all reason, against nature it selfe, against the example of his foreelders against publique custome of his owne tyme, against the doctrine of the Apostles, the constitution of Councels against all honestie, and all Gods forbode, that he neither at the contemplation of the king, nor at the crying out and publike dolour of so many priests, nor yet moued with the letters of Pope Paschalis himself (who puttyng him in remembrance of so many priests sonnes, willed him to consider the necessitie of the tyme  

, pag. 196.MarginaliaRead afore pag. 196. would yet nothing relent from his stubborne purpose, vnto his latter ende. In whom, as many great crimes may iustly be noted, so of all other, this is most principally in him to be reprehended: for that he seeyng and perceauing what Sodomiticall feditie and abhomination, with other inconueniences, did spring incontinently vpon this his Diabolicall doctrine, yet for all that would not giue ouer his pestilent purpose.

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MarginaliaAfter the prohibition of Matrimony followed the vyce of Sodomitry.For so the storie recordeth, that when Anselme had established his Synodoll constitution, in seperating priests from their wyues (which was, anno. 1103.) not long after, rumours and complaints were brought to him, of the execrable vice of Sodomitrie, which then beganne speciallie to raigne in the Clergie, after this inhibition of matrimonie.

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Whereupon Anselme was  

constrained to call an other Councell at Paules within London, to prouide for this mischiefe. In which Councell this Act was made: MarginaliaAn acte of Anselme against Sodomitrye.Sodomiticum flagitium facientes, & eos in hac voluntate iuuantes, graui anathemate dānamus, donec pœnitentia & confessione absolutionem mereantur, &c. MarginaliaThe penalty prouided agaynst Sodomitry.All them that commit the vngracious sinne of Sodomitrie, and them also which assist them in this their wicked purpose, with greeuous curse we doe condemne, till such tyme as they shall deserue absolution by penaunce and confession, &c.

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Thus ye haue heard what abhominable wickednesse ensued after that priests were debarred from mariage, and what sore punishment was deuised by this maidenly prelate, for extirping that sinful wickednes: in the abolishing whereof, more wiselie he should haue remooued away the occasion whereof he was the authour himselfe, then by penaltie to suppresse it, which he could neuer do.

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Now let vs heare further, what folowed in that worthy Councell: Qui vero in hoc crimine publicatus fuerit, statutum est, siquidem fuerit persona religiosi ordinis, vt ad nullum amplius gradum promoueatur, & si quem habet, ab illo deponatur. Si autem laicus, vt in toto Regno Angliæ legali sua condignitate priuetur. Et ne huius criminis absolutionem, ijs qui se sub regula viuere vouerunt, aliquis nisi Episcopus deinceps facere præsumat Statutum quoque est, vt per totam Angliam in omnibus Ecclesijs, & in omnibus diebus Dominicis, excommunicatio præfata publicetur ac renouetur, &c. Which is as much to say in English: MarginaliaEv epist. Anselm. Rog. Houeden.It is enacted, that whosoeuer shall be publikely knowen to be guiltie hereof, if he be a religious person, he shal from thence forth be promoted to no degree of honour, and that degree which he hath alreadie, shall be taken from him. If he be a lay person, he shall be depriued of all his freedome within the whole realme of England. And that none vnder a bishop shal presume to assoyle such as haue bene Monkes professed, of that trespasse. It is also enacted, that euery sonday in the yeare, and in euery parish Church in England, this generall curse aforesayd shall be published and renewed, &c. Ex Rog. Houed. & Epist. Anselm. 278.

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Is not here (trowe you) good diuision of Iustice, that lawfull wedlocke of priests can find no grace nor pardon, yea, is made now heresie: where adulterie & horrible Sodomitrie is washed away with a little confession? And see yet what foloweth more. MarginaliaThe curse against cursed Sodomitry called in againe.After that this penall curse  

shuld now go abroad and be published in churches, the monkes perceiuing this matter to touch them somewhat neare, whispered in Anselmus eare, perswading him that þ^e publication of that Acte might growe to great danger and inconuenience, in opening the vice which before was not knowen: in such sort, that in short tyme after, that curse was called in againe. MarginaliaEx Ioan Treuisa.

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MarginaliaVertue punished, vice scapeth free.And so cursed Sodomitrie & adulterie passed free without punishment, or word spoken against it, where contrary godly matrimonie could find no mercy.

Now what reasons and arguments this Anselme sucked out of the Court of Rome, to prooue the matrimonie of priests vnlawfull, were it not for combring the Reader with tediousnes, here would be shewed. Briefly, the chiefe grounds of all his long disputation, in his booke entituled, Offendiculum Sacerdotum,MarginaliaAnsel. Offendiculū Sacerdotum. betweene the maister and the scholer, come to this effect  

.

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Priests of the old law, during the tyme of their ministration, absteined from their wyues:

Ergo, Priests in the tyme of the Gospel, which euery dayMarginaliaThe reasons and argumentes of Anselme against the marriage of Priestes.minister at the aulter, must neuer haue any wiues.

Moses, when he should sanctifie the people, goyng vp to the hyll, commaunded them to sequester themselues from their wiues three dayes:

Ergo, Priests that must be sanctified to the Lord always ought to liue chaste alwaies without wiues.

Dauid before he should eat of the shewbread, was asked whether he and his company had bene without the company of their wyues three dayes:

Ergo, Priests that be continually attending vpon the table and sacraments of the Lord, ought neuer to haue company with any such.

Oza, which put his hand to the Arke, was slaine therefore,Marginalia2. King. 6. as it is thought, because he lay with his wife the night before:

Ergo, Priests whose hands be alwayes occupied about the Lordes seruice, must be pure from company of wife, or any woman.

Nadab, and Abiud, which sacrificed with strange fire  

,MarginaliaNum. 4. were deuoured therefore, because they companied with their wiues the same night:

Ergo, Priests and sacrificers must haue no wyues to company with all.

The priests of the Gentiles, in old tyme when they sacrificed to their idoles, are sayd to lye from their wiues:

Ergo, much more the priests that sacrifice to the liuyng God, ought so to do.

Christ was borne of a Virgin, Christ liued euer a virgin, and commaundeth them that will serue him, to folow him.MarginaliaIohn. 12. Qui mihi ministrat, me sequatur: id est, Si vis mihi ministrare, me castè viuendo imitare.

Ergo, Priests that haue wyues are not meete to serue hym.

Let  

euery man haue his owne wyfe for auoydyng of fornication.

MarginaliaThe grosse expositions of Anselme, vpon the wordes of S. Paule.That is meant and granted of the Apostle, onely to lay men: Hoc solis laicis eum concessisse, nemo ignorat.

Melius est nubere quàm vri: It is better  

to marrie then to burne.

Melius est, id est, leuius est legitimæ vxori nubere, quàm vri, id est, quàm alienarum mulierum concupiscentia consumi. It is a lighter fault to marrie one lawfull wife, then to be consumed with concupiscence of straunge women.

Oportet esse episcopum irreprehensibilem, vnius vxoris virum. &c. A Bishop oughte  

to be vnreprooueable, the husbande of one wife. &c.

Præcipit Apostolus, ne quis ad sacerdotium accedere præsumat, nisi is qui non nisi vnicam vxorem laicus habuisset: Accepto autem ordine, nunquam ei carnis commixtione se copularet, tantum vitæ necessaria ei subministraret: That is, The Apostle here commaundeth, that none shoulde presume to be Priest, but hee who being a laye manne before, hathe had no more but one wife: And after he be made prieste, not to couple him selfe anye more with her, but onely to minister to her, thinges necessary for her liuing. &c.

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And finally after these thynges thus disputed, aud alleged, the said Anselme concludeth the matter with this final censure and determination, as foloweth: Per hoc autem