The Acts of English Votaries, Religious tract · Part 1 – Part 22
¶Marryage instytuted of God.
IN paradyse our eternall and mercyfull father instytuted maryage,Matrymonye. inmedyatlye after mannys first creacyon, and left yt with hym as an honest, comelye, wholsom, holye, and nedefull remedye agaynst all beastlye abusyons of the fleshe that shuld after happē, and graunted therunto hys eternall blessynge. Increase (sayth he) multyplye, and fyll the earthe, Gene. 1. And thys repeted he thryse after that▪ Gene. 8. ct. 9. to the intent yt myght be groundedlye marked, and wele knowne of men to be hys most ernest ordynaunce.the first relygyō Thys was the first ordre of Relygyō that euer was made, and of must holynesse, yf we dewlye respect the maker therof with the other cyrcumstaunces besydes, preferrynge hys wysdome to mā nys wysdome. And for that yt shuld not be reckened a thynge vnaduysedlye done of hym, he loked thervpon agayne amonge all hys other workes, and coude beholde no imperfeccyon therin, but perceyued that yt was of excedynge goodnesse. Yet hath there sens rysen a sort, whiche hauehave agaynst Gods heauenlye wysdome,Vnmaryed prestes. set their fleshlye folyshnesse, whiche are non other to be reckeued than the verye sede and of sprynge of the serpēt. Thoughe these hauehave knowne that there is a God, yet hauehave they not gloryfyed hym in faythe and mekenesse, but hauehave become most vayue in their ymagynacyons. Where as he hath declared marryage excedynglye good,Gods aduersaryes. they hauehave condempned it as a thynge execrable and wicked. And where as he hath spoken yt by hys owne mouthe, that yt is not good for mā to be alone, they hauehave improued that doctryne and taught the cōtrarye, as a thynge more perfyght and Godlye.
¶Marryage contempned of Sathan.
THus Sathan erected hymself agaynst God in that wycked generacyon, whiche beganne first in Cain,Cain. and hath euer sens contynued in that posteryte. For thys presumpcyon God gaue them clerelye ouer, and left them to themselues with all their good intentes and vowes, wherupon they hauehave wrought sens that tyme fylthynesse vnspekeable. Their chast women, vestals Monyals,Nōnes and Mō kes. Nonnes, and Begynes, changynge the naturall vse, hauehave wrougth vnnaturallye. Lyke wyse the men in their Prelacyes, presthodes, and innumerable kyndes of Monkerye, for want of women hath brent in their lustes, and done abhomynacyons without nombre, so receyuynge in themselues the iust rewarde of their errour. Of these most hellyshe & dyabolyck trutes, holy Saynt Paule admonyshed the Romanes, in the firste chaptre of hys Epystle vntounto them, knowynge afore hande that out of their corrupted christy anyte,Sodomytes. shulde ryse soche a fylthye flocke as shuld worke them euerye where. But neyther of Paule nor yet of Peter hauehave the fore warnynges away led, but those brockysh boores hauehave gone frely forewarde without checke tyll now of late dayes, where in God hath geuen vsus as more pure syght to beholde their buskelynges.
¶Marryage of Prestes in both lawes.
TO make manyfest vntounto thē, what wyues the lorde appoynted by hys seruaunt Moses,Prestes wyues. vntounto the leuytycall prestes in the sacred posteryte of Aaron Leuit. zi. et Ezech. 44. yt were but labour lost.Prestes wyues. Eyther to put them in remembraunce that Christ was borne in marryage, though hys mother were alwayes a mayde, ād that he left vntounto hys Apostles marryage in lyberte euermore yt were in veyne also. For all thys hath God shewed vntounto them playnelye, by hys true prophetes in thys lattre age, declarynge the fynall destruecyō of that wretched kyngedome. As by Martyn Luther,Haters of the Pope. Iohan Pomerane, Frances lambert, Oswaldus Myconius, Philpp Melanchtō, & soche other (as ys sayd afore) but all hauehave they taken for fables. That lorde sent them one vntounto their owne doores, which effectuallye ded hys massage, euen Robert Barnes by name,…arnes. of whose grounded argumentes they hauehave not yet dyscharged the leaste, besydes that they hauehave had from hym by good Wyllyam Turner and George Ioye. And all thys hauehave they dysdaynouslye laughed to scorne. Consyderynge therfore that no gētyll speche wyll amende them, nor yet sharpe threttenynges call them to repentaunce,The autour. he wyll now cast their owne vyle donge in their faces, that yt shall cleaue fast vponupon them, Mala. 2. He wyll throwe in their tethe by thys boke and soch other the styukynge examples of their hypocrytysh lyues, with their calkynges and cloynynges to patche vp that dauberye of the deuyll, their vowed wyuelesse and husbandelesse chastyte.
¶Englande inhabyted afore Noe and after.
ANd for as moche as the tyttle of thys present treatyse only respecteth Englande,Englā de. onlye shall yt treate the vnchast examples of the spirytualte therof, with serten examples of Romysh Popes whiche than wrought their iuggelynge mastryes there. To fetche the matter from the first foundacyon, & so to stretche yt forewarde, I am fullye assertayned by auncyēt writynges, that thys lande was with people replenyshed longe afore Noes dayes.Afore Noe. Yea, soche tyme as men were multyplyed vponupon the vnyuersall earthe, Gene. 6. As they than had left God appoynted Relygyō, and had taken wayes vntounto them after their owne good intentes, soche vnspekable fylthynesse folowed, as brought vponupon them the great dylu…ye or vnyuersall flod, which left non alyue,The flood. but drowned them vp as yt ded all other quarters. Thys wytnesseth both Moses and Berosus, the most auncyēt writers we reade of. After the seyd flood, was yt agayne inhabyted by the of sprynge of Iapheth the third sonne of Nor.Iapheth For of thē (sayth Moses) were the Iles of the Gentyles sorted oute into regyons, euerye one after, knowne dyuerse from other, by their languages, kynde redes, & nacyons, Gene. 10. And in the dayes of Phaleg the sonne of Heber,Phaleg was that dyuysyon of Prouynces, lyke as foloweth in the same chapter. Samothes the Brother of Gomer (whō the Byble calleth Mesech) restored than agayne thys lande in hys posteryte,Samothes gygas. the prestes therof called Samothei, for so moch as he was the first that fournyshed yt with lawes, as witnesseth Ioannes Annius in commentarijs Berosi.
¶Albion with hys Samothytes.
AFter thys grewe yt into a name, & was called Albion.Albion gigas. Not ab albis rupibus, as fryre Bartylmew hath fantasyed in hys worke De proprietatibus rerū. Nor yet ab Albiana the kynges dougter of Syria, as Marianus the monke hath dreamed yt. For of latyne wordes coude yt hauehave no name, before the latyne yt selfe was in vse. And the other without grounded autoryte, apereth a playne fable, as witnesseth both Volateranus and Badius But rather yt shuld seme to be called Albion, ab Albione Gygante, the sonne of Neptunus, Neptunus.whiche was afterwarde slayne of Hercules for stoppynge hys passage at the enteraunce of Rhodanus, as testyfyeth Diodorus Siculus and also Pomponius Mcla. Not onlye bycause the seyd Albion was a gyaunt, lyke as the afore seyd Samothes was afore hym, but also for that hys father Neptunus was than take for the lorde of great God of the see, wherin yt is enclosed. What the chastyte was of the Samothytes or prestes for that age,Samothytes. the Poetes dothe declare at large. Venus was than their great Goddesse, and ruled all in that spirytuall famelye, as she hath done euer sens.
¶The Samothytes and their chastyte.
THey had in their temples, vestals (whom now we call Nōnes) who se offyce was to maynteyne the fyre for perfourmaunce of the sacryfyces, least yt shuld at anye tyme go out.vestals. These were chosen in before they were .xvi. years olde, there remaynyng vnmaryed the space of .xxx. years, and others alwayes by that tyme succeded in their rowmes. Some of these were presbyteresses, as they pleased the spyrituall fathers. And as the lyghtes went out by their neglygence, their ponnyshmentes were to be beaten of the Byshoppes. More ouer yf anye of thē chaunced to fall in aduoutery, except they ded yt in the darke with them,chastyte their iudgement was to be buryed in the grounde quycke. Alwayes they went awaye vyrgynes from them (what so euer was done in the meane season) & at the .xxx. years ende, they were in lyberte to marrye yf they wolde. Thys testyfyeth Hermanus Torrentinus, and Iohannes Textor, Tyrāny now.with other autours. Yet was not thys abhomynable superstyeyon so tyrannouslye handeled amonge them than, as yt hath bene sens a monge their successours the papystes, whom by their cruell conceyons (syned they neuer so longe) they sent at the last to hell with a conscyence adust, were not the lorde more mercyfull.
¶Brute with hys Druydes.
IN processe of tyme, gote Brutus Syluius brutus syluius.thys lande of the Albyons by conquest, in the .xviij. yeare of Heli the hygh prest of the Israelytes, lyke as Aeneas ded Italye, and other great aduē tourers their regyons. And of hym was yt called Brytayne, and the people therof Brytaynes. After he had fournyshed yt with newe regymentes and lawes, there entered in a newe fashyoned sort of prestes, all dyuerse from the other, and they were called Druydes.Druydes. These dwelt in the forestes lyke heremytes and procureth both publyque and pryuate sacryfyces to be done. To them was yt alwayes put, to dys usse all matters of relygyon, to appoynt therunto the ceremonyes, to brynge vp youthe in naturall dyscyplyne, & to ende all controuersyes▪ Plinius, Strabo, Cornelius Tacitus, Caius Iulius, and other approued autours, report thē to hauehave their first orygynall in thys lande, but that apereth not true. Rather shuld they seme to come first hyther frō Athens,Athens a most famouse cytie of the Grekes. Iohan Hardynge reporteth in hys Chronycle, that kynge Bladud brought them first frome thens, allegynge there Merlyne for hys autour.
¶The Druydes and their chastyte.
VVhat their rule was conceruynge women, we shall not nede to seke farder than to the .vi. chaptre of Baruch, and the .xiiij. chaptre of Daniel in the Byble.whores Baruch sayth there, that their custome was to decke their whores with the Iewels and ornamentes of their Idolles. Daniel sayth, that they with them deuoured vp the daylye offerynges and sacryfyces of Bel. Yet Hector Boethius writeth in the seconde boke of hys Scottysh Chronycle, that there were some amonge them,one god whiche taught one euerlastynge God alone to be worshypped, without Image made or other symylytude els. Neyther allowed they them (sayth he) that applyed vntounto their Goddes the symylytudes of beastes after the Egyptyanes maner (as the Papystes do yet to thys daye Saynt Marke to a Lyon,beastes worshypped Saynt Luke to a calfe, and Saynt Iohan to an egle, besyde Saynt Antonyes pygge, Saynt Georges colte, and Saynte Dunstanes deuyll) but greatlye reproued them. Neuerthelesse yet were they great teachers of sorcerye. For as testyfyeth Iohan Textor in hys offycynes, so expert were the Brytaynes in art magyck in the dayes of plynye, that in a maner they passed the Parthyanes, whiche were the first masters therof.
¶Prestes marryed and vnmarryed.
NOw as concernynge the prestes of the Hebrues or Israelytes for all these ages (whiche were the peculyar flocke of God) they had all wyues that were ryghtuouse amonge them,Prestes maryed accordynge to the Relygyon that he first appoynted them. Not, Melchisedech, Abraham, Moyses, Aaron, Phinees, Samuel, Nathan, Zorobabel, Iesus, Esdras, Mathathias, & soche other, were all marryed men and had chyldrē. The Scripturs report that these men were beloued with God, and that' in holynesse non were euer founde lyke vntounto them. But neyther was that for their vowes nor yet for their good intentes, Eccli. 44. and so fourth .vi. chapters more. If anye were chast vowers that tyme the .ij.Votaryes. prestes that lusted after Susanna, were of them, Daniel. 13. So were the wā ton sonnes of Heli and Samuel, 1. Reg. 2. & 1. Reg. 8. with soche other lyke. Which were afore God verye reprobates, for despysynge hys ordre, as wele in that as in other thynges. Of soche chast vowers were there some, at the verye tyme whā Christ was borne, both relygyouse prestes and leuytes, which were most hygh lye taken amonge them. These thynkynge marryage vnholye, abstayned from the vse of women, but they spared not to worke execrable fylthynesse amonge thē selues,Zacharye marryed. and one to polute an other. Zacharye a marryed prest, and father of holye Iohan Baptyst, a man for hys marryage founde iust afore God, reprehended that abhomynacyon in them, & was cruellye ſlayne for yt, as testyfyeth Epiphanius li. 1. To. 2. De heresibus. He was put vntounto deathe (sayth Philip Melanchton vponupon the .xi. chaptre of Daniel) for rebukynge the vyces of hys college.
¶Christ alloweth marryage in hys.
IEsus Christ the eternall sonne of God, neuer contempned the firste ordynaunce of hys euerlastynge father, but had yt insuche reuerence, that he wolde not be borne but vndre yt. He found his worthy mother Mary no professed Nonne,Marye a wyfe. as the dottynge papystes hauehave dreamed, to couer their sodometrye with a most precyouse coloure, but an honest mannys wyfe, marryed accordynge to the custome than vsed, Matt. 1. and Luce 1. In her so marryed without eyther vowe or promes of virgynyte,No nonne. by the holye Ghostes most wonderfull workynge was he incarnated and so became man, to redeme vsus from the captyuyte of synne, and restore vsus agayne to the full fauer of hys father. He honoured marryage with the fyrst myracle that he outwardlye wrought in our manhode, and called vntounto hys Apostleship, not wyuelesse vowers, but marryed men. Ioan, 1. & Mar et. 1. Peter maryedHe wēt verye gentyllye vntounto peters howse, and healed hys wyues mother which laye there syeke of a feuer, takynge hys repast there, tarryenge with thē all the nyght, and doynge great cures there also. And at hys departure in the mornynge, he neyther commaunded Peter to breake vp howsholde, nor yet to forsake hys wyfe and make her a vowesse. Marci. 1. Luce. 4. Math. 8. He neuer cōmaunded,No vowes cō maūded nor yet exacted the vowe of vyrgynyte in all hys whole Gospell, but left all men in lyberte to marrye yf they lyst, forbyddynge al men fyrmelye, to make anye lawe of coaccyon or of separacyon, where God hath sett fredome in marryage. Math. 19. Marci. 10. No forsakynge of wyfe and chyldrē admytted he euer, but as the vnmoueable & constaunt stādynge by hys worde requyreth yt, in them that he hath appoynted to suffre deathe vndre the worldes tyrannye for yt.
The Apostles & fyrst preachers marryed
PEters wyfe went with hym in the tyme of his preaching.Peters wyfe. 1. Cori. 9. and was put to deathe at Antioche for confessinge Iesus Christ, as wytnesseth Clemens Alexandrinus in .7. li. Stromatum, and Eusebius Caesariensis li. iij. Ca. 30 Ecclesiastice historie. Paule left hys wyfe at Philippos,Paule marryed. a cytie of the Macedoneanes, by consent of them both. Phil 4. & 1. Cor. 7. For thys onlye cause (sayth both Clemens and Eusebius) that he myght the more easelye therby and with the lesse cō beraunce, preache the Gospell abrode. Isi dorus híspalēsis in hys boke De ortu & obitu sanctorum patrum, and Freculphus lexouiensis in the seconde boke and fort chaptre of hys Chronycles, reporteth both, that Philip the Apostle preached in fraunce to the verye extent of the Occeane see,Phylpp marryed. ād was afterwarde done vntounto deathe in hierepoli a cytie of the Phrygiaues, and at the last honorablye buryed there with his doughters. By whose occasyon this real me than called Brytayne was conuerted vntounto the Christen beleue For in the yeare from Christes incarnacyō Ioseph of Arimathe. An. do. 63lxiij. was Ioseph of Arimathe and other dyscyples sent ouer of the seyd Philip to preache Christ, and entered both with their wyues and chyldren, Armagus than beynge Kynge of the lande. This testyfyeth Iohan Capgraue in Catologo sanctorum Anglie, Thomas scrope de anti. carm.Scrope ca, 7. Iohā Hardyng in hys. 47. chaptre, and Polidorus uergilius. li. z. Anglice historie.
Brytayne first conuerted by mē maryed.
THese were surelye the orygynall begynnynges (sayth Polidorus of the Christē Relygyō in Brytayne. Gildas witnessyth also, in his fyrst treatyse De excidio Britannie. That the Brytaynes toke the christen faythe at the verye sprynge or fyrst goynge forth of the Gospell,gospell. whā the churche was most perfyght, and had most strengthe of the holye ghost. All that tyme and a longe season after, the mynysters helde their wyues, accordyng to the fyrst ordre of God, without, vowynge or yet professinge of vyrgynyte, and so contynued to the dayes of Lucius, which ys called in the Chronycles the first Christē Kynge.Kynge. Though thys Lucius were a good man,Lucius. and began wele to inclyne to the Gospell, yet was he worldlye mynded, and thought that yt wanted dewe auctoryte so lōge as yt was mynystred but of symple and poore laye marryed men. Anon therfor he sent vntounto Rome .ij.Rome. of those minysters called Eluanus and Meduinus vntounto Eleutherius the Byshop (for they had than no pope) to hauehave some autoryte from thens. And thys was done in the yeare of our Lorde. L. lxxix.Anno domini 179. Wherupon Marcus Sabellicus sayth, Enneade. 7. li. 5. That of all provynces Brytayne was the fyrst that receyued the Christen fay the with publique ordynaunce.
¶Christyanyte somwhat corrupted.
THā Eleutherius sent hyther .ij. of hys doctors, called fugacius and Damyanus, to set here an ordre. These fyrst baptysed lucius with a great part of hys nobylyte and commons, ād than with hys consent changed the Idols temples into christen churches (as they no we all them) the flamynes or Idoll sacryfycers,Churches. which were than .xxviij. in nō bre, into so manye byshoppes, and the .iij. archyflamynes into .iii. archebyshoppes, as wytnessyth Galfridus Monemthensis in hys seconde boke. AutoursDe origine & gestis Britonum. cap. i. Alphredus Beuerlacensis in hys Chronycle, Vincencius, Antoninus, Nauclerus, Bergomas, Polidorus, and a great sort more. Thys chrystianyte endured in Brytayne,Chrystianyte the space of .CC. and .xvi. years, vntounto the persecucyon of Dyoclesyane, sayth Ranulphus in Polichronico. li. 4. Ca. 16, Vpō thys toke the Rome churche first occasyon,Dyoce… ses paryshes. to deuyde the christen prouynces into dyoceses and parryshes. Marke wele these fyrst buyldynges of Antichrist, or of Nemroth the yongar, and consydre out of what good stuffe they ryse without Gods worde. All this hauehave I writtē hytherto, not as matters correspondynge to the tyttle of my boke, but that their spirytuall frutes maye apere what they are, euen from the verye rootes.
¶The first sprynge of monkerye in Brytayne.
AS this newe chrystiantye from Rome, had gotten here of the Paganes both temples and possessyons,Tēples and were wele fauerdlye satled (their byshoppes and prestes perchaunce beynge the same mynysters that had serued the Idolles in them afore) anon after there arose out of yt a serten kynde of monkerye,Mōkerye. not in apparell, but in aperaunce of a more sober lyfe. These within a whyle semed better lerued than the other, ād more depelye fell into the peoples estymacyon. Wherupō arose sone after great stryfe and vnquyetnesse amonge thē,Heresyeu. and out of that stryfe most detestable he resye…. For one of them called pelagius,Pelagius. beynge of the great monasterye of Bē cornaburch in Chestre shyre (though so me call yt Bāgor) begā to dyspute with them for the strēghte of mānys fre will, and sayd that man myght be saued therby,frewyll without the grace of God, so deuyenge the effect of Christes blood, as hys folowers are not ashamed to do yet to this daye. Agaynst this heretyke pelagius, wrote Saynt Augustyn, Saynt Hierom, Cyrillus, Orosius, Innocencius, Gennadius, ād at the last Thomas Braduuardin a doctour here in Englande, with dyuerse other.
¶Heresye in Brytayne aryseth of monkerye.
YEt came there in no vowynge of chastite all this tyme, neyther was vyrgynyte thought anye holyar amonge them than marryage. For one Seuerus beynge both a monke,Seuerꝰ prest, ād byshop, had a sonne there called leporius a monke also and a prest,Leporiꝰ which vexed the lande with that leruynge taught of hys father, in the yeare of our Lord. CCCC xxxij.432 as wytnessyth both Prosper Aquitannus, and also Flores historiarum. Thys leporius made hys boast, that he was able to lyue purelye of hym selfe, and by force of hys owne fre wyll, without the assistēce of God, as reporteth of hym, Gennadius Maſsiliensis,Antors Honorius Augustudunensis, & Ioannes Tritemius, in suis illustriū uirorum Catalogis, and now last of all, Cō radus Gesnerus in uniuersali bibliotheca.. Of the same sort was there an other called Agricola,Agricola. a prestes sonne also, which in the yeare of our Lorde .CCCC.xivi. trobled the Brytaynes with the same doctrine,446. as flores historiarum sheweth. The errours of both these were at the same tyme confuted by Germanus and Lupus with other frenche doctours, which came thydre thā for the same purpose, specyallye of Saynt Augustine in Affrica.
¶A prestes sonne was Saynt Partrick.
SAynt Partrick the great Apostle of Irelande,Partrick was borne here in this Brytayne aboute the yeare of our Lorde .CCC.lxi. and had a prest to hys father called Calphurnius, 361.which was also a deacons sonne that was named Fodunus. His mothers name hyght Conches, and was holye Saynt Martynes systre.Martinus. Thus testyfyeth Ranulphus Cestrensis in Polychronico, li. 4, ca. 29. and Iohan Capgraue in Catologo sanctorum Anglie. If this had bene fowle playe in those dayes, Saynt Martyne wolde neuer so pacyentlye hauehave suffered yt. For we reade that he was verye tendre vntounto the seyd Partrick,Patricius. after that his fryndes had sent hym thydre, and taught hym manye Godly thyngs. What rule this partrick kepte in that behalf, I hauehave not redde. Yet fynde I in hys lyfe wrytten, that he had a ladde waytynge on hym called Benignus, Benignus.which alwayes reported hym, to be his owne propre father, he neuer deuynege yt. I reade also that one Moduenna an Iryshe woman was verye famylyar with hym, whether yt were by the waye of marryage or no, that can I not tell. Ex ante nominatis autoribus.
¶Sayntes were begottē in whordome.
TO entre more depelye into the peoples oppnyon,Chastyte. a chastyte was pretensed anon after in that mō kerye,Modwenna. but not yet solempnelye vowed, & in manye places of the realme were monasteryes buylded both of men and women, But marke what folowed therof immedyatlye after. Christ chaunced in those dayes to hauehave many bretherne. For manye virgynes had than children with our fathers, at the least the fathers of thē were neuer yet knowne.
Saynt Dubrice that was after warde the great archebyshop of Cairlegyon and metropolytane of all the lande,Dubritius. had a mayde to hys mother, called Eurdila, but neuer wolde she confesse hym to hauehave any father.Kētigernus. Saynt Kētigerne byshop of glasghu) that ye now call Saynt Asses or Asaphes (had in lyke case a fayre mayde to hys forth bryngar, but father wolde she graunt non to hym, for no cō pulsyon.merlinꝰ Merlyne also the great soth sayer of wales, was an holy Nonnes sonne in saynt Peters of Cairmardyne, no father yet knowne to hym but a sprete of the ayre. The first .ij. sheweth Iohan capgraue in Catal sanc. Ang. And this lattre wondre ys mencyoued of all famouse writers. A great sort of the hystoryes roude I reherse, but these are ynough at thys tyme.
¶Lyke examples are amonge the Turkes.
SOche an other knauerye ys vsed amonge the Turkes relygyouse buggerers to this present daye,Turkes and those chyldren that are begottē amonge them, are holden for most holye sayntes, as these were. They take it for no maruele that Christ was borne of a vyrgyne, for (they saye) they hauehave soche amonge them at all tymes. But to turne agayne to my purpose. The cause whye the fathers of the afore seyd chyldren myght not than be knowne, was thys, Iohan capgraue sayth.A awe The lawe was that tyme in Brytayne, that yf a yonge wenche had be begottē with chylde in her fathers howse, or anye where els…, this was her iudgement.Iudgement. She shuld hauehave bene brought vntounto an hygh mountayne, ād there throune downe headlonges, her corruptour beynge byheaded. Yf this lawe had styll contynued, and neuer so bene put to the spirytuall courte without conseyence, neuer had the vowe of their chastite ronne so farre as yt hath done, to manye a thousandes dempnacyon.
¶More Sayntes yet begotten in whoredome
SAynt Dauid of wales the great archebysehop of Mentuia,Dauid. which had so manye prophecyers and so manye Angels sent afore to geue warnynge of hys cōmynge .xxx. years ere he was borne, was begotten out of maryage in stynkyng whoredome. For hys mother was a Nonne, ād his father the earle of a contreye there called Cairdigam shyre. A prynce called Dyhocus in Kynge Arthurs tyme, inflamed at the deuyls suggestion with the fleshlye louelove of hys owne naturall doughter, begat of her Saynt Kynede the holye hermpte,kynedꝰ that in Wales wrought so manye great myracles. One Dubtacus an Iryshe mā begate holy saynt Brigyde of hys mayd seruaunt called brocsech,brigida. euen vnderneth hys wyure nose to spyght her with it, which had so manye re…e…lacyons from heauen, and so manye popes pardōs frō Rome. Saynt Cuthbert the great God,Cuthbert. of the Northe, and he that was wonte to defende vsus from the Scottes, was a mysbegottē also, for hys mother was vnmarryed. And hys father in Irelande to hauehave the good occupyēg of her, slewe both her father and mother. These were the spirytuall begynnynges of the Sayntes of that age. If ye beleue not me, loke Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie. capgraue.and he shall tell ye moche more of the matter. I coude shewe yow manye more yet of soche holye sayntes byrthes, but lete these for this tyme suffise.
¶Whoredome estemed most holynesse.
MArke how abhominable whoryshnesse in all these whorysh frutes,whoredome is holye is auaunced of that whorysh Rome churche, to the great blemyshynge of Godlye marryage. The spyrytuall Sodomytes and knaues hath not bene ashamed to wryte yt in the lyues and lyenge legēdes of all these, that is to saye of Dubricius, Dauid, Kynedus, Kentigerne, Cuthberth, and Brigyde, with soche lyke, and solempnelye so to reade and syng yt as Gods seruyce in their sēples,Theyr Gods seruyce that they were sanctyfyed in their mothers wombes. Se what aduauncementes they hauehave for stynkynge whoredome, and now lytle deuocyon to chast marryage instituted of God. Neuer were the sō nes of Abraham, Isaac, ād Iacob, of Moyses, Eleazar, and Phinees, so paynted oute with myracles ād wonders, nor yet so pranked vp with tabernacles ād lyghtes, sensynges and massynges, as these whores byrdes. Thus iudge they whoredome holynesse, & wholsō maryage synne, Come out of Sodome ye whoremongers and Hypocrytes,The Popes. chaplaynes. popysh byshoppes and prestes, for as yet ye hauehave not refourmed thys abhomynacyon, but styll vpholde yt for your Romyshe Gods seruyce. Come out theues and knaues come out.
¶Women greuouse and solacyouse.
VVhat a do these holye sayntes of theyrs had ād their vowers (whā they come ones to vowes makynge) for women ād with womē,women as to kepe them out of their monasteryes, & to make thē beare chyldrē whā they were barrē, it were in infynyte thyng to wryte.Dauid Saynt Dauids mōkes were sheared away with naked women at a broke syde in Rosidaualle. So were Saynt Theliaes hermytes also in an other place not farre frō thens.dubriciꝰ Saynt Dubrices bretherne had manye hote mouynges in their fleshe, ād were fayne oft tymes to stande naked in the colde ryuer.Kentigernus. Saynt Kentigernes disciplen toke great paynes vponupon them, to make barren women frutefull. Whan saynt Brigyde was at the verye poynt of marryage,brigida she stole awaye preuylye with her iij. maydes, and wayted longe after vpō byshop Machyll, doynge manye great cures in hys seruyce with holye water. Saynt Modwē Saynt Modwen.also after soche an other sort, wayted vponupon byshop Hiber and his bretherne with her maydes. A woman the same season accused byshop Broon for begettynge her with chylde,brigida. and Brigyde lyke a good bodye, by a charme or ij made all safe agayne. As one of her maydes was goynge to her lou…r a prestes bed, for returnynge agayne in tyme, she coude her moche thanke. All these holy hystoryes shall ye fynde in Iohā capgraue.
¶A spirytuall example of a votarye.
SAynt Iltute,Iltutus which had bene alwayes a most valeaunt captayne amonge the Brytaynes, at the suggestyon of saynt of Cadoc an Hermpte, put from hym hys most vertuouse and chast wyfe, leauynge her nothynge els to lyue vponupon, but barlye breade and water, an homelye repast for her that had bene a ladye and tenderlye brought vp.hys wyfe. And as she on a tyme resorted vntounto hym onlye to hauehave hearde the swete worde of the Lorde, her commynge thydre so sore discontented hys mynde, that wyth a charme he put out both her eyes. For I am certayne, yt come by no Godlye power, she beynge ledde of so Godly a sprete.Not Paules lernyng If this be saynt Paules lernynge, a man so myserablye to leaue, hys wyfe, ād so vngodlye to vse her for axynge good counsell, I report me to yow. Yet must he be styll a faynte in the Popes holye churche, bycause he was a tyraūt to marriage, for non other holynesse had he. So the Sayntes recken I more fytt for hell thā for heauē. Wale, this story hath also Iohā Capgraue in Catalogo sāctorū Anglie