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.…

And yet notwithstanding, for all this great blustering and thundering of this Romish [Greek or Hebrew], the Priests yet still holding their own, as well as they could, gave not much place to his unlawful Injunction, but kept still their wives almost two hundred years after, refusing and resisting of long time, the yoke of that servile bondage, to keep still their freedom from such vowing, professing, and promising, as may well appear by those Priests of York, of whom Gerardus Archbishop of York speaketh, writing to Anselm in these words: Sitio Clericorum meorum integritatem, sed praeterquam in paucis admodum, ve Aspidis surditatem, vel fabulosi cuiusdam Prothei mutabilitatem inuenio. Varijs linguarum aculeis, minas, modò conuitia infligunt. Sed hoc facilius in his qui remotíores sunt, tolero. Illud omninò grave genus mali est, quod hi qui quasi in sinu meo sunt, qui Canonicorum nomine gaudent canons aspernant, aduersus concilij nostri statuta, quasi Sophistici disputatores argumentantur, professiones verò mihi penitus abnegant Canonici illi, qui sine professione ad sacros ordines inordinabiliter sunt provecti, & qui in praesbyteratu vel Diaconatu constituti, uxores sive Concubinas in publico hactenus habuerunt, ab Altari nulla see reverentia continuerunt. Cum verò ad ordines aliquos inuito, dura ceruice nituntur, ne inordinando castitatem profiteantur: In english thus: I much desire the purity of my clergy men. Howbeit except it be in very few, I find in them the deafness of the serpent aspis, and the inconstancy of Proteus that the Poets fable spake of. With their stinging tongues they cast out some while threats; some while taunts and rebukes. But this grieveth me less in them that be further off. This grieveth me most of all, that they which be of mine own Church as in mine own bosom, and prebendaries of mine own See, contemn our Canons, and argue like Sophistical disputers, against the statutes of our Council. The prebendaries which unordinately have been taken into orders heretofore without making vow or profession, refuse utterly to make profession to me. And they that be priests or Deacons, having married before openly wives or Concubines, will not be removed for any reverence from the Altar. And when I call upon any to receive order, stiffly they deny to profess chastity in their ordering &c.

And yet notwithstanding, for all this great blustering and thundering of this Romish 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the Priests yet still holding their owne, as well as they could, gaue not much place to his vnlawfull Iniunction, but kept stil their wiues almost two hundred yeares after, refusing and resisting of long time, the yoke of that seruile bondage, to kepe still their freedome from such vowing, professing, and promising, as may well appeare by those Priests of Yorke, of whom Gerardus Archbishop of Yorke speaketh, writing to Anselme in these wordes: Sitio Clericorum meorum integritatem, sed praeterquam in paucis admodum, ve Aspidis surditatem, vel fabulosi cuiusdam Prothei mutabilitatem inuenio. Varijs linguarum aculeis, minas, modò conuitia infligunt. Sed hoc facilius in his qui remotíores sunt, tolero. Illud omninò graue genus mali est, quod hi qui quasi in sinu meo sunt, qui Canonicorum nomine gaudent canones aspernant, aduersus concilij nostri statuta, quasi Sophistici disputatores argumētantur, professiones verò mihi penitus abnegant Canonici illi, qui sine professione ad sacros ordines inordinabiliter sunt prouecti, & qui in praesbyteratu vel Diaconatu constituti, vxores siue Concubinas in publico hactenus habuerunt, ab Altari nulla se reuerentia continuerunt. Cum verò ad ordines aliquos inuito, dura ceruice nituntur, ne inordinando castitatem profiteantur: In englishe thus: I much desire the puritie of my clergye men. Howbeit except it be in very few, I finde in them the deafenes of the serpent aspis, and the inconstancie of Protheus that the Poets fable spake of. With theyr stinging tongues they cast out some while threates; some while tauntes and rebukes. But this greeueth mee lesse in them that be further off. This greeueth mee most of all, that they whiche be of mine owne Church as in myne owne bosome, and prebendaryes of myne owne See, contemne our Canons, and argue like Sophisticall disputers, agaynst the statutes of our Councell. The prebendaries which vnordinately haue bene taken into orders heretofore without making vow or profession, refuse vtterly to make profession to me. And they that be priestes or Deacons, hauing maryed before openly wyues or Concubines, will not be remoued for anye reuerence from the Aultare. And when I call vpon any to receaue order, styffely they deny to professe chastitie in theyr ordering &c.