss, et melius quidem si quisquam sine coniugio sit, ut libetius 
Nuptie.  atque plenius cogitet que sunt dei, quomodo placeat deo, tamen illis qui continentiam non voueruut, nullum esse peccatum, si vel mulier nubat, vel vir uxorem ducat. Nec solas primas nuptias a Deo institutas. sed etiam secundas et tertias, pro eorum qui se continere non possunt infirmitate con●cssas. Eis ver● 
Continere  qui sive coniugati, sive a coniugio liberi, continentiam deo voverunt, admodum esse damnabile, si vel illi coniugale opus volu●rint appetere, quo se non accessuros, vel illi repetere, a quo se recessuros, illi libera, illi commun● professi sunt voluntate.   

Responsio.  
Because the dying spirit of this counterfeit augustine, is fit to be known, I have englished his latin text here. Than 
Possess.  shall each man (saith he) possess the kingdom of heaven, which is promised to the saints, if he forgerting that is past, and applying 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, let him both gladly 
Yielding  vow, and swiftly rendre it, & that in yielding his vow, he may prosperousiy go forward. For to every one that performeth his promise, God will also give the heavenly reward, which he hath promised. The said 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 
frankly  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 man take a wife. Neither were the first marriages alone instituted of God, but as well the second 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 
Uowed.  unmarried, it is very damnable, if they either desire the coniug all work, or go to it again, which they have once forsaken, the one by a fire & the other by a comen consent.  
Many filthy errors are in this doctrine contained, which proveth it to be 
Church.  none of S. augustine's. As the church be gan to gather corruption, certain false Apostles there were and masters of superstition, which to plant hypocrisy, a very wicked seed of the old serpent, put fourth many naughty works, under the name of S. augustine and diverse other good doctors, that they might the more strongly take place. And this lewd book was one of them, which having the precious title of faith, is full of all wicked errors, and infidelity. Mark in this lattre 
Of faith.  allegation, how blasphemous and many they are. The author calleth them saints, which hath superstyciously vowed, & promiseth the possession of the kingdom of heaven, to the man that leaveth his wife, and the woman that leaveth her husband, by their comen consent (as ded the Priscyllyanystes) for that devyly she yoke. As though heaven might be gotten by our voluntary works, and as though they 
Heaven.  were a perfection far above the Gospel. He highly commendeth the spurning aside and utter contempt of matrimony, for the apprehensyon of that idle kind of life in the monasteries or dens of belly ease.  
S. augustine upon the. lxxv. Psalm, useth vovete et reddite, after a far other 
Author.  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 varieth he from S. augustine in this point, for he would have it of things possible and in our power, and only taken for man's tradition. 
Hypocrisy  This monkish hipocryte boasteth it, for a work deserving heaven, being no work of Christ, but of man's 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 them 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 invention of man, far above it, as though 
Monkery  man in his practices, were wiser than God. To confirm his folly, he wringeth in the words 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 Antichrist's yokes in 
●owes.  fleshly bondage. He consenteth, that it is no sin to marry, no, the second 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 objections, condemneth with the Tartulianystes, Cataphrygeanes, and Catharistes, the second & third marriages. This author admitteth those marriages for infirmities 
Author.  sake, and for none other respect in the scriptures. In the end he condemneth 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 
Married  here first alleged de fide ad Petrum, to confounded this naughty doctrine of the same book, as that all is good which is sanctified of God's mouth, that marriage is Gods work, blessed, good, honourable, unspotted, clean, no sin, an honest remedy, a chastity, a mutual faith, at liberty, 
unspotted  always lawful, fit for God's servants, and other like, which I omit fo● prolyxite.    

Censura.  
¶ The obedience of such monstrous vowers and their upholders, is not to 
upholders  be trusted of christian princes and their faithful subjects, which have be●e so oft times betrayed by them.  

Obiectio.  
☞ They be no monstrous vowers, but faithful vowers, if they keep their vows, and better to be trusted of princes, following Christ's exhortation thereunto, than they which break their vows & be unfaithful in their promises. It is not likely, the he will be faithful 
Break.  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 soul to hell.   

Responsio.  
Afore ded I speak of such vowers, as in the obedience of Antichrist and the devil, professed such a chastity, as aught rather to be called a filthy Sodom, than a 
Sodom.  chastity. These (I said) were monstrous vowers, for so much as both their vows and their chastity, were so preposterous and prodygyously monstrous, their execrable fruits and examples declaring no less. Now come you after, and ye boldly say, that these were no monstrous vowers. Ye go further in the matter, and report than to be the very faithful vowers, if they keep their vows, yea, those obedient vowers of Antichrist and the devil. For there 
●owers.  were none other vowers spoken of. Of a likelihood ye have not yet vowed to your king, to be his obedient true subject. And if ye have, yet are ye but a monstrous vower. For ye seem not faithfully to keep your vow, that maintain such kind of vowers. Ye can not justly say, that 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, once 
Defend.  blamed their evils, though they have been laid afore your nose. But manfully have ye defended them for necessary virtues, like a valiant captain of theirs, and a stought been factor of Sodom.  
If the fowl beast, with the. seven. heads and. x. horns, which bore the great whore arrayed all in purple and rose colour, Apoca. xvii. may be proved an odious mostre, I have no doubt of it, but I shall 
Monster.  be able to find out a filthy rabble of monstrous vowers. For like as the faithful congregation of God, are the mystical members of his son jesus Christ, so this dysguised rabble of raveners, are the mystical membres of that monstrous beast, by virtue of their vows giving up themselves to his idolatrous observations, & upholding the filthy whore his synagogue of 
synagogue  sorceries, in all blasyhemy, superstition, 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 open their mouths against god, they can speak blasphemies, they have power of the great serpent, they may buy & sell by his authority, Apo. xiii. they can work such wonders & do such 
Miracles  miracles, as God can not do again. For they can make false Gods, and give to them latryall honour. They can also set them up aloft, salute them with lies, perfume them with sensings, and cause a great number of people to worship them upon the earth. Soche monstrous doers are they.  
If these be no monstrous vowers, that are the members of this odious monster by their piled popish vows, & can do so many 
Feats.  prodigious feats by their prestish professions, than are they nothing at all. They are no vowers after the right shape of vowing, as were the jewysh vowers in y● old testament, offering calves & bullocks. Neither are they vowers after y● gospel. For vows are no works of y● gospel, but of an idle priesthood & monkery, which y● Gospel never knew. They can not therefore be called works evangelical, but works papistical sacerdotical, monastical, & fantastical. The 
office.  office of a man or woman professing Christ, is to do all things in freedom and not ●● bondage of vows, considering he is freely regenerate, and hath a free woman to his mother. Gal. iiii. They are therefore unfaith 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 the help of abbots and other ghostly 
abbots.  fathers, were wont to be princes of this world, under the great Mahounde of Rome, when they had the consciences of kings under their subjection. Though these prick eared princes might trust those vowers, as hawks made to their hands, yet would I counsel the christian princes in no wise to trust them.  
For as we find in the english chronicles, they have in confessions, made kings wives and daughters, to make vows 
tawdries  of unchastyte unto them. And for full performance of the same, they have sent their foolish husbands by vow, on pilgrimage to Rome. Look 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 reckon them fit to be trusted of christian princes, which have for their carnal commodities, so oft changed the great monarchy of the 
Carnal.  romish emppre, from the Romans to the Greeks, from the Greeks to the frenth men, from the french men to the Germans, and now would they translate it from the Germans to y● Spannyerdes'. They have 
Pleasure's  in a manner, made all the christian princes their captive slaves▪ till 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 favour their hypocrisyes, to uphold their ●irānies, to support their sorceries, to main teine their idolatries, to magt●●●ye their whoredoms, & to worship they tawdries.  
Not one king hath been in England since the conquest, but they have twygged him one way or other, and had their false flings at him, I could show it by course. 
Flings.  It were great pity therefore, but these vowers were trusted of christian princes, they have been so faithful, specially in keeping the vows of their Romish father's obedience. What caused them of late years to stnrre up commotions in the North, and now the last year in Devenshire & Lor●wale, for their Romish remnants, but the religious fulfilling of their vows to holy church the mother of their old mammetryes? Afore God, I judge you, to be one of that lewd assembly, either by 
Mother.  your act or council, by this your five workmanship for their defence. Ye would never else so earnestli have called them faithful vowers, in keeping their vows so well to your mind. But truly ye have done Christ much wrong, to call him an exhorter thereunto. For he never exhorted any man to such vows, neither yet to any other 
Gospel.  kind of vows. For his gospel is no doctrine of vows, but of faith. These prodigious vowers, are the locusts that came out of the bottomless pit, to sting men's cenfeiences as doth scorpions. Apo. ix. And they for fulfiling their news in the service of the rose coloured whore, shall go into perdition. 
Apoc. xvii.   
If ye condemn all them for unfaithful men in their promises, that have broken vows made to y● ydolouse monster of Rome. Than must ye condemn all those kings of this 
Condemn  realm which followed after king johan, and so continued till the. xxvi. year of king Henry the. viii. because they fulfilled not that profession, which he made for himself & his successors. The vow that he made by their compulsion, is this word by word, as I find it registered in compendio novi chronici de gestis regum Anglicorum collected by a monk of Cantirbury, Ego joannes rex Anglie, Wallie, et Hiberme, in 
Uotum Regis.  ro fidelitatem Deo et sancte ecclesie Roman, ac domino Innocentio tertio pape, ad manus Nicolai Cardinalis ei●sdem pape penitentiarn, ad tenendum regnum Anglie de eo sine detractatione aliqua imperpetu●, reddend o domino pape Innocentio tertio ān●ati●i null marcas argenti, et suis successoribus canonice intrantibus. I johan 
King johan.  king of England, Wales, and Ireland, promise by oath to be faithful to God, & to my lord pope Innocent 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 contradiction, frienge to them a thousand marks by year. 
Uowes.  And the bishops and Barons of England, constraived him for his own part to fulfil this ungodly profession. After this sort were all the monks vows, the friars professions, & the priests promises for degrees in the universi tees, which this wicked chaplain calleth faithful vows, & would have them still kept.  
He accounteth them unfaithful in their promises, that hath broken these vows, but of breaking gods commandments & disobeiing of his holy word, he maketh no reckoning. 
word.  It is not likely (he saith) that he will be faithful to god that thus breaketh promise ●● man, Yes without doubt, it is most likely that they be faithful to God, that in their good doings disobeyeth that sort of naughty men, and so Christ meant it, when he said. Fear not them that kill the body, and be not able to kill the soul, Mat. x. Ye know master chaplain, that God is able to destroy 
Destroy  both body and soul, and to throw them into hell, and yet ye fear not to blaspheme both him and his holy word. Care not you for the fydelite of them towards christian princes, which abhorreth your monstrous sorceries. For their faithful hearts are known good and godly, where as yours be false and devilish. To conclude. Your vows were never other, than might always be dispensed with for money. For johan Skuish a Cornish man, 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 gray friar called Mansuetus, came in 
A friar.  post haste from Rome, as a great commissyoner from pope Alexander the forth, to dyspense with all perjures, forgers of falsehood, and vow breakers. And many wise men, the story saith, derided that wicked foolishness. I marvel therefore, that ye make so much a do for those vows.    

Censura.  
¶ The vow in christian marriage, is godly every way, and serveth in avoiding fornication, and other most detestable 
Marriage.  fruits of filthiness in the flesh.  

Obiectio.  
☞ This 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 Chrisostome saith, epistola. vi. ad Theodorum monachum. Angelorum enim societate 
Chrisostom.  semel iunetum, illud relinquere, et uxoris laqu●is implicari, adulterii crimen ●●curr●re est, Quamuis frequenter hoc ipsum nuptias voces, ego tamen et adulterio tanto perus illud affirmo, quanto maior ac melior mortalis Angelus.   

Responsio.  
God shall not be true in your opinion, as appeareth here by your writing, nor yet his institution lawful, but when it shall like the stout rabyes of your vaynegloriouse 
Rabyes'.  synagogue so to allow them. Ye affirm it now to be true, that marriage is a thing godly, and that it is a provision, ordinance, help, remedy, and way, provided of God for man to avoid fornication and other uncomely vices. All this y● admit at this time without contradiction, but it hath a tail. For ye say, it is only true in them that may lawfully marry. 
Lawfully  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 Hellhound ordained vows against marriage for his professed cattle, to bring them out of order. Thus is marriage an holy institution of God, for the conservation of man. And vows against marriage are a wicked constitution of pope Hellhound, for destruction of body & soul. Matrimony must be good, because 
Constitution.  it is of him that is good, which is God. Uowes against marriage must be naughty and devilish, because they are of him that is devilish, which is pope Hellhound.  
That thing which is good, is fit for all them that are good. And that is nought, is only fit for them that are nought. Herein are to be scene, the diverse natures and 
divers.  dispositions 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 man, is to refuse, as evil, that thing that is good, as you papists have done marriage, and to admit that poison which is pernicious to the soul, as ye have done wicked buggery. 
Buggery.  A more evident open sign can not be of an Antichrist, than to say nay, to gods yea, and yea to his nay, as you do heart▪ God saith, that marriage is lawful in his. Gene. two. et Math, ix. You say, it is unlawful in yours. He saith, it is holy in his. You say, it is unholy in yours. He holdeth it for a right ousnesse in his. You hold it for an unrighteousness 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 
People.  the other, as is light from darkness. Yet must your people, be the holy spiritual people for their vows sake, ordained by pope Hellhound, and gods people a lewd lay people, only because of their marriage, which is of God.  
This is (I think) a preposterous ordre. S. Paul saith. Honorabile est inter onnes coniugium, ac thorus immaculatus. Heb. xiii. Wedlock is honourable among all people, 
Wedlock  & the bed thereof undefiled. Either your people holding marriage unhonourable in their order, are no people, or else they are such a people as are not reckoned in this universal number of Gods elects. another text hath, the marriage is honourable in all things, which proveth, that either your vows are no things, for not holding marriage honourable, or else that they are things 
Things  ungodly. And I think, ye are no things in ded, for god created all things in the beginning, & by bringing yourselves by vows, into a new creation and use, I reckon you to be nothynges to his use. This is my conjecture 
Uowers.  of you, becoming Antichrist's creatures. But truly, though you 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, judicabit deus, in the same chapter. Whore keepers and advonterers God will condemn.  
If the readers of this book, would earnestly mark you in this point (which I 
two. evils.  desire them instantly to do) they should well perceive that your vows and priesthood, are no less execrable and devilish, than is afore declared. I will go no further than your own writing. Ye say, that marriages in them that hath vowed the contrary, are peiores adulterijs, worse than adulteries. Than will I say, that no poison is like your vows, neither yet any other devylishnesse to be compared to 
Marriage.  them. Marriage of itself, is godly, good, honest, holy, and righteous, for it is gods own institution. What can make a good thing nought, but that which is nought in the self afore? What else can make it worse than sin? but that which is worse than sin of itself. Have ye not well promoted your vows? And I think in deed, they are no better than you report them here. All christian men therefore be ware of them, as of a most pervyciouse poison. I thought one time or other, ye would thoroughly discover your own mischiefs, as 
mischiefs  ye have now done in deed. And we thank you for it, for we shall be the warer of them. But ye do S. augustine wrong, to make him the author of your conveyance. He never made that book, de bono viduitatis, but one julianus a Moor borne, which was bishop of Tolete in Spain, as I told ye afore.  
And him ye slander also. For he in the x. chapter of the same book, calleth your opinion concerning those marriages, a very witless and wicked opinion, concluding 
witless.  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 marriages of nuns, to be adulteries and no marriages, but I must call them true marriages. Thus doth your own author prove ye a wicked liar, and a spiteful enemy against marriage. That which followeth, sed plave 
followeth  non dubitaverim dicere, lapsus et rumas a castitate sanctiore, que vovetur Deo, adulterijs esse peiores, toucheth not their marriages, but their slydynges away from their vowed chastity. And yet he is much more gentle in that also, than you ar. For he saith, he would not much doubt, to call those slydynges worse than adulteries, which proveth not that he expressly so calleth 
Spite.  them. But you spitefully, call the very marriages so without any honest advisement. Wherefore ye shall go for no less, than for a deceitful prophet teaching lies in hypocrisy, to maintain the doctrine of devils, and to forbid marriage as ded the Esseanes, for jewish superstitions or vows. i Timo. iiii.  
Moche were it to declare your foolishness and ignorant beastliness, in alleging Chrisostome. For ye report that raw and ragged clause which ye have untowardly 
A clause.  torn out of his. xxi. homely, in the second tome, to be in the▪ vi. epistle, ad Theodorum monachum. But I can tell what deceived you, and I would my readers should not laugh thereat. Ye took 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 second tome of Chrisostomes' works. If ye be not a 
Chrisostom.  wise clerk, and much good fruit to be had at your hand, I report me. Your decurted or headless clause, Augelorun enim ●t cet, is thus englished. For that is ones joined with the company of Angels, the same to forsake, & to be wrapped in the snares of a wife, is plainly to enter into that crime of adultery. Though thou never so oft, call that thing marriage, yet I say unto the that it is so much worse than adultery, as is 
Worse.  the mortal Angel greater & better. All this is to be considered in this matter. Chrisostom wrote all in the Greek tongue, & his Latin interpreter hath no name, and therefore we can not judge of his faithfulness.  
Moreover the self author Chrisostome, was to much addicted to monkery, and gave it more commendacyous than was convenient, abusyuge the sincerity of the 
Abusyuge  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 an other treatise afore, called prior parenesis, which he entitled, de reparatione lapsi, of the repair 
A monk.  or restoration of the fallen. Wherein he declareth the adultery of this monk after this fort. Beatus david casu decidit non leviore, quam tu modo, immo non tantum equali, subinde enim aliud flagitum adiecit, n●pe ced● atrocissimas innocentis Dry. Blessed David chanced to fall, the condition thereof being no less grievous than thine, but yet not all one. For he added thereunto an other great sin, even the unpptie full 
Drias.  slaughter of innocent Dry. By this it appeareth, that it was an other man's wife, and not his own wife, that this monk occupied, which was not only reprehensible but also abominable.  
If Chrisostome calleth this wicked kind of copulation, or rather misusing of an other man's wife, no kind of honest 
Wicked.  marriage, but a wickedness more to be detested than open whoredom, we hold with him therein, and as deeply do abhor it as he ded. But where as he calleth a monk a mortal Angel, I think he took one for an other, as the Angel of darkness for the Angel of light. For S. Paul saith, that Satan can transform himself into the Angel of light. two. Corin. xi. And though Chrisostome denied monks to marry, yet 
Chrisostom.  he never withstood the marriage of married priests, for it hath ever been in use among the Greeks. Neither doth Chrisostome in all his writings, maintain any doctrine of Dove's, search them who list. He writeth moche against them that improveth marriage as an unclean thing, specially in the fourth homely of his first tome. Where as he moche commendeth marriage in Esay the Prophet, in Moses, in Abraham, in the mother of the. seven. Maccabees, in Peter the Apostle, in Philip, in Zachary johan Baptistes father, and in Mary Christ's mother, declaring 
Petrus.  it to be no impediment to any kind of Godliness. christ (he saith) honoured marriage with virginity. Only is it Antichrist which dishonoureth it with all kinds of filthy occupying, under colour of the same.  
Thus have I answered (right worshipful sir) your popish chaplain at large, and according to your request, declared the matters & doubts, wherein ye thought 
Doubts  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 deeply dishonoured, and his heavenly verity blasphemed. For though I can let mine own injuries pass by vurevenged, yet can I not suffer with conscience, his so great dishonour unrebuked. I exhort 
Beware  you therefore, as ye tender your own salvation, to be ware of these deceitful sirens or flattering whysperers for that whorish kingdom, but yet unlearned, whose pleasant balletes, allureth to destruction. Be not carried about with their diverse and strange learnings, Heb. xiii. Be not led away with every wind of uncertain doctrine, into wicked errors by the crafty wiles of these Sophisters. Ephe. iiii. for by their subtile ways we may doubt in things which we need not 
Doubt.  to doubt of, and be caught in snares of deceit, which we need not to be caught in. If it be a folly to stick unto shadows, the clear light sh●●ynge over us. It is more than a folly, yea, it is mere madness to lyngre still in the darkness self, the mid day apearing fresh. The priesthood & the vows about whom we have all this long time contended, what are they else but jewish superstitions in their best aperell? 
jewyshe.  let us than with all godly endeavour, abhor them both, and be no longer obstinate papists to Gods high dishonour and our prince's disobedience.  
So be it.  
¶ Thus endeth the Apology of johan Bale against a rank papist, which otherwise may be called a dispatch of vows and priesthood by the word of God. Finished in the year of our Lord. M. D. l.     

¶ Here followeth a brief exposy●●on upon the. thirty. chapter of Numeri, which was the first occasion of this present variance.  
Because the. thirty. chapter of Numeri, wrested, detorted, & depraved, by the violence of this wicked captain, was compelled against his good nature, to give the first vuset against the lords verity in this battle. Therefore now that enemy overthrown & the victory obtained, by him which consumeth the wicked one with the mighty breath of his mouth. two. Tes. two. I will not only restore him again to his place & office, but also cause him to discern his friend from his enemy, & to bestow his service where as it ought rightfully to be bestowed. And all this shall be done by a commentary added thereunto, to y● right understanding of the same chapter, that it may thereby appear to y● reader's, nothing to per tain to y● vows of Antichrist's priesthood. That chapter treateth only of vows, when they ought to have been kept, & when they ought to have been omitted. He was bound to pay them in Moses law, that was under no yoke of bondage, neither of marriage, childhod, nor other servitude. The other sort paid them by lycens or allowance, of father or husband. Servants by like, were exempted, for here they are not placed. priests had nothing at all to do with them, but only to receive the profits of them towards their livings. The text thus proceedeth.  

The text.  
¶ Moses told to the children of Israel, all things as the Lord had commanded him.   

The exposition.  
☞ None other was Moses, than a prince or high magistrate, peculiarly chosen of God, to govern, to instruct, and to lead his people the hebrews, into the land of promise. By him God wrought great wonders in egypt, in the sea, and in the wilderness, to establish the faith of that people. He appeared unto him face to face, and gave him a law with his own hand written, which he published unto them. He neither fed them with the fables and enchantments of pharao's sorcerers, nor yet taught them the witty speculations of the Egipcianes, though he dwelled among them, but he gave them that pure doctrine which came only from the mouth of god.  
This is left for an example to the christian ministers, not to teach men's doctrines, sentences, decrees, legends, fables, nor lies, but the sincere doctrine of faith and Gospel of salvation.   

The text.  
¶ And Moses spoke unto the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying. This is the thing which the Lord commandeth.   

The expocisyon.  
☞ Because the exceeding great number and multitude of the children of Israel, were moche more than could by any possibility be satisfied by the voice of one man. Therefore he religiously and soberly, called unto him by the high authority of God the inferior magistrates of every several tribe or kindred, giving them out commyssions of that which god had commanded, to see it with all reverence executed and obeyed in the fear of God. The law was at that present, concerning the performance of vows, what ordre should be taken in them. In whom they should take effect, and in whom none, to stay the variety of opinions, which else might have grown among men thereupon.   

The text.  
¶ If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath and bind his soul, he shall not go back with his word, but shall fulfil all that he hath promised.   

The exposition.  
See here what the person ought to have been, by God's allowance, that should in those days make a vow or an oath to his honour. A man, the text saith, no babe, no fool, no hare brain or rash body. These iii, things then were looked for in him that ded vow or make an oath, a perfect age, a full dyscression, & a ripe deliberation. They therefore which after all these due circumstances had vowed or sworn, stood bound in conscience by this law, till they had thoroughly performed their oaths & promises. Neither was it lawful for them to go back, or to pretermit any part of them undone.  
And as concerning the things that were vowed, they might not be of things impossible, but of things which were in man's power. Neither myht they be of any thing which was to God's dishonour, or against his commandment. For the bond of the promise, stood only in things agreeable to God's word, law, decree, pleasure, commandment, & honour. Wicked vows were in no case to be observed, but to be broken, rejected, & abhorred, as things not of faith but of error & blasphemy. As are now the vows of monks and of priests, professing their own inventious.   

The text.  
¶ If a damsel vow unto the Lord, & bind herself being in her father's house & unmarried. If her father hear the vow & bond, which she hath made upon her soul, and hold his peace thereto. Then all her vows and bonds, which she hath made upon her soul, shall stand good. But if her father forbidden her the same day that he heareth it, none of her vows nor bonds which she hath made upon her soul, shall be of value, and the Lord shall forgive her, because her father forbade her.   

The exposition.  
All this was spoken for maidens, remaining in the houses of their fathers till the time of their marriages. What so ever these had promised, either by vow● or by oath, the performance thereof lay in the only arbytryment of the father. For in his power it was, by the set ordinance of God, at his discretion to allow it or dyanulle it, were it never so strongly made. No ground can our papists take of this parcel, for their superstitious vows, though they had left their christianity, and were become professed jews in deed. For it is only for maidens being under cure of their parents, and towards marriage.  
Their vows are nothing like these, for they are without God's authority, will, word, law, institution, & order, of things unprofitable, repugnant to nature, & unpossible to be observed. They had also annexed unto them, perpetual transgression afore God, though not always afore men, their knots being indyssoluble, & their snares irremedyable. These vows were after the ordinance of God, pertaining only to such things as were offered in the temple, and had an end as the offerings were done, being also dyspensable at the father's discretion, as here appeareth.   

The text.  
¶ If she had an husband when she vowed or pronounced aught out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, and her husband heard it and held his peace thereat, the same day he heard it. Then her vows & her bonds, wherewith she bound her soul, shall stand. But if her husband forbade her, the same day he heard it, than hath he made her vow which she had upon her, of none effect, and that also which she pronounced with her lips, wherewith she bond her soul. And the Lord shall forgive her.   

The exposition.  
☞ A women being a man's wife, or a maid made handefast or sure to a man in the house of her father, might well make a vow of offering to the Lord, but she might not perform it without the consent of her husband, being once his wife afore God. It was always in his power, at the first apearaunce or knowledge thereof, to have said yea or nay unto it, or utterly to have made it void and of none effect, though it had been never so strongly made afore. This declareth the man, not only to be the head of the woman, but also to have a power or dominion over her. How this law hath been abused of our papists, I think few men of discretion are alive, but knoweth. What trentals, soul groats, and other leuse ends hath gone abroad by men's wives, for Scala celies, five wound masses, alterclothes, images, candles, and other practised pageants of the slow belly priests, their husbands not aware thereof, it is to far above number to be declared. In their sacrifices and temple toys, they are contented to appear all one with the superstitious jews. But in refusal of those women's offerings which wanted their husbands consent, they never would be Jews nor yet honest men. Where as it is said in the end here, that God shall forgive her, which thus breaketh her vow. It is referred to Christ, by whom only cometh the remission of all sin, that our heavenly father forgiveth.   

The text.  
¶ The vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, and all that they have bound their souls with, shall stand.   

The exposition.  
If widows which were free by the death of their husbands, either yet other women which were released from the yoke of marriage by libels of divorcement, had had at any time than vowed, their consciences were bound to the performance of their vows, like as they had promised afore. And these vows were only for offerings & for humylyations of the spirit, and not for chastity of body. For thereunto were they bound by other statutes both of the laws of nature and of Moses.   

The text.  
¶ A wife, if she vowed in her husbands house, or bound her soul with an oath, and her husband heard it, and held his peace and forbade her not, than all her vows and bonds wherewith she bound her soul, shall stand. But if her husband dysanulled them the same day, than nothing that proceeded out of her lips in vows and bonds wherewith she bound her soul, shall stand. For her husband hath loosed them, and the Lord shall forgive her.   

The exposition,  
Women married out of their father's houses, and dwelling under tuytion or governance of their husbands, might vow at their pleasures, if they minded so to do. But in no wise might they actually perform their vows in effect, without the full grant and agreement of their husbands. No, though they had bound those vows with double oath, yet might they not hold without their consent. notwithstanding the silence of the man, was accepted in the law for a full grant of the matter, if he heard it with his ears and made none answer to it at the same present. And all this was only for free-will offerings to the Lord. I can not think, that this law was ever pleasant to our cloyning papists, monks, massing priests, canons, canons, and friars. For they had all their packynges and proulynges, when the good men were out and abroad. The stories are to many, to be rehearsed at this tyme. The breach of these vows by contrary commandment of the man, was all so released by the death of Christ, which was the unyversalll and whole pacification of the father's wrath for sin.   

The text.  
¶ All vows and oaths, that bind to humble the soul, as of abstinence and fasting, may her husband estably she or break. But if her husband hold his peace from one day to an other, than he establisheth all her vows and bonds which she had upon her, because he held his peace the same day he heard them.   

The exposition.  
☞ Uowes concerning the souls humylyation (as here appeareth) were promises of fasting, prayer, and abstinence, as they were used in Moses' law. Mennys wives might vow these vows also, at certain times for the chastisement of their bodies, having their husbands consent, else not. But how ded popish priests abuse this rule of God, when they kept their mart of confessions? They never sought the consent of their husbands, when they appointed men's wives, by penance as they called it, either to fast or yet to pray. The husbands might be of counsel in nothing that they ded, though god had a thousand times commanded it. For their holy father Antichrist, was in their lewd opinion, a law maker far above God. They can fetch their vows from hens, but this godly order of obedience of the wife to her husband could they never find, but utterly subdued it in their most devilish confessions. If any ever made these vows unlawful, it were they which after this naughty sort most wickedly abused them, in thus usurping an authority over men's wives above their husbands, against God's manifest word here, exalting themselves therein above god.   

The text.  
¶ And if he afterward break them, he shall bear her sin himself.   

The exposition.  
☞ So stood this vow in the wife, that if the man heard it pronounced, and said nothing theragainst, she stood bound in conscience afore God, both to follow it and perform it. But if he dissembled the hearing thereof, and afterwards upon light displeasure forbade her the fulfilling of it. Than if it had been broken, it was his inyquite and not hers. The woman stood clear, and he from thensfourth was bound to the performance of it, so strongly as though he had vowed in his own person. And this cometh of consent by a dissimulation and forgetfulness. See therefore what it is to dissemble in things of God's ordinance.   

The text.  
¶ These are the ordinances, which the Lord commanded Moses, between the man and his wife, and between the father and his daughter, being a damsel in her father's house.   

The exposition.  
Of the whole chapter, is this clause an epyloge or brief conclusion, repeating in few words the substance of all that is therein treated. God is here declared to be the author of these laws, and his high magistrate Moses the publisher of them, concerning vows within the households of the children of Israel. The father had power to dissolve the vow of his daughter, and the husband to make the promise of his wife that way of none effect, were they never so strongly made. Why than may not Gods word, which is that eternal power of his, wherewith he made all, governeth all, and at the latter day shall judge all, do the same in his great household here, or congregation milytaunt? I know this to be an earnest restraint thereof, to all them that hath unsesonabli vowed in Antichrist's church, pronounced both by the prophets and Apostles, Gene. nineteen. Esay. xlvii. Zacha. two. Heir. li. two. Corin. vi. it. Apoca. xviii. Come away from her my people, lest ye be partakers of her sins, & to receive of her plagues. This voice would both be heard, believed, obeyed, & followed.   

The conclusion.  
NOw may ye see (gentle readers) how foolish, fantastical, and beastly our papists are which take this, thirty. chapter of Numeri, for a mighty stay and most strong buttrasse of upholding the fantasyed vows of their monkeryes and massing priesthood. Ye may well perceive, that it is no more to that purpose, than is Chariuge cross, to uphold Lyncolne minster. Uowes in this chapter, are of Moses' commission under shadow of the law, and not of Christ's commission under light of the Gospel.  
The making and performance of them, pertained to private households and not to the temple, to the comen people and nothing at all to the priests. Married men and young men towards marriage, married women and maidens towards marriage, widows and divorced women, were only of power by this law, to promise them. They were not perpetual, but for a small time, they were of things possible and in man's power, and easily they might be broken and dispensed with in the wife and the daughter. Never had the priests any thing a do with the performance or making of them, but only to receive them in offerings, to the maintenance of their livings. For they had none other possessions else among the other tribes, but these voluntary oblations, first fruits, and the tithes. What will our foolish papists have of them than, when they are so far from their purpose?  
Mannys reason (I suppose) and the true fear of God, by the rule of his holy word, should govern our whole man, both within and without, in body and in soul, as the father doth his daughter, and as the good husband doth his wife, concerning affections of things temporal and motions towards religion. No man ought to vow, or to promise any payment to god, unless he be able of his own substance to do it, and have it in possession ready at all times to be paid, as the hebrews had. For it is else but a mocking of God. Nothing can we offer of ourselves to God, that is in any point corresponding to his gifts. All the goodness we have, is far to little for that we already own him for our creation and redemption. What will we than pay him besides our duty, which are not able to do that? Our ill deeds are not fit to be vowed unto him, and yet we have none other of our own. As God is wholly ours in Christ without vow, so are we his wholly again without vow. He doth no great act than, which offereth himself in bondage by vow. To a godly man are vows nothing necessary, for he serveth God in liberty of spirit. Uowes only proceed from the carnal man, which knoweth none other ways of pleasing God, but his own idle inventions. The father of mercy and God of consolation, deliver his church from this wicked blindness, and reduce it again into the way of right knowledge. So be it.  
¶ Thus endeth the brief exposition upon the. thirty. chapter of Numeri wyhch was the first occasion of this present variance. Anno do. M. D. L.    

¶ The Table for this book.  

ABbot of ●. A▪ bons begat a pope. 126.  
Age of voweing after Paul. xl. years. Fol. 41. 87. 113.  
Albertus' patriarch of Jerusalem. Fo. 19  
All the Apostles had wi●es. 120.  
Ambrose teacheth hipocresy. 74.  
Ambrose is a deep liar. 75. 120.  
Anantas and Saphtra, no vowers. 113.  
Angels of darkness, are vowers. 134. 147.  
Anna the w●fe of Helcana. 29.  
Antichrist known hy his fr●te●. 46. 76. 86. 127. 134. 144.  
Apostles had wy●es. 75. 119. 120 123. 148.  
Apostles what they were. 122.  
Aristotle's m●nde for dyffynyr●ons. 26.  
A scoffer with his pillow ●ere. 122.  
Augustine had. three concubines. 13.  
Augustine refuseth author●●e. 42  
Augustine was not superstitious. 85.   

B  
Basilius the eldar was a priest, 114  
Basil●us the yongar taught no vows. 115.  
Bedas against vows. 46. 58.  
Begetters of childron after priesthood. 124. 126.  
Books of Moses, five. 16.  
Book, de bono ●iduitatis. 38.  
Boys, praised for vows making. 24.   

C  
chaplain confoundeth himself. 100LS.  
chastity vowed, prospereth not Fol. 78.  
chastity in marriage. 68 99 119.  
chastity is good and god●y, and why. 133.  
Christ's spowsage declared. 40. 85.  
Christ is our peace. 61.  
Christ, Ma●y, H●e●emy, and johan. 94.  
Christ made no priests. 109.  
Church primitive had married ministers. 127.  
Circumducere ●ororem, falsely. interpreted. 130.  
Cyrillus the Greek eremite. 19  
Concordances of the Byb. e. 18.  
Consecrations more than one 117.   

D  
Dam●nacion, what it signifieth. 87. 95. 137.  
David b●ake his vow. 47. 58. 107.  
David was a vower, and no pressed. 48.  
David's faith declared in vows 149.  
Davy the welsh man, voweth a candle. 51.  
Deacons and priests not all one 72.  
difference of vows and marriage. 144.  
Dyffynytions of vows. 21.  
dissimulation, taken for a vow. 113.  
Dystynction of vows, 23, 44, 46, 77, 111,  
Dystynction of vows and priesthood. 3. 8. 70.  
diversity of priests. 76  
Doctors maintaining vows fol. 12.  
Doctor Cole at Oxford. 124.   

E  
Epiphanius against vowers. Fol. 35.  
Erasmus judgeth of Augustine. 38. 135.  
Erasmus deceived by H●erome. Fol. 131.  
Error in number. 93. 95. 104. 113. 146.  
Error most shameful. 103  
Errors of a doccour. 136. 138.  
Esseanes, not allowed for vyrgyny●e. 101. 146.  
Etheldrede and Edward, virgins. 95.  
Example of a bower. 11.  
Examples of chastity. 34.  
Examples of them that married a●ter priesthood. 125.  
exposition of the. thirty. chapter of Numera. 149.   

F  
Fable of a nun, by S. augustine. 79.  
Face of the serpent. 59 98.  
falsehood of this papy●●. 39 54. 82. 83. 115. 117. 126.  
Fear of trumpet blowing. 54. 79.  
Fea●es of the jews, diverse. Fol. 55.  
friends, Plato & Socrates. 1●  
Frances, made equal with God. 22.  
Friars, monks and priests, for cerers. 20.  
Friar Mansuetus dyspenseth with vows. 143.   

G  
Gloze preferred to the text. 73.  
gluttons preach o● abssynence Fol. 119.  
God abhorreth vow makers. Fol. 112.  
God only maketh things good Fol. 133.  
Gospel and law, what they work. 90.  
Gospel's b●asp hemouse●y used. Fol. 98.  
Gregory, Jerome, and Ambrose. 12.  
Gregory is proved a liar. 116.  
Gro●nde, in joining scriptures. 55.   

H  
hebrews vowed and offered Fol. 8. 60.  
Heretics against marriage Fol. 101. 139.  
Jerome, Ambrose, and Gregory. 12.  
Jerome taunteth marriage. Fol. 128.  
Jerome blasphemeth the scriptures. 129.  
H●●bebrand instituted vowers. 5. 124. 133. 144.  
Honourable and holy is marriage. 35. 145.  
How God compasseth, and is not compassed. 89.   

I  
Ignatius a bishop, had a wife Fol. 123. 132.  
Ignorance of this papist 52. 72. 92. 120. 146.  
Impossyby●yte in vows 4. 11. 33.  
Enchantment or charm wenches. 109.  
johan Baptist b●uldeth on Christ. 90.  
johan the Evangelist married. 121.  
johan proved no vyrg●ne. 121.  
johan Chrisostome maintaineth no vows. 147.  
johan king of England. 83. 142.  
johan Compson a doctor. 101.  
johau Carton a chronicler. 67.  
johan Sk●ysh, a chronicler. 143.  
jone Swepestak, at the bell. 68  
Isidorus against vows. 24. 46  
julianus bishop of Tolete. 85. 101. 146.   

K  
Kings earnest in matters of religion. 2.  
King Iohans vow broken. 83. 142.  
King of England die scharged vows. 25.  
Kings which were idle pilgrims. 141.   

L  
Law and Gospel, what they work. 90.  
Laws of father & husband. 90  
Levites, filthy vowers. 35.  
Loathes wife, for example. 81.  
Luke's description in story. 80.   

M  
Manichees, are the papists. 104  
Married after priesthood 125.  
Marriage, an order of chastity. 64. 99  
Marriage and virginity. 12. 64▪ 99 133.  
Marriage byspraised of Hieron, 128.  
Marriage of Apostles and pro phetes. 148.  
Marks disciples were no vowers. 117.  
Massing priesthood, what it is 4  
Mentiri spiritui sancto, what it is. 116.  
Monkery, when and by whom it sprang. 18.  
Monkery is a withered plant. 116.  
monkish rhetoryckes, smelled out. 15. 34. 58. 116.  
Moses, what he was. 149   

N  
Name of a priest, to be abhorred. 6.  
Names concerning Christian ministers. 6. 70.  
Nature of good and evil. 144  
Nature of a promise. 10.  
Nazarei, or abstainers, 31.  
Nicolaus Gallus, a wryrer. 20.  
Numeri, a book of Moses. 17. 51.  
nuns marriages allowed. 84.  
nuns marriages, none advoutiy. 146.   

O  
Orders of monkery and priesthood. 23.  
Ordre of the scriptures, cousonaunt. 55.  
Ordre of chastity, is marriage. 64. 99  
Ordres of priesthood. 3. 70.  
Ordre & stuck maintained. 71.  
original of vows. 8.   

P  
Paphuutius, dyffynyg chastity. 34.  
popish priest of Thornedom. 68  
Paul and Christ, understanded 65. 85.  
Paul led not his wife abou●, and why. 130.  
Paulus terrius, lay with his daughter. 68  
Pelagyane, an enemy to saith. 93.  
Peter's vow to be marked. 12.  
Peter, Paul, and Philiyp, had wives. 120.  
Philo describeth the church. 118  
Presbyter is an eldar, and no pressed. 71.  
Pressed of Melchisedech, only Christ. 7. 71. 76.  
priests and women. 38. 74. 81. 83. 113.  
priests borne, are whoremongers. 68  
priests were no vowers. 83.  
priesthood & vows, what they are now. 4.  
priesthood mocking both Aaron and Christ. 8.  
priesthood now is only of Antichrist. 109.  
Priapus of Rome, known. 113  
Prima fides, what it is. 44. 87. 95. 137.  
Protession of friars. 22. 28.  
Profession of priests. 28.  
Promise of what nature it is. 10.   

Q  
Questions resolved. 9 14. 51. 87. 95. 931. 133.   

R  
Remelius a monk was married. 325.  
Reward for vows keeping. 111  
Ricardus de Media villa. 22. 28.  
Robert Peche and Robert of Wynchestre gendering prelate's. 126.  
Robries' of this papist, 42  
Romish priests are know●. 108   

S  
Samuel was a priest. 67.  
Shameful shifts of this papist. 80.  
Syxe parts played at ones. 4.  
Systre Christine, sore vere. 20.  
Swea●ynge and vowing, not all one. 92.   

T  
Theodorus, an advoutrouse monk. 147.  
Thomas of Aquine defineth vows. 22. 33.  
Thomas Cantipratensis, a writer. 20.  
Tratery proved in this chaplain. 135. 140.  
Translation of the Bible. 130.  
Truth what nature it is of. 98.  
Tyranny of papisies. 53. 70   

U  
Uirgynyte and marriage. 12. 64. 99 133.  
Uirgynyte commended. 25.  
Uirginite is nothing without saith. 100  
Uirginite, no fruit of the spret 100  
Uirginyte is worse for vows. 110.  
Ueit es without vows. 95.  
Uo●●n, what sygni●ycacion it hath. 51.  
Uovere, when it was in use. 18.  
Uovere, defined of augustine. Fol. 43.  
Uovere, is not taught of Christ Fol. 64.  
Uowers, rewarded with Onan Fol. 102.  
Uovers monstrous, described. 140  
Uowers what mischiefs they have done. 141.  
Uowes in this age of none an thorite, 4,  
Uowes, what original they ha●. 8.  
Uowes what they are now able to do. Fo. 9  
Uowes are now to be broken. 9 24. ●3. 76. 78. 83. 91. 96. 106. 107.  
Uowes, what they bring men to. Fo. 10. 145.  
Uowes of papists, how foolish they are. Fol. 11.  
Uowes have destroyed England. Fol. 13.  
Uowes, in the. thirty. of Numeri. Fol. 17.  
Uowes made of friars and monks. 22.  
Uowes of the old law. Fo. 26  
Uowes are unprofitable. 57  
Uowes doubleth the wickedness of Sodom. 107.  
Uowes unadvised, what they are. Fol. 107.  
Uowes brought in buggery. 110  
Uowes are no works of the Gospel. 8. 141.  
Uowes and priesthood, what they are, 133.  
Uowes are a most execrable poi son, 145,   

W  
Widows and priests, all one Fol. 38. 74.  
Widows are no priests, 113,  
Women following the Apostles, 131,   

Y  
Ye shall, and ye shall not, 27,   

Z  
Zacharias slain of vowers, 35▪  
Zurobabel was a priest, 69,   
☞ Thus endeth the table.   

☞ Faults which hath chanced in y ●priuting  
¶ Fol. iiii▪ pagi. two. line. xx. Regum. xviii. fo. viii. pag. two. li. xiiii. put out, to the. fo. x. pa. two. li. xxvii.. fo. xii. pag. i li. i. Such. fo. xx. pag. two. li. two. Cāprate●sis. fo. lxviii. pagi. i li. seven. afore. fo. lxxvii. pag. two. li. xiiii. a nun, over al. fo. xc. pag. two. li. seven. dprt. fo. xcv. pag. two. li. xv. joan. viii. fo. ciii. pagi. i. in the margende, error for tyranny. fo. cxvi. pag. two. li. xxix. ye learned. fo. cxvii. pag. i li. three ways. i. line. of. fo. cxviii. pag. two. li. xi. servants. fo. cxix. pag. i li. xxiiii. the man. fo. cxxv. pag. two. li. seven, Aragone et. li. ix. Gassarus, li. xx, Cysteane. et li. xxiiii. Crants. fo. cxxv, i pagi. li. xxv. those. With many more.  
FINIS.   

¶ Imprinted at London by John Day, dwelling over Aldersgate. These books are to be sold at his shop, by the little Conduit in Cheap s●de.  
¶ Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.