said Book contained should upon every Lord's day and upon all other days and occasions and at the times therein appointed be openly and solemnly read by all and every Minister and Curate in every Church Chappel or other place of publick worship within this Realm of England and places aforesaid It was also Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every Parson Vicar or other Minister whatsoever who then had and enjoyed any Ecclesiastical Benefice or Promottion within this Realm of England c. should in the Church Chappel or place of publick worship belonging to his said Benefice or Promotion upon some Lord's day before the Feast of St. Bartholomew which should be in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty two openly publickly and solemnly read the Morning and Evening Prayer appointed to be read by and according to the said Book of Common-Prayer at the times thereby appointed and after such reading thereof openly and publickly before the Congregation there assembled declare his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all things in the said Book contained and prescribed in these words and no other I A. B. do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book entitled The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalmes of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form or manner of making Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons And that all and every such Person who should without some lawful impediment to be allowed and approved of by the Ordinary of the place neglect or refuse to do the same within the time aforesaid c. should within one moneth be deprived ipso facto of his spiritual promotions and that thenceforth it should be lawful to and for all Patrons and Donors of all and singular the said spiritual Promotions or of any of them according to their respective Rights and Titles to present or collate to the same as though the person or persons so offending were dead And it was further Enacted That every Person henceforth to be promoted to any Ecclesiastical Benefice should read the Common-Prayer and declare his Assent and Consent thereto within two moneths next after that he shall be in actual possession of the said Ecclesiastical Benefice or Promotion and upon neglect or refusal to be deprived as aforesaid And that Incumbents of Livings keeping Curates shall read the same once every moneth upon pain to forfeit the sum of five pounds to the use of the poor of the Parish for every offence It was also Enacted That every Dean Canon and Prebendary of every Cathedral or Collegiate Church and all Masters and other Heads Fellows Chaplains and Tutors of or in any Colledge Hall Hospital and every publick Professor and Reader in either of the Universities and in every Colledge else-where and every Parson Vicar Curate Lecturer c. and every School-master keeping any publick or private School and every person instructing or teaching any youth in any House or private family as a Tutor or School-master c. should before the Feast of St. Bartholomew in the year aforesaid subscribe the Declaration following scilicet I A. B. do declare that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take up Arms against the King and that I do abhor that traiterous position of taking Arms by his Authority against his person or against those that are Commissioned by him and that I will conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established and I do declare that there lies no obligation upon me or on any other person from the Oath commonly called the Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State and that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and liberties of this Kingdom The penalty for failing in subscribing was for Deans Vicars School-masters to be deprived of their Ecclesiastical promotions Schools and Lectures to be void as if such person so failing were naturally dead Provided always That from and after the 25th day of March which shall be in the year of our Lord God 1682. there shall be omitted in the said declaration so to be subscribed and read it being enjoyned to be openly and publickly read by every Minister c. upon some Lords day within three moneths after his subscription in the presence of the Congregation there assembled these words following scil And I do declare that I do hold there lies no obligation upon me or on any other person from the Oath commonly called the Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State and that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and liberties thereof So as none of the persons aforesaid shall from thenceforth be at all obliged to subscribe or read any part of the said declaration or acknowledgement It was further Enacted That persons not ordained Priests or Deacons according to Episcopal ordination shall not hold any Ecclesiastical promotion nor shall consecrate and administer the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper upon pain to forfeit for every offence the sum of one hundred pounds one moyety thereof to the King the other moyety thereof to be equally divided between the poor of the Parish where the offence shall be committed It was also Enacted That no other Form or Order of Common-Prayers Administration of Sacraments Rites or Ceremonies should be used openly in any Church Chappel or publick place And it was further Enacted That if any person who is by this Act disabled to Preach any Lecture or Sermon shall during the time that he shall continue and remain so disabled Preach any Sermon or Lecture that then for every such offence the Person and Persons so offending shall suffer three moneths imprisonment in the common Goal without Bayl or Mainprize It was also Provided That at all and every time and times when any Sermon or Lecture is to be Preached the Common-Prayers and Service in and by the said Book appointed to be read for that time of the day shall be openly publickly and solemnly read by some Priest or Deacon in the Church Chappel or place of publick worship where the said Sermon or Lecture is to be Preached and that the Lecturer then to Preach shall be present at the reading thereof It was further Enacted That the Laws and Statutes formerly made for Uniformity of Common-Prayer should continue to be in force and to be executed for punishing offendors against this Law Hereupon many hundred Ministers with divers Lecturers and School-masters left their places refusing to
Oxford wherein was agreed that English men and Danes should hold the Laws made by King Edgar as most just and reasonable He established Laws Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Canutus went on pilgrimage to Rome and there founded an Hospital for English Pilgrims He shrined the body of Bernius and gave great Lands to the Cathedral Church of Winchester He builded St. Bennet's in Norfolk which was before an Hermitage Also St. Edmond's-bury which King Athelstane ordained before for a Colledge of Priests he turned to an Abbey of Monks of Saint Bennet's Order Two of his Sons succeeded him first his base Son called from his swiftness Harold Harefoot a man of a cowardly disposition He reigned but four years and the Kingdom fell to Hardiknout King of Denmark his Brother who when he had reigned two years being drunk at Lambeth suddenly was stricken dumb and fell down to the ground and within eight dayes after died without issue of his Body Thus ended the Danish Kings which Danes had vexed and wasted the Land two hundred fifty five years When England was freed from the Danes they sent into Normandy inviting over Edward the Confessor and brother to King Edmond He was crowned Anno 1045. In his time was the Law made which concerned the King's Oath at Coronation Mathew Paris describes the Manners of the Countrey at his coming thus The Nobles were given to gluttony and leachery they went not to Church in the morning but only had a Priest which made haste with the Mass and Mattens in their chambers and they heard a little with their ears The Clergy were so ignorant that if any knew the Grammar he was admired by them most men spent nights and dayes in carousing In his dayes England injoyed Halcion dayes free from Danish invasions The Ecclesiastical Laws made by this King in his reign were I. That every Clerk and Scholar should quietly enjoy their goods and possessions II. What solemn Festivals people may come and go of without any Law-suits to disturb them III. That in all Courts where the Bishop's Proctor doth appear his case is first to be heard and determined IV. That guilty folk flying to the Church should there have protection not to be reproved by any but the Bishop and his Ministers V. That Tithes be paid to the Church of Sheep Pigs Bees and the like VI. How the Ordal was to be ordered for the trial of guilty persons by fire and water VII That Peter-pence or Rome-scot be faithfully paid to the Pope This King is reported to have entailed by Heaven's Consort an hereditary vertue on his Successors the Kings of England only with this condition that they continue constant in Christianity to cure the King 's Evil. In this King's reign lived Marianus Scotus that wrote much of the deeds of the Kings of England King Edward died childless Harold the Son of Earl Godwin succeeded him Indeed the undoubted right lay in Edgar Atheling Son to Edward the Outlaw Grandchild to Edmond Iron-side King of England But he being young and tender and of a soft temper and Harold being rich and strong in Knights the Nobles chose Harold to be their King As soon as he was crowned he established many good Laws especially such as were for the good of the Church and for the punishment of evil-doers Harold was slain in a battel near Hastings in Sussex and William Duke of Normandy obtained the Crown of England by conquest within a few years he made a great alteration in England the most part of his Knights and Bishops were Normans and many English with Edgar fled into Scotland where King Malcolm had married Edgar's Sister Margaret They incited Malcolm to invade England and he entred into the North part At last a peace was concluded and a Mark-stone was set up in Stanmoor as the mark of both Kingdoms with the Pourtraict of both Kings on the sides of the Stone Although then corruptions crept into the Church by degrees and divine worship began then to be clogged with superstitious Ceremonies yet that the Doctrine remained still entire in most material points will appear by an Induction of the dominative Controversies wherein we differ from the Church of Rome as Fuller in his Church-History of Britain hath observed I. Scripture generally read Bed Eccl. hist lib. 3. ca. 5. For such as were with the holy Bishop Aidan either Clergy or Laity were tyed to exercise themselves in reading the holy Word and in singing of Psalms II. The Original preferred Caradoc in Chron. of Cambridge For Ricemath a Britain a right learned and godly Clerk Son to Sulgen Bishop of St. David's flourishing in this Age made this Epigram on those who translated the Psalter out of the Greek so taking it at the second hand and not drawing it immediately from the first vessel Ebreis nablam custodit litera signis Pro captu quam quisque suo sermone latino Edidit innumeros lingua variante libellos Ebreumque jubar suffuscat nube latina c. This Harp the holy Hebrew Text doth tender Which to their power whil'st every one doth render In Latine tongue with many variations He clouds the Hebrew rays with his translation Thus liquors when twice shifted out and pour'd In a third vessel are both cool'd and sowr'd But holy Jerome Truth to light doth bring Briefer and fuller fetcht from the Hebrew Spring III. No Prayers for the dead in the modern notion of Papists For though we find prayers for the dead yet they were not in the nature of propitiation for their sins or to procure relaxation from their torments but were only an honourable commemoration of their memories and a Sacrifice of thanksgiving for their salvation IV. Purgatory then not perfected though newly invented For although there are frequent Visions and Revelations in this Age pretended thereon to build Purgatory which had no ground in Scripture yet it stood not then as now it stands in the Romish belief V. Communion under both kinds For Bede relateth that one Hildmer an Officer of Egfride King of Northumberland entreated our Cuthbert to send a Priest that might minister the Sacrament of the Lord's Body and Blood unto his Wife that then lay a dying And Cuthbert himself immediately before his own departure out of this life received the communion of the Lord's Body and Blood So that the Eucharist was then administred entire and not maimed as it is by the Papists at this day And though the word Mass was frequent in that Age yet was it not known to be offered as a propitiatory Sacrifice for the quick and dead King William to testifie his thankfulness to God for his Victory founded in that place Battel-Abbey endowing it with Revenues and large immunities The Abbot whereof being a Baron of Parliament carried a pardon in his presence who casually coming to the place of execution had power to save any Malefactor The Abby-Church was a place of safety for any Fellon or Murtherer Here the Monks
flourished in all abundance till the dayes of Henry the Eighth Then Dooms-day Book was made containing an exact survay of the Houses and Lands in the Kingdom which took up some years before it was compleated King William called a Council of his Bishops at Winchester wherein he was personally present with two Cardinals sent from Rome Here Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury was deposed and Lanfrank a Lombard substituted in his room Sir John Davys in his Irish report A learned Lawyer hath observed that the first encroachment of the Pope upon the Liberties of the Crown of England was made in the time of King William the Conqueror For the Conqueror came in with the Pope's Banner and under it won the battel which got him the Garland and therefore the Pope presumed he might boldly pluck some flowers from it being partly gained by his countenance and blessing Although this politick Prince was complementally courteous to the See of Rome yet 1. He retained the ancient custom of the Saxon Kings investing Bishops and Abbots by delivering them a Ring and a Staff whereby without more ado they were put into plenary possession of the power and profit of their place He said He would keep all Pastoral Staves in his own hand 2. Being demanded to do Fealty for his Crown of England unto Pope Gregory the Seventh he wrote thus unto him That he would not do Fealty unto the Pope because neither had he promised it nor did he find his Predecessors had performed it 3. This King would in no wise suffer any one in his Dominion to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome for Apostolical without his command or to receive the Pope's Letters except first they had been shewed unto him And although the Archbishop of Canterbury by his own Authority might congregate Councils and sit as President therein yet the King permitted him to appoint or prohibit nothing but what was according to his own will and what the King had ordained before 4. The King suffered no Bishop to excommunicate any of his Barons or Officers for Adultery Incest or any such hainous crime except by the King's command first made acquainted with the same This King gave unto the Bishops an entire Jurisdiction by themselves to judge all causes relating to Religion for before that time the Sheriff and Bishop kept their Court together He granted the Clergy throughout England Tithes of Calves Colts Lambs Milk Butter Cheese Woods Meadows Mills c. Then Thomas a Norman was preferred to the Archbishoprick of York Betwixt Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterbury and this Thomas there grew great contention for the Oath of Obedience but in the end Thomas subscribed obedience to the other Then it was decreed that York for that time should be subject to Canterbury in matters appertaining to the Church so that wheresoever within England the Archbishop of Canterbury would hold his Council the Bishops of York should resort thither with their Bishops and be obedient to his Decrees Canonical Then were divers Bishops Seats altered from Villages to great Cities as of Sealsey to Chichester out of Cornwall to Exeter from Wells to Bath from Shirburn to Salisbury from Dorchester in Oxford-shire to Lincoln from Lichfield to Chester which Bishoprick of Chester Robert then Bishop reduced from Chester to Coventry At this time several Liturgies were used in England which caused confusion and much disturbed mens devotions A brawl happened betwixt the English Monks of Glastonbury and Thurstan their Norman Abbot in their very Church obtruding a Service upon them which they disliked eight Monks were wounded and two slain near the steps of the high Altar This ill accident occasioned a settlement and uniformity of Liturgy all over England An uniformity of Liturgy all over England for hereupon Osmund Bishop of Salisbury devised that form of Service which hereafter was observed in the whole Realm Henceforward the most ignorant Parish-Priest in England understood the meaning of Secundum usum Sarum that all Service must be ordered According to the course and custom of Salisbury Church King William brought many Jews into England for before his reign I find none in this Land from Roan in Normandy and setled them in London Norwich Cambridge Northampton In the dayes of Lanfrank Waltelm Bishop of Winchester had placed about forty Canons instead of Monks but it held not for Lanfrank cast out secular Priests and substituted Monks in their rooms He also contested with Odo Bishop of Bayeux though half-Brother to King William and Earl of Kent and in a legal Trial regained many Lordships which Odo had unjustly invaded Although in this King's time there was almost no English-man that bare Office of honour or rule yet he favoured the City of London and granted them the first Charter that ever they had written in the Saxon tongue and sealed with green Wax expressed in eight or nine lines King William died in Normandy and William Rufus his second Son Anno 1088. was crowned King of England He began very bountifully to some Churches he gave ten Marks to others six to every Countrey-Village five shillings besides an hundred pounds to every County to be distributed among the poor But afterward he proved very parcimonious though no man more prodigal of never performed Promises This year died Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterbury after whose death the King seized the profits of that See into his own hand and kept the Church vacant for some years He kept at the same time the Archbishoprick of Canterbury the Bishopricks of Winchester and Durham and thirteen Abbies in his hand and brought a mass of Money into his Exchequer All places which he parted with was upon present payment He quarrelled with Remigius Bishop of Lincoln about the founding of his Cathedral and forced him to buy his peace And without a sum of Money paid to the King John Bishop of Wells could not remove his Seat to Bath King Rufus coming to Glocester fell very sick hereupon he made Anselm the Abbot of Beck in Normandy one of eminent learning and strictness of life Archbishop of Canterbury The King soon after sent to him for a thousand pounds which Anselm refused to pay Then Herbert Bishop of Thetford removed his Episcopal Seat from Thetford to Norwich where he first founded the Cathedral Herbert Bishop of Thetford founded the Cathedral at Norwich Then died Wolstan Bishop of Worcester an English-man born a mortified man Near this time began the holy War Robert Duke of Normandy to fit himself for that Voyage sold his Dukedome to King William Rufus for ten thousand Marks To pay this money King Rufus laid a grievous Tax over all the Realm extorting it with such severity that the Monks were fain to sell the Church-plate and very Chalices for discharging thereof And when the Clergy desired to be eased of their burdens I beseech you said he have ye not Coffins of gold and Silver for dead mens bones intimating that the same Treasure might
mounted on whose behalf the Pope upon the Bishop's humble suit pleading the Clergy's immunity wrote somewhat earnestly to King Richard to set his very dear Son for so he called the Bishop at liberty The King in a pleasant manner caused the Habergeon and Curasses of the Bishop to be presented to the Pope with this question alluding to that of Jacob's Children to their Father concerning Joseph's Garment Vide an haec sit filii tui tunica an non See whether this be thy Son's coat or not Whereupon the Pope replied That he was neither his Son nor the Son of the Church and therefore should be Ransomed at the King's will because he was rather judged to be a servitor of Mars than a Souldier of Christ Whom the King of England handled sharply Anno 1199. One Thurical an English-man was in a rapture carried in the night to Purgatory of which S. Nicholas is Governor where also he saw the mouth of Hell whence a stinking smoak issued out which as it was revealed to him came out of Tithes detained or ill paid because there those Men were horribly punished who had ill-paid the Tithes due to the Church This is related by Mat. Paris a Monk of St. Albans superstitious according to the Age that he lived in Then also came the Minorite Friars into England When the Minorite Friars came into England their Order being but lately instituted King Richard laying Siege to a Castle called Chaluz belonging to the Viscount of Limoges was shot into the Arm by a poisoned Arrow whereupon the Iron remaining and festering in the wound the King within nine dayes after died having first forgiven the Souldier before his Death King John was Crowned in Westminster-Abbey June 9. 1199. and was Sworn by Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury Quod sanctam Ecclesiam ejus ordinatos diligeret eam ob incursione malignantium indemnem conservaret dignitates illius bona fide sine malo ingenio servaret illasas as Roger Hoveden expresseth it This Archbishop with all the Bishops Abbots Nobles present at and consenting to this Oath and doing Homage and Fealty to him The 13th of June following he was solemnly Divorced in Normandy in the presence of three of his Norman Bishops from the Duke of Gloucester's Daughter Vnde magnam summi Pontificis Innocentii tertii Curiae Romanae indignationem prasumens temere contra leges canones dissolvere quod eorum fuerat authoritate colligatum as Radulphus de Diceta informs us But he soon after was Married to Isabel sole Daughter and Heir of the Earl of Angolesme who was Crowned Queen Octob. 8. by Archbishop Hubert this Pope and Cardinals not daring to question or null his Marriage CENT XIII KIng John being no sooner possessed of the Realm of England but in the very first year of his Reign evidenced to all the World his Ecclesiastical Sovereignty both by ratifying protecting enlarging the Ecclesiastical as well as Temporal Liberties Privledges Churches Chappels Tithes Lands Possessions granted by his Ancestors to several Archbishopricks Bishopricks Monasteries in England Ireland Normandy by sundry Charters using this expression in the Prologue of Confirmation to the Monastery of Cirencester Johannes Dei gratia c. Prynne's history of Popes Usurpations lib. 5. ch 1. Quoniam Honori nostro condecens saluti nostrae necessarium loca sancta religiosa quae ab Avo patris nostri Rege H. primo sunt fundata a Rege H. secundo patre nostro confirmata defendere custodire amplificare Inde est quod Deo Sancta Mariae de Cirencest Canonitis Regularibus ibidem Deo servientibus damus concedimus Dat. per manum H. Cant. Archiep. Cancel nostri apud sag 7. die Aug. An. Regni nostri 10. Which prologue he likewise used in other of his Charters K. John also authorized Hubert Archbishop of Canter to make a Will which he could not then Legally do without his Royal License In the year 1177. no less then 30 Nuns of the Abby of Ambresbury were accused and convicted at one time for their incontinency to the dissolution and infamy of their Order whereof they had been publikely defamed whereupon King Henry the 2d Expulsis sanctimonialibus be Abbatia de Ambresbury propter incontinentiam per alios domos Religiosos distributis expelling the Nuns from this Abbey for their incontinency distributed them throughout other Religious Houses in stricter custody by way of penance and gave it to the Abbess and Nuns of Font-Everoit for a perpetual possession who sending a Covent of Nuns thither from Font-Everoit Richard then Archbishop of Canterbury inducted them into the Abbey of Ambresbury on the first of June King Hen. 2. Bartholomew Bishop of Excester John Bishop of Norwich and many other of the Clergy and People being then present And by his Charter Anno 1179. confirmed the Lands of this Abbey to them with many liberties and that by the advice and consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury and many other Bishops Great Men and Barons of the Realm King John in the first year of his Reign by his Charter reciting all the premises in the Prologue confirmed this Charter of his Father ratified these Nuns deprivations and imprisonments in other Monasteries for their incontinency with consent of his Bishops Nobles and request of Pope Alexander transferring this Abbey and all Lands thereto belonging from one rank of Nuns to another takes both these Nuns Persons Lands into his Royal protection as if they were his own Demesnes grants them several Tithes Churches large Priviledges and prohibits that none of his Officers or Subjects should disturb them therein nor implead them but in the presence of himself and his heirs The same first year of King John's Reign the Abbot of Westminster dying the Monks by the King's License elected Ralph Arundel Prior of Harle for their Abbot unto which the King gave his Assent Whereupon he was consecrated Abbot no Bishops Abbots Priors or other Ecclesiastical Persons being elected to any Dignities but by the King 's previous License and subsequent Assent to the Person elected who might approve or reject him at his Royal Pleasure This King ratified the Charter of K. Richard touching the exchange between Archbishop Hubert and the Bishop and Monks of Rochester of the Manor of Lambeth for other Lands and the Clause therein authorizing the Pope Archbishop of Canterbury Bishops and Clergy of England to Excommunicate the infringers thereof Chart. 1. Johan Regis part 2. n. 147. n. 25. Besides he appropriated several Parochial Churches in perpetuity to the Bishoprick of Coventry and Litchfield converted other Parochial Churches into Prebendaries and ratified the Orders made by Bishop Hugh for the better regulation of that Church by two Charters The like Charter of confirmation of Churches Tithes and Liberties he made to the Bishop of Exeter and his Successors the same year In the second year of his Reign the Dean and Chapter of Lexoven
were given to any man by the Archbishop Stephen or by the Priors of Canterbury from the time of the election of the Archbishop England remained under the Interdict six years three months and an half whereby not only the King and his Court but also all the people of England who had nothing to do with that Quarrel were Excommunicated In that long time how many thousands of men died in England who by the Rules of the Roman Church and by the Pope's Judgment are eternally damned and that but for a Quarrel between the King and the Pope about some Investitures of Churches and Collations of Benefices and Money-matters Then saith Mathew Paris Matth. Paris who was an eye-witness of all that disorder All the Sacraments of the Church ceased in England saving only the Confession and the Communion of the Host in the last necessity and the Baptism of Infants The dead bodies were carried out of the Towns as if they had been the bodies of Dogs and buried by the High-wayes and in Ditches without Prayers and without service of Priests By the same Interdict all Masses Vespers all publick Service and ringing of Bells was forbidden and the Kingdom was exposed to rapine and prey and given to any that would conquer it Only the King was not excommunicated by name but that was done the next year after Next Pope Innocent deposed King John from the Kingdom of England and absolved the English from the Oath of their Allegiance and commanded Philip August King of France that for the remission of his sins he should invade the Kingdom of England with force of Arms giving to those that should follow the King in that Conquest the pardon of all their sins and the same Graces and Pardons as to them that visit the holy Sepulchre Whereupon the said King Philip partly to obtain the remission of his sins partly to make himself Master of England raised a mighty Army whilst Innocent was stirring up the English to rise against their King This moved King John to humble himself under the Pope and to receive such Conditions as liked him best The Conditions were That the King should yield unto the Pope the whole right of Patronage of all the Benefices of his Kingdom That to obtain Absolution of his sins he should pay to the Clergy of Canterbury and to other Prelates the sum of eight thousand pounds Sterling That he should satisfie for the damages done to the Church according to the Judgment of the Pope's Legat. That the said King should resign his Crown into the Pope's hand with his Kingdoms of England and Ireland for which Letters were formed and given to Pandulphus the Pope's Legat. King John being informed that his Archbishops Bishops and Clergy intended to hold a Council at St. Albans by the command of Pope Innocent the Third about the payment of Rome-scot against custom and sundry other unusual Exactions to the great destruction of the whole Realm upon complaint thereof by his Nobles and People issued out a Prohibition to them expresly forbidding them upon their Allegiance not to hold any Council there by the Popes or any other Authority nor to consult or treat of those things nor to act or ordain any thing against the custom of the Realm as they tendered his Honour or the tranquillity of the Kingdom until he conferred with the general Council of his Realms about it Thomas Sprot Speed 's History p. 571. During this Interdict Alexander Cementarius Abbot of the Benedictines at Canterbury Vir corpore Elegantissimus facie Venerabilis literarum plenitudine imbutus ita ut Parisiis celebris haberetur Magister et Rector et Lector in Theologia was sent by King John unto Rome where he openly pleaded and fomented the King's Cause against the Pope He maintained there That there is no Power under God higher than a King and That the Clergy should not have Temporal government He proved these two Articles by Scripture and Reason and by testimony of Gregory the First in an Epistle to Augustine Bishop of Canterbury Anno 1209. in the tenth year of King John Henry Fitz-Alan was sworn first Mayor of London and Peter Duke with Thomus Neal sworn for Sheriffs And London-bridge began to be built with Stone and St. Saviours in Southwark the same year He wrote three Books against the Popes Usurpations and Power viz. De Cessione Papali De Ecclesiae potestate De potestate Vicaria in defence of his Sovereign King John for which his Loyalty he was afterwards by the Pope's Power deprived of all his Benefices by Pandulphus the Pope's Legat after King John's surrender of his Crown and enforced to beg his Bread King John having seized and detained in his hands the Temporalties of the Archbishoprick of Armach in Ireland for that the Bishop was elected without his License against his Will and Appeal two Monks coming to him proffering him three hundred Marks in Silver and three Marks a year in Gold for to have the Lands Liberties and Rights thereof he by his Writ returned them to his Chief Justice there to do what was fitting in it John Reumond coming from Rome to lay claim to a Prebendary in Hastings sued to the King for his License and safe conduct to come into and return from England which he granted upon this condition that upon his arrival he should give security that he came hither for no ill to the King nor for any other business but that Prebendary The like License he granted to Simon Langton the Archbishop's Brother upon the same and stricter conditions King John sent a memorable Letter to the Pope by special Messengers to claim and justifie this ancient and undoubted Right which He and his Royal Ancestors enjoyed to provide and prefer Archbishops and Bishops to the See of Canterbury and all other Cathedrals attested by the Letters of the Bishops of England and other credible persons desiring him to preserve the rights of the Church and Realm of England entire and inviolable by his Fatherly provision Then the King entred into a League with Otho the Emperour Mat. Westminst and forced John King of Scots who received his fugitive Subjects and harboured them in his Kingdom to send to him for peace to pay him eleven thousand Marks to purchase his peace with him and to put in Hostages for his fidelity without any Fight between them Yea the the Welch-men themselves formerly rebellious soon after his return from Scotland voluntarily repaired to him at Woodstock and there did homage to him After which Anno 1211. he entring into Wales with a great Army as far as Snowdown Reges omnes Nobiles sine contradictione subjugavit de subjectione in posterum obsides viginti octo suscepit inde cum prosperitate ad Albani Monasterium remeavit Lewellin Prince of North-Wales being enforced to render himself to mercy without any Battel at all When the Pope's Absolution of the Nobles and all other Subjects from the
Thomas Walsingham saith That about this time the Pope requiring it the Churches of England were taxed according to their true value to raise his Dismes and exactions higher In the same year 1290. the King out of his zeal to Christian Religion banished all the Jews out of England by a publick Act in Parliament The Jews banished out of England by Act of Parliament and Confiscated all their Houses and Lands for their Infidelity Blasphemy Crucifying of Children in contempt of Christ Crucified and clipping of his Coyn. In August they were commanded to depart the Land with their Wives and Children between that time and the Feast of all Saints with their moveable Goods Their number was said to be sixteen thousand five hundred and eleven they were banished never to return again into England There hapning many contests between the Bishop of Lincoln and the Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford concerning the Presentation and Confirmation of their Chancellor whether he ought to come out of the University in Person to the Bishop or to be admitted by his Proxies the King by his Prerogative to advance Learning and settle Peace between them made a friendly accord for the future Pope Nicholas preferring his own lucre and favour of King Edward and his Chaplains before God's Service or Peoples Souls against sundry Canons Licensed twenty of the King's Clerks imployed in his service which he should nominate to be Non-residents from their Ecclesiastical Benefices for ten years space This year the King confirmed the grant of several Tithes Churches and Advousons formerly made by Robert de Candos to the Monastery of Bek and Goldclive Then Peter de Divion Abbot of Rewley an Alien born in France and most Abbots and Priors that were Aliens took an Oath and gave sufficient Pledges for their Fidelity and true Allegeance to the King in that Age especially in time of War and not to send the Goods of their Monasteries out of the Realm which they frequently did to the Kingdoms prejudice The King issuing a Dedimus potestatem to the Abbot of Thame to take this Oath of Peter de Divion the Abbot endorsed this return thereon Ego Frater Johannes Abbas de Thame virtute istius Mandati recepi Sacramentum Dom. Petri de Divione Abbatis de Regali loco juxta Oxon. apud Oxon. Dominica in festo Apostolorum Simonis Judae etiam recepi Manucaptores ipsius Domini Petri Abbatis de Regali loco viz. Johannem de Doclynton Majorem Villae Oxon. Johannem de Crokesford Juniorem Ricardum Cary Johannem de Fallee Johannem le Peyntour Burgensis dictae Villae Oxon. Qui conjunctim divisim manuceperunt dictum Dom. Petrum Abbatem de Regali loco quod idem Abbas bene fideliter erga dominum Regem se habebit omnia alia in Brevi isto contenta perficiet observabit The King granted two hundred pounds to the Pope's Chaplain in Scotland for his expences pains and labour therein taken in the service of Queen Margaret deceased The same year William de Luda was elected and confirmed Bishop of Ely This year the King gave several sums of Money to buy Books and Ornaments for Religious Houses that were burnt in Gascoign and England The King converted the Profits of the Archbishoprick of York then void to the repairing and building the Castle of Carnarvan in Wales after his Conquest thereof Parker de Antiqu Eccles Anglic. f. 205. Anno 1290. Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury storieth that John Peckham Archbishop of Canterbury this year after the visitation and subjugation of his whole Province summoned a Council of his Clergy at Reding wherein he propounded the drawing of all causes concerning Advousons meerly belonging to the King 's Temporal to their Ecclesiastical Courts and to cut off all Prohibitions to them from the King's Courts in personal Causes Which the King hearing of expresly commanded them by special Messengers to desist from it whereupon this Council was dissolved In the nineteenth year of King Edward the First Queen Eleanor deceasing in December the King thereupon out of his devotion according to the practice of that blind Age on January the fourth issued a Writ to all the Religious Houses and Monks of Cluny in England to sing Masses and Prayers for her Soul to purge it from all the remaining spots of sin and to certifie him the number of the Masses they would say for her that proportionably he might thank them William Thorn saith that the Prior of Christ-church in Canterbury granted to the King in the Feast of the Translation of St. Edward fifty Hymns and two thousand three hundred and fifty Masses for the Souls of his Progenitors and Queens of England as a great extraordinary Liberality and Spiritual Alms. The Abbot of Condam also sent a Letter to the King to inform him what Prayers Masses and Anniversaries He and his Monastery had ordered for the Queens speedy translation to Heavenly Joyes Anno 1292. died John Peckham Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Nicholas also died who sate four years one month and eighteen dayes after whose death one delivered this Verse for an Epitaph Gloria laus speculum fratrum Nicolae Minorum Te vivente vigent te moriente cadunt The Frier Minors pride insolency and avarice was great while they lived who were both of their Order Archbishop Peckham's death this year put a period to the Contests between him and the Abbot of St. Augustines King Edward in the twentieth year of his Reign out of his blind devotion and love to his late deceased Consort Queen Eleanor instituted a solemn Anniversary to be kept for her every year Issuing sums of Money and granting several Manors and Lands to the Abbot and Covent of Westminster for that end Claus 20. Edw. 1. wherein he prescribed how many Tapers and of what weight they should find how many and what Masses Dirges Pater-nosters Ave-Maries they should sing and what Alms they should distribute to the poor for her Soul obliging the Abbot Prior and Monks by a solemn Oath duly to perform the same under pain of forfeiting all their Goods Chattels and the Lands thus given to them for this end Anthony Bishop of Durham erecting the Parish-Churches of Chester and Langechester which were very rich and large into a Deanary and seven Prebendaries for the advancing of God's Service and the good of the peoples Souls and obliging the Dean and Prebends by Oath to personal Residence thereon and discharge of their duties and God's Service therein according as he had prescribed by his Ordinances and Charters The King to promote God's Service and the good of his Peoples Souls ratified the Bishop's Ordinances by two Charters which recite them warranting the division of great and rich Parishes and Bishopricks into many and obliging the Dean Prebends Ministers Chaplains thereof by Oath to personal Residence and discharge of their Duties and Divine offices therein John Lythgraines and Alice
Crown but without any Act for the validity of her Mother's Marriage on which her Title most depended There passed an Act also for restoring the Tenths and first Fruits to the Crown first setled thereon in the time of King Henry the Eighth and afterwards given back by Queen Mary to the Pope They passed an Act also for the dissolution of all such Monasteries Convents and Religious Orders as had been Founded and established by Queen Mary By vertue of which Act Queen Elizabeth was repossessed of all those Lands which had been granted by her Sister to the Monks of Westminster and Shen the Knights Hospitallers the Nuns of Sion together with the Mansion houses re-edified for the Observants of Greenwich and the Black-friers in Smithfield In passing the Act of the Supremacy there was some trouble it seemed to be a thing even abhorrent in Nature and Polity that a Woman should be declared to be the Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England But the Queen declined the Title of Head and assumed the name of Governor of the Church of England This Act having easily passed the House of Commons found none of the Temporal Lords in the House of Lords to oppose it save onely the Earl of Shrewsbury and Anthony Brown Viscount Montacute As for the Bishops there were but fourteen and the Abbot of Westminster then alive of whom four being absent the rest could not make any considerable opposition In the Convocation of the Clergy there passed certain Articles of Religion which they tendered to the Parliament which were these I. That in the Sacrament of the Altar by the vertue of Christ assisting after the word is duly pronounced by the Priest the natural Body of Christ conceived by the Virgin Mary is really present under the Species of Bread and Wine also his natural Blood II. That after the Consecration there remains not the substance of Bread and Wine nor any other substance save the substance of God and Man III. That the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is offered a propitiatory Sacrifice for the quick and dead IV. That the supreme power of feeding and governing the Militant Church of Christ and of confirming their Brethren is given to Peter the Apostle and to his lawful Successors in the See Apostolick as unto the Vicars of Christ. V. That the Authority to handle and define such things which belong to Faith the Sacraments and Discipline Ecclesiastical hath hitherto ever belonged and onely ought to belong unto the Pastors of the Church whom the Holy Spirit hath placed in the Church of God and not unto Lay-men This Remonstrance exhibited by the lower house of Convocation to the Bishops was according to their Requests presented by Edmond Bonner Bishop of London to the Lord Keeper of the Broad-seal of England in the Parliament Both Universities did concur to the truth of the foresaid Articles the last onely excepted This Declaration of the Popish Clergy hastened the disputation appointed on the last of March in the Church of Westminster wherein these Questions were debated I. Whether Service and Sacraments ought to be celebrated in the vulgar Tongue II. Whether the Church hath not power to alter Ceremonies III. Whether the Mass be a propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead Popish Disputants White Bishop of Winchester Watson Bishop of Lincoln Baynes Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield Scot Bishop of CHESTER Protestant Disputants John Scory late Bishop of Chichester David Whitehead Robert Horn. Edmond Gwest Edwyn Sandys John Elmer Edmond Grindal John Juel Moderators Nicholas Heath Archbishop of York Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seal Besides the Disputants there were present many of the Lords of the Queens Council with other of the Nobility as also many of the lower House of Parliament For the manner of their conference it was agreed it should be performed in writing and that the Bishops should deliver their Reasons in writing first Many differences arose between them so that the conference broke off and nothing was determined The Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester thought meet that the Queen and the Authors of this defection from the Church of Rome should be Excommunicated who for this cause were imprisoned Then a Peace being made was Proclaimed over all England betwixt the Queen of England the King of France the Daulphin and the Queen of Scots The Parliament being dissolved by Authority of the same the Liturgy was forthwith brought into the Churches in the Vulgar Tongue the Oath of Supremacy offered to the Popish Bishops and others of the Ecclesiastical profession which most of them had sworn unto in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth All the Bishops refused except Anthony Bishop of Landaff As many as refused were turned out of their Livings Dignities Bishopricks In the Sees of the Prelates removed were placed Protestant Bishops Matthew Parker was made Archbishop of Canterbury who was Consecrated by three that formerly had been Bishops namely William Barlow of Bath and Wells John Scory of Chichester and Miles Coverdale of Exeter And being Consecrated himself he afterward Consecrated Edmond Grindal Bishop of London Richard Cox Bishop of Ely Edwyn Sandys Bishop of Worcester Rowland Merick Bishop of Bangor Thomas Young Bishop of St. David's Nicholas Bullingham Bishop of Lincoln John Juel Bishop of Salisbury Richard Davis Bishop of St. Asaph Edward Guest Bishop of Rochester Gilbert Barkley Bishop of Bath and Wells Thomas Bentham Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield William Alley Bishop of Exeter John Parkhurst Bishop of Norwich Robert Horn Bishop of Winchester Richard Cheiney Bishop of Glocester Edmond Scambler Bishop of Peterborough William Barlow Bishop of Chichester John Scory Bishop of Hereford Thomas Young Archbishop of York James Pilkinton Bishop of Durham John Best Bishop of Carlile and William Dounham Bishop of Chester Nicholas Health Archbishop of York lived privately many years in his Mannor of Chobham in Surrey never restrained to any one place and died in great favour with the Queen who bestowed many gratious visits upon him during his retirement Tonstal of Durham spent the remainder of his time with Archbishop Parker by whom he was kindly entertained and honourably buried The like civility was afforded to Thurlby Bishop of Ely in the same house and unto Bourn of Wells by the Dean of Exon in which two houses they both died about ten years after White though at first imprisoned for his faults after some cooling himself in the Tower of London was suffered to enjoy his liberty and to retire himself to what friend he pleased Which favour was vouchsafed unto Turbervil also who being a Gentleman by extraction wanted not friends to give him good entertainment Watson of Lincoln after a short restraint spent the remainder of his time with the Bishops of Rochester and Ely till having practised against the State he was shut up in the Castle of VVisbich where at last he died Oglethorp died soon after his deprivation of an Apoplexy
Bayn of the Stone and Morgan in December following Pool enjoyed the like freedom and died in a good old age Christopherson lived on his Estate Bonner alone was doomed to a perpetual imprisonment the prison proving to that wretch saith Dr. Heylin his greatest Sanctuary whose horrid Butcheries had otherwise exposed him to the popular fury We find no more to have been deprived of their preferments than fourteen Bishops six Abbots Priors and Governors of Religious Orders twelve Deans and as many Archdeacons fifteen Presidents or Masters of Colledges fifty Prebendaries of Cathedral Churches and about eighty Parsons or Vicars The whole number not amounting to two hundred men which in a Realm consisting of nine thousand Parishes and twenty six Cathedral Churches could be no great matter But there was not a sufficient number of Learned men to supply the Cures which filled the Church with an Ignorant Clergy Dr. P. Heylins History of Queen Eliz. whose Learning went no further than the Liturgy or the Book of Homilies but otherwise conformable which was no small felicity to the Rules of the Church And on the other side many were raised to great preferments who having spent their time of exile in such Forreign Churches as followed the platform of Geneva returned so disaffected to Episcopal Government unto the Rites here by Law established as not long after filled the Church with most sad disorders On which account we find the Queens Professor in Oxford among the Non-conformists and Cartwright the Lady Margaret's in Cambridge VVhittingham the Ring-leader of the Franckfort dividers was preferred to the Deanery of Durham Sampson to the Deanery of Christ-church and within few years after turned out for a rigid Non-conformist Hardiman one of the first twelve Prebendaries of the Church of VVestminster deprived soon after for throwing down the Altar and defacing the Vestments of the Church Whether it were by the Pope's instigation or by by the ambition of the Daulphin who had then Married the Queen of Scots the Scottish Queen assumeth unto her self the Style and Title of Queen of England quartereth the Armes thereof upon all her Plate and in all Armories and Eschutcheons as she had occasion A folly that Queen Elizabeth could never forget nor forgive and this engaged her the more resolutely in that Reformation so happily begun And to that purpose she sets out by advice of her Council a certain Body of Injunctions accommodated to the temper of the present time wherein severe course was taken about Ministers Marriages the use of Singing and the Reverence in Divine Worship to be kept in Churches the posture of the Communion-table and the Form of Prayers in the Congregation By the Injunctions she made way to her Visitation Executed by Commissioners in their several Circuits and regulated by a Book of Articles printed and published for that purpose Proceeding by which Articles the Commissioners removed all carved Images out of the Church which had been abused to Superstition defacing also all such Pictures Paintings as served for the setting forth feigned Miracles They enquired also into the life and doctrine of Ministers their diligence in attending their several Cures the decency of their apparel the respect of the Parishioners toward them Heylin's Hist of Q. Elizab. the reverent behaviour of all manner of persons in God's Worship c. by means whereof the Church was setled and confirmed in so good an Order that the work was made more easie to the Bishops when they came to Govern than otherwise it could have been In London the Visitors were Sir Richard Sackvil Father to Thomas Earl of Dorset Robert Horn soon after Bishop of VVinchester Doctor Huick a Civilian and one Salvage a Common Lawyer who calling before them divers Persons of every Parish gave them an Oath to enquire and present upon such Articles and Injunctions as were given unto them In pursuance whereof they burnt in St. Paul's Church-yard Cheapside and other places of the City all the Roods and other Images which had been taken out of the Churches And in some places the Copes Vestments Altar-cloathes Books Banners Sepulchres and Rood-lofts were burned altogether A Peace being concluded betwixt England and France although Queen Elizabeth had just cause to be offended with the young King Francis the Second for causing the Queen of Scots his Wise to take upon her self the Title and Armes of England yet she resolved to bestow a Royal obsequy upon the King deceased which was performed in St. Paul's Church on the eighth and nineth of September in most solemn manner Kellison the Jesuite and Parsons from him slaunderously affirmed That Archbishop Parker was consecrated at the Nags-head Tavern in Cheapside This slaunder was raised on this occasion In order to his Consecration the first thing to be done after the passing the Royal Assent for ratifying the election of the Dean and Chapter was the confirming it in the Court of the Arches according to the usual form in that behalf Mason's Consecration of Bishops in the Church of England lib. 3. cap. 4. Which being accordingly done the Vicar General the Dean of the Arches the Proctors and Officers of the Court whose presence was required at this Solemnity were entertained at a Dinner provided for them at the Nags-head Tavern in Cheapside for which though Archbishop Parker paid the shot yet shall the Church be called to an after-reckoning But the Records of the Archbishoprick declare that he was Consecrated in the Chappel within his Mannor of Lambeth These slaunderers knew right well that nothing did more justifie the Church of England in the eye of the World than that it did preserve a Succession of Bishops and consequently of all other sacred Orders in the Ministration without which as they would not grant it to be a Church so could they prove it to be none by no stronger Argument than that the Bishops or the pretended Bishops rather in their Opinion were either not Consecrate at all or not Canonically Consecrated as they ought to be And now we may behold the face of the Church of England as it was first setled and established under Queen Elizabeth The Government of the Church by Archbishops and Bishops These Bishops nominated and elected according to the Statute in the twenty sixth of King Henry the Eighth and Consecrated by the Ordinal confirmed by Parliament in the fifth and sixth year of King Edward the Sixth never appearing publickly but in their Rotchets nor Officiating otherwise than in Copes of the Altar the Priests not stirring out of doors in their square Caps Cowns or Canonical Coats nor Executing any Divine Service but in their Surplice Heylin Hist of Q. Elizab. The Doctrine of the Church reduced unto it's antient purity according to the Articles agreed upon in Convocation Anno 1552. The Liturgy conform to the Primitive paterns The Festivals preserved in their former dignity observed with their distinct Offices peculiar to them the weekly Fasts the time of
the holy Sacraments and partly for the Apparel of all Persons Ecclesiastical by vertue of the Queen's Majestie 's Letters Commanding the same January fifteenth c. In this year 1564. died the Emperour Ferdinand and Mr. John Calvin What Peter Lombard was esteemed to be in the Schools at Rome the same was Calvin reckoned to be in all those Churches which were Reformed according to the Zuinglian Doctrine in the point of the Sacrament Heylin's Hist of Q. Elizab. Yet the Royal and Prelatical Divines conceived otherwise of him saith Dr. Heylin and the learned Adrian Seravia though by birth a Dutchman Yet being once preferred in the Church of England could not endure to be called Calvinian About the middle of February the Lord Darly came to the Court of Scotland who being not fully twenty years old of lovely person sweet behaviour and a most ingenuous disposition exceedingly prevailed in short time on the Queen's affections About the middle of July the Marriage-Rites were celebrated in the Royal Chappel by the Dean of Restalrig and the next day the Queen having made him before Earl of Rosse and Duke of Rothsay the new Duke was proclaimed King by sound of Trumpet and declared to be associated with the Queen in the publick government The news whereof being brought unto Queen Elizabeth she seemed more offended than indeed she was But never was marriage more calamitous to the parties themselves or more dishonourable to that nation or finally more scandalous to both Religions in nothing fortunate but in the birth of James the sixth born in the Palace of Edenburgh on July 19. Anno 1566. Solemnly Crowned King of the Scots on the same day of the Month Anno 1567. and joyfully received to the Crown of England on March 14. 1602. Of such a temper were the devotions of the Church of England at this time that generally the English Papists L. Coke's charg given at Norwich Assizes 1606. and the Ambassadours of Forreign Princes still resorted to them For the first ten years of Her Majestie 's Reign the Papists in general came to our Churches In the beginning of the eleventh year of her Reign Cornwallis Beddingfield and Selyard were the first Recusants Now we are come to the setling the Episcopal Government by as good Authority as could be given to it by the Lawes of the Land By a Statute made in the last Parliament for keeping Her Majestie 's Subjects in their due obedience a power was given unto the Bishops to tender and receive the Oath of Supremacy of all manner of persons residing and dwelling in their several Diocesses Bonner was then Prisoner in the Marshalsey which being within the Borough of Southwark brought him within the Jurisdiction of Horn Bishop of Winchester by whose Chancellor the Oath was tendred to him On the refusal of which Oath he iâ— Indicted at the King's Bench upon the Stature to which he appeared in some Term in the year foregoing and desires that Council be assigned to plead his cause The Court assigns him Christopher Wray afterwards Chief-justice of the Common-Pleas that famous Lawyer Edmond Ploydon and one Mr. Lovelace But the business came under consideration in the following Parliament which began on September thirty where the Legality of Horn's Episcopacy which was objected against in the behalf of Bonner was cleered by Statute by which the Parliament did only publish notifie and declare the Legal Authority of the English Bishops whose call and Consecration to their place was formerly performed In the year 1566. Queen Elizabeth came to Oxford Honourably attended with Robert Dudley lately made Earl of Leicester and Chancellor of Oxford the Marquess of Northampton the Lord Burleigh and the Spanish Ambassadour She was lodged in Christ-Church where many Comedies were acted before Her Many Acts were kept before Her in Philosophy and one most eminent in Divinity She concluded all with a Latine Oration which you may read in Fuller's Church History as it was taken by Dr. Laurence Humfrey and by him Printed in the Life of Bishop Jewel Having stayed seven dayes she took Her leave of the University Anno 1567. Another Generation of Active Non-conformists succeeded the former Of these Coleman Button Benson and Halingham were the chief inveighing against the established Church-discipline endeavouring to conform the English Church in all things to that of Geneva To these three more may be added viz. William White Thomas Rowland Robert Hawkins all Beneficed within the Diocese of London This year these three were cited to appear before Edmond Grindal Bishop of London one who was not very forward to press Conformity The Bishop asked them this question Have we not a godly Prince speak is she evil To which they made their several answers in manner following William White What a question is that the fruits do shew Thomas Rowland No but the servants of God are persecuted under Her Robert Hawkins Why this question the Prophet answereth in the Psalms How can they have understanding that work iniquity spoiling my people and that extol vanity The Queen proceeded severely against some of them commanding them to be put in prison though still their party daily encreased And now to strengthen the Romish party two most Active fugitive Papists Thomas Harding and Nicholas Saunders return into England Very earnest they were in advancing the Catholick Cause and perverted very many to their own erroneous opinions A moneth or two after the Prince of Scotland's baptizing the King her Husband in the one and twentieth year of his age was in the dead time of the night by bloody barbarous hands was strangled in his bed and thrown forth into an Orchyard the house being blown up with Gun-powder The Queen afterwards marrieth Earl Bothwel but he is forced to fly out of Scotland And the Queen is thrust in prison at Loch-levin But what should be done with Her the Conspirators could not agree among themselves At length they extort from her a resignation of her Kingdom to her Son who was scarce thirteen moneths old But she being ill-used at home by her own Subjects made an escape into England and landed at Wirkington in Comberland and the same day wrote a letter in French to Queen Elizabeth The Countess of Lenox complaineth against her to Queen Elizabeth 〈…〉 â—list Cent. 〈◊〉 and besought her that she might be brought to her trial for the murther of her Son The Queen of Scots wrote a letter to the Pope to manifest her devotion to the See of Rome written from Castle Boulton Novemb. 30. 1568. Then Thomas Piercy Earl of Northumberland and Charles Nevil Earl of Westmorland brake out into open Rebellion against the Queen Their first valour was to fight against the English Bible and Service-book in Durham tearing them to pieces They set up Mass in most places where they came Richard Norton an aged Gentleman carrying the Cross before them and others bearing in their banners the five wounds of Christ or a Chalice
according to their different devices But the Earl of Sussex advancing out of the South with an Army to oppose them they fled Northwards and mouldered away to nothing Northumberland fled into Scotland lurked there awhile was betrayed to Earl Murrey sent back into England and beheaded at York Westmorland fled into Flanders where he long lived very poor on a small pension Many were executed by Sir Seorge Bowes Knight Marshal in every Market-town betwixt New-castle and Witherby Leonard Dacres the next year laboured to raise a New Rebellion but by the valour and vigilancy of the Lord Hunsdon his deâ—â—â— was seasonably defeated Commissioners were appointed by Queen Elizabeth to take cognizance of the cause of the Queen of Scots Murrey cometh to York being the City appointed for that purpose and with him seven of his Inwardest friends as Delegates for the Infant-King and for the Queen of Scots Delegates also appeared After Lidington's admonition to the Scots and the Scots Protestation the Delegates for the Queen delivered a Declaration in Writing Some few dayes after Murrey the Regent and the Delegates for the Infant-King gave in their Answer To this the Queen of Scots Delegates renewing again their former Protestation opposed their Replication Murrey refuseth to yield reasons for deposing the Queen Then were the English Commissioners Revoked and their Authority abrogated to the great rejoycing of the Duke of Norfolk who had ever favoured the Queen of Scots Title to the Succession to the Crown of England New Commissioners were appointed to hear and examine the matter but the matter cometh to nothing Murrey propoundeth to Norfolk a Marriage with the Queen of Scots yet spreadeth rumours against her The Queen of Scots was committed to the Earl of Shrewsbury Camden's Hist of Q. Elizab. Queen Elizabeth relieveth the Protestants in France Edicts being published there whereby the exercise of the Reformed Religion was utterly forbidden the Professors thereof removed from Publick Offices and the Ministers of the word commanded to depart the Realm within a prefixed time She also gratiously received the Netherlanders of whom a great multitude had withdrawn themselves into England as into a Sanctuary from the cruelty of the Duke of Alva John Story Doctor of the Lawes a great persecutor in Queen Mary's dayes being allured by a wile into a Ship which was reported to have brought over English Merchandises and Heretical Books the Master of the Ship presently set Sail and brought him into England where afterwards he was executed as a Traytor to his Countrey at Tyburn Then were the English Merchants in the Netherlands and Spain drawn into the Inquisition and condemned to the Galleys and their goods confiscate The old store of Papists in England began now much to diminish prisons consumed many Age more of their Priests and they had no place in England whence to recruit themselves Hereupon they resolved to erect Colledges beyond the Seas for English youth to have their education therein This project begun Anno 1569. was so effectually prosecuted that within the compass of fifty years nine Colledges were by them founded and furnished with Students and they with maintenance Doway-colledge in Flanders was founded 1569. by Philip the second King of Spain all the Recusants in Eâ—gland were Benefactors to it The first Recâ—â—r was William Allen afterwards Cardinal He died Anno 1594. The second Thomas Worthington Rector Anno 1609. The third Matthew Kellison Rector 1624. Whereas the government of all other English Colledges belongs to Jesuites this onely is ruled by Secular Priests The second Colledge was at Rome founded Anno 1579. Pope Gregory the thirteenth exhibited maintenance first to six then to fourteen at last to threescore Scholars therein to the yearly value of four thousand Crowns The Welch Hospital in Rome founded and endowed many hundred years since by Cadwallader King of Wales for Welch Pilgrims with the Rich Lands thereof were conferred by the said Pope on this Colledge Now whereas Anno 1576. there were but thirty old Priests remaining in this Realm these two Colledges alone within two years sent above three hundred Priests into England The first Rector was Dr. Maurice The second Ferdinando a Neapolitan Jesuite The third Robert Parsons The fourth Thomas Fitz-herbert 1623. The third Colledge was founded by Philip the second King of Spain at Valladolit in old Castile Donna Luysa de Caravaial a rich Widow Lady in Spain gave all her estate being very great to this Colledge and came over into England where she died Father Walpool by pretending to have gained Mr. Pickering Wotton Son and Heir to the Lord Wotton to the Romish Church got above five hundred pounds to this Colledge Sir Francis Inglefield Privy Counsellor to Queen Mary forsaking his fair estate in Berk-shire in the first year of Queen Elizabeth was a bountiful Benefactor to this Colledge The fourth Colledge was of Sivil founded by Philip the second King of Spain Anno 1593. The fifth was at S. Omers in Artois founded 1596. by Philip the second who gave them a good Annuity for whose soul they say every day a Mass and every year an Obitum Their Rector generally is a Fleming though this Colledge be of English only The sixth Colledge is at Madrid in new Castile founded 1606. Joseph Creswel the Jesuite with money of the two Colledges of Valladolit and Sivil bought an House here and built a Colledge thereon The seventh a Colledge of Lovain in Brabant founded 1606. by Philip the third King of Spain who gave a Castle with a Pension to the English Jesuits to build them a Colledge therewith The eighth Colledge was at Liege in Lukeland founded 1616. The Archbishop of Collen being at this time also Bishop of Liege gave them a Pension to live on and leave to build a fair Colledge here Many of the English Nobility and Gentry under pretence of passing to the Spaw to recover their healths dropped here much of their Gold by the way The ninth Colledge was of Gaunt in Flanders founded 1624. by Philip the Fourth who gave them a Pension The Colledge of St. Omers generally is for Boyes to be taught in Grammar Rome for Youths studying the Arts All the rest for Men Novices or professed Jesuits save that Doway is for any of what age or parts soever It is incredible what a mass of money was yearly made over out of England for the maintenance of these Colledges having here their Provincials Sub-provincials Assistants Agents Coadjutors Familiars c. who collected vast sums for them The solemn Oath which each Student arrived at man's estate ceremoniously sweareth when admitted into one of these Colledges is as followeth I A. B. one bred in this English Colledge Continuation of Sanders de Schismat Anglicano p. 116. considering how great benefits God hath bestowed upon me but then especially when he brought me out of my own Countrey so much infected with Heresie and made me a member of the Catholick Church as also desiring
division of the Chapters to be altered either not at all or as little as may be c. VI. No Marginal notes at all to be affixed but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek words which cannot without some circumlocution so briefly and fitly be expressed in the Text. VII Such Quotations of places to be marginally set down as shall serve for the fit reference of one Scripture to another VIII Every particular man of each company to take the same Chapter or Chapters and having translated or amended them severally by himself where he thinks good all to meet together confer what they have done and agree for their part what shall stand IX As any one company hath thus dispatched any one Book they shall send it to the rest to be considered of seriously and judiciously X. If any company upon the review of the Book so sent shall doubt or differ upon any places to send them word thereof note the places and therewithall send their Reasons to which if they consent not the difference to be compounded at the General meeting which is to be of the chief persons of each company at the end of the work XI When any place of special obscurity is doubted of Letters to be directed by Authority to send to any learned in the Land for his judgment in such a place XII Letters to be sent from every Bishop to the rest of his Clergy c. to move and charge as many as being skilful in the Tongues have taken pains in that kind to send his particular Observations to the company either at Westminster Cambridge or Oxford XIII The Directors in each Company to be the Deans of Westminster and Chester for that place and the King's Professors in the Hebrew and the Greek in each University XIV These Translations to be used when they agree better with the Text than the Bishops Bible ordinarily read in the Church Viz. Tindals Mathews Coverdales Whitchurch Geneva Three or four of the most grave Divines in either of the Universities not employed in translating to be assigned by the Vice-Chancellor upon Conference with the rest of the Heads to be Overseers of the Translations as well Hebrew as Greek The untimely death of Mr. Edward Lively much weight of the Work lying on his Skill in the Oriental Tongues happening about this time much retarded their proceedings On May 21. 1607. died Doctor John Rainolds King's Professor in Oxford and one of those Translators of the Bible So great was his Memory that he could readily turn to all material passages in every Leaf Page Volume Paragraph in all his voluminous Books A man of a solid Judgment and great Humility His disaffection to the established Discipline was not so great as some Bishops did suspect or as more Non-conformists did believe He desired the abolishing of some Ceremonies for the ease of others Consciences to which in his own practise he did willingly submit kneeling at the Sacrament and constantly wearing Hood and Surplice On his death-bed he desired Absolution according to the form of the Church of England and received it from Doctor Holland Doctor Featly made his Funeral Oration in the Colledge Sir Isaac Wake in the University In this year died Richard Vaughan D. D. successively Bishop of Bangon Chester and London Mr. Thomas Brightman died the same year He was born in the Town of Nottingham bred in Queens Colledge in Cambridge where a constant opposition in point of Judgment about Ceremonies was maintained betwixt him and Doctor Meryton afterwards Dean of York He died suddenly according to his desire and was buried at Haunes in Bedford-shire whereof he had been Minister fifteen years Doctor Bulkley preaching his Funeral Sermon King James founded a Colledge at Chelsey and bestowed on the same by his Letters Patents the Reversion of good Land in Chelsey then in possession of Charles Earl of Nottingham Doctor Matthew Sutcliffe Dean of Exeter bestowed on this Colledge The Farms of Kingston Hazzard Appleton Kramerland In the Parish of 1. Staverton 2. Harberton 3. Churchton 4. Stoke-rivers All in the County of Devon and put together worth 300 l. per Annum Besides these by his Will he bequeathed unto Doctor John Prideaux and Doctor Clifford as Feoffees in trust to settle the same on the Colledge the benefit of the extent on a Statute of four thousand pounds acknowledged by Sir Lewis Steukly c. Here we will insert the number and names of the Provost and first Fellows Matthew Sutcliff Dean of Exceter Provost 1. John Overal Dean of St. Paul's 2. Thomas Morton Dean of Winchester 3. Richard Field Dean of Glocester 4. Robert Abbot Doctor of Divinity 5. John Spencer Doctor of Divinity 6 Miles Smith Doctor of Divinity 7. William Cevit Doctor of Divinity 8. John Hewson Doctor of Divinity 9. John Layfield Doctor of Divinity 10. Benjamin Carrier Doctor of Divinity 11. Martin Fotherby Doctor of Divinity 12. John Boys Doctor of Divinity 13. Richard Bret. Doctor of Divinity 14. Peter Lilie Doctor of Divinity 15. Francis Burley Doctor of Divinity 16. William Hellier Archdeacon of Barstable 17. John White Fellow of Manchester Colledge William Camden Clarenceaux Historians John Haywood Doctor of Law Historians To promote this Work his Majesty sent his Letters to the Archbishop of Canterbury to stir up all the Clergy in his Province to contibute to so pious a Work The Archbishop sent his additional Letter to his Clergy to the same intent yet for all these endeavours and Collections in all the Parishes of England slow and small were the sums of money brought in to this Work Many things obstructed those hopeful proceedings especially the untimely death of Prince Henry the chief Author of this design as some conceived At this present it hath but little of the case and nothing of the Jewel for which it was intended Almost rotten before ripe and ruinous before it was finished Anno 1609. died William Overton Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield Martin Heton Bishop of Ely and Thomas Ravis successively Bishop of Glocester and London Anno 1610. Gervas Babington Bishop of Worcester ended his pious life The same year expired Bishop Bancroft Archbishop of Canterbury He bequeathed his Library the confluence of his own Collections with his Predecessors Whitgift Grindal Parker to Chelsey Colledge and if that took not effect to the publick Library in Cambridge where at this day they remain George Abbot succeeded him in the See of Canterbury Now after long expectation and great desire came forth the new Translation of the Bible most beautifully printed by a select and competent number of Divines appointed for that purpose whose Industry Skilfulness Piety and Discretion hath therein bound the Church unto them in a debt of thankfulness as Mr. Fuller well noteth The Romanists take exceptions at the several sences of words noted in the Margin And some Brethren complained of this Translation for lack of the Geneva Annotations But those Notes could no way be
in Gresham Colledge and Mr. Francis Rowse a Lay-man His Majesty sensible of his Subjects great distast at Mr. Mountague's Book resolved to leave him to stand or fall according to the justness of his Cause The Duke imparted as much to the Bishop of St. David's who conceived it of such ominous concernment that he entred the same in his Diary viz. I seem to see a cloud arising and threatning the Church of England God for his mercy dissipate it The King issued forth a Proclamation Whereby he commanded the return within limited time of all such Children of Noble-men and other his natural Subjects who were now breeding up in Schools and Seminaries and other Houses of the Popish Religion beyond the Seas That their Parents Tutors and Governors take present order to recal them home and to provide that they return by the day prefixt at the utmost severity of his Majestie 's Justice He commanded further That no Bishop Priest or any other person having taken Orders under any Authority derived from the See of Rome do presume to confer Ecclesiastical Orders or exercise Ecclesiastical Function or Jurisdiction toward any of his Natural Subjects in any of his Dominions c. On Candlemas-day King Charles was Crowned Bishop Laud had the chief hand in compiling the form of the Coronation and had the honour to perform this Solemnity instead of the late Lord Keeper Williams who through the King's diâ—favour was sequestred from this service which belonged to his place as he was Dean of Westminster Dr. Senhouse Bishop of Carlile Preached at the Coronation The Coronation Oath was tendred to the King by the Archbishop of Canterbury The Ceremonies of the Coronation being ended the Regalia were offered at the Altar by Bishop Laud in the King's Name and then reposited Bishop Williams fallen into disgrace by the displeasure of the Duke of Buckingham besought his Majesty That he would mitigate the Duke's causeless anger towards him and that in his absence in the Parliament no use might be made of his Majestie 's sacred Name to wound the Reputation of a poor Bishop c. On Monday February the sixth began the second Parliament of the King's Reign The House of Commons began where they left at Oxford with matters of Religion and publick grievances They made strict enquiry into what abuses had been of the King's grace since that time and who were the Authors and Abbertors thereof for they had been informed of many Pardons and Reprieves to Priests and Jesuites An Act was tendred against scandalous Ministers It was moved that some provision might be made against scandalous Livings as well as against scandalous Ministers A Committee was named concerning Religion and the Growth of Popery and Mr. Mountague's Appeal to Caesar was again brought in question This Book the Commons referred to the Committee for Religion the contents whereof were reported from Mr. Pym to the House and the House passed their Votes thereupon That Mr. Mountague endeavoured to reconcile England to Rome and to alienate the King's affections from his well-affected Subjects Divers Articles were exhibited by the Commons against Mr. Mountague They prayed That the said Mr. Mountague might be punished according to his Demerits and that the Book aforesaid might be suppressed and burnt Many resorting to hear Mass at Durham house in the Lodgings of a Forreign Ambassador the Bishop of Durham was required to apprehend such of the King's Subjects as should be present at the Mass and to commit them to prison There was also a Letter sent from the Attorney General to the Judges of the circuits to direct their proceedings against Recusants Fuller Church Hist An. 1626. During the sitting of this Parliament at the procurement of Robert Rich Earl of Warwich a conference was kept in York house before the Duke of Buckingham and other Lords betwixt Dr. Buckeridge Bishop of Rochester and Dr. White Dean of Carlile on the one side and Dr. Morton Bishop of Coventry and Dr. Preston on the other chiefly About the possibility of one elected to fall from grace The passages of which conference are variously reported Soon after a second conference was in the same place on the same points before the same persons betwixt Dr. White Dean of Carlile and Mr. Mountague on the one side and Dr. Morton Bishop of Litchfield and Dr. Preston on the other But these conferences rather increased the differences than abated them An old Hall in Oxford formerly called Broad-gates-Hall was this year turned into a new Colledge and called Pembrook Colledge partly in respect to William Earl of Pembrook then Chancellor of the University This Colledge consisteth of a Master ten Fellows and ten Scholars with other Students and Officers to the number of one hundred sixty nine Now Dr. Preston decline's in the Duke's favour and the Duke betakes himself to the opposit Interest This year died Arthur Lake Bishop of Bath and Wells and Lancelot Andrews who had been Dean of Westminster Bishop of Chichester Ely and at last of Winchester Doctor Nicholas Felton Bishop of Ely died some days after Bishop Andrews About this time the Marshal of Middlesex petitioned to the Committee of the House of Commons touching his resistance in seizing of Priests goods A Warrant was made by Mr Attorney-General to John Tendring Marshal of Middlesex and all other therein named to search the prison of the Clink and to seize all Popish and superstitious matters there found A Letter also was directed to Sir George Paul a Justice of Peace in Surrey to pray him to take care in expediting that service Upon search four several Priests were found in the Clink viz. Preston Candon Warrington Prator Preston was committed to the Clink about sixteen years since and discharged of his imprisonment about seven years ago yet remained there in the Prison still attended with two Women servants and one Man servant who as it was suspected had continued with him ever since the Gunpowder-Treason Rushw Collec Anno 1626. Anno 1605. He kept there by himself apart from the Keeper of the prison and had for his lodging part of the Bishop of Winchester's house into which there was a passage made through the prison-yard There were found in his Chamber five or six Cart-loads of Books set up with shelves as in a Library or Book-seller's shop supposed to be worth two thousand pounds at least besides which it was affirmed by the Keeper of the prison that he had a greater Library abroad There were also found two Altars ready furnished for Mass one more publick in an upper Chamber the other more private in a Study many rich Copes Surplices Wax-candles Crosses Crucifixes very rich Beads Jewels Chaines Chalices of Silver and of Gold five or six bags of money which were not opened and loose money to the quantity of an hundred pound thrown up and down in his Desk abundance of Manuscripts and a pacquet of Letters bound up together with a thread In Candon's Chamber
kept in custody by the General 's command in the Queen's Court and Court of Wards These were removed to the King's-Head Inn near Charing-Cross and to the Swan Inn in the Strand under Guards of Souldiers The Army put forth a new Representative called The Agreement of the People The King is brought up to London arraigned before a select Committee for that purpose called An High Court of Justice indicted and upon his refusalâ— to own their Authority finally condemned Having received the sentence of death Dr. Juxon Bishop of London Preached privately before him at St. James's on the Sunday following his Text Romans 2.16 Next Tuesday being the day of his dissolution in the morning alone he received the Communion from the hands of the said Bishop At which time he read for the second Lesson the 27th chapter of St. Matthew containing the History of the death and passion of our Saviour Sermon ended the King heartily thanked the Bishop for selecting so seasonable and comfortable a portion of Scripture seeing all Humane hope and happiness is founded on the sufferings of our Saviour The Bishop answered He had done it meerly following the direction of the Church of England whose Rubrick appointeth that Chapter the second Morning-lesson for the thirtieth of January At ten of the Clock in the forenoon he is brought on Foot from St. James's Palace over the Park to Whitehall guarded with a Regiment of Foot-souldiers part before and the rest behind him with Colours flying and Drums beating his private Guard of Partizans about him and Doctor Juxon Bishop of London next to him on one side and Colonel Tomlinson on the other He bid them go faster saying That he now went before them to strive for an Heavenly Crowns with less sollicitude than he had oftentimes bid his Souldiers to fight for an earthly Diadem Then passeth he to the Scaffold where he defendeth his Innocency howbeit he acknowledgeth God's justice pardons his enemies takes pity on the Kingdom He shews the Souldiers how much they are out of the way and tells them They would never go right till they give God his due the King his due and the people their due You must said he give God his due by restoring his worship and Church rightly regulated which is now out of order according to his Word And a National Synod freely called freely debating among themselves must settle this when every Opinion is freely and clearly heard For the King said he that is my Successor Indeed I will not the Laws of the Land will clearly instruct you for that For the People I must tel you That their liberty and freedom consists in having Government under those Laws by which their Lives and Goods may be most their own It is not in having a share in the Government that pertains not to them A Sovereign and a Subject are two different things He prayed God they might take those courses that are best for the good of the Kingdom and their own Salvation Then having declared That he died a Christian according to the profession of the Church of England as the same was left him by his Father He said I have a good Cause and a gracious God and gave his George to the Bishop bidding him Remember to give it to the Prince Then said He I go from a Corruptible to an Incorruptible Crown where no disturbance can be but peace and joy for evermore Then lifting up his eyes and hands to Heaven having prayed secretly stooping down to the block he received the fatal stroak On the Wednesday sennight after his Corps embalmed and Coffined in Lead was delivered to the care of some of his Servants to be buried at Windsor That night they brought the Corps to Windsor The Vault being prepared a scarff of Lead was provided some two foot long and five inches broad therein to make an Inscription which was KING CHARLES 1648. The Plummer souldred it to the Coffin about the Breast of the Corpse Then was the Corpse brought to the Vault being born by the Souldiers of the Garrison Over it a black Velvet Herse-cloth the four Labels whereof the Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hertford the Earls of South-hampton and Lindsey did support The Bishop of London stood weeping by Then was it deposited in silence and sorrow in the vacant place in the Vault near to the Coffin as it was thought which contained the Corps of King Henry the Eighth the Herse-cloth being cast in after it about three of the Clock in the afternoon and the Lords that night though late returned to London Prince Charles eldest Son to King Charles the first by unquestionable right succeeded to the Crowns of England Scotland and Ireland in the eighteenth year of his age Proclamation and Coronation could not now have their due course The Ruling part of the House of Commons who usurped the Government with violence on the person of the late King immediately published an Act even against Kingly Government Yet this Inhibition did not deter many Loyal Subjects from doing their duty and on February 2. a Proclamation in the name of the Noblemen Judges Knights Lawyers Gentlemen Free-holders Merchants Citizens Yeomen Seamen and other Freemen of England did Proclaim Prince Charles King of England The Proclamation was Printed and scattered about the Streets of London The House of Peers continued yet sitting and in regard the Commissions of the Judges were determined by the death of the King they send to the Commons for a Conference about it and other matters relating to the setling of the Government But Monarchy and the House of Lords are declared useless by the Commons The Peers in general resent these indignities put upon them by a small part of the House of Commons they assert their own Priviledges and the Fundamental Laws of the Nation and disclaim and protest against all Acts Votes Orders or Ordinances of the said Members of the Commons House for erecting of new Courts of Justice to try or execute the King or any Peer or Subject of the Realm for altering the Government Laws Great Seal c. Hereupon the Army set a Guard upon the door of the House of Lords and in further prosecution of the late Votes of Commons against Monarchy An Act was passed by that House for the Exhaeredation of the Royal Line the Abolishment of Monarchy in this Kingdom and the setting up of a Common-wealth which they ordered to be published and Proclaimed in all parts of the Kingdom But Alderman Reinoldson then Lord Mayor of London refused to publish this Act in London and He with three of the Aldermen of his Judgment were sent prisoners to the Tower But on February 3. the King was Proclaimed at the Cross at Edinburgh In the beginning of March the Duke of Hamilton the Earls of Holland and Norwich the Lord Capel and Sir John Owen were tried and condemned by an High Court of Justice erected for that purpose of which the Duke of Hamilton the
Ecclesiastical Person formerly Sequestred or ejected after Lawful presentation and reception of the profits that hath not subscribed any petition to bring the late King to Trial or by any Act endeavoured or justified the murther of the said King or declared his judgement against Infant-baptism by Preaching Writing Printing or constant refusal to Baptize shall be restored to the possession thereof at or before the twenty fifth day of December next ensuing and every Ecclesiastical person to be removed may enjoy the profits to that day On December 29. following on which day the Parliament was dissolved 32 Acts more were passed by the King Among which one was an Act for Confirmation of Marriages during the time of the late Usurpations Another was for making the Precinct of Covent-garden Parochial And an Act for the disappropriating of the Rectory appropriate of Preston and uniting and consolidating of the said Rectory and of the Vicarage of the Church of Preston and for the assuring of the Advouson and right of Patronage of the same unto the Master Fellows and Scholars of Immanuel-colledge in Cambridge And an Act for Confirmation of Grants and Leases from Colledges and Hospitals Now some sixty Fifth-monarchy men under the conduct of one Thomas Venner a Cooper broke forth into Rebellion This Venner was a Preacher to a Conventicle of that opinion in Coleman-street in London Such was the madness of these men that they believed that They and the rest of their judgement were called by God to reform the world and make all the earthly powers which they called Babylon subservient to the Kingdom of Jesus and in Order thereunto never to sheath their swords till the carnal powers of the world were subdued They were taught and believed that one of them should subdue a Thousand making account when they had done their work in England to go into France Spain Germany and other parts of the world there to prosecute their pretended holy design The place where they plotted and continued their conspiracy was the meeting-place for their devotion and thither they had at several times convayed arms On Sunday January 6. which was the day before their excursion they were very late at their Assembly which made one Martin the Landlord of the House inquisitive after their doings He peeping through a chink in their door saw them arming themselves with Back breast and head-piece and thereupon immediately gave notice to the next Officers Half an hour after they came down and first marched to S. Thomas the Apostle to call some of their party from thence to Bishops-gate and after to White-cross-street They escaped to S. John's Wood and from thence to Cane-wood betwixt High-gate and Hampsted On Wednesday morning the Rebels came again into London and divided themselves into two parties one whereof about five or six in the morning appeared about Leaden-hall and from thence marched to little East-cheap where they fought desperately but were dispersed by the trained bands Venner and another party came to my Lord Mayor's house thinking to have taken him Prisoner but missing him they marched into Woodstreet where Colonel Corbet and nine of his party charged through the Rebels and broke them They fought with admirable courage and if they had not been hindred from encreasing their numbers a Thousand men so resolved might have done much mischief Venner himself was much wounded before he was taken and about five or six were killed that refused quarter About eight or ten dayes after Venner with about sixteen or seventeen of the most notorious were arraigned at Justice-hall in the old Baily found guilty and executed in several parts of London About this time there was a conference at the Savoy between divers Episcopal and Presbyterian Divines about the Church discipline but to little effect A new Parliament was called which assembled at Westminster May 8. 1661. In the first Session whereof an Act was passed Entitled An Act for disenabling all Persons in Holy Orders to exercise any temporal jurisdiction or Authority Repealed The Bishops were brought to sit again as Peers in the House of Lords and their Ecclesiastical jurisdiction restored to them The Parliament explained a clause contained in an Act of Parliament made in the seventeenth year of King Charles the first Entitled An Act for Repeal of a branch of a Statute Primo Elizabethae concerning Commissioners for causes Ecclesiastical At the second Session of this Parliament an Act was made against Quakers and others denying to take a Lawful Oath with several penalties to be inflicted on them for several offences An Act was also passed for Uniformity of publick Prayers and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies and of ordering and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons in the Church of England The King's Majesty according to his Declaration of the 25th of October 1660. had granted his Commission under the Great Seal of England to several Bishops and other Divines to review the Book of Common-Prayer and to prepare such additions and alterations as they thought fit to offer And afterwards the Convocations of both the Provinces of Canterbury and York being by His Majesty called and assembled His Majesty was pleased to Authorize and require the Presidents of the said Congregation and other the Bishops and Clergy of the same to review the said Book of Common-Prayer and the Book of the Form and manner of making and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons c. Since which time upon full and mature deliberation they the said Presidents Bishops and Clergy of both Provinces having accordingly reviewed the same Books and made some alterations which they thought fit to be inserted to the same and some additional Prayers to be used upon proper and emergent occasions and having presented the same unto His Majesty in Writing in one Book entitled The Book of Common-Prayer and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form and manner of making Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons All which His Majesty having duly considered fully approved and allowed the same and recommended to this present Parliament then sitting and yet continuing to sit that the said Book of Common-Prayer c. be the Book which shall be appointed to be used by all that officiate in all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and Chappels and in all Chappels or Colledges and Halls in both the Universities and the Colledges of Eaton and Winchester and in all Parish-Churches and Chappels within the Kingdom of England Dominion of Wales and Town of Berwick upon Tweed and by all that make or consecrate Bishops Priests or Deacons in any of the said places under such sanctions and penalties as the Houses of Parliament shall think fit And accordingly it was Enacted by the King's Majesty and both Houses of Parliament That Morning and Evening Prayers in the
year of the Reign of Kymbeline King of Britain Divers Writers of note do tell us Baron Annal. Tom. 1. An. 61. Usser de Brit. Eccles primord c. 1. p. 7. Parker de vetust Eccl. Britan. p. 2 3. Fox Act. Monum vol. 1. Sir H. Spelm. Concil Tom. 1. Per Josephum Evangelii lucerna primum in Britania accensa est Georg. Major that the Gospel was preached and received in this Land even in the days of the Apostles Baronius and the Learned Archbishop Vsher tell us that St. Peter came into Britain in the twelfth year of the Emperour Nero and staid a long time here many being by him illightned Nicephorus saith that Simon Zelotes carried the Doctrine of the Gospel unto the Western Sea and to the Britannick Islands The Learned Archbishop Matthew Parker Bishop Godwin Mr. Camden and others do assert that St. Paul himself that great Apostle of the Gentiles Preached the Gospel to this Island after his enlargement from his first captivity at Rome where some say he continued Preaching five years And this say they he did at the instigation of Claudia a Noble British Woman Gildas our own Countrey-man Polydor Virgil Mr. Fox Sir Henry Spelman and many others tell us that Joseph of Arimathea that Holy Man after he had buried the body of Christ in his own Tomb came into this Island and Preached the Gospel here being sent hither by Philip and James the Apostles That he was in this Land is confirmed not onely by divers Histories but also by Antient Monuments Baleus alledgeth many other witnesses It doth not appear that the first Preachers of the Gospel in Britain did so much as touch at Rome much less that they received any command or commission thence to convert Britain which should lay an Eternal obligation of gratitude on this Island to the Sea of Rome Insomuch that Parsons himself flyes at last to this slight and slender shift That albeit St. Joseph came not immediately from Rome yet he taught in this Island the Roman Faith whereof St. Paul hath written to the Romans themselves that your Faith is spoken of through the whole World Rom. 1.8 Hereby the Jesuite hopes to keep on foot the engagement of this Island to Rome Fuller Church Histor lib. 1. for her first conversion But why should he call the Christian Religion the Roman Faith rather than the Faith of Jerusalem or the Faith of Antioch seeing it issued from the former and was received and first named in the latter City before any spark of Christianity was kindled at Rome as Dr. Fuller well observeth CENT II. WE read that the Gospel in our Land had the countenance of publick Authority through the gratious providence of God very early Omnium Provinciarum prima Britannia publicitus Christi nomen recipit Sabellic Enn. 7. l. 5. A Learned Writer speaking of the dignity of this Nation saith That of all the Provinces of the Roman Empire yea it seemeth of the whole World this Island of Great Britain did first receive the Gospel by publick Authority Lucius King of Britain was the first Christian King we read of in Ecclesiastical Stories He embraced the Faith about an hundred and fifty years after the death of Christ It is said of this King Lucius that at first he shewed himself an enemy to the Christians but observing the holiness of their lives he was enclined to embrace the Christian Faith but was held off for a time partly by the Heathenish superstition of his Ancestors wherein he had been bred up and partly because he found the Christians reputed infamous by the Romans then the Lords of a great part of the World under whom it seemeth he was a tributary King but being afterward informed that many of the Nobles or Senators of the Romans had embraced the Christian Religion he made an open profession of it and made a notable reformation in his Dominions Moreover he being much taken with the Miracles which he beheld truly wrought by pious Christians was the more drawn to embrace their Religion and sent Elvanus and Meduinus men of known Piety and Learning in the Scriptures to Eleutherius Bishop of Rome with a Letter requesting several things of him but principally that he might be instructed in the Christian Faith Eleutherius returneth him this Answer That having recâ—â—ved in his Kingdom the Law and Faith of Christ Holinsh descr of Brit. c. 7. Annals of England by John Stow. and having now the Old and New Testaments he should by a Council of his Realm take Laws from thence to govern thereby That he was the Vicar of God in his Kingdomes That the People and Nations of the Kingdom of Britain were His even His children That such as were divided he should gather them together unto the Law of Christ his holy Church unto peace and concord and should cherish maintain protect govern and defend them c. When Christian Religion first was publickly received and established in this Land by King Lucius here were then of Heathen institution eight and twenty Flamines and three Archflamines The places of the Flamines the King turned to so many Bishopricks the places of the Archflamines to so many Archbishopricks the one at London translated afterward to Canterbury the other at York the third at Caerleon in Wales where seaven of those Bishopricks with this Archbishoprick were remaining when Austin the Monk came into England Here were Temples also builded for the worship of Paynim-gods of which he made Churches for the service of Jesus Christ Thomas Rudbourn a Moâ—â—â—â— Winchester Moratus an old British Writer and others testifie that 〈◊〉 was Bishop of Winchester and all the possessions of the â—gaâ— â—es there were conferred upon him and his Clergy which were â—o ample that even about the City all the Lands within twelve miles of it on all sides were belonging unto it containing in number 32 Villages And thus the Britains had for their greatest glory the happiness to see and enjoy the first Christian Prince in the World It is reported that King Lucius was the Founder of St. Peter's Church at Cornhil in London placing therein one Thean an Archbishop and that the Metropolitan See continued in a succession of Archbishops there about 400 years until the coming of Austin the Monk who translated the Archbishop's seat from London to Canterbury In that Church was a Table wherein is written that King Lucius founded the same Church to be an Archbishop's See and that it so endured the space of 400 years There are the name of these Archbishops of London Thean Elvanus Cadar Obinus Conan Paladius Stephen Iltut Theodwyn or Dedwin Thedrid Hilary Restitutus Guertelinus or Guitelinus Fastidius Vodinus Theonus c. Elvanus built a Library near St. Peter's Church in Cornhil he was a Godly Learned and Grave Man brought up in the School of Joseph of Arimathea and Converted many of the Druydes to the Christian Faith Bishop Godwin saith That the Archbishoprick
an old City in Oxford-shire was made the seate of Birinus his Bishoprick Sussex and the Isle of Wight also were converted About this time Honorius Arch-Bishop of Canterbury divided England so much thereof as was Christian into Parishes Anno 64â— the first lent began in those parts of England which obeyed the Roman celebration of Easter Oswald King of Northumberland fighting at Maserfield since Oswastrey in Shrop-shire against Penda the Pagan Prince of Mercia Fabian Chronic part 5. was overthrown slain and his Bodie most barbarously abused and chopped in pieces Oswy his youngeâ— brother recovered his Kingdome after one year and buried his head in the Church-yard of Lyndesar Sigebert was perswaded by his Monks to enter into a Cloister his end was lamentable for when he had given over his Kingdome to his Cousin Egrick the forenamed Penda entred his Kingdome with an Army his subjects forced him to go into the field where both he and Egrick were slain Others say he was murdered by two Villains Penda Prince of Mercia having married Alfreda Daughter of Oswy King of Northumberland renounced Paganism embraced Christianity and propogated it in his Dominions Indeed Penda his father that persecutor of piety was yet alive and survived two years after persisting an Heathen till death but mollified to permit a toleration of Christianity in his Subjects From Colmkil as a most famous Seminary of learning at that time sprang forth those who not onely did resist the beginnings of Anti-Christian pride at home and in our neighbour-Country but they sowed the seed of the Gospel in other Nations Such was that famous Rumold who was called Mechlinensis Apostolus Pappas in histor convers Gent. Gallus brought Helvetia from Paganism as Pappas witnesseth built sundry Monasteries there Calumban a man of excellent holiness and learning lived sometime in Bangor and thence went into Burgundy where he began the Monasterie Luxovien and taught the Monks of his own Country especially to live by the works of their own hands Platina in Bonifacio quarto Also because he rebuked Theodorick for his leacherous life he was forced to flie and visited sundry parts of Germany thence he went into Italy and began another Abby on the Appennine Hills beside Bobium in Tuscany Levin also tur nd many to the faith about Ghent and Esca Furseus and his brother Fullan with two Presbyters Gobban and Dicul obtained land from Sigebert King of Essex and built the Abby of Cnobsherburg and passing into France he began the Abby at Latiniac where he died Diuma was ordained first Bishop of Mercia where he converted many to the Faith in the reign of the Christian Penda and for his rare gifts the Bishoprick of Middlesex was committed to his charge unto whom succeeded Cella a Scot. Also Florentius went to Argentine or Strausburg and was the first Bishop thereof he opened the first School in Alsatia about the year 669. Kilian the first Bishop of Wortsburg did first instruct the people of East France in the Christian Faith Anno. 668. Colonat a Priest and Thomas a Deacon followed him in all his Travels Burcard succeeded to whom King Pippin gave a Dukedome and from thence among all the Bishops of Germany onely the Bishop of Wortsburg carieth a Sword and Priests Gown in his badge Unto these Scots John Pappas joyneth some Britans as Willibrod Reformer of Frisia and two brethren Evaldi the one Sirnamed the Black the other the White John Pappas saith they converted the West-phalians to the Christian Faith and suffered Martyrdome near Bremen John Bale sheweth their Death Pope Agatho sent John the Arch-chaunter of St. Peters in Rome into England to compose the difference betwixt Honoricus and Wilfrid the two Archbishops and withal to deliver them the Acts of Pope Martin the first and to teach them to sing the Liturgy according to the custom of Rome Benedictus Biscopius a Nobleman of England went to Rome in the service of the Church and brought many Books into the Monasteries of Tinmouth and Wirmouth The first Glass in this Island is said to be his gift Mark what Beda saith of the custom in those dayes Then they never came into a Church but onely for hearing the Word and Prayer no word of the Mass the King would come with five or six and he stayed till the Prayer was ended All the care of these Doctors was to serve God not the World to feed Souls not their own Bodies wherefore in those dayes wheresoever a Clerk or Monk did come he was received as a Servant of God If he were seen journeying they were glad to be signed with his Hand or blessed with his Mouth and they gave good heed unto the words of his Exhortation And on the Lord's day they came in Flocks to the Church or Monasteries not to refresh their Bodies nor to hear Masses but to hear the Word and if any Priest entred into a Village incontinently all the People would assemble being desirous to hear the Word of Life for neither did the Priests go into Villages upon any other occasion except to Preach or visit the Sick or to feed Souls At that time the Clergy and Monks in England had liberty to Marry Then Theodorus who succeeded Deus-dedit Bishop of Canterbury brought many Books thither erecting a well-furnished Library and teaching his Clergy how to make use thereof He rigorously pressed Conformity to Rome in the observation of Easter and to that purpose a Council was called at Hartford here Easter was setled according to the Romish Rite In this Synod nine other Articles were concluded of as Stapleton hath thus Translated them out of Bede Lib. 4. c. 5. I. That no Bishop should have ought to do in another's Diocess but be contented with the charge of the people committed unto him II. That no Bishop should any-wise trouble such Monasteries as were Consecrated and given to God nor violently take from them ought was theirs III. That Monks should not go from one Monastery to another unless by the leave of their own Abbot but should continue in the obedience which they promised at the time of their conversion and entrance into Religion IV. That none of the Clergy forsaking his own Bishop should run up and down where he lists nor when he came any whither should be received without Letters of Commendation from his Diocesan c. V. That such Bishops and Clerks as are strangers be content with such Hospitality as is given them and that it be lawful for none of them to execute any Office of a Priest without the permission of the Bishop in whose Diocess they are known to be VI. It hath seemed good to us all that a Synod and Convocation should be Assembled once a year on the first day of August at the place called Clofeshooh VII That no Bishop should ambitiously prefer himself above another but should all acknowledge the time and order of their consecration VIII That the number of the Bishops should be
in the exaltation of his greatness but the Danes beat the English in a Naval fight at Carmouth in Dorset-shire which proved fatal to our Nation Hence forward these Pagans setled themselves in some part of the Land Anno 837. Ethelwolph his Son succeeded his Father Egbert in the Throne a valiant and devout Prince though much molested by the Danes all his life-time About the year 855. Ethelwolph King of the West Saxons summoned a Parlament of his Princes Nobles and Bishops at Winchester in the midst of the Danish Wars and Invasions to consult with them how he might pacifie God's wrath against him and his Realm And by their advise and assent granted the Tithes or tenth part of all his Lands to God and his Ministers free from all secular services and exactions great and small that they might the more freely pour out their prayers to God for him and his Realm He subjected the whole Kingdom to the payment of Tithes he was the first-born Monarch of England Indeed before his time there were Monarchs of the Saxon Heptarchy but not successive and fixed in a Family but fluctuating from one Kingdom to another Egbert Father to this Ethelwolph atchieved and left this Monarchy to this his Son not Monarcha factus but natus and so in unquestionable Power to make this Act obligatory over all the Land saith Fuller King Ethelwolph the next year went in Pilgrimage to Rome and confirmed unto the Pope his Predecessors grant of Peter-pence and besides bestowed upon him the yearly Revenue of three hundred Marks thus to be expended 1. To maintain Candles for St. Peter one hundred Marks 2. To maintain Candles for St. Paul one hundred Marks 3. For a free Largess to the Pope one hundred Marks After the Death of King Ethelwolph and his two Sons Ethelbald and Ethelbert succeeding him this Land was in a sad condition though in a worse estate under the reign of his third Son being harassed by the Danes About sixty years since the West Saxons had subdued the other six Kings of this Nation yet so that they still continued Kings but Homagers to the West Saxon Monarchy They beholding Ethelred the West Saxon King embroiled with the invasion of the Danes they not onely lazily looked on but secretly smiled at this sight Thus the height of the Saxon pride and envy caused the breadth of the Danish power and cruelty Anno 870. the Danes made an inrode into Lincoln-shire where they met with stout resistance The Christians had the better the first day wherein the Danes lost three of their Kings buried in a place thence called Trekingham so had they the second day till at night breaking their Ranks to pursue the Danes in their dissembled flight they were utterly overthrown Theodore Abbot of Crowland hearing of the Danes approach Shipped away most of his Monks with the choycest Relicks and Treasures of his Convent and cast his most pretious Vessels into a Well in the Cloister The rest remaining were at their morning praiers when the Danes entring Slew Theodore the Abbot on the high Altar Asher the Prior in the Vestiary Lethwin the Sub-prior in the Refectory Pauline and Herbert in the Quire Wolride the Torch-bearer in the same place Grimketule Agamund each of them an 100 years old in the Cloisters Then the Danes marched to Medamstead since called Peterbrough where finding the Abby-gates locked against them they resolved to force their entrance in effecting whereof Tulba Brother to Count Hubba was wounded almost to death with a stone cast at him Hubba enraged hereat killed Abbot Hedda and all the Monks being fourscore and four with his own hand Then was the Abby set on fire which burned fifteen daies together wherein an excellent Library was consumed Having pillaged the Abby and broke the Tombs and Coffins of many Saints there enterred these Pagans marched forward into Camdridge-shire and passing the river Nine two of their waggons fell into the water wherein the cattle which drew them were drowned much of their rich plunder lost and more impared The Danes spared no Age Sex condition of people They wasted Cambridge burnt the then City of Thetford forced Edmond King of the East-Angles into his Castle of Framlingham They took him and because he would not deny Christ they tyed him unto a Tree and shot at him til he died Then they cut of his head and cast it among the bushes His own Subjects buried him both head and body at Hatsedon which from thence was called St. Edmonds-bury There after-ages shrined sainted and adored his Reliques King Ethelbert behaved himself bravely in nine Battles with various success against the Danes and the more he slew the more they grew which went neer his heart therefore he withered away in the flower of his age desiring rather to encounter death than the Danes Guliel Malmesbur de Gestis Regum Anglor lib. 2. according to the observation of the English Historian that the Saxon Kings in this age magis optabant honestum exitum quam acerbum Imperium In this sad condition God sent England a deliverer namely King Alfred or Alured fourth son of Ethelwolph by the Lady Ogburgh He was born in England bred in Rome where by a Prolepsis saith Fuller he was anointed King by Pope Leo though then but a private Prince and his three elder brothers alive in auspicium futuri regni in hope that hereafter he should come to the Crown The Danes at his coming to the Crown had London many of the in-land more of the maritime Towns and Alfred onely three effectual Shires Sommerset Wiltes and Dorset yet by God's blessing on his endeavours he got to be Monarch of all England Anno 872. In the beginning of his reign he was sorely distressed by the Danes and one of his greatest Courts for residence was an Island now known by the name of Athelney in the County of Sommerset in the Saxon tongue called Aethelingarg that is Nobilium Insula so termed by reason of the Kings abode and the concourse of his Nobles unto him in this place he lived poorly disguised in a Cow-herds house Being excellent In Musick and Songs he oftentimes in the habit and posture of a common Minstril did insinuate himself in the Danist Camp where his plausible cariage and skill gained a freedome of access and passage in the company of their Princes at banquets and other meetings and thereby he discovered their conditions and all their martial counsels and designes He returneth to his comfortless company and unmasking himself and the Danish designes cheereth them up and with a refreshed Power and strength suddenly issued forth and gave a fierce assault upon the secure Danes he slew multitudes of them and enforced the remainder to a shameful flight for the safe-guard of their lives In this Isle Alfred had built a kind of Castle or Fortress to receive him and his Nobles upon return from their Sallies and Encounters during his Wars in those parts
Alfred dedit probitasque laborem Perpetuumque labor nomen immixta dolori Gaudia semper erant spes semper mixta timori c. Englished by Mr. Flemming Nobility by birth to thee O Alfred strong in Armes Of goodness hath thy honour given And honour toilsome harmes And toilsome harmes an endless name Whose joyes ere alwayes mixt With sorrow and whose hope with fear Was evermore perplext If this day thou wast Conqueror The next day's War thou dread'st If this day thou wast Conquered To next day's War thou spread'st Whose cloathing wet with a daily swet Whose blade with bloody stain Do prove how great a burden 't is In Royalty to reign There hath not been in any part Of all the World so wide One that was able breath to take And troubles such abide And yet with Weapons weary would Not Weapons lay aside Or with the Sword the toilsomness Of Life by Death divide Now after labours past of Realm And Life which he did spend Christ is to him true quietness And Scepter voyd of end In this King's reign flourished Johannes Scotus Erigena with addition sometimes of Sophista born in Ireland for distinction from a former born at Melrose and another in the XIII Century born in Duns otherwise called Subtilis he was a man of pregnant Judgement wondrous Eloquence and in those days rare knowledge of the Greek Chaldean and Arabian Languages He wrote a Book De corpore sanguine Domini against the Opinion of Carnal presence which was condemned at the Synod of Vercelles Bellarmine Bellarm. de Euch. lib. 1. c. 1. saith This man was the first who wrote doubtingly of this matter He was the Counsellor to King Alfred and Teacher of his Children afterwards he retired to the Abbey at Malmesbury Zâ—pper de Calum haerâ—s Berengar where his disciples Murthered him with their Pen-knives being enticed thereunto by the Monks because he spake against the carnal presence and was accounted a Martyr as was recorded by William of Malmesbury de gest Reg. Ang. lib. 2. cap. 4. CENT X. AT this time there was no Bishop in all the West parts of England Pope Formosus being offended hereat interdicted King and Kingdom But Pleigmund Archbishop of Canterbury posted to Rome informing the Pope that Edward called the Elder the Son of King Alfred had in a late summoned Synod founded some new and supplied all old vacant Bishoprickes and carying with him honorifica munera the Pope turned his curse into a blessing and ratified their election The names of the seven Bishops which Pleigmund consecrated in one day were Fridstan Bishop of Winchester Werstan of Shireburn Kenulph of Dorchester Beornege of Selsey Athelme of Wells Eadulfe of Crediton in Devon and Athelstan in Cornwall of St. Petrocks These three last Western Bishops were in this Council newly erected A Synod was called at Intingford where Edward the elder and Guthurn King of the Danes in that part of England which formerly belonged to the East Angles onely confirmed the same Ecclesiastical constitutions which King Alured had made before King Edward remembring the Pious example of his Father Alfred in founding of Oxford began to repair and restore the University of Cambridge Joh. Rossius in lib. de Regib for the Danes who kept the Kingdom of the East Angles for their home had banished all Learning from that place This King Edward the elder expelled the Danes out of Essex Mercia and Northumberland At that time the authority of investing Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Benefices as also of prescribing Lawes unto Church-men as well as unto the Laity was in the power of the King not of the Pope but the Pope would be medling in such matters by way of Confirmation Athelstan his Son succeeded King Edward being much devoted to St. John of Beverley on whose Church he bestowed large priviledges Many Councils were kept in this King's Reign at Excester Feversham Thunderfield and London But one held at Greatlea is of greatest account for the Lawes therein enacted especially that concerning the payment of Tithes which is thus Written I Athelstan King Spelman in Concil p. 405. by advice of Viselm my Archbishop and of other Bishops command all the Prelates of my Kingdom in the name of our Lord and of all the Saints that first of all they out of my own things pay the Tithes unto God as well of the living Beasts as of the Corn of the ground and the Bishops to do the like in their property and the Presbyters This I will that Bishops and other Head-men declare the same unto such as be under their subjection c. He ordained that in every Burrough all measures and weights should be confirmed by the Bishop's advice and testimony About that time Hoel King of Wales made a Law That no Church-man should be a Judge in Civil affairs Now St. Dunstan appeareth in Court born at Glastonbury of Noble Parentage yea Kinsman remote to Athelstane himself His eminencies were Painting and Graving an excellent Musician and an admirable worker in Brass and Iron After a while he is accused for a Magician and banished the Court But after the Death of King Athelstane he was re-called to Court in the Reign of King Edmond Athelstan's brother and flourished for a time in great favour but his old crime of being a Magician and a wanton with Women being laid to his charge he is re-banished the Court. But King Edmond being slain by one Leoff a Thief Edred his Brother succeeding to the Crown Dunstan is made the King's Treasurer Chancellor Councellor Confessor Secular Priests were thrust out of their Convents and Monks substituted in their rooms But after Edred's death Dunstan falls into disgrace with King Edwin his Successor and being expelled the Kingdom flieth into Flanders Mean-time all the Monks in England of Dunstan's plantation are rooted up and Secular Priests set in their places Soon after many commotions happened in England especially in Mercia and Northumberland King Edwin died in the flower of his age Edgar succeedeth him and recalls Dunstan home Fuller Church History who hath two Bishopricks given him Worcester and London King Edgar gave over his Soul Body and Estate to be ordered by Dunstan and two more then the Triumvirate who ruled England viz. Ethelwald Bishop of Winchester and Oswald afterward Bishop of Worcester This Oswald was the man who procured by the Kings Authority the ejection of all secular Priests out of Worcester which Act was called Oswald's Law In that Age Dunstan being made Archbishop of Canterbury Antonin hist lit 19. part 3. ca. 3. Secular Priests were thrown out and Monks every where fixed in their rooms Many did dispute and preach against Dunstan And Alfred Prince of Mercia took part with the Priests Fuller makes mention of a fair and authentick guilded Manuscript wherein he stileth himself God's Vicar in England for the ordering Ecclesiastical matters a Title which at this day the Pope will hardly vouchsafe to
King's Allegiance would not shake his magnanimous resolution nor his Peoples loyalty Pâ—ynne's History Book 3. ch 3. the Pope's Legats Pandulphus and Durance forged new devises to effect their designs by fraud and terror to which purpose they procured sundry Letters from divers Quarters to be brought unto him whilst he sate at dinner at Nottingham intending to set upon the Welch-men with a potent Army whom they had stirred up to rebel against him and invade England to divert him from his design all to this effect That there was a secret Plot laid to destroy him He marched to Chester where he met with new Letters to the like effect which caused him to dismiss his Army and design against the Welch-men Besides the Popish Priests set up one Peter an Hermite a counterfeit Prophet to terrifie the King and alienate the peoples hearts from him by his false Prophesies This counterfeit Sooth-sayer prophesied That King John should reign no longer than the Ascension-day within the year of our Lord 1213. which was the fourteenth from his Coronation and this he said he had by Revelation When the Ascension-day was come the King commanded his Regal Tent to be spread abroad in the open field passing that day with his noble Council and Men of Honour in the greatest solemnity that ever he did before solacing himself with musical Songs and Instruments most in sight of his trusty Friends This day being past in all prosperity and mirth the King commanded that Peter the Hermite that false Prophet should be drawn and hanged like a Traitor Now behold the misery of King John perplexed with the French King 's daily preparation to invade England assisted by many English male-contents and all the exil'd Bishops Hereupon he sunk on a sudden beneath himself to an act of unworthy submission and subjection to the Pope For on Ascension-Eve May 15. being in the Town of Dover standing as it were on tiptoes on the utmost edge brink and label of that Land which now he was about to surrender King John by an Instrument or Charter sealed and solemnly delivered in the presence of many Prelats and Nobles to Pandulphus the Pope's Legat granted to God and the Church of Rome the Apostles Peter and Paul and to Pope Innocent the Third and his Successors the whole Kingdom of England and Ireland Fuller's Church History Book 3. And took an Estate thereof back again yielding and paying yearly to the Church of Rome over and above the Peter-pence a thousand Marks Sterling viz. seven hundred for England and three hundred for Ireland In the passing hereof the King's Instrument to the Pope was sealed with a Seal of Gold and the Pope's to the King was sealed with a Seal of Lead This being done the King took the Crown off his Head and set it upon Pandulphus his Knees at whose feet he also laid his Scepter Robe Sword and Ring his Royal Ensigns as John de Serres relates and these words said he in hearing of all the great Lords of England Here I resign up the Crown and the Realm of England into the hands of Pope Innocentius the Third and put me wholly in his mercy and in his ordinance Then Pandulph received the Crown of King John and kept it five dayes in his hands and confirmed all things by his Charter Now the Pope's next design was how to take off and pacifie the French King from his intended Invasions and so sent the Archbishop and his Confederates into England there to insult over King John as they had done abroad Next year the Interdict was taken off the Kingdom and a general joy was over the Land The seventeenth of August following the exiled Bishops landed at Dover and were conducted in State to the King at Winchester the King 's extraordinary humbling to and begging pardon of them prostrating himself to the ground at their feet and their insolent carriage toward him is related by Matthew Paris The next day after their coming to Winchester the King issued out Writs to all the Sheriffs of England to enquire of their damages There were other Writs sent to the Kings Judges to proceed in the said Inquisition After this general compliance with them the King conceiving he had given them full content and setled all things in peace resolved to pass with an Army into Picardy whither the Nobles refused to follow him In the mean time the Archbishop Bishop Nobles meeting at St. Albans about the damages to be restored by the King to the Prelates during their exile fell to demand the confirmation of their Liberties granted by his Grandfather King Henry the first which the King condescended unto Soon after the Archbishop caused all the Bishops Abbots Priors Deans and Nobles of the Realm to meet together at London upon pretext of satisfying his and the exiled Bishops damages but in verity to engage in a new Rebellion against the Crown and confer it on Lewis the French King's Son as they did in the conclusion under pretence of demanding the confirming the Charter and Liberties granted by King Henry the first there produced by the Archbishop which the King had but newly ratified at St. Albans Pandulphus besides his former insolencies endeavoured to wrest out of the King's hand the power of imprisoning Clerks for Fellonies that so they might be at his own disposal and act any villanies with impunity King John being thus distressed sent a base and unchristian-like Ambassage to Admiralius Murmelius a Mahometan King of Morocco then very potent and possessing a great part of Spain offering him if he would send him succour to hold the Kingdom of England as a Vassal from him and to receive the Law of Mahomet saith Matthew Paris The Moor offended at his offer told the Ambassadours That he lately had read Paul's Epistles Modò inspexi lâ—brum in Graeco scriptum cujuâ—dam Graeci sapientis Christiani nomine Pauli cujus actus veroa mihi maximè complacent accepto Vnum tamen de ipso mihi displicet quod in lege sub quâ natus est non stetit sed ad alia taÌ„quam transfuga inconstans avolvit which for the matter liked him well save only that Paul had renounced that Faith wherein he was born and the Jewish profession Wherefore he slighted King John as one devoid both of piety and policy who would love his liberty and disclaim his Religion A strange tender if true But Mr. Prynne proveth it to be a most scandalous malitious forgery of this Monk of St. Albans against the King for sequestring that Abbey Philip King of France together with his Son Lewis and his Proctor and all the Nobles of France Anno 1216. with his own mouth protested against this Charter and resignation to Walo the Pope's own Legat when purposely sent to them by Pope Innocent to disswade them from invading England as being then St. Peter's Patrimony not only as null void in it self for several Reasons but of
he likewise constituted his Proctor Then the Pope upon the King's request under a pretext to rectifie some of those abuses against which there was an universal complaint sent Ottobone his Legat into England who soon proclaimed himself a ravening Wolf as well as his Predecessors Then was a Council called by the Pope's Legat unto St. Paul's Church in London where most of the Prelates Abbots and Priors assembled together The Canons that were made and promulged in this Council who so please may peruse at leisure in Matthew Paris and in Johannes de Aton his Constitutiones legitimae Ecclesiae totiusque Ecclesiae Anglicanae ab Legatis a latere summorum Pontificum collectio fol. 1. ad 121. with his Gloss upon them The first Canon was for the Dedication and Consecration of Churches many Cathedral as well as Parish-churches being then unconsecrated The second and third concerning Ecclesiastical Sacraments and Baptism Others concerning the covetousness of Priests their hearing Confessions the qualities of such as were to be ordained their Farmers and Vicars Presentations to Churches not dividing one Church into more the Residence of Bishops and Priests Pluralities the Habit of Clerks clandestine marriage of Priests Priests Concubines their Sons succession in their Benefices their Judges Procurations undue unjust Citations Exactions by Procurations Registers abuses by Proctors and Ecclesiastical Judges and an Oath to be prescribed to them to prevent the like abuses for the future In this Council this Legat introduced the use of Oaths in Ecclesiastical Courts The first use of Oaths in Ecclesiastical Courts in England and Causes never formerly used in England by colour whereof other Oaths were introduced by the Popish Prelates against the Laws and Customs of the Realm till the King by his Prohibition restrained these Usurpations Then was a private Letter sent from Rome to the Pope's Legat in England advising him to moderation to prevent a total rejection of the Pope and See of Rome In the 22th year of Henry the Third the Greek Churches renounced all obedience to and communion with the Church of Rome which made the Pope and his Court fear the like Schism and revolt in England occasioned by the Legat's violent Extortions and advancement of Strangers to Benefices whereupon he intended to recal him thence to prevent these ill consequences but the Legat loth to depart prevailed with the King and others to sollicit the Pope for his continuance in England upon pretence of publick good This year there happening a difference between the King and Monks of Durham about their Bishop elect whom the King would not approve he thereupon issued his Letters Patents to the Archbishop of York appointing his Proctors to appeal to the See of Rome against this election only for delay to preserve his right After the death of Henry de Sandford Bishop of Rochester the Monks of Rochester elected Richard Windeley a learned Man for their Bishop who being presented by the Monks to Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury for his confirmation he refused to admit him Vnde Monachi Domini Papae presentiam appellarunt Upon this Appeal the Pope gave Judgment for the Monks against the Archbishop and condemned him in costs of suit confirming their election in despite of the Archbishop with whom the Pope was very angry for opposing his intolerable exactions in England whereupon this Bishop Elect was consecrated at Canterbury in St. Gregory's Church by the Archbishop the Bishop of London and other Bishops Then the Monks of Coventry chose Nicholas de Fernham for their Bishop who refused to accept thereof whereupon at last they chose Simon de Pateshul who accepted it The Pope having excommunicated the Emperour Frederick Otto the Pope's Legat was very diligent to see the Pope's scandalous Excommunications and Bulls against him published throughout all England In the twenty fourth year of the Reign of King Henry the Third the Monks of Cambridge having apprehended an Heretick as he was called the King thereupon issued forth a Precept to the Sheriff of Cambridge to bring this Heretick before him at Westminster to be examined and disposed of as he should direct Who he was and what his Heresies were Matthew Paris tells us saying He was a man of an honest and severe life and that he openly asserted that Pope Gregory was not the Head of the Church but there was another Head of the Church that the Church was profaned the Devil was let loose the Pope was an Heretick that Gregory who was called Pope had defiled the Church and the world too This and divers other things of like nature he spake before the Pope's Legat in the hearing of many Pope Gregory before his death to carry on his Wars against the Emperor Frederick Anno 1240. intended by way of provision to confer all the Benefices in England especially of the Clergy on the Sons of Romans and other Forreigners upon condition to assist him against the Emperour sending his Bull to three Bishops to confer no less than three hundred of the next Benefices that fell void within their Diocess on these Aliens Anno 1241. Otto the Pope's Legat having long pillaged the Realm and Church of England was sent for the third time by the Pope And the King to oblige the Legat as well to promote his Affairs at Rome as in England before his departure hence Knighted and conferred an Annual pension on his Nephew feasted the Legat publickly at Westminster and placed him at the feast in his own Royal Throne to the great offence of his Nobles and Subjects Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury deceasing the King commended Boniface his Queen's Uncle a Forreigner and every way unfit for such a trust to the Monks of Canterbury to succeed him whom they accordingly elected There being a great contest between the King and the Prior and Monks of Winchester about the election of their Bishop they electing first William de Raley Bishop of Norwich whom the King and Pope opposing thereupon they Elected Ralph Nevil whose election was likewise vacated After which they Elected the Bishop of Norwich again whose election was suddenly made and quickly confirmed at Rome Yet the King commanded the Major of Winchester to forbid the new Bishop entrance into the City Matth. Westin which he did who thereupon Excommunicated him for his labour and interdicted the whole City The King thereupon so persecuted the Monks that he imprisoned diverse of them and forced the Bishop to fly the Realm and pass into France for a season Then there arose a new contest between the Archbishop and Monks of Canterbury about Jurisdiction and Visitation wherein they Excommunicated one the other and yet slighted these their mutual Anathemae's as ridiculous nullities The King being in France sent his Writ to the Archbishop of York then Custos Regni to confer Benefices that should fall void on such Clerks of His who to their great danger and expence continued with him and incurred many various casualties in his services beyond
About the same time Walter Bronescomb Bishop of Exeter and his Officials cited sundry of the King's Subjects and Officers into his Ecclesiastical Courts for Debts and Chattels that concerned not Matrimony or Testament Godwin Catal of Bish p. 326.327 and for Trespasses Free-holds and other things of which they had no legal jurisdiction Excommunicating and putting them to pecuniary Redemptions and grievous penalties and withall exacted illegal Oathes and obligations from them the King upon the complaints of Edmond Earl of Cornwall and his Officers and of the whole County of Cornwall of these his exorbitances issued a speedy Commission in the sixth year of his Reign to some Judges to enquire of hear and determine these his Exorbitancies and Usurpations before whom he was Prosecuted at the King's Suite to his dammages of 10000 l. which the Bishop denying in some sort appealed to the King Pope and Court of Rome from the King's Justices for which his high affront to the King's Crown and Dignity he was adjudged undefended ordered to satisfie the King his ten thousand pound dammages and likewise to answer his contempt for this his enormous Appeal to the Pope in affront of the King's Crown and Dignity before the King and his Council In the nineth year of King Edward the first John Peckham Frater Johan Peckham Cantuariensis Episcopus ne nihil fecisse videretur convocat Concilium apud Lambeth in quo non Evangelii Regni Dei praedicationem imposuit sed Constitutiones Othonis Ottobonis quondam Legatorum in Angliâ innovans jussit eas ab omnibas servari c. Thomas Walsingham in Edw. 1. Archbishop of Canterbury held a Council at Lambeth with his Suffragans of which Thomas Walsingham and others render us this account Frier John Peckham Archbishop of Canterbury least he might seem to have done nothing calleth a Council at Lambeth in which he imposed not the Preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God but innovating the Constitutions of Otto and Ottobon sometimes Legates in England commanded them to be observed of all Moreover he made sixteen Ecclesiastical Laws which are contained among the Provincial Constitutions The King suspecting the Archbishops and Bishops Loyalty and proceedings in this their Council sent a Writ to them strictly commanding them upon their Oaths of Fealty they had all taken to be faithful to him and defend his Crown and Royal Dignity in all things to their Power to observe this their Oath therein with all diligence and not to act agitate or assent to any thing against him or the ancient Rights of the Crown enjoyed by his Progenitors under pain of losing all their Temporalties But how far this Archbishop and his Suffragans were from obeying this Royal Mandate will appear by the Prologue to their Canons and Constitutions made therein wherein they highly extol Thomas Becket as a most glorious Martyr for opposing the antient Rights of the Crown as inconsistent with the Churches pretended Liberties and revived and confirmed the Constitutions of Archbishop Boniface and his Suffragans against which the King had solemnly Appealed to the Pope as prejudicial to the Rights Priviledges Customs Liberties of his Crown by several Canons made therein and the Excommunications re-published in it Vide Pryn. in Edw. 1. but more especially by the Archbishop's insolent Epistle to the King in answer to this his Royal Inhibition and Mandate sent unto them Archbishop Peckham Magnus robustus Antichristi satelles as John Bale not improperly stiles him in his Epistle to the King justifies what they had done wherein he advanceth the Ecclesiastical and Papal Jurisdiction Power Laws Canons far above the Regal to which all Princes and Temporal Laws ought to submit Sundry Canons and Converts of the Order of Sempingham this year turning Apostates and deserting their Houses in diverse Priories of that Order to the scandal of their Profession the King upon complaint issued a Writ to apprehend and punish them for it and to deliver such of them who were then apprehended to those of that Order to be chastised The King to prevent the imbezilling of the Rents Chalices Books Pat. 9. Edw. 1. Vestments Images Relikes Charters and Bulls of the Hermitage by Criple-gate granted the custody thereof in his Name to the Constable of the Tower for the time being This year the King recited and confirmed the antient Charter of King John to the Nuns of Ambresbury The King to advance Learning and for the good of the Church Priesthood and Common-wealth gave his Royal assent for translating the Friers of the Hospital of St. John in Cambridge into a Colledge of Scholars after the pattern and Rules of Merton Colledge in Oxford The Archbishop this year to supply his occasions entred into several recognizances to the Bishops of Bath and of Coventry and Litchfield two wealthy Prelates and great Usurers Pope Nicholas the third deceasing Anno 1280. and Pope Martin the fourth succeeding he in the first year of his Papacy sent two Friers into England intending by his Agents and Forreign Merchants to export or return out of England the six years Dismes therein collected and retained for Aid of the holy Land granted in the general Council of Lyons and convert them to his own or other uses King Edward upon notice hereof to reserve the Moneys for his Brother's expedition to the holy Land and supply the present exigences for defence of the Kingdom issued out a Writ to prohibit Merchants or others under pain of loss of Life and Member and all their Goods and Chattels to export or convay the said Dismes or any part thereof out of the Realm and to imprison all such who did the contrary to the Pope's great disappointment In the tenth year of King Edward the first Pope Martin sent a Bull to the King to require his Favour to and Protection of the Monks of the Order of Cluny whose piety he highly extolled The King now and then during the vacancy of Bishopricks disposed of some of their Stocks to others The Bishoprick of Durham becoming void by the death of Robert de Insula Anthony Beck being elected Bishop by the King's License and Confirmed and Consecrated Bishop thereof by Wickwane Archbishop of York Pat. 11. Ed. 1. in St. Peter's Church of York the King Queen and most of the Nobles of England being present the King issued out Writs for the restitution of his Temporalties and the stock thereon which he bought of the King Richard Swinsled being elected and Confirmed Bishop of Hereford by the King's License and assent he issued a Writ to restore his Temporalties John Peckham Archbishop of Canterbury resolved to visit all his Provinces more accurately and punish offenders more severely than in former times to prevent all obstructions by Appeals to Rome In this Visitation saith Mr. Prynne he domineered over his whole Province and subjugated it to his arbitrary Power which none of his Predecessors had attempted Vide Spelm. Concil Tom. 2. p.
confirmation of his election together with a License to be consecrated in his own Church at York by the Bishop of Durham The King upon the receipt of the Pope's Bull issued a Writ for the restitution of his Temporalties Pope Boniface having confirmed the election of David Martyn to the Bishoprick of St. Davids in Wales the King upon notice given accepted thereof The Bishoprick of Ely becoming void by the death of William Luda the minor part of the Chapter elected John their Prior but the better John de Langten the King's Chancellor The King confirmed the election of his Chancellor The King by his Prerogative having granted a License to the Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield Anno Reg. 26. to hold the Hospital of St. Leonards in York in Commenda with his Bishoprick during his life out of his free Gift and special Grace confirmed it by his Patents so as this Dispensation should not prove prejudicial to him or his Heirs The Monks of Battel-Abbey by ancient Charters having the custody of the Abby and Lands during the vacancy upon their Abbot's death the King issued a Writ to restore them to their custody Mr. Prynne observeth and relateth diverse things of this year 1. That the Contests between the Archbishop Prynne's Hist of Popes Usurpations Tom. 3. Abbots and Monks of Canterbury about Exemptions Priviledges and Jurisdictions was a great cause of advancing the Pope's usurped Jurisdiction over them both and over the Rights Prerogative of the Crown and Church of England 2. The Pope's Insolency in exempting the Abbots and Monks of Canterbury and all their Lands Hospitals Churches Impropriations Priests Tenants from all Archiepiscopal and other Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and subjecting them solely to the See of Rome as likewise in subjecting the Archbishop of Canterbury the Bishops of London and Rochester to the commands and censures of the Abbots of Westminster Waltham and St. Edmond 3. The pride of the Abbots in erecting Deanaries Officials Ecclesiastical Consistories and in prescribing Oaths of Canonical obedience upon the Priests and Curats of their Churches belonging to their Monastery 4. The strange injustice and contradiction of Popes Bulls nulling repealing each other by Non obstantes with all former Priviledges granted by themselves and Contracts made or ratified by others through bribery and corruption CENT XIV IN the beginning of this Century King Edward the First waged cruel Wars against the Scots Then Pope Boniface the Eighth sent his Letters to the King to quit his claim to Scotland to cease his Wars Fox Acts and Monum lib. 1. p. 444 445. and release his Prisoners of the Scotch Nation as a people exempt and properly belonging to his own Chappel He grounded his Title thereunto because it was said Scotland was first converted by the Relicks of S. Peter to the unity of the Christian Faith Hereupon King Edward called a Council of his Lords at Lincoln where he returned a large Answer to the Pope's Letter endeavouring by evident Reasons and ancient Precedents to prove his propriety in the Kingdom of Scotland This was seconded by another from the English Peerage subscribed with all their hands declaring that the King ought by no means to answer in judgment in any case or should bring his Rights into doubt and ought not to send any Proctors or Messengers to the Pope c. The Pope foreseeing the Verdict would go against him wisely non-suited himself Then Pope Boniface sent forth a Declaration in favour of the Archbishop and proceeded so violently against the Abbots Monks Chron. Will. Thorn col 1997. ad 2003. and their Adherents by Excommunications Interdicts c. that he enforced them to submit and sue unto him for Absolution and a friendly agreement between them After the death of Henry de Newark Thomas Corbridge being elected Archbishop of York repaired to Rome for his Confirmation where he was forced to resign his right of Election into the Pope's hands and to receive the Archbishoprick from him by way of provision who thereupon not only confirmed but consecrated him Archbishop at Rome and gave him his Pall and the King restored his Temporalties upon receipt of the Pope's Bull. Thomas Stubs tells us of an high Contest that happened soon after betwixt the King and him about the Chappel of St. Sepulchres in York for which the King seized his Temporalties and detained some of them till his death for obeying the Pope's Provision and Commands before the King 's Writ in refusing to admit his Clerk to this Chappel and to remove the Pope's Clerk whom he had placed therein by his Papal Provision This Archbishop's Liberties in Beverley were seized into the King's hands Anno 29. of his Reign for a contempt committed by him in the King's presence The King's Daughter Mary being a Nun professed at Ambresbury the King granted her forty Oaks each year twenty tun of Wines and several Manors of above the value of two hundred pounds a year for her maintenance In the thirtieth year of the Reign of King Edward the French King Philip with all the Peers Earls Barons Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Clergy University of Paris and the Cities and Commonalty of France did Appeal and Article against Pope Boniface the Eighth his Person Crimes Interdicts Excommunications to the next General Council in the ruffe of his Papal pride as a most detestable Heretick Simoniack Adulterer Sorcerer and Monster of Impiety and soon after seized imprisoned and brought him to a shameful Tragical end The particular Articles are recorded by Mr. Fox Fox Acts and Monuments Vol. 1. p. 450 451. Of this Pope a certain Versifier wrote thus Ingreditur Vulpes Regnat Leo sed Canis exit Re tandem vera si sic fuit ecce chimera Alter vero sic Vulpes intravit tanquam Leo Pontificavit Exiit utque Canis de divite factus inanis Then was the Bishop of Ostia created Pope and called Benedict the Eleventh Of whom one saith A te nomen habe bene dic bene fac Benedicte Aut rem perverte maledic malefac Maledicte The Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Winchelsey having plotted Treason with some others of the Nobility against the King projecting to depose him and set up his Son Edward in his Room lurked in a Covent at Canterbury till fourscore Monks were by the King's Command thrust out of their places for relieving him out of their Charity and were not restored till the Archbishop was banished the Kingdom In the year 1305. the King sent a Letter to the Pope for the Canonizing of Thomas de Cantelupe late Bishop of Hereford deceased famous for sundry Miracles as was suggested that so he and his Realm might enjoy the benefit of his Intercession for them in Heaven according to the Superstition of that blind Age. After the death of Pope Benedict Pope Clement was no sooner elected and enthroned in France but he began to exercise his new Rapines in England by complying with King Edward in granting
was kept three years captive in St. Angelo Against Mendicants 1. Thomas Wilson Doctor of both Laws and say some Dean of S. Paul's a zealous Preacher and Disputant 2. William Ivy Canon of S. Paul's who wrote in the Defence of Richard Hill Bishop of London who Imprisoned two Mendicants for their proud Preaching But after Pope Paul the second had interposed herein concluding that this ought to be declared in all places for a dangerous Doctrine and worthy to be trodden down under all mens feet the controversie ceased At this time George Nevil brother to Richard Nevil the Great Earl of Warwick that set up and pulled down Kings at his pleasure was Archbishop of York He was famous for a prodigious feast made at his Installation unto which he invited as Guests all the Nobility most of the prime Clergy many of the Great Gentry of the Land The Bill of Fare may be read in Bishop Godwins Catalogue of Bishops Seven years after King Edward seized on all his Estate to the value of twenty thousand pounds among which he found so rich a Mitre that he made himself a Crown thereof The Archbishop he sent over prisoner to Callis where he was kept bound in extreme poverty justice punishing his former prodigality He was afterwards restored to his Liberty and Archbishoprick but went drooping till the day of his death It added to his sorrow that the Kingdom of Scotland Scotland freed from the See of York with twelve Suffragan Bishops therein formerly subjected to his See was now by Pope Sixtus freed from any further dependance thereon S. Andrews being advanced to an Archbishoprick and that Kingdom in Ecclesiastical matters made entire within it self whose Bishops formerly repaired to York for their consecration Anno 1473. in August John Goose sole Martyr in this King's Reign was condemned and burned at Tower-hill This man when ready to suffer desired meat from the Sheriff which Ordered his Execution and had it granted unto him I will eat saith he a good competent dinner for I shall pass a sharp shower ere I come to Supper King Edward IV. died April 9. 1483. In his Reign flourished Thomas Littleton a Reverend Judge of the Common-pleas who brought a great part of the Law into method which lay before confusedly dispersed and his book called Littletons Tenures Then John Harding Esquire wrote a Chronicle in English verse John Fortescue a Judge and Chancellor of England wrote divers Treatises concerning the Law and Politick Government Rochus a Charter-house Monk born in London wrote divers Epigrams William Caxton also wrote a Chronicle Miserable King Edward V. ought to have succeeded his Father but he by the wicked practice of his Unckle Richard Duke of Glocester chosen Protector was quickly made away The Protection of the young King's Person was by the last King appointed to Earl Rivers the Queen's brother and by the mother's side Unckle to the said Prince who kept his Residence and Court at Ludlow The Queen with the Earl Rivers her brother and with her Son Richard Lord Gray and other Friends being guarded with a strong power of Armed men and Souldiers intended to bring the Young King from Ludlow to London to be Crowned But the Duke of Glocester wrought so cunningly with the Queen that she dispatched messengers to her Brother and Son who though unwilling upon her request were perswaded to Disband and Cashier all their Souldiers and attended only with their own Menial Servants they set forward with the Young King towards the Queen They came to Northampton and soon after the Dukes of Glocester and Buckingham dismounted themselves in the Earls Inn being accompanied with great store of resolute attendants There they surprized the Earl Rivers and committed him to safe Custody Mart. Chron. in Edw. V. Then the two Dukes rode to Stonystratford where the King then was There they seized on Richard Lord Grey the King's half-brother and on Sir Richard Vaugham and some others all which they sent under a strong guard to Pomfret-castle where without any judicial sentence or legal trial they were beheaded upon the same day that the Lord Hastings who conspired in that action with the two Dukes lost his head The Queen with the rest of her Children enters the Sanctuary at Westminster The young King is brought to London and the Duke of Glocester by the contrivement of the Duke of Buckingham is made Protector of the King and Kingdom by the Decree of the Councel-Table and now he wickedly plotteth to make away the young King and his Brother and in order thereunto he laboureth first to get into his hands the Duke of York the King's brother And to that end the Archbishop of Canterbury was employed with instructions to procure the Queen to part with her younger son to accompany the elder The Protector having gotten both the brothers into his hand causeth them within few days in great pomp and State to be convayed through London to the Tower The Sunday following he caused Doctor Shaa at Paul's cross to blazon the Honourable birth and parentage of the Protector to relate his vertues to commend his valour to weaken the Fame and Honour of the deceased King Edward by reason of his lascivious wantonness with Shore's wife and others to bastardize all his Children because the King was in the person of Richard Earl of Warwick before his said marriage affianced unto the Lady Bona sister to the wife of the French King He also accused the Protector 's own mother of great incontinency When King Edward and George Duke of Clarence were begotten Then setting forth the worthiness of the Protector he supposed that the people could not chuse but receive him for their King Pynkney the Provincial of the Augustinian Friars who in the same place used so loud adulation lost his credit conscience and voice altogether These two were all of the Clergy who engaged actively on his party His Coronation was performed with more pomp than any of his Predecessors Soon after followed the murther of King Edward and his Brother Richard Duke of York After this bloody act having visited his Town of Glocester which he endowed with ample Liberties and Priviledges he took his journey towards York At a certain day appointed the whole Clergy assembled in Copes richly vested and so went about the City in Procession after whom followed the King with his Crown and Scepter apparrelled in his Circot Robe Royal accompanyed with many of the Nobility of the Realm after whom marched in order Queen Anne his wife Crowned leading in her left hand Prince Edward her Son Sir Th. Moores History of King Rich. 3. having on his head a demy-crown appointed for the degree of a Prince The Northern people hereupon extolled and praised him far above the Stars After this glorious pomp and a solemn feast having done all things discreetâ—y he returned by Nottingham and afterwards came to London whom the Citizens more for fear than love received in
forty small Monasteries turning their Inhabitants out of House and home and converting their means principally to a Colledge in Oxford This alienation was confirmed by Pope Clement the Seventh so that in some sort the Pope may thank himself for the demolishing of Religious houses in England His Colledge in Oxford did thrice change it's name in seven years first called Cardinals Colledge then King's Colledge and at last Christ-church which it retaineth at this day King Henry took just offence that the Cardinal set his own Arms above the King 's on thy Gate-house at the entrance into the Colledge There have been maintained in this Colledge one Dean eight Canons three publick Professors of Divinity Hebrew and Greek sixty Students eight Chaplains eight Singing-men an Organist eight Choristers twenty four Almes-men at this present Students of all sorts with Officers and Servants of the Foundation to the number of two hundred twenty three John Higdon first Dean of this Colledge was a great Persecutor of Protestants viz. John Clark John Frith Henry Sumner Baley †John Fryer Goodman †Nicholas Harmar †Michael Drumme William Betts Such whose names are noted with a Cross did afterwards turn zealous Papists Lawney Richard Cox Richard Taverner All these were for their Religion imprisoned in a deep Cave under ground where the Salt-fish of the Colledge was kept Some of them died soon after with the stench thereof and others escaped with great difficulty Taverner was well-skilled in Musick on which account he escaped though vehemently accused the Cardinal pleading for him that he was but a Musitian though afterward he repented to have set Tunes to so many Popish ditties The example of Wolsey's haughtiness Martin's Chr. in Henry 8. made the English Clergy so proud and insolent that their labours formerly applyed to the studies of moral vertues and of Divinity were now employed to devise curious fashions in their behaviour in their apparrel and in their diet In the fifteenth sixteenth and seventeenth year of King Henries Reign this proud Cardinal under colour of the King 's partaking with the Emperor in his Wars against the French King of his own authority and wiâ—hout the King's commandement granted forth Commissions under the Great Seal of England into every Shire and Province of the Kingdome and directed them unto the chiefest men And therein every man was required to depose the true value of their Estates and then of every fifty pounds there was demanded four shillings in the pound And in London he made himself the chief Commissioner The like Commissions he granted forth against all the Clergy of the Land of whom he demanded four shillings in the pound of all their livings These things grieved the Clergy and Common People at the heart The Cardinal perceiving this recalled those Commissions and sent forth others which also being not endured the King by his Letters directed into every County commanded a present cessation of all executions of the said Commissions and protested they were granted forth without his knowledge or consent But if they would by way of a Benevolence of their own accord enlarge themselves towards him he would take it as an infallible proof of their love toward him The Cardinal now resolved to revenge himself on the Emperor Charles the Fifth for not doing him right and improving his power in preferring him to the Papacy according to his promises and intends to smite Charles through the sides of his Aunt Katharine Queen of England endeavouring to alienate the King's affections from her Wolsey now put this scruple into the head of Bishop Longlands the King's Confessor and he insinuated the same into the King's Conscience King Henry greedily resented the motion and principles of pure Conscience puts him upon endeavours of a divorce The business is brought into the Court of Rome there to be decided by Pope Clement the Seventh But the Pope at this time was a prisoner to the Emperor who constantly kept a guard about him Yet after some delay the Pope dispatched a Commission to two Cardinals Wolsey and Campegius an Italian to hear and determine the matter at London The Pope draws back the cause unto himself and the King being impatient having the consent of both Universities as also of that of Paris he forsaketh Katharine and Marrieth Anna Bolen Anno 1533. And in the year 1534. he denieth obedience to the Pope and chargeth all his Subjects that they send no Money unto Rome nor pay Peter-pence unto any of the Collectors which vexeth the Roman Court. Then he published an Edict whereby he declares himself under Christ The supreme Head of the Church of England and chargeth upon pain of Death that no man ascribe any Power to the Pope within England and commandeth all the Collectors of Peter-pence to be gone These things were confirmed by the Parliament who also enacted That the Archbishop of Canterbury should invest all the Bishops of England and that the Church-men shall pay to the King yearly one hundred and fifty thousand pounds for defence of the Kingdom Wolsey was accused in Parliament for exercising his power Legantine without leave to the prejudice of the King's Crown and dignity Mr. Cromwel Servant to the Cardinal being a Burgess defendeth his Master yet were all his goods of inestimable value confiscated to the King and he outed of most of his Ecclesiastical promotions His enemies get the King to command him away to York leaving him the whole revenues of York-Archbishoprick then worth little less than four thousand pounds yearly besides a large pension paid him out of the Bishoprick of Winchester As he was preparing there in a Princely Equipage for his Installation he is Arrested by the Earl of Northumberland by Commission from the King in his own Chamber at Cawood By slow and short Journeys he setteth forward toward London and coming to Leicester he died where he was obscurely buried Then John Fisher Bishop of Rochester was imprisoned for refusing the Oath of Supremacy The Clergy in the Province of York did a long time deny the King's Supremacy Edward Lee Archbishop of York fomented this difference He was a virulent Papist one that wrote against Erasmus and a persecutor of Protestants witness John Bale Convented before him for suspition of Heresie who in vain pleaded Scripture in his own defence till at last he casually made use of a distinction out of Scotus which the Archbishop more valued than all which he had before more pertinently alledged out the Old and New Testament The King wrote a fair and large Letter to the Convocation of York claiming nothing more than what Christian Princes in the Primitive times assumed to themselves in their own Dominions so that it seems he wrought so far on their affections that at last they consented thereunto Soon after the Clergy in the Convocation so submitted themselves to the King that each one severally promised in verbo Sacerdotis never henceforth to presume to Alledge Claim or put
Archdeacon of Leicester was also of the same judgment To this also agreed the whole Clergy of the Church of England and subscribed with the hands of the Bishops and other learned Men to the number of forty six Doctors of Divinity and of both Laws Polydor Virgil who being sent into England had been the Pope's Collector General of the Peter-pence exacting them in the notion of a Rent and Tribute due to the Pope his Master was made Archdeacon of Taunton and Dignitary of the Cathedral Church of Wells on the Quire whereof he bestowed Hangings flourished with the Lawrel-tree and wrote upon them Sunt Polydori munera Virgilii He wrote a Latin History of Britain until the year of our Lord 1533. out of many rare Manuscripts which he had collected together Anno 1535. John Fisher Bishop of Rochester was beheaded soon after the Pope had made him Cardinal of St. Vitalis He was Chaplain and Confessor to the Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond at whose Instance and by whose advice she founded and endowed Christ's and St. John's Colledge in Cambridge He died in the seventy seventh year of his Age on June 22. Sir Thomas Moor was beheaded the next month after Bishop Fisher and was buried at Chelsey He was a great Enemy to the Protestants On June the eighth began a Parliament which was dissolved on July the eighteenth following A parallel Convocation began the day after wherein the Lord Cromwel Prime Secretary sate in State above all the Bishops as the King's Vicar or Vicegerent General in all Spiritual matters Deformi satis spectaculo saith Bishop Godwin Godwin â— Annals Anno 1536. indocto Laico caetui Praesidente Sacratorum Antistitum omnium quos ante haec tempora Anglia unquam habuisset doctissimorum But the Lord Cromwel had in Power and Policy what he wanted in Learning In that Convocation the said Lord tendered unto them an Instrument to be publickly signed by all the Convocation concerning the nullity of the King's Marriage with the Lady Anna Bolen Some ten dayes before Archbishop Cranmer had pronounced it invalid frustrate and of none effect at Lambeth No particular cause is specified in that sentence Sure I am there is no dashing on the credit of the Lady nor any the least insinuation of unchastity in that Instrument Praeclara Domina Serenissima Regina being the worst Titles that are given her therein King Henry got her Divorce confirmed both by Convocation and Parliament She was beheaded May 19. 1536. The King on the next day was married to the Lady Iane Seymour Soon after by little and little began the ruine of the Abbeys and Religious Houses for all Religious Houses whose possessions in yearly revenue exceeded not the sum of two hundred pounds were suppressed and dissolved and all their Sites and Possessions whatsoever were given for ever to the King The Clergy also at the same time of their own accord and to insinuate themselves into grace and favour with the King composed and published in printed Books certain Articles for the ordering and governing of the Church in which mention was made of three Sacraments only and the rest of them which former times did superstitiously receive and maintain were left out of the said Books These proceedings of the King and Clergy against the Pope and Holy Church were so generally disliked by the rude and ignorant people that they openly affirmed that the King's Council irreligiously directed him amiss and that the temporizing Clergy of the Land practised by all means possible to extinguish all Devotion and utterly to subvert all the ancient Rites Ceremonies and commendable Government of the Church And the unruly people in Lincoln-shire to the number of twenty thousand assembled themselves in Arms taking upon themselves to frame better Orders for the governing of the Church and Common-wealth But the King approaching near them with an Army they ran away and Doctor Mackarel their Ring-leader with some others were shortly after apprehended and executed Then there arose another Insurrection in the Noâ—â—â— and the number of those Rebels exceeded the number of forty thousand men who termed themselves The holy Pilgrims who intended nothing but the establishing of true Religion and the reformation of great abuses which defaced the Government of the Church The King's Army drawing near upon the faithful promise of the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk that commanded his Army that the King should pardon them the Rebels left the field and quietly departed to their own houses Now the King waxed more absolute in his Government especially concerning his Clergy and the ordering of the Church William Tindal who translated the New Testament in English and the five Books of Moses with many other godly Works was burned at the Town of Filford in Flaunders by vertue of the Emperors Decree made in the Assembly at Ausburgh He was first strangled and after consumed with fire At the Stake he cried with a loud voice Lord open the King of England 's eyes The King began with a little Book of Articles for the instruction of the people bearing this Title Articles devised by the King's Highness to establish Christian quiet and unity among the people It contained the Creed three Sacramenâ—s Baptism the Eucharist and Penance how Images might safely be worshipped and how Saints departed ought to be reverenced that the Parsons should teach their people that Christ is their only Mediator and how the Ceremonies of holy Water holy Bread Candles c. should without superstition be used It took away also the abuses which arose upon the imagination of Purgatory as Masses for Souls departed Pardons c. Not long after these Articles certain other Injunctions were also given out about the same year whereby a number of Holy-dayes were abrogated especially such as fell in Harvest-time Other Injunctions were also given out by the King concerning Images Relicks and blind Miracles for abrogating of Pilgrimages Also for the Lord's Prayer Creed and ten Commandements and the Bible to be done into English Anno 1538 the Parsons of Churches and the Parishes together were bound to provide in every Parish Church a Bible in English Also for every Parishioner to be taught by the Minister to understand and say the Lord's Prayer and Creed in their own vulgar tongue with other necessary Injunctions as for the free preaching of the Word of God against Images Pilgrimages Avies Suffrages of Saints c. and for a Register-book to be kept in every Church This year was Friar Forrest burned quick hanging in Chains in Smithfield for denying the King's Supremacy with this Forrest was Darvel Gatheren an abominable Idol of Wales burned Great was the King's profit at this time from the Office for the receipt of Tenths and First-fruits The First-fruits Office first set up in London which was now first set up in London Such moneys were formerly paid to the Pope who had his Collectors in every Diocess which sometimes by Bills of Exchange
but generally in specie to the great impoverishing of the Land yearly returned the Tenths and First-fruits of the English Clergy to Rome The Pope being now dead in England the King was found his Heir at Common Law as to most of the power and profit the other had usurped But now as the Clergy had changed their Landlord so their Rents were new rated Commissioners being employed in all Counties the Bishop of the Diocess being alwayes one of them to value their yearly Revenue that so their Tenths and First-fruits may be proportioned accordingly These Raters were the chiefest in all Counties under the degrees of Barons These Commissioners were impowred by the King to send for the Scribes and Notaries of all Bishops and Archdeacons to swear the Receivers and Auditors of Incumbents to view their Register-books Fuller Church history Easter-books and all other Writings and to use all other wayes to know the full value of Ecclesiastical preferments with the number and names of persons enjoying the same They were to divide themselves by Three and Three allotting to every number so many Deaneries and to enquire the number and names of all Abbies Monasteries Priories Brotherships Sisterships Fellowships c. Houses Religious and Conventual as well CHARTER-HOVSE as others these Carthusians being specified by name because pretending priviledge of Papal exemption and meeting together to certifie into the Exchequer at the time limited in their Commission the true value of such places or preferments This work took up some years in the effecting thereof Devon-shire and Sommerset were done in the twenty seventh Stafford-shire and many other Counties in the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth and most of Wales not till the Reign of King Edward the Sixth In Ireland the Commissioners found the work so troublesome that they never came into the County of Kerrey the South-West extremity of that Island so that the Clergy thereof are put into their Benefices without any payments But in England all were unpartially rated and Vicaridges valued very high according to their present Revenue by personal Requisites Idem ibid. In that Age he generally was the richest Shepherd that had the greatest Flock where Oblations from the living and Obits for the dead as certainly paid as predial Tithes much advanced their Income In consideration whereof Vicaridges mostly lyinig in Market-Towns and populous Parishes were set very high though soon after those obventions sunk with superstition And the Vicars in vain desired a proportionable abatement in the King's Books which once drawn up were no more to be altered Now Queen Mary did by Act of Parliament exonerate acquit and discharge the Clergy from all First-fruits As for Tenths the same Statute ordered them to be paid to Cardinal Pool who from the same was to pay the Pensions allowed to Monks and Nuns by her Father at the dissolution of Abbeys yet so that when such persons who were but few and aged all named in a Deed indented should decease all such payments of the Clergy reserved Nomine Decimae should cease and be extinct for ever But her Sister Queen Elizabeth Vide Statut. 1 Eliz. cap. 4. succeeding her was exact to have her Dues from the Clergy Sir Christopher Hatton who was Master of this First-fruits Office was much indebted to her for Moneys received All which Arrears her Majesty required so severely and suddenly from him that the grief thereof cost him his life I say this Queen in the first of her Reign resumed First-fruits and Tenths only with this case to Parsonages not exceeding ten Marks and Vicaridges ten pounds that they should be freed from First-fruits In the months of October and November Anno 1538. the Abbeys and Monasteries in England were dissolved Cromwel being made General Visitor employed Richard Layton Thomas Lee William Detre Doctors of the Law Doctor John London Dean of Wallingford with others giving them instruction in eighty six Articles for visiting Monasteries every where by which they were to enquire into the government behaviour and education of the persons of both Sexes to find out all their offences and to this purpose give them encouragements to accuse both their Governors and each other To command them to exhibit their Mortmains Lord Herbert in vit Henr. 8. Evidences and Conveyances of their Lands to produce their Plate and Money and give an Inventory thereof The King also gave forth Injunctions to be observed some tending to the establishing of his Supremacy Some touching the good Government of the Houses As that no Brother go out of the Precinct That there be but one entrance That no Woman frequent the Monks nor any Man the Nuns c. And some for Education As that a Divinity-lecture be every where read and frequented That the Abbot daily expound some part of the Rule of their Order shewing yet that these Ceremonies are but Introductions to Religion which consisteth not in Apparel shaven Heads c. but in purity of mind That none shall profess or wear the Habit till twenty four years of age That no feigned Relicks or Miracles be shewed no Offerings to Images c. Lee and the rest at their return gave that account of their feigned Miracles and Relicks as well as sinful and sluggish life of the Religious Orders as not only Cromwel said their Houses should be thrown down to the foundation but the whole Body of the Kingdom when it was published to them became so scandalized thereat as they resolve if the King ever put it into their hands to give remedy thereunto Yet were not all alike criminal for some Societies behaved themselves so well as their life being not only exempt from notorious faults but their spare times bestowed in writing Books Painting Carving Graving and the like Exercises their Visitors became Intercessors for them But these being not many were at last involved in the common fate Not long after this the King caused all Colledges Chantries and Hospitals to be visited not omitting to take a particular survey of all the Revenues and Dignities Ecclesiastical within his Kingdom which was returned to him in a Book to be kept in the Exchequer Then King Henry sent Fox Bishop of Hereford to the Protestant Princes in Germany assembled at Smalcald to exhort them to an unity in Doctrine wherein he offered his assistance by conference with their Divines Immediately after the ruine of Monasteries in the Month of November followed the condemnation of John Lambert that faithful Servant of Christ On a set day Lambert was brought forth where he had not only the King 's fierce countenance against him but also ten Disputers against him from twelve of the clock till five at night among which were the Archbishop Stephen Gardiner C. Tunstal Bishop of Durham and J. Stokesley Bishop of London Through Winchester's perswasion to gratifie the people the King himself condemned Lambert and commanded Cromwel to read the Sentence He was burned in Smithfield where he suffered
under the burden of that payment and the twentieth part of those which were not To which the Bishop added at several times the sum of nine hundred pound one shilling eleven pence the Dean and Chapter one hundred thirty six pound thirteen shillings four pence By all which and some other little helps the work was carried on so fast that before the end of April 1566. the Timber-work of the Roof was not onely fitted but compleatly covered And now the Pope's Nuncio being advanced already in his way to England as far as Flanders expecteth the Queen's pleasure touching his admittance for the Pope could not be taken off from sending his Nuncio to the Queen with whom he conceived himself to stand upon termes of Amity But the Queen persevered in her first intent affirming she could not treat with the Bishop of Rome whose authority was excluded out of England by consent of Parliament The greatest obstacle to the Nuncio's coming was partly laid by the indiscretion of some Papists in England and partly by the precipitancy of the Pope's Ministers in Ireland for sundry ill-disposed persons upon the noise of the Nuncio's coming not onely brake the Laws made against the Pope and his Authority but spread abroad slaunderous reports that the Queen was at the point to change her Religion and alter the government of the Realm Some also had practised with the Devil by Conjurations Charms and casting of Figures to be informed in the length of her Majesties Reign And on the other side the Pope's Legate being at the same time in Ireland joyned himself to some desperate Traitors who stirred up rebellion there and as much as in him was had deprived the Queen of all Right and Title to that Kingdom Upon which grounds it was carried clearly at the Council-boord against the Nuncio notwithstanding the Intercession of the French the Spaniard or the Duke of Alva Yet notwithstanding the Emperor Ferdinand sends to perswade the Queen to return to the old Religion at least that she would set apart some Churches to the use of the Catholicks To whom she answered That she had setled her Religion on so sure a Bottom that she could not easily be changed And for granting Churches to the Papists it did not consist with the Polity and good Laws of the Land Then divers abuses arising in the Church Archbishop Parker found it necessary to have recourse unto the power which was given to him by the Queen's Commission and by a clause of the Act of Parliament For the Vniformity of Common-Prayer and service in the Church c. As one of the Commissioners for causes Ecclesiastical he was authorized with the rest of his Associates To reform redress order correct and amend all such Errors Heresies Schismes Abuses Offences Contempts and Enormities whatsoever as might from time to time arise in the Church of England And in the passage of the Act forementioned it was provided That all such Ornaments of the Church and the Ministers thereof should be retained as were in the Church of England by Authority of Parliament in the second year of King Edward the Sixth untill further order should be taken therein from the Queen's Majesty c. And also if there shall happen any contempt or irreverence to be used in the Rites of the Church by the misusing of the Orders of the said Book of Common-Prayer the Queen might by the advise of the Commissioners or Metropolitan ordain or publish such further Ceremonies or Rites as should be most for the advance of God's glory the edifying the Church c. Hereupon the Archbishop by the Queen's consent and the advice of some of the Bishops sets forth a certain Book of Orders to be diligently observed and executed by all persons whom it might concern Heylin Hist of Q. Elizab. An. Reg. 3. In which it was provided That no Parson Vicar or Curate of any exempt Church should from thenceforth attempt to conjoyn by solemnization of Matrimony any not being of his or their Parish-church without good Testimony of the Bains being ask'd in the several Churches where they dwell or otherwise were sufficiently Licensed That no other days should be observed as Holy-days and Fasting-days but onely such as be expressed in the Calendar lately set forth by the Queen's Authority That neither the Curates or Parents of Children which are brought to Baptism should answer for them at the Font but that the antient use of Godfathers and Godmothers should still be retained and that in all such Churches in which the steps to the Altar were not taken down the said steps should remain as before they did That the Communion-Table should be set in the said place where the steps then were or had formerly stood and that the Table of the Decalogue should be fixed upon the wall over the said Communion-Table This year the Merchants Tailors School in London was founded first by the Master Wardens and Assistants of the Company of Merchants Tailors whence it had the name and by them founded for a Seminary to St. John's in Oxford built and endowed at the sole costs of one of their Livery But of a far more private nature was the Foundation of another Grammar School in the Town of Sandwich built at the charge of Sir Roger Manwood and endowed with forty pound per annum The Council of Trent being now opened it was said in that Council that iâ— was good to let the Protestants alone and not name them alledging the danger of moving ill humors in a Body which was then quiet To give a safe conduct to the English-men which neither They nor any of them did require were a great indignity They were content it should be given to the Scots because their Queen would demand it but so as that the demand should first be made But the English Protestant Bishops would not venture themselves into that Council on such weak assurance considering how ill the safe conduct had been formerly kept to John Hus and Jerom of Prague at the Council of Constance And the Queen kept the Papal party safe from gadding thither Then Scipio a Venetian Gentleman formerly acquainted with Master Jewel whil'st he was a Student at Padua wrote now an expostulating Letter unto him being lately made Bishop of Sarisbury in which he much admireth that England should send no Ambassador nor Letter nor Message to excuse their Nation 's absence from the General Appearance of Christianity in that Council c. Bishop Jewel returned him such an Answer that neither Scipio himself nor any other of that party durst reply upon him The Answer is to be found at large at the end of the History of this Council Translated by Sir Nathanael Brent At this time it was advised by Lewis Prince of Conde the Cardinal Chastilion and other principal leaders of the Protestant party in France that they should put themselves under the protection of the Queen of England who had not long before so seasonably relieved
with a thankful heart to improve so great a mercy of God have resolved to offer up my self wholly to Divine service as much as I may to fulfil the end for which this our Colledge was founded I promise therefore and swear in the presence of Almighty God that I am prepared from my heart with the assistance of Divine grace in due time to receive holy Orders and to return into England to convert the Souls of my Countrey-men and Kinred when and as often as it shall seem good to the Superior of this Colledge c. Now Pope Pius the Fifth thunders out his Excommunication against Queen Elizabeth and the Hereticks as he calleth them adhering to her wherein also her Subjects are declared absolved from the Oath of Allegiance and every other thing due unto her whatsoever and those which from henceforth obey her are innodated with the Anathema The news thereof flying over into England variously affected the Catholicks according to their several dispositions John Felton who fastened the Pope's Bull to the Palace of London being taken and refusing to fly was hanged on a Gibbet before the Pope's Palace Then Hugh Price Doctor of the Civil Law procured the foundation of Jesus Colledge in Oxford on a Ground where White hall had been formerly situated which with Edifices and Gardens thereto belonging being then in the Crown Queen Elizabeth gave to so pious an use and therefore is stiled the Foundress in this Mortmain In the year 1570. Murray sueth to have the Queen of Scots delivered unto him But soon after he was shot with a leaden Bullet beneath the Navil at Lithguo as he rode in the street Hamilton the murtherer escaped into France Then Matthew Lenox the young King's Grandfather was made Regent of Scotland Now began Popery to encrease and the word Recusant to be born and bred in mens mouths A Parliament sate at Westminster which acted against Papists That to write print preach or affirm that the Queen was an Heretick Schismatick c. should be adâ—udged Treason Also That it should be so accounted and punished to bring and put in execution any Bulls Writings Instruments c. from the See of Rome from the first of July following A severe Act was made also against Fugitives who being natural born Subjects of this Realm departed the same without license Against Non conformists it was provided That every Minister should before December the twenty fifth next following in the presence of his Diocesan or his Deputy declare his assent to all the Articles of Religion agreed on in the Convocation 1562. upon pain of deprivation on his refusal thereof Against covetous Conformists it was provided That no Spiritual person Colledge or Hospital shall let lease other than for the term of one and twenty years or three lives the usual rent or more reserved payable yearly during the said Term. Now began Queen Elizabeth's favour to decline toward the Queen of Scots principally for practising with the Pope and forreign Princes Anno 1571. Queen Elizabeth went in Royal state to see a most beautiful Burse which Sir Thomas Gresham Knight Citizen of London had built for the use of Merchants and by the voice of the Crier and the sound of Trumpets as it it were by way of Dedication she named it The Royal Exchange A little before that Florentine Ridolpho who had for the space of fifteen years exercised Merchandise at London secretly conveyed Letters from the Pope to the Queen of Scots wherein he promiseth all kindness and aid for advancing the Catholick Religion and Her c. Ridolphâ— also by his own Letters apart prayeth the Queen to acquaint the Duke of Norfolk with these things c. Anno 1572. died William Alley Bishop of Exeter a diligent Preacher and John Jewel Bishop of Satisbury The Canons made in 1563. were not for nine years after confirmed by Act of Parliament but now being ratified by Parliamentary Authority the Bishops began the urging of them more severely than before which many dissenters keep their private meetings in Woods Fields their Friends Houses c. And now Thomas Cartwright chief of the Non-conformists presents the Parliament with a Book called An Admonition This was seconded with another more importunate to the same effect Great bandying there was of Books between two eminent Authors of opposite parties 1. The Admonition first and second made by Mr. Cartwright 2. The Answer to the Admonition by Doctor John Whitgift 3. The Reply to the Answer by Mr. Thomas Cartwright 4. The Defence of the Answer by Doctor John Whitgift This last kept the field and received no solemn refutation The Non-conformists after the dissolution of the Parliament The first Presbytery in England presumed to erect a Presbytery at Wandsworth in Surrey Eleven Elders were chosen therein and their Offices and general Rules by them to be observed agreed upon and described as appears by a Bill endorsed with the hand of Mr. Field Lecturer it is supposed of that place but living in London Mr. Smith ofâ— Micham and Mr. Crane of Roughampton are mentioned for approving all passages therein This was the first-born of all Presbyteries in England Here were two sorts of Ministers First Mr. 1. Field 2. Wilcox 3. Standen 4. Jackson 5. Bonham 6. Seintloe 7. Crane 8. Edmonds Afterwards Mr. 1. Chark 2. Travers 3. Barber 4. Gardiner 5. Cheston 6. Crook 7. Egerton The former of these were principally against Ministers Habits and the Common-prayer-book The latter endeavouring the modelling of a new Discipline But it was not long before both Streams uniting together Non-conformity began to bear a great Channel in the City of London Then Ross the Queen of Scots Ambassador and the Duke of Norfolk were sent to the Tower for plotting against Queen Elizabeth The Duke of Norfolk was arraigned and condemned by his Peers and beheaded on Tower-hill This year happened a cruel Massacre in Paris the Queen of Navar and all the choicest of the Protestants being bidden thither to a Marriage between Henry of Navar and Madam Margarite the King's Sister No sooner was the Marriage solemnized but there followed bloody Butcherings committed upon men of all estates throughout all the Cities of France And Admiral Coligny the Pillar of the Reformed Church was slain in his Bed on Bartholomew-eve In November following a new Star was seen in the Constellation of Cassiopeia which continued full sixteen months being carried about with the daily motion of the Heaven Theodor Beza wittily applyed it to that Star which shone at the Birth of Christ and to the murthering of the Infants under Herod and warned Charles the ninth King of France who had confessed himself to be the Author of the Massacre at Paris to beware in this Verse Camden's History of Queen Eliz. Tu Vero Herodes sanguinolente cave And look thou bloody Herod to thy self And he was not altogether deceived in his belief for the fifth month after the vanishing of this Star the said
in English against Chark who had written soberly against Campian's challenge But to Campian's Reasons Whitaker answered soundly He was taken a year after and put to the rack and afterwards being brought forth to dispute hardly maintained the expectation raised of him Parsons hardly escaping at Norwich in Cheshire politickly returneth to Rome This year Edmond Grindal Archbishop of Canterbury groaning under the Queens displeasure was forbidden access to the Convocation But a Petition was drawn up in the name of the whole Convocation for the restitution of the Archbishop by Toby Matthew Dean of Christ-church This Petition after delayes ended in a final denial it being daily suggested to the Queen that Grindal was a great Patron of Prophecyings now set up in several parts of the Land which if permitted would in fine prove the bane of the Church and State These Prophecyings were thus modelled 1. The Ministers of the same Precinct by their own appointment Fuller Church Hist An. 1580. met at the principal place therein 2. The Junior Divine went first into the Pulpit and for about half an hour treated upon a portion of Scripture formerly by a joynt agreement assigned unto him After him four or five more observing their seniority successively dilated on the same Text. 3. At last a Grave Divine made the closing Sermon somewhat larger than the rest praising the pains of such who best deserved it and mildly reproving the mistakes of such of those if any were found in their Sermons Then all was ended as it was begun with a solemn Prayer And at a publick refection of those Ministers together with many of the Gentry repairing to them the next time of their meeting was appointed Text assigned Preachers deputed a new Moderator elected or the one continued and so all were dissolved But some incoveniences were seen and more foreseen if these Prophecyings might generally take place in the Land However the Archbishop to vindicate himself wrote a large Letter to the Queen But all in vain for the Earl of Leicester had so filled the Queens ears with complaints against him that there was no room to receive his Petition Indeed Leicester cast a covetous eye on Lambeth-house and maliced him because he stoutly opposed the alienating this his principal Palace Now began Priests and Jesuits to flock faster into England than ever before having exchange of clothes names and professions Hereupon the Parliament now met at Westminster enacted severe Laws against them John Pain a Priest was executed at Chelmsford Thomas Ford John Shert and Robert Johnson Priests were executed at London This year died Gilbert Berkley Bishop of Bath and Wells The Presbyterian party met at Cockfield Mr. Knewstub's Cure in Suffolk even sixty Ministers of Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridge-shire to confer of the Common-prayer-book what might be tolerated and what refused in every point of it apparel matter form dayes fastings injunctions c. whilst the severity of the State was at this time great against Jesuites some lenity of course fell to the share of the Non-conformists The City of Geneva being now reduced to great extremities by the Duke of Savoy Beza addressed himself by Letters to Mr. Walter Travers one of the chief of the Presbyterian party then Chaplain to the Lord Treasurer in which Letter may be seen much of the secret sympathy betwixt England and Geneva about Discipline Geneva helping England with her Prayers England aiding Geneva with her purse The Duke of Anjou came into England and was an earnest Suitor to Queen Elizabeth A Book was set forth against the Marriage entitled The Gulps wherein England will be swallowed by the French Marriage The Queen by open Proclamation commended the Duke of Anjou's affection towards her and the Protestants Religion sorrowed that so great an injury was offered to so high a Prince she condemned the Author of the Book as a publisher of Sedition and commanded the Book to be burnt before the Magistrates face From this time she began to be more incensed against the Innovators from whom she believed that these things proceeded And within few dayes after John Stubs of Lincolns-Inn whose Sister Mr. Cartwright formerly mentioned had married the Author of this Book William Page who dispersed the Copies and Singleton the Printer were apprehended Stubs and Page had their right hands cut off with a Cleaver driven through the wrist with the force of a Beetle upon a Scaffold in the Market-place at Westminster The Printer was pardoned Stubs having his right hand cut off put off his hat with his left and said with a loud voice God save the Queen The Queen also to take away the fear which had possessed many mens minds that Religion would be altered and Popery tolerated permitted that Edmond Campian Jesuite Ralph Sherwin Luke Kirby and Alexander Briant Priests should be arraigned they were condemned and executed for Treason This was done during the abode of Anjou in England The Earl of Leicester improved his power at this time very great with the Queen to obtain great Liberty for the Non-conformists Hence it was that many Bishops active in pressing subscription in their Diocess when repairing to Court were checked by this great Favourite to their great discouragement Hereupon the Brethren who hitherto had no particular platform of Discipline among themselves The form of Discipline by the Brethren considered of in a solemn Synod with the Decrees thereof may be read in Fuller church Hist Cent. 16. Anno 1582. as universally practised by their party began in a solemn Council held by them to conclude on a certain form as may be seen in their Decrees faithfully translated out of their Latin Copy The Title thereof These be the things that do seem may well stand with the peace of the Church This year died three that seemed Pillars in the Romish Church Frist Richard Bristow born in Worcester-shire bred at Exeter-colledge in Oxford whence he fled beyond the Seas and by Cardinal Allen was made Overseer of the English Colledge first at Doway then at Rhemes For the recovery of his health he returned into his native Land and died quietly near London The second Nicholas Harpsfield bred first in Winchester-school then in New-colledge in Oxford where he proceeded Doctor of Law and after became Archdeacon of Canterbury Under King Edward the Sixth he banished himself Under Queen Mary he returned and was advanced Under Queen Elizabeth imprisoned for denying her Supremacy Yet such was his mild usage in his Restraint that he wrote much therein and among the rest his Ecclesiastical History He wrote also six Dialogues in favour of his own Religion He set it forth under the name of Alan Cope Yet caused he these Capital letters to be engraven at the end of his Book A. H. L. N. H. E. V. E. A. C. Hereby mystically meaning Auctor Hujus Libri Nicolaus Harpfeldus Edidit Vero Eum Alanus Copus The third Gregory Martin born at Mayfield in Sussex bred with Campian at
their gratitude gave to the English Divines two hundred pounds at their departure to bear their charges in their return besides a Golden Medal of good value was given to every one of them wherein the sitting of the Synod was artificially represented When their work was ended they viewed the most eminent Cities in the Low Countries and at all places were bountifully received Fuller Church Hist Ad. An. 1618. Leiden onely excepted for the Great ones of that University at this time being Remonstrants were disaffected to the decisions of the Synod This gave occasion to that passage in the speech of Sir Dudley Carleton the English Ambassador when in the name of his Master he tendred publick thanks to the States for their Great respects to the English Divines using words to this effect That they had been entertained at Amsterdam welcommed at the Hague cheerfully received at Rotterdam kindly embraced at Utrecht c. and that they had seen Leiden How high an esteem the STATES GENERAL had of our English Divines will appear by their Letters which they sent to King James written in Latin With which Letters they came over into England and presented themselves to the King at Court where after courteous entertaining of them he favourably dismissed them Removing Bishop Carleton to Chichester preferring Dr. Davenant to the Bishoprick of Salisbury and bestowing the Mastership of the Savoy upon Balcanqual The decisions of this Synod have been since approved applauded Joh. Goodwin in his Redemption Redeemed c. 15. parag 24. magnified by some vilified condemned by others Of such as dislike the Synod none falls heavier upon it than Mr. John Goodwin charging the Synodians to have taken a previous Oath to condemn the opposite party on what termes soever Mr. Fuller desirous to be rightly informed herein wrote a Letter to Bishop Hall who was pleased to return him this answer Whereas you desire from me a just relation of the carriage of the business of the Synod of Dort and the conditions required of our Divines there at or before their Admission to that Grave and Learned Assembly I whom God was pleased to employ as an unworthy Agent in that great work and to reserve still upon Earth after all my Reverend and Worthy Associates do as in the presence of that God to whom I am now daily expecting to yield up my account testifie to you and if you will to the World that I cannot without just indignation read that slaunderous Imputation which Mr Goodwin in his Redemption Redeemed reports to have been raised and cast upon those Divines eminent both for Learning and Piety That they suffered themselves to be bound with an Oath at or before their Admission into that Synod to vote down the Remonstrants howsoever so as they came deeply preingaged to the decision of those unhappy differences All thâ—â—ath that was required of us was this After that the Moderator Assistents and Scribes were chosen and the Synod formed and the several members allowed there was a solemn Oath required to be taken by every one of that Assembly which was publickly done in a grave manner by every person in their order standing up and laying his Hand upon his heart calling the great God of Heaven to witness that he would unpartially proceed in the judgement of these Controversies which should be laid before him onely out of and according to the written Word of God and no otherwise so determining of them as he should find in his Conscience most agreeable to the holy Scriptures Which Oath was punctually agreed to be thus taken by the Articles of the States concerning the Indiction and ordering of the Synod as plainly appeareth in their tenth Article and this was all the Oath that was either taken or required c. The same year died Dr. James Mountague the worthy Bishop of Winchester son to Sir Edward Mountague of Boughton in Northamptonshire highly favoured by King James preferring him to the Bishoprick first of Bath and Wells then to Winchester In Bath he lies buried under a fair Tomb though the whole Church be his Monument which his Bounty repaired Anno 1619. died John Overal Bishop of Norwich accounted one of the most Learned Controversial Divines of those days Anno 1620. the Protestant States of the Upper and Lower Austria upon the approach of the Bavarian Army seeing nothing but manifest ruin renounce their Confederacy with the Bohemians and submit to the Emperor Rushworth Histor Collections saving to themselves their Rights and Priviledges in Religion And the Elector of Saxony assists the Emperor and executes the Ban against the Palatine King James soon after receives the news of the Palsgrave's overthrow After the Assembly at Segenbergh the Palatine and his Princess took their journey into Holland where they found a refuge and noble entertainment with the Prince of Orange The Ambassage of Weston and Conway prevailed little More Princes of the union reconcile themselves to the Emperor The Imperial Protestant Towns Strasburgh Worms and Norembergh subscribe to conditions of Peace The reconciled Princes and States intercede for the Elector Palatine but in vain In England the Parliament petition the King for the due execution of Laws against Jesuites Seminary Priests and Popish Recusants On July 10. 1621. John Williams D. D. and Dean of Westminster was sworn Keeper of the Great Seal of England Then the King was sollicited from Spain and Rome to enlarge his favours to Popish Recusants The House of Commons presented to the King a petition and Remonstrance which laid open the distempers of those times with their Causes and Cures They Represented to Him I. The Vigilancy and Ambition of the Pope of Rome and his dearest Son the one aiming at as large a Temporal Monarchy as the other at a Spiritual Monarchy II. The devilish Doctrines whereon Popery is built and taught with Authority to their followers for advancement of their Temporal ends III. The miserable estate of the professors of true Religion in forreign parts IV. The disastrous accidents to his Majestie 's children abroad c. V. The strange confederacy of Popish Princes c. VI. The interposing of forreign Princes and their Agents in the behalf of Popish Recusants c. VII Their usual resort to the Houses and Chappels of forreign Ambassadors VIII Their more than usual concourse to the City and their frequent Conventicles and conferences there IX The education of their Children in several Seminaries and Houses of their Religion in forreign parts appropriated to the English fugitives X. The licentious Printing and dispersing of Popish and Seditious Books even in the time of Parliament XI The swarms of Priests and Jesuites dispersed in all parts of the Kingdom From these Causes they offered to his Majesty what dangerous Effects they foresaw would follow I. The Popish Religion is incompatible with ours in respect of their positions II. It draws with it an unavoidable dependancy on forreign Princes III. If once it get but a
Earl of Holland and the Lord Capel were executed March 9. but the Earl of Norwich and Sir John Owen were pardoned The Commons set forth a Declaration to justifie their proceedings They promise the establishment of a firm and safe Peace the advancement of the true Protestant Religion the liberal maintenance of a godly Ministry c. They pass an Act for propagating the Gospel in Ireland March 8. April 10. 1649. An Act was passed by the Commons for the sale of Deans and Chapters Lands and for the abolishing of Deans Deans and Chapters Canons Prebends c. and Tithes of or belonging to any Cathedral or Collegiate Church in England and Wales but it was provided That this should not extend to the Colledge of St. Mary in Winchester nor to the Colledge of Eaton nor to any of the Mannors Lands Tenements and Hereditaments to them belonging June 2. 1649 An Act was passed for the better maintenance of Preaching Ministers and School-masters out of the Lands of Deans and Chapters throughout England and Wales in such places where maintenance is wanting and for other good uses to the advancement of true Religion Piety and Learning And the Commissioners of the Great-Seal of England issued forth Commissions under the Great Seal into all the Counties of England and Wales to such persons as by the Parliament were nominated giving them power by the Oathes of good and lawful men c. to find out the true value of all Parsonages and Vicarages presentative and all other Ecclesiastical Livings with care of Souls within such Cities and Counties and to certifie into the Chancery what each of them were really worth per Annum the names of the Incumbents Proprietors and Possessors thereof and of such as receive the profits who supplies the Cure what he hath for his Sallary how many Chappels are belonging to one Parish and how situate and fit to be united and how the Churches and Chappels are supplied by Preaching Ministers that so a course be taken for the providing both for Preaching and maintenance where the same should be found to be needful About this time some Dissenters in the Army called Levellers drew together five thousand Horse and Foot at Burford Colonel Reinolds fell in upon them with a greater Body than they had and routed them taking nine hundred Horse and four hundred Foot prisoners whereof one Thomson and two more principal Leaders were immediately shot to death who died resolutely Cornet Den an Army-preacher Flageilum or the life and death of O. C. p. 83. expressing his grief and sorrow was reprieved at the Instant of execution which their Fellows beheld from the leads of the Church The Rest by Cromwells mediation were all pardoned and sent home to their own houses This proved the utter suppression of that faction and rendred the Army entirely at his Command so that they presently submitted to the lot which Regiments should be sent to Ireland then almost reduced to the King's obedience by the Marquess of Ormond Cromwell was ordained Commander in chief of the Forces appointed for Ireland and tituladoed with the style of Lord Governour of Ireland while the Lord Fairfax was left here to attend the Parliament He with a potent Army landed at Dublin The Marquess of Ormond had besieged Dublin but the siege was raised by Colonel Michael Jones Governour of Dublin with the utter defeat of the Marquesses Army And the siege of London-derry was raised by Sir Charles Coot sallying out of the Town Cromwel takes Drogheda by Storm and puts all in it to the Sword After this in less than a year most of the Cities and Towns in Ireland were taken and that whole Kingdom in a manner subdued to the power of the Common-Wealth of England and the Marquess of Ormond and all that oppose their Authority withdrew themselves But a little before Colonel Rich received a Brush from my Lord Broghil in the County of Cork where the Bishop of Rosse being taken was hanged July 19. 1649. An Act was passed by the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England for the promoting and propagating the Gospel of Christ in New England And a general Collection was made in and through all the Counties Cities Towns and Parishes of England and Wales as the foundation for so pious an undertaking c. King Charles the Second being now at Jersey part of the English Fleet was sent to attacque that Island which put the King upon a speedy remove from thence into France where he resided till the time appointed for the Treaty at Breda which drew near and then he repaired thither The Committee of the Estates of Scotland having concluded with the King at Breda all correspondence with the English was by Proclamation forbidden and all manner of provision stopped from being carryed into England though the Juncto at Westminster had used all Artifices to keep the Scots from closing with the King 1650. During the Treaty at Breda the Marquess of Montrosse landed in the Isles of Orkney with fifteen hundred Armes and five hundred German Souldiers and after he had gathered more strength he was defeated by Colonal Straughan taken and brought to Edinburgh where he is brought to his Trial condemned and executed The rigorous prosecution of the Marquess of Montrosse in that violent manner was chiefly from the instigation of the Kirk by which long before he had been Excommunicated Concerning which he spake to the people in this manner upon the Scaffold What I did in this Kingdom was in obedience to the most just Commands of my Sovereign for his defence in the day of his distress against those that rose up against him I fear God and honour the King according to the Commandments of God and the Law of Nature and Nations c. It is objected against me by many even good people that I am under the censure of the Church this is not my fault since it is onely for doing my duty by obeying my Prince's most just Commands for Religion his Person and Authority yet am I sorry they did Excommunicate me and in that which is according to God's Laws without wronging my Conscience or Allegiance I desire to be relaxed If they will not I appeal to God who is the Righteous Judge of the World and who must and will I hope be my Judge and Saviour The King was much troubled at the Scots severity against this Noble Marquess After this the King lands in Scotland and is Proclaimed King at Edinburgh Cross But his Majesty had not been long among the Scots but they began according to their usual manner of Kirk Authority and Discipline to obtrude upon the King such curbing conditions as but ill-suited with Regal dignity Then the Common-wealth of England sent an Army against Scotland and Cromwel is made General of the Parliament's Forces instead of Lord Fairfax and about the end of June he marched towards Berwick in order to his advance into Scotland The Scots raise an Army
and in the mean-time send many Expostulatory Letters to Sir Arthur Haslerigg then at Newcastle urging the breach of Covenant and the union between the two Nations which availed nothing The Scots having been routed at Muscleburgh they came to a Battel at Dunbar where the whole Army was defeated by Cromwel of the Scots there were slain in the Battel four thousand and nine thousand were taken prisoners with all their Ammunition bag and baggage and ten thousand Armes The Scots after this loss quitted Leith and Edinburgh whereof the next day Cromwel took possession and the King retired to St. Johnstons where the Committee of Estates were assembled The Scots ascribed this overthrow of the Army to their admitting the King into Scotland before he had given full satisfaction to the Kirk in what they required of him and began very much to impose upon him and remove from his Person the most Faithful and Loyal of his Servants The King departs secretly from St. Johnstons in discontent to the Lord Dedup's house near Dundee The Estates at St. Johnstons send Major General Montgomery to fetch the King back the King returns with him to St. Johnstons where a grand Convention is held and divers of the Royal Nobility are received into the favour of this Assembly Cromwel fortifieth Lieth and lays close siege to Edinburgh Castle Mr. John Guthry Mr. Patrick Gelespy Mr. Samuel Rutherford with many other Ministers withdrew from the Assembly at St. Johnstons and in print remonstrated in the name of themselves and the Western Churches against the present proceedings and with these Colonel Ker Straughan the Laird of Warreston Sir John Chiesly and Sir James Stuart and others Confederated By this division Cromwel's Conquest was made very easie and his fomenting that Rent in their Church made their subjection to his Authority more lasting than otherwise it would have been The King was desirous to compose this disorder or at least to prevent the dividing so great a Force as was under Ker and Straughan from his Service and to that end the Earl of Cassels the Lord Broody and Mr. Robert Douglas the Minister were sent to treat with them but they were somewhat averse to a composure yet they declared against any conjunction with Cromwel professing equally against Malignants as they called the King 's Loyal Subjects and Sectaries Soon after Colonel Ker being defeated was taken prisoner by Major General Lambert Mr. Rutherford wrote divers consolatory Letters to him during his imprisonment both in Scotland and in England Edinburgh Castle was surrendered by Dundasse the Governor Son in Law to old Leven upon conditions unto Cromwel on December 24. 1650. Shortly after all the Forts on this side of Sterling were taken by the English The King was solemnly Crowned at Scoone near unto St. Johnstons the accustomed place of the Coronation of the Kings of Scotland his Coronation being celebrated with loud Acclamations Bonfires shooting off of Guns and with as much pomp and Ceremony as the present State of things would permit About the beginning of June the Parliament of Scotland ended Addition to Sir Ric. Bakerâ— Chron. having before their dissolution given large Commissions and Instructions for the pressing of men in all parts of the Kingdom beyond Fife and in the Western parts for a new Army which was to consist of 15000 Foot and 3000 Horse and Dragoons Then was the intended rising in Lancashire unfortunately disapointed Anno 1651 by the taking of a Ship at Ayx in Scotland which had been bound to the Earl of Darby in the Isle of Man and the seizing of Mr. Berkinhead an Agent in the business by whose Letters all was detected and thereupon were apprehended Mr. Thomas Cook of Grays-Inn Mr. Gibbons a Tailor and Mr. Potter an Apothecary together with Mr. Christopher Love Mr. William Jenkin Mr. Thomas Case Dr. Roger Drake and some other Presbyterial Ministers who were brought before a High Court of Justice and tried for their lives and about the latter end of July Potter Gibbons and Mr. Love were sentenced to death and a while after Gibbons and Love were executed After the defeat of Sir John Brown by Lambert and the taking of Brunt-Island and Inchgarvy-Castle by the English Cromwel resolved to set upon St. Johnstons which after one days siege he gained Hereupon the King leaves Scotland and enters England with his Army by the way of Carlile on August 6. 1651. At his first entrance upon English ground he was Proclaimed King of Gâ—eat Britain at the Head of the Army with great Acclamations and shooting off the Canons on August 22. he came to Worcester The Earl of Darby coming with Forces to the King was routed by Colonel Lilburn Cromwel having with the conjunction of the Militia of divers Counties drawn together an Army of fifty thousand men surroundeth the City of Worcester Duke Hamilton who behaved himself with undaunted courage received a shot on his thigh whereof presently after he died The King's Army being over-powred they were forced to retreat into the City and many of Cromwel's Army got in with them About seven at night the Cromwellians gained the Fort Royal at which time his Majesty left the City passing out at St. Martin's gate accompanied with about Sixty Horse of the chiefest of his Retinue The Town was taken and miserably plundered There were slain in the Field in the Town and in Pursuit some two thousand and about eight thousand were taken prisoners in several places most of the English common men escaping by their Shibboleth But at Newport there were taken in the pursuit the Earls of Lauderdale Rothes Carnworth Darby Cleveland Shrewsbury the Lord Spyne Sir John Pakington Sir Ralph Clare Sir Charles Cunningham Colonel Graves Mr. Richard Fanshaw Secretary to the King and many others Six Colonels of Horse eight Lieutennant Colonels of Foot six Majors of Horse thirteen Majors of Foot thirty seven Captains of Horse seventy two Captains of Foot fifty five Quarter-masters eighty nine Lieutenants There were taken also some general Officers with seventy six Cornets of Horse ninety nine Ensignes of Foot ninety Quarter-masters eighty of the King's Servants with the King's Standard which he had set up when he summoned the Countrey the King's Coach and Horses and Collar of S S. but the King's person God wonderfully preserved delivering him from the Hand of all his Enemies and after many difficulties he is safely transported from Bright-helmston in Sussex into France by Tattersall Cromwel comes with his prisoners to London and having left Lieutennant General Monk in Scotland Sterling with the Castle was surrendred unto him and Dundee was taken by Storm and soon after St. Andrews Aberdeen with other Towns Castles and Strong places either voluntarily submitted or rendred upon summons The Earl of Darby was beheaded at Bolton in Lancashire The Isles of Man and Jersey c. are surrendred to the Parliament The Isle of Barbadoes is yielded up to Sir George Ascough Now the Parliament of England
Benefice as aforesaid or the profits thereof On June the twenty third following by the Protector with the advice of his Council it was further ordained That in case any person who since April the first 1653. hath been proved in any publick Benefice or publick Lecture should not before the twenty fourth of June 1654. obtain approbation and admittance in manner as in the said Ordinance is expressed that then the person or persons who have right thereunto should and might present and nominate some other fit person to that place It was ordained also That tho said Commissioners in that Ordinance be authorized to give approbation and admittance to any person concerned in that clause of the said Ordinance at any time before the twenty third day of July 1654. and that in the mean time no person should present or nominate any person to any Benefice or publick Lecture in the place of any such person for the want of such approbation by the time aforesaid But if such approbation and admittance should not be by the said twenty third of July obtained by the said persons therein concerned then such person or persons as have right thereunto might present or nominate some other fit person to such place according to the said Ordinance August the sixteenth 1654. an Ordinance was passed against ignorant and scandalous Ministers in all the respective Counties within England and Wales in which it was declared 1. That such Ministers and Scholars should be accounted scandalous in their lives as should be proved guilty for holding such blaspemous and Atheistical Opinions as are punishable by an Act of Parliament entitled An Act against several Atheistical Blasphemous and Execrable Opinions derogatory to the Honour of God and destructive to Humane society or guilty of cursing swearing or subornation of perjury 2. Such as hold or teach any of those Popish opinions required in the Oath of abjuration to be abjured or be guilty of adultery fornication drunkenness c. carding dicing profaning of the Lord's day or allow the same in their Families 3. Such as have publickly and frequently received and used the Common-prayer-book since the first of January last or shall at any time hereafter do the same 4. Such as do encourage or countenance by word or practice any Whitsun-ales Wakes Morris-dances May-poles 5. Such as have declared or shall declare by writing preaching or otherwise their disaffection to the Government 6. Such Ministers were to be accounted negligent as omit the publick Exercises of Preaching and Praying on the Lord's-day not being hindered by necessary absence or infirmity of sickness or that are or shall be non-resident 7. Such School-masters should be accounted negligent as absent themselves from their Schools and do wilfully neglect their duties in teaching their Scholars 8. Such Ministers and School-masters should be accounted ignorant and insufficient as should be so declared and adjudged by the said Commissioners five or more of them together with five or more of the Ministers particularly named in the Ordinance for the several and respective Counties of England and Wales Assistants to the said Commissioners August the thirtieth 1654. It was ordained That Sir Hugh Owen Baronet and divers other persons particularly named in the Ordinance for all the several Counties in the Dominion of Wales be Commissioners in their several limits and that the said Commissioners or any three of them therein are authorized by their Warrants under their hands and seals to call before them all such persons who by authority and colour of an Act of Parliament made February the twenty second 1649. entitled An Act for the better Propagation and Preaching of the Gospel in Wales c. have intermedled in the receiving keeping and disposing the said rents issues and profits of all or any of the Rectories Vicarages portion of Tenths and other Ecclesiastical livings Impropriations and Glebe-lands within the said Counties and to give a true and perfect account upon Oath which Oath the Commissioners are impowred to administer of all such rents issues and profits which they or any of them have received And if any of them shall refuse to give a true account to commit him or them so refusing to the Gaol of the County there to remain till they conform themselves The moneys found in their hands to be paid into the hands of such Treasurer as the respective Commissioners should nominate and appoint for that purpose which Treasurer should within three months pay in the same into the Exchequer Seâ—tember the second 1654. It was ordained That the Ordinance entitled An Ordinance for bringing in the publick Revenue of this Common-wealth into one Treasury to be paid into the Receipt of the Exchequer nor any thing therein contained shall extend or be construed to extend to any the Rents Profits or Revenues by Acts of Parliament of Rectories impropriate appropriate Tythes c. or any of them setled in the Trustees in the said Acts named That all and every the Rectories Impropriations Tithes aâ—propriate Donatives Oblations Obventions First-fruits Tenths Pensions Portions of Tiths by the said recited Acts vested in the Trustees and not exâ—osed to sale by an Act entitled An Act for the sale of Mannors of Rectories and Glebe-lands belonging to Archbishops Bishops Deans Deans and Chapters shall from henceforth be setled in the possession and seizin of W. Steele Serjeant at Law and other persons particularly named in the Ordinance Survivor and Survivors of them and their Heirs to the uses and upon the Trusts in the said Acts expressed c. That they shall sue for recover collect and gather the Rents Issues and Profits thereof as Owners in Trust and manage the Revenue in such way and manner as shall be most advantageous for the carrying on of this service That the said Trustees shall haâ—e power to make unions of two Parishes or more into one and the whole Ecclesiastical Revenues Tithes and Profits belonging to the said Parishes so united to be supplied for a provision for one godly and painful Minister to preach in such of the said Parish charge where such union shall be made as the said Trustees shall judge convenient The said Trustees also shall appoint where the meeting of both the said Parishes for the worship of God shall be c. The said Trustees also shall have power to sever and divide Parishes where they shall conceive it needful and fix such maintenance out of the profits of the said Church so to be divided as they shall think fit to be approved of by the Parliament and in the Intervals of Parliament by the Protector and his Council c. This year died that famous and learned Antiquary Mr. John Selden and was buried in the Inner-Temple Church in London Addition to Sir Rich. Bakers Chron. Anno 1655. the Duke of Savoy's Souldiers having committed many cruel outrages upon the Protestants in Piedmont Cromwel took this occasion to ingratiate himself with the Protestants abroad and appointing a solemn
Parliament House and Order seven Commissioners for the management of the Army Colonel Morley upon this change had his Regiment restored and with it the Government of the Tower conferred on him The Irish Brigade was brought off to General Monk by Redman and Bret. Dublin-castle is surprized and Sir Charles Coot reduceth all Connaught to a compliance with the present Design The Lord Fairfax and several of Monk's party joyning with him rise in York-shire Now General Monk begins his march into England By that time he came to Morpeth he was informed that Lambert's whole party was of themselves dispersed into several quarters in submission to the Parliament's Orders There he receive's an Address from the City of London by Mr. William Man their Sword-bearer as likewise from the Gentry of the Countrey in all parts as he marched along The new restored Members on January 2. name 31. Counsellors of State passing an Act for their Constitution and several Instructions for them to Act by among which it was provided that â—one should sit but such as should take an Oath of Abjuration of the King His family and Government The Oath was opposed by divers of the House Scot and Robinson are sent from the House to complement and attend General Monk upon his journey Mr. Clarges gives him an account how affairs stand at London he sends a letter by Mr. Clarges to the House from St. Albans Several addresses are made to him in his March pleading for a free Parliament He marcheth with his forces into the City of London Being come to the Council of State the Oath of Abjuration was tendred to him which he refuseth to take He is conducted with much Ceremony into the House where he receives the gratulations of the House The City continued malecontent whereupon the General is Ordered by the Council of State to march into the City and pull down the Gates and Percullices of the City which he unwillingly caused to be done The same day a Factious party of Citizens presented a Petition to the House by one Praise-God Barebone to countenance the Action The General sends a letter to the House signed by Himself and several Officers complaining against the admission of Ludlow and others into the House that had been by Sir Charles Coot accused of high Treason and that they had countenanced too much a late Petition to exclude the most sober and conscientious both Ministers and others by Oaths from all employment and maintenance he requested them that by Friday next they should Issue out Writs to fill up their House and when filled should rise in some short time to give place to a full and free Paliament Scot and Robinson are sent from the House to the General with their answer to his letter The General excuseth his late proceedings in the City before the Lord Mayor and Common Council of the City He tells them what he had written to the House touching a free Parliament The City joyfully receives the news of a free Parliament The Council of State write to him to desire his presence with them but he excuseth his stay in the City for some longer time till the minds of the Citizens were more composed The City and Chief Officers of his Army disswade him from going to White-hall The General is sollicited from all parts to admit the secluded Members He admits of a conference before him of the sitting with some of the secluded Members The Officers of the Army consent to the admission of the secluded Members upon certain conditions The General and the Officers at length agree upon their admission and on the Tuesday morning following they were guarded to the House and took their places in the Parliament Then was a letter signed by the General and his Chief Officers drawn up and Copies of it sent to all the Regiments and Garrisons in England and to the Commanders in Chief of the Armies in England Scotland and Ireland to acquaint them with what he had done The Parliament repealed the Act for the Council of State and the Oath of Abjuration and passed an Act for another Council consisting of one and thirty persons most of them men of integrity and well-affected to Kingly-government Then the General sends Colonel Fairfax to take possession of Hull and Colonel Overton submits to his Orders The Army in Scotland were well-satisfied with the General 's Actions About the thirteenth of March the Parliament abrogated the Engagement appointed formerly to be taken by each Member of Parliament in these words viz. I do declare and promise That I will be true and faithful to the Common Wealth of England as the same is now established without King or House of Lords and appointed it should be taken off the file and made Null The Common Wealth Faction desire the General rather to take the Government upon himself than to bring in the King and treat with him about it The General refuseth their offer Then the Republicans attempt to make a mutiny in the Army The long Parliament was now dissolved The King removes to Breda The Council of State appointed by the late Parliament set forth a Proclamation for the preventing of tumults Lambert escape's out of the Tower Colonel Ingoldsby and Colonel Streater march against Lambert defeat his party and take him prisoner Colonel Lambert Colonel Cobbet and Major Creed are sent prisoners to the Tower Hereupon several seditious Pamphlets were published in Print and dispersed to deprave the mindes of the people and Tickets were thrown into the Courts of Guard in the night to divide the Souldiers But none of them was penned with more virulency and malice than that suppositious paper carrying in it's Frontispiece A letter from Bruxels c. Several letters were also sent to the General from unknown hands Then came forth a Declaration of the Nobility and Gentry that adhered to the late King residing in and about the City of London A new Parliament met at Westminster April 25. 1660. The Lords chose the Earl of Manchester to be their Speaker and the House of Commons Sir Harbottle Grimston On April 27. Sir John Greenvil presents the General with a Commission from His Majesty to Constitute him Captain General of all the Armies of England Scotland and Ireland and a letter for the Council of State The Letter had a Declaration in it which were both read in the House After the reading thereof the House of Lords voted That according to the Antient and fundamental Laws of this Kingdom the Government is and ought to be by King Lords and Commons The Officers of the Army present an Address to the General in compliance with His Majestie 's Letter and Declaration it is read by the Commons and approved Commissary Clarges is appointed by the General to wait upon the King with this Address Six of the Lords and of the Commons and divers Aldermen and divers Episcopal and Presbyterial Divines and some other eminent Citizens are sent to attend on his Majesty
to King Arthur removed his See from Caerleon to Menevia which ever since from him is called St. Davids He sate sixty five years and died Anno 642. having first built twelve Monasteries in the Countrey thereabout being now one hundred forty six years of age 2. Cenauc who was first Bishop of Patern 3. Teilaw 4. Cenew 5. Morwal 6. Haerunen 7. Elwaed 8. Gurnuen 9. Lendivord Anno 810. the Church of St. David was burnt by the West-Saxons 10. Gorwyst 11. Gorgan 12. Elvoed 13. Anian 14. Elvoed 15. Ethelmen 16. Elanc 17. Molscoed 18. Sadermen 19. Catellus 20. Sulhaithnay 21. Nonis 22. Etwal 23. Asserius called in the Chronicle of VVales Archbishop of all VVales He died Anno 906. he was Vnkle to Asserius Bishop of Sherborn 24. Arthvael 25. Sampson Henceforth the Bishops of St. Davids never subjected themselves unto Canterbury until the time of King Henry the First King of England 26. Kucline 27. Rodheric 28. Elquin 29. Lywarch 30. Nergu 31. Hubert 32. Everus 33. Morgenu This man of all the Bishops of St. Davids first refused to eat flesh saith Giraldus 34. Nathan 35. Ievan He continued only one night 36. Argustel 37. Morgenveth 38. Hernun a godly and learned man 39. Carmerin 40. Ioseph 41. Bleithud 42. Sulghein 43. Abraham 44. Rythmarch 45. VVilfrid 46. Bernard 47. David Fitz-Gerald 48. Peter His Church had been often destroyed in former Ages by Danes and other Pyrats and in his time was almost ruined He bestowed much in re-edefying the same and may in some sort he said to have built the Church which now standeth 49. Sylvester Giraldus He was commonly called Giraldus Cambrensis He was Son unto Giraldus de VVindsor that built the Castle of Pembrock and Nesta the Sister of Griffith ap-Rice ap-Theodore Prince of VVales He wrote a description of England Ireland and VVales Of many Books that he wrote you may find the Catalogue in Iohn Bale 50. Edward an Abbot 51. Alselmus 52. Thomas Archdeacon of Lincoln 53. Richard Carren 54. Thomas Beck 55. David Martin 56. Henry Gower 57. Iohn Thorsby 58. Reginald Brian 59. Thomas Falstaf 60. Adam Houghton 61. Iohn Gilbert 61. Gray Mohun Keeper of the Privy Seal he was for a while Lord Treasurer of England 63. Henry Chichley 64. Iohn Keterich 65. Stephen Patrington 66. Benet Nichols 67. Thomas Rodburn a great Mathematician and Historiographer 68. VVilliam Lynwood Doctor of Law 69. Iohn Langton 70. Iohn Delabere 71. Robert Tully 72. Thomas Langton 73. Hugh Pavy 74. Iohn Morgan 75. Robert Sherborn 76. Edward Vaughan 77. Richard Rawlins 78. VVilliam Barlow 79. Robert Ferrars He was burnt at Carmarthen for the Truth March 30. 1555. in Queen Maries dayes 80 Henry Morgan He pronounced the sentence of death against his Predecessor and invaded his Bishoprick he was displaced in the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 81 Thomas Young 82 Richard Davies 83 Marmaduke Middleton 84 Anthony Rudd 85 Richard Milborn 86 VVilliam Laud 87 Theophilus Field 88 Roger Manwaring 89 VVilliam Lucy Bishops of Dandaff 1 Dubritius 2 Telian 3 Odoceus 4 Ubylwynus 5 Aidan 6 Elgistil 7 Litnapeius 8 Comergen 9 Argistwil 10 Gurvan 11 Guodoloin 12 Edilbiu 13 Grecielus 14 Bertygwyn 15 Trychan 16 Elgovus 17 Cargwaret 18 Cercennir 19 Nobis 20 Galfridus 21 Nudd 22 Cimeliaue 23 Libian 24 Marchhuth 25 Pater 26 Gogwan consecrated by Dunstan 27 Bledri 28 Ioseph consecrated by Agolnoth In his time Kilthereh King of VVales gave many priviledges to his Church 29 Herewald he sate fifty eight years 30 Urbanus R. Hoveden saith He was consecrated Bishop of this Church Anno 1108. His See being spoiled and the Church ruined he obtained Letters of the Pope from the Council of Rhemes to the King and Archbishop for a supply to repair it which he obtained and began to build the Church of Landaff as now it is He seeketh to recover divers Lands taken from his See by the Bishop of St. Davids and dieth in his way to Rome 31 Uhtrid 32 Geoffry 33 Nicholas ap Gurgant 34. William de falso Marisco 35. Henry Prior of Burgavenny Vntil this man's time the Bishoprick and Chapter was one body and their possessions not severed 36. William Prior of Goldcliff 37. Elias de Radnor 38. William de Burgo 39. John de la Ware 40. William de Radnor 41. William de Brews 42. John de Monmouth 43. John de Egglescliff 44. John Pascal 45. Roger Cradock 46. Thomas Rushock 47. William de Bottlesham 48. Edmond de Bromfield 49. Tideman Abbot of Beaulien 50. Aâ—drew Barret 51. Iohn Burghil 52. Thomas Peverel 53. John de la Zouch 54. Iohn Wellys 55. Nicholas Ashby 56. John Hunden 57. John Smith 58. John Marshal 59. Iohn Ingleby 60. Miles Saley 61. George de Arthegua a Spaniard and Dominican 62. Robert Holgate 63. Anthony Dunstan or Kitchin 64. Hugh Iones 65. William Blethin 66. Gervase Babington 67. William Morgan 68. Francis Godwyn 69. George Carleton 70. William Murrey 71. Morice 72. Hugh Lloyd 73. Davies Bishops of Bangor 1 Hervaeus 2 David 3 Maurice 4 William Prior of St. Augustines 5 Guianus 6 Albanus 7 Robert of Shrewsbury 8 Caducanus 9 Howel 10 Richard 11 Anianus 12 Caducanus 13 Gruffin 14 Lewes 15 Matthew 16 Thomas de Ringsted 17 Gervase de Castro 18 Howel 19 Iohn Gilbert 26 Iohn called Episcopus Clovensis 21 Iohn Swaffham 22 Richard Young 23 Lewes 24 Benet Nichols 25 William Barrow 26 Nicholas 27 Thomas Cheroton 28 Iohn Stanberry 29 Iames called Episcopus Achadensis 30 Thomas Ednan 31 Henry Dean 32 Thomas Pigot 33 Iohn Penny 34 Thomas Skevington He built all the Cathedral Church from the Quire downward excepting that the two sides were partly standing He was consecrated Iune 17. 1509. 35 Iohn Salcot 36 Iohn Bird 37 Arthur Bulkley 38 William Glyn 39 Rowland Merrick 40 Nicholas Robinson 41 Hugh Bellot 42 Richard Vaughan 43 Henry Rowland He gave four Bells to the Church of Bangor he gave also two fellowships to Iesus-colledge in Oxford 44 Lewes Baily 45 David Dolben 46 William Roberts 47 Robert Morgan 48 Humphrey Lloyd Bishops of St. Asaph About the year 560. Kentigern Bishop of Glascow in Scotland being driven out of his own Countrey erected a Monastery for himself and his company between the Rivers of Elwyd and Elwy where in process of time having builded a Church and some other Edifices fit for his entertainment there flocked unto him such multitudes of people as the number of his Monks amounted to no less than six hundred and sixty His Church was first built of timber and afterwards of stone Malgocunus a British King allowed the same Church to be an Episcopal See and endowed it with divers Lordships Mannors and Priviledges The Bishop of that See was then called Elvensis of the River near which it standeth and this Kentigern became the first Bishop of the same After many years he was called home into Scotland whereupon he gave over this Bishoprick unto a Disciple of
any Christian Princes Hoel-Dha then held a National Council for all Wales at Ty-quin or the White House The Canons therein were wholly in favour of the Clergy enacting this amongst the rest That the presence of a Priest and a Judge constitute a legal Court as the two persons only in the Quorum thereof There were then seven Episcopal Seats in Wales 1. S. Davids 2. Ismael 3. Degenian 4. Vsyl 5. Teylaw 6. Teuledauc 7. Kenew King Edgar died peaceably leaving his Crown to Edward his Son whom being under Age he committed to the tuition of Dunstan In this King's reign three Councils were successively called to determine the difference between Monks and Secular Priests The first was at Winchester where the Priests being outed of their Convents earnestly pressed for restitution Polydor Virgil writes that in the Synod it was concluded that the Priests should be restored But a voice was immediately heard from the wall as coming from a Crucifix behind Dunstan saying They think amiss that favour the Priests That was received as a Divine Oracle and the Priests were secluded from their Benefices and Monasteries A second Council was called at Kirtlington now Catlage in Cambridge-shire but to little effect The same year a third Council was called at Caln in Wilt-shire hither came Priests and Monks in great numbers Beornelm a Scottish Bishop defended the cause of the Priests with Scripture and Reason But on a sudden Dunstan by his Art caused the Beams or Joists of the Room where they were assembled to break and fall Catal. test verit many were wounded most of the Secular Priests were slain and buried under the ruines thereof only Dunstan was safe with his Chair that was fixed on a Pillar So the controversie was ended with devilish cruelty It appears not what provision was made for these Priests when ejected King Edward went to Corff-Castle where at that time his Mother-in-Law with her Son Egelred lay and by her contrivance he was barbarously murthered as he was drinking on Horse-back and was buried at Wareham and Ethelred Edward's half-brother succeeded him in the Throne Dunstan died and was buried on the South-side of the high Altar in the Church of Canterbury After his death the Monks were cast out of the Convent of Canterbury by reason of their misdemeanours Siricius the next Archbishop of Canterbury endeavoured the re-expulsion of the Priests which by Elfrick his Successor was effected By him a Sermon was appointed to be read publickly on Easter-day before the Communion The same Author hath two other Treatises one directed to Wolfsin Bishop of Shirburn and another to Wulfstan Bishop of York about the Sacrament Soon after the Danes by a firm Ejection outed the Monks before they were well warm in their Nests Their fury fell more on Convents than Castles England for these last sixty years had been freed from their cruelty which now returned more dreadful than ever before These Danes were also advantaged by the unactiveness of King Ethelred who with ten thousand pounds purchased a present Peace with the Danes The multitude of Monasteries invited the Invasion and facilitated the Conquest of the Danes over England Holy Island was forsaken by the fearful Monks affrighted with the approach of the Danes and Alhunus the Bishop thereof removed his Cathedral and Convent to Durham an Inland place of more safety The Danes having received and spent their Money invaded England afresh according to all Wise mens expectation CENT XI IN the beginning of this Century certain Danes fled into a Church at Oxford hoping the Sanctity thereof according to the devout Principles of that Age would secure them But by command from King Ethelred they were all burned in the place whose blood remained not long unrevenged The Danish fury fell fiercest on the City of Canterbury with fire and sword destroying eight thousand people therein Swanus the Dane tithed the Monks of S. Augustine's Abbey killing nine by cruel torment and keeping the tenth alive for slaves They slew there of Religious men to the number of nine hundred And when they had kept the Bishop Elphege in strait prison the space of eight months because he would not agree to give them three thousand pounds after many villanies done unto him at Greenwich they stoned him to death Next year a nameless Bishop of London was slain by them and a great part of the City of London was wasted with fire The Danes burnt Cambridge to ashes and harassed the Country round about King Ethelred sent his Wife Emma with his two Sons Alfred and Edward to Richard Duke of Normandy which was Brother to the said Emma with whom also he sent the Bishop of London whither also himself went after he had spent a great part of the Winter in the Isle of Wight whither he was chased of the Danes Swanus hearing that Egelred was departed out of the Land imposed great Exactions upon the people and among other he required a great sum of money of S. Edmond's Lands which the people there claiming to be free of all King's tribute denied to pay Hereupon Swanus entred the Territory of St. Edmond and wasted the Countrey threatening to spoil the place of his burial The men of the Countrey fell to fasting and prayer and soon after Swanus died suddenly crying and yelling among his Knights In fear whereof Canutus his Son and Successor ditched the Land of St. Edmond with a deep Ditch and granted to the Inhabitants thereof great Immunities quitting them from all Tribute and after builded a Church over the place of his Sepulture ordained there an House of Monks and endowed them with rich possessions After that time the Kings of England when they were crowned sent their Crowns for an offering to St. Edmond's Shrine and redeemed them afterward with a condign price After the death of Egelred great contention was in England for the Crown some were for Edmond Ironside the Son of Egelred and some for Canutus After many bloody Fights both parties agree to try the quarrel betwixt them two only in sight of both Armies they make the Essay with Swords and sharp strokes in the end upon the motion of Canutus they agree and kiss one another to the joy of both Armies and they covenant for parting the Land during their lives and they lived as Brethren Within a few years a Son of Edrik Duke of Mercia killed Edmond traiterously and brought his two Sons unto Canutus who sent them to his Brother Swanus King of Denmark willing him to dispatch them But he abhorring such a fact sent them to Solomon King of Hungary who married Edwyn to his Daughter and soon after died Edward married Agatha the Daughter of the Emperour Henry the Third Swanus King of Denmark died and that Land fell to Canutus who anon after sailed thither and took the possession and returned into England and married Emma late Wife of Egelred and by her had a Son called Hardiknout He assembled a Parliament at
King Witness the Sermon preached by him at Oxford before the Queen then in hostile pursuit against her Husband taking for his Text the words of the Son of the sick Shunamite my Head my Head Thence he urged That a bad King the distempered Head of a State is past cure His writing was worse than his preaching for when such Agents set to keep King Edward in Berkley-castle were by secret order from Roger Mortimer commanded to kill him they by Letters addressed themselves for advice to this Bishop then not far off at Hereford craving his counsel what they should do in so difficult and dangerous a matter He returned unto them a ridling Answer unpointed which carried in it Life and Death yea Life or Death as variously construed Life and Death To kill King Edward you need not to fear it is good Life To kill King Edward you need not to fear it is good Death To kill King Edward you need not to fear it is good The Body of King Edward without any Funeral Pomp was buried among the Benedictines in their Abbey at Glocester Edward of Windsor called King Edward the Third being scarce fifteen years of age took the beginning of his Reign on January the twentieth his Throne was established upon his Fathers ruine Anno 1327. Upon Candlemas-day he received the Order of Knighthood by the hands of the Earl of Lancaster while his deposed Father lived and within five dayes after he was Crowned at Westminster by Walter Archbishop of Canterbury Twelve men were appointed to manage the Affairs of the Kingdom during the King's minority the Archbishop's of Canterbury and York the Bishops of Winchester Hereford and Worcester Thomas Brotherton Earl Marshal Edmond Earl of Kent John Earl Warren Thomas Lord Wake Henry Lord Piercy Oliver Lord Ingham and John Lord Ross but the Queen and Roger Lord Mortimer usurped this charge Adam Tarlton was accused of Treason in the beginning of the Reign of this King and arraigned by the King's Officers when in the presence of the King he thus boldly uttered himself My Lord the King with all due respect unto your Majesty I Adam an humble Minister and Member of the Church of God and a consecrated Bishop though unworthy neither can nor ought to answer unto so hard Questions without the connivance and consent of my Lord Archbishop of Canterbury my immediate Judge under the Pope and without the consent of other Bishops who are my Peers Three Archbishops were there present in the place Canterbury York and Dublin by whose Intercession Tarlton escaped at that time Not long after he was arraigned again at the King's Bench whereupon the foresaid Archbishops set up their Crosses and with ten Bishops more attended with a numerous Train of well-weaponed Servants advanced to the place of Judicature The King's Officers frighted at the sight fled away leaving Bishop Tarlton the prisoner alone at the Bar whom the Archbishops took home into their own custody denouncing a Curse upon all such who should presume to lay violent hands upon him The King offended hereat caused a jury of Lay-men to be impannelled and to enquire according to form of Law into the Actions of the Bishop of Hereford This was the first time that ever Lay-men passed their verdict upon a Clergy-man These Jurors found the Bishop guilty whereupon the King seized his Temporalties proscribed the the Bishop and despoiled him of all his moveables But afterwards he was reconciled to the King and by the Pope made Bishop of Winchester where he died The former part of this King's Reign affordeth but little Church-history as wholly taken up with his Atchievements in France and Scotland where his success by Sea and Land was to admiration He had both the Kings he fought against viz. John de Valois of France and David King of Scotland his prisoners at one time taken by fair Fight in open Field There was granted to the King of England for these Wars a Fifteenth of the Temporalty a Twelfth of Cities and Boroughs and a Tenth of the Clergy in a Parliament holden at London And afterwards in a Parliament at Northampton there was granted him a Tenth peny of Towns and Boroughs a Fifteenth of others and a Tenth of the Clergy All such Treasure as was committed to Churches throughout England for the holy War was taken out for the King's use in this The next year after all the Goods of three Orders of Monks Lombards Cluniacks and Cicestercians are likewise seized into the King's hands and the like Subsidy as before granted at Nottingham Now the Cavrsines or Lombards did not drive so full a trade as before whereupon they betook themselves to other Merchandise and began to store England with Forreign Commodities but at unreasonable rates whilst England it self had as yet but little and bad Shipping and those less employed About this time the Clergy were very bountiful in contributing to the King's necessities in proportion to their Benefices Hereupon a Survay was exactly taken of all their Glebeland Fuller Church History and the same fairly engrossed in Parchment was returned into the Exchequer where it remaineth at this day and is the most useful Record for Clergy-men and also for Impropriators as under their claim to recover their right It was now complained of as a grand grievance that the Clergy engrossed all places of Judicature in the Land Nothing was left to Lay-men but either Military commands as General Admiral c. or such Judges places as concerned onely the very letter of the Common Law and those also scarcely reserved to the Students thereof As for Ambassies into Forreign parts Noblemen were employed therein when Expence not Experience was required thereunto and Ceremony the substance of the Service otherwise when any difficulty in Civil Law then Clergy-men were ever entertained The Lord Chancellor was ever a Bishop yea that Court generally appeared as a Synod of Divines where the Clerks were Clerks as generally in Orders The same was also true of the Lord Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer Robert Eglesfield Chaplain to Queen Philippa Wife to King Edward the third founded a Colledge on his own ground in Oxford by the name of Queens Colledge and diverse Queens have been nursing Mothers to this Foundation as Queen Philippa Wife to King Edward the third Queen Elizabeth Wife to King Edward the fourth Queen Mary Wife to King Charles and our Virgin Queen Elizabeth In the mean time the Pope bestirred him in England while the King was busied about his Wars in France so that before Livings were actually void he pre-provided Incumbents for them But at last the King looking into it this Statute of Provision was made whereby such forestalling of Livings to Forreigners was forbidden Another cause of the King's displeasure with the Pope was that when the Pope created twelve Cardinals at the request of the King of France he denied to make one at the desire of the King of England The Papal party
notwithstanding this Law of Provision strugled for a time till the King's Power overswayed them Indeed this grievance continued all this and most of the next King's Reign till the Statute of praemunire was made and afterward the Land was cleared from the encumbrance of such provisions Three years after the Statute against the Pope's Provisions was made the King presented unto the Pope Thomas Hatlif to be Bishop of Durham one who was the King's Secretary but one void of all other Episcopal qualifications However the Pope confirmed him and being demanded why he consented to the preferment of so worthless a person he answered that rebus sic stantibus if the King of England had presented an Ass unto him he would have confirmed him in the Bishoprick In this King's Reign were diverse Learned Men in England John Baconthorp a Man of a very low stature of whom one saith Baleus in ejus vita Ingenio magnus Corpore parvus erat His wit was Tall in Body small Coming to Rome he was hissed at in a publick Disputation for the badness forsooth of his Latin and pronunciation but indeed because he opposed the Pope's power in dispensing with Marriages contrary to the Law of God He wrote on the Sentences where he followeth the truth in many things especially he refuteth the subtilties of John Scotus as Baptist Mantuan hath marked Iste tenebrosi damnat vestigia Scoti Et per sacra novis it documenta viis Hunc habeant quibus est sapientia grata redundat Istius in sacris fontibus omne sophos Joh. Bale Cent. 4. Sect. 82. He wrote De dominio Christi where he proveth that the highest Bishop in every Kingdom should be in subjection to Princes Richard Primate of Ireland alias Armachanus was his Disciple and taught the same Doctrine he Translated the Bible into Irish He discovered the hypocrisie of Friers in that though they professed poverty yet they had stately Houses like the Palaces of Princes and more costly Churches than any Cathedral richer Ornaments than all the Princes c. William Ockham an English Man sided with Lewis of Bavaria against the Pope maintaining the Temporal Power above the Spiritual He was forced to fly to the Emperor for his safety He was a Disciple of John Scotus but became Adversary of his Doctrine He was the Author of the Sect of Nominales He was a follower of Pope Nicholas the fourth and therefore was Excommunicated by Pope John This Ockham was Luther's chief School-man who had his Works at his finger's end Robert Holcot was not the meanest among them who died of the Plague at Northampton just as he was reading his Lectures on the seventh of Ecclesiasticus About that time a Book was written in English called The complaint and prayer of a Plough-man The Author of it is said to have been Robert Langland a Priest After a general complaint of the Iniquity of the time the Author wrote zealously against Auricular Confession as contrary to Scripture and profit of the publick and as a device of man against the Simony of selling Pardons against the Pope as the Adversary of Christ He complaineth of the unmarried Priests committing wickedness and by bad example provoking others of Images in Churches as Idolatry of false Pastors which feed upon their flocks and feed them not nor suffer others to feed them He wrote also against Purgatory In this King's Reign were diverse Archbishops of Canterbury I will begin with Simon Mepham made Archbishop in the first year of his Reign John Stratford was the second Consecrated first Bishop of Winchester The third was Thomas Bradwardine Fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford and afterwards Chancellor of London and commonly called The profound Doctor He had many disputes with the School-men against the errors of Pelagius and reduced all his Lectures into three Books which he entitled De causa Dei He was Confessor to King Edward the third He died a few Months after his Consecration Simon Islip was the fourth he founded Canterbury Colledge in Oxford This Colledge is now swallowed up in Christ-Church Simon Langham is the fifth much meriting by his Munificence to Westminster-Abbey William Witlesee succeeded him famous for freeing the University of Oxford from the Jurisdiction of the Bishop of Lincoln formerly the Diocesan thereof Simon Sudbury was the last Archbishop of Canterbury in this King's Reign In his Reign also flourished Nicholas Trivet a black Frier born in Norfolk who wrote two Histories and a Book of Annals Richard Stradley born in the Marches of Wales a Monk and a Divine who wrote diverse excellent Treatises of the Scriptures William Herbert a Welchman who wrote many good Treatises in Divinity Thomas Wallis Sir Rich. Baker's Chron. a Dominican Frier and a writer of many excellent Books Walter Burley a Doctor in Divinity who wrote many choise Treatises in Natural and Moral Philosophy Roger a Monk of Chester and an Historiographer John Burgh a Monk who wrote an History and also diverse Homilies Richard Aungervil Bishop of Durham and Lord Chancellor of England Richard Chichester a Monk of Westminster who wrote a good Chronicle from the year 449. to the year 1348. Matthew Westminster who wrote the Book called Flores Historiarum Henry Knighton who wrote an History entitled De gestis Anglorum John Mandevil Knight Doctor of Physick a great Traveller and Sir Geoffry Chaucer the Homer of our Nation About the fortieth year of his Reign there was a Priest in England called William Wickham who was great with King Edward so that all things were done by him who was made Bishop of Winchester Towards the latter end of this King's Reign arose John Wickliff a Learned Divine of Oxford who did great service to the Church in promoting Reformation and in opposing Papal power for he wrote sharply against the Pope's authority the Church of Rome and diverse of their Religious Orders Certain Divines and Masters of the University entertained his Doctrine viz. Robert Rigges Chancellor of the University together with the two Proctors and many others He not onely Preached this Doctrine in Oxford but also more publickly in London At the Court before the King himself the Prince of Wales his Son John Duke of Lancaster the Lord Clifford the Lord Latimer and others likewise the Lord Montacute who defaced Images throughout all his Jurisdiction and John Earl of Sarum who at the point of death refused the Popish Sacrament with diverse others of the chiefest Nobility the Major of London with diverse other worthy Citizens who many times disturbed the Bishop's Officers who were called for the suppressing of Wickliff This Man being much encouraged by the Duke of Lancaster and Sir Henry Piercy Marshall went from Church to Church Preaching his Opinions and spreading his Doctrine whereupon he is cited to answer before the Archbishop the Bishop of London and others in St. Paul's London At the day appointed the Duke of Lancaster and the Lord Marshall go to conduct