Christs victory over Satan's tyranny Wherein is contained a catalogue of all Christs faithful…Christs victorie ouer Sathans tyrannie Wherin is contained a catalogue of all Christs faithfull…

The Monks of the primitive time did differ from the Monks of the middle time, and from our Monks of the latter age. The name and order of Monks began 300. years after Christ; Basilius Magnus was one of the first institutors and commenders of that Superstition. Cassianus maketh mention of a certain Monastery in Thebaid▪ wherein were 5000. Monks, under the government of one Abbot; and here also in England, mention is made before of Bangor, wherein were 2200. Monks, under one mans ruling, in the year 596. but these were such as either by tyranny of persecution were driven into desert places, or else, of their own de••tion, joined with Superstition, for the love they had to Spiritual contemplation, and hatred of the wicked world withdrew themselves from all company, having all things common; these were Lay-men leading a stricter kind of life then others, as Saint Augustine, Lerome, and others testify, one thing pertaineth to the Monks, and another thing to the Clergy; the Clergy fed the flock, and the monks are fed. It appeareth also by the forth Canon of the Council of Calcedon, that Monks should not meddle with ⟨p. 37⟩matters of the Church. And Leo in his 62. Epistle, doth forbid Monks and laymen to be admitted to preach. They differed from the Monks of the middle age in three points; First, they were bound to no strict apparel, or diet, or any thing else. Secondly, they were but Lay-men, only being of a stricter life then the rest, and had nothing to do in Ecclesiastical matters, until Pope Boniface the 4. gave them authority. Thirdly, though many of the Monks of the first age lived single from wives, yet some of them were married, and none of them were forbidden from marriage. Athanasius in his Epistle ad Pracontium, saith, he knew Monks and Bishops married men▪ and fathers of children.

The Monkes of the primitiue time did differ from the Monkes of the middle time, and from our Monkes of the latter age. The name and order of Monkes began 300. yeares after Christ; Basilius Magnus was one of the first institutors and commenders of that Superstition. Cassianus maketh mention of a certaine Monastery in Thebaid▪ wherein were 5000. Monkes, vnder the gouernment of one Abbot; and héere also in England, mention is made before of Bangor, wherein were 2200. Monkes, vnder one mans ruling, in the yeare 596. but these were such as either by tyranny of persecution were driuen into desart places, or else, of their owne detion, ioyned with Superstition, for the loue they had to Spirituall contemplation, and hatred of the wicked world withdrew themselues from all company, hauing all things common; these were Lay-men leading a stricter kinde of life then others, as Saint Augustine, Lerome, and others testifie, one thing pertaineth to the Monkes, and another thing to the Clergie; the Clergie fed the flocke, and the monkes are fed. It appeareth also by the forth Canon of the Councell of Calcedon, that Monkes should not meddle with