Rogers on Article XXXII: Of the Marriage of Priests

The Propositions.

1. By the word of God it is lawfull for Bishops, and all other ecclesiasticall Ministers, to marrie at their owne discretion.

2. It is lawfull by the word of God for all Christian men, and women to marrie at their owne discretion in the feare of God.

1. Proposition. By the word of God it is lawfull for Bishops, and all other ecclesiasticall ministers, to marrie, at their owne discretion.

The proofe from Gods word.

NEither the single, nor the wedded life is enioined any man, much lesse any calling of men by the word of God. And that ecclesiasticall ministers in particular may marry, it is euident both from the old, and the newe Testament.

From the old Testament, both by the Commandements giuen vnto the Priests for the choise of their wiues¹, and by the examples also of the religious Priests, as Aaron², Eli³, Zacharias ⁴, &c. & Prophets, which were all married, as it is thought except Ieremie.

From the newe Testament, by the words of S. Paul, who saith, A Bishop must be the husband of one wife; one that hath childrē vnder obediēce ⁵. An Elder must be vnreproueable: the husband of one wife; hauing faithfull children ⁶. Deacons must be the husbands of one wife; and haue wiues that be honest, not euill speakers &c. ⁷. and by the example of Peter ⁸, Paul, ⁹, yea of the Apostles ¹⁰, who were all married men, Iohn the Euangelist onely except, as some thinke.

All sincere Churches, and professors subscribe hereunto ¹¹.

Adversaries vnto this truth.

And none of Gods churches, or people be of the mind.

Either of the vigilantians, that all, and euerie one of the Clerge, is necessarily to marrie, or not to be admitted for a Minister ¹².

Or of the Iouinians, whose Elect, or Preists might not marrie ¹³.

Or of the Papists who teach, that.

From the Apostles time it was neuer lawfull for Priests to marrie ¹⁴.

The three orders of Deacons, Subdeacons, and Preists are bound not to marrie ¹⁵.

After Orders to marrie it is not lawfull ¹⁶; it is to turne back vnto Satan, and Apostacie ¹⁷.

None may be a priest, though hee will vowe a single life, if he haue bin a married man ¹⁸.

For a priest to play the whore-maister it is lesse offence then to take a wife. This was the speech of Cardinall Campeius ¹⁹ And most infamous is the Romish Clergie for their vnclean, and vncontinent. Hence written is it Of Pope Paul the 2. Anxia testiculos Pauli, ne Roma requiras, Filia huic nata est; haec docet esse m[?]rem Of Pope Innocent the 8: Bis quattuor Nocens genuit puellulos, Totidem sed et Nocens genuit puellulas. O’ Roma, possis hunc meritó dicere Patrem. Of Pope Alex. the 6: Non spado Alexander fuerat, Lucretia nempe Illius coniux nata nurus que fuit: Of the Priests: Multi vos sanctos, multi vos dicere Patres Gaudent, et vobis nomina tanta placent, Ast ego vos sanctos non possum dicere, Patres Possum, cùm natos vos genuisse sciam. Of the Iesuites: With women yee lie not, but with Males rather, Speake Iesuit, how canst thou be a Father? &c. ²⁰.

2. Proposition. It is lawfull by the word of God for all Christian men, and women, to marrie at their owne discretion, in the feare of God.

The proofe from Gods word.

The Spirite of God saith vnto men, and women in all ages,

Bring foorth fruite, and multiplie, and fill the earth²¹.

Marriage is honorable among all men, and the bed vndefiled ²².

To auoide fornication, let euery man haue his wife; and euery woman haue her husband ²³.

If they cannot abstaine, let them marrie ²⁴.

Notwithstanding, in saying that Christians may marrie at their discretion, the meaning is not, that any may marry, if they thinke good, either within the degrees of kinred, and affinitie, prohibited by wholesome lawes; or without the consent of parents, or of others in the roome of parents if they be vnder tuition; or to other ends then God hath praefixed.

So testifie with vs the reformed Churches ²⁵.

Errors & Adversaries to this truth.

Greatly hath this truth bin crossed, and contradicted. For

Some, leaue it not to men, and womens discretions, but compell them whether they will, or no to marrie: so did the Ossenes ²⁶.

Some vtterly doe condemne marriage; as did the Gnostikes ²⁷; the Hieracites ²⁸; the Priscillianistes ²⁹; the Montanistes ³⁰; the Saturnians ³¹; the Aerians ³²; the Apostolikes ³³.

Some allowe of the wedded life: yet not in all sorts of persons. For

The Papistes forbid all Clergie men to marrie ³⁴: as also all Godfathers, Godmothers, and whosoeuer be of spirituall kinred ³⁵.

Some will haue none to marrie but Virgins, and single persons; as the Henricians ³⁶.

Some condemne all alteration of marriage, or twice marrying, the husband or wife being dead; such haeretickes were the Catharans ³⁷. &c.

Some would haue women, though married, to be all common, as the Nicolaitans ³⁸, and Daui-georgians ³⁹.

Some will nor marrie according to Gods ordinance, but thinke that one man, at one, and the same time, may haue manie wiues. In which were the Hermogenians ⁴⁰; and are the Ohinites ⁴¹.

Footnotes

1. Leuit. 21.7. ↩

2. Leuit. 22.1. ↩

3. 1. Sam. 3.13.
   ↩

4. Luke 1.5. ↩

5. 1. Tim. 3.
   ↩

6. Tit. 1.5.6. ↩

7. 1. Tim. 2.11.12.
   ↩

8. Matth. 8.14. ↩

9. Phil. 4.3. ↩

10. 1. Cor. 9.5.
    ↩

11. Confes. Helue. 1. ar. 37. & 2. c. 29. Basil. ar. 10. §. 1.2. Bohem. c. 9.19. Gal. ar. 24. Aug. de abus. Saxon. ar. 18.21. Vittemb. c. 21.26. Sue. c. 12. ↩

12. D. Hiero. advers. Vigil. c. 1. ↩

13. D. Aug. epist. 74. ↩

14. Maioran. cly. milit. eccles. ↩

15. Test. Rhem. annot. m.p. 571. ↩

16. Ibid. an. 1. Tim. 3.2. ↩

17. Ibid. an. 1. Tim. 5.15. ↩

18. Ib[?]d. an. 1. Tim. 3.2. ↩

19. Sicida[?] com. 1. Tim. 5.9. l. 4. ↩

20. Iesuits catech. 2. B. cap. 15. p. 114. b. ↩

21. Gen. 1.27.28 ↩

22. Heb. 13.4. ↩

23. 1. Cor. 7.2.
    ↩

24. Ibid. 9. ↩

25. Confess. Helue. 1. ar. 37. & 2. c. 29. Bohem. c. 19. Gal. ar. 24. August. de abus. ar. 4.5. Saxon. ar. 18. VVittemb. c. 21.26. Sue. c. 22. ↩

26. Heyde. discrip vrbis Hicrusal. l. 3. ↩

27. D. J[?]en. ↩

28. August. de haeres. ↩

29. Leg. epist. 93. c. 7. ↩

30. Euseb. ↩

31. Epiphan. ↩

32. Philastr. ↩

33. Epiphan. ↩

34. Test. Rhem. annot. 1. Tim. 5.9. ↩

35. See aboue ar. 25. pr. 8. ↩

36. Magde. ec. hist. Cen. 12. c. 5 ↩

37. D. August. de haeres. ↩

38. D. Iren. ↩

39. Hist. D. Georgii. ↩

40. Tertul. adu[?]. Hermog. ↩

41. Beza epist. 5.0.11. ↩