in peril of these vj. Articles. Ouer & besides, þ^e Papistes began so finely to interprete the Acte, that they spared not to indite men for abusing their countenaūce and behauiour in the Churche. MarginaliaPotestas tenebrarū.So great was the power of darkenes in those dayes. And thus much concernyng this Acte.

Besides these vj. Articles in this foresayd Acte concluded, there was also an other constitution annexed withal, not w^tout the aduise (as may seeme) of the Lord Cromwell, whiche was this: MarginaliaAn Acte agaynst fornication of vnmaryed priestes  

.that Priestes and ministers of the Churche, seyng now they would nedes thē selues be bound from all matrimonie, should therfore by law lykewise bee bounde to such honesty and continence of lyfe, that carnally they should vse and accustome no maner of woman maryed or single, by waye of aduoutrie or fornication: the breach wherof, for the first tyme, was to forfaite goodes   , and to suffer imprisonment at the kynges pleasure: and for the second tyme, byng duely cōuicted, it was made felonie as the other were.MarginaliaStatut. an. 21. Reg. Henr. 8. cap. 14.

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In this constitution, if the Lord Cromwell and other good mē of þ^e Parlamēt myght haue had their will, there is no doubt, but þ^e first crime of these concubinarie priestes, as well as the second, had had the same penaltie, as the other vj. Articles had & should haue bene punished with death. But Steuen Gardiner with hys felow Byshops, who then ruled all the roste, so basted this extraordinarie Article w^t their accustomed shiftes, that if they were takē & duely cōuicte for their not castè nor caute, at first tyme it was but forfaite of goodes. Also for the second conuiction or atteinder, they so prouided that the next yeare folowyng, that punishement and payne of death by Acte of Parlament was cleane wyped away and repealed. And why so? Because (sayth the Statute) that punishement by payne of death is very sore, and much extreme: therfore it pleaseth the king, with the assent of the Lordes, that that clause aboue written concernyng felonie, and paynes of death, and other penalties and forfaytures, for and vppon the first and second conuictiō or atteynder of any Priest or woman, for any such offences (of whoredome or aduoutrie) aforesayd, shalbe from hence forth voyde and of none effect. &c. MarginaliaStatut. an. 22. Reg. Henr. 8. cap. 10.So that by this statute it was prouided, for all such votaries as lyued in whoredome and adulterie, MarginaliaThe Acte agaynst the whoredome of Priestes qualified, & after what maner.for the first offense to lose hys goodes and all hys spirituall promotiōs except one. For the second, to forfaite all that he had to the kyng. For the third conuiction to susteyne continuall imprisomēt.

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In these vngodly procedynges of the Popes Catholicke Clergie, ij. thynges we haue to note.

MarginaliaThe manifest impietie of the Popes doctrine, disclosed.1. First, the horrible impietie of their doctrine, directly fightyng agaynst the expresse authoritie of God and hys worde, forasmuch as that which God permitteth, they restrayne: that whiche he byddeth, they forbyd. Habeat, sayth he: non habeat say they, takyng exceptions agaynst the word of the Lord. That which he calleth honorable & vndefiled, they call heresie: that which he commendeth & instituteth, they punish with peynes of death. Not only the Priestes that mary, but them also that say or cyphre that a Priest may mary, at the first they kyll as felons. Neither cā any Miserere take place for chaste and lawfull wedlocke: where as contrarywise a spirituall man may thryse defile hys neighbours wife, or thrise defloure hys brothers daughter, and no felonie at all layd to his charge. What is this in playne wordes to say, but that it is lesse sinne thrise to commit aduoutrie, then once to mary.

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The second is to be noted, how these paynted hypocrites do bewray their false dissembled dealynges vnawares: with whom a man might thus reason. MarginaliaDilemma against votarers that will not mary.Tell vs you Priestes and votaries, whiche so precisely flye the state of Matrimonie, intende you to liue chaste, and are able so to do without wyues, or do you kepe your selues chaste and honest without them, and without burnyng, or not? If ye be not able, why thē mary you not? why take you not þ^e remedie appoynted of God? Why make you those vowes, whiche you can not performe? or why do you not breake them beyng made, fallyng therby in daunger of breakyng Gods cōmaundement, for kepyng your own? If you be able, and so do intende to continue an honest and a continent conuersation without wyues, then will I aske of you, MarginaliaDoct. Turner hunting the Romishe Foxeaccordyng as Doct. Turner grauely & truly layth to your charge  

: why doo you so carefully prouide a remedye by your lawes afore hand, for a mischief to come, whiche you may auoyde if ye lyste, vnlesse either ye lysted not to stād, though ye might, or els saw your own infirmitie, that you could not though ye would? And therefore fearyng your owne weake fragilitie, you prouide wysely for your selues aforehand, that where other shall suffer paynes of death at the first for well doing, you may fall thrise in abominable adultery, and yet by the law haue your lyues pardoned.

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MarginaliaThe Papistes bewray their own hipocrisie.And here cōmeth out your owne hypocrisie by your selues bewrayed. For where as you al cōfesse, that you are able to lyue chaste if ye wil without wyues, this moderation of the lawe prouided before agaynst your aduouterous incontinencie, playnly declareth that either ye purpose wyllingly to fall, or at least ye feare and stand in doubt not to be able to stande. And why then doe you so confidently take such vowes vpon you, standyng in such doubt & feare for the performance therof?

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And be it to you admitted, that all do not fall, but that some kepe their vowe, though some viciously runne to other mens wyues and daughters: then here agayne I aske you, seyng these vicious whorehūters & aduouterous persons amongest you, do liue viciously (as you can not denye) and may doe otherwise if they lyste (as you confesse) what punishment then are they worthye to haue, which may lyue continent and will not, neither yet will take the remedie prouided by God, but refuse it? MarginaliaThe impietie of the papistes inexcusable.Whiche beyng so, then what iniquitie is this in you, or rather impietie inexcusable agaynst God and man, to procure a moderation of lawes for such, and to shew such compassion and clemēcie to these so heynous adulterers, whorehūters, and beastly fornicators, that if they adulterate other mens wyues neuer so ofte, yet there is no death for them: and to shew no compassion at all, nor to finde out any moderation for such, but at the very first to kill thē as felons and heretickes, which honestly doe mary in the feare of God, or once saye, that a Priest may mary? How can ye heare be excused, O you children of iniquitie? What reason is in your doyng, or what truth in your doctrine, or what feare of God in your hartes? You that neither are able to auoyde burnyng and pollution without wedlocke, nor yet will receaue that remedy that the Lord hath gyuen you, how will you stand in hys face, when hee shall reuele your filthy operations and cogitatiōs to your perpetuall confusion, vnlesse by tyme ye conuerte and repente? And thus beyng ashamed of your execrable doynges I cease to defile my penne any further in this so stinkyng matter of yours, leauyng you to the Lord.

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MarginaliaRead afore pag. 1298. col. 1.It was declared before, pag. 1298. that what tyme these vj. Articles were in hand in þ^e Parlament house, Cranmer then beyng Archbyshop of Canterbury onely withstode the same, disputyng three dayes agaynst them: whose reasons and argumentes I wyshe were extant and remainyng. After these Articles were thus passed and cōcluded, the kyng, who alwayes bare a speciall fauour vnto Cranmer, perceauyng hym to be not a litle discomforted therewith, sent al the Lordes of the Parlament, and with thē the Lord Cromwell, to dyne with him at Lambeth (as is afore declared) and within few dayes also vpon the same, required that hee would gyue a note of all hys doynges and reasonynges in the sayd Parlamēt, MarginaliaCranmers reasons and allegations agaynst the vj. Articles, written to the kyng.which þ^e said Cranmer eftsoones accōplished accordyngly, drawing out hys reasons and allegations, the copye whereof beyng fayre written out by hys Secretary, was sent and deliuered vnto the king and there remayned.  

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