answer all his Charge together not each dayes Evidence by Peece-meale To which Master Maynard in the behalfe of the Commons answered 1. That if the Archbishops memory were so bad as he pretended it would be far worse for him to charge it with answering many particulars and the whole evidence against him together then to answer every particular Charge each day as it should be given in against him whiles it was fresh in memory 2ly That it might and would be a great inconvenience to have witnesses crosse-examined upon other dayes then those whereon they gave in their testimony against the Prisoner 3ly That the Lords themselves would finde it difficult to passe their judgements upon all the Charge together without hearing his punctuall answer to every particular proof as it should be given in evidence whiles it was fresh in their memories 4ly Because else all the witnesses which were very many must of necessity attend and be kept in Town from the first to the last day of his Tryall which would be a very great Charge and inconvenience 5ly In the Earle of Straffords case this very Parliament he was put to answer every day to the particular Evidence given against him on the same day Upon which reasons the House of Peers ordered that the Archbishop should make his particular Answer to every particular Charge on the same day it was given in against him Then the Archbishop desired that the House of Commons would sever the Articles which were Treason from those other Articles which were matters of crime and Misdemeanour only but not Treason that so he might know which of them were Treason and which not To which Master Maynard answered That this they might not doe because they were now onely to try the matters of fact not Lavv and because all the Articles taken together not each or any particular Article by it self made up the Treason wherewith he was charged to wit his endeavours to subvert and destroy Religion the fundamentall Lawes of the Land and government of the Realme and to bring in Popery and an arbitrary tyrannicall Government against Law After which Master Serjeant Wilde by way of Introduction to the Archbishops charge with abundance of elegancy and zeale related the Heads of his Offences to the House of Peeres in these ensuing straines My LORDS THis great cause of the Archbishop of Canterbury after a long and painefull traâ—aise is now come to the Birth of which it may be truly said as it was in a like case Râ—pertum est hodierno die facinus quod nec Poeta fingere nec Histrio sonare nec Mimus imitare potuerit For if all the oppressions all the pernitious practises and machinations which have beene in each time to ruinate our Religion Lawes and Liberties were lost I thinke here they might bee found and drawne out againe to the life So that your Lordships who have beene the great Assertors of our Liberties and stood so fast to the rules and principles of your Noble Progenitors which others have ignobly deserted may after a long conflict with so many great and marchiesse difficulties say now as a great Commander once did upon an extraordinary danger Tandem par animo meo periculum video Here is a cause proportionable to your selves apt and proper for the justice and power of this honourable Court Had they beene faults of common frailty error or incogitancy which this man hath committed wee should gladly have stepped backe and cast a Cloake over them but being so wilfull so universall so distructive to the Lawes of God and man so comprehensive of all the evills and miseries which now we suffer the sin would lye upon our owne heads if wee should not call for justice which that it hath beene so long uncalled for not deferred or delayed I suppose no man will thinke strange who considers the present distractions the death and dispersion of our witnesses the losse of some of our Members who have beene imployed and taken paines in this businesse the multitude of diversions which we have had and have daily occasioned by the Acts and influences of this Meteor But the truth survives and matter enough survives so copious and so full of variety that if all the particulars should be examined for his three yeares imprisonment which he complaines off there would be three yeares time of tryall and hearing of the heavy charge that lyes against him A charge of High Treason Treason in all and every part Treason in the highest pitch and altitude for what greater Treason can there be then to betray the whole Realme and to subvert the very foundations leaving nothing for posterity but a curse upon him that shall goe about to build again That which of it selfe is so haynous is much more enhanced and aggravated by the quality of the person A Church-man a great Prelate a man in great trust place and Authority in Church and Common-wealth A man indued with so great guifts of nature and so many of grace and favour from His Majesty and for al these to be perverted to a contrary end even to the destruction of the publike and the ruine of the Wombe that bare him how deepe a dye doe these impose upon this foule crime How Church-men in all ages as hath beene often observed should come to be the Archest Seedsmen of mischiefe and principall Actors in all the great distractions and alterations that have hapned is a destinie that may seeme strange But the reason is ex bono Thealogo malus Medicus their intermedling with temporall things and matters hererogeneall to their calling wherein God is pleased to finite them with blindnesse and to infatuate their Councell whereof a perfect patterne wee have in this great Prelate who by abusing his profession and making the businesse of State the customary subject of all his endeavours became the Author of all the illegall and Tyrannicall proceedings in the Starre-Chamber High Commission Court and other Courts of all the Innovations in Doctrine and Discipline of the suppressing of godly Ministers and preaching of the advancing of others who were the promoters of Popery and Arbitrary power and indeed of all the concussions and distractions in Church and State whereby Religion hath beene jusâ—ed out Lawes and Parliaments trodden downe with contempt For matter of Religion surely those times were happy when by the magnanimity of Princes and the wisdome and piety of our Predecessors that Antichristian Yoke of Popery was shaken off And now after so many bloudy Massacres in France such fiery persecutions here in Queene Maries dayes so many treacherous conspiracies in time of Queen Elizabeth that execrable and horrid Powder-Plot in the late time of King James such streames and Rivers of bloud in Germany and Ireland and other parts of the Christian world ever since by those restlesse and cruell fire-brands of all mischiefe for any man now to goe about to rebuild these walls of Iericho and to reduce us to those rotten
John Finch who gave it such a purgation without calling M. Burton to it or suffering his Counsell to defend it whom Sir John Finch threatned with pulling his Gowne over his head and putting him from the Barre as was never heard of in any Age expunging no lesse then 64 whole sheets containing his justification and defence out of it as scandalous leaving only some three lines in the beginning of it and two in the end amounting to a generall not guilty when as he confessed and justified all he was charged with And because Mr. Burton would not acknowledge this purged answer directly contrary to that he put in upon oath and answer to Interrogatories grounded on it quite contrary to his answer as they had altered it whereby he must of necessity have been perjured therefore he was likewise taken pro confesso and censured for a contempt in not answering though he had an answer in Court What the scandalous matter contained in and expunged out of his answer by the Judges was is very observable truly it was no other then the very Oathes of Supremacy Allegiance prescribed by severall Acts of Parliament engaging the Defendants and others who had taken them against popery and popish Innovations his Majesties Declarations before the 39 Articles and to all his loving Subjects printed Anno 1628. prohibiting all back-sliding to Popery or any Innovations or alterations in the Religion by law established among us The Petition of Right and his Majesties Answer thereunto for preservation of the Subjects rights and liberties extending as wel to secure them against these illegal popish Innovations which the Bishops by an Arbitrary power would obtrude upon them and their consciences by Suspensions Excommunications Fines Imprisonments and other vexatious courses as to the liberty of their persons and estates of which they were deprived for opposing their Innovations the statute of 3 Iac. c. 1. intituled An Act for a publick thanksgiving to Almighty God every year on the 5 of November for the great deliverance of the King Kingdome State and Parliament from the horrid Gunpowder Treason on which day Mr. Burton preached these two Sermons against the severall Popish Innovations and Doctrines mentioned in it lately brought into the Church by the Archbishop and his confederates for which he was questioned in the Star-chamber The statute of 3 Jac. cap. 4. intituled An Act for the better discovering and repressing of Popish Recusants The statute of 1 Eliz. cap. 2. intituled An Act for the uniformity of Common Prayer and administration of the Sacraments which excludes all new Ceremonies and Innovations in Gods service introduced by the Bishops not comprized in the Book of Common prayer with an enumeration of those severall Innovations in point of doctrine and ceremonies as setting up Altars instead of Communion Tables removing Lords Tables from their ancient stations and rayling them in Altarwise against the wall bowing downe to them reading second Service at them licensing printing Popish and Arminian Books altering and purging the Books for the Gunpowder Treason for the publick Fast Coronation and Book of Common prayer c. with other particulars specified at large in his printed Sermons All this was totally expunged as scandalous out of Mr. Burtons Answer for feare the proof thereof should have made the Bishops scandalous Eighthly these Defendants when they perceived they should not have liberty to defend themselves nor to prove or justifie the Archbishops and his Confederates popish Innovations by their Answers exhibited a crosse Bill against them under their hands which they offered to make good at their uttermost perils Mr. Prynne tendring the same both to the Lord Keeper and in open Court defiring it might be admitted being both for their own just defence the honour of his Majesty and preservation of our Religion and that a Court of publick justice which ought to be as open for as against them yet this their Bill was twice refused without cause and delivered over to Mr. Attourney Generall to draw up a Charge against the defendants out of it if possible and to question them for their lives for exhibiting it Ninthly at the hearing the Archbishop and Bishop of London though chiefe prosecutions of this cause in which they were specially concerned professed enemies to the Defendants and challenged in open Court by Mr. Prynne as unfit to sit Judges there in their own cause contrary to all law and presidents were yet admitted to sit in Court as Judges where the Archbishop himself in a tedious Oration of two houres long larger then ever any Sermon he preached in the Pulpit professedly justified all the forementioned Innovations wherewith he was charged as Setting up Altars rayling in Communion Tables Altar-wise reading second-Service at them bowing downe towards them as the Monks and Popish Fryers did of old because there 't is Hoc est corpus meum c. standing up at Glory be to the Father bowing at the Name of Iesus altering and purging the Books for the Gunpowder Treason and the publick Fast in favour of Papists the licensing of Popish and Arminian Books charged against him c. And yet reviled condemned these Defendants as Libellers and thanked the Lords for their justice against them for falsely objecting these very Innovations to him which himself in his Speech confessed himself guilty of justified in open Court and after that in print to all the World dedicating this his Speech to his Majesty and making him the Patron of all these Innovations contrary to his own royall Protestations Tenthly these Defendants for opposing those very popish Innovations which himself thus publickly confessed defended being deprived of their proofe and just defence by taking them all pro confesso for a pretended contempt in not answering the Information which they would not permit them to put in their Answers to as you heard before were without any proof or testimony at all produced to prove them guilty of ought objected against them fined 5000 li. a peece unto his Majesty adjudged to stand in the Pillory at Westminster and there to lose their Eares which was accordingly executed Mr. Burton was after deprived of his Living degraded from his Ministery Mr. Prynne stigmatized on both cheeks though nothing at all was charged against him and all of them deprived the liberty of pen inke and paper and before their wounds were healed they were sent away close prisoners to the 3 remote Castles of Lanceston Lancaster and Carnarvan and there shut up close prisoners neither Wife nor Childe nor Brother nor any other but their Keepers having any accesse unto them and soone after by extraordinary Letters from the Councell Table to which the Archbishops hand was first sent close prisoners by Sea in the Winter-season to the hazzard of their lives into the Islands of Sylly Garnesey and Iarsey and there mued up close prisoners without pen inke paper or allowance of necessaries their friends being prohibited al accesse unto them D. Bastwicks M.
dishonourable scandalous and offensive act which would scandalize and disgust all his wel-affected protestant Subjects dishonour his owne royall Father King James our Parliaments Church State who all authorized approved used this prayer for thirty yeeres space together encourage Papists Priests Jesuits to such like horrid treasons and exceedingly animate elevate the popish faction causing them to deride if not to insult over the Protestants and our Church which must now alter retract her own approved Collects to gratifie them and their Antichristian Religion But so farre is he from this that he readily obeyes the first command without the lest disswasion resistance without advising with or giving notice thereof to any other of his Brethren the Privy-Counsell Judges and other publike persons as much concerned in it as himselfe to whom he ought to have given notice and asked their leave at least opinions herein ere he obeyed the King though not Master Burtons and Master Prynnes being more ready to obey than his Majesty to command them Finally admit his Majesty had commanded him to make these alterations yet for him in his owne cause in an open Court of Justice where by Law he ought not to have been present or spoken as a Judge to lay all the Odium of these alterations with all his other Innovations in Religion only on his Majesty to render him odious to his people to cloke his own shame extenuate his own guilt and then to publish it in print to all the World to his perpetuall dishonour when there was no necessity and that by pretext of his Majesties speciall command was such a disloyalty and transcendent aggravation of his crime as no age can paralell no punishment expiate but that which the Gunpowder Traytors justly suffered Besides this after the publication of his â—peech in Star-chamber he specially imployed Doctor Heylin to iustifie these alterations to the world in print in his Moderate Answer to the seditious and scandalous chalenges of Henry Burton as he stiles them written by his * speciall command and licensed by his Chaplaine p. 150. to 157. and ordered Christopher Dowe to second him herein in his Innovations unjustly charged upon the present Church and State p. 136 to 14â— where thus he writes Secondly I say that the alteration of those Prayers being done by the same authority that first set them forth it is neither for him nor me nor anyother of inferiour ranke to question them but with humble reverence to submit to their judgements and to think them wiser and farre more fit to order those things that belong to then places than we whom it neither concernes nor indeed can know the reasons that move them either to doe or alter anything But more particularly that which he objecteth against the former is that they would not hereby have all Jesuits and Papists termed a Babylonish and Antichristian Sect but restraine it to some few of them and mentally transferre it to those Puritanes who cry downe with Babylon that is popery But what then what if out of a charitable respect to those which in that Religion are peaceable and honest men as no doubt but some of them whatsoever Master B. beleeves of them are such they are not willing nor think it fit to pray for the rooting up and confusion of all Papists indiscriminatim under those harsh termes surely charitably minded Christians cannot but approve such an alteration if there were no other ground than that for it As for any mans transferring it to Puritanes that is as meer a surmise as it is a false slander that any of those whom he intimates doe call Rome Jerurusalem or Popery the true Catholique Religion Yet I know not why such furious cryers downe of popery as Master B. hath shewed himselfe may not be accounted of a Baby lonish and Antichristian Sect as well as any Jesuit in the world nor why we may not pray and that with better reason than Master B. would have men to doe and under those titles against the Hierarchy of our church that God would root them out of the Land c. Wherein he makes zealous opposers of popery those the world then stiled Puritanes more dangerous persons and fitter to be rooted out of the Land as a Babylonish Antichristian Sect than papists or Jesuits Now thus to justifie this alteration in so daring impudent a manner in favour of popery priests Papists Jesuits what a transcendent crime it is and of what a rotten popish spirit it savours let all impartiall persons determine The third purgation made by himselfe discovering the hidden popery of his heart is his purging out this notable clause against popery in the first Collect of the publike book of prayers appointed at the generall Fast for ceasing the Plague in the yeere 1636. Thou hast delivered us from Superstition and Idolatry wherein we were utterly drowned and hast brought us into the most cleare and confortable light of thy blessed Word by which we are taught how to serve and honouor thee and how to live orderly with our Neighbours in truth and verity The King by his Proclamation Anno 1636. commanded that the Booke of prayers for the Fast formerly set forth by authority should be reprinted re-published and likewise used in all Churches and places at the publike meetings during this Fast The Arch-bishop instead of re-printing the book formerly set forth by authority purgeth this clause out of it in the new impression though used in the Fast-books upon like occasions in Queen Elizabeths and King James their severall reignes and in that of 1. Caroli and that upon these very grounds which should have moved him to retaine it still had his heart been upright or sincere to God and our Religion because it layes a just censure and blemish upon popery by stiling it superstition and idolatry and thankfully recites Gods goodnesse to us in delivering us from Popish superstition and idolatry wherein we were utterly drowned and bringing us into the most cleare and comfortable light of his holy Word by which we are taught how to serve and honour him c. A clause so pious so just and equitable that it is almost a miracle how any but a most inveterate Papist could except against it yet this Arch bishop is so irreconcileably angry with it that it must be wholy obliterated and quite omitted out of this new impression and that without any speciall order or command from his Majesty which he pleaded for the former alterations in the Gunpowder-treason book or any suggestion from Papists Priests or Jesuits who were scandalized with it for he doth not so much as pretend any such thing in his justification of this purge but by his owne papall authority contrary to his Majesties Proclamation out of his own metro popish genius which perswades us that the former alcerations in the book for the fift of Novem. proceeded originally from himself too as well as this however he would translate it to the
peace As for the Articles Proceedings and Misdemeanours of Bishop Wren Bishop Mountague and Bishop Peirce they are nothing to me they must answer for themselves Thirdly the Orders for Combination Lectures were none of mine and tended onely to bring men to conformity Fourthly the Kings Letter that none should be made without a Title was to prevent unworthy Ordinations agreeable to ancient Canons and no harme therein Fiftly for Master Leigh I received many complaints against him that he was a scismaticall seditious person wherupon I writ thus to my Vicar generall If you can fasten any thing on him whereby he may be justly censured then to proceed against him and he finding just cause did suspend him for his non-conformity so as in this I did but discharge my duty and deserve no blame Sixtly as to the Feoffees for impropriations there was great complaint made to me against them that their end was to take away the right of patronages from the Church to make those Ministers they preferred independent on the Bishops dependent wholly on them and to engrosse most Ecclesiasticall preferments into their own hands which I conceiving to be true in it selfe and that it would prove mischievous to the Church did thereupon by the Kings command cause an Information to be exhibited against them in a legall way in the Exchequer where upon a full and faire hearing they were suppressed not by me but by the Judges of that Court who gave sentence against them which sentence was either legall or illegall just or unjust if just and legall then there was no wrong nor injustice at all done in the case and so no cause of accusation or complaint against me or those who gave it if illegall and unjust the Judges who gave the sentence must answer for it not I who prosecuted them onely in a legall way and left them to judge according to Law and Justice Besides some of the profits of the purchased impropriations were bestowed towards the maintainance of Lecturers at Saint Antholins contrary to the trust and intention and Parsons not wholly conformable to the Church of England were put into some of them therefore I conceived that I did but my duty in questioning suppessing them as I did For Doctor Heylins Sermon it concernes not me he spake therein of the Feoffees according as he conceived of them and if any thing be mistaken he must answer for it As for Master Foxly I did onely check him for his forwardnesse in this work which I conceived would prove mischievous to the Church To which was replied First that the originall draught of these Considerations was produced under his owne hand that it was but a transcript out of Bishop Harsnets Copy the originall Author of them is but his owne bare surmise without any proofe or colour But admit Harsnet first contrived them yet he was the onely man that presented them to the King and caused them to be put in execution to the suppression of Lecturers Lectures preaching therefore the mischiefe produced by them must rest on him alone Secondly it is true the Instructions were sent to him by his Predecessor Abbot as from the King but we have proved that himselfe first procured contrived presented them to the King to be put in execution and caused the King to send them to Archbishop Abbot to communicate them to all the Bishops of his Province and so zealous was he in the pursuit of them in his owne Diocesse of London that he suppressed many Lectures and Lecturers by colour of them yea such was his activity in their originall contrivance and subsequent execution that the Deane and Chapter of Canterbury certified all their proceedings on them not to Archbishop Abbot but to him being then but Bishop of London and complained to him of the Archbishops remisnesse in seeing them duly executed in such sort as they desired as we have fully manifested Therefore all the mischiefe in suppressing of Lectures and preaching by meanes or colour of them must light upon his head the originall contriver and chiefe prosecutor of them yea all Bishop Wrens Bishop Mountagues and Bishop Pierces Visitations Articles and suppressions of preaching Lecturers and Lectures must be attributed to charged upon him because they originally sprang from these Injunctions of his contrivance because he was acquainted with and countenanced approved them in all their wicked proceedings of which they gave a particular annuall account to him in writing found in his Study under their owne hands and never checked but animated them in their persecutions suppressions of godly Ministers Lectures Preaching Et qui non prohibet malum quod potest jubet is the very resolution of the Canon Law Thirdly the Orders for Combination Lectures tending to suppresse or make them meerly superstitious or ceremoniall uselesse Ordinances though not made immediately by him did yet spring originally from him were sent up to and not revoked but approved by him and Sir John Lambe his creature and no Bishops durst to have made or enjoyned them without his previous approbation or direction therefore he must beare the blame and guilt of them Fourthly for the Kings Letter touching Ordination of Ministers we have proved it to be his owne the Originall thereof being penned corrected by himselfe not the Kings whom he over-reached abused in it For though the pretence and letter of it seemed very faire and necessary yet the intention and execution of it by the Archbishop was most impious detestable to suppresse Lecturers Lectures Preaching and deter all pious conscientious Schollers from the Ministery as we have plentifully manifested to which he hath offered no reply nor yet to his pressing of the Book of Sports for the like purpose Fiftly for his silencing Master Leigh and others Lecturers his answer is very defective since he cannot prove him factious or scismaticall nor yet Master Randall they being known to be orthodox and conformable The onely crime they were guilty of was that they were diligent painfull Preachers and did much good among the people and therefore his Letter concerning Master Leigh is positive That if nothing can be fastened on him whereby he may be censured HOWEVER let him not obtaine any license to Lecture there c. for the Church hath not need of such men And Master Randalls fault was onely this that he preached long Sermons on Sundayes in the afternoon and for this they must be and were suspended from preaching Sixtly for the Feoffees to purchase in impropriations it was a most pious work to the great benefit of the Church and peoples soules approved generally by the worst of men and Bishops that the overthrow of it was his owne act and designe we have undeniably proved it by his owne DIARY and sundry witnesses from his owne mouth that any ever complained to him thereof as dangerous to the Church is but his owne bare allegation void of truth he naming neither the persons complaining nor the time
have beene by His Majestie and his Royall Ancesters granted 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 for the overthrow and extirpation of both 13. Hee hath malitiously 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 and superstition to the great grievance and discontent of his Majesties Subjects of that Nation and 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 to Law did procure sundry of his Majestyes Subjects inforced the Clergie of this Kingdome to contribute towards the maintenance of that war And when his Majesty with much wisdom Justice had made a Pacification betwixt the two Kingdomes the said Archbishop did presumptuously censure that pacification as dishonourable to his Majesty and by his councells and endeavours so incensed his Majesty against his said Subjects of Scotland that he did thereupon by advice of the said Archbishop enter into an offensive warre against them to the great hazard 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 he hath laboured to subvert 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 counsels 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 devision betweene them and to ruine and destroy his Majesties Kingdomes for which they doe impeach him of High Treason against our Soveraigne Lord the King his Crowne and Dignity The said Commons do further averre that the said William Archbishop of Canterbury during the times that the crimes aforementioned were done and committed hath beene a Bishop or Archbishop of this Realme of England one of the Kings Commissioners for Ecclesiasticall matters 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 Allegeance 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 that 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 course 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 Judgment may be upon every of them had and used as is agreeable to Law and Justice The Articles being read Mr. PYMME proceeded in his Specch 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 sutable to the Person and Cause before you It is a description of the evill Spirits wherein they are said to be spirituall wickednesses in high places Crimes acted by the spirituall faculties of the Soule the Will and the Vnderstanding exercised about spirituall matters concerning Gods Worship 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 heynous 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 them Morally as they stand in opposition to the light of Nature to right reason and the principles of humane society you will then perceive pride without any moderation such a Pride as that is which exalts it selfe above all that is called God Malice without any provocation Malice against vertue against innocencie against piety injustice without any meanes of restitution even such injustice as doth robbe the present times of their possessions the future of their possibilities If they be examined My Lords by Legall Rules in a Civill way as they stand in opposition to the Publique Good and to the Lawes of the Land Hee will be found to be a Traytor against his Majesties Crown an Incendiary against the Peace of the State he will be found to be the highest the boldest the most impudent Oppressour that ever was an Oppressor both of King and People This Charge my Lords is distributed and conveyed into 14. severall Articles as you have heard and those Articles are only generall It being the intention of the House of Commons which they have commanded me to declare to make them more certaine and particuler by preparatory Examinations to be taken with the helpe of your Lordships house as in the Case of my Lord of Strafford I shall now runne through them with a light touch only marking in every of them some speciall point of venome virulency and malignity 1. The first Article my Lords doth containe his endeavour to introduce into this Kingdome an Arbitrary power of Government without any limitations or Rules of Law This my Lords is against the safety of the Kings Person the honour of his Crowne and most destructive to his people Those Causes which are most perfect have not only a power to produce effects but to conserve and cherish them The Seminary vertue and the Nutritive vertue in vegetables do produce from the same principles It was the defect of justice the restraining of oppression and violence that first brought Government into the World and set up Kings the most excellent way of Government And by the maintenance of justice all kinds of Government receive a sure foundation and establishment It is this that hath in it an ability to preserve and secure the Royall power of Kings yea to adorne and encrease it 2. In the second Article your Lordships may observe absolute and unlimited power defended by Preaching by Sermons and other discourses printed and published upon that subject And truly my Lords it seemes to be a prodigious crime that the truth of God and his holy Law should be perverted to defend the lawlesnesse of men That the holy and
in mother part of my Diocesse farther off every Parish hath his Priest and some two or three apiece and so their Masse-houses also in some places Masse is said in the Churches Fryars there are in divers places who goe about though not in their habit and by their imporâ—â—â—ate begging empoverish the people Who indeed are generally very poore as from that cause so from their paying double Tithes to their owne Clergy and ours from the dâ—â—th of Corne and the death of their Cattle these late yeers which the 〈◊〉 to their souldiers and their agents and which they forget not to reckon among other causes the appression of the Court Ecclesiastiasticall which in very truth any Lord I cannot excuse and doe seek to reforme For our owne there are some seven or eight Ministers in each Diocesse of good sufficiency and which is no small cause of the continuance of the people in popery still English which have not the tongue of the people nor can performe any divine offices or converse with them and which hold many of them two three foure or more Vicarages apiece even the Clerkships themselves are in like manner conferred upon the English and sometimes two or three or more upon one man and ordinarily bought and sold or let to farme c. His Majesty is now with the greatest part of this Country as to their hearts consciences King but at the Popes discretion c. Your Lordships most obliged servant in Christ Jesu WILL. KILMORE and ARDREN Kilmore the 1. of April 1630. His second Letter to the Lord Deputy of Ireland about the maintainance of the Army and the Cavan Petition which he sent inclosed in an other Letter to the Archbishop is somewhat more full and observable wherein there is this memorable passage concerning the encrease and insolencies of the Papists in Ireland which Letter he received thence Decemb. 4. 1633. Right Honourable my good Lord c. IN the midst of these thoughts I have been advertised from an honourable friend in England that I am accused to his Majesty to have opposed his service and that my hand with two other Bishops onely was to a writing touching the monies to be levyed on the Papists here for maintainance of the men of warre c. Indeed if I should have had such ad intention this had been not only to oppose the service of his Majesty but to expose with the publike peace mine own neck to the sâ—eans of the Romish Cut-throats I that know that in this Kingdome of his Majesty the Pope hath another Kingdome farre greater in number and as I have heretofore signified to the Lords Justices and Counsell which is also since justified by themselves in print constantly guided and directed by the Order of the new Congregation de propaganda side lately erected at Rome transmitted by the meanes of the Popes Nuncioes residing at Bruxels or Paris that the Pope hath here a Clergie if I may guesse by my owne Diocesse double in number to us the heads whereof are by corporall Oath bound to him to maintaine him and his Regalities contra omnem hominem and to execute his Mandates to the utmost of their forces which accordingly they doe stiling themselves in print Ego N. Dei c. Apostolicae Sedis gratia Episcopus Fermien Ossorien c. I that know there is in this Kingdome for the moulding of the people to the Popes obedience a rabble of irregular Regulars commonly younger Brothers of good houses who are growne to that insolency aâ— to advance themselves to be Members of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy in better ranke then Priests in so much as the censure of the Sorbon is faine to be implored to curbe them which yet is called in againe so tender is the Pope of his owne Creatures I that know that his Holinesse hath erected a new Vniversity at Dublin to confrant his Majesties Colledge there and to brâ—ed up the youth of this Kingdome to his devotion of which Vniversity one Paul Harris the Author of that infamous Libell which was put forth in print against the Lord Armaths Wansted Sermon stileth himselfe in print to be Deane I that know and have given advertisement to the State that these Regulars dare erect new Fryeries in the Country since the dissolving of those in the Citys that they have brought the people to such a sottish senselesnesse as they care not to learne the Commandements as God himselfe spake and writ them but they flock in great members to the preaching of new superstitious and detestable doctrines such as their owne Priests are ashamed of and at these they levy collections three four five six pound at a Sermon Shortly I that know that these Regulars and this Clergie have at a generall meeting like to a Synod as themselves stile it holden at Drogheda decreed that it is not lawfull to take the Oath of Alleagiance and if they be constant to their own doctrine doe account his Majesty in their hearts to be King but at the Popes discretion In this estate of this Kingdome to think the bridle of the Army may be taken away it should be the thought not of a brain-sick but brainlesse man c. The day of our deliverance from the popish Powder-plot Your Lordships in all duty WILLIAM KILMORE By these two Letters it is most apparent that this Arch-Prelat was from time to time acquainted with the extraordinary encrease and insufferable insolencies of the Papists in Ireland as likewise of their popish Arch-bishops and Bishops audacious proceedings in that Kingdome which he was more fully informed of by two printed papers sent to him by Archbishop Vsher the one in Latin the other in English found in his Study endorsed thus with his Secretary Dels hand May 3. 1632. Protestations of the Secular Priests in Ireland against Thomas Flemming Arch-bishop of Dublin one whereof was read at the Lords Barre To all the most Illustrious Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland but more particularly to those of the Province of Dublin their honourable Lords David Bishop of Ossory John of Fernes Rosse of Kildare and Matthew Vicar Apostolicall of Lagblem MOST Illustrious Lords and Reverend Bishops the Priests of Dublin make their complaint before you that the most Illustrious Arch-bishop of Dublin Thomas Flemming of the Order of Saint Francis without alleaging my cause against them onely for his will and at his pleasure useth to exile and banish Priests out of his Diocesse and they protest that in so doing he exerciseth a tyranny over the Clergie contrary to the Canons of holy Church and the Lawes and Statutes of this Kingdome Most Illustrious Lords and Reverend Fathers in Christ the aforesaid Priests doe make their complaints that the same most Illustrious Arch-bishop of Dublin Thomas Flemming of the Order of Saint Francis though humbly sought unto and desired doth refuse to doe them justice in their causes neither yet will be permit the Clergie to follow their
evasions that this Picture was conceived to bee the picture of God the Father as Master Caryl deposed not a picture of him in truth It is a most childish evasion for the Scripture is expresse That God being a spirit an invisible infinite Essence can have no true pillure likenesse or similitude made of him by any corporall visible representation Isay 40. 18. to 27. c. 46. 5 6 Acts 17. 29. Rom. 1. 23. 24 25. whence every such Image of God is tearmed a lye in Scripture Isay 44. 20. Hab. 2. 18. Rom. 1. 25. c. And if ever any Image of God were a lye then certainly this as hath bin proved Now whereas he pretends it appeared not it was adored and idolozed till the hearing it is certaine it appeared to Mr. Sherfield long before the hearing or demolishing of it as he deposed in his answer and this appearing by witnesses upon Oath to the Bishop and whole Court when the cause was heard made his unjust and heavy censure farre more abominable to God and man Eghtly Mr. Workman was principally censured for his preaching against Images though his expressions were the very words of our Homilies The other particulars vvere all justifiable true no wayes censurable except the sixt which was pretended but not proved Therefore his censure most unjust and his censuring of some of those of Gloucester that joyned in a grant of Annuity to him under the City Seale though the Fine was but small and afterwards remitted was far more unjust 1. Because the grant of this Anpuity was not only an act of Charity but justice and equity punishable by no Law and highly to bee commended 2ly Because they were censured in their privat naturall Capacity for what they acted only in their politique as Members of the Corporation under their Common Seale wherein the whole City were engaged as much as they 3ly Because they damned this grant of which they had no cognisance to starve a faithfull Minister and his Family who had no other Livelyhood As for his prohibiting him to teach Schoole to practise Phisick when he had put him from his Ministry without any just cause it was a treble tyrany and oppression he being enforced to take this course only to supply himselfe and his family for which the Law of God and nature enjoynes him to provide unlesse he will be worse then an Infidell and doubtlesse he must needs be worse then any Infidell who had the heart to do it upon such a poore pretence that he might infect others with his opinions to wit of the unlawfullnesse of Images in Churchs or private houses the very approved resolved Doctrine of our Statutes Homilies Injunctions Writers Church 9ly For that he alleageth by way of justification and excuse touching the most barbarous censures of Mr. Prynne Mr. Burton Dr. Bastwick We reply 1. That his hand was to all the Warrants for their Illegall commitments crose imprisenments before their censures That the Books for which they were questioned were neither scandalous Seditious nor Schismaticall but necessary Apologies Pleas against his unjust tyrannicall proceedings in the High Commission and Popish Innovations in the Church to subvert our Religion That himselfe in his Starchamber Speech and Heylin and Dove after him confesseth justifieth the truth of these Innovations wherewith those Bookes did charge him all which the former and this present Parliament have unanimously complained off and voted to be illegall Popish destructive to our Religion Therewere these Bookes were neither Scandalous nor Libellous 3ly Both the proceedings and sentence against them are voted adjudged by both Houses to be altogether illegall unjust barbarous contrary to Magna Charta the Lawes of the Land and liberty of the Subject and unparralel'd in any age therefore ordered to be utterly rased and taken off the file as unfit to remaine upon record to prejudice posterity 4ly Their prosecution proceeded principally from him the Orders for shutting them up close prisoners denying them pen inke paper and speech with one another were procured by him The Orders for denying them liberty to put in their Answers under their owne hands taking them pro confesso were made when himselfe sate and Voted in Court being both prosecutor party and Iudge the sentence was given He sitting in Court though particularly excepted against though he gave no Vote in the Censure it selfe yet al knowe he was the cause and contriver of it before it was given yea he approved and thanked the Lord for it in his Speech when it was given caused it to he most seveerly executed when given against the will of those that gave it instigating his Majesty to the bloudy execution of it afterwards when executed denyed Mr. Pryns servant liberty upon Rayle to attend him during his wounds set his hand first to all the Warrants for sending them to and close imprisoning them in remote Castles and after that for banishing them into forraigne Islands where they were so strictly mewed up that neither freind Wife Children could have the least accesse unto them for their releife nor they procure liberty of pen inke or paper to write unto them for necessaries Yea had not he ingaged his extraordinary power and malice in their prosecution neither the Court Iudges Officers nor Lords had bin so extravagant so unjust in their proceedings Censures Executions against them nor their Councell so over-awed as they were nor they denyed liberty to answer for themselves and to impeach their Opposites by a Crosse Bil which if admitted as it ought of right and justice it would have prevented their heavy Censure elsewhere which probably would have falne short of this he is now likely to incurre All which considered this part of the charge stickes fast upon him in each particular 7ly Himselfe sent for Dr. Featly and commanded him to carry his Sermons to his Chaplin to peruse who thereupon expunged this and other passages out of them after they were printed to please his Lord and his Chaplains Act in this case is his own And though other passages against Images remained yet no reason can be given for expunging this being the direct words of the Homily but his complyancy with the Papists Yea Dr. Featlie sweares expresly that he did complaine of it to Sir Edmond Scot who told him it would bee bootlesse to complaine to the Archbishop who would undoe nothing his Chaplaine had altered 8ly For the Popish pictures we have proved them printed in London by the Archbishops own authority and direction that himselfe saw and approved them whiles in printing being the very same with those his Chapell windowes the Masse-Booke and Boetius a Bolswort found in his study That they were ordinarily bound up in Bibles and sold in shops of which the Stationers complaining to him he thereupon gave them the foresaid answer himselfe But that the Lords of the Counsel gave any such order he produceth no proofe at all In few words if the pictures were lawfull to bee
as he hath sought to make an Ecclesiasticall division or religious difference betweene us and forraine Nations so he hath sought to make a Civill difference betweene us and his Majesties subjects of the Kingdome of Scotland And theis he hath promoted by many innovations there prest by himselfe and his owne authority when they were uncapable of such alterations He advised his Majesty to use violence He hath made private and publique Collections towards the maintenance of the Warre which he might justly call his owne warre And with all impudent boldnesse hath struck Tallies in the Exchequer for divers summes of money procured by himselfe Pro defensione Regni when by his Counsels the King was drawne to undertake not a Defensive but an Offensive Warre 14. He hath lastly thought to secure himselfe and his party by seeking to undermine Parliaments and thereby hath laboured to bereave this Kingdome of the Legislative power which can only be used in Parliaments and that we should be left a Kingdome without that which indeed makes and constitutes a Kingdome and is the only Meanes to preserve and restore it from distempers and decayes He hath hereby endeavoured to bereave us of the highest Judicatory such a Judicatory as is necessary and essentiall to our government Some Cases of Treason and others concerning the Prerogative of the Crowne and liberty of the People It is the supreame Judicatory to which all difficult Cases resort from other Courts He hath fought to deprive the King of the Love and Counsell of his People of that assistance which he might have from them and likewise to deprive the People of that reliefe of grievances which they most humbly expect from his Majestie My Lords The Parliament is the Cabinet wherein the chiefest Jewells both of the Crowne and Kingdome are deposited The great Prerogative of the King and libertie of the People are most effectually exercised and maintained by Parliaments Here my Lords you cannot passe by this occasion of great thankes to God and His Majesty for passing the Bill whereby the frequent course of Parliaments is established which I assure my selfe he will by experience finde to bee a strong foundation both of his honour and of his Crowne This is all my Lords I have to say to the particulars of the Charge The Commons desire your Lordships that they may have the same way of Examination that they had in the case of the Earle of Strafford That is to examine members of all kindes of your Lordships House and their owne and others as they shall see cause And those examinations to be kept secret and private that they may with more advantage be made use of when the matter comes to tryall They have declared that they reserve to themselves the power of making Additionall Articles by which they intend to reduce his Charge to be more particular and certaine in respect of the severall times occasion and other circumstances of the offences therein Charged And that your Lordships would bee pleased to put this cause in such a quicke way of proceeding that these great and dangerous crimes together with the offendors may be brought to a just judgment The Charge of the Scottish Commissioners against the Prelate of Canterburie NOvations in Religion which are Vniversally acknowledged to bee the maine cause of commotions in Kingdomes and states and are knowne to be the true cause of our present troubles were many and great beside the bookes of Ordination and Homilies 1. Some particular alterations in matters of Religion pressed upon us without order and against Law contrary to the forme established in our Kirk 2. A new booke of Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall 3. A Liturgie or booke of Common-Prayer which did also carrie with them many dangerous errours in matters of Doctrine Of all which we challenge the Prelate of Canterburie as the prime cause on earth And first that this Prelate was the Author and urger of some particular changes which made great disturbance amongst us we make manifest 1. By fourteene letters subscribed William Cant. in the space of two yeares to one of our pretended Bishops Bannatine wherein he often enjoyneth him and other pretended Bishops to appeare in the Chappell in their Whites contrary to the custome of our Kirke and to his promise made to the pretended Bishop of Edenburgh at the Coronation that none of them after that time should be pressed to weare these garments there by moving him against his will to put them on for that time wherein he directeth him to give order for saying the English Service in the Chappell twice a day for his neglect shewing him that he was disappointed of the Bishopricke of Edenburgh promising him upon the greater care of these novations advancement to a better Bishopricke taxing him for his boldnesse in preaching the sound Doctrine of the reformed Kirkes against Master Mitchell who had taught the errours of Arminius in the point of the extent of the merit of Christ bidding him send up a list of the names of Councellours and Senatours of the Colledge of Justice who did not communicate in the Chappell in a forme which was not received in our Kirke commending him when he found him obsequious to these his commands telling him that he had moved the King the second time for the punishment of such as had not received in the Chappell and wherein he upbraideth him bitterly that in his first Synod at Aberdein he had only disputed against our Custome of Scotland of fasting sometimes on the Lords Day and presumptuously censuring our Kirke that in this wee were opposite to Christianitie it selfe and that amongst us there were no Canons at all More of this stuffe may be seene in the Letters themselves Secondly by two papers of memoirs and instructions from the pretended Bishop of Saint Androis to the pretended Bishop of Rosse comming to this Prelate for ordering the affaires of the Kirke and Kingdome of Scotland as not only to obtaine Warrants to order the Exchequer the Privie Counsell the great Commission of Surrenders the mater of Balmerino's processe as might please our Prelates but warrants also for sitting of the High Commission Court once a weeke in Edenburgh and to gaine from the Noblemen for the benefit of Prelates and their adherents the Abbacies of Kelso Arbroith St. Androis and Lindors and in the smallest matters to receive his Commands as for taking downe Galleries and stone-walls in the Kirks of Edenburgh and Saint Androis for no other end but to make way for Altars and adoration towards the East which besides other evills made no small noyse and disturbance amongst the people deprived hereby of their ordinary accommodation for publike worship The second Novation which troubled our peace was a booke of Canons and constitutions Ecclesiasticall obtruded upon our Kirke found by our Generall Assembly to be devised for establishing a tyrannicall power in the persons of our Prelates over the Worship of God over the Consciences Liberties and
them all the dayes of my life so farre as they concerne me as any man hath and since I came into place I have followed them and byn as much guided by them as any man that sate where I had the honour to sitte And of this I am sory I have lost the testimony of the Lord Keeper Coventry and other Persons of Honour since dead And the Councell which attended at the Councell Board can witnesse some of them here present that in all references to the Board or debates arising at the Board I was for that part of the cause where I found Law to be and if the Councell desired to have the cause left to the Law well I might move in some cases Charity or Conscience to them but I left them to the Law if thither they would goe And how such a carriage as this through the whole course of my life in private and publique can stand with an intention to overthrow the Lawes I cannot yet see Nay more I have ever beene of opinion That Lawes binde the conscience and have accordingly made conscience of observing them and this doctrine I have constantly preached as occasion hath beene offered me and how is it possible I should seek to overthrow those Lawes which I held my selfe bound in conscience to keep and observe As for Religion I was borne and bred up in and under the Church of England as it stands established by Law I have by Gods blessing growne up in it to the yeares which are now upon me and to the place of preferment which I now beare I have ever since I have understood ought in my profession kept one constant tenor in this my profession with out variation or shifting from one opinion to another for any worldly ends And if my conscience would have suffered me to doe so I could easely have slid through all the difficulties which I have prest upon me in this kinde But of all diseases I have ever held a Palsey in Religion most dangerous well knowing and remembring that disease often ends in a dead Palsie Ever since I came in place I have laboured nothing more then that the externall publique worship of God so much slighted in divers parts of this Kingdome might be preserved that with as much decency uniformity as might be for I evidently saw that the publique neglect of Gods service in the outward face of it and the nasty lyeing of many places dedicated to that service had almost cast a dampe upon the true and inward worship of God which while we live in the body needs exteriall helps and all little enough to keepe it in any vigor And this I did to the uttermost of my knowledge according both to Law and Canon and with the consent and likeing of the people nor did any command issue out from mee against the one or without the other Further my Lords give me leave I beseech you to acquaint you with this also that I have as little acquaintance with Recusants as I beleeve any man of my place of England hath or ever had sithence the Reformation and for my kindred no one of them was ever a Recusant but Sir William Web grandchild to my Vnkle Sir VVilliam VVeb sometimes Lord Major of London and since which some of his Children I reduced back againe to the Church of England On this one thing more I humbly desire may be thought on That I am fallen into a great deale of obloquie in matter of Religion and that so farre as appeares by the Articles against me that I have indeavored to advance and bring in Popery Perhaps my Lords I am not ignorant what party of men have raised these scandalls upon me nor for what end nor perhapps by whom set on but howsoever I would faine have a good reason given me if my conscience stood that way and that with my conscience I could subscribe to the Church of Rome what should have kept me heere before my imprisonment to indure the libelling and the slaunder and the base usage that hath beene put upon me and these to end in this question for my life I say I would know a good reason for this First my Lords is it because of any pledges I have in the world to sway me against my conscience No sure for I have neither Wife nor Children to cry out upon me to stay with them And if I had I hope the calling of my conscience should be heard above them Is it because I was loth to leave the honour and profit of the place I was risen too Surely no for I desire your Lordships and all the world should know I do much scorn the one and the other in comparison of my conscience Besides it cannot be imagined by any man but that if I should have gone over to them I should not have wanted both honour and profit and suppose not so great as this I have here yet sure would my conscience have served my self of either lesse with my conscience would have prevailed with me more than greater against my conscience Is it because I lived here at ease and was loth to venture the losse of that not so neither for whatsoever the world may be pleased to think of me I have led a very painfull life and such as I would have been content to change had I well known how and would my conscience have served me that way I am sure I might have lived at far more ease and either have avoyded the barbarous Libelling and other bitter grievous scornes which have been put upon me or at least been out of the hearing of them Not to trouble your Lordships too long I am so innocent in the businesse of Religion so free from all practise or so much as thought of practise for any alteration unto Popery or any blemishing the true Protestant Religion established in England as I was when my mother first bore me into the world And let nothing be spoken but truth and I do here challenge whatsoever is between Heaven or Hell that can be said against me in point of my Religion in which I have ever hated dissimulation And had I not hated it perhaps I might have been better for worldly safety then now I am but it can no way become a Christian Bishop to halt with God Lastly if I had any purpose to blast the true Religion established in the Church of England and to introduce Popery sure I took a wrong way to it for my Lords I have staid more going to Rome and reduced more that were already gone then I believe any Bishop or Divine in this Kingdome hath done and some of them men of great abilities and some persons of great place and is this the way to introduce Popery My Lords if I had blemished the true Protestant Religion how could I have brought these men to it And if I had promised to introduce Popery I would never have reduced
pressed as spatingly as he might it being against his owne judgment and thereupon obedience was yeelded in most places and such as refused to Raile in their Tables were questioned and proceeded against by others but as for himselfe he never troubled any for it That the Archbishop himselfe gave both command and approbation for these Innovations was proved by this ensuing Petition to which an Answer was underwriten by Master Dell subscribed with the Archbishops owne hand found among Sir Iohn Lambes sequested Papers by Master Prynne To the right Reverend Father in God William Lord Archbishop of Cant. his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitan The Petition of Philip Davies Clerke Hunry Demery and Abrah am Cobb Churchwardens of the Parish Church of Hill alias Hull in the Dioces of Glocester Humbly sheweth THat your Petitioners in obedience to your Graces special directions in your Graces Metropolitan Visitation did take care and order for the raysing of the Chancell and Rayling in the High Altar or Communion Table in the said Church for the doing of which with the necessary beautifying of the said Church there were divers rates made by the Churchwardens for the time being and major part of the Inhabitants of that Church for to defray the Charge thereof In which assesements one Henry Heathfield who was and is commonly reputed and taken to be of that Parish was rated after the usuall manner as he and his Predecessors had alwayes beene his divers rates amounting to 28. shillings six pence To avoyd the payment of which the said Henry Heathfield appealed to your Graces Court of the Arches where the cause hath depended for these eleven Monethes last past to your Petitioners great Charge and hinderance May it therefore please your Grace for the better incouragement of your Petitioners in performing your Graces Commands which we have hitherto done in preserving the decency and ornaments of the said Church as much as in us lyes to give order that the said Cause may be speedily determined and that your Petitioners may not be unnecessarily vexed and molested for endeavouring to performe what in your Graces Visitation was publikely enjoyned but so farre as truth shall appears we may shroud our selves under your Graces Protection And your Petitioners shall ever pray c. I desire Sir John Lambe in case he finde the Suggestions true to take care that this Cause may come to hearing with all convenient speed possible Febr. 9. 1637. W. CANT By answering of which Petition the Archbishop acknowledgeth that the rayling in of Communion Tables and imposing illegall Rates for the same was done by HIS GRACES SPECIALL DIRECTION in his Metropoliticall Visitation and thereupon he thus desired Sir John Lambe to expedite the hearing of the Cause yet he had so Little Grace as openly to deny it with solemne protestations The falsity whereof was further evidenced by this Copy of Injunctions given in his Metropoliticall Visitation to the Cathedrall Church of Winchester 19. July An. 1635. by Sir Nathaniell Brent his Vicar Generall found in his owne Study at Lambheth so as he could not be ignorant of them attested by Master Prynne the last whereof was this Deinde Dominus injuaxit Gardianis Ecclesiae parochialis sancti Mauritij infra Civitatem Wintoniae quod duo sedilia ex utraque parte Cancellorum ibidem removeantur quod nullum sedile ibidem collocatur aut erigatur Distuque Dominus ad Petitionem Willielmi Newton unius Parochianorum praefatae Ecclesiae Parochialis decrevit Mensam sacram Eucharistiae decenter circum-sepiendam viz. TO BEE RAYLED ABOVT IN DECENT MANNER citra festum Omnium Sanctorum proximè sequens Moreover A paper of Informations of divers Abuses in the City and Diocesse of London was found in the Archbishops Study attested by Master Prynne whereof this was one There are many Communion Tables in severall Churches of the City of London that are not rayled in and some of them are placed in the middle of the Church when as they may be placed more conveniently at the East end thereof At the Chappel at Highgate the Boyes use to leane on the Communion Table in the time of Divine service under which Mr. Dell the Archbishops Secretary Writ this direction to Sir Nathaniel Brent his Visiter subscribed with the Archbishops owne hand I require you that besides my other Instructions you give me an account of all particulars within named Whereupon an Account was given to him in writing accordingly thus entituled An Account of the Metropoliticall Visitation of the Diocesse of London Aano 1636. found in his Study with the foresaid Informations and indorsed thus with his owne hand 1636. March The Course of my Visitation in London Diocese Wherein are these Particular Passage touching the railing in of Communion Tables Mr. Rogers of Massing mentioned in your Graces Paper came not to me for an order for the setting up of a Raile about his Communion Table But I GAVE A GENERALL ORDER FOR IT BOTH THERE AND IN ALL OTHER PLACES WHERE I PASSED The Communion Table in the Chappell of Highgate mentioned in your Graces paper is already placed at the upper end of the Quire and a decent Raile made about it as J am informed by divers To which the Archbishop with his owne hand adds this Note in the Margin See it be don In the Parish Church of Edmonton a fair Monument is set at the upper end of the Chancell which I have ordered to be taken downe without delay and the Communion Table to be set in the place of it with a comely raile about it Yet had this Archbishop the Impudency to protest to the Lords he never gave any order to Sir Nathaniell Brent for removing or railing in Communion Tables that it was done without his Privity or direction O portet mendacem esse memorem Adde to this that in an Abstract of this Archbishops Metropoliticall Visitation endorsed by himselfe and found among his papers there were these observable informations given to him by his Visitor Sir Nathaniel Brent July 16. 1635. At Lyn in the principall Church called St. Margarets the Communion Table wanted a rayle which I have ordered At Northampton no man boweth at the pronouncing of the name of Iesus in all the Churches in Shrewsbury many things were out of Order especially about the Communion Table But the Officers in every Parish Church most willingly submitted to what I ordered Mr. Speed of Saint Pancrosse in Chicester is very willing the Gallery in his Church should be pulled down which was built to receive strangers as also to remove the seates which stand even with the Altar Besides it appeares by a letter of Wil. Kingsley Arch-deacon of Cant. to this Archbishop dated Aprill 13 16 6. that he gave him order to survay all the Churches in Canterbury and to certine him what Monuments placed the Eastland Galleres were in them to the end they might be removed who gave him this account thereof in writing found
Altar of stone rayled in at the East end of the Quire Altarwise adorned after the popish manner with all kind of Romish furniture was by this Archbishops means as appears by divers letters between D. Cosens and him found in his Study at Lambeth first questioned in the High-commission Court at Durham then brought into the High-commission Court at Lambeth after that transmitted thence to the High-commission at York and there for this Sermon of his alone against these illegall Innovations though a reverend grave Divine every way conformable to the established doctrine and ceremonies of the Church deprived of his Prebendary Benefice in Durham and all his Ecclesiasticall preferments degraded from his Ministery fined 500 li. and imprisoned divers years till this present Parliament to his utter ruine and above ten thousand pound dammage the Archbishop disposing of his Livings to his own Creatures This sentence of his in the High-commission at York was seconded with another though not of so high a nature in the High-commission at Lambeth Mr. Charles Chaucy Minister of Ware in Hertfordshire within the Diocesse of London was articled against in the High-commission by the Archbishops procurement when Bishop of London together w th one Humphrey Parker only for opposing the rayling in of the Communion Table at Ware and speaking against it as an innovation Mr. Gellibrand testified upon his oath that at the hearing of this cause Doctor Merick of councell with Mr. Chaucy endeavoured to excuse and justifie this his opposition dislike of the new Rayle because it was first set up by some few of the parishioners without any warrant from the Bishop of the Dioces or his Chancellour as was proved whereupon the Archbishop grew exceeding angry and threatned to suspend the Doctor from his practise for pleading thus in his Cliants behalfe whereupon the Doctor not daring to make any further defence Mr. Chaucey was suspended from his Ministery both he and Parker sentenced to make a publick submission and recantation in open Court condemned in costs of suit taxed at 40 li. which they were enforced to pay imprisoned till they had performed the order of the Court or put in bond to do it This was further manifested by the sentence and recantation it selfe 4 Ian. 1635. recorded in the High Commission Register Lib. A. f. 264. 266. 331. lib. C. which sentence was read at the Lords Barre in forme ensuing Officium DominoruÌ„ cont Carolum Chauncy Clericum nuper Vicarium de Ware in Com. Hertford Humphridum Parker Yâ—oman Do. Ryves Die Iovis viz. 26 Novemb. 1635 aoram Commis Regis apud Lambeth At which day and place the said Chauncy and Parker being publickly called for appeared personally in whose presence the proofs taken and made in this cause against them were there publickly read which done Dr. Ryves his Majesties Advocate and Dr. Parry of councell for the Office enforced the proofes made against them and after that Dr. Zouch Dr. Merrick and D. Lewyu being of Counsell for the defendants enforced the proofs made for their defence upon consideration whereof it evidently appeared to the Court out of the proofs had and made in this cause that for three or two years next before the year of our Lord 1633. the said Charles Chauncy was Vicar of Ware articulate within which time the Church wardens of the Parish of Ware for the avoiding of confusion and disorder at the time of administration of the holy Communion because some were conceived to receive it sitting or leaning in their seats at a generall meeting of the parishioners and with the consent of the greater part of them agreed that the Communion Table should be placed in the Chancell of the parish-Church of Ware and a Rayle set round about it with a bench thereunto affixed whereon the communicants might kneele that accordingly a Rayle with such a bench was set afterwards about the Communion Table in the middle of the Chancell of the said Church of Ware and the same was approved of and confirmed by the Lord Bishop of London Ordinary of the place and M. Doct. Duck his Chancelour but the foresaid rayle and bench was not set up untill an Order came from the Ordinary for the erecting thereof That M. Chauncey strongly opposed the setting up of the rayle and bench about the Communion Table and professed thereupon that he would leave the place or to that effect and further gave out in speeches that the parishioners had set up that rayle and bench of purpose to drive him away with many other indiscreet speeches expressing his great dislike thereof That the said M. Chauncey and Humphry Parker laboured to divert the parishioners of Ware from making and setting up of a rayle and bench about the Communion Table And that the said H. Parker for his part when the rayle and bench were set up about the Communion Table and the Communion there celebrated by M. Craven the now Minister and when as M. Craven had perswaded the communicants there to come up to the Chancell to receive the holy Communion refused so to do that the said Humphry Parker made a journy the time articulate from Ware to Marsten Lawrence in Northamptonshire to the dwellinghouse of M. Chauncey being near fifty miles distant from Ware to speak with M. Chauncey at which time M. Chauncey upon conference had with Humphry Parker promised to come to Ware and accordingly did so lodged at the house of the said Humphry Parker That the said M. Chauncey as well at his return to Ware in the said Parkers house as at other times in other places in presence of divers of the parishioners of Ware used many reproachfull speeches against the setting up of the said rayle and bench in contempt of the just proceedings of his Ordinary and the lawfulnesse thereof as the Court conceived and pronounced viz. the said M. Parker then and there speaking of the setting up of the said rayle and bench affirmed that it was an Innovation a snare to mens consciences superstitious a breach of the second Commandement an addition to Gods worship and a block in M. Cravens way meaning and speaking of M. Craven now Vicar of Ware who is a learned and conformable Minister and that the said M. Chauncey after the setting up of the said rayle and bench took it in such ill part that he never ministred the holy Communion more there That M. Parker derided the same rayle and kneeling bench thereunto affixed and scoffed at the setting up thereof saying it would serve far better purpose in his Garden or to be set up in his Garden or to such like effect All which the premises being well weighed and considered of and after mature the liberation had of all that was there said and enforced by the counsell of either side the said M. Chauncey and Humphry Parker were both of them pronounced guilty of a contempt against their Ordinary and jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall and of raising a Schisme and
distraction in the Parish of Ware being a great and populous parish by their opposition of the laudable gesture of receiving the holy Communion kneeling and their envying against the Rayle and bench set up by sufficient authority for that purpose about the Communion Table in the Chancel for maintaining of good order and conformity in the Church there as may well appear by M. Chaunceys inveighing against the same and his refusing to administer the holy Communion there whilest he continued Vicar of Ware for the which the said M. Chauncey in partem pâ—nae was by the Court suspended from the execution of his Ministeriall function and every part thereof and ordered so to stand untill by his submission and acknowledgement of his error in broaching the said opinions tending to schisme and faction this Court shall see cause to release him which his submission and his acknowledgement is to be set down prescriptis verbis by the Commissioners at Informations and to be delivered unto him under the Registers hand of this Court and to be by him read and performed here in open Court and then to be intimated and made known in the parish Church of Ware where he hath given such cause of scandall and offence He was further condemned in expences or costs of fuit which are to be moderately taxed by the Commissioners at Informations And the said Humphry Parker was likewise condemned in moderate charges or expences and to make his submission in like manner conceptis verbis as this Court shall appoint Lastly they were both ordered to stand committed till they shall give sufficient bond in a 100 li. a piece to his Majesties use for the performance of the order of the Court. And because it was alleaged and pretended on M. Chauncies behalfe that since his comming to be Person of Marsten-Lawrence in Northamptonshire he had in testofocation of his conformity set up or caused to be set up such a Rayle about the Communion Table in the Chancell of his parish Church there the Court decreed Letters to be sent from this Court to the Lord Bishop of Peterborough to desire his Lordship to enquire of the truth of this allegation and to certifie this Court of the truth thereof the second Session of the next Tearm As also how the said Master Chauncey hath otherwise conformed himselfe there to the orders of the Church of England here by law established The manner and form of M. Chauncies recantation the next court-day for speaking against the rayle is thus recorded in the High Commission Register This day the said Mr. Chauncey appeared personally and with bended knees read his submission in Court which followes Whereas I Charles Chauncey Clerk late Vicar of Ware in the County of Hertford stand by sentence of this honourable Court legally convicted for opposing the setting of a rayle about the Communion Table in the Chancell of the Parish-church of Ware with a bench thereunto affixed for the Communicants to resort unto and to receive the blessed Sacrament there kneeling upon their knees and for using invective speeches against the said rayle and bench saying it was an Innovation â— snare to mens consciences and a breach of the second Commandement an addition to the Lords worship and that which hath driven me out of Towne I the said Charles Chauncey do here before this honourable Court acknowledge my great offence in using the said invective words and am heartily sorry for the same I protest and am ready to declare by vertue of mine Oath that I now hold and am perswaded in my conscience that kneeling at the receiving of the holy Communion is a lawfull and commendable gesture and that a rayle set up in the Chancell of any Church by the authority of the Ordinary with a bench thereunto affixed for the communicants to repaire unto to receive the holy Communion kneeling is a decent and convenient ornament for that purpose and this Court conceiveth that the rayle set up lately in the Parish-church of Ware with the bench affixed is such an one And I do further confesse that I was much to blame for opposing the same and do promise from henceforth never by word or deed to oppose either that or any other the laudable rites and ceremonies prescribed and commanded to be used in the Church of England Charles Chauncey Which submission being thus as aforesaid read and subscribed by the said Master Chauncey his Counsell moved that he might be dismissed but the Counsell for the Office desired that the said M. Chauncey might here receive w judiciall admonition which the Court conceiving very fit and requisite the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury in the name of the whole Court did now judicially admonish the said Charles Chauncey from henceforth to carry himself peaceably and conformably to the doctrine and discipline rites and ceremonies established and commanded to be used in the Church of England and neither by word nor deed to oppose or bring into disesteem any of them with this intimation That in case he were convented againe for any opposition or refractorinesse touching the premises that the Court intended to proceed against him with all severity and with this admonition the Court dismissed him the said M. Chauncey from any further attendance touching this cause he first paying the charges of suit taxed against him and the fees of his dismission These two leading cases and censures in the High-commissions at York and Lambeth seconded with this enforced submission struck such a terror into most Ministers and Churchwardens in those parts that few or none durst oppose those Innovations and gave such encouragement to the Prelates and popish Clergie that they proceeded vigorously in the pressing introducing of them every where and if any man durst oppose or vary from their injunctions they were presently brought into the High-commission and there proceeded against with utmost rigour This was manifested by the case of Mr. Miles Burkitt one of the Vicars of Pateshall in Northamptonshire who for delivering the Sacrament only to some who refused out of conscience to come up to the new Rayle and removing the Communion Table at the Sacrament time into the midst of the Chancell without the rayle according to the very Letter of Queen Elizabeths Injunctions and the 82 Canon was apprehended by a Pursevant in the Year 1638 and thus Articled against in the High-commission at Lambeth by Sir John Lambes and the Archbishops meanes among whose papers his Articles were found and read at the Lords Barre being attested by Master Prynne Inprimis we Article and object to you the said Miles Burkitt that you doe not bow at the Name of JESUS in time of Divine Service Item we Article and object that you the said Miles Burkitt being enjoyned by the Ordinary or his Surrogates officiate for him to keep within the rayles at the ministring of the Sacrament and to give the Sacrament to none that will not come up to the rayles he the
to the Church either for that they are so sore blinded that they understand nothing of God godlinesse and care not with divelish example to offend their neighbours or else for that they see the Church altogether scowred of such gay-gazing sights as their grosse phantasie was greatly delighted with because they see the false religion abandoned and the true restored which seemeth an unsavoury thing to their unsavoury taste as may appear by this that a woman said to her neighbour Alas Gossip what should we now do at Church since all the Saints are taken away since all the goodly sights wee were wont to have are gone since wee cannot hear the like piping singing chaunting and playing upon the Organs that we could before But dearly beloved we ought greatly to rejoyce and give God thanks that our Churches are delivered out of all those things which displeased God so sore and filthily defiled his holy House and his place of prayer for the which he hath justly destroyed many Nations according to the saying of Saint Paul If any man defile the Temple of God God will him destroy And this ought we greatly to praise God for that such superstitious and idolatious manners as were utterly naught and defaced Gods glory are utterly abolished as they most justly deserved and yet those things that either God was honoured with or his people edified are decently retained and in our Churches comely practised c. Mr. Workman by all these and such other passages in our Homilies ratified and subscribed unto by all our Ministers in the 35 Article of our Church as containing a godly and wholesome doctrine necessary for these times and established by the statute of 13 Eliz. ca. 12. which confirmes the Articles justifyed every syllable in his Sermons against Images in which he used only the words of our Homilies yet notwithstanding by the Archbishops violence against him who went highest in his sentence on the 25 of April 1635. in the High Commission held at Lambeth was Suspended from the execution of his office and function in the Ministery excommunicated ordered to make his submission and recantation of his eronious and scandalous doctrine at Lambeth the next Court day in such manner and forme as should be set down by the Commissioners and delivered to him in writing under the Registers hand of the Court and after this submission made publickly in Court the same to be sent down to Glocester and there openly published in the Cathedrall Church of Glocester and in the Church of S. Michaels immediately after Divine Service ended when as the Congregation shall be then and there assembled and condemned in costs of suit to be taxed the next Court day and likewise imprisoned Which sentence of his for the cause a foresaid was proved by the Register-Book of the High Commission out of which it was read at the Lords Barre by the testimonies of Mr. Thomas Pury a Member of the House of Commons and of Mr. John Langley late Schoole master of Glocester and now of Pauls-Schoole in London who further witnessed upon oath That Mr. Workman having been a most painfull diligent Preacher of Gods Word in the City of Glocester for above 15 years and a man of singular piety learning wisdome and moderation as the Archbishop himself confessed the Corporation of Glocester to help support his great charge of children in consideration of his great paines in preaching and visiting the sick about September 1633. granted him an Annuity of 20 l. per annum under their Common Seale with one unanimous consent a little before his troubles in the High Commission For which act of justice and charity Iohn Buckston the then Mayor Master Wise the Town Clerk and some other of the Aldermen of that City were by the Archbishops procurement sent for by a Pursevant to appear before the Counsell Table as Delinquents where they appearing were fully heard concerning the granting of this Annuity before the King himselfe and his Councell who seemed fully satisfied approving of their grant and were ready to dismisse them from thence as seeing no just cause for their molestation Whereupon the Archbishop moved that they might be transmitted from thence to the High Commission which by his means was ordered accordingly After which in January following Mr. Pury himself together with M. Henry Browne Mr. William Prise Aldermen Mr. Anthony Edwards and others were arrested by a Messenger out of the High Commission who exacted and received 20 Marks in Fees from them to whom they gave bonds to appear in that Court the Terme following which they did Where they were then articled against for consenting to the grant of the said Annuity to Mr. Workman to which Articles they answered and the cause being brought to hearing not long after their Counsell alleaged That the said grant of 20 l. per annū to M. Workman ought first to be proved illegall or obtained by illegal practise and the whole Corporation whose act it was under whose Seal it was granted to be made parties to the suit before these Defendants sued only as private men ought as they conceived to be censured for consenting thereunto or the said deed made void and cancelled yet notwithstanding the said Mr. Edwards one M. Nelme for consenting to this grant only were fined 10 l. a piece and the grant ordered to be cancelled which was done accordingly and thereupon a 100. l. expence the rest were dismissed the Court and M. Workman deprived of his Annuity After which M. Workman himself being censured and put from his Ministery and imprisoned by the High-Commission for Preaching against making and setting up the Images of the Trinity and of Christ and Saints in Churches having after some moneths Imprisonment with much solicitation obtained his Liberty to support himself his wife and many small children from perishing was necessitated to teach children in private having no other livelihood left him after his former Annuity granted him by the City of Glocester was by the Arch-bishops potency unjustly wrested from him of which the Arch-bishop being informed inhibited him to teach any children at all in publike or private as he would answer the contrary at his perill whereupon he fell to practise Physicke for his necessary support which being informed of to the Arch-bishop he thereupon prohibited him likewise to practise Physick Whereupon he having no meanes of subsistance left and being debarred to Preach teach School or administer Physick to maintain himself and his charge was so afflicted with these tyrannicall and unjust pressures of which he oft complained to Master Langley and others that they drew on crasinesse and sicknesse of body upon him and as his most intimate friends were verily perswaded shortned his dayes and precured his death to the great griefe and losse of that City So zealous was this Arch-Prelate in defence of Idolatrous Images as thus most unjustly and tyrannically to ruine a most godly painfull Minister with his family and destroy this
should give offence but if any come to ask for them or to buy them in your shops in Gods name sell them freely to them without any scrupple adding the second time sell them to such in Gods name but lay them not upon your stals in publick view Upon which testimony the Archbishop demanded of Mr. Walley who it was that gave him this direction concerning the sale of those Bibles with pictures To which he readily replyed Your Grace with your own mouth as you may well remember Whereunto the Archbishop answered it was true he did so but the pictures were printed bound up with Bibles before he knew of it and that the first time he saw one of these Bibles was in a Ladies hand in the Chappell at Whitehall which he looking upon when he came to Lambeth sent for one of those Bibles himself after which the Stationers comming unto him about the sale of them he gave them such directions as aforesaid not to sell them openly for fear of giving offence but only privately in their shops to such as asked for them As most evident confession of guiltinesse For if such pictures in Bibles were good usefull why should they not be exposed to open sale the view of all men if ill and unlawfull why should any of them be printed or sold to any in private and not totally suppressed demolished burnt being contrary to our Statutes Homilies Writers and the received Doctrine of our Church These directions then of his shewes his good affection to popish and idolatrous pictures he had polluted his own English Bible with an embroydred Crucifix on its cover before these Pictures printed and now he would corrupt pollute all our Bibles and New Testaments with these Romish Images bound up in them to which they are most repugnant He would suffer no English Bibles to be printed or sold with marginall Notes to instruct the people all such must be seized and burnt as we shall prove anone but himself gives speciall approbation for the venting of Bibles with Popish pictures taken out of the very Masse book to seduce the people to popery and idolatry The last case we shall instance in touching the Archbishops persecuting of such who opposed his Popish Innovations is the cases of Dr. Iohn Bastwick a Physitian and Mr. William Prynne a Lawyer Mr. Henry Burton a Divine who were all brought into the Star-chamber by this Archbishops prosecution and there most inhumanely censured for opposing his popish Innovations in Trinity Terme 1637. In which case all the injustice oppression and cruelty that could be imagined were combined both in the proceedings sentence and execution not to be parallel'd in any age as will appear by the ensuing particulars attested by the severall oathes of M. Prynne M. Burton Sir William Belfore M. Tomlins M. Sappe M. Wickins Mistresse Bastwick and others backed with the Orders and Decree of the Court it self First M. Burtons house was broken open by force by a Serjeant at Armes his Study ransaked his person appreheaded and committed close Prisoners long before any in formation against him contrary to Magna Charta and the Petition of Right so continued without Baile during all the time of the prosecution against him Secondly though the information against them three was joynt and license granted them to repaire to Counsell with their Keepers by an Order of the whole Court yet they were denied liberty to conferre one with another even with their Counsell themselves or to make a joynt answer or defence and soon after restrained all accesse to Counsell by a verball Order Thirdly the Counsell assigned to them were so terrified and threatned that they durst not draw or signe any answer for them who thereupon petitioning the Court for liberty in their Counsels default to put in their answers under their own hands according to former presidents orders of that Court they were absolutely denied this right and justice contrary to law and presidents Dr. Bastwicks answer under his own hand left at the Office and another copy of it tendred and left in open Court rejected and he taken pro confesso for a pretended contempt in not putting in his answer under Counsels hand Fourthly Mr. Prynnes Chamber in the Towre by a speciall direction from the Archbishop was searched by Mr. Nicholas Clerk of the Councell and a Pursevant of the Archbishops who supervised Mr. Nicholas and was more active peremptory then he not leaving the very Close-stoole unsearched his instructions for his answer seised and carried away by them himself shut up close prisoner pen inke and paper to draw either his answer or new instructions for his Counsell denied him his Clerk that solicited his businesse seized on by a Messenger and kept close prisoner of purpose to hinder him from following his Masters businesse examined frequently by the Kings Attorney Sollicitour to pick out some crime or accusation against his Master and never admitted to returne unto him though he tendred sufficient baile for his forth-comming and no accusation was then pending against him no not to attend him during his sores after execution of the sentence on him Fiftly M. Prynne was denied all accesse to Counsell liberty to draw up and signe his own answer though a Counsellor at Law in default of Counsell albeit he twice petitioned the Court to have leave to do it producing sundry reasons and presidents in that Court to warrant it yea the very Clerk that writ but a Petition from his mouth by the Lieutenants permission that he might put in his answer under his own hand was for this very cause seized on by a Pursevant and molested divers weeks after Sixthly when Mr. Holt Mr. Prynnes assigned Counsell had by direction of the Court taken his fee drawne his answer and given order for the engrossing of it promising to signe it the next morning he was privately commanded not to signe it thereupon refused the signing of it contrary to promise alleaging that he had order given him to the contrary and that he durst not do it for an hundred pieces After which M. Tomlins another of M. Prynnes Counsell signing his answer it was refused both at the Star-chamber office in open Court where it was tendred upon pretence it came too late and Mr. Prynne taken pro confesso for a supposed contemptuous refusall to answer when as they would neither permit him to put in an answer under his own hand and ordered one of his assigned Counsell not to signe his answer when ingrossed contrary to his promise nor accept it when signed by another of his Counsell and twice tendred Seventhly Mr. Burtons Answer when drawn engrossed and subscribed by M. Holt his assigned Counsell by order of the Court and accepted at the Office without any exception against it was after nine dayes space when perused by the Archbishop pretended to be scandalous and thereupon referred to the two chiefe Justices Sir John Bramston and Sir
stone in A Chappell O Lord Mercifull and gracious these thy people are preparing to build a place for thy service Accept I humbly beseech thee their present devotion and make them perfect both in their present and future duty That while thou givest them case to honour thee they may with the greater Alacrity goe on in thy service And now O Lord I have by thy mercy and goodnesse put to my hand to lay the first stone in this building T is a Corner stone make it I beseech thee a happy foundation a durable building Let it rise up and be made and continue a house of praier and devotion through allages that thy people may be taught to beleeve in Jesus Ch. the true Corner stone upon whom they and their soules may be built safe for ever Grant this for the same Jesus Christ our most blessed Lord and Saviour To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all power majesty and dominion this day and for ever Amen Now this Ceremony of consecrating and laying the first stone of a Chappell or Church by the Bishop is expresly taken out of the Roman Pontificall pars 2. cap. De Benedictione impositione primarij lapidis pro Ecclesia edificanda p. 199. c. Where all the solemnity of this consecration is at large prescribed and the substance of the Prayer the Bishop used upon this occasion thence derived This ceremony of consecrating and laying the first stone of a Church or Chappell is severely censured as ridiculous Popish Superstitions by Matthew Parker his predecessor Archbishop of Canterbury in his Antiquitates Ecclesia Britannicae p. 85. Quibus enim non dicam verbis sed portentis haec hujusmodi à Pontificiis adorantur Q. Primarius lapis caementum per Ecclesia aedificanda Lapis cum caemento Episcopi manibus primum aqua benedicta sparsus insculpto Gracis signo his sententiis in fundamento positus est lapidem quem reprobaverunt aedifieantes hic factus est in caput Anguli Devide tu es Petrus super hanc Petram c. postea precabantur ut qui ad perficiendam Ecclesiam auxilium dederunt corporis animae salutem consequantur c. Yet notwithstanding the Popish Prelate in contempt of his Predecessors Judgement needs must introduce this Popish Innovation not onely at Hammersmith but even at the Cathedrall of Pauls it selfe where he consecrated and laid the first stone at its reparation with many prayers and Ceremonies And not content herewith caused a second Edition of Sir Tho. Ridlyes View of the Civill and Ecclesiasticall Law to be re-printed at Oxford Anno 1634. Cum Privilegio with some Marginall Additions added to it by J. G. Master of Arts p. 51. 52 191 192 193. Wherein he justifies the consecrating of Churches Chappels and the foundation-stone thereof by the Bishop in these words The Bishop with Prayer is to lay the first stone of a Church or Monastary and lift up his hands to heaven and consecrate the place to God by prayer and there erect the symbole of our Salvation we mean the venerable and truely precious Rood That this Ceremony of laying the first stone hath been of ancient use in the Greeke Church may be observed out of their Euchologue where it is said That the Bishop after some other Rites performed standing in the place where the holy Altar shall be set saith a prayer which being ended he giveth the Ita missa est and then taking up one of the stones and having cut a crosse upon it himselfe with his own hands layeth it upon the ground-worke then he pronounceth the c. and so the workemen begin the building That which followeth in the Euchologue discovereth the forme and manner of setting up the Crucifix which the Law calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The like ceremonies are used in the Latine Church as this day as may be seen in their Pontificall page 281. of that which Clement the 8. set out at Rome in the yeare 1565. The crucifix must be sent to the place where the Church is to be erected and there the Bishop useth certaine prayers fumeth the ground with his Incense circular-wise crosseth the corner stone which he layeth for the foundation and when he maketh the consecration the crosse must he set up behinde the holy Altar there being prepared for it some lofty structure c. Which addition was patched to Doctor Ridley meerly to countenance and justifie the Arch-bishops consecrations of this kinde of which we shall produce some other Instances We read in his Diary under his own hand this Memoriall following May 26. 1632. Saturday Trinity Sunday Eve I consecrated the Lord Treasurers Chappell at Roe-hampton And in an Abstract of the Arch-bishops Metropoliticall Visitation Anno 1635. found in his studdy we finde his Visitor and Vicar Generall interdicted the Chappell of Buckston and of Down in Derbyshire though long used for want of consecration and in some Visitation Articles this inquiry made Whether any Chaplaines did Preach or administer the Sacrament in any Chappell not consecrated In the year 1636. there was a great contestation between the Arch-bishop and the University of Cambridge heard before his Majesty and his Privy Councell at Hampton Court whether the Archbishop meerly as Metropolitan or the King alone as King and founder of the University should have the Visitation thereof where it was ruled for the Arch-bishop against the King and University At which time the Arch-bishop declared that one principall cause why he desired to visit the University of Cambridge was because there were some Chappels belonging to Colledges where Divine Service had been used and the Sacrament administred divers years though they were never consecrated by any Bishop as namely Emanuel Colledge Chappell built in the year 1584. And Sidney Sussex Colledge Chappell built in the year 1598. And ever since used as Chappels without any Bishops consecration no Archbishop or Bishop of the Diocesse taking any exceptions at it yet now forsooth the Archbishop as Metropolitan must become Visitor to the University of Cambridge to consecrate these Chappels as if they were prophane before and the holy Ordinances used in them not sufficient to hallow them without his Popish Episcopall consecration-ceremonies Bishop Pilkington Walter Haddon Mr. Fox and others much jeer and deride the madnesse folly and superstition of Cardinall Poole and his Deputy Visitors of this very University of Cambridge for digging up Mr. Bucers and Paulus Fagius bones out of S. Maries Church in Cambridge 3. yeares after they were interred and interdicting and new consecrating the Church again as prophaned by them for fear their Masses and Divine Service there used should be nothing worth the place being made prophane and unholy by these heretickes funeralls as they judged them when as the Church was holy enough to say Masse in for three yeares space before and all that would not heare it must be imprisoned burned although
speeches in the Pulpit and elsewhere and more especially upon the fourth Commandement both by preaching and otherwise he hath in contempt of the Kings most Excellent Majestis Declaration concerning the lawfulnesse of Recreations upon Sundayes and holy-daies after time of Divine Service and in derision and scorne of the Booke set forth by His Majesty to that purpose often amongst other his opprobrious and disgracefull speeches uttered these words following concerning the same viz. Is it not as lawfull to plucke at a Cartrope upon the Sabbath day as at a Bell-rope Is it not as lawfull for a VVeaver to shoot his shuttle in the Sabbath day as for a man to take his Bow to shoote And is it not as lawfull for a VVoman to spinne at her wheele or for a man to go to Plough or Cart as for a man in the Sabbath day to dance that devilish round All which words and divers other of the like kind your Petitioner will be bound to prove unto your Grace and the honourable Court of high Commisiion May it therefore please your Grace for the Reformation of the sayd Mr. Page and satisfaction of his Parishioners consciences and other inhabitants there abouts who daily flocke unto him by reason of inveigling them with such his Doctrine to grant an Attachment or Letters Missive to issue out against him the sayd Page to bring him to Answer to such Articles as shall bee exhibited into the said Court against him And your Petitioner as in duty shall daily pray for your Graces long life and happinesse I desire Dr. Merrick to consider of the suggestions of this Petition and take order for Letters Missive if he see cause Aug. 30. 1638. W. Cant. Among which Papers he likewise met with this Certificate manifesting that not only Sir Nathaniell Brent but Sir Iohn Lambe in the Archbishops Metropoliticall Visitation did peremptorily enjoyne all ministers in the Archbishops name to read this Declaration for sports on the Lords Day to the people in Churches to animate them to prophan it though not prescribed in his printed visitation Articles To the Right VVorshipfull Sir John Lambe Knight Doctor of Law Commissary to the Lords Grace of Canterbury for the Archdeaconry of Huntington c. THese are to certifie that Thomas Gibbs Master of Art and Curate of Hitchin in Hartfordshire within the Archdeaconry of Huntington according to your Injunction at the Visitation there holden did distinctly and treatably read upon the 29th of Aprill being Sunday at Morning Prayer after the reading of the first Lesson appointed for the day most of the Parish then being present the Book intituled The Kings Maiesties Declaration to His Subiects concerning lawfull sports to be used William Lindall D. D. Edward Radcliffe Esque Iohn Skinner Edward Hurst Thomas Draper William Hurste Churchwardens And with 3. Petitions of Mr. Valentines to the Archbishop suspended for not reading the Book of sports referred to Sir Iohn Lambe who endorsed on one of them with his owne hand that he had received inclosed therein A Bribe of five pound Besides in the Abstract of the Archbishops Metropoliticall Visitation in the yeare 1635. found in his Study by Master Prynne there are these Passages concerning the Booke of sports Master Fairfax Curate of Rumborough Charged with inconformity hath faithfully promised to read the Declaration for lawfull sports I suspended one Master Pegges of VVeeford ex nunc pro ut ex tunc in case he did not read the Kings Declaration for sports on Sunday seven-night following There are divers in Surrey that refuse to read the Kings Declaration for lawfull sports on Sundayes besides those that stand suspended for the fault Doctor Howell a very worthy Divine gave me a note of their Names they are Master Whitfield of Ockly Mr. Garth of Wouersh Mr. Ward of Pepper-harrow and Mr. Farroll of Purbright all of them of the Lecture of Guilford and some of them of the Lecture of Darking who were afterwards prosecuted for it All these are unfallible Evidences that the Archbishop was the originall principall Author enforcer of this Declaration upon Godly Ministers against both Law and conscience himselfe his Servants playing some times at Boules upon the Lords own day to give good example unto others and persecuting those with infinit severity to the ruing of their Flocks Families who out of conscience durst not publish it Of which we shal produce one signal example more in the case of Mr. Lawrence Snelling a reverend Godly learned Minister deprived in the High Commission for not reading this Declaration Mr. Snelling himselfe restified upon Oath that he was suspended from his Ministry Living excommunicated and soone after that brought into the High Commission at Lambheth and there sentenced to be deprived from his benefice loosing the profits thereof full foure yeares space only for refusing to read this Declaration for sports That Hee there pleaded in his owne defence the Law of God of the Realme the Authorities of Councells Fathers and late Writers of all sorts That the Declaration it selfe appeared not to be his Majesties though published in his name it being not enrolled in any Court nor published under his great Seale as all Proclamations Briefes to be read in Churches are that there was no command at all of the Kings it should be read by any in Churches much lesse by Ministers no punishment threatned nor prescribed for not reading it no authority given to Archbishops Bishops High Commissioners or any other persons to question suspend or punish any Minister for not reading it and being a meere civill not Ecclesiasticall Declaration not enjoyned by any Ecclesiasticall Canon or Authority but temporall only no Ecclesiasticall Iudges could take cognisans of it much lesse inflict any ecclesiasticall censure for it especially in the high Commission it being no offence with in the Statute of 1. Eliz. ch 1. or the Kings Commission Ecclesiasticall whereby the High Commissioners sit so not questionabl by them Al which particulars he put into his answer defence but the Archbishop gave order not to accept his Answer or defence as he tendred them saying openly in Court That whosoever should make such a Defence as he had don it should be burnt before his face and he laid by the heeles for his paines whereupon the Commissioners expunged what they pleased out of his Answer and defence and then censured him Mr. Gellibrand deposed the same with Mr. Snelling whose censure was there produced out of the High-Commission records and here subjoyned Die Lunae viz. nono Die mensis Februarii Anno Dom. 1637. coram Commissionariis Regiis ad causas Ecclesiasticas apud Hospitium Advocatorum c. Iudicial seden presentibus Stephano Knight Deputato Iohanne Greenhill Notarto publico Officium Dominorum con Laurent Snelling Cleric Rectorem de Paulscrai in Com. Kantii Dr. Ryues The Cause is to be informed in and finally sentenced out of the said Master Snellings answer and
he is to appeare this day to heare and receive the finall order and judgement of the Court. at which day and place the said Lawrence Snelling being publiquely called for appeared personally in whose presence the Articles in this cause exhibited against him with his answers made thereunto were publiquely read and then Mr. Doctor Ryues his Majesties Advocate pressed and enforced the proofes against the said Master Snelling according as they appeared confessed out of his answers and after that the said Mr. Snelling was heard what he could say in his owne defence and after a mature and deliberat hearing of this cause it appeared to the Court That the said Mr. Snelling was here charged for that he being a Minister in holy orders of Priesthood constituted by the Authority of the Church for these 20. yeares last past and upwards Rector of Paulscray aforesaid for all that time and upwards was within these foure or five yeares last past made acquainted that a certaine Booke intituled The Kings Majesties Declaration for lawfull recreations after Evening Prayers on Sundayes and Holy dayes was come forth and commanded by his Majesty to be read by all Ministers in their respective Parish Churches and presented to Mr. Doctor Wood Chauncellor of Rochester his Ordinary on the 20th of November 1643. for refusing to read and publish the same in his Parish Church of Paulscray That upon the said presentment he was by his said Ordinary personally monished to read the same within three weekes following That on the eleventh of December 1634. aforesaid he the said Laurence Snelling being againe Convented before his said ordinary was primo secundo tertio personally and Judicially monished in Court to read and publish the said Booke in manner aforesaid which he refusing was suspended ob officio beneficio and hath so continued untill this present and doth so still continue unreleased that on the third of Aprill 1635. the said Laurence Snelling being present in Court before his Ordinary was 10. 20. and 30. Judicially admonished to read and publish the said Booke for Lawfull recreations as aforesaid but did againe utterly refuse to publish or read the same was thereupon then excommunicated by his said Ordinary and hath so continued ever since doth so stil continue excommunicated that within the time articulate the said Mr. Snelling hath divers times omitted to read the Lerany and some other parts of Divine service and to weare the Surplice further that he hath not bowed his body nor made any corporall obeysance at the reading or hearing read the Blessed name of our Saviour Iesus All which the premises appearing to be true in Substance and in effect out of the said Mr. Snellings answers the Court proceeded to the giving of their sentence in this Cause and for the present did order that unlesse the said Mr. Snelling shall conforme himselfe to the aforesaid requisitions of his Ordinary and read and publish the said Booke for lawfull recreations c. and do all due obeysance and Reverence at the blessed name of our Saviour Iesus betwixt this and the second Court day of the next Terme he should be ex nunc pro ut extunc c. deprived of his Rectory of Paulscray aforesaid but pay no costs of suit in case he be deprived and to this end and purpose he the said Mr. Snelling being present in Court was Juditially admonished to read and publish the said Booke and to make corporall reverence at the name of our Saviour Jesus sub pena Iuris deprivationis And to the end that he may safely repaire to his Parish Church to practise certifie of his conformity in the premises in case he shall be willing to conform accordingly it was by the Court referred to the foresaid Ordinary Mr. Doctor Wood to absolve the said Master Snelling from the said sentence of Excommunication under which he now stands in case he shall come and desire it of his said Ordinary and take his oath de parendo Iuri stando mandatis Ecclesia c. according to the forme in this case provided For not doing whereof he was accordingly deprived and continued sequestred excommunicated and deprived of his living divers yeares to his intollerable oppression and prejudice When the Archbishop had thus privily by secret Instructions to his Visitors enjoyned the reading of this Book of sports to Ministers and suspended censured molested divers of them for not reading it he then conspiring together with many other popish Prelates to suppresse all painful preaching Orthodox Ministers by colour of it encouraged directed if not enjoyned them and their Archdeacons to insert this clause into their printed Visitation Articles to be inquired of and presented by Church-wardens upon Oath Whether the Kings Declaration for sports had beene read and published among them by the Minister To prove this we shall instance only in the Visitation Articles of Matthew Wren Bishop of Norwich printed at London 1636. and in Richard Mountague his successors Visitation Articles for the same Diocesse printed at Cambridg 1638. both which prescribe this following Interrogatory to be inquired of upon oath the later clause whereof contradictes the former Sect 7. Do any in your Parishprophane any Sunday or holy-day by any unlawfull gaming drinking or Tipling in Taverns Innes or Ale-houses in the time of Common Prayer or Sermon or by Working or doing the worke of their Trades and occupations Do any in your Parish buy or sell or keepe open their Shops or set out any Wares to be sould on Sundayes or holy dayes by themselves their Servants or Apprentises or have they any other wayes Prophaned the said dayes And hath the Kings Declaration concerning the use of lawfull sports and recreations been published among you yea or no If so when was it don in what manner and by whom The like Interrogatories in effect if not in terminis we find in Bishop Pierces Bishop Curles Bishop Skinners the Arch-Deacons of Middlesex with other Visitation Articles which for brevity we pretermit How many hundred Godly Ministers in these other Bishops Diocesse were suspended from their Ministry sequestred driven from their Livings excommunicated Prosecuted in the High Commission and forced to leave the Kingdome upon these Articles for not publishing this Declaration is so experimentaly known to all that We shal pretermit it without any enumeration of their names or cases Only we shal discover what hand and influence the Archbishop had in their severall suspentions persecutions by these ensuing Accounts given up to him by other Bishops of their proceedings herein found in his Study endorsed with his owne hand and witnessed by Mr. Prynne who seized them In Bishop Wrens account to the Archbishop December 17. 1636. which begin thus In the name of God Amen An account touching the Royall Instructions given by the Kings most Excellent Majesty to the most Reverend Father in God VVilliam Laud Archbishop of Cant. his Grace Primat
of Stationers upon paine that every Printer offending therein shall be for ever hereafter disabled to use or exercise the Art of Mysterie of Printing and receive such further punishment as by this Court or the high Commission Court respectively as the severall causes shall require shall be thought fitting That all other Bookes whether of Divinity Phisick Philosophie Poetry or what soever shall be allowed by the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury or Bishop of London for the time being or by their appointment or the Chancellours or Vice-Chancellors of either of the Vniversities of this Realme for the time being Alwayes provided that the Chancellour or Vice-Chancellour of either of the Vniversities shall Licence only such Booke or Bookes that are to be printed within the limits of the Vniversities respectively but not in London or else where not medling either with Bookes of the common Law or matters of State 5. Item That every Merchant of bookes and person and persons whatsoever which doth or hereafter shall buy import or bring any booke or bookes into this Realme from any parts beyond the Seas shall before such time as the same booke or bookes or any of them be delivered forth or out of his or their hand or hands or exposed to sale give and present a true Catalogue in writing of all and every such booke and bookes unto the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury or Lord Bishop of London for the time being upon paine to have and suffer such punishment for offending herein as by this Court or by the said high Commission Court respectively as the severall causes shall require shall be thought fitting 6. Item That no Merchant or other person or persons whatsoever which shall import or bring any booke or bookes into the Kingdome from any parts beyond the Seas shall presume to open any Dry. Fat 's Bales Packes Maunds or other Fatdalls of Bookes or wherein Bookes are nor shall any Searcher Wayter or other Officer belonging to the Custome House upon paine of loosing his or their place or places suffer the same to passe or to be delivered out of their hands or custody before such time as the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterb. or Bishop of London or one of them for the time being have appointed one of their Chaplaines or some other Learned man with the Master and Wardens of the Company of Stationers or one of them and such others as they shall call to their assistance to bee present at the opening thereof and to view the same And if there shall happen to be found any seditious schismaticall or offensive Booke or Books they shall forthwith be brought unto the said Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Bishop of London for the time being or one of them or to the High Commission Office to the end that as well the Offender or Offenders may be punished by the Court of Starre-Chamber or the High Commission Court respectively as the severall causes shall require according to his or their demerit as also that such further course may bee taken concerning the same Booke or Bookes as shall be thought fitting It is further Ordered and Decreed that no Merchant Bookseller or other person or persons whatsoever shall imprint or cause to be imprinted in the parts beyond the Seas or elsewhere nor shall import or bring nor willingly assist or consent to the importation or bringing from beyond the Seas into this Realme any English Bookes or part of bookes or bookes whatsoever which are or shall be or the greater or more part whereof is or shall be English or of the English tongue whether the same Booke or Bookes have beene here formerly printed or not upon paine of the forfeiture of all such English Bookes so imprinted or imported and such further censure and punishment as by this Court or the said High Commission Court respectively as the severall causes shall require shall be thought meet 18. Item That no person or Persons doe hereafter reprint or cause to reprinted any booke or bookes whatsoever THOUGH FORMERLY PRINTED WITH LICENCE without being revived and a new Licence obtained for the reprinting thereof Alwayes provided that the Stationer or Printer be put to no other charge hereby but the bringing and leaving of two printed Copies of the Booke to be printed as is before expressed of written Copies with all such additions as the Author hath made XXIV Item The Court doth hereby declare their firme resolution that if any person or persons that is not allowed Printer shall hereater presume to set up any Presse for printing or shall worke at any such Presse or set or Compose any Letters to be wrought by any such Presse he or they so offending shall from time to time by the Order of this Court be set in the Pillory and Whipt through the Citie of London and suffer such other punishment as this Court shall Order or thinke fit to inflict upon them upon Complaint or proofe of such offence or offences or shall be otherwise punished as the Court of High Commission shall think fit and is agreeable to their Commission XXV Item That for the better discoverie of printing in Corners without Licence The Master and Wardens of the Company of Stationers for the time being or any two Licensed Master Printers which shall be appointed by the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury or Lord Bishop of London for the time being shall have power and Authority to take unto themselves such assistance as they shall thinke needfull and to search what Houses and Shoppes and at what time shall thinke fit especially Printing Houses and to view what is in Printing and to call for the Licence to see whether it be Licensed or no and if not to seize upon so much as is printed together with the severall Offenders and to bring them before the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury or the Lord Bishop of London for the time being that they or either of them may take such further Order therein as shall appertaine to Justice The Archbishop and his Confederates having accroached by coulour of this Decree the sole power of the Presse into their hands which they usurped without any such pretext of Authority long before the passing thereof began after the Popish guife in imitation of the Pope and Popish Inquisitors First to prohibit the re-printing and sale of sundry Orthodox Bookes formerly printed and sold by Authority of which we shall give you sundry notable instances One of the first Books we find prohibited by the Popish Prelates in England in King Henry the 8. his Reigne was the Bible and New Testament in English of Tyndallâ— translation and all other English Bibles and Testaments having any Annotations or Preambles which were ordered to bee out and blotted out of the said Bibles and Testaments in such sort as they could not bee perceived or read under paine of forfeiting 40s for every such Bible with Annotations or preambles as you may read in the Statute of 34. and 35. H. 8.
cap. 1. and in Master Fox his Acts and Monuments pag 635. 621. Whereupon those Annotations and Preambles were cut and blotted out accordingly in sundry old Bibles yet extant Yea the first Booke in the Roman Indices Librorum prohibitorum in Forraigne parts is the Bible of some Translations especially Bibles in the Vulgar Tongue with Notes and Prologues the Bibles of Rob. Stephanus Vatablas â—agnine others though Papists with the Arguments of Raynerius upon the Psalms expresly ordered to be expunged as you may read in the Index Librorum Expurgatorum set forth by Gaspar Quiroga Archbish of Toledo Generall Inquisitor of Spaine Salmuri 1601. p. 7. to 18. 151. to 152. in Bochellus Decreta Ecclesia Gal. l. 1. Tit. 10. Delibris vetitis c. 1. 11. Dr. Iames his Index Generalis Librorum prohibitorum with others So one of the first Bookes most strictly prohibited to be printed imported or sold by this Archb was the English Geneva Bible with Marginal Notes and Prefaces though printed here in Engl. not only without the least restraint but Cum Privilegio Regia Majestatis during all Q. Elizabeths and K. James their Reigns by the Queens and Kings Printers and since our Printers have neglected to reprint them for feare of hundering the sale of Bibles of the last Translation without Notes they have been sold without any contradiction till this Archbishop began to domineere yet no sooner was hee advanced to his Papall See but the printing importing and sale of all these Bibles with Notes was most strictly inhibited the Bibles searched for seized confiscated the importers and Sellers of them imprisoned vexed and some of them ruined in the High-Commission Court Michaell Sparke Senior deposed that himselfe and sundry other Stationers had divers of their English Bibles with Notes seized and taken from them by the Archbishops meanes which were commonly sold before his time without restraint but contradicted and suppressed by him and that himselfe with diverse others had been prosecuted in the High-Commission for selling of Bibles with Notes and some imprisoned and fined for this cause Mr. Prynne produced an Abstract of a Letter dated Septem 30. 1633. from Sir William Boswell His Majesties Agent in the Low-Countries endorsed with Mr. Dells hand and found in the Archbishops Study wherin among other accounts of his good services for the Archbishop he certified His Grace that there had beene two Impressions of English Bibles at Delfe and Amsterdam with the Geneva Notes c. Whereof he might be pleased to make such use as seemeth best for suppressing the abuse at home whether they are likewise transported under pretence of White-paper And April 14. 1638. he received another Information out of Holland from I. S. endorsed with Master Dells hand concerning the Printing of English Bibles there in Quarto and Folio with Notes in the Margent intended to bee transported thence into England A cleare Evidence that his Grace was the Originall cause of suppressing these Bibles not only at home but in fortaigne parts and all for feare the Notes in them should over-much instruct the people in the knowledge of the Scriptures which Notes though highly esteemed of in all reformed Churches and printed not onely with their Latine Bibles but with the English French Dutch German and Italian Bibles in vulgar use among them and in the Folio Bible printed in Scot. 1610 yet now they must be totally prohibited suppressed only in England by this Popish Prelate though here formerly printed Cum Privilegio and freely vended read approved used in our Church for above 60. years space together How much Impiety and Popery lies coucked in this notorious fact of his not to be paralleld by any Protestant Prelates but Popes and Popish Prelates only whom hee imitated herein wee must humbly submit to Your Lordships and all Protestants considerations In the Yeare 1631. William Beale Servant to Master Henry Gellibrand Professor of the Mathematickes at Gresham Colledge London set forth an Almanacke for that Yeare by His Masters Approbation printed for the Company of Stationers agreeing with the Kalendar before Master Fox his Acts and Monuments printed oft times by publike Authority without the least exceptions both in Queene Elizabeths King James and King Charles Reignes in which Almanacke the names of the Popish Saints Canonized by Popes and thrust into our Kalendars were omitted and the names of reall Saints and Martyrs mentioned in the Booke of Martyrs inserted just as they are in Master Foxes his Kalendar This Prelate being then Bishop of London taking great exceptions against this Almanack brought both Mr. Gellibrand and his man into the High Commission for compiling and publishing it where hee prosecuted them with great violence At the hearing of the cause it appearing to the Court that it was Verbatim the same with Mr. Foxe his authorized Kalender and that some Almanackes of this kind had formerly bin printed as tending only to the honour of our owne reall Martyrs and the disparagment onely of false Popish Saints Master Gellibrand was acquitted by Archbishop Abbot and the Generall Vote of the High-Commission Court none censuring him but this Bishop who perceiving Master Gellibrand to be acquitted He thereupon stood up in a great passion and publikely informed the Court That the Queene her selfe sent for him and specially complained to him against this Almanacke which gave great offence to those of her Religion and desired him to prosecute the Author of it and suppresse the Book and therefore he hoped he should not passe unpunished in this Court yet notwithstanding the Court acquitted him Hereupon the Bishop stood up again in a fury and said to Mr. Gellibrand Sir Remember you have made a Faction in this Court for which you ought to be punished and know that you are not yet discharged hence I will sit in your Skirts for I heare you keepe Conventicles at Gâ—esham-Colledge after your Lectures there Whereupon he gave Order for a second prosecution against him in the High-Commission which so afflicted this good man that it put him into a Feaver fit whereof he died And because the Bishop could not procure Master Gellibrand to be censured and this Almanacke burned as he desired the Papists thereupon bought up most of them and made them Martyrs by burning them in the fire All which was deposed at the Lords Bar by Mr. Gellibrand of Bread-street London and ready to be attested by sundry others had not the Bishop himselfe acknowledged the truth thereof In this Evidence there are foure things very remarkable FIrst That this Bishop was so shamelesse as to professe in open Court that in this Prosecution of Master Gellibrand hee was but the Queenes and Papists Agent proceeding thus against him at their speciall request Secondly That he was extraordinary violent if not extreamely irregular and unjust in this prosecution making no Conscience to ruine a Learned Pious Protestant without any just Cause to pleasure the Papists notwithstanding hee was generally
confirmer of the good and a reformer of the Reprobate all her visitants were but so many converts whose bad affections and erronious opinions the sweetnes of her discourse had rectefied the Leprosie of sin was her daily cure and they whom vice had blinded were by her restored to their inward light and their prostrate Soules adored Divine Majesticall vertue residing in this sacred Temple the knowledge of her humbled the most 〈…〉 Natures for the lustre of her merits rendered their owne obscure And in his Epistle to the Masculine Reader But this I will say that though I impute not the late troubles and afflictions of the Protestant party in Germany to the small Reverence there paid her many of Gods judgments according to Saint Augustine being secret none unjust yet truly I beleeve that the under-valuing of one so great and deare in Christs esteeme as his Mother cannot but bee displeasing to him and that the more we ascribe to her setting Invocation a part the more gracious we appeare in his sight He concludes it thus I will only adde this that since the finishing of this story I have read a Booke of the now Bishop of Chicester intituled Apparacus c. And I am glad to finde that I have not digressed from him in any one particular Soe he Loe therefore what a Metomorphosis of our Religion is here Here is a new Goddesse brought in among us the Virgin Mary adorned extolled deified with Titles Courtships Encomium Hymnes taken out of Popish Missalis Houres Breviaries Poems The Author glorieth that he is the first who hath written as he saith in our Vulgar tongue on this our blessed Virgin And God grant he be the last But he beares himselfe in all this upon the Church of England where wee pray you at last wee perceive this Church of England is the then Bishop of Chihester Mountague in his Apparatus from whom hee hath not digressed in any particular This Booke of Staffords giving very great scandall to Protestants and encouragement to Papists Mr. Henry Burton in his Sermon intituled For God and the King page 123. 124. 125. discovered censured these extravagant Popish Passages in it advising the people to beware of it For which among other things he was brought into the Star-Chamber and there censured But on the contrary this Popish Booke of Staffords with the forementioned scandalous Passages in it were by the Archbishops speciall direction professedly justified both by Doctor Heylin in his Moderate Answer to Mr. Burton licensed by the Arch-bishops owne Chaplaine and written by his command pag. 123. 124. and by Christopher Dow in his Innovations unjustly charged page 51. 54. and this Booke neither called in nor corrected so audatiously Popishwas he growne in this particular among many others 20. That the Church is alwayes Visible Bishop Mountague his Appeale Page 139. The Church of Rome hath ever beene visible The Church of Rome is and ever was a true Church since it was a Church Therfore the true Church hath ever bin visible Which he thus seconds Orig. Ecclesiasticarum Tomi prio pars poster page 463. Sanctè credimus defendimus c. Ecclesiam nullis interceptam intercisam intercapedinibus perpetuô extantem alicubi visibilem oculis usurpandam in eum finem et eo modo ut intelligere possint quibus curae illud est apud quos habeatur verbum vitae c. 21. That Churches Altars Chalices Church-yards c. ought to bee Consecrated by the Bishop and that his Consecration puts an inherent holinesse into them That one part of the Church or Chappell is holier then another That the place within the new Railes where the Altar stands is Sanctum Sanctorum into which none but Priests ought to enter yea Christs Throne and Mercy seat DOctor Pocklingtons Altare Christianum page 51. Dedication and Consecration of Churches used by Godly Bishops and taxed by the Centurists for the mystery of Iniquity I will passe from the placing of the Bishops Chaire to the dedication of his Church where it was set The dedication of Churches within two hundred yeares after Christ shewes cleerely 〈…〉 were Churches Saint Clemens his Command both for building and Consecrating of Churches makes it apparent page 80. At the upper end of the Chancell was a place inclosed and Railed in from the rest of the Chancell whereunto none neither Priests that were Penitents nor Deacons were permitted to enter and there to communicate and officiat in the Consecration of the Eucharist or in the administration thereof unto Priests but they themselves This place was called Sacrarium here stood the Altar or Lords Table and hitherto none might approach but the Priests themselves The Canon is cleare for it no Lay-man may come within the Altar Page 83. Prayer for Kings for Bishops for the whole Church and the Lords Prayer was then only said at the Altar by the Priest in the holy of holies Hee deserves not to be named in the Priests prayer at the Altar that is an occasion to withdraw Priests from the Altar page 108. They had shut up the Doore of the holy of holies whereunto he was entred to doe his reverence to the holy Altar Page 141. A man may as lawfully and Christianly administer the blessed Sacrament in a Barne or Towne-hall as in any place that is not Consecrated to such holy uses And when the Church was Consecrated was not the Altar the chiefest place which with most Ceremony and devotion was hallowed when it was hallowed was it not kept more carefully from Prophanation then any other part of the Church was there not a Feast annually kept in a joyfull remembrance of the Dedication of every Church and did not the consecration of the Altar carry the name of the Feast page 142. Was not the Altar set in Sacrario or sancto sanctorum in the highest place of all whereunto the Priest ascended by steppes and degrees and when they so assended were there not said Psalmes of degrees This holy Altar is in his owne nature but a stone but being consecrated and dedicated benedictionem accipit Shelfords five Treatises page 2. From hence appeareth that the Altar is the principall part of Gods House as being the cause and Originall of all the rest c. Doctor Ridley his view of the Civill Law reprinted at Oxford 1634. in the marginall Annotations newly added to it page 52. The Bishop of the place shall come lift up his hands to Heaven and consecrate the place to God P. 191. For that which concernes foundation and erection All that the Patron had free to himselfe was but the thought hee might thinke where he would designe the ground c. but this was nothing without execution and to this the Diocesan vvas to be required as the most principall and most effectuall agent If the Patron built a Church upon his ovvne ground vvithout the Bishops consent the Bishop might pull it dovvne vvithout the Patrons consent page 192. When he
obliteterated and not suffered to passe the Presse transcends our capacities to apprehend but onely that they somewhat thwart the Papists 11. Passages deleted against Auricular Confession of our Sinnes to Popish Priests IN Doctor Clerks Sermons page 443. this passage is expunged Saint James is flat for that Auricular confession Apostolicall too was it not to the Priests that Iudas said peccavi confest he had sinned in betraying innocent blood In Master Wards Comentary on Matthew written copy f. 10. this is deleted First the Papists answer hereunto that the parts of repentance are three to wit first contrition or as some of them say Attrition secondly Auricular confession Thirdly Satisfaction of Merit Idem fol. 125. Secondly confesse and make knowne thy temptations to some pious and faithfull friend Here we blame Auricular popish confession first because it doth discover lascivious and wanton women secondly because it is ordinarily enjoyned and thirdly held to be a work deserving pardon opere operato But first if men not women would confesse themselves and secondly not alwayes but in a case of conscience when his corruptions are likely to prevaile against him yea thirdly not the sinnes committed already but onely the temptations and provocations and assaults unto sinne and fourthly not to confesse to every one but to some pious prudent discreet and grave friend or Minister c. we blame it not Idem fol. 227. Ans 4. A wounded conscience is of all burthens the heaviest to a circumcised heart thy sinnes be forgiven thee we see Christ here neither requires confession nor demands or reserves satisfaction of this sick man but wholly takes away his sinnes to teach us that Christ pardons our sinnes truly Heb. 8. 12. Ier. 31. 31. c. Isa 43. 25. Heb. 10. 17. Answ 4. Popish auricular confession we tax for three things namely first ob coactionem c. secondly ob enumerationem thirdly ob finem falsum because the end propounded therein by the Papists is false for they teach men to confesse their sinnes that by the peoples confession and the Priests absolution their sinnes may be taken away and pardoned by God opere operato even by the bare work wrought The Papists command Confession for these two ends viz. First that their confession may take away sinnes with God and this they labour and dispute strongly for and relate many fables to prove it if the studious Reader desire a view of their Fables he may find some in Antidot Anim pag. 145. Col. 3. 149. Col. 3. 2. they have worse ends of their confession then these and that is to reveale whores whoredomes and the like read Antidot Anim. p. 145. Col. 3. 4. Ibidem part 1. pag. 115. Quest 5. seeing that it is lawfull and in some cases requisite that some persons should sometimes confesse some sinnes unto their Pastors and that the Pastor should admonish and advise them hereunto as was shewed Mat. 3. 6. when their consciences are troubled with any sinne then whether ought Ministers to take an oath of secresie the rather to induce men to confesse freely An. There are two things here to be considered of for the resolution of this question viz. First whether it be lawfull And 2. whether it be expedient First we must consider whether it be lawfull to take such an Oath of secresie or not First I thinke no man denies except the Anabaptists that in generall it is lawfull by Gods law to take an oath either first assertory secondly promissory upon weighty cause though it be not before a Magistrate Secondly although the positive law threaten a Premunire to him who imposeth an oath without authority yet I know no danger to him who assumes it willingly and voluntarily But thirdly whether this particular Oath be against our lawes I want skill to determine for on the one side concealment in some cases makes a man accessary though after the fact and what may not be performed must not be promised especially by oath On the other side the ancient Canons of the Church forbid upon great penalty to reveale confessions and our Law 1. Eliz. confirme all the Canons that are not opposite to the Word of God as I suppose this not to be Secondly we must consider whether it be expedient or not to take such an Oath This is the greater Question and must be resolved by the grounds moving it for whatsoever is lawfull in this must be judged fit or unfit Hypothesi according to the fit or unfit circumstances which cloth it first therefore if first the confitent being burdened in conscience and desirous to unfold his sore be hindred by feare or shame of publike discovery and secondly if there be no other end in the pastor but to free him from this feare I see no reason why he may not by such a reverend protestation assure him of that whereto his own office and conscience bind him for as the Canons cōmands concealment so Zozomen speaking of the times within three hundred yeers of Christ saith such men as are burthened in conscience and desire to unfold their griefes must choose for their Confessor a man upright of life prudent and secretorum tenacem a faithfull concealer of secrets But Secondly if the Minister use such an oath as an assuring bait to draw unwilling men to confesse for the satisfying of his own curiosity or private ends non laudo it can neither be defended commended nor excused But Thirdly I must adde that seeing temptations lurk secretly in the heart it is safer to leave them to the hearts great searcher then to condemne them upon ungrounded suspition unlesse made evident by some disclosing circumstances wherein it is both more commendable and charitable to suspect a great deale too little then a little too much hoc est consilium fidele verax c. 12. Passages deleted against the Arbitrary Tyrannicall power of Kings disobedience to their unjust popish and wicked commands resisting their tyranny and the mortality of Kings IN Master Wards Comentary upon Matthew f. 324. in the written copy the Licenser obliterated this ensuing discourse on Mat. 22. 21. Give unto Caesar the things which are Caesars Quest Whether is it altogether unlawfull to resist civill power when it is wicked and unjustly oppresseth the Church and Common-wealth and compelleth Subjects to commit adultery and persecutes true Religion with fire and faggot Answ 1. First it is lawfull for Ministers to reprehend and rebuke the sinnes of all who are under their charge and consequently Kings Princes Peers and Magistrates when they offend as is evident both by the examples of the Apostles and Prophets and also from these places 1 Tim. 5. 20. 2 Tim. 4. 2. Heb. 13. 17. In which place it is said that Pastors shall give account for those Magistrates which perish under their charge Secondly it is lawfull for the inferiour and subordinate Magistrates to defend the Church and Common-wealth when the supreame Magistrate degenerates and falleth
Bellarmine lib. 4. de justif cap. 5. argues thus The Scripture calleth the works of the righteous absolutely good works as in this verse that they seeing your good works But if all the good works of the righteous be mixed with mortall sâ—nne then they are rather to be called evill then good works This he proves from another viz. ex Areopagâ—a quarto de divinis nominibus Quia maluâ— dicatur opus absolte nisi integre fic bonum because except a work be perfectly good it is absolutely called evill First this phrase works are absolutely called good is Amphibola and doubtfull sometimes signifying the works which are good simple and sometimes those which are good in part Secondly works are called good either first indefinitely as they are commanded in and by the law or secondly peculiarly as they are performed by some singular persons as it is one thing to desire vertue in generall and another the vertue of Alcihiades or Socrates as it is one thing to commend learning in generall another the learning of Plato or Cicero so it is one thing to speak of good works in generall another of the good works of Peter John or Paul Thirdly these things premised we grant that works are absolutely called good taken indefinitely and as they are commanded yea this verse proves it which speaks not of works done by any particular person but of those which men ought to doe there is none of sound judgement can deny or doubt but that we are so debters unto the Law that we ought not onely to begin but also to perfect that which the Law prescribes as perfectly good and in all the parts thereof absolute but he were of unsound judgement that hence would conclude because it is our duty to doe it therefore we doe it for Saint Paul confesseth that he doth not onely the good which he ought but which he would doe Thus I say if we consider the works as they are enjoyned it is true that they may be called absolutely good but if we understand particularly the works of this or that man then we deny that ever the Scripture cals them absolutely good neither doth the Cardinall prove this because as was said before this place speaks not of what is done but of what ought to be done Chamier Tâ—n 3. fol. 360. 1. 2. 3. de Imperfect Op. lib. 11. cap. 23. Fourthly our work which we doe are called good in Scripture Non secundum perfectam justitiam sed hanc quae bumanae fragilitati competit Hier. Dialog 1. Contr. Pelag. not according to perfect righteousnesse but as it is agreeable to our humane frailty or they are good in part though not perfectly Becanus yet urgeth this place for the proofe of this opinion of perfection of works disputing thus The Apostles are commanded so to shine before men that they may see their good works and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven But how shall men see their good works if they all be damnable or how shall their heavenly Father be glorified if all they doe be contaminated and defiled with sinne Answ We must distinguish between humane and divine judgement men see mens works as they are outwardly and can goe no further they onely perceive what is obvious to their senses and can neither see the heart nor know whether that which is done be done according to all the circumstances that are required thereunto Now true righteousnesse is proper unto the heart and it is the circumstances that make the work more or lesser good or bad and therefore although men see the good works of the righteous which outwardly they shew forth and glorifie God for them yet it followes not hence therefore those works are in Gods sight perfectly good c. Ibidem fol. 185. this is crossed out The morall law was a bond of salvation unto Adam Rom. 2. 13. and of death Gal. 3. 10. but is now abrogated by Christ in regard of the conditions we being now justified onely by faith Ibidem on Matth. 12. ver 27. written copy page 251. this discourse is obliterated By thy words thou shalt bo justified Quest What is the matter or materiall cause of our justification Answ First some say that the onely act of mans heart in beleeving is the matter of it Secondly some say that partly faith and partly Christs obedience is the matter of our righteousnesse Thirdly some say that the works of the law done by man are the matter of our righteousnesse Now all these three opinions are sufficiently refuted by Master Forb's of Justification cap. 22. page 77. to whom I referre the Reader Fourthly we say that onely Christ in his obedience is the whole matter of our righteousnesse and that nothing in Heaven or in earth in man or without man is the matter of mans righteousnesse before God except onely Christ this being amply handled and proved by Forbes cap. 23. 24. and his book being in English and easie to be had I referre the Reader thereunto c. Ibidem written copy page 68. this is crossed out by the Licenser Thirdly the Lord having converted and regenerated us we are onely able to bring forth good works for non precedunt justificandum sed sequentur justificatum Aug. good works march not before as causes of our justification but follow as fruits or signs of our sanctification c. And page 336. Answ 1. They good works are the way and meanes unto this Kingdome but I doe not give or grant this and that First because that which is but onely a meanes is not at all a sufficient cause and Secondly because if we should grant this then the Papists would have what they desired for they say that good works are necessary to salvation Non modo necessitate presentiae sed necessitate efficienciae Bellarm. de Justific lib. 4. cap. 1. The way which leads to London is indeed a meanes of comming to London but not the efficient cause Neque enim facit sed patitur ut quis veniat Londinum for when a man comes thereunto the way doth nothing but onely suffers and therefore â—he way thereunto is more rightly called causa sine qua non Parens s fol. 848. b. c. In Doctor Jones his Comentary on the Hebrewes page 58. these clauses are purged out By grace you are saved not by works any kind of way let us not part stakes with the Lord and give halfe to our selves and halfe to the Lord as the Papists doe Page 208. Our best works are defiled with sinne saith the copy too often defiled saith the Licenser c. Page 247. Our praying preaching hearing of Sermons and best works are unprofitable to bring us to the Kingdome of Heaven they may be seales of our election but no causes of our salvation Page 253. The old Covenant depended on working doe this and live the new requireth nothing but faith c. Page 339. Here we may behold what reckoning is to be made of the works of the
the Church of England was ready to ring the Changes and insinuating unto his Auditory that there was cause to fear an Alteration of Religion saying that Religion and the Gospel stood on tiptoes ready to be gone that divers good Ministers were silenced and that they should beware of a relapse unto Popery In this censure the Archbishop had the chiefest hand as was proved by the High Commission Bookes and Mr Wardes Submission which was drawn up by Sir Iohn Lambe and sent to this Archbishop who endorsed it with his owne hand This severe sentence utterly ruined this famous painfull preacher who lay long in prison and soone after ended his dayes in great grief and sorrow In April 1630. Articles were exhibited against Mr Charles Chancy a Reverend learned painfull Minister living at Ware for preaching against the Bacchanales and disorders used by many in the Christmas holy-dayes the increase of Popery Arminianisme and using these expressions in a Sermon of his charged against him in his Articles in Ianuary before That Idolatry was admitted into the Church and that not only the prophets of Baal but Baal himselfe is received and houses multiplyed for the entertainment of them and with all saying that the preaching of the Gospel would be suppressed That there wanted men of courage to tell the Superiours in the Church of their neglect for that there was increase of much Atheisme Popery Arminianisme and Heresie in our Church since the reformation of it as at this time wherein Heresies were not onely broached but maintained whereby he raised a fear among the people and insinuated to them that some alteration of Religion would ensue and be brought in and scandalized the whole Church of England and Government thereof To these Articles Mr Chancy gave in his answer upon Oath in the High Commission the 21 of the same April and the very next day by Order of that Court the whole cause was referred to this Bishop then of London being his ordinary provided that if Mr Chancy did not submit himselfe to performe his Lordships order therein that then his Lordship if it seemed good unto him might transferre the cause backe again to be censured in this Court Whereupon Mr Chancy made a Submission to his Lordship in Latin and soon after was enforced to desert the Kingdome and set sayle for New England to avoyd further persecution All which is manifest by the Originall Articles and Mr Chancyes answer to them found among Sir John Lambes sequestred Writings by Mr Prynne and by the Order of Reference and M. Chancyes Submission endorsed with the Bishops own hand the chiefe Prosecutor of this cause To these we could add M. Cotton M. Hooker M. Davenport M. Wells M. Peters M. Glover and sundry other Ministers driven into New England and other Plantations those that fled over into Holland to avoyd his prosecution with some hundreds of Ministers questioned in the High Commission and else-where by his meanes and there suspended silenced for not publishing the Booke of Sports or not submitting to his Popish Innovations M. Salisbury was questioned and troubled by this Prelate for these passages in his Sermon on Math. 24. 6. How many thousands have made shipwrack of faith a good conscience renounced our true Church stepp'd aside to Arminianisme and from thence as it is the widest gate that opens towards Rome relapsed to Popery Thus are wee scattered in our Jacob and divided in our Israel The Low Countryes not long since if not still sighed as deeply and mourned as strongly to finde herselfe as imperceivably to be overgrowne with Arminianisme And what a faction is like to be in our deplorable England between Popery and Arminianisme together except God be more mercifull and our State the more vigilant and mindfull We shall see sooner then tell and feel sooner then see Doctor Staughton D. Sibbes D. Taylor D. Gouge M. White of Dorchester M. Rogers of Dodham with sundry more of our most eminent preaching orthodox Divines were brought into the High Commission and troubled or silenced for a time by his procurement upon frivilous pretences But in truth because they were principle Props of our Protestant Religion against his Popish and Arminian Innovations But omitting these we shall conclude this head with one memorable instance more which comes very home Mr Nathaniel Bernard Lecturer at Sepulchers in London preaching at Antholins Church in May 3. 1629. used this expression in his prayer before his Sermon Oh Lord open the eyes of the Queenes Majestie that shee may see Iesus Christ whom shee hath peirced with her Infidelity Superstition and Idolatry This Archbishop then of London was presently informed of this passage attested by Walter Kirby an Atturney of Bernards Inne Iohn Browne of Durham Minister and some others Whereupon the Bishop brought him into the High Commission where after long attendance upon his Submission this ensuing Order was framed Die Jovis viz. xxviii die mensis Januarii Anno Domini juxta c 1629. Coram Commissionariis Regiis apud Lambeth Judicialiter sedentibus presente Thoma Mottershed Registrarij Regij Deputat Officum Dominorum contra Nathanielem Bernard Clericum Prima Sessio Termini Hillarij HIS appearance by bond was respited untill this day at which day and place the said Nathaniel Bernard appeared personally and then it being objected unto him by the Court that he had in a Sermon lately by him preached or otherwise delivered some Scandalous and undutiful speeches derogatory to some particular person of most eminent place which the Court desired not to have there repeated and for that the said Mr Bernard had acknowledged his error in that kinde as some of the Commissioners there unto whom he had submitted himself reported and himselfe confessed the Court was inclined upon his submission being a young scholler and a student in Divinity to accept his submission and enclined to deal mercifully and favourably with him yet considering that his scandalous and undutifull speeches were of such high nature as could not be well remitted or pardoned by this Court without the approbation and the good liking of his most Excellent Majestie the Court desired the Lord Bishop of London to acquaint his Majestie therewith and if his Majestie upon understanding of the Cause would be graciously pleased to pardon him and leave it to the Court that then this Court would take such further order for his dismission as they should think meet Mottershed The Copy of this Order with another Paper conteining the words were both endorsed with the Bishops own hand and found among his Papers by Mr Prynne who produced them Mr Bernard not long after upon his submission was dismissed the Court After which repairing to the University of Cambridge to visit his friends he fortuned to preach at Saint Maries Church there on the 6. of May 1632. in the afternoon wherein he let fall divers Passages concerning preaching the purity of Gods Ordinances worship and against the Introducers of
be to them no welcome guests or else be sent away beyond Sea where they will open many mouthes against the authors of their misery 9 The Common-wealth shall lose many skilfull workmen in sundry Manufactures whom in times past the Land hath so much desired 10 Many thousand English of the poorer sort shall misse their good masters that set them on work and paid them well which will cause them to grieve at their departure if not to murmure 11 And say a handfull of Aliens should remaine to make up a poore Congregation where shall they baptize their new-borne Infants If in their Parish Churches then shall the strangers lose one of their Sacraments and if in the said strangers Congregation then it would be known when they shall be sent away to be admitted as Natives in their English Parishes 12 A greater difficulty will yet arise about the English Rites and Ceremonies enjoyned to such Aliens as shall remaine For though they mislike them not in the English Churches unto the which upon occasion they do willingly resort yet when this Innovation shall come upon them it will bee so uncouth and strange as it is doubtfull whether it or the separation of the Natives from the Aliens will bring the more trouble And whether they will not both be followed though not aequis passibus with the utter dissolution of their Congregations 13 And the rather because it is not likely that upon their want of a Minister any will be ready to come though sent for from beyond the Seas to serve them upon these two Conditions The one to be contented with so meane a stipend as they shall then be able to afford and that uncertaine too The other to observe such Rites and Ceremonies as they were never acquainted withall yea are offensive to some beyond the Seas from whence they shall be called 3 Lastly forasmuch as we have given no occasion of offence that might deserve the taking away of our former Liberties but have still demeaned our selves peaceably and respectively toward the English Discipline Neither do we harbour any factious English persons as members of our Congregations And also that by two severall Orders of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Councell your Lordship and your Successors have power to order the disordered in both the Congregations if any shall happen Therefore we humbly entreat your good Lordship seriously to take the premises into your grave and judicious consideration And as occasion shall serve to acquaint his Grace of Canterbury with them if your Lordship think it so fitting Vnto whose Grace we desire our humble duties to be presented humbly beseeching his Grace that he will be pleased to be graciously and favourably enclined to us and the rest of the strangers And if it be possible to stay the proceedings of his Graces Commissaries upon the said three Congregations of his Graces Diocesse that so they and we all may yet continue under the shadow of His Majesties most gracious protection and Toleration as before And wee shall pray for his Graces and your Honours long life and prosperity These weighty motives not prevailing they presented an humble Petition to the Archbishop himselfe Iun. 26. 1635. endorsed with his owne hand and seised in his study by Mr Prynne the same in substance with their Remonstrance to the Bishop of Norwich beseeching his Grace to be pleased to take these their motives into his pious and charitable consideration and to suffer them yet to enjoy the benefit of his Majesties and his Noble Predecessours grace of Toleration To this Petition after much sollicitation meanes and friends made to the Archbishop he returned a very peremptory Answer in a Letter of his to the Dutch and Walloone Congregations at Norwich dated August 19. 1635. the Copy whereof was found in his study wherein all the favour he would grant to them or any other forraigue Churches was this That his Majesty was resolved that his Injunctions shall hold and that obedience shall be yeelded to them by all the Natives after the first descent who might continue in their Congregations to the end the Aliens might the better look to the education of their children and that their severall Congregations might not be too much lessened at once but that all of the second descent borne here in England and so termed should resort to their severall Parish Churches whereas they dwell concluding his Letter in those words And thus I have given you answer fairely in all your particulars and doe expect all obedience and conformity to my Injunctions which if you shall performe the State will have occasion to see how ready you are to practise the obedience which you teach And for my part I doubt not but your selves or your posterity at least shall have cause to thank both the State and the Church for this care taken of you But if you refuse as you have no cause to doe and I hope you will not I shall then proceed against the Natives according to the Lawes and Canons Ecclesiasticall So hopeing the best of your selves and your obedience I leave you to the Grace of God and rest Your loving Friend W. Cant. August 19. 1635. By these Injunctions these Churches were molested and disquieted some three or foure yeares space some of them interdicted suspended and shut up for a time for refusing conformity others of them dissolved their Ministers deserting them rather then submitting to these Injunctions all of them much diminished discontented the maintenance of their Ministers and poore Members much impaired almost to their utter desolation notwithstanding all the great friends they could make to intercede in their behalfe and they brought quite under that Episcopall Iurisdiction and Tyranny from which they were formerly exempted Hereupon many consciencious Aliens and their children deserted the Kingdom who could not in conscience submit to the Ceremonies Innovations in our Churches and most of their Families were miserably distracted as appeares by a Summary Relation of the Archbishops proceedings herein presented to the Parliament and by a late printed Book entituled A Relation of the Troubles of the three Forraigne Churches in Kent caused by the Injunctions of William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury Anno Dom. 1634. set forth by Iohn Bulteel Minister of Gods Word to the Walloon Congregation of Canterbury printed Anno 1645. to which we shall referre the Reader for fuller satisfaction And as he thus endeavoured to subvert the Forraigne Dutch French and Walloon Churches at home and to presse the English Liturgy upon them so he attempted to disturbe our English Regiments and Congregations abroad in Forraigne parts and Plantations by imposing the strict observation of the English Liturgy and Ceremonies on them not formerly used by Orders from the Councell Table especially by that of October 1. 1633. to the Merchant-Adventurers which bred great disturbances among them as appeares by sundry Letters from Sir William Boswell Mr Stephen Goffe and others found in the Archbishops study which we
yet be expresly prohibited to pray for the Queens conversion in particular to whom we have so neere relation the want of whose conversion hath brought so many mischiefs wars on our Church and Kingdomes Certainly this was an Act of the greatest impiety that ever was committed by any christian Prelat if he really beleeved the Queen to live in a false Religion and may justly brand him for an Atheist being diametrally contrary to Gods precept 1 Tim. 3. 1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made FOR ALL MEN for Kings and ALL THAT ARE IN AVTHORITY that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Therefore he must needs beleeve her popish Religion to be the true ours the false else he would have encouraged rather then prohibited Ministers to pray for her conversion unto us and our Religion whom it seems by this inhibition he would have converted to her and hers Thirdly this inhibition manifests at the least that the Archbishop was a very cordiall friend servant not onely to her Majesties person but her popish Religion too that he desired her un-interrupted continuance in it without the least opposition not onely by way of dispute but prayers too Fourthly this publike prohibition in his own Metropoliticall visitation was of it self a great encouragement to a strong confirmation of her Majesty and all the popish party in their false Religion giving them great advantages to seduce others to it as the true because this Injunction intimated it to be the true Religion wherein they might safely persevere But did this Prelate stop here only openly to inhibit men thus to pray for her Majesties conversion No verily for both before and after this he imprisoned questioned and censured some in the High Commission for such prayers Master Bernard as we proved formerly was questioned censured in the High Commission as a grand offender for such a Prayer Master Hugh Peter was apprehended by a Pursevant imprisoned for a time in the New-prison silenced here from his Ministry and forced into Holland by the Arch-bishop onely for praying at Sepulchers Church for the Queen in these words That as shee came into a Goshen of safety so the light of Goshen might shine into her soule that shee might not perish in the day of Christ as himselfe and sundry others will depose But we shall insist onely on two other instances in the High Commission The first is one Master William Jones a Gloucestershire Minister who as Master Prynne attested upon oath was brought into the High Commission Anno 1636. and there prosecuted by the Arch-bishops meanes for not reading the Booke of Sports and for praying thus for the Queen in his Pulpit to God To shew unto the Queene the light of Goshen and to bring her to his true worship What worship said the Arch-bishop to him as if her popish worship were Gods true worship Nor did he onely persecute and trouble Ministers thus for praying for the Queens illumination and conversion to Gods true worship but likewise for praying to God to keep the Prince from the infection of popery witnesse the case of one Master John How Minister of Loughborough in the County of Leicester who on the sixth day of November 1634. as was proved by the Register book of the High Commission Court there produced and read was censured in that Court where the Archbishop was chiefe Judge and Dominus fac totum attached committed during his Majesties pleasure suspended from the execution of his Ministry and every part thereof fined five hundred pounds to the Kings use ordered to make a submission to the Court and condemned in expences and costs of suit onely for praying but once in the Pulpit That the young Prince might not be brought up in Popery whereof there was great cause to feare for that as was alleaged these words did much derogate from his Majesties known approved Religious care in maintaining propagating the true Religion here established professed within this Realme and caused a causelesse jealousie of the education of the young Prince his Sonne in the popish Religion When as he onely intended it of the danger of his education in respect of the Queen his Mother and those many seducing Priests Papists then about her who by many policies devices endeavoured as much in them lay to draw him to and educate him in the popish Religion it being provided by the sixteenth Article of the Kings marriage with France That the children which shall by reason of the said marriage be borne and live shall be nurst and brought up NEER THE SAID LADY AND QUEEN from the time of their birth untill they come to the age OF FOURTEEN YEERS In respect whereof there was great cause to feare the Princes infection by and seducement unto Popery without Gods extraordinary mercy and therefore great need of our frequent prayers to prevent it His rigorous proceedings therefore against these Ministers on the one hand for praying for the Queens illumination with and conversion to our Religion and his severe censuring them on the other hand for praying That the young Prince might not be brought up in Popery compared with his intimacy favour with the Queen his redinesse to serve her Majesty upon all speciall services and commands are a most pregnant evidence not onely of his conusance of but powerfull concurring assistance in promoting this grand dangerous designe of introducing Popery and reconciling us to the Church of Rome And that which may further satisfie your Lordships and the world herein is his extraordinary dignifying of Queen Maries his depressing King Edward the sixth his Reigne in his very Preface to the new Statutes compiled by him for the Vniversity of Oxford the Originall whereof was produced and this clause read out of it Edwardo sexto ad clavem sedente novo sundatum est molimine c. Prascribente Rege lenocinante NOVITATE primo visum opus admitti c. Paulo post potiente rerum Maria sub Cardinalis Poli auspicijs idem recruduit labor Novae exindè data leges sed pari cum prioribus angustiâ Interim tamen inter incerta vacillans Statuta viguit Academia colebantur studia enituit Disciplina OPTANDA TEMPORUM FAELICITATE Tabularum defectum resarcivit innatus Candor quicquid legibus deerat Moribus suppletum est Decurrente temporum serie vitijs legibus pariter laboratum est In which passage he brands King Edwards dayes of Reformation with Flattering Novelty applauds Queen Maries under the government of Cardinall Pool as those wherein the University of Oxford did most eminently flourish in learning Discicipline manners and magnifies the desirable felicity of those times under another Qu. Mary of the same Religion depressing Queen Elizabeths reign and her successors as more abounding with vice and more defective of good laws and government in our Oxford University at least then Queene Maries This
let all the people say Amen And suddenly all the whole Church almost shook with the sound that their loud Amen made c. The Lord Deputy called from the Bishop of Derry a Copy both of his Sermon and Protestation to send to the King The learned and couragious Bishop gave this Answer that there was nothing he either spake or read in the Pulpit but he would willingly justifie it before his Majesty and feared not who read or saw it So now by Gods mercy nothing may yet be done or will be till the Lord Deputy heare from the King That this information of the Commons to his Majesty was then most true reall and that this Bishop knew it to be so in every particular we shall manifest by this printed Proclamation found in his Study thus endorsed with his owne hand not long after his Answer to the Commons Remonstrance April 1. 1629. A Proclamation concerning the growth of Popery in Ireland c. which was read as followeth By the Lord DEPUTY and COVNSELL Henry Falkland FOrasmuch as We cannot but take notice that the late intermission of legall proceedings against popish pretended or titulary Archbishops Bishops Abbots Deanes Vicars generall Jesuits Fryars and others of that sort that derive their pretended Authority and Orders from the See of Rome hath bred such an extraordinary insolence and presumption in them as that they have dared here of late not onely to assemble themselves in publike places to celebrate their superstitious services in all parts of this Kingdome but also have erected houses and buildings called publike Oratories Colledges Masse-houses and convents of Fryars Monks and Nunnes in the eye and open view of the State and elsewhere and doe frequently exercise jurisdiction against his Majesties Subjects by authority derived from the See of Rome and by colour of teaching and keeping Schooles in their pretended Monasteries and Colledges doe train up the youth of this Kingdome in their superstitious Religion to the great derogation and contempt of his Majesties regall power and authority and great offence of many of his Majesties good Subjects contrary to the Lawes and Ecclesiasticall government of this Kingdome and the impoverishment of his Majesties Subjects in the same These are therefore to will and require and in his Majesties name straightly to charge and command all and all manner such pretended or titulary Archbishops Bishops Deanes Vicars generall Arch-deacons and others deriving any pretended authority power or jurisdiction from the See of Rome that they and every of them forbeare from henceforth to exercise any such power jurisdiction or authority within this Kingdome and that all such Abbots Pryors Jesuits Fryars Munks Nunnes and others of that sort as aforesaid doe forthwith break up their Convents in all houses of Fryars Colledges Monasteries and other places wheresoever they are or shall be conventually or collegiatly assembled together within this Kingdome and to relinquish the same and to disperse and separate themselves And that all and every of the Orders before named and other Priests whatsoever doe from henceforth forbeare to preach teach or celebrate their Service in any Church Chappell or other publike Oratory or publike place or to teach any School in any place or places whatsoever within this Kingdome And We doe further straightly charge and command all and singular the owners of such houses of Fryars Colledges Monasteries Schooles Oratories Masse-houses and Nunneries that they and every of them respectively in default of the persons before named their voluntary relinquishing of the said houses of Fryars Colledges Monasteries Schooles Oratories Masse-houses and Nunneries doe forthwith expell and thrust forth all and singular such Fryars Jesuits and other Monasticall persons out of the same and to convert the same to other more lawfull uses upon paine to have their said houses seized to his Majesties use and both the one and the other to be proceeded against for their unlawfull assemblies and maintainance of such unlawfull Conventicles and corrupt nurture of children in the severest manner that by the Lawes and Statutes of this Kingdome and Ecclesiasticall government of the same may be had or extended whereof they and every of them are to take notice and to veeld due obedience thereunto as they and every of them will avoid his Majesties high indignation and the consequence thereof Given at his Majesties Castle of Dublin the first day of Aprill 1629. Adam Loftus Canc. T. Baltinglasse Wil. Parsons Ja. Armachanus R. Dillon Rich. Bolton Hen. Valentia Ant. Midensis Dud. Norton Moâ—re Hen. Docwra Ad. Loftus Here we have a confitentem reum the Bi. himself under his own handwriting endorsed on this Proclamation justifying the Parlia Remonstrance to be true and his Answer to it a malicious slander to advance the Papists designes After which he had further intelligence from time to time by severall Letters and Papers out of Ireland elsewhere published at large of the dangerous growth encrease and insolencies of the Papists there notwithstanding this Proclamation and that there was a popish Hierarchy there exercised and University erected without controle We shall instance onely in two remarkable Letters written to him from Doctor Beadle Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh found in his Study endorsed with his owne hand and read at the Lords Barre The first of them he thus endorseth April 1. 1630. From Doctor Beadle Lord Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh about the state of the Church in his Diocesse and the Papists in Ireland Who writes thus thereof Right Reverend Father my Honourable good Lord SInce my comming to this place which was a little before Michaelmas till which time the setling of the State of the Colledge and my Lord Primates visitation deferred my consecration I have not been unmindful of your Lordships commands to advertise you as my experience should informe of the state of this Church which I shall now the better doe because I have been about my Diocesses and can set downe out of my knowledge and view what I shall relate and shortly to speak much ill matter in a few words it is very miserable The Cathedrall Church of Ardagh one of the most ancient in Ireland and said to be built by Saint Patrick together with the Bishop's house there downe to the ground the Church here built but without Bell or Steeple Font or Chalice The Parish Churches all in a manner rained or unroofed and unrepaired the people saving a few British planters here and there which are not the tenth part of the remnant obstinate Recusants a Popish Clergy more numerous by farre then we and in the full exercise of all jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall by their Vicars-generall and Officials who are so confident as they excommunicate those that come to our Courts even in Matrimoniall causes which affront hath been offered my selfe by the popish Primates Vicar-generall for which I have begun a processe against him the Primate himselfe lives in my Parish within two mile of my house the Bishop
so he deserved to be censured for it That the Papists burnt it I could not help that Neither did it agree with Master Fox his Calender but he abused it in leaving out divers Saints allowed by the Church of England as the Epiphany and Annunciation of our Lady For Doctor Pocklingtons Book wherein he abused our Martyrs it was licensed by his Chaplain Doctor Bray who was censured for it as was Doctor Pocklington too in the Lords House But it is objected that my Chaplaines act is in law mine owne I answer not unlesse I command it But the Book it selfe was found in my Study and I preferred Doctor Pocklington for it I know no such thing and though I had the Book yet I knew not of this passage in it Fourthly for the calling in of Beacons Book printed by Mistris Griffin it is nothing to me what a Jesuit said of it and if called in it was because she reprinted it contrary to the Star-chamber Decree Fiftly for the Palsgraves Religion I remember it not and if called in it was because it was contrary to the Kings Declaration and touched upon some points of controversie prohibited by it Sixtly the hindring of the reprinting of Master Fox Bishop Jewell and Doctor Willet was no act of mine Seventhly I hindered the printing of no new Books against Popery Eightly the questioning of Master Prynne Master Burton and the rest in the High Commission was no act of mine but the Courts nor were they censured but got off without censure Master Burton said he was questioned before the Counsell Table for one of his Books as a Libell If it were a Libell there was cause to doe it He added he could not be quiet for being troubled in the high Commission nor could the Church be quiet for him which was the cause of his trouble He affirmed I committed him to the Fleet and denied him the benefit of the Petition of Right I answer there was cause enough for his commitment for printing of Books without license and for disturbing the peace of the Church and he had the benefit of the Petition of Right because the reason of his commitment was expressed in the Warrant Ninthly I licensed none of the particular books forecited my selfe nor any of my Chaplains to my knowledge I am certaine not by my command and if any of them have transgressed herein themselves must answer for it not I who having many other weighty publike affaires to look after had no time to peruse or license Books my selfe and was enforced to commit this trust to their care Tenthly to the particular books I answer First that though Sales his book was licensed by my Chaplaine yet he was abused therein by the Translator Printer who was punished for it in Star-chamber The book it self was called in and burnt by Proclamation and I dismissed the Doctor for licensing it out of my house and service For Christs Epistle to a devout Soule it was licensed at London House by Doctor Weeks the Bishop of Londons Chaplain not mine and so nothing to me besides it was suppressed before it was published For Doctor Heylins Books they are nothing to me I had no hand in them nor yet in Doctor Pocklingtons who hath been censured for them himselfe For Bishop Mountagues Impressions they concerne not me I did neitheir advise nor authorize them For the Lives of the Emperours which commend the Councell of Trent the Book was not licensed and I know not of it For the Popish Index Biblicus printed in England it is nothing to me it was without my privity and direction For the severall popish passages objected out of some newbooks the Authors themselvs must answer them at their perill they concerne not me For the rejecting of Master Prynnes Crosse Bill in Star-chamber complaining of these popish Books and Doctrines it was none of my act but the Courts and Lord Keeper Coventries and so was Mr. Burtons censure for his Book in which I gave no Vote For Master Croxtons Letter to me with a Crosse enjoyning Auricular confession I could not hinder it nor his practise of confession being in Ireland And for the passages objected out of mine owne Speech in Star-chamber that they imply and necessarily inferre the popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation and the giving of divine worship to the Altar even the same that is given to God I answer that neither of these can be inferred from thence for my words onely imply that Christs body is truly and really present in the Sacrament yet not corporally but in a spirituall manner and so is received by us which is no more then Master Calvin himselfe affirmes on the 1 Cor. 11. 24. where thus he writes Neque enim mortis tantum Resurrectionis suae beneficium nobis offert Christus sed corpus suum in quo passus est Resurrexit Concludo REALITER ut vulgo loquuntur id est VERE Nobis in Coena datur Christi corpus ut sic Aâ—imis Nostris in Cibum salutarem and Master Perkins himselfe faith as much For my words that we should bow DEO ET ALTARI which are coupled both together with a Conjunction Copulative yea both bowed to at the self-same time in one and the same act and the worship directed to and terminated in both alike Ergo divine worship is given to the Altar herein as well as to God which is flat Idolatry or but such civill reverence given to God as is rendred to the Altar which is to dishonour God and gives him no greater worship in his house then is due unto a creature I answer that though the act of bowing be the same to both yet the object mind and intention being different the worship must be so too There is a double worship and bowing one of the body the other of the heart as Master Perkins himselfe distinguisheth which is properly called Veneration when done but to a creature in a civill respect and worship onely when given to God himself To this was replied Ferst that this Decree of Star-chamber concerning printing was onely his owne act originally who projected and put that Court upon it whereof he was an over-potent Member theirs onely Ministerially to satisfie his importunity therein as the forecited Passages in the Decreee it selfe and our Witnesses attest Yea the printing of it was by his own command to enlarge his Jurisdiction which it much advanced We grant that some things in the Decree were good approved of by the Stationers who desired the same of which we complain not and some particulars very usefull had a right use been made of them But the prohibiting reprinting of all Orthodox Books formerly printed by authority unlesse re-licensed by him or his Agents the deniall of any old book to be reprinted even against Popery it selfe with the suppressing or purging most new Books against Popery under pretext of this Decree and the arbitrary punishing such who transgressed herein both in the Star-chamber
herein Seventhly himselfe if not immediatly yet originally and mediatly hindered the printing of all the new Books against Popery refused at the Presse and denied license by his Instruments Chaplaines Doctor Bray Doctor Haywood Doctor Weekes Doctor Baker unlesse first purged by them Ninthly the questioning of Master Prynne Master Burton with their Printers and Stationers in the High Commission for their Books against Doctor Cosins his popery Babel no Bethel Baiting of the Popes Bull and the like was originally his act alone not the Courts which did naught in it but by his instigation Their getting off thence was by Prohibitions sore against his will where else he resolved to ruine them Master Burtons answering the Popes Bull by license deserved no questioning at the Counsell Table and was certainly no Libell at all unlesse the Pope or his Partisans deemed it such to them His Books then were no trouble to the Church and therefore it was strange and most unjust he should be troubled for them yea his imprisonment without Baile which he tendered when bailable by Law was contrary to Magna Charta and the Petition of Right though the cause of it not warranted by Law was expressed in the Warrant Tenthly his owne Chaplaines oversights and offences in licensing popish Books even with this speciall Encomium that there was nothing in them contrary to faith and sound Doctrine the forme of licensing himselfe prescribed them under his owne hand is certainly both in law and justice his owne crime more then theirs who must answer for it much more then they the trust of licensing books being originally reposed in himselfe by the State and in his Chaplaines onely by his owne Deputation for whom he must answer at his perill To prove this and take away this poore evasion which he so much insists on we shall put but these few cases adjudged in Law If a Bailiffe under Jaylor or under Sheriffe suffer a prisoner to escape or any way to misdemeane themselves in their office an action of escape debt an fine in cases of felony and treason and action of the case lyeth against the high Sheriffe and chiefe Jaylor for it who must undergoe the penalty and blame because they are their servants entrusted by themselues And to put a case which comes neerer home and is farre stronger then this of a Chaplaine 21. E. 1. membr 3. Dorso Clauso and in the Pleas of that Parliament placit 17. John Archbishop of Yorke was questioned in Parliament for excommunicating William of Willicon and John Rowman servants to the Bishop of Durham then imployed in the Kings service the Archbishop pleaded just as this Archbishop doth now That they were not excommunicated by himselfe but onely by his Commissary who must answer for it and so no act of his for which he ought to answer But yet notwithstanding it was upon serious debate resolved in Parliament that the Act of his Commissary being his owne immediate Officer was his owne act for whose misdemeanour he must answer and thereupon he was fined 4000. markes to the King and forced to pay it a great fine in those times for such an offence yea gladed to make many friends to the King to avoid a further censure which is farre stronger then the case of this Arch-prelate For this Commissary was an Officer established by Law which the Archbishop could not remove at pleasure without just cause but his Chaplaines were no Officers by Law but meer meniall servants under his immediate command and removable at pleasure therefore certainly they durst license nothing especially against our established Religion without his privity and command Besides there were never any such popish Books authorized since the beginning of Reformation in any of his Predecessors times by themselves or their Chaplaines neither durst such erronious pamphlets appeare publickly amongst us till he grew great to patronize them yea when they were thus licensed and publickly complained against as Popish erronious and destructive to our Religion he censured persecuted such who durst complaine or write against them never questioning nor punishing the Licensers Printers or Authors of them exemplarily as he should have done to discharge the trust reposed in him and vindicate his sincerity herein whereas if any new Book against Arminians or Popish Innovations did but privily passe the Presse by license of his Predecessors Chaplaines as Bishop Carltons Book against Mountague Master Prynnes Perpetuity his Survey of Master Cozens his Cozening Devotions Histriomastix with other forenamed Impressions did he presently suppressed burnt them questioned the Authous Printers Dispersers Licensers of them both in the High Commission and Star-chamber too where Master Prynne by his meanes was censured in the highest degree of extremity for his Histriomastix a licensed Book and Master Buckner too who licensed it fined by this Archbishop himselfe and that Court therefore this act of his Chaplaines must rest upon his own head and the guilt thereof lye heaviest upon him whose fault it was to make choyce of such and to entrust them in this kind As for his excuse of his many other grand imployments which so engrossed his time that he had no leisure to peruse what Books were tendred and licensed for the Presse it is so farre from being any excuse that it aggavates his crime Certainly the preservation of our Religion in its purity the keeping out all Popish innovations in Ceremony Doctrine Worship and the suppression of Popish errours Books Doctrines were the principall things of all others which his Place Calling yea his Majesties trust engaged him to look unto for him then to neglect this principall part of his Episcopall duty the frequent preaching of Gods Word he seldome appearing in the Pulpit after he became Archbishop and a Privy Counsellour to drowne himselfe in all manner of secular imployments in the Star-chamber Counsel-Chamber Exchequer spending his time in proling about Tobacco Licenses illegall Taxes Projects Monopolies of all sorts contrary to the Lawes and Liberties of the Subjects in undermining Parliaments oppressing the people every where and managing the Kings Revenues things no way suitable to his spirituall Function is so farre from extenuating that it puts the highest degree of aggravation upon this his negligence and Chaplaines misdemeanours which he should have better looked too But admit the reall duties of his Place alone had been overburthensome to him he should then have intrusted imployed such in Licensing and perusing Books who would have discharged the trust reposed in them in farre better manner then his knowne Popish and Arminian Chaplains did Tenthly to his excuses touching the particular Popish Books objected We answer first that Sales his Booke was Licensed by Doctor Haywood his own Chaplain that he was not abused in it but the Printer whom he checked for complaining to him of the Popish passages in the Booke and encouraged to proceed in the printing of it which otherwise he durst not have printed That it was afterwards
called in and publickly burnt was no thanks to him or his Chaplain but to Master Prynnes crosse Bill against him and his Chaplaine in Star-Chamber for licensing it As for the Proclamation for calling it in it was but a meere device to abuse the King Kingdome to justifie or excuse his peccant Chaplain and himselfe by a most false relation of the carriage of the businesse Besides if his Chaplain was innocent Why then doth he pretend he punished him by turning him out of his service If guilty Why doth he justifie him to the King and Kingdome by this Proclamation But indeed this pretended punishment was but a meere pretence for he punished him onely with a good Living to wit Saint Giles in the Fields sending him from Lambeth thither to infect that Parish with his Popish Leprosie or to please the Papists Priests Jesuits of which there were more residing in that Parish alone then in all the Parishes about London For Christs Epistle to a Devout Soule that it was licensed by Doctor Weekes at London-house the self-same day that Sales was at Lambeth is true but yet it is as true that Doctor Weeks was this Archbishops owne Chaplaine and the Bishop of London his meer creature Servant yea it appears there was a strong confederacy between the Chaplaines of Lambeth and London-house in licensing both these Popish Books for the same Stationer the self-same day to propagate and license Popery with a witnesse even just at that very season which makes it more remarkable when Master Prynne Master Burton and Doctor Bastwicke were prosecuted by their good Lord and Master Canterbury in the Star-chamber for opposing their Popish Innovations Impositions Doctrins and just when the gaudy Crucifix was erected by him at White-hall in the Kings owne Chappell in Passion week they then thinking all cock-sure on their side That this Epistle was suppressed we may thank not the Archbishop but Master Prynn's Crosse-bill who but a few weeks after was ill requited with a bloody barbarous censure for his paines and sent away hence close prisoner first into North-Wales then into Jersey where none must have accesse unto him to prevent any more such oppositions discoveries of popish Bookes and Bils against them For Doctor Heylins Books complained of they were some of them purposely written by the Archbishops owne command as he hath confessed to wit that against Mr. Burton Antidotum Lincolnienses licensed by his own Chaplaines therefore they concerne him much For Doctor Pocklingtons Popish Impressions they were perused by himselfe yea published by his direction without the Doctors privity as his Petition manifests therefore his censure for writing them will be no excuse for his owne publishing or his Chaplaines authorizing them without the Doctors knowledge or desire For Bishop Mountagues Books they were all bound up most of them with his Armes very rightly gilt and presented to him by Mountague himselfe after that entertained by him in his Study justified by him in private conferences yea the later of them expresly submitted to his judgement dispose and licensed by his Chaplaines and yet are they nothing to him For the Epitome of the Lives of the Emperours it was licensed by his owne Chaplaine Doctor Weekes at London-house as the license and entry of it in the Stationers Hall which we have here ready to produce attests That he took no notice of it nor of what was in it was his owne voluntary negligence who could take notice of any the least pretended Puritannicall Anti-episcopall or Anti-Arminian passages in all new printed Books whatsoever yea of any harsh passages against the Pope Papists Jesuits and cause them to be suppressed expunged and the Authors of them sometimes to be deeply censured For the Popish Index Biblicus being printed here in London then publikely bound up with our Latin Bibles of Junius and Tremelius translation with which they as well accorded as Fire doth with Water or Popery with Protestanisme it concerned him most of any thing to take notice of and have most severely punished But this vigilant Argus against Protestanisme or any thing that trenched upon Episcopacy Popish Ceremonies Arminianisme or the High Commission was here as blind as a Beetle and could espye no Books at all though never so grosse that made for Popery and popish Innovations or else fell fast asleep when he should watch against these popish enemies who sowed their Tarts so fast among us For the objected popish passages out of these now Authorized Printed Authors himselfe must answer for them First because many of them were particularly complained against by Master Burton in his Sermon for God and the King by Master Prynne in his Crosse Bill which he read and by sundry printed Books which he could not but take notice of yet he neither suppressed the Books nor questioned the Authors Printers or dispersers of them Secōdly because never any such large crop or harvest of Popish Books and Tares appeared or sprung up in our English Church before his time since the beginning of Reformation it being the chiefe part of his place and Office as Archbishop of Canterbury to suppresse and extirpate whereas he authorized and propagated them all he could For the rejecting of Master Prynnes Crosse Bill in Star-chamber against him his Chaplaines and Confederates for Writing Licensing Publishing these Popish Books and Passages it was principally his owne Act who stopped it at the Lord Keepers was present when it was rejected in open Court where he sat as one of the most swaying Judges and endeavoured to have brought him in danger of his life onely for preferring it in a Legall manner whereas had he his Chaplaines Confederates been Innocent they would have Petitioned the Court it might have been received that so they might legally have cleared themselves if they could of that which now blessed be God we have fully proved before an Higher Tribunall for which this cause by Gods providence was reserved as the fittest Court both to heare and censure it For Master Croxtons Letter he was his owne creature specially recommended by him to the Lord Deputy Wentworth who preferred him for his sake and he that durst preferre such a Popish Priest in that Popish Kingdome who dared thus openly to put the Masse-Priests yea Jesuits badge of a Crosse in the Front of his Letter to him and acquaint him with this open practice of Auricular Confession must doubtlesse be no wel-wisher to our Religion and assured of the Archbishops readinesse to concur with him in the approbation of his courses else he durst not write thus to him As for that passage in his Speech in Star-chamber we have already proved that it necessarily implyes a Transubstantiation or corporall presence of Christ on the very Altar For there saith he not in and to the beleevers heart receiving him spiritually by faith t is Hoc est corpus meum c. and A greater reverence no doubt is due TO THE BODY then to the word of
Court of Parliament in this Realme WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CLERGY IN THEIR CONVOCATION Fourthly that I did not alter or rase out those passages but onely left them to the Doctors owne consideration who thereupon of himself amended and left them out To this was replied First that Doctor Potter writ to him onely to correct or alter by his servant Master Dell or others any thing in his Booke OFFENSIVE TO HIM To which he returned this answer I have done that which you have so desired c. So as these very passages against the Pope and Papists were offensive to him as well as to them at which as it seems by the Doctors Letter he had formerly taken some offence else why should he thus write to him to alter and correct any thing in his Booke offensive to his GRACE It seemes by this that whatever offended the Pope or Papists be it but an harsh expression offended his Grace too who was all for Charitable expressions towards them who are so uncharitable towards us Secondly for the expressions themselves The first of them is not so harsh as true and fitting since Papists not onely beleeve the Pope but beleeve in him too viz. That his Exposition of Scripture is infallible that he cannot erre in his chaire that this Lord God the Pope cannot onely pardon sinnes and release soules out of purgatory at his pleasure but infallibly save all such who adhere to beleeve in and trust upon him for salvation The latter of them the Idol of Rome is a proper Periphrasis or Character of the Pope himselfe who is there idolized adored sundry wayes Thirdly the deleting his exposition on Matth 18. 17 18. upon the reason rendred by him is both derogatory and destructive to the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction of Parliaments in Ecclesiasticall causes and affaires which our Parliaments have alwayes judged setled established in all Ages oft times without yea against the Clergies consent the Convocation onely propounded advised and submitted wholly to the Parliaments judgement Yea our Parliaments have made Lawes concerning Heresie its punishment and matters of Religion sometimes without the Clergies consent as it is evident by the Statutes of 25 Hen. VIII c. 14. 28 Hen. VIII c. 10. 35 Hen. VIII c. 5. 1 Edw. 6. c. 1. 2. 12. with others Sometimes upon their Petition and earnest request as 5 Ric. II. c. 5. 2. Hen. IV. c. 15. repealed though never truly a Statute since the Commons never consented to them 2 Hen. V. c. 7. Sometimes by their request and advice too as 31 Hen. VIII c. 14. 34 Hen. VIII c. 1. 1 k 2 Ph. Mary c. 6. As for the Statute of 1 Eliz. c. 1. it no wayes inferres that the Parliament it selfe cannot adjudge or determine any Ecclesiasticall matters without the assent of the Clergy in the Convocation for then they had never cast our Popery and the Popes usurped authority which the Clergy still maintained nor wrought any reformation of Religion in our present or former Parliaments but onely Enacts That the High Commissioners shall adjudge nothing to be Heresie not formerly resolved to be so as this Act expresseth but what the Parliament shall adjudge â—rder and determine to be Heresie by assent of the Clergie in their Convocation from whence no argument can be deduced but this Nonsequitur The High Commissioners can judge no new opinion to be nor punish it as Heresie unlesse the Parliament of England first adjudge it to be Heresie with the assent of the Clergy in Convocation by the expresse provision of this Act Ergo the Parliament can make no Ecclesiasticall Lawes meddle with no Church affaires nor determine ought to be Heresie unlesse the Clergy in Convocation first assent thereto Pretty incoherent Logick and Anti-parliamentary Divinity Fourthly that Doctor Potter himselfe voluntarily corrected them upon his Letter appeares not but if he did it was to please this Archbishop in deleting those passages which he signified to be displeasing to him the better to obtaine the Prebendary he sued for to him in this Letter Wherefore these purgations must rest still upon his score To the Popish Alterations and Delections under his owne hand made in the SCOTTISH COMMON-PRAYER BOOKE which the Commons desired to presse he pleaded the ACT OF PACIFICATION AND OBLIVION against the very reading of them Whereupon they did forbeare and wave the reading of them for the present though cleane out of the ACT alleaging onely that this Plea of his was a plaine confession of his Guilt The fifth sort of purgations objected to me are those in SIR ANTHONY HUNGERFORDS Books which DOCTOR BAAR my Chaplaine would have expunged Of which SIR EDWARD HUNGERFORD his Sonne complained to me as he deposeth after he had expostulated with my Chaplaine who would crosse them out or not license the Bookes Whereupon I told him I having many other imployments had trusted my CHAPLAINES with those things which I wholly referred to them therefore what they thought fit to leave out you must Submit to And thereupon would not redresse his Grievance herein To this I Answer First that if there were any Errour herein it was not mine but my Chaplaines since dead who if he were alive and might have been heard to speake for himselfe would doubtlesse have given a good account and reason to your Lordships why he thought these passages unfit to be printed Saint Augustine saith that oft times infinite harme did accrew to the Church per temerarios veritatis assertatores and every Treatise written against Papists is not so satisfactory but that it may prove so disadvantagious to the Cause as to be unfit to be printed It may be these were such however God be thanked the Books were printed with those passages in them and so no harme done by my Chaplaine Secondly for my answer to Sir Edward it was true I had so many publick businesses then upon me that I had no leisure to peruse Books for the Presse and thereupon referred that trust wholly to my Chaplaines therefore if they offended they onely must answer for it not I and should I herein controll what my Chaplaines had done in this kind it would have so discouraged them that none of them have undertaken the office of a Licenser afterwards Besides I should have been perpetually troubled with clamours against that which my Chaplaines thought fit to be blotted out of Books tendred to them to be licensed for them every man would have appealed from them to me in this kind so as I should have had no quiet To this was replied First that we have formerly proved at large that his Chaplaines errours and delinquencies in this kind are his owne because the care of licensing Books was originally vested in himselfe and they were but his entrusted servants for whom he must be responsible at his perill and the rather in this case because he confesseth his Chaplaine is dead and cannot be punished for it
Arminianisme who in King James his Reigne before his preferment to Winchester and York had been preferred to sundry Dignities Bishopricks and was in office and good esteem at Court both with King James and King Charles Fourthly For Bishop Wren when I first preferred him he was a worthy man who waited upon his Majesty when he was in Spaine and did good service there if he hath misdemeaned himselfe since it is his owne fault not mine he is still alive and must answer for himselfe to the charge and impeachment exhibited against him Fiftly Doctor Lindsey was a very great Scholler who deserved well neither did I know him to be an Arminian 't is true he was preferred to two Bishopricks successively but it was by Bishop Neale whose Chaplaine he was not by me there is no Oath nor cleaâ—â— evidence it was by my meanes the Docquet book being no sufficient 〈…〉 for it mentioned onely the Kings pleasure and order for it signified by 〈…〉 Signet to me as a servant but not that I was the author of his preferments the King may signifie his pleasure to the Signet Office by whom he pleaseth as for Master Smarts testimony of him there were some quarrels and differences at Durham between Master Smart and him which may cause him to speak the worse of him Master Walker saith onely he was reputed a great Arminian which is no Heresie Sixtly however these were affected yet none can charge me with any Popery or Arminianisme To this was replied First that we have as cleerly proved as the Sunne at noon day that Mountague was protected advanced by him and that in contempt of the Parliament by his owne Diary the Docquet Book Bishop Mountagues owne Letter of thanks to him for his favour and preferments which he hath no way answered as for his preferment that it was by Sir Dudly Carltons meanes it is but a bare surmise of his owne without proofe or colour and for his presence at his consecration it was meerly voluntary to countenance him not by command for ought appeares Secondly it appeares most cleerly by the Evidence given that Doctor Manwaring was advanced both to his Deanary and Bishoprick by his means recommendations alone for the disservice he had done the Kingdome by those Sermons for which he was justly sentenced in Parliament and the ill offices he had since done our Church by introducing Stone-Altars Copes with other Popish Reliques Ceremonies thereinto that he was thus advanced and consecrated a Bishop by him in direct affront of the Parliaments censure disabling him from all future preferments we have fully proved And whereas he layes the Odium of his preferments onely upon the King to excuse himselfe it is but his owne bare allegation without any shadow of proofe and that in his owne case for his owne defence therefore not to be credited But admit it true yet since himselfe was present at his censure in the Lords House upon the Commons impeachment of him recorded it in his Diary and was accused for having a finger in his Sermons and licensing them for the Presse it was his duty to have acquainted his Majesty with and minded him of this his censure disabling him for ever from all such preferments in our Church to have opposed his preferment and withstood his consecration and Mountagues too the rather because every man before any Bishops consecration hath free liberty to put in any just exceptions against him there being a publike Instrument solemnly posted up in the Arches at Bow before every Bishops consecration as a necessary formality giving publike notice That such a one is to be consecrated the Bishop of such a Diocesse such a day and signifying that if any person can take any just exceptions against him and shew good cause why he should not be consecrated he shall be heard In regard whereof this Archbishop ex Officio might yea ought to have shewed the Lords publike censure of Manwaring as a just legall Plea why he should not be consecrated a Bishop as Master Jones the Printer did in a legall way object Bishop Mountagues Popish and Arminian Books with the proceedings pending against him in Parliament for the same is a just cause why he should not be made a Bishop yet he could not be heard nor prevaile therein therefore the neglect of this his trust duty contrary to Law and his recommending consecrating him to be a Bishop in affront of the Parliaments Judgement which disabled him must needs be a transcendent crime no wayes mittigated but aggravated by his false disloyall excuses Thirdly for Bishop Neale he was ever reputed a Popish and Arminian Prelate a persecutor of all orthodox godly Ministers a preferrer of popish Arminian Clergy-men making choyce of such for his Chaplaines for such a one was he accused to his Majesty by the House of Commons in their Remonstrance Anno 1628. and complained of in sundry Parliaments before his advancement to Winchester or Yorke For his pretended worth all the Court knew very well he had little worth or learning in him being unable to preach write dispute not preaching once in a dozen yeers or more For his preferments and Court-offices they were gained maintained by flattery symony and his base temporizing servility he serving as a ready Instrument upon all occasions to introduce anypopish Innovasions in the Church and set on foot any oppressing projects in the State Therfore his preferment of such an ill Instrument who first advanced and brought this Arch-Prelat into favour at Court is no wayes excusable Fourthly Doctor Wren was before his advancement to a Bishoprick a professed Arminian a superstitious popish dissolute impious corrupt Clergy-man and so reputed by all therefore a fit Chaplaine to promote the Spanish Match and Designe to seduce his Majesty when in Spaine from our Religion and his tyrannicall superstitious popish proceedings since he was made Bishop have more fully discovered what he was before All or most of which being in pursuance of the Archbishops Instructions Injunctions to him as his Annuall Account of his proceedings to him evidence himselfe who promoted him and them must be more guilty of and responsible for them then Wren himselfe who yet may suffer for them in due time Fiftly Doctor Linseys schollership is not in question but his Arminian popish inclination and opinions which were so much the more dangerous by reason of his great reputed learning and schollership the greatest Schollers if unsound being the most pernicious seducers and unfittest to be preferred of all others That he was promoted by Bishop Neales meanes is a bare allegation of his owne without proofe that himselfe preferred him is cleere by the Docquet Booke how much he was tainted with Popery and Arminianisme Master Smart and Master Walker have deposed upon Oath and his presumption in bringing Sancta Clara to him even when he was about to publish his Book to acquaint him with his person and designe of reconciling us thereby to the Church