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
protection under the privy Signet held familiar intelligence with Cardinal Barbarino and Panzani Con Rossetti the Popes Nuncioes during their abode in England sends two of his sons to Rome in their travels where this Cardinall entertains them with all curtesie and respect for their Fathers sake and sends sundry Letters to Con from Rome in one of their Trunks all which being largely proved and published to the world in other Impressions we shall but point at here First For Windebank's release of Priests and Jesuits for which he was impeached by the Parliament and fled the Kingdom we have elswhere given you a Catalogue of 27. Priests discharged by him out of prison the Original Warrants for whose discharge we have ready to produce under his hand and printed the Copies of them we shall mention only one or two Warrants wherein this Archbishop concurred with Windebank in the release of two popish Priests from their prisons though we never heard of such a favour extended by him to any Puritan or Zealot against Papists whom he shut up close prisoners even in forraign parts from Wives Children Friends and all humane comforts The first is a Warrant for the release of one Robert Hais a Priest so proved upon Oath by Master Thomas Mayo a Pursevant dated 13. Decemb. 1633. the Originall whereof under Seal was read At Whitehall the 18. of December 1633. present Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Cottington c. Archbishop of York c. Master Secretary Windebank WHereas a Petition was this day presented to the Board by Robert Hais prisoner in the New-prison shewing that the Petitioner is much impoverished in his estate by his long imprisonment and is now grown so weak through infirmities that unlesse by their Lorships favour he may enjoy the benefit of fresh ayre for the recovery of his health his life is in great danger and therefore made humble suit to be discharged from prison for preservation of his life aforesaid upon good security to attend the Board within ten days after notice in that behalfe Forasmuch as his Petition was recommended to the Board BY THE QUEENS MAJESTY their Lordships doe think fit and order that the said Hais first giving good security to attend the Board within ten dayes after notice given as aforesaid shall be discharged from his imprisonment and enjoy his liberty without molestation or trouble of any Messengers or other his Majesties Officers whatsoever whereof the Keeper of the said prison and all other whom it may concern are to take notice Ex. WIL. BECHER The second is a Warrant for the enlarging of William Walgrave deposed to be a dangerous seducing Priest by Master Francis Newton subscribed with the Archbishops own hand and others the Original whereof was produced These are to will and command you to set at full liberty the person of William Walgrave formerly committed to your custody and for your so doing this shall be your sufficient Warrant Dated at Star-chamber the last of January 1633. Wil. Cant. R. Ebor c. Secondly for Letters of grace and protection granted by Windebank under the Privy Signet for the stay of all proceedings against Recusants and suspension of penall Laws against them there are multitudes of them printed by Authority of Parliament in the Popish Royall Favourite to which we shall remit the Reader Thirdly for his holding intelligence with the Popes Nuncioes Cardinal Barbarino Jesuits Priests and dangerous Papists with his sons resort to and entertainment at Rome we shall evidence it by these ensuing Letters the Originals whereof under hand and seal endorsed with Secretary Windebanks own hand were produced and read at the Lords Bar. The first is a letter written from Rome it selfe from Gregorio Panzani the Popes first Nuncio sent thence into England dated May 31. 1637. wherein he returnes harty thanks to this Secretary for the many favours he daily received from him whiles he was Nuncio in England in behalfe of the poore Catholicks makes mention of his Sonnes being entertainment at Rome and Cardinall Barbarino his extraordinary commendations of them the Originall whereof was shewed written in Italian and a true translated copy thereof attested upon oath by one Master Godfry read in these ensuing words Most Excellent Sir Patron most honoured I Would have contained my selfe from writing to your most illustrious Lordship for feare of being some impediment I knowing your many occupations but I having heard from many persons in particular by letters of Segnior Francisco sometimes my Secretary the honourable mention that otherwhiles your most illustrious Lordship is wont to make of any person and having also oftentimes understood from your most famous Segnior Cavaliere Hamilton and from Father John the Benedictin how much your most illustrious Lordship straineth your selfe in favouring of me I have been forced to commit this rude civility taking in hand my Pen to give you trouble I assure your most famous Lordship that I live so much obliged to you that I shall never be able to pretend to satisfie one and the least particle of that which I owe seeing that during my abode in London most rare were those dayes in which I did not receive from your most illustrious Lordship some grace in the behalfe and favour of the poore Catholicks I must also congratulate my selfe with your most famous Lordship concerning the most noble manners and behaviours of your Lordships Sonnes the which with their singular modesty and other most lavdable vertues have gained such an opinion amongst them that have knowne them in this Court that I could never be able to expresse it and the Lord Cardinall Barbarino in particular cannot satiate himselfe in praising them It grieves me not to have had the fortune to meet with them in this Citie because willingly I would have attested my devotion towards your most famous Lordship to the which and to all your most illustrious Family I rest desiring eternall felicity from heaven in the meane while I humbly intreat you to favour me with some Commandement and I kisse your hands Your most illustrious Lordships most devoted and most obliged Servant GREG PANZANI From Rome the 31. of May 1637. This Letter is most full and punctuall to prove Secretary Windebanks intelligence and correspondence with Rome the Pope and his Agents The second is a Letter from Father Joseph then a kind of Confessor to the French King by whose special command it was writ Confessor afterwards to our Queen and one of the Capucines in Somerset-House written from Paris in Italian to Secretary Windebank the translation whereof into English by Master Godfrey who attested the truth of it upon oath was read as followeth Most excellent Sir My Patron most worshipfull I Should be too much wanting in my duty if I did not render my most humble thanks to your Excellency having after so many other favours conferred upon our Mission received for a compleat height the singular proof of your affection in the delivery of our
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
endeavours to subvert the rights of Parliament and auncient Course of Parliamentary proceedings and by false and malicious slanders to incense his Majesty against Parliaments contained in the 14. Originall and 1. 9. 10. Additionall Articles The first Specificall branch of the Charge against the Archbishop touching his Trayterous endeavours to alter and subvert Gods true Religion by Law established among us to introduce Popish Superstition and Idolatry in liew thereof and to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome by severall stepps and practises with the copious evidences produced to manifest the same at his Tryall THE true Religion by Law established being that which is most pretious claiming proceedency of all other sublunary things in respect of its owne intrinsicall Excellency that which is nearest and dearest to every conscientious Christian the undermining and alterations where of doth most concern and reflect upon the Archbishop in respect of his calling as a Minister of his Ecclesiasticall dignity as an Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan of all England and of the speciall trust reposed in him by his Majesty who wholly committed the care of Religion of all Church affaires within his Dominions to this Arch-Prelates Care mannaging and his Charge concerning the Alteration and subversion of it being that which he most of all openly protested against both in the beginning proceeding conclusion of his long Tryall and on the very Scaffold at his death we shall begin with the Commons evidence given in against him concerning his endeavours practises to alter and subvert the same and introduce Popish superstition and Idolatry into our Church Wherein notwithstanding all his specious pretences confident Protestations reiterated deep Asseverations of his Innocency of his cordiall syncerity to the true Protstant Religion wherewith he hath deceived many over-credulous people we doubt not but upon the perusall of the various evidences against him in this particular he will appeare the most desperat cunning violent palpable underminer corrupter alterer subverter of the true reformed Religion by Law established in our Churches of one who professed himselfe a reall Protestant and zealous maintainer of the same that ever was yet heard of in the Christian world Prisca parem nescit aequalem poster a nullum Exhibitura dies He alone by his policies and power corrupting undermining our Religion advancing Popery more in the few yeares of his Predominency then the Pope with all his Consederates both at home and abroad could doe in almost fourescore yeares before by all their Plots and Potency as shall be irrefragaly demonstrated by his Actions which cry louder and give in stronger evidence against him then all his fraudulent verball protestations or printed funerall Orations can doe for him His Charge concerning the Alteration and subvertion of Religion laid downe in the Articles consists of these two generall Members First That he hath Trayterously endeavoured to subvert Gods true Religion by Law Established in this Realme and instead thereof to set up Popish Superstition and Jdolatry Secondly That he hath Trayterously and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome The latter of these is but the issue of the former the first in projection but the last in execution and the proofe of the one an indubitable evidence of the other which shall be prosecuted in their Order The evidence to prove the first generall branch of his Charge concerning the alteration ub version of Religion THe Archbishop in his Speech in Justification of his Innocency and sincerity in matters of Religion made at the Lords Barre at the entrance of his Tryall most peremptorily challenged all that was betweene Heaven and Hell justly to tax him in any one particular savoring either of Popish superstition or Idolatry But on the contrary the Committee of the House of Commons might more justly have challenged him in their entring upon his Charge to nominate any person whether Prelate Minister or Laick in any age professing himselfe a Protestant who during his aboad on earth twixt Heaven and Hell was so guilty so peccant in this nature as they shold undeniably manifest him to be wherefore if they allotted him any place at or after his death but Hell it selfe it must be either a Popish Purgatory or such a middle place as some Papists assigne to that Newter Erasmus betwixt Heaven and Hell perchance some losty Gibbet or Pinacle in the Ayre whereon his Head and Quarters might be hanged up for a lasting Monument of his Treason in this kind which they manifested him to be guilty of by these ensuing particular evidences First by his endeavours to set up and introduce all kind of Popish superstitious Idolatrous ornaments furniture ceremonies in our church formerly cast out of it upon the reformation In pursuit whereof they first trailed this Romish Fox to his own Kennel at Lambeth where having unkenneled they chased him from thence by his hot Popish sent to the Kings own royall Chapel at Whitehal Westminster Abby from thence to the Vniversities of Oxford and Cambridge from thence to Canterbury Winchester and most other Cathedralls in England and from them to our Parish Churches and Chapels all which he miserably defiled corrupted with Popish superstitious Crucifixes Altars Bowings Ceremonies Tapers Copes and other Innovations To begin with his owne Kennel at Lambeth We shall first lead you by the hand into his publike Chapell there a place devoted to Gods worship and evidence what Popish Superstitious Pictures Vtensils Vestments Ceremonies Innovations he there introduced and constantly practised since his instalment in the Archbishopricke of Canterburie never heard off in any his Predecessors dayes since the beginning of reformation in King Edward the 6th and Queene Elizabeths reignes First we shall manifest what Idolatrous superstitious Popish Pictures were there newly repaired furbished erected by him in this Chappell to the great scandall of our Religion and encouragement of Papists in their Idolatry contrary to our Statutes Articles of Religion Homilies Jnjunctions Writerâ— the established Doctrine of our Church wherein the matter of fact stands thus In the beginning of Reformation by vertue of the Statute of 3. and 4. Ed. 6. c. 10. for the abolishing defacing and putting away of divers Bookes and Jmages then standing in any Church or Chapell of the severall Homilies against the Perill of Jdolatry then published by Authority of Queen Elizabeths subsequent Jnjunctions given by her as well to the Clergy as Laity of this Realme by the advise of her most honourable Councell in the first yeare of her Raigne for the advancement of the honour of Almighty God and suppression of superstition throughout her Realmes Injunction 2. 3. 23. 25. and Articles of inquiry thereon Artic. 2. 45. which enjoyned All Pictures Paintings Images and other monuments of Idolatry and superstition to be utterly extinct removed abolished and distroyed so that there remaine no memory of the same in
said Miles Burkitt in contempt of his said Ordinary doth come forth out of the said rayles and doth administer the Sacrament to many that will not come up to the said rayles Hocque fuit est verum c. Item we Article and object that you the said Miles Burkite did consent procure and abet Paul Gardner one of the Churchwardens of Pateshall in the County of Northampton aforesaid to remove and carry down forth of the rayles the Communion Table into the body of the Chancell and there did minister the holy Sacrament on Easterday last past and other times notwithstanding the Articles of your Diocesan to the contrary Hocque fuit est verum c. Upon which Articles this good Minister was for a long time vexed in the High-commission and almost ruined From Ministers thus persecuted for opposing these Innovations of rayling in Communion Tables Altarwise and administring the Sacrament at the Rayles we shall proceed to Church-wardens severally prosecuted excommunicated and undone for not rayling in Communion Tables only or removing them out of the rayles We shall begin with the Churchwardens of Beckington in the County of Somerset whose case by the testimonies of Mr. John Ash a Member of the House of Commons and Lord of that Parish of M. William Long and M. George Long who solicited the cause in the Churchwardens behalfe was manifested to be thus The Communion Table in the Parish-church of Beckington had for 70 years and more stood in the midst of the Chancell enclosed with a very decent Wainscot-border and a dore with seats for the Communicants to receive in round about it In the year 1633. D. Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wels a great creature of Canterburies appointed certaine Commissioners to view the Churches within his Diocesse certifie to him the defects thereof who viewing the Church of Beckington certified among other things that there was not a decent Communion Table in it neither was it placed under the East window nor railed in otherwise then with a Border about it where the communicants kneel at the holy Communion and that there were seats above the Communion Table To which Certificate the Churchwardens and Sidemen of Beckington were ordered by the Bishop to return an answer under their hands before Ascension-day 1634. which they did accordingly After which the Churchwardens were enjoyned by the Bishop by word of mouth to remove and rayle in their Communion Table Altarwise against the East end of the Chancel which they refusing to doe conceiving it to be against the Rubrick Q. Elizabeths Injunctions and the 82 Canon thereupon Iames Wheeler Iohn Fry Churchwardens were on the 9 of June 1635. cited into the Bishops Court at Wels before William Hunt the Bishops Surrogate and D. Duck his Chancelour for that the Communion Table in the Chancell of Beckington was not placed under the East window of the Chancel nor rayled in otherwise then with a Border about it and that there were seats above the said Table who admonished them to repaire the said defects and to place the Lords Table against the East wall of the Chancell with the ends of it North and South as it stood in the Cathedrall Church at Wels with a rayle about it and to certifie that they had done all this by the 6 of October following At which day they were excommunicated in open Court by the Bishop himself for refusing to remove and rayle in the Table and pull down the said seats Whereupon the Churchwardens appealed to the Arches for relief where after much waiting and solicitation they procured from Sir Iohn Lambe Dean of the Arches a Letter to the Bishop to absolve them for a time which he did only for 27 dayes admonishing them to submit to what he had formerly enjoyned them for not doing whereof he excommunicated them againe in open Court on the 12 of January following Hereupon the Churchwardens appealed to the Arches the second time and petitioned the Archbishop for reliefe to which Petition this Certificat under the hands of about one hundred of the Parishioners was annexed To the most Reverend Father in God and Right Honourable William by Gods providence Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan ever all England We the Inhabitants and parishioners of Beckington in the County of Somerset do humbly certifie that the Communion Table of our Church of Beckington hath and doth stand in the midst of the Chancel being the most convenientest place time out of minde and beyond the remembrance of any of our parishioners now living And that near threescore years since the pavement of the said Chancel upon which the Communion Table standeth was new made and in the new making thereof raised about a foot above the rest of the ground of the said Chancell and then also compassed about with a fair Wainscot border in which there is only one Wainscot door to come into the said Table which door is kept fast and none doth enter in thereat but the Minister and such as he doth require which said Communion Table doth at the day of the date hereof stand so conveniently and decently as aforesaid And we the said parishioners with an unanimous consent do humbly pray That it may so continue freed from all Innovation And so do humbly take our leaves dated this 19 day of December Anno Dom 1635. But notwithstanding this Petition and Certificate the Archbishop refused to admit of their Appeal threatned them with the High-commission and to lay their Solicitour by the heels commanding them to submit to and obey their Diocaesan who sent up all the proceedings in this cause to the Archbishop with severall reasons why this Table should be removed found in the Archbishops study by Mr. Prynne endorsed with his own hand Whereupon they were enforced to petition the King himself for reliefe informing his Majesty That the Communion Table had continued as then it stood by the approbation of all the Archbishops Bishops of that Diocesse during the reignes of Queen Elizabeth King James and even eleven years in his Majesties reigne as appeared by a Certificate under the hands of almost an hundred of the parishioners hands annexed to the Petition desiring the Table might not be removed but the Archbishop by his power hindred them from receiving any relief from his Majesty upon what grounds and reasons this Letter of the Bishop of Bath and Wels to Sir Iohn Lambe will best discover Good Master Deane According to my promise in my Letter to you the last week I have now sent unto you a copy of all my proceedings in the cause concerning the Chancel of the Parish-church of Beckington and the placing of the Communion Table therein together with my reasons for the same which I hope will give you full satisfaction in this businesse I have sent likewise a copy to my Lords Grace of Canterbury not that I think it worthy of his reading or that he hath leisure to peruse it
but that it may lye by him that when you speak with his Grace about this among other businesses his Grace may have recourse to my papers if he think fit There are in my Diocesse 469 Churches and Chappels or thereabout and the Communion Tables are placed already in above 140 of them as the Communion Table is placed in our Cathedrall Church here I have begun and proceeded herein in a perswasive way some parishes were no sooner spoken to but they obeyed other Parishes refused at the first but they were quickly satisfied and then submitted only the Churchwardens of Beckington being encouraged and back'd by divers of the parish not so well affected to the government and rites of the Church as they should be are become obstinate and will have the Chancell ordered and the Communion Table there placed as the parishioners shall think fit who also bear the charges of these Churchwardens as they have confessed unto me which was the cause why they hasted so speedily to London and stayed so long there about this businesse If these men have their wils the example will do a great deal of harme for then many of the Parishes which have already conformed themselves to the Cathedrall will fall back and other Parishes will never come on to this conformity who are now at a stand to see what will be done in the Chancell of Beckington I know your judgement and affection to the Church concurres with mine and therefore I am assured you will do nothing herein but that which shall be for the good of the Church and preservation of authority in all things just and lawfull I pray If D. Duck desire to read the coppy of the proceedings and reasons which I have sent you let him borrow it of you for it is fit my Chancelour should be acquainted with these things whose counsell and assistance must be used therein And so with remembrance of my true love and best wishes to you I commend you to the grace of God and rest Your very affectionate and faithfull friend Guil. Bath and Wels. Wels 2 Ian. 1635. Hereupon the poor Churchwardens being destitute of all relief continued excommunicated about a whole year after which they were taken and imprisoned in the common Gaole a long time upon a Capias Excommunicatum from whence at last they were released by the Bishop upon this ensuing submission and pennance worse then any imprisonment A true Copy of the Pennance that Iames Wheeler and Iohn Frye were enjoyned unto by my Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels examined by those whose names are underwritten Thomas Iles Iohn Bailly George Long William Webb Whereas the right reverend Father in God William by Gods permission Lord Bishop of Bathe and Wels hath heretofore lawfully required and commanded James Wheeler and John Frye late Churchwardens of the Parish-church of Beckington within the Dioces of Bathe and Wels aforesaid to remove the Communion Table in the Chancell of their said parish-Church and to place it close under the East wall of the said Chancell in the same manner and forme as the Communion Table standeth in the Cathedrall Church in Wells aforesaid and to remoue the seats placed above the said Table And likewise whereas they the said James Wheeler and John Frye contemned and wilfully disobeyed the command of the said Reverend Father and have in most contemptuous manner stood excommunicated for their said contempt for the space of one whole yeare now last past or there abouts not regarding nor fearing the dreadfull Censure of the Church And have likewise some dayes last past stood aggravated and have been signified unto the Kings most excellent Majesty for the apprehending their bodies and committing them to the Common-gaole of the County of Somerset the rather to compell them to their due obedience to the lawfull command of the Church now upon the earnest request and submission of the said Wheeler and Fry the said Reverend Father hath absolved them from the said sentences and enjoyned unto them that upon Sunday the 25 day of Iune in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred thirty seven they in their usuall apparell shall stand first in the middle Ally in the Parish-church of Beckington aforesaid and there immediately after the reading of the Gospell shall openly and penitently with an audible voice make this acknowledgement following repeating the same after the Minister viz. We James Wheeler and John Fry do here before this Congregation assembled acknowledge and confesse that we have grievously offended the Divine Majesty of Almighty God and the lawes Ecelesiasticall of this Realme of England in that we have in contemptuous manner refused to remove the Communion Table in the Chancell of the Parish-church of Beckington and to place it close under the East wall of the said Chancell in the same manner and forme as the Communion Table standeth in the Cathedrall Church in Wels and to remove the seats placed above the said Table being thereunto lawfully and judicially monished and warned by the right reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels. And in that for our contempts and disobediences in not performing the said lawfull command of the said reverend Father we have suffered our selves to be lawfully excommunicated and so to stand for the space of one whole yeare last past or thereabouts not fearing nor regarding the dreadfull censure of the Church And in like or rather more contemptuous manner have suffered our selves to be lawfully aggravated and signified according to the laudable laws â— statutes of this Realm thereby in a legall manner to compell us to our due obedience to the lawfull command of the Church And we do hereby protest that we are right heartily sorry for the same and we do faithfully promise never from henceforth to offend in the like againe but to demeane our selves as shall become good Christians and dutifull subjects and we doe ask God forgivenesse for this our sinne and offence and you all here present for our evill example And we doe desire you all to pray for us and with us to Almighty God that it may please him of his infinite goodnesse to forgive us of this our offence And then humbly and penitently kneeling downe must devoutly rehearse the Lords Prayer and they must certifie hereof at Wels in writing subscribed to these presents under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens of Beckington aforesaid on Tuesday the 27 day of Iune aforesaid together with this Schedule And the like pennance is to be performed by the within named James Wheeler and John Fry for the same offence in the Parish-church of Froom-felwood within the Dioces aforesaid before the Pulpit or Ministers seat there in manner and forme prescribed on Sunday the 2 day of Iuly Anno predict And certificate must be made of the due performance thereof as abovesaid under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens there upon Tuesday the fourth day of Iuly aforesaid
subscribed to these presents And the like pennance is further to be performed by the said James Wheeler and John Fry for the same offence in the Parish-church of S. Peter and Pauls in Bathe within the Dioces above mentioned upon Sunday the ninth day of Iuly above written and certificate is to be made accordingly the 11 day of July aforesaid Ja. Huishe Reg. This order of pennance enjoyned unto the within named John Fry and Ja. Wheeler of the Parish of Beckington was accordingly performed by them in the Parish-church there the 25 day of Iune 1637. Alexander Huishe Rect. ibid. The mark of Richard Bâ—â—t Churchwarden Alexander Webb This order of pennance enjoyned unto the within named John Fry and Ja. Wheeler of the Parish of Beckington was accordingly performed by them in the Parish Church of Froomfelwod the 2 day of Iuly 1637. John Beaument Curat ibid. Thomas Albyn John Norfolke Churchwardens William Cooke This order of pennance enjoyned unto the within named John Fry and Ja. Wheeler of the Parish of Beckington was accordingly performed by them in the Parish-church of the said S. Peter and Paul in Bathe the 9 Iuly 1637. Theoph. Webbe Rector ibid. Richard Duace Thomas Parcker Churchwardens Henry Gaye The 〈…〉 submission made against these poor mens consciences did so afflict them that they never enjoyed themselves afterwards Iames Wheeler falling presently after sick and dying professing often on his death bed that this pennance and submisson so much against his conscience had broken his heart was the only cause of his sicknesse and death The Bishop of Bathe and Wels pretested that he did nothing herein but by the Archbishops direction with which Mr. Iohn Ash acquainting the Archbishop since his commitment to the Tower heacknowledged it to be 〈◊〉 and that â—e did herein like an obedient Diocesâ—â— to his Metropolitan What further tyrannicall and 〈◊〉 of proceedings were afterwards used by this 〈…〉 the Churchwardens and some of other Parishioners of Beckington for opposing Mr. Huish their Minister in rayling in the Communion Table and raising a new Mount at the East end of the Chancel in a peaceable manner we shall further give in evidence in a more proper charge The next example we shall instance in is the case of Ferdinando Adams one of the Churchwardens of S. Mary Towre Church in Ipswich who together with his fellow Church-warden Titus Camplin was excommunicated by Henry Dade one of the Archbishops Substitutes in his Metropoliticall Visitation and Surrogate to Sir Nathaniel Brent in the Archbishops own name For not taking downe the seates standing above the Communion Table in this Church and railing in the Table Altar-wise against the wall as he was injoyned by Sir Nathaniel Brent the Archbishops Vicar-generall in his Metropoliticall Visitation This was proved by the Excommunication it self read in the Lords House in these following words Gulielmus providentia divina Cant. Archeipise totius Angliae Primas Metropolitanus ad quem omnis omnimoda Iurisdictio spiritualis Ecclesiastica ad Episcopum Norwiscens spectan pertinent ratione Visitationis nostrae Metropoliticae infra Dioces Norwic. modo exercit notoriè dignoscitur pertinere Vniversis singulis Restoribus c. salutem Cum dilectus noster Magister Henricus Dade omnes singulas personas utriusque sexus quorum nomina cognomina inferius subscribuntur recitantur c. Excommunicandos fore decreuit c. Vobis igitur firmiter injungendo mandamus quatenus praefatas personas in prescriptis sic ut praefatur authoritate nostra excommunicaetas pro sic excommunicatis in Ecclesiis vestris parochialibus diebus Dominicis ac Festivis post receptionem praesentium immediatè sequentibus tempore divinorum dum major in ijsdem ad divina audienda ad fuerit populi multitudo palam publicè denuncietis declaretis cum effectu sub poena juris c. Datum sub sigillo quo in haec parte utimur decimo dic mensis Iulij An. Dom. 1635. sanctae Mariae ad Turrim Gipwici Ferdinando Adams Titum Camplin Gardianos ibidem in non removendo sedilia ab Orientali muro infra Cancellum Ecclesiae in non stâ—â—endo Mensam Dominicam in supremo loco juxta murum praedictum secundum monitionem judicialem Dom. Nathanialis Brent Militis Domini Archiepiscopi Vicaerii in spiritualibus generalis judicialiter factam Ferdinando Adams being thus excommunicated sought to avoid this Excommunication by an Appeale but could procure no release and being laid in wait for by Pursevants out of the High-commission for suing Dade in the Star-chamber where this Excommunication was pleaded in Bar against him he was enforced to leave the Kingdom flye into New England till this Parliament almost to his utter undoing as he attested upon oath and shall be hereafter more fully proved in another charge To this we shall subjoyne the case of Iohn Premly one of the Church-wardens of Lewis in Sussex who was prosecuted in the High-commission Court and there on the 8 of May 1638. censured fined imprisoned condemned in costs of suit and ordered to make a submission for that when as Sir Nathaniel Brent in the Archbishops Metropoliticall Visitation by injunction from the said Archbishop had ordered the Communion Table in the Church of Lewis to be placed North and South at the upper end of the Chancel and there rayled in which was done accordingly Premly in a contemptuous manner had removed it from thence unto the place where it formerly stood whereupon Dr. Nevel himself replacing it at the East end of the Chancell North and South according to the said Archbishops Injunction he presumed againe to remove and bring it down to its ancient place to the great affront of his Graces Injunctions and the ill example of others All which was manifested by the very sentence it self recorded in the High-commission Register-book which was read in the House of Peers to the effect aforesaid The Committee of the Commons house alleaged that sundry other examples of like nature and of excommunicating hundreds of consciencious people for refusing to receive the Sacrament at the new rayles might be produced in most Diocesse of Englsand but they would content themselves with these alone and that of Mr. Samuel Burroughâ— of Colchester which they should make use of upon another occasion and proceed to such who had been grievously censured in the Star-chamber High-commission by the Archbishops means for opposing defacing or preaching against the use or setting up idolatrous Pictures of God the Father Christ Saints in Churches in direct opposition to our Homilies against the perill of idolatry confirmed by the 39 Articles and contrary to our Statutes Injunctions Canons and the current of all our Orthodox writers The first president of this nature instanced in was the case of Mr. Henry Sherfield a Bencher of Lincolns-Inne the true state whereof was briefly this M. Sherfield being Recorder of Sarum a
hallowed as they say with their conjured water Crossings Censings Processions c. But blessed be that God our Lord which by the light of his Word doth confound all such wicked and fond fantasies which they devise to fill their bellies and maintaine their Authority by Although these Ceremonies in the old Law were given by Moses for the hardnesse of the peoples hearts to keep thē exercised that they fall not to the Idolatry of the Gentiles yet is there no mention of them in the New Testament nor yet commanded now either to us or them but forbidden to be used of all both of us and them We be no longer under shaddowes but under the truth Christ hath fulfilled all and taken away all such darke kind of Ceremonies and hath placed the cleare light of his Gospell in the Church to continue to the end The Popes Church hath all things pleasant in it to delight the people but where the Gospell is preached they knowing that God is not pleased but onely with a pure heart they are content with an honest place appointed to resort together in though it were never hallowed by Bishops at all It is written that God dwels not in Temples made with hands nor is worshipped with any worke of mens hands but he is a spirit an invisible substance and will be worshipped in spirit and truth not in outward words onely of the lippes but with the deepe sighes and groanes of the heart and the whole power of the mind and earnest hearty calling on him in praier by faith And therefore he doth not so much require of us to build him an house of stone and timber but hath willed us to pray in all places and hath taken away the Iewish and Popish holynesse which is thought to be more in one place then another All the earth is the Lords and he is present in all places hearing the Petitions of them that call upon him in faith Therefore those Bishops which thinke with their conjured water to make one place more holy then the rest are no better then the Jewes deceiving the people and teaching that onely to be holy which they have censed crossed oyled and breathed upon for as Christ said to the woman thinking one place to be more holy to pray in then another Woman beleeve me the time is come when yee shall worship neither at Jerusalem nor in this Hill but the true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and truth So it is now said the place makes not the man holy but the man makes the place holy and ye shall not worship your Idols Stocks and Stones neither at Wilsingham Ipswich Canterbury nor Sheen for God chuses not the people for the places sake but the place for the people sake But if yee be in the midst of the field God is as ready to heare your faithfull praiers as in any Abbey or Priory yea a thousand times more for the one place he hates as defiled with Idolatry and the other he loves as undefiled and cleane If the good man lie in prison tyed in Chaines or at the stake burned for Gods cause That place is holy for the holynesse of the man and the presence of the holy Ghost in him as Tertullian saith yet there should be common places appointed for the people to Assemble and come together therein to praise our God c. Those who in the Apostles times were buried in no Church or Church-yard nor Christen-moldes as they be called when it is not better then other earth but rather worse for the conjuring that Bishops use about it It appeares in the Gospell by the Legion living in graves the Widdowes sonne going to buriall Christ buried without the Citty c. That they buried not in hallowed Churches by Bishops but in a severall place appointed for the same purpose without the Citty which custome remaineth to this day in many godly places c. A most expresse Authority against Bishops Popish consecrations of Churches and Church-yards to make them holyer then other places The second Authority they produced was Mathew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths reigne who was of a quite contrary judgment to this his Popish Successor condemning this manner of consecrating Churches Altars c. as Superstitious Paganish childish ridiculous in his Antiquitates Ecclesiae Brittannicae p. 85. 86. 87. in these termes Legat enim qui volet recentiores et nostro praesertim avo editos Pontificales ac Missales libros reperiet eos et Caeremoniarū multitudine peragendi difficultate atque taedio et exorcisationis amentia priores illos longè superare Quibus enim non dicam verbis sed portentis has et ejus modi a Pontisiciis adhuc adjurantur c. Dedicatio recentis Ecclesiae Altaria vasa indumenta Linteamina et ornamenta Ecclesiastica Hac omnia quam solemni ritu sanctarum scripturarum sententiis ad suas decantationes perperā adhibitis Potificij peragunt paucis videamus c. In dedicatione Ecclesiae jam exstructae Episcopus ter ' circumiens ostium bacculo pastorali ferit hoc Psalmi carmine Attollite Portas c. Cui Diaconus intus existens respondet fere exanimatus Quis est iste Rex gloriae c. Deinde ingredicus Episcopus in fundamento Ecclesiae Cineribus sparso Alphabetum Gracum et Latinum bacculo describit tum variis multisque Episcopi Clerique incessibus rectis obliquis retrogradis transuersis parietes ac pavimenta aqua sparguntur cruces in parietibus chrismate cum dextro Episcopi pollice depinguntur infinitis penè completis caeremoniis ad extremum precatur ut populus in ea conveniens per sacerdotum libamina caelesti sanctificatione salvatus animae salutem perpetuam consequatur discedens portam his verbis Episcopus ungit chrismate porta sis benedicta sanctificata consecrata consignata Deo commendata c. Altaria autem innumeris hujus generis precibus consecrantur c. Et sane valde deflenda est hujus temporis conditio quod Ecclesiae Patres eadem mentis acie ab ecclesia resecare has hujusmodi caeremonias seu potius nugas aut nolunt aut non possunt qua priora illa Ordalii vitia cernebant atque corrigebant sed illis ut superstitiosis damnatis deletis hac quae mordicus retinent quamvis puerilia deliria sint ex illis tamen fabricantur atque struunt Quanto modernis Pontificibus aequior fuit Gregorius qui scribit Quomodo regulae sanctorum Patrum pro tempore loco persona negotio instante necessitate traditae sunt Hi autem nulla neque temporis neque loci neque negotii neque personae neque cujusquà m rei quà m suae voluntatis atque gloriolae rationem habentes ne pusillis in rebus veritate cedere volunt A very good character of the Prisoner at the bar and his proceedings in this kinde
Church the first Sunday in February And it is likewise further Ordered that every Constable shall at every Lent Assize present to the Judges of this Circuit a note of the receipt of the said Order under the hands of the said Ministers And for the further avoyding of the concourse of idle people it is further Ordered that such persons as usually carry up and downe Bulls and Beares to baite being Rogues by Statute shal be punished as Rogues for the further prevention of such inconveniences as usually happen upon such meetings Per me Symon Spatchurst Clericum Asiisor The 6. an Order made by Baron Denham at the Assizes in Somersetshire Anno 1627. upon a Petition of divers Ministers To the Honourable Sir John Denham Knight one of the Barons of His Majesties Exchequor and Iustice of Assize for the County of SOMERSET The humble Petition of the Ministers whose names are subscribed Sheweth THat whereas at the last Summer Assizes held for the County of Dorset there was an Order made for the suppressing of all Revells Church-Ales and other publike Ales amongst other things as by the Copie of the said Order hereunto annexed appeareth Your Petitioners therefore humbly desire that Your Lordship would be pleased to grant the like Order at this Assizes for the suppressing of the like Ales and disorders in this County of Somerset So they shall alwayes pray for Your Lordships long health and prosperity Adam Abraham Iohn Ford. William â—yllet Iohn Fathers Ralph Turner George Drake 15. Marcii 1627. Let the Clerke of the Assizes draw up the like 〈◊〉 for his County Iohn Denham Which former Order being warranted by so many Presidents Iudge Richardson said hee conceived hee had no power absolutely to reverse but being commanded to do it by His Majestie he did as much as in him lay revoke it but yet doubted not that if the Iustices of Peace would truly informe His Majesty of the grounds of the former Order and of the great disorders occasioned by Wakes and Church-ales His Majesty would give Order to revive it but how ever he must make this Order for the present which he caused he Clerk of Assizes to enter VVHereas divers Orders have been heretofore made by the Judges of Assize for the suppressing of Church-ales Clerks-ales Wakes Revells and such like within this County of Somerset which were formerly made by the Judges by reason of many disorders and misdemeanours arising upon the meeting of multitudes of people out of other Parishes It is now Ordered by his Lordship that all former Orders heretofore made by any Judges or Iustices for the suppressing of Church-ales Clerks-ales Wakes and Revells be revoked as much as in him lyeth and made utterly voyde And that it may be lawfull for all persons freely to use any lawfull Recreation or Exercise at such meetings but with this advice that they be carefull that no outrages or misdemeanours commonly arising at such Church-ales Clerk-ales Wakes and Revells be done or committed Hereupon all the Justices of Peace then present immediately after they had dined drew up this Petition to His Majesty which they Signed with all their hands and then sent it up to London by Iohn Harrington Esquier then Custos Rotulorum in that County with order to deliver it to the Right Honourable Earle of Pembrook Lord Lievtenant of the County to present it to His Majesty Who repairing to London accordingly shewed the Petition to Master Prynne and the Earle being then in the Country whence he would not returne in twelve dayes space he advised with him what course to take for presenting the Petition to His Majesty in the mean time lest the Archbishop hearing of it should prevent the same The Archbishop having notice of this Petition from Sir Robert Philips and Bishop Pierce to prevent the delivery and expected good effect thereof presently caused the Declaration for Sports published by King Iames with some additions of his owne at the end concerning Wakes and Feasts of Dedication relating the Order of Judg Richardson for suppressing them to be reprinted and published in His Majesties Name before the Petition delivered the Copy whereof is here subjoyned To the KINGS most Excellent Majestie The most humble Petition of the Iustices of the Peace of the County of Somerset MOst humbly Shewing That whereas heretofore there have bin from time to â—e severall good Orders made by the Iustices of Assize and Iustices of the Peace for the County of Somerset for the restraining and suppressing of certaine disordered Assemblies in that County called Church-ales Clerkes-ales Bid-ales Wakes and Revells by reason of many disorders inseperably accompanying the same wherby the said Assemblies have for the most part for a long time beene forborne and not used to the great good and quiet of the said County Now so it is may please Your Majesty that by occasion of a Declaration published the last Assizes by the Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Kings-Bench for restoring of Wakes and Revells and Revering of all Orders made against them and by reason of a rumour thereof spread in the Countrey since the last Lent Assizes not onely all the disorders aforesaid of Prophanation of the Lords Day riotous tipling contempt of Authoritie Quarrells Murthers c. frequently over-flowing the said Assemblies have increased this Summer but even the other disorderly Assembliss of Church-Ales Bid-Ales Clerkes-Ales condemned by the Lawes have againe beene set up to the great prejudice of the Peace plenty and good Government of the County May it therefore please Your most Excellent Majestie to grant us some more particular Declaration herein That Your Majesties Command concerning Revells may not be thought to extend farther then to the upholding of Civill Feasting betweene Neighbour and Neighbour in their Houses and the orderly and seasonable use of manly Exercises and Activities which we all shall be most ready to maintaine And that we may have Your Majesties Favour and Allowance to suppresse all the forementioned unlawfull Assemblies of Church-Ales Clerks-Ales and Bid-Ales and to punish all the forementioned disorders as heretofore we have done Wherein Your Petitioners have no other end than to do Your Majestie faithfull service and to preserve the good Government of the County John Lord Pawlet William Portman John Stowell Ralph Hopton John Symmes William Frauncis John Harrington Robert Cuffe Richard Cole Edward Powlet William Every Anthony Stocker William Capell George Powlett Francis Popham Edward Rodeney Francis Dodington John Horner William Bassit John Windham Robert Hopton George Speke Thomas Lutterell William Walrond Gerrad Wood. The delivery and good effect of this Petition was prevented by the publishing of this Declaration by this Archbishops meanes who to justify himselfe herein ex post facto procured this ensuing Warrant without any Date at all written with his own hand and found in his Study by Mr. Prynne together with the Printed Declaration for Sports endorsed with his owne pen to be Signed by His Majesty to justifie
K. himself Moreover in the Order for the Fast in the very last page of the book he purged out these words condemning the popish Doctrine of the meritorionsnesse of fasting viz. to avoyd the inconvenience that may grow by fasting some esteeming it a Meritorious Work others a good Work and Of itself acceptable to God without due regard of the end c. In briefe whatever in this Fast-book did in the least degree reflect upon popery or seemingly oppugne any errors of it this Arch-prelat out of his ardent zeal against Popery and fatherly care for the maintainance of our Protestant Religion did totally expunge it non obstante his Majesties Proclamation to the contrary For this Jesuiticall practice the Arch-bishop being justly taxed by the Author of News from Ipswitch and Master Henry Burton in his Humble Appeale to his Maâ—esty page 3. and his Sermon on the fifth of November 1636. intituled For God and the King p. 141. to 149. He reputed the very dislike of these his Romish purgations such a crime that he arraigned these books and the Authors of them in Star-chamber as capitall malefactors procured the heaviest bloodiest unjustest sentence against them that ever was inflicted by that Court and had the impudency for onely to justifie these purges in print by his two popish Champiors Doctor Heylyn in his Moderate Answer to the seditious and scandalous Challenges of Henry Burton p. 157. to 16â— and Christopher Dow in his Innovations unjustly charged upon the present Church and State p. 141. to 150. but even in open Court in a large and bitter speech at the sentence of his Accusers in Starte-chamber June 14. 1637. which he had the boldnesse afterwards to publish to all the world In which Speech though he cunningly omitted these expurged clauses which if recited at large had no colour of defence yet he justifies the expurging of them to be his owne voluntary act adding that it was lawfull for him and his brother Bishops notwithstanding the Kings Proclamation so altar what they thought fit And then renders this most absurd reason of blotting out the first recited clause Thirdly for the branch in the other which is the first Collect Though God did deliver our forefathers out of Romish superstition yet God be blessed for it we were never in And therefore that clanse being unfittingly expressed We thought fit to passe it over Which reason is altogether untrue First because there are many ancient people yet living among us who were totally drowned in popish superstition and idolatry in Queen Marie's dayes and the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reigne from which God hath graciously delivered them since brought them into the most clear and comfortable light of his holy word of later yeeres when preaching and godly preaching Ministers have been more frequent in most places of our Realm then in the beginning of Reformation when they were very rare scarce one or two in a whole County Secondly we our selves were utterly drowned in popish superstition and idolatry in our forefathers and delivered out of it in their deliverance from it otherwise we had continued drowned therein till this very day As therefore the sacred Scripture in direct and proper termes oft informed the Posterity of the Children of Israel whose Ancestors many generations before were bondslaves in delivered out of Egypt I brought YOU forth of Egypt and brought YOU forth of the house of bondage and have brought YOU to the Land which I sware unto your Fathers c. Judg. 2. 1. c. 6. 89. 2 Chro. 7. 22. Jer. 2. 6. 7. Hag. 2. 5. and as Daniel in his solemne prayer and fasting blessed God for this mercy in his days as if the deliverance had bin then wrought for that generation Dan. 9. 15. And NOW oh Lord our God thou hast brought thy people forth of the Land of Egypt by a mighty hand and hast gotten thee renowne AS AT THIS DAY and as God upbrayded the Israelites for their ingratitude to him for this mercy in Jeremiah's dayes as if this deliverance had then been wrought for that Generation Ier. 2. 6 7. Neither said they Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the Land of Egypt and that led as through the Wildernesse through a Land of deserts and of pits through a Land of drought and of the shadow of death c. And I brought you into a plentifull Country to eat the fruit thereof and the goodnesse thereof but when ye entred ye defiled my Land and made mine heretage an abomination wherefore I will plead with you saith the Lord and with your childrens children will I plead So we by like congruity of reason and in proper Scripture phrase which this Arch-prelate stiles an unfitting expression though frequent in all Authors as well as in the sacred Text may as truly be said to be delivered from Popish superstition and idolatry wherein we were utterly drowned and ought to blesse and prayse God for the deliverance of our forefathers out of it as if we our selves had been actually delivered their deliverance being in truth the cause of ours and an actuall deliverance unto us from this Egyptian Romish bondage and Antichristian deluge This excuse therefore of his is but a meere ridiculous pretence to delude the simple and the true reason of this expanction onely this His Grace-ship had conspired with Priests and Jesuits once more to drowne us utterly in Romish superstition and idolatry and to deprive us of the cleare and comfortable light of Gods holy Word by extinguishing silencing suppressing most godly lights Ministers preaching throughout the realme and to corrupt the true worship of God with superstitious Ceremonies and idolatrous Adorations if not to extirpate truth and verity from among us by introducing equivocations hypocrisie false accusers of the brethren in every place therefore this passage so contrary to his popish designes must not be tolerated in any wise but utterly deleated and He so impudent as to instifie it before all the world when he neitther saw not dreaded any superiour powers to draw him into question for this transcendent crime for which wet rust he shall now give an exact account to this supreame Tribunall The fourth purgation made by his speciall direction and advice was in the second Edition of Doctor Christopher Potter's Want of Charity justly charged London 1634. This Doctor being about to publish a second Edition of that booke of his writ thus unto his Lordship to send him directions to alter or correct any thing that should be offensive to his Grace My most honoured Lord c. THe Copies of my answer to the mistaker are most sold and a new Impression intended I am now reviewing it I shall be glad to receive from your Grace by your servant Master Dell or others any direction to alter or correct if any thing be therein offensive to you I humbly commend your Grace to the blessed protection of the Lord Almighty and will be
Afternoon Sermon but only such Questions and Answers as are conteined in the Common Prayer book not allowing Ministers to expound or open the points of the same to the people he and his Officers affirming in publike places that such an Exposition might be as ill as a Sermon And by colour of these Instructions and the Declaration for Sports he silenced suspended at least fifty Ministers forcing many of them and above three thousand people besides to desert the Kingdome and fly into Holland and New-England as appears by the Articles of his impeachment presented to the Lords by the house of Commons and by sundry witnesses before severall Committees All which Exorbitancies issued from these Instructions and must be put on this Archbishops score the Author of them to whom Bishop Wren and other Bishops gave an annuall Account of their due execution Bishop Mountague succeeding Bishop Wren in the Bishoprick of Norwich in pursuance of these Instructions exceeded him in his Visitation Articles concerning Lectures and Lecturers as appeares by these ensuing printed both at London and Cambridge Anno. 1638. 4. Concerning Lecturers and Lectures Forasmuch as of late years the course and humor of Lecturing and the frequenting and hearing such exercises is of great resent in the State and Church of England from which course as much good may ensue and be procured if well and discreetly managed so if otherwise great hurt danger and scandall may and often doth result the cure and care whereof properly and immediately belongs to the Bishop of the Diocesse where such exercises are the Church-Wardens and Sidesmen are given to understand that there be amongst us three sorts of Lecturers 1 The first most hugged followed admired and maintained is a super-inducted Lecturer in another mans cure and pastorall charge who hath some resemblance to the ancient Catharist in the Primitive Church but is up and down the same with the Doctor in the New Discipline which I take it is the motive of his so great approbation and good entertainment above the Incumbent of the Cure though never so learned and painfull 2 Concerning him it is to be enquired of what degrees in Schools he is and of how long standing and studying in Divinity whether he be a graduate in Divinity a Doctor or at least a Batchelor and not a young Student or Preacher 3 Are his Lectures popular Afternoon Sermons or be they Catechisticall and readings upon some common place of Divinity or the four parts of the English authorized Catechisme or some of the 39 Articles of our Confession 4 Is he there admitted with the consent of the Incumbent or against his will with warrant and authority from the Bishop under his Episcopall seal Is the Minister and Incumbent of that place where he Lectureth a Preacher or not and if a Benefice be offered the Lecturer do you suppose he would take it 5 Doth he often and at times appointed read Divine Service and administer the Communion in his Surplisse and Hood of his degree 6 Of what length are his Lectures and how is his Prayer at beginning and end is he there in conforme unto the Appointment and Order of the Canon Can. 55. 7 Doth he in his popular Lectures ordinarily fall upon points of misticall darke and abstruse Divinity as Praedestination c. Doth he intermeddle with matters of State Government forrein from his profession above his understanding 8 Doth he oppose or traduce openly the Doctrine of his Brethren and neighbouring Ministers or obliquely underhand or upon the by gird at them the Doctrine Discipline of the Church any Parishioner c. so designing him them or that that a man may take notice of his meaning 9 The second sort of Lecturers be those of Combination when many neighbouring Ministers do voluntarily agree and consent with the Ordinaries approbation not otherwise to preach a Sermon every man in his course at some adjoyning market town upon the market day for instructing of such who repair together to sell and buy in their duty to God and commerce with man Have you any such Lecturers 10 Who be the Combiners be they beneficed men of the Diocesse and not strangers or Curates who are not to be admitted because if they offend in their Sermons the Diocesan cannot reach them they are gone 11 Doth this Lecturer any way abridge hinder or cut off Divine Service which is compleatly to be finished before the Lecture begin 12 Do any resorting thereto walke aloofe or in the Church-yard on stay at some house purposely and not repair to the Church till Lecture begin If any such misdemeanour be present it and without amendment the Lecture shall cease 13 A third sort be running Lecturers who point upon such a day to meete at such a Church most an end in some Country Town or Village and then after Sermon and dinner at some house of their disciples repeat censure and explain the Sermon discourse of points proposed at their last meeting by the head of that Classis or Assembly ever to the promoting of their owne fancies and derogation from the doctrine and discipline of the Church after all they do again condicere and appoint to meet next at such a Church in like sort to like purpose Such I found in Sussex at my comming thither If you have any such or know any such present them as far as you can learn who they be where they do meet whither any of your Parish run after them By these we may discerne the spirit of this Prelate and his Malignity against Lecturers and Lectures which he carefully suppressed in Chichester Diocesse where he published the like Articles and would have done the like in Norwich but that his predecessour Bishop Wren had left no Lectures for him to suppresse Doctor Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wells a great creature of this Arch-Prelates to please his Grace the better by colour of these Instructions which he rigorously observed suppressed all Lectures within his Diocesse both in Market Townes and elsewhere as well combination Lectures as those maintained by Ministers or Lecturers upon stipends or the peoples benevolence some of which Lectures had continued 40 or 50 years without interruption and were countenanced by some of his Predecessors actuall preaching at them in their turnes which when he had effected he publikely gloryed in this wicked act using this most execrable speech I thank God I have not one Lecture lest in my Diocesse professing before that he hated the very name of Lectures and would not leave so much as one Lecture in his Diocesse and requiring the Ministers upon their canonicall obedience not to preach any Lecture alleaging that there was no such need of preaching no was there was in the Apostles dayes Yea he suspended Mr Devenish the Minister of Bridgewater for preaching a Lecture there in his own Church on the Market day which Lecture had continued from Queen Elizabeth time till then and refused to absolve him till he hath
posted Letters thither to him immediatly after his departure hence by these severall passages in his Diary May 11. 1625. Die Mercurij primo mane Dux Buck. Versus mare se transtulit obviam iturus Reginae Mariae in Galliam Dedi ad Ducem eo die Literas sed quae properantem sequerentur Maij 19. Die Jovis Literas secundas misi ad Ducem Buck tunc paulisper morantem Parisijs Maij 29. Die Solis Literas tertias dedi in manus Episcopi Dunelmensis qui cum Rege iturus traderet eas Duci Buck. ad litus applicanti Junij 5. Die Pentecostes mane instanter iturus ad sacra Literas è Gallia à Duce Claris Buckinghamiae in manus meas se dedere Responsum dedi Aurora proxima Junij 12. Die Solis Regina Maria maria pertransciens ad Litus Nostrum appulit circiter boram septimam Vespertinam Det Deus ut Haspera sit foelix Stella orbi nostro These severall Letters of his to and from the Duke upon this occasion the Originals and Copies whereof could we have met with them would doubtlesse have discovered many notable secrets intimate both his privity to and concurrence in this popish French Match as well as in the Spanish This we shall further cleere by other passages in his owne Diary discovering what a great favourite and instrument of the Qveens he hath been even since the Marriage Aug. 30. 1634. Saturday at Oatlands the Queen sent for me and gave me thanks for a businesse with which shee trusted me her promise then that she would be my friend and that I should have immediate addresse to her when I had occasion Here we have the Queen trusting the Arch-bishop with a private businesse her thanks for his discharge of this trust with a promise of future favour and immediate addresse to her upon all occasions May 18. 24. 1635. Whitson Munday at Greenwich my account to the Queen put off till Trinity Sunday then given her by my selfe and assurance of all that was desired by me c. A very suspitious passage after which five whole lines are so rased that they are not legible April 3. 1639. Wednesday before the Kings going I setled with him a great businesse for the Queen which I under stood shee would never move for her selfe the Queen gave me great thanks and this day I waited purposely on her to give her thanks for her gracious acceptance shee was pleased to be very free with me and to promise me freedome This intimacy of the Arch-bishop with the Queene these private services he did for her and these speciall mementoes of her favours to and freenesse with him could not be to convert her to the Protestant Religion which he never attempted in any measure for ought we ever heard it being contrary to the tenth Article of her Marriage which runs thus Also the King of Great Britaine is by Oath bound NOT TO ENDEAVOUR BY ANY MEANS AT ALL to have his said Queen to renounce the Catholike Apostolike and Romish Religion nor compell her to do any thing whatsoever that is contrary to the same Religion Now this Archbi was so farre from endeavouring her conversion to our Religion himselfe that in his owne Metropoliticall visitation he prohibited Ministers publikely to pray for the Queens conversion in their Pulpits and questioned censured some Ministers in the High Commission for praying for her conversion from Popery to our Religion as a grand unpardonable offence To prove this we shall first produce his owne Informations and Instructions to Sir Nathaniel Brent endorsed subscribed with his own hand touching his Metropoliticall visitation in the Diocesse of London in March 1636. Among which we find a paper thus endorsed Informations of divers abuses in the City of London The second particular whereof is this That some Preachers take great liberty to pray before and after their Sermons loosly and factiously as FOR THE CONVERSION OF THE QUEEN over against which these two names are written in the margin Master Walker of Saint Johns Evangelist Master Burtons Curate c. Saint Matthew Friday-street To which himselfe adds this subscription directed to his Vicar generall that visited I require you that besides my other Instructions you give me an account of all particulars within named W. CANT Hereupon Sir Nathaniel Brent in pursuance of this Order in his open visitation prohibited the Ministers to pray for the Queenes conversion for proofe whereof Master Hugh Ratcliffe of Martins Ludgate testified upon oath That at a visitation held at Bow Church in London by Sir Nathaniel Brent Vicar generall to this Arch-bishop of Canterbury in whose right he then visited about Mar. 1636. the said Sir Nath. then and there in his publike charge to the Ministers in his bearing used these words Whereas divers of you in your Prayers before your Sermons Use TO PRAY FOR THE QUEENS CONVERSION YOU ARE TO DOE SO NO MORE Adding that the Queen did not doubt of her conversion meaning that shee doubted not but that shee was already in the right way We could produce other witnesses of this but the thing is so notorious we shall need no more From this inhibition of his we may certainly inferre these conclusions First that he who thus publikely inhibited other Ministers to pray for the Queens conversion would never questeonlesse himselfe endeavour by prayer conference or intimacy with her to convert her to our Religion Secondly that he must verily beleeve her popish Religion to be the true Religion and ours the false else both himselfe and all other our Ministers were bound in duty conscience most realously and constantly to pray in speciall manner to God for her Highnesse conversion from it because Gods Word and christian charity required it the imminent danger that might and doth acrew thereby to her owne soule in particular to his Majesty his royall Issue and this whole Church State in generall exacts it and the publike Liturgy of our Church which this Prelate so much stickled for both warrants and prescribes it not onely in the speciall Collects for the King and Queen the Letany the Prayer for the estate of the whole Church militant but likewise in the Collect for Good-friday which runs thus Mercifull God who hast made all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made nor wouldest the death of a sinner but rather that he should be converted live have mercy upon all Jewes Turkes Insidels and Heretycks and take from them all ignorance hardnesse of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy stocke that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites and be made one fold under one Shepheard Jesus Christ our Lord c. May yea must we then pray for all Jewes Turkes Hereticks in generall that God would really convert and bring them to his fold though we have no speciall relation to them and must our Ministers
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
passage is not only seconded by Doctor Pocklingtons forecited clause who brands our Martyrs suffering in Queen Maries dayes for Rebels Traytors Hereticks but by Doctor Heylyn in his Moderate Answer to Master Burton penned and published by the Archbishops command who thus disparageth King Edwards applauds Queene Maries lawes and actions pag. 100. 101. 102. Now for King Edward the sixth the case stands thus King Edward being a Minor about nine yeers old at his first comming to the Crowne there was much heaving at the Church by some great men that were about him who purposed to enrich themselves with the spoyles thereof For the effecting of which purpose it was thought expedient to lessen the number of those Bishops which were then in place and to make all those that were to come the more obedient to the Crowne Vpon this ground there passed a Statute 1. of this King consisting of four principall Branches whereof the first cut off all Elections and Writs of Conge dislier formerly in use the other did if not take off yet very much abate the edge of Ecclesiasticall censures Then he recites the words of the Statute and concludes which Act with every branch and clause thereof was afterwards repealed 1. of Queen Mary c. 2. and hath stood so repealed to this very day c. This magnifying then of Queen Maries dayes and depressing King Edwards implyes a grand designe in this Arch-prelate to rvevie those Marian times as happy and desirable From these few generall we shall next descend to some more particular instances to prove that there was a serious designe and endeavour of the Pope and his Instruments in forraigne parts to reduce us back to Rome that the Archbishop had exact notice of it and yet was so far from resisting opposing this their designe according to his place trust duty that he complied with them to the utmost of his wit and power therein It cannot be expected that in a Plot of this nature being a hidden work of darknesse and abstruce mystery of iniquity carried on with all the artifice and cunning that Rome or Hell could suggest disguised concealed under divers charactaristicall Letters which we cannot as yet unriddle though we have some of them in our custody sealed up under oaths promises of secresie and acted by such Jesuiticall spirits as will rather obstinately die then disclose the secrets of their hellish conspiracies which we cannot possibly manifest to the full unlesse we had been so happy as to have seized the Arch-bishops most secret papers which he conveyed away or burned before his closet dores were sealed up and the Popes Nuncioes Cabinet or might have liberty to search the Popes own Closet or Cardi. Barbarino his secret papers and the private intelligences of the Roman Conclave yet we presume we shall produce so many cleer demonstrations and circumstantial proofs as shall abundantly satisfie your Lordships judgements consciences and the world both of the reality of this plot and the Arch-bishops guiltinesle in concurring in it We know it is usuall for Juries to convict for Judges to condemne and execute Traitors felons as well upon violent presumptions circumstances as upon eye witnesses and punctuall testimonies of the facts for which they are indicted and we doubt not but our evidence in this kind will be so cleer as it will surmount a violent presumption yea amount to an infallible demonstration conviction of his guiltinesse if not severally considered yet at least conjoyned The first particular Evidence to prove a designe at Rome to reduce us to our ancient vassalage under it is a very notable paper printed at Rome Superiorum permissu in two large folio sheets pasted together An. 1636. In the first uppermost sheet there is a coper Peece cut with Anticks wherein there are two Scutchions the one hanging just in the middest neere the upper end of the sheet wherein the Popes and Cardinall Barbarino his Nephewe's Armes are engraven the other hanging a little lower then the former on the right side of the sheet containing the King of Englands Armes The Author of this paper was an English Fryar who stiles himselfe Frater Franciscus a Sauctâ Mariâ Sacra Theologiae Lector Generalis Primario Jubilato ac Provinciae Sanctae Elizabethae Custos The substance of it he stiles Conclusiones Theologiae which are thirteen in number but that which is most observable therein is this dedication of it to Cardinall Barbarino Eminentissimo Reverendissimo Principi Francisco Cardinali Barbarino Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Vice-Cancellariâ— R. R. ANGLIAE SCOTIAE necuon Seraphicae Religionis PROTECTORI VIGILANTISSIMO Frater Ludovicus à Sancta Maria Anglus D. D. D. MAGNAE BRITANIAE PATRONO MAXIMO ET BRITANICAE NATIONIS Minorum Familiae minimus Theologiam devovet suâ—m By this paper it is evident that this Cardinall was publikly deputed and stiled even in print at Rome The most vigilant Protector of England Scotland and of the Seraphicall Religion there the greatest Patron of great Brittaine designed to this charge for this very purpose to reduce it againe to the bosome of the Roman Church the onely use end of this his office and Title Of this designe this Arch-bishop had most certaine intelligence from Master Middleton Chaplaine to the English Agent at Venice to whom this paper was sent from Rome and by him conveyed to the Arch-bishop who thus indorsed it with his owne hand-writing 1636. Fra. Ludovici â Sa. Maria Angli Theses c. and reserved it in his Study at Lambeth where Master Prynne attested it was seized This Fryar's right name as appears by a paper under Secretary Windcbanks owne hand was Kerton alias Morton who soon after repaired into England to help reduce it Where he lived so wickedly in drawing Maids Women and others to sinne carnally and committed such horrible acts in prosecuting his lusts that be was enforced to returne to Paris in France Secretary Windebank giving his son Tom speciall instructions when he went over thither to negotiate the Palsgraves release To advise those of his Order there to prevent his returne bither because he would be assuredly publikely punished according to the laws to the great seandall of his Religion which manifests a correspondency in Windebank and his sonne this Arch-bishops creatures even with the Franciscan Fryars beyond the seas and a care in them to prevent this Fryars with his Religious publike disgrace and scandall The second Evidence which backs the former is a discovery of a most desperate Plot of this Cardinall Barbarim and his four sorts of English and Scottish Jesuits residing in and about Drury-lane and Long-acre where they had built a Colledge and had their constant meeting of which society this Cardinall was the immadiate head next under the Pope to whom they bad their immediate addresses and directed their weekly intelligence The plot was to subvert the Protestant Religion set up Popery and reconcile us unto Rome by
Master Pryme IF you heare Fa. Francis his Booke or person touched let them know that we understand assuredly that it proceeds from the Jesuits most likely also by this last Letter of Mr. Midleton to the Archbishop who imploy others in it as they did against Father Leanded till it cost him his life and if that upon their informations they proceed against such persons who THOUGH IN ALL THINGS CATHOLIKE yet are more discrect and temperate and not intermedling in matters of State THE KING WILL BE MUCH OFFENDED Thus much for this Book of Sancta Clara and the Author of it The fifth Evidence we shall pitch upon to prove a designe to reconcile and reduce us back to Rome is the Popes and his Agents promises tenders of Cardinals Caps and Places to some prime English men and to this Archbishop himselfe in particular the end whereof could be no other but to enthrall us againe to the superstitious jurisdiction of the Papall See The first proffer we find of a Cardinals Cap made to any English Prelat since the Reformation was to this Archbishop who thus records the time and manner thereof with his owne hand in his Diary Aug. 4. 1633. Sunday news came to Court of the Lord Archbishop of Canterburies death and the King RESOLVED PRESENTLY to give it me which he did Aug. 6. That very morning at Greenwich there came one to me seriously and THAT AVOWED ABILITY TO PERFORME IT AND OFFERED ME TO BE A CARDINALL I went presently to the King and acquainted him both with the thing and person It is very considerable that Master Anthony Mildmay deposed that Con the Popes Nuncio told him at Rome before Archbishop Abbots death that Bishop Laud should succeed him and that he would be more favourable to the Catholikes then Abbot By which it appeares that Bishop Laud was long before Abbots death designed to the place if not at the solicitation yet at least by the approbation of the Roman party No sooner comes newes to Court of Archbishop Abbots death but the King presently resolves that Bishop Laud should succeed him and no sooner is this known at Court but that very morning as himselfe records he is thus seriously offered to be a Cardinall by one who avowed ability to performe it and that at Greenwich in the Kings own Court. Who it was that made this offer were worth the discovery but this mystery he couceales The Plot against the King discovered to him by Habernfield informes us That Con the Popes Nuncio had a command to offer A CARDINALS CAP TO THE ARCHBISHOP in the name of the Pope of Rome and that he should allure him also with greater promises but this first offer was before Con's arrivall here Were the person an English Subject of what rank soever this proffer of his to to revive this popish dignity of a Cardinall among us and to receive it from the Popes exploded forraigue power which drew Cardinall Woolsey into a Premunire if not under the guilt of high Treason though this honour was procured him not only by King Henry the 8th his assent but solicitation deserved the severest exemplary punishment especially since it tended to engage the Primate and Metropolitan of all England most obliged by his place and office against all Popish power offices superstitious doctrines to submit unto them and become the Popes sworne vassall If the Popes owne Nuncio Panzani which is probable or any other forraigne Agent the affront had been so great both to the Archbishops person place had he been cordial to our Church our Religion being both a Privy Counsellour the Kings grand favorite and he who steard our Churches helm to the honour of our Church Religion of the King himselfe and his Royall Court that it could not patiently be put up or pretermitted without some eminent satisfaction But be the person one or other certaine it is he was never once questioned or molested by the Archbishop for this proffer who took it so well at the parties hands or rejected it so coldly that on the 17. day of the same Moneth he had a second serious offer made to him of the selfe-same dignity most probably by the same person which himselfe thus Registreth in his Diary Aug. 17. 1633. Saturday I had A SERIOUS OFFER MADE ME AGAIN TO BE A CARDINALL I was then from Court but so soon as I came thither which was August 21 I acquainted his Majesty with it But my answer againe was that somewhat dwelt within me which would not suffer that till Rome were other then it is What it was that dwelt within him which made him not absolutely but for the present only to refuse this offer till Rome was other then it is we may learn from Sir Hen. Mildmay's Mr. Anth. Mildmay's Mr. Challoner's depositions forementioned and his owne Reply to Fisher pag. 171. to wit an ambitious Papall spirit he would like his worthy Predecessor Saint Anselme so he stiles him be both in Title and Jurisdiction Papa alterius Orbis Pope of our British world and Vniversall Patriarch of all the Churches within his Majesties Realmes and Dominions which Rome as it then was and the Jesuiticall party there as these witnesses have deposed distiked and would not suffer and for this cause onely he refused this dignity which would have more enthralled him to the Popes and Romes jurisdiction not to their Religion then his ambitious spirit could well brook This double serious proffer of a Romish Cardinalship to the Archbishop is an infallible Argument First that the Pope and his Conclave at Rome had an extraordinary good opinion of his favour his good affection to Popery and their Antichristian Church else they would not have profered him such a dignity incompatible to any Protestant English Prelat Secondly that they deemed him the aptest activest Instrument to reconcile and re-unite us to Rome of all other in respect of his favour at Court power with the King and inclination to Popery as Sir Henry Mildmay Master Anthony Mildmay Master Challoner have attested therefore they would honour him with a Cardinals Hat to the end that as his Predecessor Cardinall Poole Archbishop of Canterbury the last English Cardinall of any of our Prelats reconciled our revolted Kingdom to Rome in Queen Maries dayes as appeareth at large by the Statute of 1. 2. Phil. Mary ch 8. So he invested with the same Papall dignity and fitting in the self-same See might once more as easily reduce us to the bosome of the Roman Church in the dayes of this Queen Mary as Popish as the former as he did then As this Archbishop so Master Walter Mountague not long after had good hopes given him at Rome to be made a Cardinal as the Archbishop himself was informed by Mr. Middleton's forecited Letter which dignity he should have lately received thence had he not been imprisoned if Sir Kenelme Digbies Letter may be credited to help on this work
in it To which was answered that this Book was as the Papists stile their Images a meer ignorant Lay-mans not a learned Archbishops Book consisting meerly of unlawful Pictures Therefore he had it only to view not read Secondly his curious guilding of the Book and Pictures in it argues that he prized it more then ordinary to help him in his Devotions Thirdly he was so far from refuting it that he authorized those very Pictures to be reprinted in England and bound up in our Bibles Fourthly he had many small Popish guilded velome Pictures curiously guilt inserted into this Book a pregnant proof he very much doted on these Puppets in his declining age The third particular objected against me in my study is two large folio Masse-books and that I had noted one of them frequently with my hand That I had likewise there the Roman Missal Pontifical and twenty two Popish hours of our Lady Breviaries Manuels and Books of Popish devotion I Answer First that it is lawful for every learned man to have those Books to peruse and refute them as there is occasion there being no great Schollers but have them in their studies for this end for which cause alone I both read and noted one of them with my own hand not out of any love to or approbation of the Masse it self And they may as aptly conclude that I am a Turk because I have the Alcoran in my study as that I am a Papist or Popishly affected because I have the Masse-book The same Answer I shall give to the other objected Books found in my study The Reply hereto was First that the meer having all or any of these Books in his study was no convincing argument of his affection and inclination to Popery no more then his keeping the Alcoran as a Schollar proves him to be a Turk neither was it so pressed by us since many Protestants have them in their studies to peruse refute which is no offence but laudable and necessary in some cases But we have punctually proved all along that he bought perused and noted them with his own hand not by way of dislike or refutation but approbation yea he pursued them strictly in practise and imitation as far as the most superstitious Popish Priests or Prelates did at Rome in most particulars Secondly compare his having of these Books with the extraordinary curiousnesse and costlinesse of their binding guilding the Popish Images Crucifixes in his study Chappel Gallery and the rest of our following evidence and then they are a very strong Argument to prove him a professed Papist in affection opinion if not in practise too The last objected thing found in my Library is my private Prayers and Devotions written with my own hand against which there are three exceptions First that some of these Prayers are extracted out of the Roman Missal Pontifical Breviary and hours of our Lady Secondly that they are digested into Canonical hours of prayer after the Papists Model Thirdly that I make mention of prostration in some of them To which I return this general Answer That this being only a Book for my own private devotions and use alone ought not to be charged against me As to the objected particulars excepted against I Answer First that if any such prayers be taken out of the Missal Pontifical or Roman Breviary yet they are devout and pious in themselves and there is no prayer to Saints or Angels in the Book Thirdly the Canonical hours of Prayer are of very great Antiquity in the Church derived from holy King Davids practise who said Seven times a day will I praise thee and was taken up and practised by Christians within two hundred years after Christ and approved of in preces privatae in Queen Elizabeths raign Thirdly that prostration in prayer is no crime but commendable and a signe of extraordinary humility Christ himself using this gesture in his prayers before his passion Hereunto the Commons Councel retorted in general That his own private devotions did best of all serve to discover his secret intentions and inclinations therefore they were fit to be given in evidence for this purpose In particular First that his collecting of Prayers out of such Popish dunghils when there were purer mines to dig in was a symptome of a Romish inclination And whereas he alleageth the matter of those prayers to be good those we except against are for their very matter meerly superstitious Secondly that this justification of the Antiquity and lawfulnesse of Canonical hours of Prayer was taken verbatim out of Mr. Cosens his hours of Prayer formerly complained of in Parliament That Canonical hours of Prayer are no wayes warranted by Davids president who speaks onely of Praise not Prayer and never digested his Psalms or Prayers into such Canonical houers nor any other Saint in the Old Testament or New The most exact patern of Prayer which Christ himself left both his Disciples and us to imitate warrants no such practise nay the Primitive Christians and true Antiquity never knew of any such Models of Prayer digested into Canonical hours which Popish monks first introduced practised prescribed Neither did Queen Elizabeth approve of them as Dr. Cosens pretends in his hours of Prayer whence the Archbishop borrowed this false answer as some who answered his Book by publique Authority have manifested to his shame Thirdly the Archbishop hath quite mistaken the last objection which was not his prostration to God in Prayer but his prostration coram Altare and dum Altari adsto in honour and reverence of his idolized Altar So that the charge rests still upon and sticks faster to him then before by this his justification Thirdly From my study at Lambeth they pursued me to my Gallery there where they charge three Pictures against me to which I return this Answer That the first of them which is the great one was given me by a friend and there can be no harm or Popery in it being onely the Picture of Saint Ambrose Augustine Jerome and Gregory the first which may be lawfully made and reserved That the two other Pictures were in the Gallery long before my time and continued there in Archbishop Abbots Bancrofts and Whitgifts dayes to prove which he produces Mr. Dobson his servant who affirmed that he saw these two latter Pictures in the Gallery in Archbishop Bancrofts time where they continued ever since and one of them is a Picture against Popery to wit of Christ going into the sheepfold by the door and of Popish Priests and Friers climbing into it by the window like theeves and robbers Besides the Harmony of confessions of the reformed Churches holds that Images are in themselves indifferent so as no adoration be given to them yea Mr. Calvin in the place forecited is of the same opinion And I have written against the adoration and superstitious use of Images as fully as any man
and High Commission was a transcendent crime of which this Arch-prelat and his Confederates not the whole Court of Star-chamber were onely culpable Yea the Stationers were so farre from being well pleased with or returning him thanks for this that they complained to the chiefe Justice and groaned under the pressure thereof Secondly the English Bible with the Geneva Notes was not onely tolerated but printed and reprinted among us in England Cum Privilegio during Queen Elizabeths and King James Reignes and in 15. Jacobi there was an Impression of them printed here by the Kings own Printer since which time the new Translation without Notes being most vendible the Kings Printers forbearing to print them for their private lucre not by vertue of any publike restraint they were usually imported from beyond the Seas and publickly sold without any inhibition or punishment till this Archbishops time who made it no lesse then an High Commission crime to vend bind or import them For the Notes they are generally approved by all our Protestant Divines which fled hence for Religion in Queen Maries dayes who dedicated the same to Queen Elizabeth For the Note on Exodus 1. it is both sound and Orthodox condemning onely obedience to the arbitrary tyranicall unjunst not lawfull commands of Kings contrary to the Lawes of God nature men being warranted by the example of the Midwives who disobeyed King Pharaohs bloody Mandate in not murdering all the male Children of the Israelites by sundry other Scripture Texts yea warranted by the Fathers and Canonists themselves who speake as much or more then this Annotation doth For King James his censure of this Translation and Notes upon it no doubt it proceeded from some Prelats mis-information However we are certain that his own inserting of popish Pictures of the Birth Life Passion Resurrection and Ascention of Christ the Holy Ghost the Apostles yea the very Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the like into our English and of a Popish Index into our Latin Bibles was farre worse more dangerous then any Geneva Notes and the prohibition of inserting Marginall Notes into the Bible a policy learned from our English Prelats in King HRNRY the eighth his Reigne who when they could not hinder the printing of the Bible it selfe in English of Master Tyndals Translation yet procured an Act of Parliament for the Obliterating of his Notes thereon as the Statute of 35. Hen. VIII cap. 1. and Master Fox informes us And his endeavour to hinder the importation of Bibles with Notes from Holland of which he had information by two Letters sent from thence discovers his vigilance yea spite against this Translation and the Notes upon it Thirdly for Master Gellibrands Almanacke set forth by his servant it was agreeable to Master Foz his Calender onely inserting our English Martyrs in the place of popish Saints no High Commission crime by any knowne Law That it differed from other Almanacks herein is no greater offence then for one Almanack-maker to vary from another in calculating the Weather or other Astronomicall Observations who better deserve an High Commission censure for retaining the names of sundry Popish Saints yea arrant Traytors as Becket Anselme with sundry others omitted in the Calender of the Common-Prayer Book and agreeing Verbatim with the Calender in the Roman Missall then he for omitting the names of Romish Saints whom God never Canonized but the Pope alone for their zeale or sufferings for the Papall Cause and Romish Superstitions The Queens sending to him about this Almanack shewes that the Papists took it to be a great blow to their Religion and though he could not hinder the message yet certainly he might have surceased all prosecution of Mr Gellibrand upon the Queens and Papists complaints for this act of his where as he pursued him with al violence to gratifie them For the words he remembers not our Witnesse swears them precisely and his threatning Master Gellibrand upon a meere groundlesse supposition that he had raised a faction in the Court because they acquitted him full sore against his will argues both his violence and injustice That the Papists burnt it when he could not attaine the burning of it in the High Commission argues their malice and his owne readinesse to comply with them against so good a work in honour of our owne English Protestant Martyrs For his omission of some Saints viz. the Epiphany and Anunciation no man knew them to be Saints till now but onely Festivals which other Almanacks mentioned and it is onely alleaged not proved that he omitted them For Doctor Pocklingtons Altare Christianum it was licensed by his owne Chaplaine Doctor Bray yea published by his owne command without the Authors privity if we beleeve his Petition to the Lords and their two punishments censures in the Lords House for this Book adjudged to the fire and burnt is no extenuation but aggravation of his guilt the most culpable of all three Himselfe confesseth that his Chaplaines act is his owne in Law if he command it and this Doctor himselfe affirmes that he did command its printing therefore the act is his more then the Authors or his Chaplains who did but obey his superiour command That Doctor Pocklington did present him with both the printed Impressions of this Book curiously gilt he cannot deny they being found in his Study endorsed with his owne hand That he knew not of this passage in it against our Martyrs and in honour of Popish Saints is not probable yea impossible since generally complained of in print and particularly by Master Prynne at the Pillory who desired all to take notice of it of which the Archbishop had present information yet neither recalled the book nor obliterated the passage Fourthly the calling in of Mr Beacons book against the Masse upon the complaint of a Priest or Jesuit with his words and threats to Mistris Griffin for reprinting it at such a time as this reflect as fouly upon him as possible yet he puts it off with this impudent common shift It is nothing to me For the reprinting and his calling of it in it is directly sworne to be before the Star-chamber Decree therefore not done in pursuance of it and were it done after yet not justifiable without highest impudency by any true Protestant Prelate Fiftly for the Palsgraves Religion it is proved to be called in by him who hath the happinesse to forget all the evil deeds which he cannot justifie though others sweare them And it was not contrary to the Kings Declaration which himselfe originally contrived in the Kings intention but in his owne perverting of it to suppresse the truth Sixtly the hindering of the reprinting of Master Fox Bishop Jewel and Doctor Willets Works was certainly his owne act because done by colour of this Star-chamber Decree procured by himselfe for this very purpose and the reprinting of them was stopped by his owne Officers creatures meanes who knew his mind if not received his command
Prince and Bishop of Conchen when in Spaine the Articles of the Duke of Buckingham against the Lord Digby and the Lord Digbies against him in full Parliament Anno 1626. To which they Object I was privy because I was Confessor to the Duke and his Cabinet Counsell at that time and because my Letter to Bishop Hall my owne Diary and Letters to and from the Duke whiles in Spaine with the Note in my Masse Booke discover and confirme it Secondly by the French Match with the Queen promoted purposely to usher in Popery and to reconcile us unto Rome to which they Object I was privy and assistant as my Letters to the Duke my intimacy and compliance with the Queen my inhibitng Ministers to pray and punishing them for praying for the Queens conversion my censuring of Master How for praying That the young Prince might not be brought up in Popery with my magnifying of Queen Maries dayes and depressing King Edwards and Queen Elizabeths demonstrate Secondly by sundry particular instances as First Ludovicus a Sancta Maria his Conclusiones Theologicae Secondly the Plot discovered to me by Haberufield Thirdly the Dedicating of Fastidius his Works to the King by Cardinall Barbarino Fourthly Sancta Clara his Deus Natura Gratia writ of purpose to reconcile us to Rome with which I was acquainted and maintained the Author of it Saint Giles a most dangerous seducing Priest in the University of Oxford Fifthly the proffers of Cardinalships to English men and twice to my selfe Sixthly the strange encrease and proceedings of Papists Priests Jesuits and the Popish Hierarchy in Ireland to which I was privy yet denied it and incensed the King against the Commons for complaining of it Seventhly the Popes sending of divers Nuncioes successively into England where they resided and were publickly entertained with our reciprocall sending and maintaining Agents at Rome to work a Reducement of us back to that Antichristian See To this I answer First that I was neither the Author nor Fomenter of the Spanish Match nor of the Kings Voyage into Spaine which was charged on the Duke and the Lord Dighy It is true my Lord Duke was pleased to enter into a neer familiarity with me and to make me his Confessor and that I writ Letters to him into Spaine and received Letters from him thence but this proves not that I was privy to that Plot as for the Popes Letters to the Prince and the Bishop of Conchen in Spaine to pervert him in his Religion they are nothing to me and my Letter to Bishop Hall was many yeers after that Match broken off Secondly there is no proofe of my furthering the Match with France or that the end of it was to reduce us back to Rome the respects and services I did for the Queen were no more then in civility and duty I ought to performe out of the duty I bare to the King my Master whose Consort and Wife she is her gracious favour towards me proceeded only from her owne gracious disposition not from my deserts or seeking and I had no reason to reject it because it would be a meanes for me to work the more effectually upon her Majesty For my giving Order in my Metropolitical Visitation to my Visitor to inhibit Ministers to pray for the Queens conversion or questioning any for praying for it I absolutely deny it and for Master How he was justly censured for his prayer it being scandalous to his Majesty in questioning his care of the Princes education in the true Religion and infusing jealousies into the peoples heads of his education in Popery and inclination to it As for my pretended magnifying of Queene Maries dayes and depressing of King Edwards and Queene Elizabeths in the Preface to the OXFORD STATUTES I answer that that Preface is none of mine nor proved to be so and if it were yet the words relate to the State and Statutes of the Vniversity of Oxford only in their dayes not of our Church and Religion Secondly to the particular Instances I answer that the first second and third of them concerne not me I was neither the cause nor author of nor privy to them nor could I hinder them and the second of them is a strong evidence for me For the fourth of them Sancta Clara his Book it was printed at Lyons not at London and Saint Giles was not the Author of it but another Fryar I had no hand in it nor was privy to it yet it was disliked by many of the Papists because it gave much advantage to our Church and Religion For his being at Oxford it was much against my will by the Kings speciall Warrant for which I have his hand and I maintained him not there but the King To the fifth the proffer of Cardinals Caps to others is nothing to me and for the offer of a Cardinalship to my selfe two severall times as I could not hinder the offers so I rejected them and acquainted the King both with the person and thing which is all I could doe expressing the cause of my refusall thereof to be That something dwelt within me that would not suffer that till Rome were other then it is as appeares by my owne Diary The strongest Evidence that can be to acquit me from any compliancy with Rome To the sixth I answer that the encrease and proceedings of the Papists in Ireland mentioned in the Objected Letters and Papers are nothing to me I was not the cause nor author thereof the Monasteries and Nuâ—meries mentioned in them were but poor little houses My answer to the CoÌ„mons Remonstrance was penned by the Kings speciall command as appears by the endorsment I knew not of these Irish papers nor of the encrease of popery there wheÌ„ I returned an answer to the Remonstr An. 1628. these Proclamations letters papers being dated since that time for the Deputies letters they are nothing to me I could not hinder the writing and directing of them to me and himselfe hath already been impeached condemned for his Actions for which I am not to answer To the seventh I say it was not in my power to hinder the Popes sending his Nuncioes hither which the King condiscended to upon the Queens earnest desire to accommodate and satisfie her Majesty in some things which concerned her in her Religion For the Agents sent and residing in Rome they were hers not mine sent thither by her Majesty without my privity and against my liking To this was replied First that the forementioned Evidence fully demonstrats that the Archbishop was both privy consenting assisting to the Spanish Match Voyage and to the very Instructions given to the Prince before he went into Spaine how he ought to satisfie the Pope about King James his proving him to be the Antichrist in his publique writings therefore the Popes Letter to the Prince and Bishop of Conehen to pervert the Prince in his Religion with the Dukes and Lord Digbies attempts there to
49. His Answer and Demurrer to the Commons Articles p. 43 47. His first appearance at the Lords Barre upon his Tryall with the passages concerning it p. 45 46. The manner and dayes of his Tryall with his Speech at the Lords Barre at the beginning thereof p. 49 to 57. The generall heeds of his charge p. 47. The proofs and proceedings upon the first branch of his Charge touching the subvertion of Religion and introducing of popery p. 57 to 565. His popish Innovations Ceremonies Superstitions Pictures Books at Lambeth and Croydon p. 59 to 67. 461 to 473. at Whitehall in the Kings Chappell and at Westminster at the Kings coronation p. 67 to 71. 473 to 476. in the Vniversities of Oxford and Cambridge p. 70 to 76. 476 to 479. in the Cathedrals of Gloucester Durham Canterbury Hereford Winchester Worcester c. and in Ireland p. 75 to 87. 478 to 488. in Parish Churches and Chappels p 87 to 114. 487 488 c. His proceedings against Master Smart Master Chancy Master Burket and divers others in the High-commission and Star-chamber for opposing his popish Innovations p. 93 to 114. 488 to 498 His Innovations in popish consecrations of Churches Church-yards Chappels Foundation-stones c. with the popish furniture of his Chappell and his dedefences thereof p. 114 to 128. 498 to 505. His promoting and enforcing the Book of Sports and severely censuring Ministers for not reading it the account whereof was given to him p. 128 to 154. 503 to 508. His introducing fomenting Arminianisme protecting advancing Arminians and prosecuting their opposers and all Books Sermons against Arminianisme p. 154 to 178. 507. to 512. His various attempts to introduce direct Doctrinall Popery by maintaining authorizing printing importing popish Books and Errours prohibiting the printing of new reprinting of old orthodox Books against them and purging out the most pregnant passages against popery popish errours Priests Jesuits the Pope himselfe prophanenesse and arbitrary papall power out of Bookes tendred to License of which there are sundry Examples pag. 198 to 346. 512 to 530. His preferring of divers Arminians and persons popishly affected as Mountague Manwaring Cosins and divers others to Bishopricks Deanaries Vicechancellourships Headships in the Vniversities Chaplainships to the King Prince Himselfe others to Prebendaries and the best livings both in England and Ireland and suppressing persecuting those who opposed popery and its encrease p. 345 to 368. 529 to 537. His manifold plots and devices to suppresse Preaching Lecturers Lectures keep out godly men from the Ministery and subverting the Feoffees for Impropriations p. 368 to 388. 536 to 539. His endeauours to suppresse the Protestant Dutch French and Walloone Churches among us his invading their priviledges molesting them divers yeers esteeming them no Churches of Christ nor their Ministers to be Ministers because they had no Diocesian Lord Bishops p. 388 to 409. His manifold endeavours to reduce and reconcile us to Rome his correspondency with Priests Jesuits and and concurring with them in their Designes and Treasons with his Answers and the Commons Replies thereto p. 409 to 460. 543 to 565. His Answers Defences to his severall charges and the Cōmons Reply thereunto p. 463 to 565. canonized for a Martyr and Saint at Oxford and his blood reputed meritorious Epist Dedic See other particulars concerning him in the other Titles of this Table Doctor Laurence his popish Sermon he promoted by Laud p. 186 356 359. Law possible to be fulfilled p. 210 211. contrary passages deleted p. 310 to 323. Leander a popish Fryar intimate with Laud and his quondam chamberfellow sent over to reconcile us to Rome p. 412 431 448 449 556 557 559. Lectures Lecturers suppressed by Laud and his confederates by what meanes and Orders made for that purpose p. 268 to 390. 536 to 540. Master Lee silenced by Lauds speciall command p. 380 381 537 538. Doctor Lewes who fled hence for sodomy advanced by Laud p. 356. Doctor Lindsey a grand Arminian and popish Divine advanced by Laud to severall Bishopricks acquainted him with Sancta Clara and brought him and his Book to him ere it was printed his words concerning the Homilies p. 353 359 426 427. William Long champ Bishop of Ely his pride and power imitated by Laud p. 17 18. Love of God constant deleted p. 322 341. M Mr. Mady convented by Laud for preaching against Arminianisme p. 135 Dr. Man waring censured disabled by Parliament for maintaining arbitrary Taxes and Government from any Church-preferments advanced to a Living Deanery Bishopricke and consecrated Bishop by Laud his popish Innovations at Worcester p. 81 352 353 356 530 531. Marriage of Priests passages for it deleted out of new Books p. 324. Dr. Martin an Arminian Laud's Chaplain advanced by him his Arminian practises p. 167 168 123 357 359 508 5112. Queen Maries dayes magnified by Laud Queen Elizabeths and Edw. 6. depressed p. 420 421 547 548 549. Virgin Maries invocation adoration birth without Originall sinne with the use of Aves to her justified passages contrary thereunto expunged her statue with Christ in her arms erected at Saint Maries in Oxford and adored p. 72. 213. to 218 324. Lud. à Sancta Maria his Theses at Rome p. 419 420. Masse and its merit justified passages against it deleted p. 322 323 324 347 425 Masse-book noted imitated approved by Laud in whose study two of them stately guilt were found who took the pattern of his Chappel Windowes out of it p. 59. to 67 417 471. Sir Toby Matthew a dangerous seducing Priest and Jesuit his intimacy with Laud the Popes Bull to him to recommend his Nuncio to his custody and reconcile England to Rome p. 448 to 452 455 456 557 559. Tho. Mayo his testimony against Laud p. 450 451. Mediator Christ alone not Saints or Angels deleted in new Boooks p. 328 329. Merits and Works of Supererogation justified passages against them deleted p. 209. 210. 315. to 318 425. Master Middletons Letters to Laud p. 429 430 431. Sir Henry Mildmay Anthony Mildmay their testimonies against Laud of his Innovations in the Court and esteem in Rome p. 67 68 412 413 414 543 546 547. Ministers duty passages concerning it deleted out of new Books p. 325 326. See Preaching Mixing Water with Wine in the Sacrament passages against it deleted p. 325. Monasteries Monks Monasticall Vowes Life justified in new Books passages against them deleted erected in England and Ireland yet denied by Laud when complained of by the Commons p. 212 325 433 to 548 550 551. Ri. Mountague an Arminian popish Divine questioned voted against in Parlia protected advanced to Bishopricks and consecrated by Laud his Popish Books justified approued reserved by him Books against them suppressed his intimacy with the Popes Nuncio and endeavours to reconcile us to Rome his Son sent to Rome Lauds instrument to help reduce us to it his Visitation Articles concerning Arminianisme Lectures Lecturers c. account to Laud of his proceedings scurrilous censure