The Relics of Rome, Part 6
Of Priestes.
POpe Anacletus ordayned,Priestes preachers. Priestes honoured. Priestes ordered. that there shoulde bee priestes sette in eueryevery citye, towne and village, to teache the people Gods word, and to minister the Sacramentes. He ordayned also, that priestes should be honoured aboue all men, and that thei should not be vexed or toubled but borne withal, and reuerenced of al mē: Agayne, that when any priestes were made, they shuld be solemnly & openly made. In ye yere, &c. 101. Lib. Concil. Plat. Fascic. Temp. Iacob. Phil. D. Barns.
Slaunderers of PriestesThe aforesaid Pope also made a decree, that al such as backebite or slaunder any priest, should be excommunicated. For sayth he, he that slaundreth a priest, slaundreth Christ. For priestes without doubt are Christs.Nolite Tā gere Christos meos. The degrees vntounto priesthode. Lib. Concil. Chroni.
Pope Gaius made a decree, yt none should be made a priest, except he were fyrst a dorekeper: secondlye a Reader, thirdly an Exorciste or cōiurer: fourthly, an Acholite, a lighter & carier of candels: fiftly, a Subdeacon: sixtly, a Deacon: & seuenthly, a prieste: and fynallye a bishop, if he can come vntounto ye promotion. In the yeare, &c. 384. Chron. Plati. Fasc. Temp. D. Barns.
Some ascribe thys decree to Pope Stephen the second. Grat. Ioan. La.
Priestishe orders.Pope Siricius ordayned, ye priestishe orders should not be geuen altogether at one time, but at sundrye tymes. In the yere, &c. 389. Sabell. Plat. Ioan. Lazia. 77. Dist. Cap. In singulis.
The daye for priestish ordersPope Gelasius the first commaunded ye only priestishe orders shuld be geuen only foure times in ye yeare, yea and yt on the Saterday. In the yeare, &c. 494. Volat. Isidor. D, Barns.
Pope Boniface ye first instituted,The age of priestes. Luke. iii. that no man shuld be made priest before he be, xxx. yeres olde. For Christ sayth he, was thirtie yeres old before he toke on him ye office of preaching. In the yeare, &c. 425. Sigebert. Sabel. Chron.
Pope Zacharias notwithstādyng made a decree, yt if necessitye requireth, priestes shoulde not onelyonly be made at .xxx. yeres olde but also at .xxv. In the yere, &c. 752. Dist. 79. Cap. Si triginta.
Pope Siricius, Who maye not be admitted to priesthode.of whō we spake afore decreed, yt al those men that hauehave bene twice maryed, or els hauehave maried a widow to wyfe, shoulde by no meanes be receaued vntounto the order of priesthode. Isidor. Plat, Albert. Krantz. Pantal.
Pope Gelasius ye first, of whō also we spake afore, ordayned likewise,The popes dispensatiō maketh all thinges lawfull. yt none which wer twice maried, should be admitted vntounto ecclesiastical orders, without the bishop of Romes dispensation Chron. Ioan. Stella. D. Barns.
Pope Anastasius made a law,This semeth to bee borowed out of the olde lawe. Leuit. ii.i yt none which was lame or maymed, or wāted any of hys members, should be admitted to be a priest. In the yere, &c. 404. Grat. Sabel Plat, Polydor. &c.
Letters testimonialThe aforesayd pope made a decree, yt no straungers, & specially such as come frō beyonde the seas, should be admitted vntounto ye clergie, except they brought with them a testimonial sygned with the handes of fyue byshops. 37. Dist. ca. Extraneo. Ioan. Laziard.
Wuld God thys lawe were obserued among vsus in these our dayes.Pope Pelagius ordayned that no mā shuld be admitted vntounto the ministery, which eyther of ambition, or elles for worldely lucre and easye liuyng desyreth to come vntounto it. In the yere, &c. 552. Christ. Massaeus.
Pope Hilary the fyrst made a decree, that no man should be admitted to bee a priest,A Godly lawe. except he were both wel learned and well mannered. In the yeare of our Lord. 465. Ioan. Stella. Dist. 55. Cap Penitentis.
No murtherer may be a priest.Pope Iohn the nynthe ordayned, yt if any man had committed murther, the same shoulde neuer be admitted to receaue holy orders. Againe, if any priest were founde gyltye of that faulte he shoulde be irregulare, and neuer after be receaued into the ministery. In the yere, &c. 904. Dist. 5. C. Miror. Ioan Stella.
Pope Zepherinus decreed,Both priestes & Laye mē ought to be present at the election & admissiō of spirituall ministers. No diffamed persō ▪ may be a priest. Who maye not be admitted vntounto priesthode. yt whē a byshop shuld make eyther deacō or priest, both priests & lay mē shuld be present. In the yere, &c. 208. Phil. Bergom.
Pope Innocent the fyrst ordayned, yt no diffamed person should be admitted to be a priest. In the yere, &c, 408. Dist. 50. Cap. Canones. Phil, Bergom.
Pope Zozimus ordained, that no gelded person, nor bond mā shuld be made a priest, except he were fyrst made free of hys Lord. In the yeare, &c, 424. Fasc. Temp. Chron. But thys constitution of ye byshop is euell kept of certayne men, sayth Ioannes Laziardus. ☜For nowe a dayes, (sayth he) not only bondmē, but also bastardes and whores children, ar receaued into the ministery, and hauehave the gouernement of paryshes committed vntounto them, and they also bestowe the patrimony of Christ vponupon whores at their pleasure.Priests no tauernhunters. Deacons may minister the
The aforesayd pope made also a decree, that priestes should be no tauernhunters, nor yet sel wine themselues. He ordained again yt a deacō shuld not presume to minister the sacramente of Christs body & bloud to ye people, if eyther bishop or priest wer present.Cōmunion in ye absēce of a prieste. Dist. 93. Cap. Praesente praesbitero. Phil. Bergom.
Pope Anicetus forbad first of al, priestes to hauehave beardes,Priestes beards forbidden. or to weare long side heare. In ye yere, &c. 159. Sabell. Lib. Concil. Petrus de natal.
Some ascribe this decree to pope Anacletus. Plat. Poli. Massaeus.
Pope Anicetus also commaunded, ye priestes crownes should be shauen,Priestes …wnes cōmaūded. not foure cornered, sayth he, like vntounto Simō Magus but as round as a boule like vntounto Simon Petrus:☞ to put the priests in remembraunce that they shoulde despise this world, and set al their mindes vponupon the heauenly crowne. Petrus de nat. Christ. Massae. D. Barns.
Pope Zacharias inuented the priests apparel.Priestes apparell. In ye yere, &c, 752. Chron. Achil.
Pope Benet ye third cōmaunded, that priests shuld walk in an order, & weare apparel mete for their degree. In the yeare, &c▪ 863. Fasc. Temp. Chron.
Pope Gregory the fourth in a certain councel ordayned, yt al the clergye both byshops and priests shuld lay a syde all costly apparel & by no means wear rī ges, precious stones, gold, siluer or any such like sūptuous ornamēts, but rather homely & sober apparel after ye exāple of Christ & of his apostels. In the yere. 846. Ioan. Tit. in Chro. Galliae. Plat.
Pope Pelagius ye first ordained yt priestes vnderunder paine of deadly sin shuld say Mattens appointed for the day.Mattens of the daye. In the yeare, &c. 580. Dist. 19. Cap. Elutherias fra. Ioan. Stell.
Pope Vrban the second ordained likewise ye priests should say eueryevery day our ladies Mattens openly in the church:Mattēs of our Lady. & that vponupon the satterday the whole seruice shuld be of her. In the yere, &c. 1086 Sabell. Ioan. Stella. Nauclerus. Guil. Durand. Polichron.
Pope Anastasius the second made a decree, that no priest should omitte the saieng of his diuine seruice,Diuine seruice. except it be masse, although he bee neuer so muche oute of charitie, and neuer so greatlye stuffed ful of rancor and malice against any person▪ In the yeare. &c. 498. Ioannes Laziardus. Celestinus.
Pope Innocent the seconde decreed, that no man should strike a pr…est. For it is written,A priest striker is accu…ed. Psal 105. saieth he: Touche not my annointed. If anye manne contrarye to hys commaundemente didde presume to smite the annointed priest, he pronounced him excommunicate ipso facto and accursed, & that by no meanes he should be absolued (except he stoode in daunger of death) but only of ye pope of Rome. In the yeare of our Lorde. 11…1. Causa. 17. Quest, Si quis. Ioan. Stella. Chron.
Pope Euaristus enacted, that priestes should not be disquieted,Priests not disquieted▪ but hono… red. nor euill entreated of the laity, but that they shuld be had in high reuerence and honour. In the yeare▪ &c. 110. Isidor. Tem. 3. Conc. Polid. Pantaleon.
Pope Pontianus ordained, that prists should be accused of none,Priests accusers. but onelyonly of priestes and bishops, In the yeare, &c. 230. Gratian. Isidor. polidor.
Pope Fabiā also made a decree, yt neither priests shuld be admitted to accuse the laity,Accusatiōs nor the laity the priests. In the yere of our Lorde. 242. Caus. 2. Qu. 7. Sicut.
Pope Calixt the firste ordained, that in the accusation of a priest no suspicious personnes, or of euill name and fame, either anye suche as bee enemies to the priest, should be admitted to geue euidence against him. In the yere &c. 217. Quest. 3. Cap. 5. Accusatores Ioan. Laziard.
Pope Alexander the firste ordayned, that the Laitye shoulde hauehave nothing to do with the cleargy:Priests exempted frō the iurisdiction of the temporall powers. and that the spiritualty should be vtterly exēpted from all the iurisdiction, authority and power of the secular rulers. In the yere of our Lorde. 119. Albertus. Crantz.
Pope Caius made a decree,None with in holy orders may be conuented before a temporal Iudge. that no lay personne should presume to accuse or to call into iudgemente beefore a secular iudge, either prieste or any other that is within holye orders. In the yeare of our Lorde. 284. Iacob. Phillip. Bergom.
Pope Siluester the first commaunded yt no priest shuld be compelled to plead his cause before any secular person, or in any temporall court. In the yere. &c. 315. Quest. 11.1. Cap. Testimonium. & Cap. Si quis.
Pope Iulius the .i. made a decre also yt a priest shuld not hauehave his cause heard or pleaded before any temporall iudge onelyonly. In the yeare &c. 338. Iacob. Phil. Bergom. Lib. Concil.
Pope Boniface the eight in a general councel,Priestes free from paymentes to the temporalitie. The liberties of priestes. ordayned, that temporall Rulers should not charge the people with any kind of payments, if they did, that the priests shuld pay them none, except the Pope gaue them licence. In the yere. &c. 1190. Polidor lib. 17. Angl. Hist.
Pope Nicolas the first ordained, that no temporall man, wer he king or emperour, should hauehave ought to doe wyth those things that appertain vntounto priestes.No paymentes for priestes. In the yere, &c. 871. Anselmus Ryd.
Pope Gregory the fourth made a decree, that priestes should bee free from all kinde of worldlye bondages, taxes. paymentes,A good and godly acts. &c. In the yeare &c. 846. Sabel. Platina.
Pope Vrban the second enacted notwithstanding, that the priestes shouldr paye tribute to the higher powers for the defence of their countrey, In the yere. &c. 1086. Qu, 23. Cap. Tributum.
Prists housen built nigh to the church and why.Pope Leo the ninth apointed, that ye priests houses shuld be built nigh vntounto the churches, that the pastours mighte alway be at hand, whē the parishners shoulde hauehave nede of theym, and that the poore people, might know, where to hauehave succour and reliefe in the time of their necessitie. In the yeare of our Lord. 1049. Qu. 12. cap. 1. Necessaria. Nau. Ioan. Stella. D. Barns.
Pope Simmachus ordained,What women may dwell in priestes houses. that a prieste shoulde kepe no woman in hys house, except she were his kinswoman his mother, his sister, or his wife, whō he ought godly to gouern. In the yere &c. 499. Dist. 81. cap. Volumus. Volat.
Pope Liberius made a law,A goodlaw Iohn. x. that no prieste should forsake his cure for anye persecution or trouble, though deathe should ensue, according to this saying of Christ: A good shepeherd geueth his life for his sheepe. In the yeare of our Lorde.Dispensations for no residence. 254. Anselmus Rid.
Pope Iohn the eighte ordained that the priestes, which were absente from their benefices without a dispensation from the Pope, should be compelled to return vntounto them, and there to be resident. In the yere, &c. 887. Ioan. Laziard.
Pope Simplicius ordained, that no clearke or prieste should receiue the inuestiture of his benefice or of his office at any Laymens hand.Priestes ought to be preachers and not singers. Priestes eyther Simonsakes or fornicators ought to be depriued of theyr promotiōs. In the yeare, &c 471. Ranulpus Cestrensis. Ioan. Laziardus.
Pope Gregory the first made a decree in a certain councel holden at Rome, that the Ministers of the altare should geue their mind to preachyng and not to singyng. For, said he, while mē seke a swete voice in holy seruice, couenable life is set apart: and the singer wt his maners hurteth the people, though wt his voice he greatly delighteth them. In the yere. &c. 590. Polichron. Lib. 5.
Pope Victor the second in a certayne councell holden at Florence, ordained that all bishops and priests, whiche he proued giltye either of Simonye, or of fornicatiō, should be depriued of their Bishoprickes, benefices, and all other ecclesiasticall promotions and dignities. In the yere of our lord. 1053.
Pope Eleutherius made a decree yt no priest should be degraded or put frō the degree of his priesthode,The degrading of priestes. except he wer first lawfully accused and conuict. For saith he, our Sauiour knew well, that Iudas was a theefe, and should betray him, but forasmuch as he was not accused, he put him not doun, but al that he did in the mean time among the Apostles for ye estate of his dignitie, it was alowed, and stoode fyrme and stable. In the yere,Priestes talke at the table. &c. 177. Ranulp. Cest. lib. 4.
In the councell Toletane the third, it was decreed, yt at priestes tables there shuld be no idle talk, nor telling of wā ton tales, but reading, hearing and talking of the holy scriptures. Lib. concil.
Of the syngle lyfe of Priestes.
POpe Calixte the first made a decree that so many as would bee made priests,Priestes mariage forbidden. should abstayne from mariage. In the yere, &c 217. dist. 62. Cap. presbyteris. Ioannes. Stella. Phillip. Bergom.
Pope Siricius the first forbadde not onelye the priestes, but also the Deacons to marry.Deacons mariage forbidden. Subdeacons mariage forbidden. In the yere. &c. 337. lib. Concil. Polyd.
Pope Pelagius the second did not only prohibite priests and Deacons to marry, but also the Subdeacons. In ye yere &c. 580. Chron. lib. Con. Poly.
Pope Gregory ye i. bicause he thought it to much violence,The vowe of chastitie. cruelty and tiranny, to diuorce such as came vntounto ye ministery maried, from their wiues, ordayned that from his tyme, none shuld be Subdeacon, vnlesse he vowed chastitie before. In the yeare of our Lord. 590. Chroni. Concil. Poli.
Notwithstandyng the lawes afore made tooke no effect among the priestes,When the single lyfe of priestes toke first place. vntill the tyme of Gregorye the Seuenth, whiche was the yere of oure Lorde. 174.
This Gregory the Seuenth in a ceretayne councell made a decree that from that tyme forwarde, it should no more be lawfull for priestes to marrye:O Antichrist. and agayne, that such as were married alreadye shoulde bee diuorced from their wyues. and if they woulde not forsake theyr wyues, they shoulde be depriued from their ministery,O Tiraūt and also from ecclesiasticall promotiōs, so that it shuld not be lawful for a christen mā to take them for spirituall ministers, or to bee present at their ministratiō, by the rea, son of their continuaunce in mariage… when notwithstandyng our Sauiour-Christ sayeth:Math. xix. That God hath coupled and ioyned together: let no man separate and put a sunder.i. Cor. vii. And the holy Apostle sayeth: To auoyde fornication, let eueryevery man hauehave his own wife, and eueryevery womā her own husband. Again, Wedlocke is honourable among all men,Heb. xiii. & the bed vndefiled. But whoremongers & adulterers God shal iudge. Of thys decree followed many & great inconueniences.☞ For ye priestes by this meanes abstayning from lawfull matrimonye, abstayned not frō vnlawfull whoredome, & from other leude partes of most detestable vncleannesse, but defiled themselues with al kinde of abhominable liuing, vntounto the vtter defacing both of themselues and of theyr ministery, in so muche yt the aforesayd pope was compelled to make a decree, that no man should heare the masse of any whoremōger priest: supposyng by this meanes to fraye away the priestes frō their whoring,The filthy generation of ye wiuelesse papists which notwithstāding from that time vntounto this houre again, hath growen vp vntounto such an hight in the kingdome of the pope, that among the verye Turkes, Iewes, Sarazens, and suche other miscreantes, the lyke fornication, whoredome, adultery, incest, sodomitrye and all wicked kynde of most detestable dissolution of leude life not to be founde, as is at this present proued to be exercised of ye vnchast generatiō of the popish wiuelesse priestes, vntounto the great infamye and slaunder of the christen profession.
Pope Innocent the second in ye councell Remense made a decree also, ye Subdeacons shoulde liue continentlye and without wiues. In the yeare, &c. 1131. Dist. 18. Cap. Decreuimus. Ioan. Laziard. He ordayned also, that not only Subdeacons, but also Deacons and priestes shoulde professe chastitye and liue wiuelesse vnderunder payne of depriuation of theyr benefyces and all other ecclesiasticall promotion.Wiuelesse lyfe vnderunder payne of depriuation. Chron. Lib. Concil. Ioan. Stella.
Pope Vrban the seconde lykewyse made a lawe, that if any man, after he was made Deacon, dyd marrye: the same shoulde be depriued of all hys benefices, and all other spirituall dignityes. In the yeare, &c. 186, Disti. 32. Cap. Eos qui. Ioan. Phil. Bergom.
Pope Theodore bearyng rule in the tyme of the Emperoure Constantine the fourthe,Why mariage is frely permitted to ye priests of the easte Churche, & denyed to the priestes of the west Churche. a councell was gathered, in whiche it was decreed that the priestes of the Grece and of ye Easte church shoulde be at libertye to marrye, and to hauehave theyr owne lawfull wiues, bycause of the greate heate that is in the countrey: but to the priests of ye West partes maryage was vtterlye denyed, as vntounto persons,A wise reason and substantiall. which dwel in a much colder countrey, & therfore lesse nedefull of maryage. In the yeare, &c. 936. Chron. Ang.
Pope Paschalis the seconde bearing rule Anselme Archbyshop of Cantorbury in the second yeare of the reygne of Kyng Henry the fyrst,Monke Anselme the popes proctor for the simple life of priestes in England. Kyng of Englande, whiche was in the yeare of oure Lorde. 106. gathered together at London a Satanicall swarme of shamelesse shauelynges and condemned the honest and Godly maryage of priestes, forbidding al spiritual ministers from henceforth to kepe ye company of their lawfull wiues,The frutes of ye single lyfe of priestes. or after that tyme to hauehave any thing to do with matrimony but to liue a syngle and wiuelesse lyfe. The diuelish decree of that Antichristian Archebishop, made of many Godly maryed priests, such a mōstruous multitude of vyle stinking, and abhominable Sodomites, yt the aforesaid Anselme was compelled to make a decree also against those Sodomites, cōmaunding that al Sodomitical priestes should openly be accursed in the churches eueryevery sonday throughout the yeare. And afterward suche great inconueniences grewe of the publishyng of this moste detestable sinne of Sodomitrye (for by this meanes it began to be knowen & to be practised not only among ye clergye, but also among the Laitie) that he was compelled to reuoke & cal backe agayne this his wicked decree of publication, and from henceforth no more openly to accurse those Sodomiticall monstures. Lib. Concil.
Pope Honorius the seconde willyng perfectly to stablysh that wicked decree of the single life of priestes begonne by that Antichrist Anselme in England,Note thys hystorye. sent a certayne carnall Cardinall called Ioannes Cremonensis into this realm, whiche called together here at Londō also a great councel at the which were present two Archebyshops, xxiiii. Byshops, and fortie Abbotes, besydes an innumerable multitude of the clergie. In thys councell, besides other things he most greuously inueyed agaynst the maryage of priestes: and among other his words he sayd: that it was a shamfull matter, and an excedyng great abhomination for a priest to rise from an whores syde (for so he called the priests lawfull wiues) and immediatly to goe and make Gods bodye. But notwithstanding God willing to shewe,The practise of wiuelesse papists what chaste and continent fathers these aduersaries and forbidders of priests matrimonye are, the aforesayd Cardinall euen the very same day wherin he had not only condemned the moste Godly and lawfull mariage of priests,A knack of knauerye. but also deuoutlye song masse, was taken wt an whore in his bed the next nyghte following and so with shame enough tooke hym to hys feete, and with all haste fledde awaye to Rome vntounto hys holy father, not so muche as once byddyng hys frendes here in Englande farewel. A frute worthy such a chastity It was not vnaptly answered of King Rychard the fyrst, to a certayne prieste called Fulco, King Rychard ye firstwhich sayd to the King on thys wyse: King to thee I saye in the name of god almighty, that thou marrye sone thy three euyl doughters, least some worse happe thee befal. Thou lyest hipocrite, quod the King: for daughter hauehave I none. Yes sayd the prieste: Thou hast pryde, couetousnesse and lecherye. Thē aunswered the Kyng: My pride I geue to the templares and hospitalers: my couetousnesse, to ye white monks, and my lechery to the prelates of the church. In the yeare of our Lord 1124. Ranulp. Cestrensis. Poly. in hist. Ang. Chroni.
The mariage of priestes allowed. i, Tim. i. Titus. i.Of the maryage of Priestes.
POpe Siluester the fyrst ordayned degrees in ecclesiastical orders, and decreed, that eueryevery prieste shuld be the husband of one wife only, according to the doctrine of the holy Apostle. In the yere of oure Lord. 315. Sabel. Plat, Ioan. Phili. Bergom D. Barnes. Polydor.
Pope Gregory the fyrst restored maryage agayne to the priestes, which he to fore had denyed vntounto them,Priestes maryage restored. when he sawe howe manye greuous inconueniences followed of that most wicked decree of the single life of priestes. In the yere, &c. 590. S. Huldrichus in epist ad Nicol. Papam.
Pope Constantine the seconde, whom the seditious, tirannicall and superstitious papistes did afterwarde violentlye depose,Maryage restored not only to secular priestes, but also to monkes, friers, nunnes, &c. cruellye thruste into a monasterye, as into a prison, and moste vnmercifully put out hys eyes, gaue libertye not only to secular priestes for to marrye, but also to Monkes, Friers and Nunnes, that they by this meanes auoyding whooredome, myghte the more quietlye geue theyr mynde to the studye of Godlynesse. In the yeare of our Lorde. 769. Chroni. Ioan. Laziardus. Cestrensis.
Pope Gregorye the thyrde being Bishop of Rome, the Emperoure Constantine perceauyng the greate abhomination and to muche vncleannesse of lyfe, that reygned among the monkes & Nunnes thorow ye vowe of their vnchast chastitye,Monkes & Nōnes setat libertye to marrye. Monasteryes made houses for the seruice of the common weale. set the Monkes and Nonnes at libertye, commaundyng them rather to marrye according to Gods ordinaunce, than so filthily and wickedly to lyue, & made of their monasteryes, houses necessarye for the cō mon weale. In the yeare, &c, 741. Chro. Sebast. Franck. Christ. Massaeus.
Pope Pius the seconde tofore called Aeneas Siluius, was wont to saye, that there are many causes, why maryage should be taken away frō the priestes,A worthy & a Godly saying. but there are many mo vrgent, weightye and necessary causes, why it ought freely to be restored to them agayne. In the yeare, &c. 1458. Chron. Ioan. Laziardus. Plat.
Pope Peter, as they write, whom Lewes the Emperoure made bishop of Rome,A man first Fryer. and afterwarde Pope had a wife liuing & was maried. before he was chosē pope, made himself a gray fryer without the consent of his wyfe, called Ioan ye doughter of Mathew de Corbario. When thys Peter was chosen & consecrated Pope, hys wyfe claymed hym to bee her true and lawfull husbande, and desyred of the Emperoure and of the Byshoppes that they mighte lyue together agayne as manne and wife. Whyche thyng brought into question, iudgemēt was geuen, that she oughte to bee restored vntounto him. Thus the woman obtained agayne, her husband, although before firste a professed Frier, and afterward a consecrate pope. Ioan Laziard.
Pope Leo, the ninth is not so greuoꝰ an enmy,Priestes may leade about with them theyr lawfull wiues. i. Cor. x. to the mariage of priests, but that he graunteth that priestes hauehave power to hauehave wiues and to lead them aboute with them, being moued with these wordes of Saincte Paule: HaueHave not we power to lead a sister to wife, as the other Apostles doe, and the brethren of the Lord and Cephas.
Pope Innocent in his decretals,Priestes maried offending are worthy to be greuously punished. writeth, that those priests which hauehave wiues of their own after the maner of the coūtrey where they dwell, are greuouslye to bee punished, if they doe breake their Wedlocke.
Pope Paule the second many tymes greuously complained of ye heauy yoke of priestes constrained chastitie, and was ful determined, if God had spared him longer life, to hauehave taken awaye that wicked decree of the single life of priests, and to set mariage againe at liberty as certayne write.The vowe of matrimony.
More largelye of this matter thou maiest rede in my boke of Matrimony, whether I send thee moste gentle reader. Of this mater also in our English tongue very learnedly and truely hauehave written M. D. Barnes that constant & glorious martyr of Christ, doctor Poinet somtime bishop of Winchester. M. George Ioy, &c.
Of the vowes and that the vowe of chastitie hindreth not him from mariage, which hath not the gift of continencie.
POpe Celestinus the thirde gaue licence to the Emperour Henry the fyft yf that name,The vowe of chastitye dispensed withall. to mary & take vntounto wife a certayne vowesse or professed Nunne, called Constantia the daughter of Rogerius king of Cecilia, In the yere &c. 1188. Mar. Polonius. Ioan. Laziardus. D. Barnes.
The vowe of chastitie dissolueth not mariagePope Theodorus made a lawe, that if any man chaunced to marry, after that he hath vowed chastitie, he should not be diuorced from his wife, but that his mariage should stand in full strength, and vertue, notwythstandyng the former vow. In the yeare of our Lord. 902. Disti. 27. capit. Si vir votum. Bergom.
There was an Abbote at Redyng, whō mē for his perfect liuīg called abbot saint.Abbot saint maried. This mā beīg in daūger of a certain disease, by the reason he had no wife, sent vntounto the Pope, desiring him to dispense wyth hym for his vowe. And the Pope dispensed with him and gaue hym licence to marry a wife, but vnderunder a condition, that it should be secretly done, and not in facie ecclesie. D. Barnes. in Libro. De coniugio sacerdotum.
Sainct Cyprian beeyng demmaunded,Epist. xi Lib. i. what shoulde bee done with those religious personnes that coulde not keepe theyr chastitie, as they had vowed, aunswered on thys maner: Thou doest aske what we doe Iudge of those Uirgines, whyche after they hauehave decreed to lyue chastlye, are afterwarde founde in one bedde wyth a man. Of the whyche thou sayest, that one of them was a Deacon. We doe with great sorowe see the great ruine and fall of many persons,S. Cipriā licenceth vowesses to marry if they cannot continue. i. Cor. vii. which commeth by the reason of suche vnlawfull and perillous companying together. Wherfore if they hauehave dedicated them selues to Christe out of faythe to lyue purely and chastly: then let them so remayne without any fable, and strongly and stedfastly abyde the rewarde of Uirginitye: But if they wyll not abyde, or elles canne not abyde: then is it better to mary than to fall into the fyre of concupiscence. And let them geue vntounto the brethren and systern none occasion of slaunder. &c.
Some affirme, saith S. Austen, that such as marrye after they hauehave vowed chastitie are adulterers.In lib. de bono eōiu. Dist. 17. Ca Quidā. Gregori. 27 Q ii. Ca. sunt qui. But I say vntounto you that they synne greuously, that seperate and put asunder such.
There are that say, that for religion sake mariage ought to be dissolued and broken. But we must vnderstand, that although mās law hath graunted this yet the law of God hath forbidden it. For he that is the selfe truthe saieth: Whome God hathe coupled together,Math. xix. let no man seperate. He saith also: It is not lawful for a mā to put away his wyfe, except it be for fornication. Who then maye speake agaynst the geuer of this lawe?
In euil promises breake thy faithe, in a filthy vowe chaunge thy determinatiō.xxii. Q. 4. In malis. That thou hast vncircumspectly vowed, loke that thou perform not. For that is a wycked vowe and promise, that is accomplished with sinne.
If any man sweare or promise anye thing contrary to faithe and charitye,P. Lomb. Sent. lib. iii which beyng kepte shoulde turne into a worse end: it is rather to be chaunged than to be fulfilled.
Woulde God sayeth S. Bernarde,In Epist. ad Senon. that they whiche cannot liue chaste, would geue ouer the single lyfe, that they mighte not burne, it were wythout doubt better to marry than burne and to be saued in a lowe degree than to lyue worse in the noble state of the cleargy.
Of Benefices and Prebendes.
POpe Gregory the tenth gathered a counsell at Lions sixe hundred bishops and a thousande Prelates: wherein it was decreed,No man ought to hauehave spiriall promotion with cure, but priests only & those worthy and able. Tithes. Multitude of benefices condemned that no person shoulde hauehave any spirituall promotion with cure, except he were first of all a Prieste, and also able to discharge it. Moreouer that no manne should from thenceforth paye his tythes, where he listed, as the vse was tofore, but that al tithes be payde to the mother church of eueryevery diocesse. Agayne: that it shoulde not be lauful for any priest to hauehave mo than one benefice with cure. Item, it was decreed in that councell, that all persons and Uicares shoulde be called for euer after, Priestes, and no more Prelates. In the yeare of our Lorde. 1271. Ranulphus Cestrensis. Chronica. Angl.
Persons & vicars must be called priests and not prelates as tofore.Pope Calixte the seconde ordayned, that no lay manne vnderunder payne of the great curse should meddle with the tē thes, oblations or houses of the Priestes, nor wyth the goods of any bishop that dieth. In the yere of our Lord. 1120 Ioan. Laziard.
This law is now out of vse.The aforesayde Pope also made a law, that that bishoppe or priest which leaueth his benefice, and is not residēt vponupon it to do his duety, should be takē for an adulterer. Plat. Antonin.
Pope Euaristus decreed that a bishop or prieste may no more forsake his benefice,None residences condemned. than a maried man may forsake hys wyfe.☜ For saith he, he that seeth a woman and lusteth after her in hys heart,Math. v. hath committed adultery. In the yere. &c. 110. lib. Concil. Chroni.
Pope Clement the fourth condemned the pluralities bothe of benefices and prebendes,Pluralit…es of benefices condē ned. A worthy act of the Pope. in so muche that when he hearde, that a certayne Priest beeyng his Neuew hadde three prebendes, he compelled hym to chose one of the thre which he would, as for two of them he should surely forgoe. And when hys frendes did instantly desire him, that he would not onelyonly suffer his Neuew to enioy all those three prebendes styll but also geue him other liuynges moe and greater in consideration that he was hys kinseman: the Pope aunswered, that he would rather leane vntounto God: Note the aunsweres of ye pope for thei be good and godly.than vntounto fleshe and bloude: addyng, he knewe righte well that God would hauehave the churche goodes so bestowed, that they might not onelye bee put to good and Godlye vses, but also that manye myghte lyue of them, and not one man alone to hauehave the liuinges of many Agayne he sayde: He is not worthye to bee the successour of Peter, whiche woulde rather folow the fonde fansye of carnall kinred, than the rules of Christ and of godlinesse. In the yere, &c. 1265. Ioā Laziardus.
☞Pope Victor made a decree, wherein he condemneth the pluralities of benefices. In the yere, &c 198. Henricus Prim.
Pope Vrban the second held a councel,One priest one benefice wherein it was decreed, that no spirituall person should hauehave benefices in diuers places, but that one priest shuld be content with one benefice In the yere, &c. 1086. Lib. Concil. Christ Mass.
Pope Iohn the xxii. ordayned manye good things against the pluralities of nefices. In the yere, &c. 1302. Chron. F…scicul. Temp.
Pope Gregory the 9. being Bishop of Rome Williā. bishop of Paris, after lōg disputatiō had of the ambitiō of ye insatiable couetousnes of ye priests,A disputatiō againste the pluralities of benefices at Paris. concluded wt the consent of many godly learned men, yt it is a deadlye syn and a thing damnable before god for a priest to hauehave two benefices. In the yere of our lorde. 1225. Iacobus. Mayer in Chron. Fl.
Pope Vrban the second,Priestes ought to be resident vponupon their benefices. of whom we heard afore, did not only make a decre that eueryevery priest shoulde hauehave but one only benefice, but also yt he shuld be resident continually vponupon the same, diligently feding the flocke of Christ with the word of God, and with hospitality Chro. Christ. Massae.
Pope Adrian the fyrst ordayned that no priest maye forsake one benefice to take another.Permutations of benefices condemned. In the yeare of our lord. 796. Plat. Volat.
Pope Boniface the thyrde decreed,Secular persons ought not to geue spirituall promotions by the popes lawe. A good decreee but not obserued. God graūt that thys may once take place in Englād. yt priests should take no ecclesiastical promotions at a lay mannes hand. In the yeare, &c. 605. Quaest. 16. Cap. 7.
Pope Vrban the seconde ordayned yt no ecclesiasticall promotion should eyther be receaued or geuē of secular persons. Christ. Massaeus.
Pope Alexander the seconde made a law, that al ecclesiasticall orders & promotions should not be solde, but frely geuen to such as are both learned and godly. In the yeare, &c, 1063. 1. Quaest. 3. Ca. Episcopus.
Pope Innocent ye sixt ordayned, that ecclesiasticall benefyces should not bee geuen, but to such priestes, as are worthily commended both for theyr lyfe & doctryne: and that all prelates and so many as hauehave benefyces shoulde not lurke abroade in corners, but that eueryevery mā should get him home to his own benefyce vnderunder payne of excommunicatiō. For he sayd, that eueryevery shepeheard ought to keepe hys owne sheepe, and not to commit the custodye of them to an hirelyng. In the yeare of our Lorde. 1343. Plati. Iacob. Phil.
A noble act, & worthy to bee followed.Pope Benet the twelfth made a law, that benefices shoulde not be geuen to vnworthy persons: and he himselfe depriued many priests of theyr benefices, bicause they were vnlearned, and of a leude lyfe. In the yeare, &c. 1317, Ioan. Laziardus. Fascic. Temp.
Pope Boniface the third decreed, yt al such as go about to obtayne eyther bishoprike or benefyce thorow fauour or giftes,A common practyse. should be excommunicated and put out of Christen mens companye. In the yere, &c. 605. Chron. Plat.
Pope Boniface the nynth for the enrychment of S. Peters treasury ordained that eueryevery benefyced man shoulde paye to the chamber of Rome at ye first entrye of hys benefyce,Payments for benefices to the chambers of Rome. halfe the yerely reuenues thereof. To this decree all obeyed excepte the Englyshe nation, whiche woulde not suffer the byshoprikes onelyonly to stand bounde to thys ordinaunce of the Pope. In the yere of oure Lorde. 1379. Ioannes, Stella. Ioannes Laziardus.
In the Councel holdē at Nice, it was decreed that no benefyced man eyther for desyre of worldly honour, or for lucres sake, ought to geue ouer hys fyrst benefice to take a greater and a richer. Histor. Eccles. Plat.
Of the Impropriations of benefices.
POpe Adriane the fyrst ordayned the impropriations of benefices and graunted this priuilege vntounto the Monkes, Chanons, Nunnes, &c. that they myghte enioye the tenthes & frutes, which tofore ye tyme yt laye people paid (as right is) to their owne pastors & preachers for ye sustentation of their liuing, and for the reliefe of the pore. And these tenthes and frutes the aforesayd pope moste vniustly and tyrantlike toke away frō ye true owners, and gaue them to the Cloysterers vntounto thys end,Why benefices were impropriate to the cloisterers. that they might be ye more without care and thought takyng for theyr liuing, and so the more freely attende vponupon their religion: againe that they should be the more able to mayntayne hospitalitye, and to succoure the poore, In the yeare of our Lorde. 796. Petrus Blesensis.
Moreouer the aforesayd pope graū ted, that whatsoeuer spiritual promotions or liuinges belonging vntounto the ministery,The freedome of the cloysterers. came once into the Cloysterers handes, they shoulde not only retain and kepe them stil as moytemain, but also be free from the paymente of tenthes for the same vntounto any ecclesiasticall person for euer after. But agaynste thys priuiledge of the Pope, Petrus Blesensis, sharplye wrote vntounto the white Monckes of that tyme on thys manner.
By the testimony of the holy Scripture, tenthes ar the tributes of the nedye soules. And what an immunitie or fredome is this that ye hauehave agaynste al ryght, that ye shuld be exempted and set at libertye from the paymente of …ythes,Note well. whereunto the landes were bonde, before they wer yours: which also hitherto hauehave alwaies bene payde to the Churches▪ not by ye meanes making of any persons, but bicause it was due to the Churche in that it is lande. Nowe if the landes become into your possession, whye should an other man therefore loose hys ryghte? For by the common law the landes are come vntounto you with all manner of charges.☜ Wherefore then vntounto the greate damage, hurte, iniurye and wronge of other men doe ye procure your landes and pastures to be priuiledged, that by this meanes ye may take awaye an other mans right against al equitye and iustice, against al right and conscience? Dyd not Abell offer to the Lorde the fyrst lynges of hys Shepe? Are ye more ryghteous than he, which was the first righteous of al men, that ye should lift vp your self against the iustice of God? By hys Prophetes God commaundeth,Gene iiii. Malach iii. that the tythes shuld be brought into hys barne: but ye commaund that they shoulde be caryed away from his barne.What will our impropriatours say to this The ryghteous lawe of God commaundeth, that the tenthes shuld bee payde to the Leuites: whereof it necessarilye followeth, that he doth resiste the ordinaunce of God, that goeth aboute to take waye from the Ministers of the Churche theyr ryght of tythes, &c.
And a little after he sayth.
Whatsoeuer priuileges be graunted vntounto you of the churche of Rome: yet doe I not thynke that it is expedient for you to do any thyng that is agaynste your conscience,Note well. or to vsurpe ye thyng which is none of yours, what if ye had a commaundement from that see of Rome, that whersoeuer ye finde Clerkes, priestes or monkes ryding, it should be lawfull for you to vnhorse thē and to set them besides the saddle,They that paye no ty…hes to their pastore, bycause their landes are impropriate, are theues, robbers, st…alers and cō mitters of Sacrilege. Actes, v. yea and to retayn the horses vntounto your own vses? Were it ryght and accordyng to good conscience that ye shuld thus doe? What difference is there, whether ye take awaye the horses or the tythes, but that the tenth is a spiritual matter, and therfore it is a more greuous synne to steale awaye the tythes than the horses, yea it is playne sacrilege, and an vtter robbyng of god and of hys Ministers? When God cō maundeth that tythes should be payd, whoe can geue a dispensation contrarye to hys commaundemente? When the lawe of God commaundeth one thyng, and mans madnesse willeth the contrarye: in thys pointe we muste obeye God more than men. And when there be two lawes, an outwarde and an inwarde lawe: verely the inwarde lawe ought to preuayle and take place before the outwarde lawe euermore: and that which a pure and clere conscience sayth vntounto me, ought more to be regarded, than the outward commaū demente of any man, yea it ought to put awaye and to make of no force all manner of indulgences, priuileges, grauntes, immunities, liberties, freedomes, &c. Whatsoeuer they be that man graunteth. If the Children of Israel at the commaundement of the Lorde for recompence of theyr long seruice, which they did to the vnthankfull Egiptians, toke away from them theyr vessels of Golde & Siluer: yet is it not mete, that you shuld draw this vntounto your purpose, excepte ye bee able to shewe, yt the Lorde hath commaunded you thus to doe, agayn, that you hauehave long serued vsus as Egiptians. It is therefore better for you and more semely, yt you cast away this your couetous ambition,Exo. xii. which greatly disgraceth the titles of your holinesse, and yt you cause the people no more thus to speake euil of you, and to be offended with thys your doings for the vniuste retayning of transitorye thynges. Wo be vntounto them, by whom offence commeth. Neyther bee ye of this opinion,Mat. xviii. that your condition or state of liuyng shuld in any point be hyndred through the restitution of other mens goodes. For if any thyng be diminished by this meanes of the temporal commodityes and profites, the deuotion of the people, whiche is nowe greatlye decayed towarde you, shall recompence all that double and treeble.
But if in this behalf ye shewe your selues stubborn and froward, and will by no menaes be blowed:A worthy godly & zelous man. we will excommunicate and curse all them, that eyther shall geue or sell vntounto you anye thing, wherof the right of tithes shuld come to the Ministers of Gods worde, and we will also cry vntounto the heauens and we wyll appeale vntounto the throne of the hye iudge, that this bonde of excommunication be not losoned, tyll a redresse be had &c. Petrus Blesensis Ba…honiensis Archidiacouus, in Epi. 78.
Of Tythes and offryngs.
POpe Vrban the first ordained,How the church goodes ought to be spent. that the oblations of Christen menne should none otherwise be spente, than in vse of holy churche and in helpe of the nedy Christians. For they are, saith he, the vowes of the christiās & the price of syn. In his time the church of Rome began fyrste to hauehave landes and rents, and with the profit thereof the aforesaide Pope founde Notaries and Clearkes to wryte the liues and actes of the holy Saincts. Before this time holy churche, that is to saye, Bishops & priestes liued as the Apostles did, and receiued only money to the vse of the poore and nedy Christians. In the yeare of our Lorde. 222. Ranulphus Cestrensis. The mind of Gregory concerning the bestowing of the church goods.Chronica.
Pope Gregory the first ordained that the goods of the church should be deuided into foure partes: The first, to the bishop, to fynde himselfe and his familie, and to maintayne hospitalitie for the reliefe of such as are in necessitie. The ii. to the cleargy. The thirde, to poore men. The fourth to the reparation of the churches. In the yeare &c. 590. Polichron.
The law for tenthes paying.Pope Paschalis made a decree that ye tenthes shoulde bee geuen to the priestes. In the yeare, &c. 827. Qu. 19. cap. 1. Decimas a populo.
Against tē porall mēs possessions of tenthes.Pope Gregory the Seuenth made a streighte lawe, that no temporal man should possesse any tenthes that be due to the church. In the yere, &c. 173. Qu. 5. cap. 16. Decimas.
He pronounceth all such gilty of sacrilege and in daunger of euerlastyng damnation, that withholde any tythes from the priests, be they either bishops or kinges, or any other persons. The tenths saith he, must nedes be paid according to this saieng of the prophete Malachy: See that ye bring in all your tythe into my Barne,Mala. 3. that there maye be meate in my house.
Pope Calixte made a decree that if any Prince or other lay…man toke vponupon him either the disposition,A Laymā retaining church goodes is a cō mi…ter of sacrilege. or the rule, or yet the possession of any church goodes, he should bee adiudged, and taken for a committer of sacrilege. In the yere, &c. 217. Caus. 6. Q. 7. Si quis.
Pope Gregory the Seuenth made a decre that the people when they come to Masse,Hereof came the. 4 offringdais as it may seme. should not come empty handed, but offer somewhat, and specially at principal feasts, bicause it is sayd in the law. Thou shalt not appeare empty handed before the face of the lord thy God▪ In the yere of our lorde. 173. Dist 32. Cap. praeter.
In a Councell holden at Rothomage, Exod. 23. Tenthes paying.it was enacted, that all manner of tenthes either corne or cattayle, or of anye other thyng, should be duely and truly payde to the priestes. If any dyd withholde their tythes, after they wer monished of it, once, twice, or thrice, & wil not amend: the decree is, that they shal be accused, til they hauehave made worthye recompence and due satisfaction. caus. 16. Q. 7. C. Omnes deci.