VIII. Because it is more profitable, especially for them that live in matri-

mony, that he which heareth the confession of the one, should hear also the confession of the other ; so that one hearing the confession of them both, as a spiritual physician taking two cures in one body, he may better know what spiritual counsel is to be administered to the one, after he had cured the other, S:c.
'6. ihese things thus proved, Armachanus then proceedeth to the third part, xhird arguing how that greater detriments and inconveniences do ensue by confes- pa" of sions, burials, and other ecclesiastical functions exercised by the friars, than by ^^^^ Jp^. those exercised by pastors and secular cm-ates, serving in parishes ; about which elusion matter the said Armachanus learnedly and worthily inferreth a long discourse, argued, proving and inferring how pernicious these orders of friars are to the whole state of the chmxh, and what mischief cometh by the privileges of certain popes, who have privileged them to intermeddle in the office and function of ecclesiastical ministers, to preach, and to take alms and tithes of the people, and impropriations from the church. All his reasons and arguments to prosecute in oi-der as he hath left them in writing, would make a matter for a large book. Notwithstanding, because it shall not be unfruitfiil both for the time present, and for posterity, to know the manifold detriments and discommodities received from these friars, and to know what great benefit God hath done for us in unburdening the church of this monstrous generation ; and especially because the book of Armachanus is rarely to be found, entitled, " Defcnsorium Curato- nun," I have briefly therefore contracted out of the same certain of his reasons, such as seemed most pertinent and \vorthy of noting.
And first, alleging the authority of Innocent IV., he importeth four incon- veniences rising by the friars, which be these : contempt of the people against their ordinaries ; decreasing of devotion ; taking away of shame from the people by confessing to the triars ; detaining of oblations, such as the people are wont to give at their confessions and burials, and which by right belong to the parish churches.
Item, Bv the said privileges of the popes, granted to the friars, many other great enormities do arise. As first, because thereby the true shepherds do not know the faces of their flock.
7G0 OKATION OK AKMACHANITS AGAINST BEGGIXG I'llIAIlS.
Eriuard Item, By tlic occasion of these pri\-ileges given to the friars, great conten- i'^- tion, and sometimes blows arise between the friars and secular curates, about . ,. titles, impropriaticms, and other avails.
, Item, r.y tlie occasion of the aforesaid pnvilep-es, divers young men, as well
^'^^Q- i„ universities as in their fathers' houses, are allured craftily by the friars their
nanus confessors, to enter their orders ; from whence afterwards they cannot get out
that come jj,ou„], tjjpy ^ould, to the great grief of their parents, and no less repentance
IVrld by to the young men themselves. The example whereof Armachaims, in the said
the friars, jjjg treatise, iiiferreth of a certain substantial Englishman being with him at his
ExBrapK- inn in Hon'ie ; who, having a son at the university of Oxford, who was enticed
of the by the friars to enter into their order, could by no means afterwards release
'^h"n '• '''•" I ^"'^ when his father and his mother would come unto him, they could not
Oxford! be s'uUcred to speak with him, but mider the friars' custody ; whereas the
ScriiJtiire commandeth plainly, that whoso stealeth any man and sellcth him
(beinu thereof convicted), shall be put to death [Exod. xxi.] ; and, for the same
caused the father was compelled to come up to Rome to seek remedy for his
son. And thus, saith Amiachanus, it may appear what damage and detriments
come by these friars unto the common people.
Friars And 'no less inconvenience and danger, also, by the said friars ariseth to the
hindcrers clergy ; forasmuch as laymen, seeing their children thus to be stolen from them
°^ "P"." in the universities by the friars, do refuse therefore to send them to their studies ;
versitie.0. ^^^^^^^^, billing to kee"p them at home to their occupation, or to follow the plough,
than so to be circumvented and defeated of their sons at the university, " as
Thirty by daily experience," saith he, " doth manifestly appear." " For whereas in
thousand ^Jv time." saith Amiachanus, " there were in the university of Oxford thirty
fnolTford tliousand students, now are there not to be found six thousand ; the occasion
ill the ' of which so great decay is to be ascribed to no other cause but to this circum-
tiinc of vention only of the friars above mentioned.
chanus. Over and besides this, another inconvenience as great or greater, the said
Friars a Amiachanus infeiTed to proceed by the friars, through the decay of doctrine
preat and knowleilffe in all manner of faculties and liberal sciences, which thus he
decay of declared : for^hat these begging friars, through their privileges obtained of the
learning, popes to preach, to hear confessions, and to bury, and through their charters of
impropriations, did grow, thereby, to such great riches and possessions, by their
begging, craving, catching and' intermeddling with church matters, that no