Against a Rank Papist, Part 1
An Apology or aunswere of Iohan Bale to an heape of fanatycall reasons, pretendynge the mayntenaunce of sodometrouse vows, in the presthode of Antichriste, wyth a brefe exposycion vponupon the▪ xxx. chaptre of Numeri.
AFewe monthes ago, by chaunce, as I sate at supper, thys questyon was moued vntounto me, by one that seruently loueth Gods verite, and myghtely detesteth all falshed in hypocrysy. Whether the vowes expressed in the. xxx. chaptre of Numeri, geueth any establyshement to theDowes. vowe of our prestes now, to lyue wythoute wyues of their owne, or naye? for the same party, as I perceyued anon after, had bene assaulted and chaced the daye afore, wyth that most fryuolouse dysputacion. To whō (I remēbre) I gaue thys short answere, thatAnswere they made for that kynde of vowynge, nothynge at all, but condempned it. For as I than iudged of that matter, so iudge I now styll, that those vowes wer of thynges than present and so fourth contynuyng, tyll ChristesChrist. commynge in the fleshe, concernynge the onelyonly nacyon of the Iewes. And nowe to be of no force towardes vsus, for so moche as they were not expresselye confyrmed, declared, and taughte of Christe, as were the morall preceptes of the lawe. Math. v. Moreouer I consydered, that Christe beynge the clere lyghte of the worlde, Iohan. viii. and bryghtenesse of hys fathers glorye, Hebru. i. Lefte Moyses farre behynde hym, as a bare shaddowe or fygure, constitutynge one onelye religyon of vsus and the Iewes,Religion. whose perfeccyon standeth not in the workes of the lawe, neyther in renouncynge of christen marryage, but in a pure and constaunt fayth in hym and hys Gospell.
In the ende I was requyred to wryte by a sentence or two, what I thoughte in dyscharge of so syngle and sleuelesse a matter. Wherupon the next daye, I tourned me towardes a wyndowe, and wrote the fewe sentēces here folowyng in thys boke, which I hauehave therin placed vndre this wurde Cen sura, to make it seuerall from y• other. ii. processes.Wrytinge For a matter of so smal wayght, dyscression, and learnyng, I thought not only those fewe wordes to suffyse, but also the tyme to be yll bestowed that shulde be more spent thereupon. In conclusion the wryting was delyuered to hym that was the capytayneDelyuered. of thys playe beinge by byrthe a man of worshypp. Gentyllye was it receyued at the firste and so intertayned by the space of fyue or sixe wekes. Neuerthelesse with in the same tyme, enteringe into the handes of a chaplaine, it hath bene so handeled and tosed amonge the spyders webbe weuers of Babylon the greate cytie, Esa. lix, and Apocal.Weuers xviii. that it is become moche larger both in lēgth and bredthe than afore. I hauehave smelled them out, by these their monkish rhe torykes, wherwt their obiecciōs are greatly reple…yshed, that is to saye, our vowe, oure chastite, in oure power, we maye, we were bounde, wyth a great sorte more of the lyke, whyche I wyll alwayes touche as I come to their dwellinge places. And for so mocheSackes. as they hauehave shaken so lowsy bagges of beg gerye with so earneste a stomake, lete them not doubt of it, but the stinking dust therof, shall be turned to them agayne, brushe it of their syde gownes if they can.
My first writing, whom I lyttle thought to fynd so studiouse cōmentours in yt genera ciō, yt dyligēt reader shal alwayes fynd, vndre this wurde, Cēsura, Their obieccpons,Note it. or olde sacke shakinges of fryres, vndre this wurde, Obieccio, And fynally my simple answers, vndre this wurde, Responsio.