bishops for feare of the Popes tirannye, laboured the matter with their priestes, by all meanes possible, to bereaue them of their accustomed matrimony.

MarginaliaBishop of Mentz.
Ex Lamberto Scafnaburgēsi. in Histo. Germanorū.Amongest other the archbishop of Mentz, perceiuyng this acte of takyng away priestes mariage, might brede hym no little trouble: talketh wyth his cleargy gentlye, admonisheth them of the popes mind and decree, and geueth them halfe yeres respite to deliberate vpon þ^e case: exhorting them diligently to shew themselues obediente to the pope and to hym, and to graunt with good wyll, that at length wil they, nil they, nedes they must be forced vnto: and therfore of their owne accord to stand content therwith, least the pope should bee compelled to attempt wayes of sharper seuerity. The tyme of deliberation expired, the archbishop assēbleth his clergy at Erspford, the month of October: and there willeth them according to the pontificall decree, eyther to abiure for euer all matrimony, or els to abrenounce their benefices and ecclesiasticall liuings. MarginaliaThe priestes of Germany stout agaynst the Popes vnlawful procedings.The clergy agayne defend themselues agaynst the popes decree wyth scriptures, wyth reason, wyth the actes of general councels, with exāples of aunciters, by diuers strong arguments, declaryng þ^e popes decree not to be consonāt nor ought to take effect. But the archbishop said he was compelled so of the pope and could not otherwyse do, but to execute that was inioyned him. The cleargy seyng that no reason nor prayer, nor disputation woulde serue: laye their heades together, consulting amongst themselues what was beste to be done. Some gaue counsel not to returne agayne to the Synode. Some thought it good to returne, and to thrust out the archbishop from hys seat, and to geue him due punishment of death for his deseruyng: that by the examples of hym, other may be warned hereafter, neuer to attempt that thyng any more, to the preiudice of the church, and the rightful liberty of ministers. After that thys was signified to the archbishop, by certayne spies that were amongst them, what the cleargy intended to do: the archbishop to preuent & salue the matter, sendeth to the priestes as they were commyng out, certayne messengers byddyng thē be of good hope, & to returne again to the Metropolitane, & they shoulde haue þ^t shoulde content their minds. So being perswaded, they come again to the councel. The bishop promiseth he would do his endeuour what he could, to reuoke and turne the mynd of the bishop of Rome from that sentence, willyng them in the meane tyme to continue as they had done, in their cure and ministery. The next yere followyng, Hildebrād þ^e souldiour of Sathan, sendeth his legate (a certayn byshop called Curiensis) vnto the archbishop of Mentz, and assembled there a councel. In the which councel the archbishop againe purposeth the matter, commaundyng all þ^e clergy vnder paine of the popes curse, there, perpetually either to abrenounce their wyues, or their liuinges. The clergy defended their cause againe with great constancy. But whē no defension there could take place, but all went by tiranny and meere extortion: it burst in the end to an vprore and tumult, where the legate and the archbishop being in great daunger, hardlye escaped w^t thsir liues, and so the councel brake vp. By this schisme and tumulte it followed, that the churches after that in chusing their priests, would not send thē to the bishops, (the enemies & suppressors of matrimonye) to be confirmed and inducted, but dyd elect them wythin themselues and so put them in their office: without al leaue or knowledge of bishops, who then agreed and wer determined to admit no priestes, but such as should take an othe of perpttual singlenes, neuer to marry after. MarginaliaSingle priesthoode how it began.And thus first came vp the othe and profession of single priesthode. Not withstandyng if other natious had followed the lyke cōstancye and concorde of these Germaine ministers: the diuelishe drifte and decree of this Hildebrand (or rather helbrand) had bene frustrate and auoyded. But this gredines of liuinges in weake priestes, made them to yelde vp their godly liberty, to wycked tiranny. MarginaliaExamples of concorde in priests & ministers.Yet thys remayneth in these Germaynes to be noted, what concord can do, in repressyng vnordinate requests of euil bishops if they constantly stand to truth, and hold together. And thus much for banishing of matrimony. Now let vs procede to þ^e contentions, betwixt wicked Hildebrand, & the godly emperour. But before by the way of digression it shall not be much wyde from the purpose, to touch a little of the properties of this pope as we fynd them described in certayne epistles of Benno a Cardinall writyng to other Cardinals of Rome: which Benno lyued in the same tyme of Hildebrand, and detecteth the prodigious actes and doynges of thys monstrous pope.

Fyrst declaryng þ^t he was a sorcerer most notable, & a Necromāsier, an old cōpanion of Siluester, of Laurentius, & Theophilactus called otherwise Benedict⁹ nonus. Amongst other, Benno Cardinals wryteth this historye of him. How vpō a certain time this Gregorius cōming from Albanus to Rome, had forgot behynd hym hys familiar booke of Necromancy, which he was wont commonly to cary alwayes with him. Wherupō remēbring himselfe entring the porte of. Lateran, he calleth two of hys most trustly familiars to fet the booke, charging thē at no hand to looke within it. But they being so restrained, were the more desirous to open it, and to peruse it, and so dyd. After they had red a little the secreees of the Sathanical booke, sodenly there came about them the messengers of Sathan, the multitude and terror of whō made thē almost out of their wits. At lēgth they cōming to thēselues, þ^e spirits were instāt vpō thē to know wherfore they were called vp, wherefore they were vexed. Quickly (sayd they) tel vs what ye would vs to do, or els we wil fall vpō you, yf ye retaine vs longer. Then spake one of þ^e yong mē to thē, biddyng thē go & plucke down yonder walles poīting to certain high walles there nigh to Rome, which they did in a moment. The young men crossing them for feare of the spirites (scarse recouering thēselues) at length came to their maister. And it followeth moreouer in the epistle of the said Benno, to the Cardinals.

MarginaliaPope Hildebrand forsaken of diuers of hys cardinals.We haue made mention to you before of diuers colledges of the churche of Rome, which refused to commucate with hym. As Leo then archpriest of the cardinals, Benno, Vgobaldus, Iohannes the Cardinall, Peter chaunceler and cardinall beyng all instituted before this Hildebrād. These iij. also beyng consecrated by him that is Natro, Innocentius, & Leo: forsoke him, cursing the detestable errours, which he had. In like case Theodin⁹ whom he constituted, archdeacon & other cardinals mo: Iohannes surnamed Primicerius, Petrus oblationarius with all that apparteyned vnto thē, sauing one onely man. And now whē this Hildebrād saw, þ^t the bishops also would forsake him: he called vnto hym the laymen, and made them priuie of his counsell, thinking therby to separate the bishops, that they should haue no conferēce with the cardinals. MarginaliaPope HIldebrand cōpelleth the bishops and priestes of Rome to sweare vnto hym.After that, he called together those bishops: and beyng garded with bandes of lay men, he enforced the bishops partly for feare and partly by his manacing words, to sweare vnto hym, þ^t they should neuer disagree vnto þ^t, whiche he woulde haue done: that they shoulde neuer defend þ^e kyngs quarell, and þ^t they should neuer fauor or obey the pope, that should in hys stede be instituted. Which thyng beyng done, he sent them by meanes of the prīce of Salernites, into Campania: and thus did he separate them, from the company of the cardinals, and from the citie of Rome. And not onely the bishops, but also the priestes of the citie, and clerkes of inferiour orders as also the laymē: he boūd by their othes, that at no tyme nor for any cause, they should condiscēd vnto the kyng.

Assoone as pope Alexander was dede, whiche dyed