after that the clergy is deuided into sundry degrees, as appeareth in the decretals.

This distinction of the clergy from the laitye, with the tonsure of clerkes, began in the time of * Anacletus, as it doth appeare in the Chronicles. The degrees of the clergy were afterward inuedted & distincted by their offices, and there was no ascentiō to the degree of the priesthood, but by inferior orders and degrees. But in the primitiue churche it was not so: for immediately after tht conuersion of some of thē to the fayth & baptisme receiued: they were priests & bishops made, as appeareth by Ananias, whom Marcus made of a taylor or shomaker, to be a bishop. And of many others it was in like case done, according to the traditions of the church of Rome. MarginaliaThe office of priestes after the popes order.Priests are ordeined to offer sacrifices, to make supplication and prayers, and to blesse & sanctify. The oblation of the priesthood, onely to Priests (as they say) is congruent: whose duties are, vpon the aultar to offer for the sinnes of the people the Lords body, which is cōsecrated of bread. Of which saying I haue great maruell, considering S. Paule his wordes to the Hebrues before recited. If Christ offering for our sinnes one oblation for euermore, sitteth on the right hand of God, and wyth the one oblation hath cōsūmated for euermore, those that are santified? If Christ euermore sitteth on the right hand of God, to make intercession for vs, what neede he to leaue here any sacrifice for our sinnes, of the Priestes to be dayly offered? MarginaliaThe body of Christ not left to be a sacrifice for sinne, but onely for a sacrament.I do not finde in the scriptures of God nor of his Apostles, that the body of Christ ought to be made a sacrifice for sinne: but onely as a Sacrament and commemoration of the sacrifice passed, whiche Christ offered vpon the aultar of the crosse for our sinnes. For it is an absurditye to say, that Christ is now euery day really offered as a sacrifice vpon the aultar by the Priestes: for then the Priests should really crucify him vpō the aultar, which is a thing of no Christian to be beleeued. But euen as in his supper, his body & his bloud he deliuered to his Disciples, in memorial of his body that should be crucified on the morrow for our sinnes: So after his ascētion, did his Apostles vse the same (when they brake bread in euery house) for a Sacramēt, and not for a sacrifice, of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. And by this meanes were they put in remembraunce of the great loue of Christ, who so entirelye loued vs, that willinglye he suffered the death for vs, & for the remission of our sinnes. And thus did they offer thēselues to God by loue, being ready to suffer death for the confession of his name, and for the sauing health of theyr brethren fulfilling the new commaundement of Christ, which sayd vnto them: A new cōmaūdement do I geue vnto you that you loue one another, as I haue loued you. But whē loue began to waxe cold or rather to be frosen for cold, thorow the anguish & anxiety of persecution for the name of Christ: then Priests did vse the flesh and bloud of Christ, in stead of a sacrifice.MarginaliaHow the memoriall of the sacrament came to the realtie of the sacrifice it selfe. And because many of them feared death, some of them fled into solitarye places, not daring to geue themselues a sacrifice by death vnto God through the confession of his name, & sauing health of theyr brethrē: Some other worshipped Idols fearing death, as did also þ^e chiefe Bishop of Rome, and many other mo in diuers places of the world. And thus it came to passe, as that which was ordeined and instituted for a memoriall of the one & onely sacrifice, was altered (for want of loue) into the realitye of the sacrifice it selfe.

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¶ After these thinges thus discussed, he inferreth consequently vpon the same, an other briefe tractation of women and laye men  

, whether in defect of the other, they may excercise the action of praier, and administration of Sacraments belonging to Priests: wherein he declareth the vse receiued in the Popes Churche, for women to Baptise, which, sayth he, cannot be without remission of sinnes, wherefore seeing that women haue power by the Pope to remit sinne, and to baptise, why may they not aswell be admitted to minister the Lordes Supper, in like case of necessity? Wherin also he maketh relation of Pope Iohn. 8. a woman Pope   , mouing certayne Questions of her. All whiche for breuitye I pretermitte, proceeding to the ministration of prayer, and blessing or sanctification, appropriate to the office of Priestes as followeth.

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MarginaliaThe order and office of prayer.Furthermore, as touching the fūction & office of praying and blessing, whereunto Priestes seme to be ordeined (to omitte here the question whether women may pray in Churches, in lacke of other meete persons) it remayneth now also to prosecute. MarginaliaThe Lordes prayer.Christ being desired of his Disciples to teach them to pray, gaue them the common prayer both to men and women, to the which prayer in my estimation, no other is to be compared. For in that first, the whole honor due vnto the deity is comprehended. Secondly, what-soeuer is necessary for vs, both for the time present, or past, or for time to come, is there desired & praid for. MarginaliaMath. 6.He informeth vs besides to pray secretly, and also briefly: secretly to enter into our close chāber, and there in secrecy he willeth vs to pray vnto his father. And sayth moreouer, when ye pray, vse not much babling, or many words as doth þ^e heathen. For they thinke in their long and prolixe praying to be heard. Therfore be you not like to thē. MarginaliaThe artes of Necromancie, Southsaying & withcraftes, how & frō whō they came.By the which doctrine he calleth vs away frō the errors of the heathē Gentils: frō whom proceed these superstitious maner of artes (or rather of ignoraunces) as Necromancy, the art of diuinatiō, & other spises of coniuratiō, not vnknown to them, that be learned: for these Necromansers beleue, one place to be of greater vertue then an other, there to be heard sooner, then in an other. Like as Balaam being hyred to curse þ^e people of God, by his arte of southsaying, or cherming, when he could not accomplish his purpose in one place, he remoued to an other, but he in þ^e end, was deceiued of hys desire. For he intending first to curse them, was not able to accurse thē whom the Lord blessed, so that his curse coulde not hurt any of all þ^e people. After like sort the Nicomancers turne theyr face to the East, as a place more apt for theyr prayers. Also þ^e Necromāsers beleue, that the vertue of þ^e words of the prayer, & the curiosity therof, causeth thē to bring to þ^t effect, which they seek after, which is also an other poynt of infidelity, vsed much of Charmers, Sorcerers, Inchaūters, Southsayers & such like. MarginaliaAgainst exorcising of Priestes.Out of þ^e same arte (I feare) proceedeth the practise of exorcising, wherby deuils & spirits be coniured to do that, wherunto they are inforced by the Exorcist. Also wherby other creatures likewise are exorcised or coniured, so that by the vertue of their exorcisme, they may haue theyr power and strength exceeding all naturall operation.

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MarginaliaConiuring or halowing in the popish church.In the Church of Rome, many such exorcismes & coniurations be practised, & are called of them benedictions, or halowings. But here I aske of these Exorcisers, whether they beleue the thinges and creatures so exorcised and halowed, haue that operation and efficacy geuē them, which they pretēd? If they so beleue, euery child may see that they are farre beguiled. MarginaliaHoly water coniured.For holy water being of them exorcised or cōiured: hath no such power in it, neither cā haue which they in theyr exorcisme do cōmaund. For there they inioyn and commaund, that whersoeuer that water is sprinckled, all vexatiō or infestatiō of the vnclean spirit, should auoid, and that no pestilēt spirit there should abide. &c. But most playn it is, that no water, be it neuer so holy, can haue any such power so to do, as it is commaunded, to wit, to be an vniuersall remedy to expell all diseases.

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MarginaliaExorcistæ.This I woulde aske of these Exorcistes: whether in theyr commaunding, they do coniure or adiure the thinges coniured, to be of an higher vertue and operation, thē their own nature doth geue: Or els whether they in their prayers desire of God, that he wil infude into them that vertue, which they require? MarginaliaThe absurditie & abhominatiō in the popish exorcismes detected.If they in theyr commaunding doe so beleue, thē do they beleue that they haue that power in thē to the which the inferior power of the thing exorcised must obey, in receiuing that which is commaunded. And so doing, are much more deceiued, forasmuch as they see themselues, that they which are so authorised to the office of exorcising, say to the deuill being coniured: Go, & he goeth not: And to an other come, and he cōmeth not, & many thinges els they commaūd the inferior spirite their subiect, to do, & he doth not. MarginaliaWhere was the popes holy water then in the great pestilence in the tyme of K. Edward. 3.So in like case, when they pray to God to make the water to be of such vertue, that it may be to them health of mind and body, and that it may be able to expulse euery vncleane spirit, & to chase away all maner of distemperature and pestilence of the ayre (being an vnreasonable petition asked, & sore displeasing to God) it is to be feared least theyr benediction, their halowing & blessing is chaūged into cursing, according to that saying that foflloweth. And now O you priests, I haue a message to say vnto you: If you will not heare and beare well away in your mindes, to geue the glory vnto my name sayth the Lord God of hostes, I will send scarcety amongest you, and I wyll curse your blessings. What things and how many are blessed, or halowed in the Churche, that in halowing thereof displease God, and are accursed? And therfore according to the saying of MarginaliaIames. 4.S. Iames, they aske & are not heard, because the aske not as they should, that they in theyr owne dsires may perish, Let a man beholde the blessing or halowing of their fire, water, incense, waxe, bread, wine, the church, the aultar. the Churchyard, ashes, belles, copes, pallines, oile, candles, salt, the hallowing of the ring, the bed, the staffe, & of many such like things:MarginaliaRomish coniurers. & I beleue that a man shall find out many errors of the hethē Magicians, Witches, southsayers and charmers. And notwithstanding the auncient and old Magicians in their bookes, commaund those that

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