quod sacras vestes induunt, vel sacra vasa tangunt, Christo vio∣lenter manus inijciunt. Per hoc autem quod impudenter offerre praesumunt▪ Christum quodam modo visibiliter in altari crucifi∣gunt. Legitur ministerium eorum, Christi persecutio, imo cruci∣fixio appellatur: In English thus: In that these men (hee speaketh of maried Priests) do put on the holy vestments, or do touch the holy vessels, they do lay violent hands vpon Christ. And in that they presume impudently to offer, they do in a ma∣ner visibly crucifie Christ vpon the aulter. The ministery of such is read to be a persecution, or rather a crucifieng of Christ, &c.
Loe here the mighty reasons, the strong timbered ar∣guments, and the deepe diuinitie wherewith this Anselm and all other that drawe after his string, goe about to im∣pugne the lawfulnesse of Priestes mariage. Because the Israelites when they should appeare before the Lorde at Mount Sinai, were commanded to keepe frō their wiues three dayes: and bicause the Priests of the old Law in do∣ing their function, as their turne came about, refrained the companie of their wiues for that present tyme: Ergo, priests of the new lawe must at no tyme haue any wiues, but liue alwayes single, &c.
And why might not Anselme as wel argue thus: The people of Israel approching to the Mounte, were com∣maunded in like sorte to washe their garmentes: Ergo, Priestes of the newe Lawe, which are occupied euery day about the Aultar, ought euery day to washe all their gar∣ments.
Moses approching to the presence of the Lorde in the bush, was commanded to put of his shoes: Ergo, Priestes of the new lawe, which are euer approching to the presence of their God, should neuer weare shoes.
Of king Dauid and his company, which but once in all their lyfe did eate of the shewebread, it was demanded by the high Priest, whether they had kept them from theyr wyues three dayes before: Ergo, Kinges and the people of the newe Testament, which euery yeare eate the breade of the Lordes boorde, more precious then euer was that Panis propositionis, should abide all their life wiuelesse and vnspoused.
But here Anselme should haue considered by these Scriptures, howe we are taught not to put awaye oure wyues, but wiselie to distinct tymes, when and howe to haue them. For as Salomon teacheth, to be a tyme for all things: so is there a time to marrie, and a time not to mar∣rie, a time to resort, a tyme to withdraw, a tyme of compa∣ny, a time of abstinence and prayer, which S. Paul calleth, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and as he speaketh of a tyme of prayer and absti∣nence, so he speaketh also of a tyme of resorting together, and addeth the cause why: Ne tentet vos Satanas propter in∣continentiam vestram, &c. That is, Least Satan (saith he) tempt you for your incontinencie.
And thus should Anselme with Salomon & Paul, haue considered the order and distinction of tymes. Oftentymes in scripture that is commanded to some, and at sometime, which extendeth not to others. And that which for a tyme is conuenient, is not by and by alwayes conue••ient. Nei∣ther that which for a tyme is forbidden in Scripture, is therefore forbidden for euer. Neither ought speciall exam∣ples, to breake generall orders: neither agayne doe ex∣traordinarie prohibitions, make an vniuersall rule.
They were then commaunded to sequester themselues from their wiues at the comming of the Lorde: not that the comming of the Lorde did breake wedlocke, but his commaundement did bynd obedience: and therfore obei∣ed they, because they were commanded. And yet were they not commanded to put away their wyues, but onely to se∣perate themselues for a tyme, and that not for monethes and yeares, but onely for three dayes, which abstinence al∣so was enioined them, not in the presence, nor at the appe∣ring of the Lord, but three dayes before his descendyng to them on the hill. Whereby it appeareth, that the vse of their wedlocke, neither displeased God being present, nor yet did driue his presence away when he was come: for he re∣mained there present amongest them on the hill xl. dayes notwithstanding.
Furthermore, this time of separation from their wiues, as it was expreslie commanded to them by God: so was it not long nor tedious, but such as was neither hard for them, nor vnconuenient for the time: giuing vs thereby to vnderstand, how to vse separation in wedlocke wiselye, that is, neither at no time, nor yet too long.
For as they do not well, which neuer follow the tyme of S. Paule, called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for abstinence and prayer: so do they worse which fall into that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, whereof S. Paule againe giueth vs warning, Ne tentet vos Satanas per incontinentiam vestram. But worst of all do they, which so separate their wiues cleane from them, and so abiure all matrimonie, that they fall headlong into the diuels pitfall of fornication, and all filthie abhomination. And therefore the Lord foreseyng the perill thereof, said vnto the people: Estote parati in diem tertium, & ne appropinquetis vxoribus vestris, &c. Appointyng in deede a separation from their wyues, but yet knowyng the infirmitie of man, limiteth the tyme withall, addyng, In diem tertium, and goeth no further.
He saith not, as Anselme said in the Councel of Win∣chester: Iurabunt praesbyteri, diaconi, & Subdiaconi, vxores su∣as omnino abiurare, nec vllam deinceps cum eis conuersatio∣nem habere, sub districtione censurae, &c.
The like order also was taken by the Lorde with the priests of the old Testament, who although they were en∣ioyned to withdraw themselues from their wiues duryng the tyme of their priestly seruice: yet for auoyding fornica∣tion, they were permitted to haue their wyues notwith∣standing. So that both their absenting from their wyues serued to sanctification, and their resorting agayne vnto them, serued to auoid adultery and fornication.
But here our priestly prelates will obiect, that bicause they be continually conuersant about the priestly function therfore a perpetuall sanctification is of them specially re∣quired. Whereunto I answer.
1 First, the priestly function of those high priests sacrifi∣sing for the people in the old lawe, representeth onely the function of Christ the high priest sacrifising for the sinnes of the world, which truly and onelie perfourmed that pure chastitie in his sanctified body, which the law then in those priests prefigured.
2 Secondarilie, speaking now of the Priestes of the newe Testament (and speaking properly) the Scripture knoweth nor admitteth no Priest to sacrifice to God for the sinnes of man, but only the high king and priest Christ Iesus.
3 Thirdly, vnto that priest all other be but seruaunts and Ministers: of whome, some be Apostles, some Pro∣phetes, some Euangelistes, some Preachers, hauyng the gyft of vtteraunce, some Interpreters and Doctours, ha∣uyng the gyft of vnderstandyng, some Deacons seruyng the Lordes boorde. The office of all whome chiefly co••si∣steth in ministring the word, next in administring the Sa∣craments.
4 Fourthly, for so much as in these principally aboue all other, purenesse and sanctification of lyfe is required, as much and more too, then was in the Priestes of the olde Law, from whom all fornication, adulterie, incest, and vn∣cleannesse of lyfe ought most to be banished: therefore in these especially aboue the Priestes of the olde Law, matri∣monie and spousage is most requisite and conueniēt, who so euer he be, which otherwise can not conteine, accordyng to the Apostle, saying: Vnusquisque vxorem suā habeat prop∣ter fornicationem.
5 Fiftly, neyther is this matrimonie in these, any hin∣derance to their sanctification before God, but rather fur∣thereth & helpeth their sanctification, forasmuch as where matrimonie is not, there commonly raigneth adulterie, fornication, and all kindes of filthinesse accordyng to the true sayeng of Bernard: Tolle de Ecclesia honorabile con∣nubium & thorum immaculatum, nonne reples eam concubina∣rijs, incestuosis, seminifluis, mollibus, masculorum concubitori∣bus & omni denique genere immundorum? That is, Take frō the Church honourable mariage, and the bed vndefiled, shalt thou not replenish it with Concubinaries, with incestuous per∣sons, Sodomiticall vices, and finally with all kynd of beastly fil∣thinesse?
The truth of which saying, lacketh no kynde of exam∣ples for confirmation, if we listed here to ransack the liues of these glorious despisers of matrimony, euen from Lan∣frank the first ringleader of this daunce here in England, with Paulus Monke of Cadone his Nephew, whome Mathew Paris misdoubted to be his owne sonne, vnto Steuen Gardiner with his gouldelockes, the author and workemaister of these sixe articles. But to the reasons of Anselme hitherto sufficient, which of themselues be so fri∣uolous and grosse, that only to recite them, is enough to confute the same.
Permitting therefore the rest to the discussion of Di∣uines, it shall suffice for our purpose, professing here to write stories, to declare and make manifest by processe of tymes & histories, that this cruell lawe compelling mini∣sters of the church to abiure matrimonie, entred not into this land before Lanfranke and Anselme his successor, as both may appeare by the multitude of priests sonnes law∣fully begotten in matrimonie, and succeeding in the chur∣ches here of England, testified by the epistle of Pope Pas∣chalis to Anselme before, pag. 196. and also may appeare likewise by the Councell of Anselme holden at Winchester which partly was touched before, and now the full act we