and Judaicall Consultations with the Pope about things cleane and uncleane his proud demeanour toward the British Clergy appeares in his counsell called about no solid point of faith but celebration of Easter where having troubled threatned the Churches of Wales and afterwards of Scotland about Romish Ceremonies hee is said in fine to have beene the stirrer up of Ethelbert by meanes of the Northumbrian King to the slaughter of twelve hundred of those poore laborious Monks of Bangor His Successors busied in nothing but urging and instituting Ceremonies and maintaining precedency we passe over Till Dunstan the Sainted Prelate who of a frantick Necromancer and suspected fornicatour was shorne a Monk and afterwards made a Bishop His worthy deeds are noted by Speed to have beene the cheating King Edred of the treasure committed to his keeping the prohibiting of marriage to the encreasing of all filthinesse in the Clergie of those times as the long Oration of King Edgar in Stow well testifies In Edward the Confessors dayes Robert the Norman no sooner Archbishop of Canterbury but setting the King and Earle Godwine at variance for private revenge broached a civill warre till the Archbishop was banisht Now William the Conquerour had set up Lanfrank Bishop of Canterbury who to requite him spent his faithfull service to the Pope Gregorie in perswading the King to subject himselfe and his state to the Papacy as himselfe writes to the Pope Suasi sed non persuasi The treason of Anselm to Rufus was notorious who not content to withstand the King obstinately in money matters made suit to fetch his Pall or investiture of Archiepiscopacie from Rome which the King denying as flat against his regall Soveraigntie he went without his leaveâ— and for his Romish good service received great honour from the Pope by being seated at his right foot in a Synod with these words Includamus hunc in orbe nostro tanquam alterius orbis Papam Whence perhaps it is that the Sea of Canterbury hath affected a Patriarchy in our dayes This Anselm also condemned the married Clergie Henry the first reigning the same Anselm deprived those Prelats that had beene invested by the King and all the Kingdome is vext with one Prelat who the second time betakes himselfe to his old fortresse at Rome till the King was faine to yeeld Which done and the Archbishop returned spends the rest of his dayes in a long contention and unchristian jangling with York about Primacie Which ended not so but grew as hot betweene York and London as Dean to Canterbury striving for the upper seat at dinner till the King seeing their odious pride put them both out of dores To speak of Ralf and Thurstan the next Archbishops pursuing the same quarrell were tedious as it was no smal molestation to the King and Kingdome Thurstan refusing to stand to the Kings doome and wins the day or else the king must be accurs't by the Pope which further animates him to try the mastry with William next Archbishop of Canterbury and no man can end it but their Father the Pope for which they travel to Rome In the mean while marriage is sharply decreed against Speed 448. and the Legate Cremonensis the declamor against matrimony taken with a strumpet the same night In King Stephens Reigne the haughty Bishops of Canterbury and Winchester bandy about precedencie and to Rome to end the duell Theobald goes to Rome against the Kings will interdicts the Realme and the King forc't to suffer it till refusing to Crowne Eustace the Kings sonne because the Pope had so commanded he flies againe Beckets pride and outragious treasons are too manifest resigning the Kings gift of his Archbishoprick to receive it of the Pope requiring the Custody of Rochester Castle and the Tower of London as belonging to his Seignorie Protects murthering Priests from the temporall sword standing stifly for the liberties and dignities of Clerkes but little to chastise their vices which besides other crying sinnes were above a hundred murthers since Henry the seconds crowning till that time to maintaine which most of the Bishops conspire till terror of the King made them shrink but Becket obdures denies that the King of Englands Courts have authority to judge him And thus was this noble King disquieted by an insolent traytor in habit of a Bishop a great part of his Reigne the land in uproar many excommunicate and accursed France and England set to warre and the King himselfe curbed and controlled and lastly disciplin'd by the Bishops and Monks first with a bare foot penance that drew blood from his feet and lastly with fourescore lashes on his anointed body with rods In the same Kings time it was that the Archbishop of York striving to sit above Canterbury squatts him down on his lap whence with many a cuffe hee was throwne downe Next the pride of W. Longchamp Bishop of Elie was notorious who would ride with a thousand horse and of a Governour in the Kings absence became a Tyrant for which â—lying in womans apparell he was taken To this succeeds contention betweene Canterbury and York about carriage of their crosses and Rome appeal'd to the Bishop of Durham buyes an Earldome No sooner another King but Hubert another Archbishop to vex him and lest that were not enough made Chancellor of England And besides him Geffry of York who refusing to pay a Subsidy within his Precincts and therefore all his temporalities seaz'd excommunicates the Sheriffe beats the Kings Officers and interdicts his whole Province Hubert outbraves the King in Christmasse house-keeping hinders King Iohn by his Legantine power from recovering Normandy After him Stephen-Langton set up by the Pope in spight of the King who opposing such an affront falls under an interdict with his whole Land and at the suit of his Archbishop to the Pope is depos'd by Papall Sentence his Kingdome given to Philip the French King Langtons friend and lastly resignes and â—nfeâ—ds his Crowne to the Pope After this tragicall Stephen the fray which Boniface the next Archbishop but one had with the Canons of Saint Bartholmews is as pleasant the tearing of Hoods and Cowles the miring of Copes the flying about of wax Candles and Censors in the scuffle cannot be imagined without mirth as his oathes were lowd in this bickering so his curles were as vehement in the contention with the Bishop of Winchester for a slight occasion But now the Bishops had turned their contesting into base and servile fâ—atteries to advance themselves on the ruine of the Subjects For Peter de Rupibus Bishop of Winchester perswading the King to displace English Officers and substitute Poictivines and telling the Lords to their ces that there were no Peeres in England as in France but that the King might do what he would and by whom he would became a
firebrand to the civill warres that followed In this time Peckam Archbishop of Can. in a Synod was tempering with the Kings liberties but being threatned desisted But his successor Winchelsey on occasion of Subsidies demanded of the Clergie made answer That having two Lords one Spirituall the other Temporall he ought rather to obey the Spirituall governour the Pope but that he would send to the Pope to know his pleasure and so persisted even to beggerie The Bishop of Durham also cited by the King flies to Rome In the deposing of this King who more forward then the Bishop of Hereford witnesse his Sermon at Oxford My head my head aketh concluding that an aking and sick head of a King was to be taken off without further Physick Iohn the Archbishop of Canterbury suspected to hinder the Kings glorious victories in Flanders and France by stopping the conâ—eyance of moneys committed to his charge conspiring therein with the Pope But not long after was constituted that fatall praemunire which was the first nipping of their courage to seeke aide at Rome And next to that the wide wounds that Wickleffe made in their sides From which time they have beene falling and thenceforth all the smoke that they could vomit was turned against the rising light of pure doctrine Yet could not their pride misse occasion to set other mischief on foot For the Citizens of London rising to apprehend a riotous servant of the Bishop of Salisbury then Lord Treasurer who with his fellowes stood on his guard in the Bishops house were by the Bishop who maintained the riot of his servant so complained of that the King therewith seized on their liberties and set a Governour over the Citie And who knowes not that Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury was a chiefe instrument and agent in deposing King Richard as his actions and Sermon well declares The like intended the Abbot of Westminster to Henry the fourth who for no other reason but because hee suspected that the King did not favour the wealth of the Church drew into a most horrible conspiracie the Earles of Kent Rutland and Salisbury to kill the King in a turnament at Oxford who yet notwithstanding was a man that professed to leave the Church in better state then hee found it For all this soone after is Richard Scroop Archbishop of York in the field against him the chiefe attractor of the rebellious party In these times Thomas Arundell a great persecutor of the Gospel preached by Wifclefs followers dies a fearefull death his tongue so swelling within his mouth that hee must of necessity starve His successor Chickeley nothing milder diverts the King that was looking too neerely into the superfluous revenewes of the Church to a bloody warre All the famous conquests which Henry the fifth had made in France were lost by a civill dissension in England which sprung first from the haughty pride of Beaufort Bishop and Cardinall of Winchester and the Archbishop of York against the Protector Speed 674. In the civill warres the Archbishop sides with the Earle of Warwick and March in Kent Speed 682. Edward the fourth Mountacute Archbishop of Yorke one of the chiefe conspirators with Warwicke against Edward the fourth and afterwards his Jaylor being by Warwickes treason committed to this Bishop In Edward the fifths time the Archbishop of York was though perhaps unwittingly yet by a certaine fate of of Prelacie the unhappy instrument of pulling the young Duke of Yorke out of Sanctuary into his cruell Unckles hands Things being setled in such a peace as after the bloodie brawles was to the afâ—licted Realme howsoever acceptable though not such as might bee wished Morton Bishop of Ely enticing the Duke of Buckingham to take the Crowne which ruin'd him opened the vaines of the poore subjects to bleede afresh The intollerable pride extortion bribery luxurie of Wolsey Archbishop of Yorke who can bee ignorant of selling dispensations by his power Legantine for all offences insulting over the Dukes and Peeres of whom some hee brought to destruction by bloodie policie playing with State affâ—ires according to his humour or benefit causing Turnay got with the blood of many a good Souldier to be rendred at the French Kings secret request to him not without bribes with whom one while siding another while with the Emperour hee sold the honour and peace of England at what rates hee pleased and other crimes to bee seene in the Articles against him Hol. 912. and against all the Bishops in generallâ— 911. which when the Parliament sought to remedie being most excessive extortion in the Ecclesiasticall Courts the Bishops cry out sacriledge the Church goes to ruine as it did in Bohem with the Schisme of the Hussites Ibid. After this though the Bishops ceased to bee Papists for they preached against the Popes Supremacie to please the King yet they ceased not to oppugne the Gospel causing Tindals translation to be burnt yet they agreed to the suppressing of Monasteries leaving their revenewes to the King to make way for the six bloodie Articles which proceedings with all crueltie of inquisition are set downe Holinsh. pag. 946. till they were repealed the second of Edward the sixth stopping in the meane while the cause of reformation well begunne by the Lord Cromwell And this mischiefe was wrought by Steven Gardiner Bishop of Winchester The sixe Articles are set downe in Speed pag. 792. The Archbishop of Saint Andrewes his hindring of Englands and Scotlands Union for feare of reformation Speed 794. As for the dayes of King Edward the sixth we cannot but acknowledge to the glorie of the rich mercie of God tâ—at there was a great reformation of Religion made even to admiration And yet notwithstanding we doe much dislike the humour of those that crie up those dayes as a compleat patterne of reformation and that endeavour to reduce our Religion to the first times of King Edward which wee conceive were comparatively very imperfect there being foure impediments which did much hinder that blessed work The three rebellions One in Henry the eighths time by the Priests of Lincolne and Yorkeshire for that reformation which Cromwell had made The other two in King Edwards dayes One in Cornewall the other in Yorkeshire The strife that arose suddenly amongst the Peeres emulating one anothers honour Speed pag 837. The violent opposition of the Popish Bishops which made Martin Bucer write to King Edward in his booke de Regno Christi Lib. 2. cap. 1. and say your Majestie doth see that this restoring againe the Kingdome of Christ which wee require yea which the salvation of us all requireth may in no wise bee expected to come from the Bishops seeing there be so few among them which doe understand the power and proper Offices of this Kingdome and very many of them by all meanes
to be thunder-stricken at this Question and cals the very Question a new Divinity where he deales like such as holding great revenues by unjust Titles will not suffer their Titles to be called in Question For it is apparent Ac si solaribus radiis descriptum esset to use Tertullians phrase that the word Church is an Equivocall word and hath as many severall acceptions as letters and that Dolus latet in universalibus And that by the Church of England first by some of these men is meant onely the Bishops or rather the two Archbishops or more properly the Archbishop of Canterbury Just as the Iesuited Papists resolve the Church and all the glorious Titles of it into the Pope so do these into the Archbishop or at fullest they understand it of the Bishops and their party met in Convocation as the more ingenuous of the Papists make the Pope and his Cardinals to be their Church thus excluding all the Christian people and Presbyters of the Kingdome as not worthy to be reckoned in the number of the Church And which is more strange this Author in his Simplicitie as he truly saith never heard nor thought of any more Churches of England then one and what then shal become of his Diocesan Churches and Diocesan Bishops And what shall wee think of England when it was an Heptarchy had it not then seven Churches when seven Kings Or if the Bounds of a Kingdome must constitute the Limits and Bounds of a Church why are not England Scotland and Ireland all one Church when they are happily united under one gracious Monarch into one Kingdome Wee reade in Scripture of the Churches of Iudea and the Churches of Galatia and why not the Churches of England not that we denie the Consociation or Combination of Churches into a Provinciall or Nationall Synod for the right ordering of them But that there should be no Church in England but a Nationall Church this is that which this Author in his simplicity affirmes of which the very rehearsall is a refutation SECT XVIII THere are yet two things with which this Remonstrance shuts up it selfe which must not be past without our Obeliskes First he scoffes at the Antiprelaticall Church and the Antiprelaticall Divisions â— for our parts we acknowledge no Antiprelaticall Church But there are a company of men in the Kingdome of no meane ranke or quality for Piety Nobility Learning that stand up to beare witnesse against the Hierarchie as it now stands their usurpations over Gods Church and Ministers their cruell using of Gods people by their tyrannicall Governement this we acknowledge and if hee call these the Antiprelaticall Church we doubt not but your Honours wil consider that there are many Thousands in this Kingdome and those pious and worthy persons that thus doe and upon most just cause It was a speech of Erasinus of Luther Vt quisque vir est optimus ita illius Scriptis minimè offendi The better any man was the lesse offence he tooke at Luthers writings but we may say the contrary of the Prelates Vt quisque vir est optimus ita illorum factis magis offendi The better any man is the more he is offended at their dealings And all that can be objected against this party will be like that in Tertullian Bonus vir Cajus Sejus sed malus tantum quia Antiprelaticus But he upbraides us with our Divisions and Subdivisions and so doe the Papists upbraid the Protestants with their Lutheranisme Calvinisme and Zuinglianisme And this is that the Heathens objected to the Christians their Fractures were so many they knew not which Religion to chuse if they should turn Christians And can it be expected that the Church in any age should be free froÌ„ divisions when the times of the Apostles were not free and the Apostle tells us it must needs be that there be divisions in Greg. Naz. dayes there were 600 Errours in the Church doe these any wayes derogate from the truth and worth of Christian Religion But as for the Divisions of the Antiprelaticall party so odiously exaggerated by this Remonstrant Let us assure your Honours they have beene much fomented by the Prelates whose practâ—se hath beene according to that rule of Machiavill Divide Impera and they have made these divisions and afterwards complained of that which their Tyranny and Policie hath made It is no wonder considering the pathes our Prelates have trod that there are Divisions in the Nation The wonder is our Divisions are no more no greater and wee doubt not but if they were of that gracious spirit and so intirely affected to the peace of the Church as Greg. Naz. was they would say as he did in the tumults of the people Mitte nos in mare non erit tempestas rather then they would hinder that sweet Conâ—ordance and conspiration of minde unto a Governement that shall be every way agreeable to the rule of Gods word and proâ—itable for the edification and flourishing of the Church A second thing wee cannot but take notice of is the pains this Author takes to advance his Prelaticall Church and forgetting what he had said in the beginning that their party was so numerous it could not be summed tells us now these severall thousands are punctually calculated But we doubt not but your Honours will consider that there may be mulâ—i homines pauci viri And that there are more against them then for them And whereas they pretend that they differ from us onely in a Ceremony or an Organ pipe which however is no contemptible difference yet it will appeare that our differences are in point of a superiour Alloy Though this Remonstrant braves it in his multiplyed Quere's What are the bounds of this Church what the distinction of the professours and Religion what grounds of faith what new Creed doe they hold different from their Neighbours what Scriptures what Baptisme what meanes of Salvation other then the rest yet if hee pleased hee might have silenced his owne Queres but if hee will needs put us to the answer wee will resolve them one by one First if he ask what are the bounds of this Church we answer him out of the sixt of their late founded Canons where we find the limits of this Prelaticall Church extend as farre as from the high and lofty Promontory of Archbishops to the Terra incognita of an c. If what Distinction of professors and Religion we answer their worshipping towards the East and bowing towards the Altar prostrating themselves in their approaches into Churches placing all Religion in outward formalities are visible differences of these professours and their Religion If what new Creed they have or what grounds of Faith differing from their Neighbours we answer Episcopacy by divine right is the first Article of their Creed Absolute and blinde obedience to all the commandements of the Church that is the Bishop and his Emissaries election upon faith