A07146:66
The relics of Rome containing all such matters of religion, as have in times…The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times…
The relics of Rome containing all such matters of religion, as have in times past been brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherents: faithfully gathered out of the most faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and now newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singular profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563.The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times past bene brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherentes: faithfully gathered out of the moste faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and nowe newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singuler profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563.
London: printed by John Day, 1563London: printed by Iohn Day, 1563
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is in the word of God no where denied.1 Gods Priests in the old law were all married men, and had wives. The Apostles of Christ, and the Bishops and Ministers of the Primitive Church, and many hundred years after, till the Bishop of Rome plaid the tyrant and right Antichrist in forbidding and condemning the marriage of Priests, were all married men. At this present also in all the congregations of God, wheresoever the pope is not admitted to be supreme head,2 the Bishops and Ministers of the Church do freely marry wives. Neither was the marriage of Priests ever forbidden in any nation, till the Bishop of Rome and his adherents brought in that devilish decree of the single life of Priests, that this Prophecy of Saint Paul might be fulfilled:3 The spirit speaketh evidently, that in the later times some shall depart from the faith, and shall give heed unto spirits of error, and devilish doctrines of them, which speak false through hypocrisy, and have their consciences marked with an hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with giving thanks, of them which believe, ⟨image 21⟩and know the truth. For all the creatures of God are good, &c. Are not these the words of the holy Apostle.4 To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wise, and every woman her own husband. Again, Wedlock is honourable among all persons▪ 5and the bed undefiled. That God hath made free▪ no man ought to make bond. Eleventhly, The vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity are broken and not observed of the Cloisterers, Monks, Friars, Canons, Nuns, Anchors, Anchoresses, &c. I answer with the Preacher. A foolish and an unfaithful vow displeaseth God. Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin, saith the Apostle. But these monastical vows are not of faith (for they have no ground in the word of God) therefore are they sin. What Godliness can there be in the vow of poverty,