Welchman on Article XXXII: Of the Marriage of Priests

lifications the Wives of Presbyters and Deacons ought to have it follows, that it is lawful for the Clergy to marry, —See 1 Cor. ix. 5. Have we not Power to lead about a Sifter, a Wife, as well as other Apostles, and as the Brethren of the Lord and Cephas? And 1 Tim. iii. 11. Even so must their Mives be grave, &c. And Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is honourable in All, |

Tertullian, a married Preshyter, wrote two Books to a Wife; in the first of which, Ch. 7. He intimates that he had made use of the Rites of Matrimony, saying : * Why don’t e endeavour, as much as we can, after. the Faculty of « Continence ? If ever it happens to be in our Power, let us perfectly attain it; that so in the Time of Widowhood * we may wholly dedicate ourselves to that which in a mar-

<« ried State is not altogether practicable.” And St. Cyprian Epil. 53

does not find fault with Novatus, a Presbyter, for being married, but for having committed Parricide, by striking his Wife’s Belly so violently with his Heel as to cause her instantly to fall in Labour, and bring forth a dead Child,

See also Jewel’s Def. Apol. Part II. Ch. 8. Div. 1. Hall’s Letter to J/hiting, Dec. II. Epist. III. and, Honour of the Married Clergy. Patric#‘s Answ. tothe Touchstone, Sect. 4. Treatise of the Celibacy of theClergy. Field of the Church, B. V. + 575 58. Masmn de Min. Angl. B. II. 1 8.

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Of Excommunicate Persons, how they

are to be avoided.