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II.

time is handled, and what equity of laws be ministred to BOOK our sort. But by patience and silence we pass over, &c. and leave al to God: in the mean time we have cause al to be utterly discomfited and discouraged.

Her Majesty moreover talked of other maner injunctions, that shal hereafter follow. I trust God shal stay her heart, as his Grace hath moved her to begin godly this good work; which we take to be Gods, and not hujus seculi, and so to procede, and so to finish. I doubt nothing, though these æstus humani, conceived upon untrue reports, break sometimes from her, that her Majesty wil wel acquit her doings, and wil use Theodosius's days of deliberation, in sentence giving in matters of such importance. I should be sory that the Clergy should have cause to shew disobedience, with Oportet Deo obedire magis quàm hominibus. And what instillers soever there be, there be enough of this contemptible flock, that wil not shrink to offer their blood for the defence of Christ's verity, if it be openly impugned, or secretly suggilled.

Alas! what policy is this to drive out hospitality in cathedral churches? To drive out preachers in the head cities, which being wel instructed, the rest of the country is better ruled in obedience? And to tary in cathedral churches with such open and rebukeful separations, what modest nature can abide it, or tary where they be discredited? Horsekeepers wives, porters, pantlers, and butchers wives, may have their cradles going; and honest learned men expulsed with open note: who only keep the hospitality, who only be students and preachers, who only be unfeigned orators, in open prayers for the Queen's prosperity and continuance; where others say their back Pater-Nosters for her in corners. The extern disciplin of this injunction might have been so ordered, that both abuses might have been reformed or prevented, and yet our estimation preserved for our office sake. Which for my part I would I had never entred, and may rue the time to be the head, to whom resort daily and hourly such complaints, as I send you herewith some copies, having of this argument divers others.

II.

BOOK I have neither joy of house, land, or name, so abased by my natural good Lady: for whose service and honour I would not think it cost to spend my life: to the contentation of whose desire and commandment I have earnestly travailed, or els some things peradventure might have been worse. And where I have, for the execution of her laws and orders, purchased the hatred of the adversaries, and also, for moderating some things in difference, have procured to have the fowl reports of some Protestants: yet al things thus born never discomforted, so I might please God, and serve her Highnes. But yesterday's service, with such earnest forcing that progres-hunting injunction made upon the Clergy, with conference with no ecclesiastical person, have driven me under the hatches, and dulled me in al other causes, mourning only to God, In amaritudine animæ meæ, ut dicam cum Sara, Peto Dominum ut de vinculo improperii hujus absolvas me, aut certe desuper terram eripias me.

S. Hierom's rhetoric recourseth to my mind, writing ad Oceanum in a case not unlike: Nonne legisti ab Apostolo, unius uxoris virum assumi in sacerdotium, et rem non tempora definiri, &c. Qui sunt fidei candidati ne uxores ducant, ne honesto jungantur matrimonio, sed de repub. Platonis promiscuas uxores, communes liberos habeant, imo, caveant qualecunque vocabulum conjugis, ne postquam in Christo crediderint, noceat eis autem aliquando; non concubinas, nec meretrices, sed uxores habeant, &c. A long quotation; and so the letter endeth without any name subscribed.

MSS. C.

C. C. C.

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Number XVIII.

Flacius Illyricus to the Archbishop from Jena, concerning ancient MSS.

Salutem à Domino Jesu, unico piorum Servatore. Amen.

REVERENDE in Domino Pater; cum statuissemus mittere isthunc hominem idoneum, accipiendorum veterum monimentorum gratiâ, quæ nobis R. M. ante annum per

II.

tuas literas pollicita est, putavi me etiam separatim aliquid BOOK ad T. U. paternitatem scribere debere. Eo enim studio veterum monimentorum, præsertim Græciæ, quæ obscuratam Eccl. veritatem illustrare, et pontificiam tyrannidem redarguere possint, feror, ut non possim non instare ac urgere, ubi modo sese aliqua spes hujus gerendæ in hâc parte rei offerat, etiamsi minus decorè id facere videar; præterquam igitur quod et optamus et expectamus promissa monimenta, valde utile esset tuam reverentiam per id agere ut et isthic in vestro regno et in Scotiâ, ex locis remotioribus et ignobilioribus, inclyta quædam et illustriora comportarentur, omnes libri manuscripti et qui rariores esse existimarentur, aut etiam quorum nomina planè ignorarentur, quorum quidem non adeo infinitus esset futurus numerus, neque adeo immensos sumptus ea res postularet. Non etiam haberent quod civitates quererentur se libris spoliari, cum eis omnia impressa et etiam manuscripta monumenta patrum et aliorum scriptorum, quæ aliquo extant, relinquerentur. Quo verò eo facilius librorum historicorum ecclesiasticorum utilium conquisitio fieri possit, mitto indicem quendam quasi generalem. Baleus coràm mihi narravit, se multa admodum vetera monumenta habere, quæ utile esset post ejus mortem in publicas bibliothecas regni retrahi, sicut et aliorum monumentorum præterquam quod in privatorum ædibus facile, præsertim succedentibus indoctis hæredibus, intereant; etiam non sunt istiusmodi res, toti regno ac Ecclesiæ necessariæ, privati juris aut possessionis propriæ, sed publici, utinam aut vacaret aliquando ipsi coràm inspicere et perlustrare omnes isthic veteres codices, ut multas bibliothecas in Germania et Italia perspexi, sperarem me multa utilia vobis et nobis reperire; et inter alia etiam meum Catalogum Testium Veritatis egregiè augere posse: sed nec valetudo, nec tempus, denique sumptus ad tantam peregrinationem et conatum suppetunt. Ut vero vicissim tuæ R. P. et Reg. M. meum humile studium ac officium declarem et probem, mitto muneri disputationem de Originali Corruptione et libero Arbitrio ante annum coram nostris illustrissimis principibus habitam, contra quendam qui humana

II.

BOOK rum virium arbitrium potentiamque plane papistico more modoque extollebat, et Deo in conversione et renovatione cooperari volebat. Qui quidem error nimia incrementa à morte Lutheri per quosdam in nostris Ecclesiis sumpsit, et nos in eâ re secum sentire, Lovanienses in suo primo tomo, Lindanus et Osius, in suis prolixis voluminibus, abundè testantur: tametsi id et res ipsa multò clarius loquatur. Et quoniam etiam proximè tua ampl. indicavit Matth. Paris. Chronicon apud vos non reperiri, mitto excerpta ejus quæ dudum per quendam amicum fueram consecutus. Multa nam in hisce ipsis paucis compendio dicuntur, quæ à vestris hominibus legi utile est. Mitto etiam brevem indicem eorum quæ Regiæ M. communicare possem, si ea habere cuperet, et sumptus in descriptione exemplarium quæ nobis relinquerentur, facere vellet. Neque n. prorsus velim hisce scriptis carere, quæ magno labore ac sumptu sum nactus. Curaveram olim, tempore Interim, cum omnes Germanicæ Ecclesiæ institutis cum Antichristo conciliationibus corruituræ videbantur, dedicare tuo antecessori meum librum De Fide; quem an unquam acceperit ignoro, ac forte nec tua R. P. quidem unquam eum vidit; et unum ideo mitto, ut ea de illo suum mihi judicium, si modo ei vacaverit, perscribat. Cupio n. de tantis rebus eruditissimorum virorum judicia cognoscere. Hæc jam ad T. V. P. forte paulo prolixius perscripsi, quàm ad tam occupatum tantæque dignitatis virum à me fieri decuisset, sperans eam benignè ac Christianè omnia in meliorem partem accepturam esse.

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Incidit vero adhuc aliquid quod tua C. benignè audiat, Joh. Tillium Gallum Ep. Engolismensem, qui edidit Canones Græcos cum suo nomine, et Caroli Magni, contra idololatriam imaginum, non expresso suo nomine (proculdubio vel de nomine saltem nosti) dicitur favere puriori religioni. Habet is multa vetera, præsertim autem Concilia. Forte haud difficulter ab eo manuscript. descriptionem eorum exemplarium nancisci posset, et nostro huic instituto accommodare. Extant Romæ quidam boni codices, ut inclusa schedula testatur, eos; vos potentiores ac nummatiores haud difficulter per amicos describi curare possetis: nos quidem

eam rem exoptavimus, sed sumptus, et tam potentes
cessores, ut res postulabat, habere nequivimus. Tua v
pat. publicæ utilitatis gratiâ, omnino aliquid ejusmodi
netur. Nam Anastasium extare valdè profecto operæ p
tium esset. Dominus Jesus regat tuam R. P. suo Sanc
Spiritu, ad gloriam nominis sui et Ecclesiæ utilitatem, Amen.
Jenæ, 22 Maii 1561.

T. V. P. Studioss.

Matthias Flacius Illyricus.

Reverendissimo in Christo Patri ac Domino

D. Matthæo, Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi suo Domino plurimùm colendo.

Number XIX.

A letter of Bishop Jewel, concerning the lawfulness of marrying two sisters successively.

C. C. C.

AFTER my harty commendations. Whereas ye desire MSS. C. to understand my poor advice touching certain words in the Miscell. B. xviiith chapt. of Leviticus, by which ye think it not unlawful for a man to mary successively his own wives sister, I would ye had rather taken in hand some other matter to defend. For it is not the best way in my judgment, neither in these troublesome and doubtful times, to cal more matters in doubt without just cause, nor in this intemperance and science of life, to open a gate to the breach of laws. I reckon the words in Leviticus, whereupon you ground, are Ver. 18. these, Uxorem et sororem suam ad lacessendam eam, ne ducas, ut retegas turpitudinem ejus, illa adhuc vivente. Which words I know have been diversly construed by divers men, and in some mens judgment seem to sound of your side. Pellican, Paul Fagius, and Lyra, with certain others, think such mariage to be lawful; and that God forbad the having of two sisters in matrimony at one time, both of them being together onlyve. And that for the spightful and continual contention and jealousy which must needs grow betwixt them, as appeared in the example

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