Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	abbey_n	abbot_n	friar_n	14	3	8.2892	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66960	Church-government. Part V a relation of the English reformation, and the lawfulness thereof examined by the theses deliver'd in the four former parts.	R. H., 1609-1678.	1687 (1687)	Wing W3440; ESTC R7292	307,017	452

displease Mr. Fox After the taking away of which Cromwel the State of Religion more and more decayed during all the residue of the Reign of King Henry And amongst these Adversaries was Stephen Gardiner who brought the King at length clean out of credit with the Reformed Religion c. Thus Fox describes the Steerers of the King in his Determinations concerning Church matters And had Mr. Fox been of another perswasion you would have found in his Stile the Lord stirring up the zealous Bishop of Winchester Gardiner and Satan raising Cromwel the Pestilent Adversary of True Religion § 35 And somewhat like to Mr. Fox's is that Saying of Old Latimer to Ridley p. 1562 to shew the miserable fluctuating of this Nation after its having left the rest of the Body of the Church and set up a new Head for its self I refer you saith he to your own Experience to think of our Country-Parliaments and Convocations how and what you have seen and heard The more part in my time did bring forth Six Articles for then the King would so have it being seduced of certain Afterward the more part did expel the same Articles our good Josias King Edward willing to have it so The same Articles now again alas when the Lay Supreme Head was removed another great but worse part hath restored O what an Uncertainty is this Now to proceed in our Story § 86 By vertue of such Supremacy King Henry took away the just Authority of the Patriarch established by Councils In the consecrating and confirming of B●shops and Metropolitan for Confirmation of Metropolitans in this Church subject to his Patriarchy and necessitated also his own Clergy under the Penalty of incurring a Premunire to consecrate and invest into Bishopricks and Arch-Bishopricks void any Person whatever whom he should nominate and present Sec. before §. 29. He also took away the Patriarchs Authority for the receiving of Appeals and exercising final Judicature in Spiritual Controversies contrary to what is shewed in Chur. Gov. 1. Part And also took away the final judging and decision of such Controversies not only from the Patriarch in particular but also from all the Clergy in general not making the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury or Convocation but himself or his Substitutes the ultimate Judges thereof See Statute 25. Hen. 8 19. c. § 31. contrary to the First and Second Theses § 87 By vertue of such a Supremacy and Headship over this Church It the putting down of Monasteries c. he took Possession of all the Monasteries and Religious Houses of this Land which were very numerous small and great and likewise of all Chaunteries Free-Chappels Hospitals Colledges except those of the Two Universities which upon their humble Addresses made to the King were reprieved Herb. Hist Hen. 8. p. 537 of their Lands and Goods Places dedicated to Pious and Sacred uses and put into the hands of the Church as by the gift of the Doners so not without the consent of the Prince Their Buildings he caused to be defaced their Churches demolished Their Lands he enjoyed himself setting up a Court of Augmentation of the Revenues of the Crown or sold or gave to particular Families of the Laity Cromwel telling him that the more had interest in them the more they would be irrevocable to them and their Heirs without any condition advantageous to Religion Learning or Charity save only one that Hospitality and Husbandry should be preserved by them which he cautioned upon the Penalty of paying every Month 6. l. 13. s. 4. d for which reason the King is said to have passed them away at such easy Rates Lord Herbert p. 376. Which Forfeitures upon the Hospitality and Husbandry neglected being very great were abolished by King James at the Supplication of the Parliament 21. Jac. 28. c. And all this he did without any benefit returned to Gods Service or to the Church in lieu thereof save only that having possessed himself of 645 Monasteries 90 Colledges in several Shires 110 Hospitals 2374 Chaunteries and Free-Chappels the yearly value of all which is cast up to have been 161100 l. Besides the Plate Church-Ornaments and Treasure given in Honor of some Saints Besides the Money made of Timber Lead Bells Besides the Stock also of Cattle and Corn the Goods and Chattles of the 376 smaller Monasteries being valued at a low rate at 100000 l. I say Her●●377 having possessed himself of all this he is said to have returned to Pious Uses some 8000 l. per annum perhaps about a Thirtieth part of what he took away in erecting some new Bishopricks of Oxford Peterborough Chester Bristol and Gloucester and in changing of the former Monks of many of the Ancient Cathedral Churches into a Dean and Canons See for what is said Cambd. Brit. and Lord Herb. p. 377. 443 444. Neither doth the Parliament in giving their consent to such alienation caution any further concerning Pious Uses save only that the King should do and use therewith his own Will to the pleasure of Almighty God and to the honor and profit of the Realm See Statute 27. Hen. 8. 28. He freed and dismissed the Religious therein from observing those Rules of Poverty and Obedience in a Monastick Life which they had before solemnly vowed I suppose by vertue of that dispensative Power which he finding annexed to the Pope's conceived that he inherited by his Supremacy See Fox p. 1235. where 't is said That the Persons therein bound and professed to Obedience to a person place habit c upon the dissolution appointed by the Kings Majesty's Authority as Supream Head of the Church are clearly released c. All which things are done by him contrary to the Definitions and Canons of the Church in former Councils concerning their Interpretation of Sacriledge and concerning the unlawful alienation of things and non-violation of persons once dedicated and consecrated to God And all which things were done by him without any Concession or Approbation that I can find even of the particular Clergy of this Nation and with the great grief of the People saith Lord Herb p. 377. those who got nothing by this Plunder to see the Monks and Nuns wandring abroad and the Churches and Chappels perverted to secular and profane Vses § 88 For these things see the Relation of zealous Mr. Fox p. 976. Shortly after the overthrow of the Pope saith he consequently began by litle and litle to follow the ruine of Abbies and other Religious Houses in England in a right Order and Method by Gods Divine Providence For neither could the fall of Monasteries have followed after unless that the Suppression of the Pope had gone before neither could any true Reformation of the Church have been attempted unless the Subversion of these Superstitious Houses had been joyned therewith with Whereupon the same Year the King having Tho. Cromwel of his Council sent Dr. Lee to visit the Abbies Priories and Nunneries in all England and

to set at liberty all such Religious Persons as desired to be free and all other that were under the Age of 24 Years providing withal that such Monks Canons and Fryars as were dismissed should have given them by the Abbot or Prior instead of their habit a Secular Priests Gown and Forty Shillings of Money and likewise the Nunns to have such Apparel as Secular Women did then commonly use and be suffered to go where they would Cromwel saying Lord Herb. pag. 462. That this Expulsion of the Monks c was no more than a restoring them to their first Institution of being Lay and labouring Persons and that they might keep the austerity of life in their several Orders enjoyned them in any condition At which time also from the said Abbies and Monasteries were taken their chief Jewels and Relicks And see the words of the Statute 31. Hen. 8.13 c where all and singular Religious Persons of what Order Rule or Habit soever are said to be put at their liberties from the danger servitude and condition of their Religion and Profession whereunto they were professed and have free liberty given them to purchase to them and their Heirs in Fee-Simple Fee-Taile c Mannors Lands c. in like manner as tho they or any of them had never been professed nor entred into any such Religion And for the ground of all this viz. The Kings conceived lawful Church Supremacy to act such things see some of the Forms of the Monks Resignations transcribed by Mr. Fuller Chur. Hist 6. l. p. 321. which runs thus Whereas your Highness being Supream Head immediately after Christ of his Church in this your Realm of England and so consequently general and only Reformator of all Religious Persons there have full Authority to correct or dissolve at your Grace's Pleasure and Liberty all Convents and Religious Companies abusing the Rules of their Profession c therefore c. § 89 Now the whole carriage and pretence of the dissolution of these Religious Places The Pretences thereof if you desire to know the Particulars was this The King tho having left to him a very great Treasure by his Father Henry the Seventh yet by his high Expences and frequent-Engagements in Forreign Wars and the Interests of Neighbor Princes became very necessitous and for the continuance of the like Expences stood in need of an extraordinary recruit Whereupon as some think he was first invited to this Act by those 40 smaller Monasteries which he saw Wolsey who likewise had much used in this Affair his diligent Servant Cromwel had obtained by grant from the Pope Clement the Seventh to translate this Means of some of those Houses of Devotion which in this Nation abounded to the maintenance of two Colledges built by him for the advancement of Learning of which Houses there was more scarcity And he is said to have been excited also thereto by Cromwel who was now after Wolsey's fall the Kings Servant one already experienced in this matter and who could best inform concerning the Treasure attainable thereby especially when the King being now invested with the Supremacy could confer on himself the same Dispensation for taking more which the Pope had done on Wolsey for a few The King knew also that he had the Laity and the Parliament ready to second him who were willing by any means to remove the burthen of furnishing the Kings necessities from themselves and to give up the Church's Patrimony to save their own and besides who in those days looked with no good Eye on the Authority of the Clergy against whom the Commons had formerly put up a Supplication to the King and the Wealth of the Monasticks Iord Herb. p. 329. Fox p. 960. and who also might expect no small share in this Booty And some reason he had also to hope for the connivance of the Clergy from the ancient difference that is between Regulars and Seculars and from these Religious Houses being exempted from the Jurisdiction and Visitation of Bishops and from the access of Benefit which they might hope from the others mine to some places of cure that were meanly provided for Add to this that the number of them in this Nation was conceived to be excessive in proportion to a well composed State so the multiplying of them accidentally being their destruction and Lastly that these Religious Houses were looked on as the chief Supporters of the Papal Supremacy and Opposers of the Regal Authority in matters Ecclesiastical and in Innovations in Religion their Vow of Obedience to their Superiors leaving them less flexible to change and their Vow of Poverty and Single Life less obnoxious to those fears in declaring of their minds which others are subject to in respect of their Estates and Posterity or their expectation of Preferments § 90 Swayed by these Motives yet the King invaded not all the Religious Houses in the Land at once but first began to take Possession of the smaller Ones such as were under 200 l. annual Revenue and this upon these Three Pretences see Statute 27. Hen. 8.28 c. 1. That the Persons living therein were very vicious whereas saith that Statute made for the alienation of these before the Attachment of the rest thought on in the great Solemn Monasteries of the Realm Thanks be to God Religion is right well kept and observed 2. That these small Societies were not so capable of Reformation as the greater 3. That the greater were not sufficiently replenished Whereupon saith that Statute the Lords and Commons by a great deliberation finally be resolved That it is and shall be much more to the Pleasure of Almighty God and for the Honor of this Realm that the Possessions of those small Religious Houses not being spent spoiled and wasted for the increase of maintenance of Sin mould be used and converted to better uses and the unthrifty Religious Persons so spending the same should be compelled to reform their lives § 91 But afterward the Revenue of these by the King sold spent or disposed-of the sweetness of such a considerable wealth already tasted the Kings great Expences very craving and his Courtiers and Favourites not yet satisfied from smaller beginnings he ascends higher and the great Monasteries also begin now to be looked after And now within three or four years they of the great Monasteries are so overgrown with vice that were so right before that complaints are made of them and Visitors Cromwel being made Visitor-General are sent both to discover their crimes and to restrain by certain Injunctions from the King their former liberty Amongst whom many hainous faults especially as for Incontinency are found out whilst the more notorious Offenders somewhat to excuse themselves impeached others and the Religious mutually recriminated one another Upon these Delinquencies now discovered in the great Houses as before in the lesser together with many impostures and falsifications of Miracles to procure greater resort and gain to such Houses Next the