An apology or answer in defence of the Church of England with a brief…An apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe…

We say that matrimony is holy and honourable in all sorts & states of persons, in the patriarchs, in the prophets, in the apostles, in holy martyrs, in the ministers of the Church,¹ and in Bishops, and that it is an honest and lawful thing (as Chrysostom saith) for a man living in matrimony, to take upon him therewith the dignity of a Bishop.² And as Sozomenus saith of Spiridion: and as Nazianzen saith of his own father, that a good and diligent Bishop doth serve in the ministry never the worse for that he is married, but rather the better, and with more ablenes to do good. Further we say, that the same law which by constraint ⟨image 27⟩taketh away this liberty from men, and compelleth them against their wills to live single, is the doctrine of Devils,³ as Paul saith: and that ever since the time of this law, a wonderful uncleanness of life and manners in God's ministers, and sundry horrible enormities have followed, as the Bishop of Augusta, as Faber, as Abbas Panormi•anus, as Latomus, as the Tripartite work which is annexed to the second Tome of the Councils, and other chā pious of the Popes band, yea and as the matter it self and all histories do confess. For it was rightly said by Pius the second a Bishop of Rome,⁴ that he saw many causes why wives should be taken away from Priests, but that he saw many moe, and more weighty causes why they ought to be restored them again.

We say yt matrimonie is holy and honorable in al sorts & states of persones, in ye patriarches, in the prophetes, in the apostles, in holy martyrs, in ye ministers of ye Churche,¹ and in Byshopps, and that it is an honest and laufull thinge (as Chrysostome saith) for a man liuing in matrimonie, to take vpon hym therewith the dignitie of a Bysshop.²