Caesar as matters committed of trust to you by Christian Princes are nothing else but open and wifâ—ull invasions of other mens rights you changing the names and calling those things Spirituall and Ecâ—lesiasticall which indeede be civill and temporall and shouldering Priâ—ces from their cushins who first suffered Bishops to sir judges in those causes of Honour to their Persons and favour to their sunctions which on your part is but a bad requitall of their Princely graces and benefits He addes S. Paul expressely writeth of the Prince that He beareth the sword not without cause and is Gods minister to revenge him that doth evill And our Saviour severely forbiddeth Peâ—er and the rest of the Apostles to meddle with the sword All that take the sword shall perish by the sword and to them all you know that Kings of Nations raigne â—ver themâ— and they that be great exercise authority with you it shall not be so The sword is but the signe of publicke and Princely power and where the thing is not lawfull the signe is unlawfull Since then the Lord interdicteth his Apostles and messengers all Princely power it is evident the sword which is â—ut a signe thâ—reof is likewise interdicted them Thus much Bernard sticketh not to tell Pope Eugenius to his face It is the Lords voice in the Gospell Kings of Nations are Lords over them and they that have power over them are called gratious and the Lord inferreth you shall not be so It is a cleare case the Apostles are forbidden dominion Gâ— thou then saith Bernard to the Pope and usurpe if thou dâ—re either an Apostleship if thou be a Prince or dominion if thou be Apostolike Thou art expresly forbidden one of them If thou wilt have both thou shalt lose both The patterne of an Apostle is this Dominion is interdicted service is enjoyned Gird thy selfe with thy sword the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God And this Pope Nicholas fairely confesseth The Church of God hath no sword but the spirituall wherewith she quickneth shee killeth not Your owne Law saith It is easily proved of Bishops and other Clergy mâ—n whatsoever that they may not either by their owne authority or by the authority of the Bishop of Româ— take weapon in hand and excercise the materiall sword and addeth his reason For every man besides him and his authority which hath lawfull â—â—wer and which as the Apostle saith beareth the sword not without cause to whom every soule ought to be subject every man I say that without his authority taketh the sword shall perish with the sword He that beareth the sword may lawfully put malefactors to death and wage warre with his enemies when need so requireth which Bishops may not doe The weapons of our warfare are not carnall saith Saint Paul Quid Episcopis cum bello what have Bishops to doe with battle saith Athanasius and Aâ—brose Pugnâ—re non debâ—o I ought not to fight If they may not fight much lesse kill if they may do neither they cannot beare the sword which is appointed by God and received of men to do both The words of our Saviour are cleare with us for the negative My Kingdome saith hee is not of this World if then your Priests Prelates and Popes will be the servants of Christ they must challenge no worldly Kingdome as from him or in his name The servant is not above his Master If the master with his owne mouth have denyed it the servants may not affirme it or usurpe it The souldiers of Christ must not intangle themselves with secular affaires much lesse make themselves Lords and Judge of earâ—hly matters which office properly belongeth to the sword and must be sustained of all those that beare the sword The Popes themselves beâ—ore their power and pride grew so great were of this opinion with us Thus and much more Bishop Bilson to the same effect Not to trouble you with more quotations of this nature which are infinite I shall conclude onely with two more auâ—horities of men of greatest eminence and learning in our Church in Queene Elizabeths later dayes The first of them is Dr. Whitakers Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Cambridge he in his Booke Contra Duâ—eum l. 6. sect 19. Controvers 4. De Ecclesiae regimine Quest. 1. c. 1. sect 1. 2. c. 2. sect 16. Quest. 4. c. 3. sect 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. De notis Ecclesiae qu. 5. c. 6. p 509 and Contr. 2. Concil qu. 3. c. 2. p. 586 587. reciting Saint Ieromes words at large on Titus 1. and to Euagrius concludes with him That in former times Bishops and Presbyters were all one and the same that every where a Presbyter was the same that a Bishop is that ALL Churches were not under the Government of one man but were governed by the Common Counsell of their Presbyters Ecclesiae inquit Jeronymus gubernabantur c. id est VBIQVE OMNES fuit hiâ— MOS Ecclesiarum gubernandarum That this custome was not changed by the Apostles sed POST Ecclesie judicto That Bishops are greater now than Ministers not by divine institution but custome and that humano non divino jure totum â—oc discrimen constat the whole difference betweene them is by humane not by divine Law or right That by ancient and divine right a Presbyter was lesse than a Bishop NIHILO in nothing After which he proceeds thus If the Apostles had changed that order as Sanders pretendeth what had it profited Hierome with so great diligence to have collected testimonies out of the Apostles whereby to shew that they were sometimes the same It might easily come into his memory that this order was changed by the Apostles themselves after the Church was disturbed and torne with discords But wherfore then saith Hierom Before it was said I am of Paul c. the Church was Governed by the Common Councell of Presbyters c. I answer this might deceive Sanders Hierome onely alluded to the place of the Apostle that hee might shew that schismes were the cause of changing this order as hee saith elsewhere that this was done to remedy schismes But this remedy was almost worse than the disease For as at first one Presbyter was set above the rest and made a Bishop so afterwards one Bishop was preferred before the rest and so this custome brought forth the Pope with his Monarchy by little and little and brought it into the Church Ierome so openly oppugneth the Pontificall Hierarchy that the Papists know not what to determine or answere concerning Hierome Michael Medina doubts not to affirme that Ierome was an Hereticke in this kinde and that he held the very same opinion that Aerius did verily Hierome was of the same opinion with Aerius whereby we may the lesse regard that Aerius is so often objected to us AB INSULSIS HOMINIBUS
to the Pope But what say you to your Oath made unto your Prince wherein you sweare that you shall be faithfull and true and beare unto him above all creatures love and favour to live and to dye with him and to open him all manner of Counsells that may be hurtfull unto his grace Now it is well knowne that the Pope hath done and dayly doth handle such Counsells as be against our Princes honour and conversation And yet you may neither tell it to your Prince nor let it and why because you be sworne to the Pope and forsworne to your Prince Tell me when any thing was opened unto our Prince by you that the Pope had handled in counsell against our Prince Of this thing I will take record of his Noble grace whether I say true or falseâ— and yet must I be accused of Treason And why because you are sworne to the Pope and I am true to the King It followeth I will helpe to defend and maintaine the Papistry of Rome against all men saving mine order And in your new Oath now in our days made is added The regalls of Saint Peter What and in all men be contained your Prince you must needes defend him And why because ye be sworne to the Pope and forsworne to your Prince For your Oath to your Prince is to defend him with all your wit and reason against all men now must you forsake one of them and your practise hath beene alwayes to forsake your Prince and sticke to the Pope for of your Oath made to your Prince you have been oftentimes assoiled And as your Law saith the Church of Rome is 〈◊〉 so to doe But of your Oath made unto the Pope there is no absolution neither in heaven nor earth Neither was it ever read heard nor seene that there could be any dispensation for it Let me be reported by all the Bookes that ever were written and by all the Bulls that ever were granted and by all the experience that ever was used and if I be found false let me be blamed and yet I am sure many men will reckon that I speake uncharitably but I would faine learne of all Charitable men in England with what other English words I could declare this intolerable or subtile treason thus long and shamefully used agâ—inst my Prince which is necessary to be knowne And I am compelled by violence to declare both my conâ—ession and learning in this cause For men hath not beene ashamed to report that I would which am but a wretch and poore simple wonne and not able to kill a Cat though I would doe my utteâ—most to make insurrection against my Noble and mighty Prince whom as God knoweth I doe honour worâ—hip love and favour to the uttermost power of my heart and am not satisfied because it is no more This I speake afore God Let him be mercifull unto me as it is true and if I were not so true in my heart it were not possible for me so earnestly to write against them whom I doe reckon to handle unfaithfully and untruely with their Prince yea against both Gods law and mans law The very truth is I can suffer through Gods grace all manner of wrongs injuries and slanders but to be called an hereticke against God or a Traytor against my Priâ—ce he liveth not but I will say he lyeth and will be able so to prove him if I may be reported by my workes or deedes by my conversation or living or by any thing that ever I did and I dare say as much of my self notwithstanding our Prelates slanders of me But unto my purpose the Bishops doth swear one Oath to the Pope another contrary to their Prince And yet they will be taken for good and faithfull children And I poore man must be condemned and all my workes for Heresiâ— and no man to reade them under the paine of Treason And why because I write against their perjurie toward their Prince But how commeth Saint Peter by these regales that you are sworne to defend seeing that he was never no King but a Fisher All the world knoweth that Regalia belongeth to Kings and to like power of Kings Why are you noâ— rather sworne to defend Peters net and his Fisherie the which things hee both had and used and never regalls But these things will not maintaine the holy Church of Rome and therefore yee sweare not to maintaine them But what meane you by that sentence Saving mine order why say you not saving my Kings pleasure your glosse saith you may not defend these things with weapons But oh Lord God what unshamefulnesse is this thus to delude with words all the whole world Men knoweth that when the Pope hath neede of your helpe there is no men sooner in Armes than you are if you call Armes Harneys Bylles and Glaves swords and gunnes and such other things Doe you not remember how soone the Bishop of Norwich Henry Spenser was in Armes to defend Popâ— Vrban it were but folly to recite examples In the yeare of our Lord 1164. was there a controversie betweene the Kings Grace and the Bishops of England for certaice Prerogatives belonging to the King Wherefore the King required an Oath and a confirmation of the Bishops as concerning those Articles prerogatives But answere was made of the Bishops that those prerogatives cum omnibus pravitatibus in regio scripâ—o contentis were of none effect nor strength because they did forbid to appeale to the Court of Rome unlesse the King gave licence And because that no Bishop might goe at the Popesâ— calling out of the Realme without the Kings assent And because the Clerkes should be convented in criminall causes a fore a temporall Judge And because the King would heare matters as concerning tithes and other Spirituall causes And because that it was against the See of Rome and the dignity of the same that a Bishop should be convented afore the King Briefely they would not be under the King but this addition should be set unto it Salvo honore Dei Ecclesiiae Romanae ordine nostro that is we will be under your grace saving the honour of God of the Church of Rome and of our order the cause why they did except these things was this as they themselves grant For Kings received their authorities and power of the Church but the Church receiveth her authority of Christ onely wherefore they conclude that the King cannot command over Bishops nor absolve any of them nor to judge of tithes nor of Churches neither yeâ— to forbid Bishops the handling of any spirituall cause Is not here a marveilous blindnesse and obstinacie against their Prince They will make it against Gods honour to obey their King and are not ashamed to say in the Kings face that his power is of them But I pray you whether was Kings before Bishops or Bishops before Kings you shall finde
life This Prelate dying when he was brought to Lincolne to be interred Iohn King of England and William King of Scots were met there with an infinite company of Nobility of both Realmes The two Kings for the great reverence they bare to his holinesse who yet gave no â—everence at all to Kings as you have formerly heard would needs set their shoulders to the beare and helped to carry his course from the gates of the City untill it came to the Church doore where the Prelates themselves received and carried it into the Quire and buâ—yed him in the body of the East end of the Church ABOVE THE HIGH ALTAR which therefore stood not close to the East wall in those times but some good distance from it neere the Altar of Saint Iohn Hugh Walis or de Wils his next successour in this See but one Anno 1209. notwithstanding King Iohn refused to receive Stephen Langhton that arch-traytor for Archbishop of Canterbury and commanded this Bishop to repaire to the Archbishop of Rhoan for consecration from him and not to receive it from Langhton in contempt of this his Soveraignes command got him to Langhton and received consecration from him whereupon the King seised on all his temporalties and kept him fasting from them foure yeeres and then restored them After this he joyned both with the Barons and Lewis the French King who came to conquer the Realme against his naturall Soveraigne For which treasons he was onely excommunicated by the Pope and not absolved till he had paid the Pope one thousand marks and a hundred markes to his Legate Divers other of our Prelates were fined for the same cause and that so deepely as they were compelled to sell all they had to purchase the Kings favour Anno Dom. 1252. King Henry the third in a Parliament held at London getting a grant from the Pope of the tenths due to the Church to be received of him for three yeeres towards the charges of his journey into the holy Land to rescue it from the Saracens demanded these tenths of the spiritualtie But the Bishops and especially Robert Grosâ—head Bishop of Linâ—olne utterly refused to be contributary to this grant They alledged sundry reasons for their excuse as the poverty of the English Church being already made bare with continuall exactions and oppressions but chiefly they excused themselves by the absence of the Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorke of whom the one was beyond the Sea and the other at home in the North parts All the other Bishops were there except Hereâ—ord and Chester who was sicke and therefore without the consent of those that were absent and namely their Primate of Canterbury they could not conclude any generall poynt touching the Kings demand And although the King fretted and stormed against them yet could he not bring them to his purpose so as the Parliament was for that time dissolved Yet before their departure from London the King communed with them apart to see if he could get some money towards his charges but they had tuned their strings all after one notâ— discording all from his Tenor so that not a penny could be got of them wherefore he tooke high displeasure against them reviling them in most reproachfull manneâ— and amongst other he reviled his halfe brother the elect of Winchester taxing him of great unthankfulnesse who also among the residue stood against him Anno 1257. they denyed the King a Subsidie againe there being saith Holinshed a great untoward disposition in the Subjects of that time for the helping of their King with a necessary ayd of money towards such great charges as he had bin by divers wayes occasioned to be at Befoâ—e this Anno 1250. this Bishop excommunicated a Priest for incontinency who continuing for some daies without seeking to be reconciled the Bishop sent to the Sheriffe of Rutland within whose Bayliwicke the Priest dwelt to apprehend him as a disodient and rebellious person who not executing the Bishops commandement the Bishop thereupon excommunicates the Sheriffe whereof the King being informed tooke displeasure and sending to the Pope procured an inhibition that no Archbishop or Bishop should compell any Officer of the King to follow any suit before them for those things that appertaine to the Kings jurisdiction or give sentence against them for the same This Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne Anno 1246. upon the suggestion of the Friers Predicants and Minorites raged more then was meet or expedient against those of his Dâ—ocesse making strict inquisition in his Bishopricke by his Archdeacons and Deanes concerning the chastity and manners as well of Noble as ignoble upon oath to the enormious hurt and scandall of the reputations of many Which had never beene accustomed to be done before The King hearing the grievous complaints of his people against these Innovations did thereupon by the advice of his Counsell and Courts of Justice send a Writ to the Sheriffe of Hertford in these words Henry by the grace of God King of England c. We command thee that as thou lovest thy selfe and all things that are thine that thou from henceforth suffer not any Laymen of â—hy Baylywicke to assemble together in any place at the will of the Bishop of Lincolne or of his Archdeacons Officials or rurall Deanes to make any acknowledgments or attestations upon their oath unlesse in cases of Matrimony and testament And the very next yeere following in pursurance thereof the King by Parliament enacted and commanded these things ensuing to be inviolably observed That if any Lay men were convented before an Ecclesiasticall Iudge for breach of faith and perjury that they shouâ—d be prohibited by the King And that the Ecclesiasticall Iudge should be prohibited to hold plea of all causes against Laymen unlesse they were of Matrimony and Testament All which Matthew Paris precisely relates Which prohibition and statute nullified the constitution of Oâ—ho and hindered this Bishops innovation whereupon that insolent traytorly Martiall Archbishop of Canterbury Boniface better skilled in affaires of a Campe then of the Church Anno 1256. but nine yeeres after this prohibition and forenamed statute published this peremptory audacious constitution in affront of them both Statuimus quod Laici ubi de subditorum pecâ—â—tis excessibus corrigendis per Praelatos Ecclesiasticos judices inquiritur ad praestandum de veritate dicenda juramentum per excommunicationis sententias si opus fuâ—rit compellantur impedientes verò ne hujusmodi juramentum praestetur for the Judges with many otheâ—s then generally oppugned and hindred the ushering in of this Innovation per interdicti excommunicationis sententiam arceantâ—â— To evacuate which exorbitant illegall constitution meant onely of witnesses not of Churchwardens Sidemen or Stangers oathes as the Glosse of Lindwood who records it resolves in expresse termes trenching both upon the peoples liberties and the Courts of Justice too the Judges frequently granted out sundry
generall prohibitions to all or most of the Sheriffes of England as is evident by the Râ—gister of Writs Fitz herberts natura Brevium Rastall and others commanding the Sheriffe to inhibite Bishops and their Officers to cite Laymen before them to take an oath in any case whatsoever except of Matrimony or Testament only and not to suffer the people to appeare before them to take such oathes The continuer of Matthew Paris his History of England p. 966 967. writes of this Bishop of Lincolne That Simon Earle of Leicester who most opposed Henry the third and warred against him adhered to him and delivered his children to him to be educated That by his counsell tractabat ardua tentabat dubia finivit inchoata ea maximè per quae meritum sibi succrescere aestimabat And this Bishop is said to have enjoyned the Earle in remisâ—ion of his sinnes that he should undertake this cause of the Barons against the King for which he contended even unto death affirming that the peace of the Church of England could not be established but by the materiall Sword and that all who died for it should be crowned with martyrdome And some say that this Bishop laying his hand sometimes on the head of this Earles â—ldest sonne said unto him Oh my deere sonne both thâ—u and thy father shall both die in one day and with one kind of death yet for justice and vâ—rity Such an animater was he both of rebellion and warres Henry Lexinton the next Bishop of this See Anno 1257. offered some kind of hard measure unto the University of Oxford by infringing certaine liberties thâ—t of old belonged unto it For redresse hereof they were forced to make their complaint unto the King lying then at S. Albons and sent nine Masters of Art to the Court for that purpose Matthew Paris a Monkâ— of S. Albons was present at the delivery of the petition and as himselfe writeth was bold to sâ—ep unto the King using these speeches to him in private I beseech your Grace even for Gods sake to have compassion upon the Church now tottering and in great danger of utter subversion The Vniversity of Paris the nurse of â—o many excellent and famous Prâ—lates is now greatly troubled If the Vniversity of Oxford be disquieted and moleâ—ted also especially at this time being the second Vniversity of Christendome and even another foundation of the Church it is much to be feared leaâ—â— it cause a generall confusion and uâ—â—â—r ruine of the whole Church God forbid said the King that that should happen especially in my time I will endeavour to prevent it I doubt not he was as good as his word for I finde no more mention of any further stirres This I have thought good the rather to set downe to shew what was the reputation of our University of Oxford in those daies and what indignities this Bishop offered to it to cause a publike combustion Henry Burwash the 15. Bishop of Lincolne though advanced to that See by King Edward the second his speciall favour within two yeeres after his consecration for some contempts and misdemeanors he fell so faire into the Kings displeasure that his temporalties were seized upon into the Kings hands for two yeeres space Anno 1324. they were restored to him againe and he to the Kings favour but the grudge thereof so stâ—cke in his stomacke as the Queene rising against her husband seeking to depose him as afterward shee did no man was so forward to take her part no man was so eager against the King his undoubted true and naturall Prince as this Bishop Thomas Walfingham writes that almost all the Prelates joyned with the Queene against the King precipuè c. but especially the Bishop of Lincolne Hâ—reford Dublin and Ely who raised a great Army for herâ— others and principally the Archbishop oâ— Canterbury â—urnished her with money and when the Queene had taken the King prisoner Anno 1327. keeping her Châ—istmas aâ— Walâ—ingford the Archbishop of Canterbury and Yâ—rke the Bishop of Winchâ—ster whom she mâ—de Lord Treâ—surer the Biâ—hâ—p of Norwich her Lord Chaâ—cellour this good Bishop of Lincolne the Bishops of Ely Coventry and other Prelates kâ—pt their Christmas with her with great honour joy and triumph whence comming to Westminster prâ—sently after Twelftide they assembled in Parliament deposed the King from his Crowne and elected his sonne in his steed to which election the Archbishop of Canterbury there present consented ET OMNES PRAELATI and all the Prelates the Archbishop making an oration to them to confirme and justifie this election taking for his text Vox Populi vox Dei Such good Subjects were all the Archbishops and Bishops at that time and this Prelate one of the ringleaders who not content thus to spoyle his Soveraigne of his Crown Kingdome and life too not long after making a new Paâ—ke at Tyinghurst he inclosed in the same ground belonging to divers poore men his tenants for which he had many a bitter curse of them whereupon it is reported that after his death he appeared to one of his Gentlemen in the likenesse of a Keeper with a Bow and Arrowes in his hand a horne by his side and a greene jerkin on his backe telling him that for the injurious enclosing of that Parke he was appointed to the keeping of the same there to be tormented till it were disparked againe desiring him to intreat the Canons of Lincolne his brethren that this wrong done by him by their good meanes might be righted who upon this information sent one William Batchellour of their Company to see it utterly disparked which was effected Anno 1351. the Univeâ—sity of Oxford presented unto Iohn Synwall Bishop of Lincolne unto whose jurisdiction Oxford then appertained one William Palmarin for theiâ— Chancellour and prayed him to admit him The Bishop I know not for what cause delayed hâ—s admission from time to time and enforced the University to complaine of this hard dealing unto the Archbishop He presently set downe a day wherein he enjoyned the Bishop to admit this Chancellour or else to render a reason of his refusall At the time appointed the Proctours of the University were ready together with this William Palmorie to demand admission And when the Bishop of Lincolne came not trusting belike to this priviledge procured from Rome to exempâ— himsâ—lfe his authority and jurisdiction the Archbishop causes his Chancellour Iohn Carâ—ton Deane of Wels to admit him writ to the Uniuersity to receive him and cited the Bishop to answer before him for his contempt He appealed to the Pope would not come and for his contumacy was convicted Much money was spent in this suite afterwards at Rome The event was that the Archbishop prevailed and the others priviledge was by speciall order of the Pope revoked who also granted unto the University at the same time that the Chancellour hereafter should onely be elected by the
though maliciously placed that the King tooke yet more offence with him than before insomuch that he led him with him into the Parliament house for then was that Court holden and there before the Lords accused him of no small misdemeanor towards his person by his rude and threatning speeches but the Bishop eagerly denieth the Kings Obiections which he still avoucheth upon his Honour and in the end confirmes his Allegations by Witnesses whereupon he was banished from the Kings presence during his naturall life by verdict of that House In the meane time the Dutchesse hearing what was done beginneth anew to be dealing with him and in a brabling fray betweene their servants one of her men were slaine for which the Bishop was called before the Magistrate as chiefe accessary unto the fact but he fearing the sequell of his third cause by his successe had in the two first hideth himselfe after he had sold all his moveables and committed his money unto his trusty friends and being found guilty by the Inquest the King seizeth upon his possessions and calleth up the Bishop to answer unto the trespasse To be short upon safe conduct the Bishop commeth to the Kings presence where he denieâ—h that he was accessary to the fact either before at orafter the deede committed and thereupon craveth to be tried by his Peeres But this Petition is in vaine for sentence passeth against him also by the Kings owne mouth whereupon hee craveth helpe of the Archbishop of Canterbury and priviledges of the Church hoping by such meanes to be solemnly rescued But they fearing the Kings displeasure who bare small favour to the Cleargie of his time gave over to use any such meanes but rather willed him to submit himselfe to the Kings mercy which he refused standing upon his innocencie from the first unto the last Finally growing into chollor that the malice of a woman should so prevaile against him hee writeth to Rome requiring that his Case might be heard there as a place wherein greater Justice saith he is to be looked for than is to be found in England upon the perusall of these his Letters also his accusers were called thither but for so much as they appeared not at their peremptory times they were excommunicated Such of them also as died before their reconciliations were taken out of the Church-yards and buried in the Fields and Dunghills Vnde timor turba saith my Note in Anglia For the King inhibited the bringing in and receipt of all Processes Bulls and whatsoever instruments should come from Rome Such also as adventured contrary to this Prohibition to bring them in were either dismembred of some joynt or hanged by the neckes which rage so incensed the Pope that hee wrote in very vehement manner to the King of England threatning farre greater curses except hee did the sooner stay the fury of the Lady reconcile himselfe unto the Bishop and finally make him amends for all his losses sustained in these bâ—oyles Long it was yeâ— that the King would be brought to peace neverthelesse in the end he wrote to Rome about a reconciliation to be had betweene them but yeâ— all things were concluded God himselfe did end the quarrell by taking away the Bishop Anno 1388. the Nobles being assembled at Westminster said to King Richard the second that for his honour and the weale of the Kingdome it behoved that Traytors Whisperers Flatterers Malefactorsâ— Backbitersâ— and unprofitable persons should be banished out of his Palace and company and others substituted in their places who knew were willing to serve him more honourably faithfully which when the King had granted Licet merens they determined that Alexander Nevell Archbishop of Yorkeâ— Iohn Fordham then Bishop of Durham and afterwards of this See of Ely Thomas Rushoke the Kings Confessor Bishop of Chichester who being conscious to himselfe fled away and hid in Yorkeshire Richard Clifford Nicholas Lake Deane of the Kings Chappell all Clergy men whose words did many things in the Court should be removed all these they sent to divers prisons to be strictly gardedâ— till they should come to their answers the next Parliament Nicholas West Bishop of Ely in Henry the eigâ—h his dayes who kept daily an hundred servants in his house to attend him and gave them great wages fell into the Kings displeasure for some matters concerning his first marriage who for griefe thereof fell sicke and died Thomas Thirlby was advanced by Queene Mary not onely to the Bishoppricke of Ely but also made of her privy Councell After her death for resisting obstinatly the reformation intended by our gracious Soveraigne Queene Elizabeth hee was committed to the Tower and displaced from his Bishoppricke by Parliamentâ— Having endured a time of imprisonment neither very sharpe nor very long his friends easily obtained license for him and the late Secretary Roxall to live in the Archbishops house where they had also the company of Bishop Tunstall till such time he died To these I might adde Bishop Buckeridge Bishop White and Bishop Wren late Prelates of this Sea who occasioned much mischiefe and distraction in our Church and State but I shall referre them to another placeâ— and passe on to the Prelates of Exeter Exeter About the yeare 1257. Walter Bronscome 12. B of Exeter had a Fryer to his Chaplaine and Confessor which died in his house of Bishops Clift and should have beene buried at the Parish Church of Farringdon because the said house was and is in that Parish but because the Parish Church was somewhat farre off the wayes fouleâ— the weather rainy or for some other causes the Bishop commanded the corps to be carried to the Parish Church of Sowton then called Clift Fomeson which is very neere and bordereth upon the Bishops Lordship the two Parishes there being devided by a little Lake called Clift At this time one Fomeson a Gentleman was Lord and Patron of Clift Fomeson and he being advertized of such a buriall towards his Parish and a leach way to be made over his Land without his leave or consent requited therein calleth his Tenants together goeth to the bridge over the Lake betweene the Bishops Land and his there meeteth the Bishops men bringing the said corpsâ— and forbiddeth them to come over the water The Bishops men nothing regarding this Prohibition doe presse forwards to come over the water and the others doe withstand so long that in the end my Lords Fryer is fallen into the water The Bishop taketh this matter in such griefe that a holy Fryer a religious man his own Chaplaine and Confessor should so unreverently be cast into the water that he falleth out with the Gentleman and upon what occasion I know not he sueth him in the Law and so vexeth and tormenteth him that in the end he was faine to yeeld himselfe to the Bishops devotion and seeke all the wayes he could to curry the Bishops good will
Primate of Scoâ—land at what time he was not withstood by any of the oâ—her Bishops who being estranged from shewing any favour to Graham did often inâ—ringe his authority and in the end expelled the same Graham from his Archiepiscopall See After which in the yeare of Christ 1482. This Archbishop Schewes fled into his owne Country and after at the request of the King resigned his Archbishopricke contenting himselfe with the Bishopricke of Murry Andrew Steward Uncle to King Iames the third was upon the resignation of William Schews made Archbishop of Saint Andrewes after which in the yeare of Christ 1484. the King sent this Archbishop Embassadour to Rome for the obtaining of certaine priviledges which he brought to effect In the yeare of Christ 1491. in the time of King Iames the fourth about the third yeare of his Raigne was great contention betweene the Archbishops of Saint Andrewes and Glascow touching both their Authoritiesâ— Which when it had drawne many of the Nobility into divers factions it was ceased by the King for a certaine time untill all doubt thereof might be taken away by deciding the same by the Canon Law before Ecclesiasticall Judges Then in the yeare of Christ 1507. being about the nineteenth yeare of Iames the fourth the Bishop of Saint Andrewes with the Earle of Arrane were sent Embassadors into France Alexander Steward Bastard Sonne to King Iames the fourth was made Archbishop of Saint Andrewes in the yeare of Christ 1510. About the 22. yeare of the Raigne of the same Iames the fourth This man having long studyed with Erasmus in Germany and in the Low Countries was advanced to this See of the Arch bishopricke when he was yet in Flaunders who having intelligence thereof by his friends came forthwith into Scotland where he was joyfully received by the King the Nobility and his kindred He was slaine together with his Father King Iames the fourth and a Scottish Bishop more at Ploden field in the yeare of Christ 1513. The Cardinall of Scotland promised the Scots Heaven for the destruction of Englandâ— Perhaps they might obtaine it by their deaths but they got no more English earth then would interre their slaine bodies After which Iohn Hepburne Prior of Saint Andrewes strongly besieged the Castle of Saint Andrewes and forced the same to be yeelded unto him the cause of whiâ—h besiege grew that Hepburne being chosen Bishop of Saint Andrewes by his Canons of that Church whereunto the whole Nobility were helpers was hindered to possesse that Archbishopricke by such stipendary people of Gawine Dowglasse as kept the Castle whereupon the Queene and the Earle of Angus after that they understood how the Castle was by force come into the hands of Hepburne did take in evill part that he who was so troublesome unto them should ascend to so high a dignity and that Gâ—wine Dowglasse so deerely to them beloved and to whom they had given that Bishopricke should be helplesse of the recovery thereof Whereupon the Queene and the Duke of Albany diligently laboured by Embassadours sent to Rome that a third person sith Gawin Dowglasse could not obtaine it might be advanced thereunto which third man was Andrew Forman Bishop of Murry further requiring therewithall that he might be Abbot of Dumfermling and Aberbroth which in the end with much intreaty they obtained of the Pope Andrew Forman Bishop of Murry was at Edenburgh by the Popes Bulls on the eighth of the Kalends of Ianuary in the yeare of Christ 1515. being about the second yeare of the Raigne of Iames the fifth declared Archbishop of Saint Andrewes and Abbot of Dumfermeling and Aberbroth Whereupon the Prior of Sainâ— Andrewes before named still contending that he was Archbishop both in respect of the election of the Coven and the consent of the Nobility did labour all he could against Forman appealing him to Rome for which cause he with the Lord Hales and other his friends come to Edenburgh to defend the matter at what time the Lord Hume Chamberlaine of Scotland and such others as openly assisted Forman did oppose themselves against the Prior which Nobility because they were great in the Court did the more molest and hinder Hepburne shortly after by publike Edict and Proclamation of the King banishing the Prior and his followers proclaiming them Rebels and putting them to the home Hepburne being stricken with the sharpenesse of that Precept did privily depart the Towne and the Prior went to Rome hoping by the Popes authority to wrest from Forman the Archbishopricke which he could not obtaine by violence But how he sped at Rome I doe not know for I onely finde this that in the yeare following being the yeare of Christ 1516. about the third yeare of the same Iames the fifth that the Governour perceiving that all these contentions hatreds and divisions of the Nobility did arise by these bralls which were betweene Forman and Hepburne for the See of Saint Andrewes to the great diâ—quieting of the Realme by such part-takings as chanced thereabouts among the Lords desired to cure this grievous wound made in the Common-wealth Wherefore he perswaded Andrew Forman that he should resigne all his Ecclesiasticall Benefices into his hands in an open assembly at Edenburgh for by that meanes the Governour thought that he might pacifie the minds of the Nobility and utterly rout out those branches of dissention Whereupon there was a day appointed to the Nobility to assemble at what time Andrew Forman freely resigned to the Governour the Duke of Albanie all his Ecclesiasticall promotions to be disposed at the Dukes pleasure In consideration thereof the Duke bestowed the Archbishopricke of Saint Andrewes and the Abbey of Dumfermling upon the same Andrew Forman and gave the Bishopricke of Murry to Iames Hepburne greatly favoured of the Earle Bothwell and the Competitor of Forman being thereunto substitute by Iohn Hepburne Pâ—ior of Saint Andrewes in the place of the said Iohn to whom moreover the Duke appointed a yeerely pension of 1000. markes to be paid by the same Forman out of the Abbey of Dumfermling After which about sixe yeares or somewhat leâ—â—e this Forman departed this Life being in the yeare of Christ 1522. and the ninth yeare of King Iames the fifth to whom succeeded Iames Beton Iames Beton Archbishop of Glascow was Chancellor in the yeare of Christ 1513. being the first yeare of King Iames the fifth This man being of great wisedome was appointed amongst others to assist the Queene in the government of the Realme whereunto she was for a time advanced but the woman not induring to be directed by others taking quarrell against the Bishop did immediately after the marriage performed the sixth of August in the yeare of Christ 1514. betweene her and Archibald Dowglasse Earle of Angus which this Bishop incountred as much as he could take the great Sealâ— from the said Bishop of Glascow at Saint Iohns Towne whereupon the Bishop
wicked Doctrine at Oxford were brought into judgement before the King and the Bishops of the kingdome who being devious from the catholique Faith and overcome in tryall Facies cauteriata notabiles cunctis exposuit qui expulsi sunt aregno they were stigmatized in the face which made them notable to all and then banished out of the kingdome VVhat this pravum dogma or wicked opinion was for which these men were thus stigmatized and exiled I finde not specified in Paris and Walsingham but Iohn Bale out of Guâ—do Perpinâ—anus de Haeresibus relates that those men were certaine Waldenses who taught That the Church of Rome was the whore of Babylon and the barren Fig-tree whom Christ himselfe had long agoe accursed and moreover said Non obediendum esse Papâ— ET EPISCOPIS Ordinesque Characteres esse magnae bestiae That men are not to obey the Pope AND BISHOPS and that Orders to wit Popish Orders are the characters of the great beast Had these Waldenses lived in our dayes they should not have beene branded onely in the face by our Lordly Prelates procurement but set â—n the Pillory and had both their eares cut off then banished into forraigne Islands and there been shut up close prisoners so strictly that neither their wives children friends should have any accesse unto them nor they enjoy so much as the use of bookes Pen Inke or Paper onely for opposing Episcopacy as we know some others have lately been for this very cause Expertus loquor So dangerous so fatall is it for any to oppose our Lordly Prelacy as these men did in their generation though â—hey smarted for it Yet this could not deterre our most learned â— Gualter Mapes Archdeacon of Oxford flourishing in king Iohns raigne about the yeare of our Lord 1210. from following their footsteps who in his Satyrs doubted not to stile Prelates Animalia bruta stercora Bruit beasts and dung and in his books Ad impios Praelatâ—s and Ad malos Pastores complaines that Alegis doctoribus Lex evacuatur Dilatatur impii regnum Pharaonis comparing the Bishops to wicked Pharaoh for their tyranny and oppression But of him before This Doctrine of his and other our Martyrs was this seconded by Sir Iohn Borthwike knight martyred in Scotland Anno 1540. as appeares by his answers in the sixth and seventh Articles objected against him by the Prelates The sixth Article Agreeable to the ancient Errors of Iohn Wickliffe and Iohn Hus Arch-Heretiques condemned in the Councell of Constance hee hath affirmed and preached That the Clergy ought not to possesse or have any temporall possessions neither to have any jurisdiction or authoritie in temporalties even over their owne subjects but that all things ought to bee taken from them as it is at this present in England Borthwicke The Lord in the eighteenth Chapter of the Booke of Numbers said thus unto Aaron Thou shalt possesse nothing in their Land neither shalt thou have any portion amongst them I am thy portion and inheritance amongst the Children of Israel for unto the sonnes of Levi I have given all the Tithes of Israel that they should possesse them for their Ministry which they doe execute in the Tabernacle of the Congregation Albeit I doe not doubt but that the Order of the Levites and of the Clergy is farre different and variable For the administration of their sacred and holy things after their death passed unto their posterity as it were by right of inheritance which happeneth not unto the posterity of our Clergy in these dayes Furthermore if any heritage be provided or gotten for them I doe not gainâ—-say but that they shall possesse it but still I doe affirme That all temporall jurisdiction should be taken from them For when as twice there arose a contention amongst the Disciples which of them should be thought the greatest Christ answered The kings of Nations have dominion over them and such which have power over them are called beneficiall you shall not doe so for hee which is greatest amongst you shall be made equall unto the youngest or least and hee which is the Prince or Ruler amongst you shall be made equall unto him that doth minister minding thereby and willing utterly to debarre the Ministers of his Word from all terrene and civill dominion and Empire For by these points he doth not onely declare that the office of a Pastor is distinct and divided from the office of a Prince and Ruler but they are in effect so much different and separate that they cannot agree or ioyne together in one man Neither is it to be thought that Christ did set or ordaine an harder Law then hee himselfe did take upon him For so much as in the twelfth of Luke certaine of the company said unto him Master command my brother that he divide his inheritance with mee Hee answered Man who made me a Judge or a divider amongst you Wee see therefore that Christ even simply did reiect and refuse the office of a Judge the which thing hee would not have done if it had beene agreeable unto his office or duty The like thing also hee did in the eighth Chapter of Iohn when as hee refused to give iudgement upon the woman taken in adultery which was brought before himâ— Whereas they doe alleage â—hat Moses did supply both offices at once I answer that it was done by a rare miracle Furthermore that it continued but for a time untill things were brought unto a better state besides that there was a certaine forme and rule prescribed him of the Lord then tooke hee upon him the civill governance and the Priesthood he was commanded to resigne unto his bâ—other and that not without good cause for it is against nature that one man should suffice both charges wherefore it was diligently fore-seene and provided for in all ages Neither was there any Bishop so long as any true face or shew of the Church did continue who once thought to usurpe the right and title of the sword whereupon in the time of Saint Ambrose this proverbe tooke his originall That Emperours did rather wish or desire the office of Priesthood then Priests any Empire For it was all mens opinions at that time that sumptuous palaces did pertaine unto Emperours and Churches unto Priests Saint Bernard also writeth many things which are agreeable unto this our opinion as is this his saying Peter could not give that which hee had not but hee gave unto his succesâ—ours that which hee had that is to say carefulnesse over the Congregation for when as the Lord and Master saith That he is not constituted or ordained Judge betweene two the servant or Disciple ought not to take it scornfully if that he may not judge all men And lest that hee might seeme in that place to speake of the spirituall judgement hee straightway annexeth therefore saith hee your power and authority shall be in offence and transgression not in possessions For
to take this my rude Supplication to the best as a fruit of my obedience wherein I have not dissembled but have opened fully unto your Grace the ground and very bottome of my heart not of any grudge evill will or malice that I beare to any spirituall Shepheard God I take to record but onely for the glory of God the honour of your Grace and the wealth and profit of your most naturall and loving subjects Thus this namelesse Supplicant Our learned Martyr Iohn Lambert alias Nicholson Anno 1538. in his answer to his 9. and 22. Articles thus determins of the parity and identity of Bishops and Ministers As touching Priesthood in the Primitive Church when vertue bare as ancient Doctors do deeme and Scripture in mine opinion recordeth the same most roome there were no more officers in the Church of God than Bishops and Deacons that is to say Ministers as witnesseth besides Scripture full apertly Ierome in his Commentaries upon the Epistles of Paul whereas he saith That those whom we call Priests were all one and none other but Bishops and the Bishops none other but Priests men ancient both in age and learning so neere as could be chosen Neither were they instituted and chosen as they be now adayes with small regard of a Bishop or his officer onely opposing them if they can construe a Collect but they were chosen not onely by the Bishop but also with the consent of the people among whom they should have their living as sheweth Saint Cyprian And the people as hee saith ought to have power to chuse Priests that bee men of good learning of good and honest report But alacke for pity such elections are now banished and new fashions brought in which if wee should conferre with the forme of the election shewed of Christ by his Apostle Paul wee should find no small diversity but all turned upside downe In the 2â— where you demand Whether I beleeve that it is lawfull for all Priests freely to preach the Word of God or no and that in all places at all seasons and to all persons to whom they shall please although they be not sent I say that Priests are called in Scripture by two distinct words that is to wit Presbyteri and Sacerdotes The first is to say ancient men Seniors and Elders and by that word or vocable are the secular Judges or such like head officers sometimes also signified as wee read in Daniel of these that defamed and wrongfully accused Susanna but this is seldome and nothing so customeablely as those be called Presbyteri which are set to be Prelates in the Church to guide the same by the word of God and his blessed Doctrine that is the rod of direction and the foundation of Christs faith And Priests thus called Presbyteri in the Primitive Church what time weâ—e but few traditions and ordinances to let us from the straight trade or institution made by Christ and his Apostles WERE THE SAME AND NONE OTHER BUT BISHOPS as I have shewed you in the first part of mine answer by authority of Saint Hierome and Paul recordeth the same right evidently and Tit. 1. in this forme I left thee Titus said blessed Paul behind mee in Crete that thou shouldest correct or set in a due order such things as lacke or be not else perfectly framed and that thou shouldest set Priests in every Towne like as I did appoint thee such as are without reproach or blamelesse the husband of one wife having faithfull children not subject to the vice of riot or that hee be not unruly for so ought a Bishop to be c. These are not my words but of Saint Paul in the Epistle to Titus where you may see that a Priest called Presbyter should be that same that a Bishop whom he requireth a little after to be able by wholsome Doctrine of Gods Scripture to exhort the good to follow the same doctrine and those that shall speake against it to reprove them thereby And marke you how hee would have a Bishop otherwise called an ancient man and a Priest to make exhortation by holy Scripture and thereby to reprove them that shall speake against the truth not to condemne them by might or authority only or else by traditions of men made in generall Councels And as many as are these wise Priests which are called commonly Presbyteri otherwise Bishops such as in the Church are set to take cure of soules and to be spirituall Pastors ought to Preach freely the Word of God in all places and times convenient and to whomsoever it shall please them if they suppose and see that their preaching should edifie and profit And whereas you adde this particle though they were not sent I say that all such are chosen to be Preachers and therefore sent for of this speaketh S. Gregory in his Pastorals in this wiseâ— Praedicationis quippe officium suscepit quisquis ad sacerdotium accedit c. So hee who much condemned Ex Officio Oathes and proceedings the Canon Law and inequality of Bishops and Ministers as contrary to Christs institution who made all his Apostles of equall authority in his answers to the 29.30.41 and 43. Articles too large and too common to transcribe The booke intituled The Image of a very Christian Bishop and of a counterfeit Bishop written printed cum privilegio regali in Henry the eight his raigne though by the Bishops practice called in by this Kings injunctions An. 1539. with sundry other orthodoxe bookes determins thus both of the Bishops callings and practices in those times The booke being very rare I shall transcribe more of it than otherwise I would doe Over and besides this the Ministers of the Word of God are principally bound hereunto that they shall more sharpely rebuke the Bishops and the Primates of the Church than the worldly Princes and Rulers and that for many causes first because that Ecclesiasticall highnesse and dignity as it is now is not of God for God doth not acknowledge not elect this disguised and painted deceitfull people and these childish and in a manner counterfeit and Nicholaicall Bishops forasmuch as they do neither teach noâ— yet do execute any point belonging to the office of a Bishop Secondly these shadows of Bishops have not beene constituted by men but they have exalted their owne selves and they have catched unto themselves Empire Dominion and Lordships against both God and men against reason common sense or judgement after the nature and property of Tyrants which doe rule onely by the wrath and great indignation of God The Temporall or Worldly Governours and Officers are constituted by the gracious favour and mercifull ordinance of God to the chastisement and punishment of evill men and to the protection defence and maintenance of good men Besides this the worldly Governours although they do injury and wrong never so much and do unjustly and wickedly yet for
est nefas it is the highest impiety to preferre any other Businesse before this care or for any cause whatsoever to hinder them so as their ministeries be lesse â—ully adhibited to their Churches Moses was most amply endued with the spirit of God and excelled with incredible wisedome and he altogether burned with a most ardent study of planting and preserving the true religion yet seeing hee ought to governe the whole Common-wealth of Iâ—rael hee by Gods command set Aaron his brother with his sonnes over matters of religion that they might WHOLY bestow themselves in them The Maccabees truly joyned the Civill administration to the Ecclesiasticall but with what successe their histories testifie wherefore it is to be wished that Bishops according to Gods Law religionibuâ— solis vacent procurandis should onely addict themselves to matters of Religion and lay aside all other businesses from them though beneficiall to mankind and leave them to those who should wholly bestow themselves on them being chosen thereto by God There is no office that requires more study and care â—han the procuration of soules Satan knowing this very well hath brought to passe that Bishops and chiefe Ecclesiasticall Prelates should be sent for by Kings Emperours unto their Courts to manage publike affaires both of warre and peâ—ce Hence these mischiefes have ensued first a neglect of the whole sacred ministry the corruption of doctrine the destruction of discipline After as soone as Prelates began to usurpe the place of Lords they challenged their luxury pomp to themselves to which end since the wealth of Princâ—s was requisite that which they ought to bestow out of their Ecclesiasticall revenues upon the faithfull Ministers of Churches upon Schooles upon the poore of Christ all these things being taken from them by horrible sacriledge they spent them upon riot and princely pompe And when as the goods of the Church were not sufficient to maintaine this luxury and pompe they flattered away and begged and by various frauds tooke from Kings goodly rich poâ—sessions and great Lordships by which accessions their luxury and pride was thenceforth not onely fostered and sustained but likewise infinitely increased which afterwards so farre prevailed that the spoyles of single Churches would not suffice each of them but they brought the matter to this passe that one at this day may fleece or spoyle three or foure Bishoprickes Abbies and other Prelacies and such a multitude of parish Churches as is horrible to name for they say there is one lately dead in this Kingdome who fleaed above 20. Parishes So Bucer who held Bishops Ministers to be all one and that the power of ordination resting originally in Christ derivatively in the whole Church and ministerially onely in Bishops and Presbyters as servants to the Church belonged as well to Presbyters as to Bishops with whom Peter Martyr his fellow Regius professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford fully concurâ—es in his Commonplaces printed at London cum privilegio Ann. 1576. Class 4. Loc. 1. Sect. 23. p. 849. to which I shall referre you for brevity sake To these I might adde The image of both Pastors written by Huldricke Zwinglius translated into English by Iohn Veron dedicated to the Duke of Somerset Lord Protector and Printed at London Cum privilegio An. 1550. Wherein he proves the parity and identity of Bishops and Presbyters condemnes the Lordly and secâ—lar dominion Wealth Pompe Pride Tyranny Nonpreach and rare preaching of Prelates and manifests Lord Bishops as then they stood and now to be false Pastors and meer papall and antichristian officers not warranted by Gods word but because Zwinglius was a forraigner I shall passe it by without transcribing any passage thereof Mr. Iohn Hooper both a Bishop and martyr of our Church a great opposer of Ceremonies Episcopall Rochets and Vestments in which hee would not bâ— consecrated writes thus of the secular imployments wealth and calling of Bishops For the space of 400. yeares after Christ the Bishops applyed all their wit only to their owne vocation to the glory of God and the honour of the Realmes they dwelt in though they had not so much upon their heads as our Bishops have yet had they more within their heads as the Scripture and Histories testifie For they applyed all the wit they had unto the vocation and ministry of the Church whereunto they were called But our Bishops have so much wit that they can rule and serve as they say in both States in the Church and also in the Civill policie when one of them is more then any man is able to satisfie let him doe alwayes his best diligence If hee be so necessary for the Court that in Civill causes he cannot be spared let him use that vocation and spare the other It is not possible hee should doe both well It is a great oversight in Princes thus to charge them with two burthens the Primitive Church had no such Bishops as wee they had such Bishops as did preach many godly Sermons in lesse time than our Bishops horses be a bridling Their house was a Schoole or treasure house of Gods Ministers if it be so now let every man judge The Magistrates that suffer the abuse of these goods be culpable of the â—ault if the fourth part of the Bishopricke remained to the Bishop it were sufficient the third part to Schoolemasters the second to poore and souldiers were better bestowed If any be offended with me for this my saying he loveth not his owne soules health nor Gods Laws nor mans out of which I am alwayes ready to prove the thing I have said to be true Further I speake of love not of hatred And in his Apologie hee saith It is both against Gods Laws mans that Bishops and clergie men should be judges over any subjects within this Realme for it is no part of their office they can do no more but preach Gods Word and minister Gods Sacraments and excommunicate such as Godâ— Lawes do pronounce to be excommunicated who would put a sword into a madmans hand And in his exposition on Psal. 23.1580 f. 40. Although Bishops saith hee in the raigne of Constantine the Great obtained that among Bishops some should be called Archbishops and Metropolitans c. Yet this preheminencie was at the pleasure discretion of Princes not alwaies tyed to one sorâ— of Prelates as the impiety of our time beleeveth as we may see in the Councell of Calcedon Africke So that it is manifest that this Superior preheminency is not of Divine but of humane right instituted out of civill policie So Hooper The Booke of ordination of Ministers and Consecraation of Bishops compiled by the Bishops in King Edwards dayes ratified by two Acts of Parliament and subscribed to by all our Ministers hath this notable passage and charge against the Lordlinesse and secular imployments of Prelates and Ministers
consent placed Bishops where there were Flamines and three Archbishops where there were Arch Flamines turning the three Archâ—flamines Sees in the three chiefe Cities into Arch-bishoprickes and the 28. Flamines Sees into 28 Bishoprickes This is punctually averred for Truth by Geofry Monmoth Histor. Brit. l. 2. c. 1. Edit Ascent l. 4. c. 19. Edit Heidelb by Gildâ—s in his Booke De victoria Aurelii Ambrosii by Gervasius Tilburiensis de Otiis Imperialibus ad Othonem Imperatorem Historiolae Wintoniensis Ecclesiae Alphredus Beuer lacensis Radulphus de Diceto Bartholomaeus de Cotton Gerardus Cornubiensis Ranulphus Cestrensis the Authors of the History of Rochester of the Chronicles of Hales and Dunstaple of the Booke of Abingdon of the Geneologicall Chronicle of the Monastery of Hales and of the Abbreviated Chronicle of the Britaines Thomas Rudburne Thomas Stubs Thomas Harfield Ponticus Virunnius Polydor Virgil Martinus Polonus Pâ—olomaeus Lucensis Tuscus cited by Ioannis Leydensis in Chronico Belgico l. 2. c. 1. Ioannis Bâ—ptista Platina in vita Eleutherii Iacobus Philippus Bergomiensis Suppl Chron. l. 8. Nauclerus vol. 1. Chronograph gen 30. Vol. 2. Gen. 6. Tritemius compend l. 1. Pope Leo the ninth Epist. 4. Guilielmus Durandus Rationaleâ— l. 2. c. 1. n. 21 22. Polydorus Virgilius de Jnventâ— rerumâ— l. 4. c. 11. All quoted to my hand by that excellent learned Antiquary Bishop Vsher. De Britannicarum Ecclesiarum primordiis c. 5. p. 56 57 58 59.99.100 To whom I might adde Matthew Parker his Antiquitates Ecclesiae Brit. p. 7. Iohn Fâ—x his Acts and Monuments Edit ult Vol. 1. p. 138 139. Iohn Speed in his History of Great Britaine p. 132. Richard Grafton in his Chronicle part 7. p. 83. William Harrison in his Description of England l. 2. c. 1 2. With many more of our owne Writers and generally all the Canonists and Glossers on Gratian Dictinctio 80. and the Schoolemen on Peter Lombard sent l. 4. distinct 24 who concuâ—re in this opinion For in Gratian distinct 80. f. 130. I find these two decrees cited the one of Pope Lucinus with this Rubricke prefixed In what places Primates and Patriarches ought to be ordained The Cities and places wherein Primates ought to preside were not ordained by moderne times but long before the comming of Christ to whose Primates even the Gentiles did appeale for their greater businesses In those very Cities after the comming of Christ the Apostles and their Successors placed Patriarches and Primates to whom the businesses of Bishops yet saving the Apostolicall authority in all things and the greater causes after the Apostolike See are to be referred On which Iohn Thierry and others make this glosse Primates are constituted there where heretofore the proto-Flamines of the Gentiles were placed arch-Arch-Bishops where there were Arch-Flamines Bishops where their Flamines were and this for the most part if wee may credite them was done by Saint Peters appointment The second is this Decree of Pope Clemens which warrants this glosse In those Cities wherein heretofore among the Ethnickes their chiefe Flamines and prime Doctors of the Law were placed Saint Peter commanded but God knowes when and where Primates or Patriarches of Bishops to be placed who should agitate the causes of the rest of the Bishops and the greater businesses in Faith But in those Cities in which in times past among the foresaid Ethnickes their arch-Flamines were whom yet they held to be lesse than their foresaid Primates he commanded Arch-bishops to be iustituted but in every other particular Cityâ— he commanded one sole Bishop and not many to be ordained who should onely â—btaine the name of Bishops because among the Apostles themselves there was the like institution sed unus praefuit omnibus but one had authority over the rest which is most false On which the glosse thus descants The Gentiles had three Orders of Priests to wit proto-Flamines arch-Flamines and Flamines In the place of the proto-Flamines Peter commanded Patriarches to be placed who should take conusance of the greater causes of other Bishops in the place of arch-Flamines Arch-bishops in the place of Flamines Bishops of whom there ought to be but one in every City Which Graiâ—an himselfe thus backes in his 21 Distinction There is a certaine distinction observed among Priests whence others are called simply Priests others arch-Priests others chorall Bishops others Bishops othâ—rs Arch-bishops or Metropolitanes others Primates others chiefe Priests Horum discretio a Gentibus maxime introducta est The distinction of these was principally intâ—oduced by the Gentiles who called their Flamines some simply Flamines others Arch-flamines others Proto-flamines All which Peter Lombard the Father of the Schoolemen affirming after Gratian in his lib. 4. Sentenâ—iarum Dist. 24. made this to passe as an undubitable verity among all the Canonists and Schoolemen There is onely one thing needs explanation in these Popes dâ—crees and that is what is meant by Saint Peter who is made the Author of this Institution For this we need resort no further then to the Decree of Pope Nicholas recorded by the same Gratian Distinct 22. c. Omnes f. 33. Omnes sive Patriarchae cujuslibet apicem sive Metropoleon primatus Episcopatuum cathedras vel Ecclesiarum sive cujuscunque ordinis dignitatem instituit Romana Ecclesia By which it is evident that by Saint Peter is meant the Church and Popes of Rome who stile themselves oft times Peter in their bulls and writings as well as his successors By all these Authorities compared together it is evident that our Arch-bishops and Bishops had their Originall Institution from the Church and Popes of Rome and that not out of their imitation of any divine patterne or forme of government prescribed by Christ in Scripture and setled in those primitive Churches of the Genâ—iles which the Apostles planted and to whom they directed their Epistles but out of an apish imitation of the Heathenish Hierarchicall government of the Idolatrous Proto-Flamines Arch Flamines and Flamines used among the Pagan Gentiles and Britaines before their conversion to the Christian Faith in whose very places Sees and forme of government they succeeded Eleutherâ—us instituting and ordaining that all or the most part of the Arch-Flamines which is to meane Arch-bishops and Bishops of the Pagan Law which at that day were in number three Arch Flamines and 28 Flamines should be made Arch bishops and Bishops of the Church of Christ as Grafâ—on and others write in positive termes which if it be true as this cloud of witnesses averre it will thence necessarily follow that our Archâ—bishops and Bishops are not of divine and Apostolicall but rather of Papall and Eâ—hnicall institution and a meere continuance of the Diabolicall heathenish Hierarchy exercised among the Idolatrous Priests in times of Paganisme within our Iâ—land and so by necessary consequence they and their government are rather to be utterly extirpated then perpetuated in our Christian reformed Church which ought
little hope of any unity peace or harmony in our Church if it continue Thirdly admit some petty inconveniences may arise by such an alteration and extirpation of Episcopacy yet these are nothing comparable for weight or number to those mischiefes which will certainely accrue by its continuance Since therefore of two evils the lesse is ever to be elected it will bee farre more expedient to our Church and State totally and finally to suppresse then to support our Lordly Prelacy And thus much for this Capitall Objection The second Allegation for the continuance of Episcopacy is this that if Bishops be taken away we shall have nothing but Sects Schismes and divisions in our Church and almost as many Religions as men To this I answere First that the tyranny Lordlinesse prophanenesse Superstition and Innovations of our Prelates both in Ceremones Doctrine Worship have beene the Originall Principall if not onely cause of all those Sects divisions and Separations lately sprung up in our Church for proofe of which I appeale onely to every mans conscience and experience it being a most knowne undubitable truth the removing therefore of our Bishops the cause of all our Schismes and devisions must needes be a meanes of future peace and unity not cause of Schismes or divisions in Religion as is vainely suggested Secondly Episcopacy it selfe is now a maine ground of Separation from our Church the great stumbling blocke which causeth many dayly to fall off from us and hinders others from closing with us all other grounds of Separation and division depending on or arising from Episcopacy And unlesse this be removed in my poore apprehension there can be no hopes at all of any reconciliation of those who are fallen off from us or keeping others from separation but the rent will still grow greater what ever course else be taken to effect a Union Therefore questionlesse the abolishing of Episcopacy cannot be a meanes of increasing Schismes or divisions but the best and readiest way to remedy and prevent them Thirdly Saint Ierome and others informe us that Episcopacy was first instituted to prevent and extirpate Schismes but it hath beene so farre from effecting this that it hath on the contrary occasioned all or most of those Schismes and divisions that ever happened in the Church of God since its first institution both at home and abroad as is evident by all Ecclesiasticall Histories by the severall Schismes of the Popes and other Prelates in forraigne parts of Canterbury Yorke and other Lordly Prelates at home which if God send life and opportunity I shall irrefragably manifest in a peculiar Treatise of that Subject if there be occasion It cannot be then but that their suppression should rather remedy than procure Sects and Schismes Fourthly in the reformed Churches of France and Geneva where there are no Bishops there are no Sects or Schismes at all or at least not so many as where there are Bishops And though im Germany and the Netherlands there bee many Sects yet this is not through want of Bishops but by reason of the connivance of the temporall Magistrates who permit them and wil neither suppresse them themselves nor suffer their Presbyteries to doe it out of I know not what State policy permitting all Religions and Sects Fifthly our Bishops ever since the Reformation and before have beene the greatest opposers and hinderers of the reformation of those abuses and fooleries the introducers and maintainers of those Ceremonies and Superstitions which have beene the grand occasions of Schismes and Separation How often have Pluralities Non-residence abuses of Excommunication Ex Officio Oathes and proceedings Visitation Fees and extortions abuses of Ecclesiasticall Courts and processes Selling of Orders of licenses to preach keepe Schoole and the like commutations of penance admission of prophane and scandalous persons to the Sacrament toleration of scandalous superstitious lasie non-preaching rare-preaching and insufficient Ministers Altars Images Tapers Cathedrall chaunting and musicke bowing at Altars and to the name Jesus with those Superfluous Ceremonies of the Crosse Ring Surplesse and kneeling at the Sacrament which scandalize many and may be better omitted than retained beene complained against from time to time in Parliament and elsewhere without any the least redresse or reformation and all by reason of our Prelates obstinacy who peremptorily maintaine and will not suffer them to be either amended or removed to the glory of God the honour of our Religion the satisfying of tender Consciences the peace of our Church and State and doe they not now in this present Parliament which threatens ruine to their Lordly chaires oppose with all their mightâ— the reformation of all or most of those corruptions which are the occasions of our Schismes and distractions Yea did they not in their late new Canons in affront of the whole Parliament and Kingdome not onely justifie but establish as much as in them lay and that for perpetuity all those Innovations extravagances and grievances which were chiefe occasions of our late unhappy divisions and of many thousands separations from our Church This being then an experimentall knowne â—ruth the removing of these incorrigible Prelates who will neither refoâ—me themselves nor suffer any abuses in our Church to be redressed must of necessity be the onely cure of our renâ—s and divisions for the present and the best meanes to prevent them for the future Sixthly I appeale to all indifferent men whether Schismes and diversities in matters of Religion may not be better prevented suppressed by good Lawes by godly Magistrates and Ministers specially authorized to suppresse them than by a company of corrupt Prelates and their Officers who for their owne private Lucre as experience manifests will bee content to tolerate and connive at any erronious doctrines Sects and Schismes especially Papists and Arminians the chiefe patriots and supporters of their Hierarchy but those who directly oppose their Prelacy and corruptions as â—hose they nickename Puritanes doe who shall be sure to smart and feele the Bishops severity to the uttermost how ever others scape If so then I hope there is no neede at all to continue our Lordly Prelates to suppresse these mischiefes which may be better reformed and suppressed by others than by our Bishops and their Officers I shall conclude this point with the words of learned Antonie Sadeel in his answere to Turrian the Jesuite who made the same objection for the defence and continuance of Bishops as our Prelates doe here I answere in few words That this superiour degree of Bishops is an ancienâ— but yet ONELY a humane Institution whereby the pious Ancients intended to prevent Schismes And although perchance considering those times this remedy was not unusefull yet experience hath taught us that these good Fathers while they desired to shunâ— Charybdis fell into Scylla For the ambition of Prelates which followed soone after was no lesse pernicious to the Church than those Schismes And to speake truely THIS
this too much both to be Traytors to your King and also to faine God to be displeased with your King for punishing of Treason Finally to make him a Saint and also that God had done miracles to the defending of his Treason How is it possible to invent a more pestilent Doctrine than this is Here is Gods Ruler despised and hereby is open Treason maintained Thinke you that God will shew miracles to fortifie these things But no doubt the Proverbe is true Such lippes such Lettuce such Saints such miracles Fifthly in persisting most peremptorily in Treasons Rebellions contests and Conspiracies against their Princes without yeelding or intermission till they had obtained their demaunds and desires of them insteed of craving pardon of them all which the premises evidence to the full in Anselme Becket Langton Stafford and others Sixthly in enforcing their Soveraignes against whom they conspired rebelled and practised divers horrid Treasons and Contumacies to submit nay seeke to them for pardon and to undergoe such sharpe censures such â—orbid infamous harsh punishments covenants and conditions as are inconsistent with Monarchy honour Soveraignty as in the case of Henry the seâ—cond King Iohn and others In these sixe respects our Lordly Bishops have transcended all other Traytors Rebels Conspirators and Seditious persons whatsoever as also in Censuring Loyalty for Heresie true Subjects to their Princes for Heretickes and Canonizing High Treason Rebellion against Emperours Kings Princes for Orthodox faith notorious Traytors and Rebels for good Christians and true beleevers as appeares in the Case of Hildebrand and his Hellish crew of Bishops who branded Henry the Emperour and those who sided with him for Heretickes and their Loyalty for Heresie in the Case of Henry the second and King Iohn in their difference with Anselme Becket and Langhton In imitation of whom our present Prelates now slander those who oppugne aâ—d withstand their encroachments upon the Kings prerogative Royall with odious termes of Puritans Novellers Seditious persons Schismatickes Rebels and brand Loyalty and true allegiance to the King with the termes of Faction Schisme Sedition Novelty and Rebellion You have seene now a large Anatomy of our Lordly Prelates desperate Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Contumacies Warres disloyall oppressive practises in all ages against our Kings Kingdomes Lawes Liberties which duly pondered we may easily conclude there is little cause any longer to tolerate them in our Church or State but great ground eternally to extirpate them out of both It is storyed of the people of Biscany in Spaine That they have such a naturall enmity against Bishops that they will admit no Bishops to come among them and that when Feâ—dinand the Catholicke came in Progresse into Biscany accompanyed with the Bishop of Pampilone the people rose up in Armes drove backe the Bishop out of their Coast and gathering up all the dust they thought he or his Mule had trod on threw it into the Sea with curses and imprecations I dare not say that our people should rise up in Armes like these Biscaners and drive out our Bishops God forbid any such Tumultuous or Seditious practise but this I dare confidently averre that his Majestie and our High Court of Parliament have farre greater reason to drive and extirpate them out of our Realme and Church even with curses and execrations and to subvert their Sees in an orderly just and legall way than these Biscaners had to repulse this Bishop who entered thus into their Country onely to accompany Ferdinand in his progresse not to play the Lord Bishop among them I shall close up all with the words of Musculus a Learned forraigne Protestant Divine who after he had largely proved by Scriptures and Fathers That Bishops and Presbyters by Divine right are both one and of equall authority and that the difference betweene them was onely a humane institution to prevent Schismes concludes thus Whether oâ— no this Counsell hath profited the Church of God whereby such Bishops who should be greater than Presbyters were introduced rather our of Custome that I may use the words of Hierome than out of the truth of the Lords institution is better declared in after ages than when this custome was first brought in to which we owe all that insolency opulency and tyranny of Princely and Lordly Bishops imo omnem corruptionem Ecclesiarum Christi yea all the corruption of the Churches of Christ which if Hierome should now perceive without doubt he would acknowledge this not to be the Counsell of the Holy-Ghost to take away Schismes as was pretended but of the Devill himselfe to waste and destroy the ancient Offices of feeding the Lords â—locke by which it comes to passe that the Church hath not true Pastors Doctors Elders and Biâ—hops but Idle bellies and magnificent Princes under the vizors of these names who not onely neglect to feede the people of the Lord in proper person with wholesome and Apostolicall doctrine but also by most wicked violence take speciall care that no man else may doe it This verily was done by the Counsell of Satan that the Church in stead of Bishops should have powerfull Lords and Pâ—inces elected for the greatest part out of the Order of the Nobles and Princes of the world as they are in Germany who under-propped with their owne and their kindreds power may domineer over the flocke of Christ at their pleasâ—re And with the complaint of the Emperour Lewis the fourth and the German Princes against the Italian and German Lordly Prelates which I may justly accomodate to ours Flamines isti Babyloniae soli regnare cupiunt ferre parem nâ—n possunt non desistent donec omnia pedibus suis conculcaverint atque in Templo Dei sâ—deant extâ—llanturque supra omne id quod colitur Sub Pontificis titulo pastoris pelle lupum saevissimum nisi caeci sumus sentimus Cum nostri servi sint ipsi dominari contra jus gentium adversus leges auspicia Oracula divina Dominos sibi servire volunt Caesarem Italia Roma Christum terris exclusere illi coelum quidem permittunt inferos atque terras sibi asseruere Bernard Epist. 158. Quid spirituali gladio quid censurae Ecclesiasticae quid Christianae legi Disciplinae quid denique divino timori relinquitur si metu potentiae secularis nullus muâ—ire jam audeat contra insolentiam Praelatorum FINIS Kind Reader I shall desire thee to rectiâ—ie these Presse-Errours which in my absence in the Country hapned in many Copies in some Pages of the first and Second Part besides those forementioned after the Table of Chapters In the first Part. PAge 8. l. 6. departing p. 10. l. 5. their this p. 11. l. 28. largely latelyâ— p. 16. l. 1. delâ— as p. 24. l. 2. we â—e p. 25. l. 3. marred l 29. Kings p. 53. l. 40. dele thâ— p. 62. l. 13. and the p. 63. l. 30. still stile pâ— 64. l. 16. be he p 70. l. 3. his
on Saint Stephens day by William Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the most part of the Nobility being present and swearing Fealty unto him as to their true and lawfull Soveraigne Howbeit there were diverse of the wiser sort of estates which regarding their former Oath to bee true unto the Empresse Maude could have beene contented that the Empresse should have governed till her Sonne had come to lawfull age notwithstanding they held their peace as yet and consented unto Stephen But the breach of their Oathes was worthily punished afterward insomuch that as well the Bishops as the other Nobles either dyed an evill death or were afflicted with divers kinds of calamities and mischances and that even here in this life Yet there were some of them namely the Bishop of Salisbury which protested that they were free from their Oath of Allegeance made to the sayd Empresse because that without the consent of the Lords of this Land she was marryed out of the Realme Whereas they tooke their Oath to receive her for Queene upon that condition That without their assent she should not marry with any person out of this Realme Moreover as some writers thinke the Bishops tooke it they should do God good service in providing for the wealth of the Realme and the advancement of the Church by their Perjurie For whereas the late deceased King Henry the first used himselfe not altogether for their purpose they thought That if they might set up and create a King chiefely by their especiall meanes and authority he would follow their counsell better and refoâ—me such things as they judged to be amisse So He. But this trecherous Act of them in dis-inheriting Maude wherein the Bishop of Wiâ—â—hester was a chiefe Actor yet afterwards joyned with Maude for a season and then fell off againe what Civill Warres Tumults Battailes evill effects and blood-shed it occasioned here in England to the prejudice of the whole Realme 〈◊〉 all our Chronicles and Historians in the life of King Stephen testifie at large Theobald Arch-Bishop of Canterbury his immediate Successour being summoned by the Pope to appeare at the Councell of Rhemes the King at the instigation of Henry Bishop of Winchester his Brother the Popes Legat and Arch-Bishops opposite prohibited him to passe beyond Sea to stay him at home But he thinking it safer to offend the King then the Pope resolved to goe and though all the Ports were stopped and layd for him yet over the Seas hee got The King thereupon seized all his goods and Temporalties and banished him the Realme he like a tall fellow thereupon interdicted the King with the whole Realme and taking advantage of the time which was very troublesome came home and lived in Norfolke till by the intercession of the Bishops he was restored to his Bishopricke After which growing into great favour with the King in a Convocation summoned at London 1152. the King would have constrained the Clergie to make Eustace his sonne King which they refusing and delaying to doe having a command from the Pope to the contrary pretending that his Father King Stephen was an Usurper and perjured Intruder the King and his sonne cauâ—ed the doores to bee shut upon the Clergie where they were assembled thinking by force and threatning to compell them thereto before they departed The greater number seemed to yeeld but the Arch-Bishop stealing secretly out of the place tooke his Barge and rowing downe the Thames got beyond Sea so that by this meanes the Synod was dissolved His goods hereupon were presently once more confiscate and his Temporalties seized into the Kings hands He thereupon troubled the Realme with Fire Sword and bloody Warres causing Henry Fitz-Empresse to invade the Land whose Title the Pope favoured of purpose to strengthen himselfe against King Lewis of France who had highly offended his Holinesse by casting his Bulls whereby he requireâ— the Fruites of Vacancies of Cathedrall Churches in France into the fire saying Hee had râ—ther the Popes Bulls should râ—st in the fire than his owne Soule shoâ—ld fry in Hell Thomas Becket succeeding Theobald by King Henry the seconds extraordinary favour though against the Canons he being both a souldier a Courtier and skilled onely in â—ecular affaires to require his Soveraignes extraordinary favour he first resigned his Bishopricke which hee had received from the Kings hands into the Popes in a secret manner receiving it backe againe as from him and then looked so narrowly into the Lands belonging to his See having great authority and some skill in the Law That under colour of defending the Rites of his Church hee tooke violently from every man what he listed and practising Treason secretly he required of the King the keeping of Rochester Castle and the custody of the Tower of London and called Roger Earle of Clare unto Westminster to doe his homage unto him for the Castle of Tunbridge which the Earle denyed through the setting on of the King so as he provoked many of all sorts of people every where with open mouth to exclaime against him and to make their complaints thicke and three-fold to the King betweene whom and the King there arose a great quarrell upon this occasion The Clergie by their flattery policy and Canons having exempâ—ed themselves from secular Jurisdiction and presuming upon Beckets power grew strangely impudent and disorderly insomuch that the Chiefe Justice declared in the Kings presence how that Clergie men had committed above an hundred murthers since his raigne wherewith the King highly offended he became somewhat too vehement in punishing them but the blame of the Kings over-much earnestnesse must lye on the Prelates inasmuch as they gave the cause thereof For whereas sacred Canons ordaine that Clerkes found guilty not onely of hainous and grievous sinnes but also of lesser should be degraded and thousands of such were then in the Church of England like inâ—umerable chaffe among a little good Corne yet very few such for many yeares had beene then deprived The Prelates forsooth while they bestirred themselves rather to uphold the liberties and dignities of Clerkes than to chastise and cut off their vices thought they did God and his Church good service in protecting from publicke Discipline such heinous offenders whom by duty of their places they ought to correct according to the Canon censure whereby they thrâ—ugh their impunity having liberty to doe what they listed had neither feare of God whose Judgement they thought to be a farre off neither of men in authority sith on the one side their Prelates neglected to reforme them and on the other side they were thus exempt by their order from secular Jurisdiction This being the state of the Church and Realme where in some were so injured without remedy and others so injurious without coertion as if neither sort were in condition of Subjects the king thereupon tooke speciall care of quickning the publicke Discipline and the rigour of ancient â—awes which thus lay
Prelate Amm. 1385. this King called a Parliament at London wherein the Laity granted the King one Quindisme and a halfe upon condition that the Clergy would give him one Disme and a halfe This Arch-Bishop stiffely opposed this condition saying That it ought not to be made especially seeing the Church ought to be free and no wayes to be taxed by Lay-men adding that he would rather endanger his head for this cause then suffer the Church of England to be so much inslaved Which Answer so moved the company of Commons that the Knights of the Counties with certaine of the Nobles of the Kingdome with great fury petitioned that the Temporalties of the Ecclesiastickes might be taken away saying That the Clergy were growne to such excessive pride that it would be a worke of piety and charity by the taking away of their Temporalties which did puffe them up to compell them to be more humbly wise These things they cryed out these things they presented to the King in short writings thinking to bring this Petition to effect The Arch-Bishop to prevent the danger consulting with his Clergy granted the King one Tenth very willingly which the King accepted of and so for the present the unsatiable covetousnesse of the Enemies of the Church saith Walsingham was frustrated and this Clause of the Laity obliterated out of the Bill Thomas Arundell his immediate successour by provision from the Pope against the Law as he resigned his Chancellourship of England so soone as ever he was made Arch-Bishop as incompatible with his function as Thomas Becket Walter Reynalds Iohn Stratford with other his predecessors had commendably done before witnesse Matthew Parker Godwin and Fox in their lives which I wish our secular Prelates would now imitate though not in resuming this office againe as he did at last so he was scarce warme in his Seat when by King Richard the seconds displeasure he was dispossessed of the same for not onely the Arch-Bishops Brother the Earle of Arundell was attainted and condemned of High Treason against the King in full Parliament for which he was presently executed but the Arch-Bishop himselfe was by Sir Iohn Bushy in the behalfe of the Commonalty accused of high Treason for that hee had evill counselled his Majesty and induced him to grant Letters of Pardon to his brother the Earle of Arundell being a ranke Traytor After which he was found guilty and condemned of High Treason adjudged unto perpetuall exile for conspiring to take the King the Dukes of Lancester and Yorke prisoners and to hang and draw the other Lords of the Kings Councell and commanded within forty dayes to depart the Realme under paine of death He thus banished got to Rome and found such favour with the Pope as that he first writ earnestly to the King for his Restitution the King writes a sharpe Letter against him to the Pope wherein he sheweth That he plotted Treason against him and endeavoured to take away his life that he deserved rather to be quartered and executed as a Traytor then banished that the whole Kingdome wondred and were offended hee had dealt so mildly with him and not executed him as he deserved that hee was a man impatient of peace of a Trayterous and seditious spirit so as he could not restore him or re-admit him into the Realme without danger of his Life and Kingdome and therefore though all the World consented to his Restitution yet hee would never doe it whiles he breathed Upon which Letters the Pope not onely refused to restore him but at the Kings request made Roger Walden Arch Bishop in his stead The Pope hereupon conferred the Arch-bishopricke of St. Andrews in Scotland with other livings here in England by way of provision upon Arundelâ— who confederating afterward with Henry Duke of Lancaster against King Richard they levyed what forces they could and landed with them in England so that at last King Richard upon parly with this Arundell whom he had banished was forced to resigne his Crowne and to render himselfe prisoner to the Duke of Lancaster with promise of saving his life onely Hereupon the Arch-Bishop after the Resignation made in parliament Crowned the Duke King and made a Briefe Collation on these words 1 King 9. A man shall Raigne over the People Tending wholly to the praise of the new King and disparagement of the old Recorded at large by Holinshed After which hee thrust Walden out of his See and got restitution of it againe the Pope confirming his Restauration and declaring Walden to be an intruder who after a while was made Bishop of London This Arch-Bishop thus restored to his See and in high favour with the King proved a bloody persecutor and butcher of Gods Saints to which end following the steppes of his predecessour Courtney he with the rest of the Bishops fraudulently and surreptitiously procured by craftyâ— meanes and subtile pretences the cruell bloody Statute Ex Officio as Master Fox doth stile it to wit 2. Hen. 4. c. 15. to passe the Upper House of Parliament as a Law without the Commons assent or Privity whose assent they yet foisted into the written and Printed Coppies of that Act to blind the world withall and give it the colour of a Statute though it be not to be found in the Parliament Roll the Commons never consenting to it as Mr. Fox hath shewed at large in his Acts and Monuments p. 539.540 and the Statute of 25. Hen. 8. c. 14. witnesseth which bastard Statute by colour of which alone most or all our English Martyres were afterwards imprisoned burned tortured and put to death being thus unduly obtained this bloody Arch-Prelate forthwith caused many godly Martyres to be burnt to ashes and the Worthy honourable Lord Cobham with sundry others to be put to death by reason whereof the Kingdome of the Pope and of the Prelates his members here in this Realme began to beâ— so strong that none durst stirre or once mutter against them The Bishops having the King so full on their side armed moreover with these two forged Lawes with imprisonments sword fire and faggot raigned and ruled as they listed as Kings and Princes within themselves So strong were they of power that no humane force was able to stand against them so exalted in pride and puffed up in glory that they thought all things to be subject to their reverend majesties Whatsoever they set forth and decreed though in their owne names rites and by their owne authorities it must of all mâ—n bee received and obeyed And it was their Superstitious blindnesse and curious vanity that whatsoever â—oy came once in their fantacy it was straight-way determined and established for a Law of all men to be observed were it never so â—rivilous or superstitious yea such was the pride vaine-glory and insolency of this Arch-Bishop Arundel who stuffed the Church with Ceremonies and vaine Traditions of men as his Successors doth now that he in great
trayterous purpose and deâ—igne he did abuse the great power and trust his Majesty reposed in him and did intrude upon the placeâ— of divers great officers and upon the rigâ—t of other his Majesties Subjects whereby hee did procure to himselfe the nomination of sundry persons to Ecclesiasticall Dignities Promotions and Benefices belonging to his Majesty and divers of the Nobility Clergy and others and hath taken upon him the commendadation of Chaplaines to the King by which meanes hee hath preferred to his Majesties service and to other great promotions in the Churchâ— suâ—h as have beene Popishly affected or otherwise unâ—ound and corrupt both in doctrine and mannerâ— 9. Hee hath for the same trayterous and wicked intent chosen and imployed such men to be his owne Domesticall Chaplaines whom hee knew to be notoriously disaffected to the reformed religion grosly addicted to popish superstition and erroneous and unsound both in Judgement and practise and to them or some of them hath hee committed the Licensing of Bookes to be Printed by which meaneâ— divers false and superstitious bookes have beene published to the great scandall of Religion and to the seducing of many his Majesties Subjects 10. He hath trayterously wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church Rome and for the effecting thereof hath consorted confederated with divers popish Priests and Jesuites and hath kept secret intelligence with the Pope of Rome by himselfe his Agents Instruments treated with such as have from thence receivedâ— Authority and instruction he hath permitted and countenanced a popish Hierarchie or Ecclesiasticall government to beâ— established in this Kingdome by all which trayterous and malicious practises this Church and Kingdome hath beene exceedingly indangered and like to fall under the Tyranny of the Roman See 11. Hee in his owne person and his suffragans Visitors Sutrogates Chancellors and other Officers by his command have caused divers learned pious and Orthodox Ministers of Gods word to be silenced suspended deprived degraded excommunicated otherwise grieved without any just and lawfull cause and by divers other meanes hee hath hindred the preaching of Gods word caused divers of his Majesties loyall Subjects to forsake the Kingdome and increased and cherished Ignorance and profanenesse amongst the people that so hee might thâ— better facilitate the way to the effecting of his owne wicked and trayterous designe of altering and corrupting the true religion here established 12. Hee hath traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord betwixt the Church of England and other Reâ—ormed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Immunities which have beene by his Majesty and his royall Ancestors graunted to the Dutch and French Churches in this Kingdome and divers other wayes hath expressed his malice and disaffection to these Churches that so by such disunion the Papists might have more advantage â—or the overthrow and extirpation of both 13. Hee hath maliciously and traiterously plotted and endeavoured to stirre up warre and enmity betwixt his Majesties two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and to that purpose hath laboured to introduce into the Kingdome of Scotland divers Innovations both in Religion and Government all or the most part of them tending to popery superstition to the great grievance and discontent of his Majesties Subjects of that Nation aâ—d for their refusing to submit to such Innovations hee did trayterously advise his Majesty to subdue them by force of Armes and by his owne Authority and Power contrary â—o Law did procure sundry of his Majesties subjects and inforced the Clergie of this Kingdome to contribute towards the maintenance of that warre and when his Majesty with much wisedome and Justice had made a Pacification betwixt the two Kingdomes the said Aâ—chbishop did presumptuously censure that pacification as dishonourable to his Majestie and by his counsels and endeavours so incensed his Majestie against his said subjects of Scotland that hee did thereupon by advice of the said Archbishop â—nter into an offensive warre against them to the greaâ— hazzard of his Majesties person and his subjects of both Kingdomes 14. That to preserve himselfe from being questioned for these and other his trayterous courses hee laboured to subverâ—s the rights of Parliament and the ancient course of Parliamentary proceeding and by false and malitious slanders to incense his Majesty against Parliaments By which words counselâ— and actions he hath traiterously and contrary to his allegiance laboured to alienate the hearts of the Kings liege people from his Majesty and to set a division betweene them and to ruine and destroy his Majesties Kingdomes for which they do impeach him of High Treason agaiâ—st our Soveraigne Lord the King his Crowne and Dignity The said Commons do further averre that the said VVilliam Archbishop of Caterbury during the times that the crimes aforementioned were done and committed hath beene a Bishop or Archbishop of this Realm of England one of the Kings Commissioners for Ecclesiasticall mattersâ— and one of his Majesties most honourable Privie Councell and hath taken an Oath for his faithfull discharge of the said Office of Councellor and hath likewise taken an oath of supremacy and Allegeanâ—e And the said Commons by protestation saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter any other accusation or impeachment against the said Archbishop and also of replying to the Answers tâ—at the said Archbishop shall make unto the said Articles or to any of them and of offering further proofe also of the Premises or any of them or of any other impeachment or accusation that shall be exhibited by them as the cause shall according to the coursâ— of Parliament require do pray that the said Archbishop may be put to answer to all and every the Premises and that such proceedings examination tryall and Judgement may be upon every of them had and used as is agreeable to Law and Justice The Articles being read M. PYMME proceeded in his Speech as followeth My Lords There is an expression in the Scripture which I will not presume either to understand or to interpret yet to a vulgar eye it seemes to have an aspect something surable to the Person and Cause before you It is a description of the evill Spirits wherein they are said to be spirituall wickednesse in high places Crimes acted by the spirituall faculties of the Soule the Will and the Understanding exercised about spirituall matters concerning Gods Wordship and the Salvation of Man seconded with power authority learning and many other advantages do make the party who commits them very sutable to that description Spirituall wickednesses in high places These crimes My Lords are various in their Nature haynous in their quality and universall in their extent If you examine them Theologically as they stand in opposition to the truth of God they will be found to be against the rule of Faith against the power of godlinesse against the meanes of Salvation If you examine
of Woborne in Bedfordshire Adam Sudbury Abbot of Germany with Astbeed a Monke of that House the Abbot of Sawly in Lanâ—ashâ—re and the Prior of the same William Wâ—ld Prior of Birlingtoâ— the Parson of Padington 5. priests of Lincolnshire Doctor Markerell who stiled himselfe Captaine Cobler and Iohn Allen Priests the chiefe fire-brands in this Rebellion were hanged for Rebellion as they well deserved though they named their enterprise an holy blessed Pilgrimage and had certaine Banners in the field wherein was planted Christ hanging on the Crosse on the one side and a Chalice with a painted Cake in it on the other side For other Arch-Bishops since I finde not much concerning them onely I reade that Robert Holgate his next Successour was committed prisoner to the Tower in the first yeare of Queene Mary where he lay an yeare and halfe and that Edwin Sands another of his Successours was long impriâ—oned by Queene Mary he being Vice-chancellour of Cambridge when the Lady Iane was proclaimed Queeneâ— preached a Sermon upon that ocâ—â—sion which was like to cost him his life Samuel Harsnet the last Archbish. but one being made a Privie Councellour by our present Soverâ—igne King Charles was such a furious Hildebrand that like Davus in the Comedie he perturbed all things where ever he came insomuch that the Lords and Court growing wearie of him and his domineering outrage caused him to be sent from Court to his Arch-Bishopricke and there to keepe residence till he should be sent for Where having no other imployment hee falls by the eares with Doctor Howson Bishop of Durham whom he excommunicated for refusing to admit him to visit in his Diocesse as his Metropolitane he being a Count Palatine in his Bishopricke and withall falling to persecute the godly Ministers of his Diocesse he was smitten mortally with a dangerous disease whereof he died the very night before he resolved to suspend and silence some good men summoned to appeare before him the next morning This furious Arch-Prelate was such an enemie to the Lawes and Liberties of the subject that in the case of Mr. Walter Long censured in Star-chamber about 4. Caroli for comming up to the Parliament House whereof he was a member whilâ—s he was Sheriffe of Wiltshire contrary to his Oath as was pretended when as his Counsell produced divers ancient Records and Presidents touching the Priviledges of Parliaments and the members of it to exempt him from the Jurisdiction and sentence of that Court this Arch-Bishop checked his counsell for troubling them with Moth-Eaten Records saying That they sate there not to be guided by Presidents but to make Presidents and so proceeded to censure in the cause In a word I may conclud of himâ— as Saint Bernard long before did of one of his predecessors Nonne Eboracensis ipse est cui te praesâ—nte fratres tui restiterunt in faciem eo quod reprehensibilis erat sed speravit in multitudine divitiarum suarum praevaluâ—t in vanitate sua Certâ—m est tamen quod non intravit per ostium in ouile ovium sed ascendit aliunde Si Paston fuiâ—set diligendus erat si mercenarius tolerandus Nunc autem cavendus et repellendus utpote fur latro Richard Neale the last Arch-bishop of York before his comming to that See about the 13 yeare of King Iames not long after hee was created a Bishop was highly questioned in Parliment for seditious speeches against the Commons House for which he had suffered condigne punishment had he not beene an active instrument to dissolve that Parliament to avoid the censure of it Since that he had a hand in dissolving other Parliaments to the prejudice of the King and Kingdome In the Remonstrance of the Commons House of Parliament presented to King Charles our Soveraigne in the 3. yeare of his Raigne hee was by name complained against as one of the chiefe heads of the popish and Arminian Factions which disquietted both our Church and State and as a persecuter of good Ministers and suppressour of Lectures How many godly Ministers he prosecuted silenced suspended deprived both in the High Commission and all the Diocesse under his Jurisdiction whiles hee continued in favour at the Court is so well knowne to all that I need not relate it And his disfavour at Court as most conjecture was the cause of his unexpected Clemencie to the Ministers of the province of York some few years before his death He was the first advancer of William Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury of Doctor Cousins with sundry other Incendiaries and Innovators both in Church and State who were entertained by him for his Chaplainesâ— and then promoted by his meanesâ— to the ruine almost of our Religion and Kingdome He was a great enemy to Parliaments Prohibitions the Liberties of the Subject and Lawes of the Land Hee seldome or never preached himselfe and therefore could not endure frequent preaching in others Hee was a great furtherer of the Booke for sports on the Lords day and an enemy to puritie Puritans and the sincere practise of pietie Hee had a hand in ratifying the late Canons and Oath in affront of his Majesties Prerogative the Parliament Lawes and Liberties of the Subject And no doubt he had a finger in the late Scottish Warres and Combustions whereupon hee burnt all his Letters concerning Church and State-affaires as soone as he heard the Scots had entred into England for feare they should have beene surprized and his fellow-Prelates machinations against the Scots by their surprisall discovered He had a chiefe hand and influence in the unjust and bloudy sentences against Dr. Layton and Mr. Pryn in the Star-chamber against Mr. Smartâ— Dr. Bastwicke Mr. Huntly and sundry others in the High Comission in the vexatious and most exorbitant proceedings against Calvin Bruen Peter Lee Mr. Inch and sundry others of Chester for visiting M. Pryn in his passage through that Citie towards Castleâ— and by 2. Orders under the high Commission Seale of Yorke signed with his owne and other Commissioners hands bearing date the 10. Novem. and 4. Decem. 1637. commanded 5. Pictures of the Portraiture of M. Pryn to be defaced and then burnt at the high Crosse in Chester before the Maior Alderman and Citizensâ— out of an hatred to Mr. Prynnes person which no doubt hee would have burned to as well as his picture had it bin in his power This Arch-Prelate by the aide of his quondam Chaplain Canterbury incroached much on the liberties of the Lord Maior and Citizens of Yorke with whom he had many contests and procured a Mandate to the Lord Maior not to carry his sword before him within the Close and Cathedrall at Yorke though his Predecessours had ever used to do it from K. Richard the 2. his daies who gave them this priviledge by a Charter and yet the Deane and Prebends of Yorke in the meane have intruded themselves contrary to divers Charters into the civill Government
which hee could not obtaine untill for redemption he had given and surrendred up his Patronage of Sowton with a peece of Land all which the said Bishop annexeth to his now Lordship Thus by policy he purchaseth the Mannor of Bishops-Clift by a devise gaineth Cornish-wood and by power wresteth the patronagne uf Sowton from the true owner to the great vexation and disturbance of the Country Petâ—r Quiuill his next successor had great contests with the Citizens of Exeter in so much that in his time 1285. Walter Liâ—hlade the first Chaunter was slaine in a morning as hee came from the morning Service then called the Mattens which was wont to be said shortly after midnight upon which occasion the King came unto this city and kept his Christmas in the same and thereupon a compoâ—ition was made betweene the Bishop and the City for inclosing of the Church-yard and building of certaine gates there as appeareth by the said composition bearing date in festo Annunciationis beatae Mariae 1286. The King at the suit of the Earle of Hereford who at his being here way lodged in the house of the Gray-Fryers which then was neere the house of S. Nicholas obtained of the Bishop that they should be removed from thence to a more wholesome place without South-gate whereof after the Kings departure grew some controversie because the Bishop refused to performe his promise made to the King being disswaded by Peter Kenefield a Dominicane or a Blacke-Fryer and confessor unto the said Bishop for he envying the good successe of the Franciscans adviseth the Bishop that in no wise he would permit them to enjoy the place which they had gotten foâ— saith he as under colour of simplicity they creepe into the hearts of the people and hinder us poore Preachers from our gaines and livings so be ye sure that if they put foote within your Liberties they will in time finde meanes to be exempted from out of your Liberty and jurisdiction The Bishop being soone disswaded utterly forbiddeth them to build or to doe any thing within his See or Liberty About two yeares after the Bishop kept a great feast upon the Sunday next before S. Francis day and among others was present with him one Walter Wilborne one of the Kings chiefe Justices of the Bench who was present when the Bishop at the request of the King made promise to further and helpe the Franciscans He now in their behalfe did put the Bishop in minde thereof and requested him to have consideration both of his owne promise and their distresse The Bishop misliking this motion waxed angry and did not onely deny to yeeld thereuntoâ— but wished himselfe to be choked what day soever he did consent unto it It fortuned that the same weeke and upon the day of S. Frances Eve The Bishop tooke a certaine Sirope to drinke and in too hastily swallowing thereof his breath was stopped so as hee forthwith died The Franciscans hearing thereof made no little adoe about this matter but blazed it abroad that S. Francis wrought this miracle upon the Bishop â—â—cause he was so hard against them Anno. 1326. Walter Stapleton Bishop of Exeter to whom King Edward the second left the charge of the city of London was assaulted by the people at the North-doore of Pauls Church who threw him downe and drew him most outragiously into Cheape-side where they proclaimed him an open Traytor a Seducer of the Kingâ— and a destroyer and subverter of their Liberties the putting off his Aketon or coate of defence with the rest of his garments they shore his head from his shoulders with the heads of two of his servants The Bishops head was set on a pole for a spectacleâ— that the remembrance of his death and the cause thereof might continue his body was buried in an old Church yard of theâ— Pied Fryers without any manner of Exequies or Funerall service done for him Belike he was a wicked instrument that hee became so odious to the people who thus cruelly handled him Symon Mephara Archbishop of Canterbury began his Metropoliticall Visitation in the yeare 1332. and comming to Exeter Iohn Grandison Bishop of that See either scorning or fearing his jurisdiction appealed against it to the Pope and when the ArchBishop came to visite his Diocesse hee resisted him and kept him from entring into it with a Military band of Souldiers and when as the Archbishop resolved to encounter him and his forces in the field with armes and raised an army in Wiltshire for that purpose the King being there with acquainted recalled him by his royall Letters so as he returned shamefully and ignominiously out of that Diocesse without visiting it and falling sicke for griefe of this his repulse he died at Macfield in his returne thence of a deadly feaver This Bishop built a faire house at Bishops Taington which he left full furnished unto his successors and did impropriate unto the same the Parsonage of Radway to the end as he setteth downe in his Testament ut haberent Episcopilocum ubi caput suum reclinarent si forte in manuÌ„ regis eorum temporalia caperentur Presuming no doubt that many of them would prove contemptuous to their Soveraignes and have their temporalties seised for it Thomas Brentingham the 18th Bishop of Exetâ—r at the Parliament holden at Westminester in the tenth yeare of King Edward the second was chosen to be one of the twelve Peeres for the government of the Realme under the King In this mans time Anno. 1388. William Courtney Archbishop of Canterbury intending to keepe a Metropoliticall Visitation in his Province and having formerly visited the Diocesse of Rochester Chichester Worcester Bath and Wells without any resistance or contradiction came into the Diocesse of Exeter and having begun his Visitation there oft times proroged the same from day to day and from place to place and suspended the Jurisdiction of the Bishop and other Prelates in that Diocesse during his Metropoliticall Visitation Herupon the Bishop of Exâ—ter commanded all within his Diocesse that they should not obey the Archbishop in his Visitation and that they should receive their Institutions Collations and Admissions to Benefices Commissions of Administrations Confirmations of Elections Conusances and Decisions of all causes Corrections of crimes and ordinary rights from no other but himselfe and his Officers excommunicating all who diâ—obeyed this his Edict The Archbishop abolished and repealed this Prohibitory and Mandatory Edict of his by a contrary one and made void his sentence of Excommunication After which he appealed foure severall times to the Pope and fixed his appeale in writing on the doores of the Cathedrall Church of Exeter The Archbishop rejected and refuted them all and proceeded in his Visitation notwithstanding citing the Bishop himselfe by divers Edicts to answer to certaine Articles objected to him in his Visitation But some of the Bishops adherents caught Peter Hill the Archbishops Somner in
imprison them and to confiscate all their goods moveables and immoveables Item that he should have power to deprive Lay Schismatiques of all secular Offices whatsoever and to conferre their Offices upon fit persons Item That he should have power of depriving and declaring to be deprived all Schismaticall Clergy men and of conferring their Benefices with Cure or without Cure their dignities Personages or Offices to other idoneous persons Item That he should have power over all exempt persons Clerkes or Laicks Seculars or Regulars though they were brethren of the Order of the Mendicants or Professors or Professed of other Houses or of the Hospitall of St. Iohns of Ierusalem or of St. Mary of the Teutonicks or professors of any other Orders Item That he should have power of dispensing with any Beneficed secular Clerks with Cure or without Cure or such who had any dignities parsonages or Offices and with regulars exempt or not exempt that every of them might be absent with him from their benefices dignities offices and houses under the signe of the Crosse without any license of their Prelates obtained with the notice and reception of the fruits of their benefices as if they personally had resided Item It is granted to all who goe oversea with him at their owne cost and expences or at the charges of any other plenary remission of all sinnes and so many priviledges as are granted to those who goe to the aide of the holy Land Item They who out of their proper goods and meanes shall minister sufficient wages to fit souldiers according to the discretion of the said Bishop or of any deputed by him albeit he himselfe shall not be personally present in the execution of the said businesse shall have like remission of sinnes and indulgence as aforesaid as they had beene personally present with him Item All shall be partakers of this remission who shall congruously minister of their goods to the said Bishop towards the expugnation of the said Heretickes Item if any in following the same Standard shall chance to die in the journey undertaken or if the businesse it selfe shall chance to be finished in the interim with a convenient end he shall intirely receive the same grace who shall be partaker of the forenamed indulgence remission Item he hath power of excommunicating suspending interdicting all rebellious persons or those who hinder him to execute the power granted to him of what dignity state degree preheminence order place or condition soever they shall be allthough Regall Queenely or Imperiall or of what other Ecclesiasticall or worldly dignity soever they excell in Item He hath power of compelling all religious persons whatsoever even the professors of the Order of the Mendicants if it shall seeme expedient to him to destinate or transmit them where he please for the execution of the premises This Bishop armed with this large Commission sends out his Mandates every where for the advancement of this holy papall warre and among other his precepts directs this ensuing mandate to the Clergy of the Province of Yorke Henry by Divine permission Bishop of Norwich Nuncio of the See Apostolicke to our beloved in Christ all and singular the Rectors Vicars and Chaplaines Parochiall within the City and Diocesse of Yorke greeting in the Lord Albeit wee have exhorted all and every of you by Apostolicall authoritie in the Lord and strictly commanded you that you should publish the crosse committed to us and its vertue to your parishioners in the most opportune time and places whose sustainers fauters and aiders according to Ours or Our Deputies discretion have plenary remission of sinnes granted and besides this have augmentation of eternall salvation permitted as is more fully contained in the Apostolicall Bulls lawfully published throughout all England And because we understand by the relation of credible men that our exhortation and command hath taken none or small effect especially as is beleeved by reason of the negligence of Curates to the diminution of the Catholicke faith and danger of soules who easily by your councell and exhortation might obtaine the foresaid priviledges and sempiternall grace Therefore wee much affecting the salvation and pofit of soules lest the precious gift of this spirituall universall grace or our power should not as much as in us lieth be unknowne to any of your parishoners for time to come doe you cause the names of all your Parishioners to be written setting downe the summe and donations of those that pay upon their names and those that pay not from day to day as often and when it shall be most expedient not onely the rich but also the poore according to the similitude of the poore widdow the healthy and those that are sicke especially in confession doe you prudently handle and perswade to put their helping hands to this holy voyage to the destruction and extermination of moderne Heretickes that so they may be partakers of the merit and reward granted in this behalfe and your selves hereby very much eased from the burthen of your Cure Moreover the desturbers of this holy Voyage or Rebells to our Commands or rather to the Apostles and fauters of the moderne Schisme you or some of you shall peremptorily cite that they personally appeare before us or our Commissioners by a certaine day perfixed by you or some one of you in the Cathedrall of St. Paul in London to shew cause at a precise and peremptory time wherefore they ought not to be pronounced to have fallen into the censures thundred out against those who perpetrate such things And further to doe and receive what Justice shall perswade You or some one of you shall distinstly and wisely certifie us or our Commissioners of the namâ—â—â— and quantity of the almes conferred in this kindeâ— and also of the dayes of your citations and of the manner and forme thereof Of all and every of which we burthen every of your consciences firmely injoyning you by vertue of that obedience you stand obliged to the See Apostolickeâ— that you publish these our present Letters among your Parishioners reteining the Coppies of them with your selves and that yee speedily transmit them to the next Curate in the foresaid Diocesse In witnesse whereof wee have to these presents set to our usuall Sâ—â—le in this behalfe Given at Our Lodging â—t Charing neare Westmiâ—ster the 9th day of the Monesh of February Anno. Dom. 1382. and the 13th of Our Consecration And withall he granted this forme of Absolution to all ayders and Assistants to this holy warre By the Apostolicall authority committed to me in this behalfe wee absolve thee A. B. from all sinnes confessed with the mouth and sorrowed for with the heart and which thou wouldst confesse if they came to thy memory and we grant thee plenary remission of all thy sinnes and promise thee retribution of just men and augmentation of eternall salvation and we grant to thee so many priviledges as are granted to those who goe to the aide
might not very easily have borne Iudge you therefore what manner of imprisonment your Master deserved at my hands that procured such ease for me at the Emperours hands These two Chaplaines had their mouthes stopped with these words thus by the King uttered and so departed their wayes The Bishop being still detained in Prison procured suite to be made to the Pope for his deliverance writing a Letter to the Pope against the King for this hard usage recorded by Hoveden whereupon the Pope writ a Letter to the King in his behalfe to importune his release But the Pope being truely informed of the matter and wisely considering that the King had not taken the Bishop Preaching but fighting and kept him prisoner rather as a rough enemy then as a peaceable Prelate would not be earnest with the King for his deliverance but rather reproved the Bishop In that hee had preferred secular warfare before the spirituall and had taken upon him the use of a Speare insteed of a Crosier an Helmet insteed of a Miter an Herbergean instead of a white Rocket a Targeâ— for a Stoale and an iron Sword in lieu of the spirituall Sword and therefore he reâ—used to use any Commandment to King Ricâ—ard for the setting oâ— him at Liberty But yet he promised to doe what he could by way of intreating that he might be released It is reported by some Writers that the Pope at first not understanding the truth of the whole circumstance should send to King Richard commanding him by force of the Canons of the Church to deliver his Sonnes the Bishop and Archdeacon out of their captivity To whom the King sent their Armour with this message written in Latine Vide an tunica filii tui siâ— an non that is See whether these are the garments of thy Sonnes or not alluding to the saying of those that carryed Iosephs coaâ—e to Iacob Which when the Pope saw he said Nay by Saint Peter it is neither the apparell of my Sonnes nor yet of my Brethren but rather they are the vestures of the children of Mars and so he left them still to be ransomed at the Kings pleasure The Bishop thus seeing no hope to be delivered without some agreement had betwixt the two Kings became now through irkesomnesse of his bonds an earnest mediator for peace whereas he had beene before an extreame stirrer up of warre Such a Schoolemaster is imprisonment and plucker downe of lofty courages But not prevailing he plots how to make an escape When Queene Elionorâ—ing â—ing Richards Mother came to Rhoane she sent for this Bishops keepâ—rs to permi the Bishop to câ—me to her lodging to spâ—ake with her which although it were dangerous yet they unwillâ—ng to resist the Queenes suiâ—e peâ—mitâ—ed him to goe out of the Towe gaâ—es feâ—â—eâ—ed with themselves accompanying him As they passed bâ— a Church the Bishop ran to the doore thâ—ugh 〈◊〉 as well as he couâ—d and laying hold on the Ring of the Churâ—hâ— cryed out with a loud voâ—ce saying I demand the peace of God and the Church At which speech his Keepers much troubled laid hands on him pulâ—ed him from the Church doore and brought him backe agaâ—ne to the Tower where they kept him more stricktly then before Which â—he King hearing of sent him to Chine to be kept close Prisoner After this he offered King Richard 10000 markes for his enlargement which he refused But Kâ—ng Iohn comming to the Crown at the Popes request relâ—ased hâ—m â—or 2000. He taking a solemne Oath before the Cardinall and other Ecclesiastickes that he would never all his life after beare armes against Christians as he had causeâ— now noâ— to doe About the same time Walter Arch bishop of Roven at the instigation of the French King puâ— all the Country of Normandy under senâ—ence of inâ—erdiction because King Richard had begun to sort â—he a Caâ—â—le at Lisse Dandely upon a peece of ground which the Archbishop câ—aimâ—d to appertaine unto hiâ— See The Archbishop would â—y no meaneâ— release the interdict So as the bodies â—f dead men lay unbuâ—yed through all the Villages and streetes of tâ—e Câ—ties of Normandy Hereupon the King much troubled at the Aâ—chbâ—shops dealing whom he had advanced and much imployed sâ—nds â—o Rome to the Pope to heare the cause betweene them The matter being brought before the Pope he perceiving the intent of King Richard was not otherwise grounded upon anâ— covetous purpose to defraud the Church oâ— her right but oneâ—y to buâ—ld a fortresse in such place as was moâ—t expedient for defence of the Country about to preserve it from invasion of the enemies counselled the Archbishop noâ— to sâ—and against the King in it but to exchange with him for some other Lands which was done and the interdiction by the Pope released This Archbishop was a great warriour bore great sway in England during King Richards absence and captivity and troubled the Realme very much with taxes and warres Before I come to the Prelates of Scotland I shall insert one story of a Patriarch of Hierusalem who affronted our King Henry the second to his face in a shamefull manner The story is this Heraclius Patriarch of Ierusalem came into England in the thirtyeth yeare of King Henry the second and made busy request to him against the Saracens proffering him the keyes of Ierusalem and of our Lords grave with Letters of Pope Lucius the third charging him that he should take upon him the Kingdome of Ierusalem with the royall Standard of the Kingdome as due unto him and likewise make a royall voyage thither in proper person with an army for the security thereof and to have minde of the Oath that he before time had made The King deferred his answer and Baldwin the Arch bishop Preached and exhorted men to take the Crosse by whose meanes many there were that avowed that journey The King at last by the advise of his whole Councell and Parliament gave this answer that he might not leave his Land without keeping nor yet leave it to the prey and robbery of the French men but he would give largely of his owne to such as would take upon them that voyage With this answer Heraâ—lius was discontented and said we seeke a man and not money well neere every Christian Region sendeth to us money but no Land sendeth to us a Prince But the King laid for him such excuses that the Patriarch departed from him discontented and comfortlesse Whereof the King being advertised entending somewhat to recomfort hâ—m with pleasant words followed him to the Sea side But the more the King thought to satisfie him with his faire speech the more the Patriarch was discontented in so much that at last he said unto him Hitherto thou hast raigned gloriously but hereafter thou shalt be forsaken of him that thou at this time forsakest thinke on him what he hath given to thee and what thou hast yeelded to him againe How first thou wert false to
And as if this had not been sufficient he procured sixe Subsidies to be lifted of the Clergy under paine of deprivation to all that should refuse And which is yet worse and above which Malice it selfe cannot ascend by his meanes a Prayer is framed Printed and sent through all the Paroches of England to be said in all Churches in time of Divine Service next after the Prayer for the Queene and Royall Progeny against our Nation by name of Trayterous Subjects having cast off all obedience to our annoynted Soveraigne and comming in a rebellious manner to invade England that shame may cover our faces as Enemies to God and the King Whosoever shall impartially examine what hath proceeded from himselfe in these two Bookes of Canons and Common Prayer what Doctrine hath beene published and Printed these yeares by-past in England by his Disciples and Emissaries what grosse Popery in the most materiall points we have found and are ready to shew in the posthume writings of the Prelate of Edenburgh and Dumblane his owne creatures his neerest familiars and most willing instruments to advance his counsels and projects â—all perceive that his intentions were deepe and large against all the reformed Kirkes and Reformation of Religion which in his Majesties dominions wes panting and by this time had rendred up the Ghost if God had not in a wonderfull way of mercy prevented us And that if the Pope himselfe had beene in his place he could not have beene more Popish nor could he more zealously have negotiated for Rome against the Reformed Kirkes to reduce them to the Heresies in Doctrine the Superstitions and Idolatry in worship and the Tyranny in Government whâ—ch are in that See and for which the Reformed Kirkes did separate from it and come furth of Babell From him certainely hath issued all this deluge which almost haâ—h overturned all We are therefore confident that your Lordships will by your meanes deale effectually wiâ—h the Parliament that this great firebrand be presently removed from his Majesties presence and that he may be put to tryall and put to his deserved censure according to the Lawes of the Kingdome which fall be good service to God honour to the King and Parliament terrour to the wicked and comfort to all good men and to us in speciall who by his meanes principally have beene put to so many and grievous afflictions wherein we had perished if God had not beene with us We doe indeed confesse that the Prelates of England have beene of very different humours some of them of a more hot and others of them men of a more moderate temper some of them more and some of them lesse inclinable to Popery yet what knowne truth and constant experience hath made undenyable we must at this opportunity professe that from the first time of Reformation of the Kirke of Scotland not onely after the comming of King Iames of happy memory into England but before the Prelates of England have beene by all meanes uncessantly working the overthrow of our discipline and government And it hath come to passe of late that the Prelates of England having prevailed and brought us to subjection in the point of Governement and finding their long waited for opportunity and a rare congruity of many spirits and powers ready to cooperate for their ends have made a strong assault upon the whole externall worship and doctrine of our Kirke By which their doing they did not aime to make us conforme to England but to make Scotland first whose weakâ—nesse in râ—sisting they had before experienced in the Novations of government and of some poynts of Worship and thereafter England conforme to Rome even in these matters wherein England had separated from Rome ever since the time of Reformation And evill therefore which hath issued not so much from the personall disposition of the Prelates themselves as from the innate quality and nature of their office and Prelaticall Hierarchy which did bring furth the Pope in ancient times and never ceaseth till it bringeth furth Popish Doctrine and worship where it is once rooâ—ed and the Principles thereof fomented and constantly followed And from that antipathy and inconsistency of the two formes of Ecclesiasticall Government which they conceived and not without cause that one Island united also under one head and Monarch wes noâ— able to beare the one being the same in all the parts and powers which it wes in the times of Popery and now is in the Roman Church The other being the forme of Government received maintained and practised by all the Reformed Kirks wherein by their owne testimonies and confessions the Kirke of Scotland had amongst them no small eminency This also we represent to your Lordships most serious consideration that not onely the firebrands may be removed but that the fire may be provided against that there be no more combustion after this I shall close up all touching the Prelates of Scotland with the late Act of their generall Assembly at Edenburgh for their utter extirpation out of that Church and the Recantation and abjuration of two of their late Bishops to wit the Bishop of Dunkelden and of the Orcanies The Generall Act for abolishing of Episcopacy and all Innovationâ— lately intended in the Church of Scotland THe Kings Majesty having graciously declared that it is his Royall will and pleasure that all questions about Religion and matters Ecclesiasticall be determined by Assemblies of the Kirke having also by publique Proclamation indicted this frâ—e National Assembly for setling the present distraction of this Kirke and for establishing a perfect peace against such divisions and disorders as hath beene sore displeasing to his Majesty and grievous to all his good Subjects and now his Majesâ—ies Commissioner Iohn Earle of Traquaire instructed and authorized with a full Commission being present and sitting in this Assembly now fully conveened and orderly constitute in all the members thereof according to the Order of this Kirke having at large declared his Majesties good will to the reformed Religion and his Royall care and tender affection to this Kirke where his Majesty had both his birth and Baptisme his great displeasure at the manifold distractions and division of this Kirk and Kingdome and his desires to have all our wounds perfectly cured with a free and fatherly hand And although in the way approved by the Kirke tryall hath beene taken in former assemblies before from the Kirke Registers to our full satisfaction yet the Commissioners grace making particular enquiry from the members of the Assembly now solemnely conveened concerning the reall and true causes of so many and great evills at this time past had so fore troubled the peace of this Kirke and Kingdome it was presented to his Majesties Commissioner by this Assembly that beside many other the maine and most materiall causes was First the pressing of this Kirke by the Prelates with a Service Booke or Booke of Common Prayer without direction or
the Gospell whom they burnt and put to death the story of whose persecutions he that list may reade in Master Fox his Actâ— and Monuments Edit ult vol. 2. p. 605. to 626. to which I shall referre the Reader And thus much briefely touching the disloyall seditioâ—s and Schismaticall acts of the Scottish Prelates I now proceed to those of Ireland in whom I shall be briefe The Irish Bishops IN the yeare of Grace 1197. Hamo de Waâ—is with the other Gardians of Ireland and Earle Iohns men offered some injury to Iohn Cumin Arch-bishop of Dublin whereupon the Archbishop willing rather to be banished then to suffer such great injuries to himselfe and his Church to goe unpunished excommunicated the foresayd presumers and passed a sentence of interdict against his Arch-bishopricke and departed commanding the Crosses and images of the Cathedâ—all Church to bee taken downe and hedged about with thornes that so those malefactors might be terrified and recalled from their will of preying upon the goods of the Church But they still persisting in their maligne purpose there happened a miracle not heaâ—d of in our times There was a Crucifix in the Cathedrall Church of Dublin wherein the image of Christ was more exactly carved than in all others in Ireland or elsewhere which they had in most veneration This Image being layd prostrate on the ground and hedged about with thornes on the sixt weeke fell into a trance and his face I doubt if true by the Arch-bishops or Priests Legerdemaine appeared overspread with a vehement rednesse as if it had beene in a fiery furnace and a great sweate issued out of its face and little drops fell down from its eyes as if it wept and on the sixth houre of that day blood and water issued out of its left side and on the right side of its brest which the ministers of that Church diligently gathering up sent an Ambassie after their Arch-bishop Iohn Câ—min commanding him to certifie the Pope the event hereof under the Testimony and Seales of venerable men Yet the other Bishops of Ireland albeit they had often read En tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardeâ— notwithstanding passed by the dammages and injuries which the servants of Iohn Earle of Morton had done to their fellow Bishop with closed eyes and become like rammes not having hornes they retired from the face of the pursuer But Iohn Bishop of Dublin being in Exile came to Richard the first King of England and Iohn Earle of Morton his brother but could have no justice nor restitution of the things taken from him It seemes his cause therefore was not good After which hee continued long in England leaving both his Churâ—h and Diocesse still under interdiction and the others under the sentence of Excommunication O what impiety and malice is there in Prelates who for a meere supposed injury from one or two will interdict an whole Kingdome or Diocesâ—e and wil rob God of his publicke service as they account it and meâ—s soules of all spirituall food and exercises of Religion to wrecke their malice upon an enemie or two But this hath beene their common Atheisticall practise God and men mâ—st suffer in the highest degree rather than they lose their wills or the smallest punctilio of their usurped Antichristian honour Anno. 1212. this Arch-bishop dying Henry Condies succeeded him who was called Scorch Villeyn by occasion of a certaine treacherous act of his for one day calling his Tenants before him to answere by what tenure they held of him those Tenants shewing him their Deedes and Charters he commanded their Deedes and Charters to be burned of purpose to disinherit them of their rights for which most unjust act the Freeholders ever called him Henry Scorch-Villein he was Justice of Ireland and built Dublin Castle buâ— of his preaching to build men up in grace I finde not one syllable Anno 1313. Fryer Roland Ioce Primate of Armach arrived at the Isle of Houth the morrow after the Annunciation of the bleâ—sed Virgin Mary and rising in the night by stealth tooke up his Crosier and advanced it as â—arre as the Priory of Gâ—ace Dieu whom there encountred certaine of the Arch bishop of Dublins servants Iohn Leekes was then Arch-bishop of this See debasing and putting downe that Crosier and the Primate himselfe oâ— Armach they chased with disgrace and confusion out of Lemâ—ter Anno. 1324. Alexander de Bickner Arch-bishop of Dublin being in England joyned with thâ— Arch-bishops and Bishops of England in rescuing Adam de Arlton Bishop of Hereford even when he was openly arraigned for high Treason against King Edward the second at the Parliament barre the highest affront that ever I read offered to publicke Justice the story whereof is formerly recited at large p. 54.55 Annoâ— 1326. he sided with the Queene and other Prelates against King Edward the second his Soveraigne to his deposall and destruction in which he was very active Anno. 1331. on the vigill of Saint Marke the Evangelist the O-Tothely came to Tavelagh and robbed this Alexander Arch-bishop of Dublin tooke away three hundred sheepe and slew Bichard White and other men of his company the retinue of the Lord Archbishop of Dublin were by a traine or ambush slaine by David O-Tothill in Culiagh Anno. 1337. whiles Iohn Charlton was Lord Justice and held a Parliament at Dublin Doctor David O-Hirraghey Arch-bishop of Armach being called to the Parliament made his provision for house-keeping in the Monastery of Saint Mary neere unto Dublin but because he would have had his Crosier carried before him he was impeached by Alexander Arch-bishop of Dublin and his Clerkes and permit him they would not Anno. 1379. The Arch-bishop of Casselâ— in Ireland came from Rome sent thither for certaine urgent causes bringing backe with him a great power of binding and loosing from the Pope when he came to London preaching to the People he denounced the King of Francâ— and as many as adhered to the Anti-Pope to be involved in the sentence of Excommunication affirming that even now it would be an acceptable time to England as well in the cause of the King of England as of the Pope to invade the Kingdome of France especially since it was probable that a King Excommunicated would not have any confidence of resisting Thus this Messenger of Peace proves a publicke Herald to proclaime warre The King of France on the other side makes Proclamation through all his Kingdome that none should obey Pope Vrban and if any did â—ee should be beheaded and all his goods should be confiscated to the Kings use after which the confederates of Pope Clement and Vrban meeting in the field above 5000. were slaine on Clements part in one battle with Bernard Decksale their Generall and many more afterwards Anno. 1420. there was a Parliament held at Dublin at which time Richard O-Hedian Bishop of
Oxford William Cliffe Geoffry Dowes Robert Oking Ralph Bradford Richard Smith Simon Mathew Iohn Pryn William Buckmaster William May Nicholas Wotton Richard Cox Iohn Edmunds Thomas Robertson Iohn Baker Thomas Barret Iohn Hase Iohn Tyson Doctors and Professors in Divinity and of the civill and Canon Law with the whole Convocation House and Clergy of Enland in their Booke intituled The Institution of a Christian man dedicated by them to King Henry the eight Printed Cum Privilegio subscribed with all their names and ratified by the Statute of 32. Henry the eight cap. 26. chap. Of the Sacrament of Order fol. 48. c. And King Henry 8. himselfe in his Booke inscribed A necessary erudition for any Christian man published with the advise and approbation of all the Prelates Clergy of England in their Convocation and of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and nether House of Parliament with the Kings owne royall Epistle to all his loving Subjects before it Anno 1545. by vertue of the Satute of 32 Henry the eight c. 26. Chap. of the Sacrament of Order Doe all thus joyntly determine of the calling jurisdiction Lordlinesse and secular imployments of Bishops The truth is that in the New Testament there is no mention made of any degrees or distinctions in Orders but onely of Deacons and Ministers and of Priests or Bishopâ— And of these two Orders onely that is to say Priests and Deacons Scripture maketh expresse mention and how they were conferred of the Apostles by Prayer and imposition of their hands And to these two the Primitive Church did add and conjoyne certaine other inferior and lower degrees And as concerning the office and duty of the said Ecclesiasticall Ministers the same consisteth in true preaching and teaching the word of God unto the people iâ— dispensing and ministring the Sacraments of Christ in consecratingâ— and offering the blessed body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar in loosing and assoyling from sinne such persons as be sorry and truely penitent for the same and excommunicating such as bâ— guilty in manifest crimes and will not be reformed otherwise and finally in praying for the whole Church of Christâ— and specially for the flocke committed unto them And although the office and ministry of Priests and Bishops stand câ—iefly in these things before rehearsed yeâ— neither they nor any of them may exercise and execute any of the same offices but with such sort and such limitation as the Ordinances and Lawes of every Christian Realme doe permit and â—uffer It is out of all doubt that there is no mention made neither in Scripture neither in the writings of any authentical Doctâ—r or Author of the Church being within the time of the â—postles that Christ did ever make or institute any distinction or difference to be in the preheminence of power order or jurisdiction between the Apostleâ— themselves or between the Bishops themselves but that they were all â—quall in power authorâ—ty and jurisdâ—ctâ—on And that there is now and since the time of the Apostles any such diversity or difference among the Bishops It was devised by the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church for the conservation of good order and unity of the Catholique Church and that either by the consent and authority or else at least by the permâ—ssion and suffâ—rance of the Prâ—nces and civill powers for the time ruling For the said Fathers considering the great and infinite multitude of Christian men so lâ—rgely encreased through the world and taking examples of the Old Testamâ—nt thought it expedient to make an order of degrees to be among Bishops and spirituall Governours of the Church and so ordained some to be Patriarks some to be Metropolitansâ— some to be Archbishops some to be Bishops and to them did limit severally not onâ—ly their certaine Diocesse and Provinces wherein they should exercise their power and not exceed the same but also certaine bounds and limits of their jurisdiction and power c. And lest peradventure it might be thought to some persons that such authorities powers and jurisdictions as Patriarks Primates Archbishops and Metropolitans now have or heretofore at any time have had justy and lawfully over any other Bishops were given them by God in holy Scripture We think it expedient and necessary that all men should be advertised and taught that all such lawfull powers and authority of one Bishop over another were and be given to them by the consent ordinance positive lawes of men only and not by any ordinance of God in holy Scripture and all other power and authority which any Bishop hath used or exercised over another which hath not been given to him by such consent and ordinance of men as is aforesaid is in very deed no lawful power but plaine usurpation and tyranny And therefore whereas the Bishop of Rome hath heretofore claimed and usurped to be head and governour over all Priests and Bishops of the holy catholique Church of Christ by the lawes of God It is evident that the same power is utterly fained and untrue VVee thinke it convenient that all Bishops and Pastors shall instruct and teach the people committed to their spirituall charge that Christ did by expresse words prohibit that none of his Apostles nor any of their successors should under the pretence of authority of the sword that is to say the authority of Kings or any civill power in this world yea or any authority to make Lawes or Ordinances in causes appertaining â—â—to civill powers If any Bishop of what estate or dignity soâ—ver he be be he Bishop of Rome or of any other City Province or Diocesse doe presume to take upon him authority or jurisdiction in causes of matters which appertaine unto Kings and the civill powâ—rs and â—heir Courts and will maintaine or thinke that he may so doe by the authority of Christ and his Gospel although the Kings and Princes would not permit and suffer him so to doe no doubt that Bishop is not worthy to be called a Bishop but rather a Tyrant and a usurper of other mens rights contrary to the Lawes of God and is worthy to be reputed none otherwise than he that goeth about to subvert the Kingdome of Christ for the Kingdome of Christ in his Church is spirituall and not a carnall kingdome of the world that is to say the very Kingdome that Christ by himselfe or by his Apostles and Disciples sought here in this world was to bring all Nations from the carnall kingdome of the Prince of darknesse unto the light of his spirituall Kingdome and so himselfe raigne in the hearts of the people by grace faith hope and charity And therefore sith Christ did never seeke nor exercise any worldly kingdome or dominion in this world but rather refusing and flying the same did leave the said worldly governance of kingdomes Realmes and Nations to be governed by Princes and Potentates in like manner as he did finde them and commanded also his
this purpose and not for the other have you received the keyes of the kingdome of Heaven why then doe you invade other mens bounds or borders The rest I will passe over for brevities cause The seventh Article Falsly and against the Honour State and reverence of the sacred Majesty of the King of Scots hee hath said holden and affirmed that our most noble King of Scots defender of the Christian faith would appropriate unto himselfe all the possessions lands and rents of the Church given and granted by his predecessors and also by himselfe and convert them unto his owne private use And for this end and purpose as hee hath many times written unto him so hath he with his whole endeavour perswaded our said noble Lord and King thereunto It is no marvell though these mad dogs doe so barke against mee whom they thinke to have counselled the Kings Majesty I would to God I had also throughly perswaded him that hee should take away from these unjust sacrilegious possessors the riches wherewith all they are fatted and â—ngreased like Swine For this is the nature of dogs if any man goe about to take away the bone out of their mouth by and by to snatch at him and teare him with their teeth It is out of all controversie unto such as have any wit at all that such men were very childish that is to say ignorant of all learning and judgement which did so fat and feed with their possessions these belly beasts For who would not judge it more then childish to bestow the Kings victuals or meate upon the bellies of the prophets of Baal and Iesabel But all they which at this present doe endowe such filthy sinks I will not call them dens of thieves with such revenues they doe follow the steps of Iesabel for what other thing doe they when as daily they are bleating and lowing before their Images burning of Incense and fall flat downe before their Altars but that which in times past the prophets of Baal did when as they transported the worship of God unto an Idoll Wherefore if Daniel and Elias were spotted with heresie when they would have destroyed the Priests of Baal I grant that I also must bee an Heretique But for so much as then hee did nothing but which was commanded him of the Lord that was able to kill the prophet which had allured the people to follow strange gods he could not truly and justly be accused of heresie so neither can my adversaries spot mee therewithall except peradventure they will condemne me that whereas Elias dealt more rigorously with the prophets of Baal for he cast them into the brooke Kidron I required or desired no more but that the riches which was wickedly bestowed upon them and their possessions might be taken from them The ninth Article He hath openly holden said and affirmed preached and taught that the Lawes of the Church that is to say the sacred Canons approved and allowed by the holy Catholique and Apostolique Church are of no force strength or effect alleadging therefore and affirming that they are made and intended contrary to the Law of God God forbid that I should say that those things which are approved by the holy Catholike Church should be of no effect or value For well I know that the holy Apostolique Church hath never been allowed ordained or taught any thing which shee hath not learned of the Lord the Apostles are witnesses therof Peter and Paul whereof the one of them dared not freely utter or speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by himselfe for the obedience of the Gentiles The other exhorteth That if any man speake he should speake the praises of God but I condemne those lawes which the Bishops of Rome have made according to their owne will and mind and say that they are spirituall pertaining unto the salvation of the soule and necessarie unto everlasting life for so much as the writings of the Apostles doe evidently declare that there was no authority knowne amongst them to make or ordaine any ordinances or lawes Furthermore the Scriptures doe manifeâ—tly shew the same how oftentimes even by the Lords owne mouth this foresaid authority is taken from the Ministers of the Church so that no excuse for them remaineth but that they be plaine rebels against the Word of God how many soever doe presume or take upon them to appoint or set any new lawes upon the people of God Which thing is more manifest and evident than the light it selfe in many places of the Scripture For in the three and twentieth chapter of Ioshua it is written You shall observe and doe all that is written in the Law of Moses neither shall you swarve from that either to the right hand or to the left hand But that which is written in the â—welfth chapter of Deuteronomy ought to move them somewhat the more What soever I command saith the Lord that shall you observe and doe thereunto you shall adde nothing neither shall you take any thing from it c. This point hee there excellently prosecutes at large where yoâ— may read more at your leisure M. William Tyndall our famous Martyr in his obedience of a Christian man Printed Câ—m Privilegio at London 1573. p. 98. writes thus of Bishops and their practises God promised David a Kingdomeâ— and immediately stirred up King Saul against him to persecute him to hunt him as men do Hares with Greyhounds and to ferret him out of every hole and that for the space of many yeares to tame him to meere his lusts to make him feele other mens diseases to make him mercifull to make him understand that hee was made King to minister and to serve his brethren and that he should not thinke that his Subjects were made to minister unto his Lusts and that it were lawfull for him to take away from them life and goods at hiâ— pleasure Oh that our Kings were so nurtured nowadayes which our holy Bishops teach of a farre other manner saying your Grace shall take your pleasure yea take what pleasure you list spare nothing wee shall dispense with you wee have power wee are Gods Vicars and let us alone with the Realme wee shall take paine for them and see that nothing be well your Grace shall but defend the faith onely After which he proceeded thus Kings were ordained then as I before said and the sword put in their hands to take vengeance of evill doers that others might feare and were not ordeined to fight one against another or to rise against the Emperour to defend the false authority of the Pope that very Antichrist Bishops they onely can minister the temporall sword their office the preaching of Gods Word laid apart which they will neither do nor suffer any man to do but slay with the temporall sword which they have gotten out of the hand of all Princes them that would The preaching of
interdicted They will be avenged on them that never offended Full well prophesied of them Paul in the second Epistle to Timothy 3. Some men will say wouldst thou that men should fight in the 〈◊〉 unpunished Nay but let the King ordaine a punishâ—â—â—â—â—or them as he doth for them that fight in his Palace and leâ— not all the Parish bee troubled for ones fault And as for â—heir hallowing it is the juggling of Antichrist A christian man is the Temple of God and of the Holy-Ghost and hallowed in Christs bloâ—d A Christian man is holy in himselfe by reason of the Spirit that dwelleth in him and the place wherein he is is holy by reason of him whether he be in the field or towne A Christian husband sanctifieth an unchristian wife and a Christian wife an unchristian husband as concerning the use of Matrimony saith Paul to the Corinthians Iâ— now while we seeke to be hallowed in Christ we are found unholy and must be hallowed by the ground or place or walls then dyed Christ in vaine Howbeit Antichrist must have wherâ—with to fit in mâ—ns Consciences and to make them feare where there is no â—eare and to rob them of their faith and to make them trust in that that cannot helpe them and to seeke holinesse of that which is not holy in it selfe After that the old King of France was brought downe out of Italy marke what pageants have â—eâ—ne played and what are yet a playing to seperate us from the Empâ—rour least by the helpe or ayde oâ— us he should be able to recover his right of the Pope and to couple us to the French men whose might the Pope ever abuseth to keep the Emperour from Italy What prevaileth it for any King to marry his daughter or his Sonne or to make any peace or good ordinance for the wealth oâ— his Realme For it shall no longer lâ—st than it is profitable to them Their Treason is so secret that the world cannot perceive it Thâ—y dissimule those things which they are onely cause of and simule discord among themselves when they are most agrâ—ed One shall hold this and another shall dispute the contrary but the conclusion shall be that most maintaineth their falshood though Gods Word be never so contrary What have thâ—y wrought in our dayes yea and what worke they yet to the perpetuall dishonour of the King and rebuke of the Realme and shame of all the nation in whatsoever Realmes they goe I uttered unto you partly the malicious blindnesse of the Bishop of Rochester his juggling his conveying his Fox wilenesse his â—opeepe his wresting renting and shamfull abusing of the Scripture his Oratory and alleadging of Heretickes and how he would make the Apostles Authors of blind Ceremonies without signification contâ—ary to their owne doctrine and have set him for an ensample to judge all other by The cause why Laymen cannot rule Temporall Offices is the falshood of the Bishops Their polling iâ— like a consumption wherein a man complaineth of feâ—â—lâ—neâ—se and of faintnesse and worteth not whence his disease commeth it is like a pocke that fretteth inward and consumeth the very marrow of the bones There seest thou the cause why it is impossible for Kings to come to the knowledge of the truth For these spirits lay awaite for them and serve their appetites at all points and through conâ—ession buy and sell and betray both them and all their true friends and lay â—aites for them and never leave them till they have blinded them with their sophistry and have brought them into their nets And then when the King is captive they compell all the rest with violence of his sword For if any man will not obey be it right or wrong they cite him suspend him and curse or excommunicate him if he then obey not they deliver him to â—ilate that is to say unto the temporall Officers to destroy him All this and much more he â—ully proves and more largely prosecutes in his Booke intituled The Practise of Popish Prelates Concerning Bishops intermâ—dling with temporall matters he thus writes Our Saviour Jesus Christ answered Pilate Ioh. 18. that his Kingdome was not of this world And Mat. 10. he saith The Disciple is not greater than his Masterâ— but it ought to suffice the Disciple that he be aâ— his Master is Wherefore if Christs Kingdome be not of this world nor any of his Disciples may be otherwise than hee was then Christs Vicars which minister his Kingdome here in his bodily absence and hâ—ve the over-sight oâ— his flocke may be none Emperours Kings Dukes Lords Knightâ— Temporall Iudges or any temporall Officer or under false names have any such Dominion or minister any such Office as requireth violence And Mat. 6. No man can serve two Masters where Christ concludeth saying Yee cannot serve God and Mammon that is riches coveâ—ousneâ—se ambition and temporall dignities And Christ called his Disciples unto him and saydâ— Ye know that the Lords of the Heathen people have dominion over them they that be great do exercise power over them Howbeit it shal not be so among you but whosoever wil be great among you shall be your minister and he that will be chiefe shall be your servant even as the Son of man came not that men should minister unto him but for to minister and give his life for the redemption of many Wherefore the Officers in Christâ— Kingdome may have no temporall dominion or jurisdiction noâ— execute any temporall authoriâ—y or Law of violence nor may have any like manner among them But cleane contrary they must cast themselves downe under all and become servants unto all suffer oâ— all and beare the burthen of every mans infirmities and goe before them and â—ight for them against the world with the â—word of Gods Word even unto the death after the example of Christ. And Mat. 18. when the Disciples asked Who should be greatest in the Kingdome of heaven Christ called a young Child unto him and set him in the midst among them saying Except ye turne backe and become as children ye shall not enter into the Kingdome of heaven Now young children beare no rule one over another but all is fellowship among them and he sayd moreover Whosoever humbleth himsâ—lfe after the ensample of this Child he is greatest in the Kingdome of heaven that is to be as concerning ambition and worldly desire so childish that thou couldst not heave thy selfe above thy Brother is the very bearing of rule and to be great in Christs Kingdome And to describe the very fashion of the greatnesse of his Kingdome he sayd He that receiveth one such child in my name receiveth me What is that to receive a childe in Christs name verily to submit to meeke and to humble thy selfe under all men and to consider all mens infirmities and weakenesses and to helpe to heale their diseases with â—he word of truâ—h and to live
men are scantly saved at the last which with couragious faith continually wrestling and fighting with their flesh and the Devill do live in a good and a vertuous kind of life why dost thou then hope in vaine â—hat thou shalt be saved among so many jeâ—pardies among so many voluptuous plaasures What doth it profit saith Christ himselfe if hee do possesse all the World and all the Kingdomes and do cast away his owne soule But whereof or which way will some say should Kings Princes Earles Barons Knights briefely all the Nobles of the world provide for their younger children if these Bishopricks if those Cathedrall and Collegiate Churches were not And therein first we may openly see the exceedinge foolishnesse and blindnesse of all Christendome which hitherto have bought commonly of the Romanists the Benefices and Prebends founded by themselves with the blood of their Children Loe here I doe speake unto thee whosoever thou art who dost wittingly so cast away thy children If any Ploughman or Smith did wound or kill thy Sonne or did defile thy daughter or thy Sister thou wouldst for anger goe about to doe the uttermost mischiefe that thou couldst to overthrow and destroy even whole Cities whole Provinces for the revenging thereof would seeme but a small matter unto thee thou wouldst thinke in thy minde it to be so high and so hainous an offence that was done unto thee but I beseech thee here open the eyes of thy minde and looke whether there can be a more sure Homicide and murtherer of thy children any more grievous and more cruell enemie unto them than thou art thine owne selfe advancing and promoting them to a Bishopricke or thrusting them downe into such a Church as they doe call it for thou makest thy sonne a Bishop which state as it is now far away from the ministration of the word and from all godlinesse thou knowest undoubtedly to be a devillish state in which thy sonne can in no wise be saved Sith it is so that thou dost know this tell me I beseech thee whether thou dost not more sore rage and use more cruelty against him than if thou cut him into gobbets and didst throw his flesh unto dogs to be devoured if thy sonne through his owne mis-understanding ignorance or error had stumbled and falne into such a certaine kind and manner of living thou oughtst with all diligence and with all thy power to labour and goe about if there were any wisedome or any point of a Christian mind in thee to rid him out of it although thou hadst but onely one loafe of bread to live on thy selfe whereof thou shouldst be faine to give him the one halfe but here I beseech thee looke upon thy selfe somewhat more neere and more narrowly whosoever thou art which dost cast downe thy children headlong into these kindes and manners of living and consider what manner of father thou art onely to keepe thy Dominion and thy riches upright and from decay onely lest thy gold and silver should be diminished if it were divided among many heires thou dost thrust downe willingly cast headlong thy Sons and kinsmen into the deep dungeon of hell neither doth it move or stirre thee any whit to see thine owne blood supped and swallowed up in the throate of the Devill and perpetually to perish so that thou be not compelled to diminish or debate any thing of thy superfluity or any parcell of thy pompe and royalty Lo this most ungracious opinion this custome is crept in and used in many places that as oftentimes as any great mans Sonne being meete rather for any other thing than for a Bishopricke is chosen and â—lected Bishop or is brought into the Temple then with solemne pompe and a solemne company set in their array are madde cries and loud shouts as it were in a triumph then all the Halls and Courts doe sound and ring with the noise of trumps with trumpets with â—â—breâ—sâ— then are in every place lighted tapers and torches then that solemne Song Te Dewn laudamus is thundered out so that these triumphs do plainly represent unto us the image of those foolish Kings of Israel which did burne up their sonnes and daughâ—ers for a Sacrifice in the honour of the Idol Moloâ—â— and with the divers loud sounds of trumps did bring to passe that the lamentable crying ouâ— and wayling of them that were in the midst of the fire could not be heard The author of this booke hath many such like passages against Bishops And as for Cathedrall Churches hee stiles them Stewes and the Gates of hell a certaine unsatiable bottomlesse whirle poole which swallowes up the riches of Kings of Princes of Dukes of Earles of the Common people and of all the world But I passe from this old Treatise About the same time there was a Treatise expressing the causes of the Divisions betweene the Spiritualty and the Temporalty Printed Londini in aedibus Thomâ— Bartheleti prope aquagium sitis sub intersignio Lucretiae Romanae excus Cum Privilegio I shall transcribe no passages out of this Treatise but onely the Table of the Chapters at the end thereof wherein the causes of the division betweene the Spiritualty and the Temporalty are summarily expressed Chap. 1. That the Division among spirituall men themselves hath beene one cause of the Division that is now betweene the spiritualty and temporalty in this Realme Chap. 2. That the omitting of divers good lawes with certain defalts disorders in men of the Church which among others be recited and declared by John Gerson have been another occasion of this division Among these he numbers the neglect of these two Canons That Bishops should have poore apparell lodging and table and should not strive for transitory things And the Clerkes shall not take upon them the acts or procurations of spirituall men Chap. 3. That certaine Lawes made by the Church wherein it is recited Quod Laici sunt Clericis infesti That is to say That Lay men be cruell to Clerkes hath beene another cause of this division Chap. 4. That the extreme Lawes made by the Church for laying violent hands upon Clerkes have beene another cause of this Division Chap. 5. That the disordering of the generall sentence of excommunication hath beene another occasion of the said division which saith hee will never be appeâ—sed till the heads spirituall will reforme themselves and shew a fatherly affection to the people and not extend the sentence oâ— the Church upon so light causes and upon such partiality as they have done in times past Chap. 6. That another occasion of this division hath partly risen by temporall men through disordering of their Chaplaines and Chauntry Priests Chap. 7. That suits taken in the Spirituall Courts Ex officio have beene another occasion of this Division which suits together with Oathes Ex officio whereby a man shall be condemned and not know the names of them that be causes
thereof he termes a sore law and much declaimes against them Chap. 8. Though after the determination of Doctors a man is not an hereticke for that onely that hee erreth but for that hee opinatively defendeth his errour and that neverthelesse the spiritualty as a common voyce goeth among the people have in time past punished many for heresie upon light causes and offences whereupon many people have grudged and that grudge hath beene another occasion of this Division Chap. 9. That the partiality that hath beene shewed upon suits taken in the Spirituall Court by spirituall men hath beene another cause of this Division Chap. 10. That the extreme and covetous demeanour of some Curates with their Parishioners hath beene another cause of this Division Chap. 11. That the granting of pardons for money as it were to some Charitable use that hath not after followed hath raised another grudge among the people which hath beene another occasion of this Division Chap. 12. That making of Lawes by the Church which they had no authority to make hath beene another occasion of this Division In which Chapter he cites divers Lawes made by the Clergie and executed contrary to the Lawes of the Realme touching Tythes of wood exemption of Clerkes from secular jurisdiction and the like which lawes while spirituall men sticke fast to and stifly maintaine temporall men by reason of common use and custome that they have seene to the contrary have resisted them whereupon have risen great strife and variances and expences in the spirituall Law Chap. 13. The lacke of good visitations hath beene another occasion of this Division wherein hee shewes that Bishops keepe their visitations onely to gaine money and procurations not to refraine vices Chap. 14. That the great multitude of Licenses and dispensations made by the spiritualty for money upon light suggestions hath beene another cause of this division Chap. 15. That the great laxenesse and worldly pleasures of religious persons whereby the people hath beene greatly offended hath beene another occasion of this Division Chap. 16. Then for a conclusion of this Treatise it is somewhat touched how good it is to have a zeale of Soules and how perilous it is to do any thing whereby they might be hurt And that if zeale of Soules pitty good doctrine and devout prayer were abundantly in this world mist specially in Prelates and spirituall Rulers that then a new light of grace and tractability would shortly shew and shine among the people The summe of the whole Treatise is to prove that the Bishops and Prelates are the authors of much division trouble and dissention both in Church and State and that by their Episcopall practises and unjust usurpations lawes and proceedings William Wraughton who wrote about the same time In his Rescuing of the Romish Fox Dedicated to King Henry the 8. writes thus Wee have put downe some of your orders of the world there remaine yet two orders of the world in England That is the order of pompous and Popish bishops and Gray Fryers Which if they were put downe as well as the other put downe before I reckon that there should be no Kingdome wherein Christ should more raigne than in England And there hee proves at large the Canon Law to be the Popes law and that as long as the Bishops maintaine it in England they maintaine the Pope in his soveraignty and Legislative power in England and that the reading of this Law makes men papists Roderickâ—â—ors sometimes a Gray Fryer in his Complaint to the Parliament house of England about the 37. yeare of King Henry the eight Chap. 23 24. writes thus of our Prelates No doubt one Bishop one Deane one Colledge or House of Canons hath ever done more mischiefe against Gods Word and sought more the hinderance of the same than tenne houses of Monkes Fryers Canons or Nunnes The Kings Grace began well to weed the Garden of England but yet hath he lest standing the more pitty the most fowlest and stinking weedes which had most need to be first plucked up by the rootes that is to say the pricking thistles and stinging nettles which still standing what helpeth the deposing of the petty members of the Pope and to leave his whole body behind which are the pompous Bishops Canons oâ— Colledges Deanes and such other Surely it helpeth as much as to say I will goe kill all the Foxes in Saint Iohns wood because I would have no more Foxes breed in England Which well pondered wee may say and lye not that the Pope remaineth wholly still in England save onely that his name is banished For why his body which be Bishops and oâ—her shavellings doâ—h not onely remaine but also his tayle which be his filâ—hy Traditions wicked Lawes and beggerly ceremonies as Saint Paul calleth them yea and the whole body of his pestiferous Canon Law according to which judgement is given throughout the Realmeâ— So that we be still in Egâ—pt and remain in capâ—ivity most grievously laden by observing and walking in his most â—ilhy drosse aforesaid which is a mistie and endlesse maze And so long as yee walke in those wicked lawes of Antichrist the Pope and maintaine his Knights the Bishops in such inordinate riches and unlawfull authority so long say I yee shall never baniâ—â— that monstrous beast the Pope out of Englandâ— yea and it shall be a meanes in processe of time to bring us into temporall bondage also againe to have him raigne as he hatâ— done like a God and that know our forked caps right well which thing maketh â—hem so boldly and shamelesly to right in their gods quarrell against Christ and his Word c. The Bishops by their subtilâ—es and most crafty wiles make the people to abhorâ—e the name of the Pope of Rome for a face and compell them to walke in all his wicked lawes and the Word of God which wee say we have received is not nor cannot be suffered to be preached aâ—â—â—aught purely and sincerely without mixing it with their invâ—nted traditions and service Wherefore to open the conclusion oâ— this little lamentation â—f â—ee will banish for ever the Antichrist the Pope out of this Realme yee must fell downe to the ground those rotten poasts the Bishops which be clouds withouâ— moystureâ— and utterly abandon all and every of his ungodly Lawes traditions and ceremonies Now will I speake no further against the particular Pope for as much as every Bishop is now a Pope and yee may plainly see by all the premises that the proud Prelates the Bishops I meane be very Antichrists as is their Father of Rome So he and much more Henry Stalbridge in his Exhoâ—tatory Epistle to his deerly beloved Country of England against the pompous Popish Bishops thereof as yet the true members of their filthy Father the great Antichrist of Rome Printed at Basill in King Henry the eighth his dayes thus seconds him I say yet once againe and that in the seale of the
Bishop Secondly that the difference is but of Accidents and Circumstances as degrees of dignity jurisdiction honour c. Thirdly that in the Primitive Church this difference was not knowne but they were meerely all one and the same Fourthly that this difference was taken up by custome consent and ordinance of the universall Church when it once began to be dispersed in all the World Fifthly that it was done for the avoiding of factions and sects that grew in the time of the Ministers equality even anon after the Primitive Church And some of them in the Apostles time But quite conâ—rary to this judgment of your Divines are all your Canonists your Divines make seven orders Et in hoc saith Angelus de Clavisio concordam communiter Theol. On this the Divines agree commonly but the Canonists hold that there are nine orders according to nine Hierarchies that is to wit the first notch or Psalmist and the order of a Bishop that the first notch is an order the text is in C. cuâ— contingit ibi do Anto. Canonistae de aeta quali or similiter quod Episcopatus est ordo quod imprimatur character judicio meo facit inconvincibiliter teâ—t in C. i. de ordinatis ab Episcopo c. And so according to the Canonists there shall be nine Orders Great adoe your Schoolemen Canonists make about this insomuch that Aerius heresie will draw very neere to one of you light on which side it shall But your selfe may hold on both sides M. Stapleton being both a Batchelor in the one and a student in the other But as for your Popish Clergy there is indeed little difference in this point or none which barrell is better herring Bishop oâ— Priest both starke nought or rather neither of them either true Priest or Bishop by Saint Pauls description Afâ—er this p. 926.929 He writes thus concerning Bishops intermedling with temporall affaires You say M. Sanders the temporall Kingdome and the heavenly did indeed once jaâ—â—e but now they agree the heavenly and the earthly Kingdomeâ— are conjoyned together Agreement is a good hearing M. Sanders but what meane you by this conjunction that the one is become the other and not still distinguished from it or that your Pope may be King and his Bishops Princes of both nay M. Sanders you finde not that agreement and conjunction For Christ hath put such a barre between them that his spiritual Ministers cannot have earthly Kingdomes nor that earthly Kings should in the estate of their earthly Kingdomes become subject in such wise to his spirituall Ministers otherwise than to yeeld their obedience to their spirituall ministry representing the power and mercy of God unto them c. The objection you made was this Whether Bishops and Pastors of the sheepe of Christ may rule temporall Kingdomes you answer properly and of it selfe in no wise but as those Kingdomes do subject themselves to the Christian faith This is a proper elusion M. Sanders thinke you to escape thus is it all one to subject their Kingdomes to the Christian faith and to subject their Kingdomes to the Bishops Good right it is that the faith should beare the chiefe rule But the objection was Whether the Bishops should or no and therefore this distinction serveth not For Christ simply without this or that respect debarreth all his spiritual ministers from ruling of temporall Kingdomes Who knoweth not that properly and of their owne nature temporall Kingdomes should not be ruled of spirituall Pastors but of Temporall Kings None is so simple to move such a fond objection but the objection is Whether the one be coincident to the other whether a Bishop to whom properly by his Bishoply office a Kingdome belongeth nor may take upon him the government of a Kingdome that properly by his Kingly office belongeth to a King this is the question And you say properly he cannot I say much lesse unproperly but properly or unproperly Christ hath cleane debarred it â—vos autem non sic But you shall not do so These words strick dead M Sanders therefore your â—nproper distinctions may goe pike him Page 931â— he writes that the deposings of Princes have not come so much by the violence of their unnaturall Subjects as by the practises of the Popish Bishops as the ensamples of King Iohn in England of Childericke in France the Henries and other in Germany and in other Countries do testifie yet were these dealings of those Bishops not allowable but detestable yea though it were granted that those Princes had deserved them and broken their faith and promâ—se which if it were a good faith and promise was no doubt an evill breach of it and God will take the vengeance of it it belongeth not to the people nor to the Bishops Vengeance is mine saith God and I will render it He saith not my Bishop shall but I will render it He addes p. 980 981.1026 Christs Kingdome is spirituall and not earthly and his Ministers may not exercise in secular causes an earthly Kings authority M. Saunders pretendeth this is to promote the Church of Christ but such promotion confounds devotion and hath poysoned the Church of God as they say a voyce was heard what time Constantine although falsely is supposed to have endowed the Church with such royall honour Hodie venenum intravit in Ecclesiam This day entred poyson into the Church But Christ hath flatly forbidden it and told his Disciples when they asked such promotion that they knew not what they asked But afterward they knew and found the saying of Christ to be true that their promotion lay in their affliction and not in their Kingly honour c. And this your owne glosse out of your owne Pope Gregory might have taught you Sicut â—isit me Pater id est ad passiones c. As my Father sent mee that is to say to troubles and afflictions so send I you to suffer persecution not to raigne like Kings and rule Kingdomes And therefore sith this sentence of Christ is true that he sent them as hee was sent and he was not sent in his humane nature to depose Kings nor to dispose of their Kingdomes nor to governe them Therefore his Disciples were not sent thereto But the Pope saith he was sent thereto and takes it upon him therefore he is neither minister of Christ nor successor of his Disciples but his Disciple that hath offered him worldly Kingdomes if hee would fall downe and worship himâ— as he hath done and sâ— hath gotten his Kingdomes c. Hofmeister one of your stoutest Champions hath these words Truly those things that have beene spoken and heard from the beginning of this Gospell do enough declare the Kingdome of Christ not to be of this world neither that hee would raigne temporally in the world sith hee taketh not souldiers that can oppugne others but Fishermen readier to suffer than to
verdict upon an Indictment for the Kingâ— against Innovating Clergie men as they were bound to doe both in Law and Conscience Witnesse the Case of Master Aske late Recorder of Colchester Mr. Burroughs and the grand Jury of that Towne who were thus vexed for finding an Indictment against Parâ—on Newcoman for refusing to deliver the Sacrament to those who came not up to his new raile And no doubt the Bishops secret Commands and Instructions were the Originall cause that moved Sir Robert Berkely Knight one of the Judges of the Kings Bench at the Generall Sessions at Harâ—ford in Ianuary 7. 1638. to fine Mr. Henry Browne one of the grand Jury men at that Sessions and lay him in Irons one night onely for finding an Indictment for rayling in the Communion Table at Hartford Altar-wise which indictment he caused the said Brown openly to teare trample under his feete and one thaâ— stayed other indictments of this nature in high affront boâ—h oâ— Law and Justice onely to please the Prelaâ—es whose commands threates and persecutions have beene the Originall causes of most of the Judges irregular proceedings Fourteenthly They have not onely cited but censured some of his Majesties Officers in the High-Commission for executing his Lawes according to their Oath and duty as the Major of Arundell for punishing a drumken Minister and likewise ciâ—ed Mr. Staple a Justice of peace in Sussex into the High-Coâ—mission for giving in charge at the quarter Sessions his 〈…〉 against Innovations and deaucht Clergie men Fiftâ—â—nâ—hlyâ—â—hey have most unjustly caused some Posters to be â—â—opped afâ—â—r â—â—â—dicts â—ound for the plaintiffes and dammages given by â—he Jury upon â—ulâ— hearing for Actions justly broâ—ght agaiâ—s◠〈◊〉 of â—hâ—ir Officers for dafamations and other 〈…〉 so that the Plaintiffes could never get judgementâ— wâ—â—nesse â—he case of Master Bayton against Doctor Martyn Comâ—â—ssary of Tomes and others Sixteeâ—â—hly they haue caused some Solliciters Atturnies and Plaâ—nâ—iffes to be imprisoned untill they gave over such just actions as they had commenced and prosecuted against their Officeâ—s for Extortions Opressions and unjust Excommuniâ—ations witnesse the case of Ferdinando Adams whose Atturny Master Letchford was committed to the Kings Bench by Judge Iones and some other Judges only for bringing an Action of the Case against Dade the the Bishop of Norwich Commissary at Ipswich for Excommunicating him maliciously and unjustly because he reâ—used to blot out this Text of Scripture written over the Commissaries Court in Saint Maries Church in Ipswich It is written My house shall be called an house of Prayer of all Nations but ye have made it a den of theeves detaining him in prison till he gave over the prosecution and discontinued the suite sundry others having since beene served in this kinde by the Prelates sollicitation Seventeenthly They have beene the Originall occasions of the late unhappy warre and differences betweene Scotland and England which they stiled Bellum Episcopale the Bishops warre to which they liberally contributed themselves and enforced others to do the like when these differences were comprimised and this warre happily concluded in peace they were the chiefe Authors of the breach of the pacificaâ—ion formerly made and of a second warre to the great danger trouble and unsupportable charge oâ— his Majesties three kingdomes Eighteenthly they have beene the prime causes of all or most of the grievances pressures distractions Schismes in our Church and Common-weale and chiefe instruments of the unhappy breaches of our former Parliaments to the infinite prejudice both of King and Subject Ninteenthly when as they had caused the last Parliament but this to be dissolved to manifest their omnipotency disloyalty and tyranny they caused a new Convocation to be immediately assembled without a Parliament wherein they compiled and prescribed New Canons with an c. Oath tending highly to the derogation of his Majesties prerogative royall in Ecclesiasticall matters the subversion of the â—undamentall Lawes of the Realme and Liberties of the Subject the affront of Parliaments the suppression of all faithfull ministers and ayming onely at the perpetuating of their owne Episcopall Lordly power and Popish Innovations And as if this were not sufficient they tooke upon them to grant sundry subsidies without a Parliament for the maintenance of a new war against the Scots and enjoyned all Ministers to pay these Subsidies peremptorily at the dayes assigned by them under paine of present deprivation for the first default Omni Appellatione semota without any benefit of appeale one of the highest straines of tyranny and injustice that ever I have met with For which Canons Oath and Subsidies they now stand impeached by the whole house of Commons as delinquents in a high nature and are like ere long to receive condigne punishment Twentiethly it is very suspicious that they or some of them had a hand in the late dangerous Treason and Conspiracie since the first clause of the Oath of Seâ—recy administred to the Conspirators was To maintaine the Bishops in their functions and votes in Parliament and the Clergie would at their owne charge as Serjant Major Wallis confesseth in his examination maintaine a thousand horse to promote this Trayterous designe and have now as some report an hundred thousand pound ready for such a service In the twentieth one place they have oppressed and ruined divers of his Majesties Loyall Subjects Ministers and others both in their bodies estates credits families caused many thousands of them to forsake the Realme and to transport their families into forraine parts to the great decay of trade and impoverishing of the Realme In which they have done his Majestie great dis-service whose Honour and safety consists in the multitude and wealth of his people and his destruction in want of people In the twenty second ranke they have most undutifully and disloyally cast the odium of all their late Innovations in Religion their new Canons and tyrannicall exorbitant proceedings on his Majestie proclaiming it openly to the people that all they did was onely by his Majesties speciall direction and command of purpose to alienate the hearts of the people from his Majestie as much as in them lay In the twenty third place they and their Officers have sorely fleeced and impoverished his Majesties Subjects in such sort by exacted Fees and vexatioâ—s suites in their Visitations High-Commissions and other Ecclesiasticall Courts and by putting them to unnecessary costs for raising and rayling in Commâ—nion Tables and new adorning their Churches that they are unable to supply his Majesties and the Kingdomes necessities in that liberall proportion as they have formerly done the late Subsidies scarce amounting to halfe that summe as they did in former times Finally in their last High-Commission Paâ—ent they obtained this strange Non-obstante which robs the King of his Supremacy and the Subjects of their Lawes and Liberties namely That their Lordships in all Ecclesiasticall causes specified in that Commission might proceede in a meere arbitrary manner as