A67922:2197
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol.…Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol.…
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol. 1] with an universal history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitive age to these latter times of ours, with the bloody times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions against the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperors, as now lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realm of England and Scotland. Newly revised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time again published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the help of Christ our Lord) John Fox, which desireth thee good reader to help him with thy prayer.Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.
London: printed by John Daye, 1583London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1583
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.
Priests then in those days had wives openly and lawfully (no law forbidding to the contrary) as appeareth by the deed and writings of their chapter seals & donations, which were given to temples and monasteries, wherein their wives also be cited with them for witness, and were called praesbiterissae. Also for Bishops, Prelates, Persons of Churches, governors of the Clergy, masters of monasteries, & religious houses, all these were then in those times in the emperors ordination, to assign by voice or consent to whom he would. Now these two things Gregorius this Pope could not abide.1 For the which two causes only, was all his striving and driving from his first beginning, to abolish the marriage of Priests, and to translate the authority Imperial to the Clergy. For to this scope only tended all his labour, practises and devises, as appeared before in the council of Lateran, under Pope Nicolas, and also in the council of Mantua, under Alexander, making their marriage heresy, and the other to be simony. And that which before he went about by other, now he practiseth by himself to condemn ministers that were married,2 for Nicolaitans, and to receive any spiritual regiment of secular persons for simony. Directing forth his letters upon the same to Henricus the Emperor, to Dukes, Princes, Potestates, Tetrarchs: namely, to Berchtoldus, to Rodulphus of Swevia, to Whelpho, Adalberon, & their wines. Item, to bishops, Archbishops, to Priests, and to all the people, in the which letters he denounceth them to be no priests, so many as were married, forbidding men to salute them, to talk, to eat, to company with them, to pay them tithes, or to obey them, if they would not be obedient to him. Amongst all other, he directed special letters to Ottho bishop of Constance, concerning this matter. But Ottho perceiving the ungodly and unreasonable pretence of Hildebrand,3 would neither separate them that were married from their wives, nor yet forbid them to marry, which were unmarried, &c.
Priestes thē in those daies had wiues openly and lawfully (no law forbidding to the contrary) as appeareth by the deede and writings of their chapter seales & donations, which were geuen to temples and monasteries, wherein their wyues also be cited with them for witnes, and were called praesbiterissae. Also for Bishops, Prelates, Persons of Churches, gouernors of the Clergy, maisters of monasteries, & religious houses, all these were then in those times in the emperors ordination, to assigne by voice or consent to whom he would. Now these two things Gregorius this Pope could not abide.