them all the dayes of my life so farre as they concerne me as any man hath and since I came into place I have followed them and byn as much guided by them as any man that sate where I had the honour to sitte And of this I am sory I have lost the testimony of the Lord Keeper Coventry and other Persons of Honour since dead And the Councell which attended at the Councell Board can witnesse some of them here present that in all references to the Board or debates arising at the Board I was for that part of the cause where I found Law to be and if the Councell desired to have the cause left to the Law well I might move in some cases Charity or Conscience to them but I left them to the Law if thither they would goe And how such a carriage as this through the whole course of my life in private and publique can stand with an intention to overthrow the Lawes I cannot yet see Nay more I have ever beene of opinion That Lawes binde the conscience and have accordingly made conscience of observing them and this doctrine I have constantly preached as occasion hath beene offered me and how is it possible I should seek to overthrow those Lawes which I held my selfe bound in conscience to keep and observe As for Religion I was borne and bred up in and under the Church of England as it stands established by Law I have by Gods blessing growne up in it to the yeares which are now upon me and to the place of preferment which I now beare I have ever since I have understood ought in my profession kept one constant tenor in this my profession with out variation or shifting from one opinion to another for any worldly ends And if my conscience would have suffered me to doe so I could easely have slid through all the difficulties which I have prest upon me in this kinde But of all diseases I have ever held a Palsey in Religion most dangerous well knowing and remembring that disease often ends in a dead Palsie Ever since I came in place I have laboured nothing more then that the externall publique worship of God so much slighted in divers parts of this Kingdome might be preserved that with as much decency uniformity as might be for I evidently saw that the publique neglect of Gods service in the outward face of it and the nasty lyeing of many places dedicated to that service had almost cast a dampe upon the true and inward worship of God which while we live in the body needs exteriall helps and all little enough to keepe it in any vigor And this I did to the uttermost of my knowledge according both to Law and Canon and with the consent and likeing of the people nor did any command issue out from mee against the one or without the other Further my Lords give me leave I beseech you to acquaint you with this also that I have as little acquaintance with Recusants as I beleeve any man of my place of England hath or ever had sithence the Reformation and for my kindred no one of them was ever a Recusant but Sir William Web grandchild to my Vnkle Sir VVilliam VVeb sometimes Lord Major of London and since which some of his Children I reduced back againe to the Church of England On this one thing more I humbly desire may be thought on That I am fallen into a great deale of obloquie in matter of Religion and that so farre as appeares by the Articles against me that I have indeavored to advance and bring in Popery Perhaps my Lords I am not ignorant what party of men have raised these scandalls upon me nor for what end nor perhapps by whom set on but howsoever I would faine have a good reason given me if my conscience stood that way and that with my conscience I could subscribe to the Church of Rome what should have kept me heere before my imprisonment to indure the libelling and the slaunder and the base usage that hath beene put upon me and these to end in this question for my life I say I would know a good reason for this First my Lords is it because of any pledges I have in the world to sway me against my conscience No sure for I have neither Wife nor Children to cry out upon me to stay with them And if I had I hope the calling of my conscience should be heard above them Is it because I was loth to leave the honour and profit of the place I was risen too Surely no for I desire your Lordships and all the world should know I do much scorn the one and the other in comparison of my conscience Besides it cannot be imagined by any man but that if I should have gone over to them I should not have wanted both honour and profit and suppose not so great as this I have here yet sure would my conscience have served my self of either lesse with my conscience would have prevailed with me more than greater against my conscience Is it because I lived here at ease and was loth to venture the losse of that not so neither for whatsoever the world may be pleased to think of me I have led a very painfull life and such as I would have been content to change had I well known how and would my conscience have served me that way I am sure I might have lived at far more ease and either have avoyded the barbarous Libelling and other bitter grievous scornes which have been put upon me or at least been out of the hearing of them Not to trouble your Lordships too long I am so innocent in the businesse of Religion so free from all practise or so much as thought of practise for any alteration unto Popery or any blemishing the true Protestant Religion established in England as I was when my mother first bore me into the world And let nothing be spoken but truth and I do here challenge whatsoever is between Heaven or Hell that can be said against me in point of my Religion in which I have ever hated dissimulation And had I not hated it perhaps I might have been better for worldly safety then now I am but it can no way become a Christian Bishop to halt with God Lastly if I had any purpose to blast the true Religion established in the Church of England and to introduce Popery sure I took a wrong way to it for my Lords I have staid more going to Rome and reduced more that were already gone then I believe any Bishop or Divine in this Kingdome hath done and some of them men of great abilities and some persons of great place and is this the way to introduce Popery My Lords if I had blemished the true Protestant Religion how could I have brought these men to it And if I had promised to introduce Popery I would never have reduced
money too But howsoever his Lordship hath get a very full estate in that Kingdome and hee doth very wisely to fortifie it as well as hee can But besides these I have long since heard though you now mention it not that his Lordship hath done greater service to the Church in some other particulars as namely to the Bishoprick of Lismore and the Colledge of Yong-Hall for which it is great pitty but that his Lordships memory should bee preserved in the Church Thus I have given Your Grace a distinct answer to all the Particulars in Your Letter But for the Tombe which occasioned all the rest I will not take upon mee to judge unlesse I were upon the place how fitly or unfitly it stands there but shall wholly leave it to the view and resolution which shall thereupon bee taken in that place So I leave you to the Grace of God and rest Your Lordships very loving friend and Brother Will Cant. Lamb. March 1633. But some may perchance inquire what was the ground of this Archbishops introduction of these Innovations first of all into Cathedrall Churches Certainly one principall cause of this his method was to make these Mother Churches as he stiled them patterns of imitation for all Daughter Churches and Chapells within the the whole Diocesse that so the Proverbe in Ezech. 16. v. 44. 45. might be verified of them Behold every one tht useth Proverbes shall use this Proverbe against thee saying AS IS THE MOTHER SO IS HER DAVGHTER Thou art thy Mothers Daughter That this was one chiefe end of his to corrupt all Parish Churches and Chappell 's by these Cathedralls examples was infallibly manifested First by the very words of the Order made at the Councell Table at White Hall the third of November 1633 concerning the standing of the Communion Table in Saint Gregories Church neere Paules printed in Dr. Heylins Coale from the Altar and in his Antidotum Lincolniense Sect. 1. c. 2. p. 62. which order was thus printed by the Archbishops direction the chiefe stickler in the procuring and prime Clerke in the penning of it wherein it is positively resolved That all other Churches ought to be guided by the Cathedrall Mother Church whereon they depend and that the Communion Table in Saint Gregories Church removed from the middle of the Chancell to the upper end and there placed Altar-wise in such manner as it standeth in the Cathedrall and Mother Church of St. Paul should so continue that so there might be no difference betweene it and the said Cathedrall Mother Church Secondly by diverse bookes published in print by the Arch-Bishops speciall direction and app obation expresly averring That all Parochiall Churches ought to be guided by the patterne of the Mother Church upon the which they doe depend The Arch-Bishop himselfe in his discourses and these creatures of his in their Bookes applying and urging this leaden rule of theirs in particular for the rayling in of Communion Tables placing them Altarwise against the East end of the Quire and bowing unto them in all Parish Churches because this was done and practised in all Cathedrall Churches by vertue of his New Statutes and Injunctions though not in former times This foundation being layd in our Cathedralls for the like Popish Innovations in all Parochiall Churches wee shall in the next place prosecute this pursuite of his Innovations from our Cathedralls to Parochiall Churches and Chappell 's Wee shall begin with Saint Gregories Church neare Paules where the case was thus About tenne yeares since this Church was repaired by the Parishoners to their great cost at which time the Deane and Chapter of Pauls under whose jurisdiction it is caused the Picture of Saint Gregory to bee set up in the Church and the Communion Table to bee removed rayled about and set Altarwise against the East-end of the Chancell Whereupon Master Wyan and diverse of the Parishioners being offended at it appealed from the Deans and Chapters Order as being against Law to the Arches upon which by the Archbishops means an Order came from Secretary Windebank to call the Parishioners to the Councell Table concernning this Appeale the removing of the Table where they appeared at the appointed time with their Councell The King himselfe the Arch-Bishop and many of the Lords were then present where the businesse being debated before them the Archbishop stood up and with great earnestnesse more like an Advocate then Judge justified maintained this removing and rayling in the Table reading Queene Elizabeths Injunctions to warrant it but left out this most materiall clause that made quite against him Saving when the Communion of the Sacrament is to be administred at which time the same shall be so placed in good sort within the Chancell as whereby the Minister may bee more conveniently heard of the Communicants in his prayer and ministration and the Communicants also more conveniently and in greater number communicate with the said Minister And after the Communion done from time to time the said holy Table to be placed where it stood before The King said hee liked it well that the Table should stand as it used to do heretofore to which the Archbishop answered that if it stood so the Minister could not so well see who kneeled at the Sacrament and who kneeled not To which the King replied then let the seates bee pulled downe Then the Councell for the Parish alleadged that Bishop Jewell in his Reply to Harding Artic. 3. Diuis 26. and Artic. 13. Diuis 6. and Master John Fox in his Acts and Monuments Edit 1610. pag. 1211. 1212. both which Books were enjoyned to be kept in every Church for the people to read in as containing the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England and nought repugnant thereunto maintained and asserted That the Communion Table ought to stand in the MIDST OF THE CHVRCH AMONG THE PEOPLE and not Altar-wise against the wall Hereupon the Archbishop stood up in an angry manner and sayd If this be the use they make of these Books Jewell Fox I desire they may be taken out of Churches and Sir Henry Martin saying merrily that this Table placed close along the wall would make a good Court-cupboord The Archbishop therupon replied that Sir Henry was a stigmaticall Puritan in his bosome All which particulars were proved upon oath by Master Wyan Mr. Clearke and Captain Stackhouse Wherupon by the Archbishops violence this Order was then made against the Parishioners for the standing of that Table Altar-wise as it was situated by the Deanes and Chapters Order and appointment At Whitehall the third day of Novemb 1633. Present the KINGS most Excellent Maiestie Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Keeper Lord Archbishop of Yorke Lord Treasurer Lord Privy Seale Lord Duke of Lenox Lord Chamberlaine Earle of Bridgwater Earle of Carlile Lord Cottington Master Treasurer Master Comptroller Lord High Chamberlain Earle Marshall Master Secretary Cooke Master Secretary Windebanke THis Day was Debated before
distraction in the Parish of Ware being a great and populous parish by their opposition of the laudable gesture of receiving the holy Communion kneeling and their envying against the Rayle and bench set up by sufficient authority for that purpose about the Communion Table in the Chancel for maintaining of good order and conformity in the Church there as may well appear by M. Chaunceys inveighing against the same and his refusing to administer the holy Communion there whilest he continued Vicar of Ware for the which the said M. Chauncey in partem pâ—nae was by the Court suspended from the execution of his Ministeriall function and every part thereof and ordered so to stand untill by his submission and acknowledgement of his error in broaching the said opinions tending to schisme and faction this Court shall see cause to release him which his submission and his acknowledgement is to be set down prescriptis verbis by the Commissioners at Informations and to be delivered unto him under the Registers hand of this Court and to be by him read and performed here in open Court and then to be intimated and made known in the parish Church of Ware where he hath given such cause of scandall and offence He was further condemned in expences or costs of fuit which are to be moderately taxed by the Commissioners at Informations And the said Humphry Parker was likewise condemned in moderate charges or expences and to make his submission in like manner conceptis verbis as this Court shall appoint Lastly they were both ordered to stand committed till they shall give sufficient bond in a 100 li. a piece to his Majesties use for the performance of the order of the Court. And because it was alleaged and pretended on M. Chauncies behalfe that since his comming to be Person of Marsten-Lawrence in Northamptonshire he had in testofocation of his conformity set up or caused to be set up such a Rayle about the Communion Table in the Chancell of his parish Church there the Court decreed Letters to be sent from this Court to the Lord Bishop of Peterborough to desire his Lordship to enquire of the truth of this allegation and to certifie this Court of the truth thereof the second Session of the next Tearm As also how the said Master Chauncey hath otherwise conformed himselfe there to the orders of the Church of England here by law established The manner and form of M. Chauncies recantation the next court-day for speaking against the rayle is thus recorded in the High Commission Register This day the said Mr. Chauncey appeared personally and with bended knees read his submission in Court which followes Whereas I Charles Chauncey Clerk late Vicar of Ware in the County of Hertford stand by sentence of this honourable Court legally convicted for opposing the setting of a rayle about the Communion Table in the Chancell of the Parish-church of Ware with a bench thereunto affixed for the Communicants to resort unto and to receive the blessed Sacrament there kneeling upon their knees and for using invective speeches against the said rayle and bench saying it was an Innovation â— snare to mens consciences and a breach of the second Commandement an addition to the Lords worship and that which hath driven me out of Towne I the said Charles Chauncey do here before this honourable Court acknowledge my great offence in using the said invective words and am heartily sorry for the same I protest and am ready to declare by vertue of mine Oath that I now hold and am perswaded in my conscience that kneeling at the receiving of the holy Communion is a lawfull and commendable gesture and that a rayle set up in the Chancell of any Church by the authority of the Ordinary with a bench thereunto affixed for the communicants to repaire unto to receive the holy Communion kneeling is a decent and convenient ornament for that purpose and this Court conceiveth that the rayle set up lately in the Parish-church of Ware with the bench affixed is such an one And I do further confesse that I was much to blame for opposing the same and do promise from henceforth never by word or deed to oppose either that or any other the laudable rites and ceremonies prescribed and commanded to be used in the Church of England Charles Chauncey Which submission being thus as aforesaid read and subscribed by the said Master Chauncey his Counsell moved that he might be dismissed but the Counsell for the Office desired that the said M. Chauncey might here receive w judiciall admonition which the Court conceiving very fit and requisite the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury in the name of the whole Court did now judicially admonish the said Charles Chauncey from henceforth to carry himself peaceably and conformably to the doctrine and discipline rites and ceremonies established and commanded to be used in the Church of England and neither by word nor deed to oppose or bring into disesteem any of them with this intimation That in case he were convented againe for any opposition or refractorinesse touching the premises that the Court intended to proceed against him with all severity and with this admonition the Court dismissed him the said M. Chauncey from any further attendance touching this cause he first paying the charges of suit taxed against him and the fees of his dismission These two leading cases and censures in the High-commissions at York and Lambeth seconded with this enforced submission struck such a terror into most Ministers and Churchwardens in those parts that few or none durst oppose those Innovations and gave such encouragement to the Prelates and popish Clergie that they proceeded vigorously in the pressing introducing of them every where and if any man durst oppose or vary from their injunctions they were presently brought into the High-commission and there proceeded against with utmost rigour This was manifested by the case of Mr. Miles Burkitt one of the Vicars of Pateshall in Northamptonshire who for delivering the Sacrament only to some who refused out of conscience to come up to the new Rayle and removing the Communion Table at the Sacrament time into the midst of the Chancell without the rayle according to the very Letter of Queen Elizabeths Injunctions and the 82 Canon was apprehended by a Pursevant in the Year 1638 and thus Articled against in the High-commission at Lambeth by Sir John Lambes and the Archbishops meanes among whose papers his Articles were found and read at the Lords Barre being attested by Master Prynne Inprimis we Article and object to you the said Miles Burkitt that you doe not bow at the Name of JESUS in time of Divine Service Item we Article and object that you the said Miles Burkitt being enjoyned by the Ordinary or his Surrogates officiate for him to keep within the rayles at the ministring of the Sacrament and to give the Sacrament to none that will not come up to the rayles he the
have any Image of any Saint especially of our Saviour in his house is unlawfull and that if any man kept such pictures in his house if it were not flat Idolatry yet it was little better This was the maine charge against him to which was added that he used some harsh expressions against lacivious mixt dancing especially on the Lords day citing only the words of the Waldenses in their censure against Dancing borrowed frō Vincentius Belvacensis Gulielmus Peraldus two Popish Writers of great note and justified by Bishop Babington in his exposition upon the seventh Commandement and that he prayed for the States of Holland the King of Sweden and other Generals beyond the seas in his prayer before he prayed for the King that now is over us which was but according to the usuall course of all or most Ministers who first prayed for the whole Catholick Church in generall next for the Protestant Churches and Princes beyond the seas and then for the Church and King of England and agreeable to the forme of the very Common-prayer-book in the prayer for the whole state of Christs Church c. which runs thus We beseech thee also to save and defend all Christian Kings Princes and Governours which comprehends all foreine Princes in the first place and especially thy servant Charles our King c. who is remembred last of all but yet in a more speciall manner But these two last particulars though mentioned in his sentence were no inducements to it but only the first passage against Images which M. Workman justified out of divers of our owne English Authors and the very Homilies against the perill of Idolatry Part. 3. p. 41. to 631. which determine thus That no Jmage of God or the Trinity or of Christ may or ought to be made that such Images are not only defects but lyes and teach nothing of God or Christ but lyes and errours That Images placed publickly in Temples cannot possibly be without danger of worshipping and idolatry wherefore they are not publickly to be or suffered in Temples and Churches c. We infer and say for the Adversative that all our Images of God our Saviour Christ and his Saints publickly set up in Temples and Churches places peculiarly appointed to the true worship of God be not things indifferent nor tolerable but against Gods law commandment taking their own interpretation and exposition of it First for that all Images so set up publickly have bin worshipped of the unlearned and simple sort shortly after they had been publickly so set up and in conclusion of the wise and learned also Secondly for that they are worshipped in sundry places now in our time also And thirdly for that it is impossible that Images of God Christ or his Saints can be suffered especially in Temples and Churches any while or space without worshipping of them and that Idolatry which is most abominable before God cannot possibly be escaped and avoided without the abolishing and destruction of Images and Pictures in Temples and Churches for that Idolatry is to Images specially in Temples and Churches an inseparable accident as they tearm it so that Images in Churches and Idolatry go alwayes both together and that therefore the one cannot be avoided except the other specially in all publick places be destroyed Wherefore to make Images and publickly to set them up in the Temples and Churches places appointed peculiarly to the service of God is to make Images to the use of Religion and not only against this precept Thou shalt make us manner of Images but against this also Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them for they being set up have been be and ever will be worshipped c. That it is not possible if Images be suffered in Churches and Temples either by the preaching of Gods Word or by any other means to keep the people from worshipping of them and so to avoid idolatry c. What can we do I say or bring to passe to the stay of Idolatry or worshipping of Images if they be allowed to stand publickly in Temples and Churches And if so many so mighty Emperours by so severe Lawes and Proclamations so rigorous and extreame punishments and executions could not stay the people from setting up and worshipping of Images what will ensue thinke you when men shall commend them as necessary books of the Laymen Let us therefore of these latter dayes learn this lesson of the experience of ancient Antiquity That Idolatry cannot possibly be separated from Images any long time but that as an unseparable accident or as a shadow followeth the body when the Sunne shineth so Idolatry followeth and cleaveth to the publick having of Images in Temples and Churches And finally as Idolatry is to be abhorred and avoided so are Images which cannot be long without Idolatry to be put away and destroyed Besides the which experiments and proof of time before the very nature and origine of Images themselves draweth to Idolatry most violently and mens nature and inclination also is bent to Idolatry so vehemently that it is not possible to sever or part Images nor keep men from Idolatry if Images he suffered publickly c. For if the origine of Images and worshipping of them as it is recorded in the eight Chap. of the Book of Wisdom began of a blind love of a fond father framing for his comfort an Image of his Sonne being dead and so at the last men fell to the worshipping of him whom they did know to be dead how much more will men and women fall to the worshipping of the Image of God our Saviour Christ and his Saints if they be suffered to stand in Churches and Temples publickly For the greater the opinion is of the majesty and holinesse of the person to whom an Image is made the sooner will the people fall to the worshipping of the said Image Wherefore the Images of God our Saviour Christ the Blessed Virgin Mary the Apostles Martyrs and other of notable holinesse are of all other Images most dangerous for the perill of Idolatry and therefore greatest heed to be taken that none of them be suffered to stand publikely in Churches and Temples For there is no great dread least any should fall to the worshipping of Images of Annas Caiphas Pilate or Judas the Traitor if they were set up But to the other it is already at full proved That Idolatry hath been is and is most like continually to be committed Now as the Nature of mari is none otherwise bent to worshipping of Images if he may have them and see them then it is bent to whordome and Idolatry in the company of an harlot And as a man given to the lust of the flesh seeing a wanton harlot sitting by her and imbracing her it profitteth little for one to say beware of fornication God will condemne fornicators and adulterers for neither will he being overcome with greater intisements of
man and shall live and die in the suffrage of that Reverend Synod and doe confidently a vow that those other opposed opinions cannot stand with the Doctrine of the Church of England But if for the composing of our differences at home which your Lordship knowes to be far different from the Netherlandish there could have beene tendered any such faire propositons of accordance as might be no prejudice to Gods Truth I should have thought it an holy and happy project wherein if it bee not a fault to have wished a safe peace I am innocent In my Lord Bishops of SARVMS Answer Dated Ianuary 30. 1628. This passage was expunged AS for the aspertions of Arminianisme I can testifie that in our joynt imployment at the Synod of Dort you were as farre from it as my selfe And I know that no man can imbrace it in the Doctrine of Pradestination and Grace but he must first desert the Articles agreed upon by the Church of England nor in the Point of Perseverance but he must vary from the common Tenet and received opinion of our best approved Doctors in the English Church I am assured that you neither have deserted the one nor will vary from the other and therefore be no more troubled with other mens groundlesse suspirions then you would be in like case with their idle Dreames Thus I have c. Nathaniell Butter the Stationer perceiving these two letters not only extreamly mutilated but made altogether uselesse and his Book lesse vendible by these Purgations of the Licencer adventured to print these expunged passages in them whereupon he was apprehended and brought before Bishop Laud by a Pursevant committed Prisoner by him to the Fleet without Baile or maineprize contrary to the Petition of Right though he tendred baile his Bookes seized and afterwards Articled against in the High Commission and there almost ruined only for printing those deleted Passages in two of our owne Bishops Letters as was proved by the Testimony of Master Henry Burton and Michaell Sparkes senior committed to the Fleet by the Bishop at the same time by the Warrant of his commitment under the Bishops owne hand the Articles in the High Commission against Butter Artic. 4. 5. and his Answer thereunto produced in Court About the same time Nathaniell Carpenter Chapline to Archbishop Vsher published a Book intitled Achitophel or the Picture of a wicked Polititian printed at Oxford by Lycence wherein were divers passages against Arminianisme averring it to be planted among us by Iesuiticall Polititians to undermine our Religion by degrees and covertly to introduce Popery it selfe which Booke was presently called in and all the Passages against Arminianisme expunged by this Bishops Agents which done it was reprinted at London without them Anno 1629. to the great injury both of the truth and Author as was attested by Mr. Prynne Michaell Spark Senior and evident to all who will compare these two Editions What other passages against the Arminians and their Tenet have beene expunged in other Authors shall be given in evidence elsewhere We shall next produce some memorable Instances what countenance was given to Arminian Bookes and Sermons notwithstanding his Majesties Declarations and Proclamations to the contrary by this Archbishops meanes Doctor Thomas Jackson Chapline in Ordinary to his Majesty even sitting the Parliament soone after the Kings Declaration and Proclamation published A Treatise of divine Essence and Attributes part first printed at London 1628. for John Clerke Licensed by this Prelates Chaplaine dedicated to the Right honourable William Earle of Pembrooke in the very Epistle Dedicatory to this Noble Peere hee professeth himselfe AN ARMINIAN and Patron of their Tenets And Chap. 8. to 20. he professedly maintaines A mutability in Gods eternall Decrees of Election and Reprobation depending upon the actions and wills of men Universall Grace and Redemption with other Arminian Errors This Book though publikely complained of was never called in by the Bishop but the second part thereof printed by Licence An. 1629. and the Author of it advanced to the Presidentship of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford by this Bishop yea by him designed to bee Doctor of the Chaire though he missed that preferment to poyson the Vniversity of OXFORD with his Arminian Drugges An. 1630. Doctor Brookes of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge Writ an Arminian Treatise of Predestination with which he acquainted Bishop Laud who encouraged him in the worke recommending it to the perusall of Doctor Lindsey and Doctor Beale two great Arminians promising to peruse it himselfe as appeares by sundry Letters Whereupon Doctor Brookes returned this answer to him concerning it in Answer of this Bishops Letter to him seized in his Study by Mr. Prynne dated from Cambridge Dece 15. 1630. wherin there is this desperate passage worthy Observation MY LORD c. I Dare say That their doctrine of Predestination is the roote of Paritanisme and Puritanisme the roote of all rebellions and disobedient intractablenesse in Parliament c and of all Schisme and Saucinesse in the Country nay in the Church it selfe this hath made many thousands of our people and to great a part of the Gentlemen of the Land Laytons in their hearts Besides where nothing is done the weeds will over-grow the Corne as they doe For last Parliament they left their word Religion and the cause of Religion and began to use the name of Church and our Articles of the Church of England c. and wounded our Church at the very heart with her owne name And by pretence of putting downe Arminianisme and defence of that Church against which indeed they tooke up Armes so that now they that hold the very opinions of Penry and Wâ—gington of Hacket and Coppinger in their beginning and others of whom some were hangd most imprisoned many deprived and some censured in the Starre-Chamber for seditious persons and Enemies to the Church of England they I say that hold the same opinions cry out now the Church of England and will have the Church of England to be theirs I could justifie this and much more but your Lordship knowes these things to be so better then I c. What grosse aspersions he here casts upon the Parliament and Anti-Arminians is so apparent as needs no explanatory or aggravating Commentary On the 27. of Novem. 1630. Doctor Martin this Bishops houshold Chaplaine a professed Arminian licensed a Booke for the Presse intituled An Historicall Narration of the judgment of some must learned and Godly English Bishops holy Martyrs and others concerning Gods Election and the Merits of Christs death set forth by I. A. of Ailward a late Seminary Priest and printed for Samuell Nealand 1631. The whole scope of this Book was to prove the Martyrs and first Reformers of our Church in K. Ed. the 6. and Q. Maries dayes and the beginning of Q. Elizabeths Raigne to be Arminians and Arminianisme the established Doctrine of our Church The first 66 pages of this Booke
conteine The Coppy of an Answer unto a certaine Letter wherein the Answerer purgeth himselfe and others from Pelagius Errors and from the Error of Free-will or Justification of Workes wherewith he seemed to bee charged by the said Letter And further hee sheweth wherein he differeth in judgment from certaine English Writers and Preachers whom hee chargeth with teaching false doctrine under the name of Predestination This Treatise writes he was published about the second or third yeare of Queene Elizabeth by a Protestant Divine who florished both in the time of King Edward and Queene Elizabeth and in the time of Queene Mary for his Conscience endured voluntary exil but he names not the Author in particular nor produceth any warrant for this Encomium of him The residue of the Booke are some mistaken perverted fragments called out of Bishop Hoopers Preface upon the Commandements and Father Latymers Sermons concerning which Booke Master Prynne gave in this evidence upon his Oath That it was the greatest affront and imposture ever offered to or put upon the Church of England in any age deserving the highest Censure of the first discovery whereof God made him the only Instrument For as soone as this Book was printed one Coppy of it was brought him by a Friend who informed him that it was licensed by Master Martin the Bishops Arminian Chaplaine that the Bishop himselfe had given order the Booke should not be published till he had presented one of them to the King and gained his Royall approbation thereunto That a day or two after the Booke was published by the Bishops direction One Copy whereof comming to the late learned Sir Humfrey Linds hands he was very much troubled thereat upon its perusall whereupon hee repaired to Master Prynne at Lincolnes-Iaue with the Booke desiring him to take some paines to give a speedy answer to it being as he averred a most dangerous Book making more for the spreading and justifying of Arminianisme then any Booke formerly published To which Master Prynne replyed that he had no leisure and lesse encouragement to answer it being then just before vexed in the High Commission for his Perpetuity and other of his Bookes written against Arminians Wherefore Sir Humfrey himselfe who had more leisure friends and abilities then himselfe might doe well to returne an answer to it Who thereupon replyed to Master Prynne that none was so fit to answer it as himselfe who had perused more ancient English Writers and was better versed in them then any man he knew Whereunto Master Prynne rejoyned That he conceaved there was no need at all for himselfe or any man else to answer this booke for that there were two answers to it already in print To which Sir Humfrey replyed it was impossible for that this Book came forth but that morning unto which Mr. Pryn answered that the greatest part and maine substance of this Narration was answered Verbatim in two printed Books long before either of them was born and to give him fall satisfaction therein hee shewed him two printed answers thereunto and discovered the whole Imposture to him in that manner as he related it at the Lords Barre First he produced to him now to the Lords the Originall printed Copy of the foresaid answer made unto a certaine Letter c. which had all the symptoms of an unlicensed Pamphlet there being neither Authors nor Printers name nor place where nor yeare when it was printed to be found in the Title or any other part of the Book nor the least mention where or by whom it was to be sold Therefore it was doubtlesse printed by stealth in a Corner and not by any publike allowance its entry not being extant in the Stationers-Hall Next he produced two ancient answers in print to this pernicious Pamphlet The first of them written by Iohn Veron a very learned man Chaplaine to Queene Elizabeth and Divinity Lecturer in the Cathedrall of Pauls in the beginning of her Raigne to whom he Dedicated his answer to this Pamphlet Imprinted at London by John Tysdale by publike authority In which answer intituled An Apologie or Defence of the Doctrine of Predestination set fort by the Queens Highnesse her most humble and obedient servant John Veron and Dedicated to her Majestie wee have the name of the namelesse Author of this Arminian Pamphlet the occasion of compiling it and the quality of the Author expressed to the full together with a compleat answer therunto The Authors name is therein averred to be one Champeneyes f. 20. 31. 37. 40. 41. 42. His condition and quality is therein thus expressed f. 16. But in this I comfort my selfe that his tongue is known to be no slander For the like did hee most proudly attempt in your most Gratious Brother good King Edward the sixths dayes AGAINST ALL THE GODLY PREACHERS OF THAT TIME calling them marked Monsters of Anti-Christ and men voyd of the Spirit of God for none be they never so Godly never so earnest and faithfull labourers in the Lords Vineyard have the Spirit of God or doe know the efficacy of it but he only as many godly persons be able to testifie to his face that he did therefore and for MANT OTHER ABOMINABLE ERRORS which he then stoutly maintained BEARE AT THAT TIME A FAGGOT AT PAVLS CROSSE Father Coverdale making then the Sermon there Belike fearing now the like punishment and that he should be compelled to revoke his Pelagian-like opinion hee durst not for all his proud boast set his owne name to his rayling and venemous bookes nor yet suffer them to be sold openly or publikly in the Booke-binders shops but cowardously suppressing both his owne name and the name of the unwise and foolish Printer got the whole Impression into his hands that so he might in hugger-mugger send them unto his privie friends abroad whom be like he suspected to be of his Affinity and damnable opinion How be it this could not be wrought so privily but that within a while some of his bookes came into my hands whereby shortly after the Printer was knowne and brought to his Answer whom this stout Champion of Pelagius hath left in the bryars and least he himselfe should be faine to shew a reason of his Doctrine doth keepe himselfe out of the way still and dares not once shew his face If he be able to maintaine his Doctrine against my booke to let him come forth and play the man I am ready at all times to yeeld unto the truth and unto the sincere teachers thereof After this f. 20. he stiles Champenyes The blinde guide of the freewill men f. 37. Champenyes a very Pelagian and consequently a ranke Papist p. 40. hee suffereth the Divell by such Sectaries as Champenyes is to sow his lyes abroad c. And f. 41. Champenyes is the Standard-bearer of the freewill men What an abominable Imposture was it then for this new Pamphleter to stile him A Protestant Divine who flourished
in the time of K. Edward and Q. Elizabeth and in the time of Q. Mary for his conscience endured voluntary exile And to place him in the front of the most learned and Godly English Bishops holy Martyrs and others that suffered Martyrdome in the daies of Q. Mary for the truth and Gospell of Christ Jesus in which number he is Registred in the Title Page and placed before Bishop Hooper and Father Latymer in the Book it selfe The occasion of writing this unlicenced obscure Pamphlet was as followeth Iohn Veron being Divinity Lecturer in Paules Cathedrall in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth handled the Doctrine of Predestination and other incident Points thereto belonging in direct opposition the Popish Pelagian and now Arminian Tenets which Lectures he soone after published in Print and dedicated to Q. Elizabeth in a booke intituled A Fruitfull Treatise of Predestination c. Printed at London for JOHN TYLDALE about the second yeare of Queene Elizabeths Raigne against which Lectures this Champnyes taking some exceptions published this Anonimous Answer by way of a Letter which Veron soone after answered almost verbatim in his authorized Apology dedicated to the Queen whereto Champeneys never replyed After which this Letter was largly answered word for word from the very Title page to the end thereof in a Book Intituled An Apology or Defence of the English Writers and Preachers with Cerberus the Three-Headed Dogge of Hell chargeth with false Doctrine under the name of Predestination written by Robert Crowley Clerke a fugitive for Religion in Queene Maries dayes and an eminent laborious Preacher in those times Vicar of Saint Giles without Criplegate in London Imprinted at London in Pater-Noster-Rowe at the signe of the Starre by Henry Denham Anno 1566. Octob. 14. Seene and allowed according to the order appointed In which booke this Pamphlet which the Bishop and his Agents now obtrude upon us as the received Doctrine of our prime Martyrs and of the Church of England in King Edward the 6th and Queene Elizabeths Reignes was by publique Authority in the name of all the Orthodox Writers and Preachers of England refuted as directly contrary to the received Doctrine of our Martyres Writers Preachers Church and censured as Pelagiau and Popish in both these ancient printed Answers It must needs therefore be an inexpiable insufferable abuse in this Archbishop and his Instruments thus to revive reprint this exploded Erronious Arminian Treatise in the yeare 1631 and obtrude it on us as the received Doctrine of our Martyrs and Church of England in the beginning of Reformation whereas there was nothing lesse on purpose to propagate his Arminian Errors and strengthen that lesuiticall faction After this Mr. Prynne produced Bishop Hoopers Confession and Protestation of his faith made to the whole Parliament An. 1550. in King Edwards dayes His comfortable Exposition upon the Psalmes London 1580. his Articles upon the Creed London 1584. Artic. 3. to 15. 17. 21. 25. 29. 30. 33. 36. 38. to 56 62. 67. 68. 91. to 99. wherein he expresly in terminis refutes those Arminian opinions which this our Author wold wrest out of the words of his Preface to the Commandements contrary to his intention together with divers Passages in Father Latimers Sermons expresly against the Arminian Tenets which explicate his other misapplyed Clauses in the Hystoricall Naration All which Mr. Pryn then shewed to Sir Humfry Lynde to his great satisfaction then desired him to repaire to Bishop Laud in his name to acquaint him with the premises and this desperate Imposture he had obtruded on our Church to his eternall Infamie and thereupon to advise him speedily to call in and burne this dangerous seducing booke or else he would prosecute him to the uttermost for this abuse Sir Humfry accordingly acquainted the Bishop his Chaplin Martin herewith but yet they took no course to suppresse the Booke whereupon Mr Prynne repaired to Lambheth to Archbishop Abbot acquainted him with the execrablenesse of this imposture shewed him the severall old Answers to this new printed Pamphlet with the expresse positions of Bishop Hooper and Bishop Latymer contrary to those imputed to them in this Narration desiring him to call in this dangerous Historicall Narration with all severity and to cause it to be publikely burnt to reprint the old Answers to it and withall to give him leave to prosecute Bishop Laud his Chaplaine Martin with the publisher of this book in the high Commission for this insufferable abuse To which Archb. Abbot gave this answer that this booke did very much trouble him that he had sent to Bishop Laud about it who at first denied that his Chaplain licensed it but afterwards acknowledged it that he gave order to call it in but it was in a privat manner after most of the bookes vâ—nded that he never saw nor knew of these 2. old Answers to it therefore desired Mr. Pryn to leave them with him for a time promising faithfully to restore them and to give him an accompt of this businesse on the Saturday following In the meane time Mr. Prynne because this booke had done much harme in both the Vniversities sent downe some of these Answers of Veron and Crowly with some of Bishop Hoopers books to Oxf. Cambridg to some of his acquaintance there and to the Vniversity Lybrary at Oxford whither many resorted to peruse them to their great satisfaction and the Bishops dishonour by discovering this imposture to them On Saturday being Easter Eve Master Prynne repayred to Archbishop Ahbot for an Answer who told him that he had called in this offencive book seized on som of the copies which were caried into Stationers-hall that Bishop Laud had since been with him that he had shewed him the bookes there left who confessed his Chaplin Martÿn had licenced this Narration in which he had done very ill but he had given him such a ratling for his paines that hee would warrant His Grace hee should never meddle with Arminian Bookes or Opinions more To which Mr. Prynne replyed that indeed he had ratled him to very great purpose for no longer then yesterday in the afternoone his Chapline Martin Preaching the Passion Sermon at Paules Crosse publikly broached maintained Vniversall grace and Redemption with all the Arminian Errors contained in this Book and condemned in the Synol of Dort to the great offence of the Auditors as his owne Chaplains Dr. Buckner Master Austen and Dr. Featley could at large informe him and therefore the Bishop did most grosly abuse his Grace herein who should doe well to proceed against both of them and publikly censure them in the High-Commission or this grosse practise to the end the whole Kingdome might take notice of it and the Arminian party be thereby discouraged That the Bookes they had seized were but few the greatest part of the Impression being vented they were called in so slighty and in so private a manner that few or none took notice thereof and
non a loramus Tantummodo taxamus in imaginibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usum utilitatem non sollicitamus ullo pacto Christiani omnes adoramus Christum Imagine Simulacro An verò ad intuitum Invitationem constituerentur in lccis Sacris Sacratis conventibus destinatis sunt qui negant ex Origine Arnobio Minutio Faelice sed non persuadent Sir Tho. Ridley in his View of the Civill Law printed at Oxf. with Annotations 1634 p. 52. and 192. Hath these passages added in the Margin concerning the erecting of Crucifixes in Churches That which followeth in the Euchologe discovereth the forme manner of setting up the Crucifix which the Law called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then the Crucifix must bee sent to the place where the Church is to be erected and there the Bishop by whom it is conveied saith the forenamed service and when he maketh the Consecration the Crosse must be set up behinde the holy Altar c. Doctor John Pocklington in his Altare Christianum licensed by the Archbishops Chaplaine by his owne speciall direction hath these passages justifying the placing of Crucifixes upon the Altar and against demolishing Images pag. 143. The Crosse of Christ alwayes used to stand upon the Altar Christians had no other Images in their Churches Preter quam Crucis signum super Aram ad Ortentem versum erigerent ut mentem oculosque in caelum ubi Pater est omnium expinsis manibus but only the Crosse of Christ which stood upon the Altar And it is not also said that the Altar which stood in former Princes times continued in Q. Elizabeths Chapell with the Crosse upon it Pag. 87. Besides the Altar so furnished there are to be seene many goodly Pictures which cannot but strike the beholders with thoughts of Piety and devotion at their entrance into so holy a place as the Picture of the Passion and likewise of the holy Apostles together with a faire Crucifix and our blessed Lady and St. Iohn set up in painted Glasse in the East Window just over the holy Table or sacred Altar so that I must needs say as I think all good men besides will that who so lives in his Lordships Diocesse must be condemned of great impiety that wil desert his Lord and not follow him usque ad Aras Pag. 139. The Magistrate may proceed against Delinquents that Violate the Lords Table standing Altarwise or breake or deface the Picture of Christ or of the Saints in Church-Windowes or Crosses and the like upon the Statute if any should so offend which God forbid I shall close up this with Francis Sales his Introduction to a devout life where he intimates to us what use we ought to make of Pictures and Crucifixes P. 158. Sometimes kisse reverently his blessed Image and say unto him these words of Jacob I will not leave thee untill thou give me thy blessing Pag. 159. Stirre up thy heart with corporall gestures of outward devotion and prostrating thy selfe upon the ground laying thy Armes a Crosse before thy brest Imbracing his Image c. 8. That the Pope or Papacy is not Anti-Christ nor Anti-Christ yet come BIshop Mountague in his Appello Caesarem determines thus Page 140. 141. That hee the Pope is Magnus ille Antichristus is neither determined by the publique Doctrine of the Church nor proceed by any good Argument of private men I professe ingeniously I am not of opinion that the Bishop of Rome personally is that Anti-christ nor yet the Bishops of Rome successively are that Anti-christ Doctor Heylyn in his Moderat answer to Henry Burton thus seconds him page 126. The Pope not Antichrist for any thing resolved by the Church of England Page 127. 128. 129. You tell us that by the Doctrine of our Church in the Homilies and else where it is resolved that the Pope is Antichrist Your elsewhere I am sure is no where Saint Iohn hath given it for a Rule that every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but is that spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard c. So that unlesse you can make it good as I thinke you cannot that the Pope of Rome confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh you have no reason to conclude that hee is Antichrist Christopher Dowe in his Jnnovations unjustly charged writes thus Page 53. To the third That the Pope is not Antichrist I answere that though many of the learned of our Church especially at the beginning of our Reformation when the greatest heat was stricken betweene us and Rome have affirmed the Pope to be Antichrist and his whole Religion to be Antichristian and that some Bookes exceeding the bounds of Moderation in this point have passed a broad that with the license of Authority yet to them that calmely and seriously consider it it may not without good reason be disputed as doubtfull whether the Popes or any of them in his Person or the Papall Hierarchy be that great Antichrist which is so much spoken of Robert Shelford in his five Treatises resolves thus Page 284. That Rome at this day is not the Beast is manifest because the Pope there now sheddeth no bloud Page 293. That the Pope is not to beheld for Antichrist I prove from Saint Iohns description Who soever is not of Antichrists spirit cannot bee Anti-christ But the Pope is not of Anti-Christs Spirit therefore he cannot bee Anti-Christ Page 297. The Church hitherto hath neither declared the Pope nor any other to be the great Antichrist Therefore as yet he is to come 299. And were there no other Argument to free the Pope from being the Antichrist among the Fathers this is sufficient for that he maintaineth Images Yea the very subject matter of his largest Treatise is this and thus intituled That the Pope is not Antichrist and that Antichrist is not yet come One of his Bookes of this Subject he presented to the Archhishop who received yea reserved it in his Study without check or contradiction and was so farre from disliking this Opinion that he gave speciall Command to purge all passages out of old and new printed Bookes which either directly J tearmed or intimated the Pope to be Antichrist or that man of sinne and repealed the Articles of Reland for defining him to be so as we shall hereafter manifest 9. That there is a Purgatory and Limbus Patrum CHrists Epistle to a Devout Soule P. 130. But when thou art come to perfection and prayest lying prostrate at the feete of my Majesty thou shalt desire to satisfie my Justice with that small ability which resteth in thee and shalt offer thy selfe for my Glory unto PVRGATORY and to suffer for the fulfilling of my will whatsoever it shall be my will to lay upon thee and the fulfilling of my will shall please thee more then the escape of Pudgatory Mountague his Gagge Page 176. They Quarter out Hell into foure Regions Hell of
be said unto every particular member of hers in the Communion The Body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was given for thee c. if any one of them were absolutely reprobated 1. c. from all eternity unconditionally decreed to bee damned in Hell fire everlastingly The Booke intituled Gods love to mankind and Doctor Jack sons Divine Essence and Attributes part 1. are professedly written to justifie universall Grace and Redemption 23. That the Personall succession of Bishops is a true note of the Church and necessary That Peters Chaire was at Rome and he sate Bishop there and that it is the honour and happinesse of our Church that this Archbishop of Cant. that now is with our other Bishops and Ministers can derive them personall succession and Ordination from the Sea and Popes of Rome Dr. Pocklingtons Sunday no Sabbath P. 2. Ouâ— Diocesan can derive himselfe the successor of an Apostle it is Saint Austins resolution Successio Episcoporum ab ipsa sede Petri is that which among other things by him named keepes us in gremio Ecclesiae and Subjects us to our Bishops Jurisdiction Page 47. Their vanity may appeare that against all Antiquity make fooles beleeve Saint Peter was never at Rome making the succession of Bishops and truth of the Latin Churches as questionable as the Centurists orders Page 48. Reckon up your Priests who succeded one another after Saint Peter in his Chaire if you will bee esteemed Members of the Church Hereby we may by Gods mercy make good the truth of our Church For wee are able lineally to set downe the succession of our Bishops from Saint Peter to Saint Gregory and from him to our first Archbishop Saint Austin our English Apostle as Bishop Goodwin calls him downeward to his Grace NOW that sits in his Chaire Primate of all England and Metropolitan Which hee thus seconds in his Altare Christianum Page 45. Saint Peters Chaire in Rome succession of Bishops in the Church of England c. Page 47. Though saith Saint Austin you slanderously call the Chaire in other Churches Cathedram Pestilentiâ—ae what cause hath the Church of Rome giuen you to say so of it In qua Petrus sedet et in quâ hodie Anastasius sedet The very note whereby Heritickes were knowne from Catholikes was that Catholikes could shew their Churches and the very Chaires in them wherein there was not only a morrall succession in purity of Faith and manners but a locall succession of Bishops continued even from the Apostles times which Heretickes could not shew and therefore were hereby convinced to bee such and so put to shame and confounded Page 48. Hee recons up those that had succeded the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the Church of Rome Page 49. Novatian is neither Bishop nor Member of the Church saith Saint Cyprian because hee cannot prove his succession according to Apostolicall Tradition If in all this time there were no materiall Churches then there could be no materiall Chaire wherein their Bishops were enthronized and if no Chaire then no reall Inthronization then no personall succession from the Apostles whereby the right faith was derived from God the Father to his Son nor from the Sonne to his Apostles nor from the Apostles to succeding Bishops Those that deprive us of the benefit of this Apostolicall Tradition pluck one speciall staffe out of our hands whereby we stay our selves from falling from the true Catholicke Church and beat all Heretickes out of our Communion Miserable were we if hee that NOW sitteth Arch Bishop of CANTERBVRY could not derive his succession from Saint Augustine St. Augustine from Saint Gregory Saint Gregory from Saint Peter for hee that remembreth whom he succeeds will doubtlesse endeavour and pray to be heire to their vertues as well as possessor to their places What a comfort is this to his Grace and to all those that receive consecration from him and to all those that they shall ordaine Page 51. Tell us when and from whence you come and what you make your selves to do in the Church that are no Sons of the Church We can with Saint Iraeneus point you to the time of your comming in You Cartwright and your brood came in as most Sabbatarians did under Archbishop Whitgift and your Ames and Brightman with your Laodiceans came in under Archbishop Bancroft and you Vicars and our Cotton with his fugitives came in or rather went out under Archbishop Abbot Page 144. I shall begin with my selfe I had my Ordination from Bishop Dove he had his Consecration from Archbishop Whitgift and the Archbishop his from the undoubted successours of Saint Peter Doctor Heylin his Moderat Answer to Mr. Burton Page 72. Write If you have any other Pedegree as perhaps you have from Wickliffe Hus the Albigâ—enses and the rest which you use to boast of keepe it to your selfe non tali auxilio the Church of England hath not need of so poore a shift Page 68. The next thing that offends you and you clamour as if that they claime a visible and perpetuall succession down from St. Peter to Pope Gregory from him by Austin the Monk first Archbishop of Cant. unto his Grace now being and sic de caeteris That Gregory sent Austin into England to convert the Saxons and made him first Archbishop of the English is generally delivered by all our writers Finally that my Lord the Archbishop that now is is lineally descended in a most faire and constant tenor of succession you shall easily finde if you consult the learned labours of Master Francis Mason de Ministerio Anglicano The Papists would extreamely thank you and think you borne into the World for their speciall comfort could you but tell him how to disprove that lineall succession of our Prelates which is there laid dowe By Mountague his Gagge page 49. The Church hath ever beene visibe In England especially how can this fellow impute invisibility to us who claime and prove a succession 25. That Sunday is no Sabbath nor of divine institution that the strict sanctification of it is Iewish superstitious and Rabbinicall That May-games Wakes Revells Dancing Interludes with other sports and pastimes are not only lawfull but convenient and necessary thereon not to be restrained but incouraged and the Kings Declaration to that purpose most pious and Religious That two houres only of it viz. The time of publik service and sermons are to be kept holy and that the residue may be spent in Recreations or ordinary workes of our calling That the Lords day Sabbath was never heard of in the world till Dr. Bounds daies That the Sabbath is not morrall THis is the subject matter of many whole late printed Books against the morallity and strict observation of the Lords-day Sabbath wee shall instance only in some few beginning with Doctor Pocklington in his Sunday no Sabbath where thus he most scandalously and prophanely writes page 6. What shall wee think then of Knox and Whittingham and their
Majesties warrant to each of them so that herein I averre I did not offend unlesse that I gave not these men notice of it or asked them leave to obey the King To which it was answered First that the Arch-bishop confeseth clearly in his Speech and publisheth it to all the world in print That he made the alterations in this prayer which neither of his Predecessors Bancroft or Abbot durst once to think of or attempt Secondly That he esteemed Master Burtons and Master Prynnes dislike of him for making these alterations in extentation of the horrid Gunpowder-plot and favour of trairerous Jesuits Priests Romanists and the popish Religion a most transcendent crime worthy the severest bloodiest censure that ever was inflicted on any person in the Star-chamber as appeared by their herbarous Sentence there for which he heartily thanked the Lords in the close of his speech whereas his offence was certainly ten thousand times greater in making these alterations then theirs in charging him with them when himselfe confesseth and just fieth them or disliking them when made for such sinister popish ends Thirdly that his reasons to justifie these alterations to be fit and necessary were very absurd discovering the rottennesle of his heart with his extraordinary affection to popery and Papists His first reason that it was fit and necessary to make these Alterations to avoyd scandall and offence to Papists in calling their religion Rebellion c. was very unreasonable and absurd For since this clause had continued un-altered un-excepted against neer thirty yeers space together and was never deemed scandalous by K. James K. Charle's our subsequent Parliaments or Church which approved and confirmed it no solid reason can be given why it should grow unseasonable or scandalous only now so an as to call for a necessary alteration but that the Arch bishop and his confederates had now a new resolved plot to reconcile us to Rome and her Religion which former ages never had to which designethis clause might happily prove seandalous and obstructive Besides he could not but conclude the alteration of it after so many yeers continuance of purpose to gratifie Papists priests and Jesuits the sole contrivers of that marchlesse excerable Gunpowder-plot would give extraordinary seandall offence to all the whole Church State and cordiall protestants of Engl. and lay a secret tax if not a publike censure on them and on K. James for injuring the papists and their Religion even in these publike prayers neer thirty yeers spice together yet this zealous Romish Agent would rather scandalize censure injure our whole Church State parliaments King Iames with all true-hearted English protestants then give the lest scandall to the papists or suffer this just imputatation of Rehellion to continue upon their religion Moreover the whole parliament of 3. Iacobs in the Oath of Alleagiance then enjoyned with all our parliaments prelats Peers who since have approved it The second part of our authorized Homilies for Whit-sunday with our Homilies against wilful rebellion Bishop B â—â—on in his True difference between Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion Bishop Iewel in his Defence of the Apology of the Church of England part 4. p. 439. to 470. Doctor Iohn White in his Sermon at Pauls-Crosse and in his Defence of the Way ch 6. 11. Doctor Crakenthorp's Treatise of the Popes temporall Monarchy Deus Rex Haddon contra Osorium and generally all our Writers against the Popes supremacy at home and in the reformed Churches abroad resolve unanimously in their writings the Romanists Religion and Faith in the poynts of deposing excommunicating murthering Christian Princes Kings Emperours of absolving subjects from their alleagiance arming them against their Soveraigns by the Popes authority and command for not submitting to his tyrannicall or Antichristian Edicts it is meere Rebellion and Faction For this Arch-prelate then thus publikely to averre it a scandalous imputation to them and their religion and upon this ground to make these alterations in this prayer and not in all those Statutes Homilies Authors too is a most false absurd scandalous suggestion and in truth a meer evasion to colour his affection to papists their Antichristian Religion His second reason that it wil be of dangerous conquence sadly to avow that the Papists Religion is Rebelion because it is Christian religion and the same with ours is both fals fallacious for popish religion as popish is not Christian but Antichristian and though papists hold many points of Christian Religion as they are Christians yet not one point of it as Papists popery truly so called being no part of Christian Religion but deviations from or paradoxes against it Yea himselfe confessing That some opinions of theirs teach rebelion That 's apparently true which opinions of theirs are that part of their Religion which this prayer cals Rebellion refutes his owne Objection His third reason that if you make their religion to be rebelion then you make their religion and rebelion to be all one and that is against the ground both of State and Law c. which never put any man to death for Religion but for Treason and Rebellion onely is a meere childish fallacy For their Religion is not any actuall treason or rebellion for which only they suffered death but doctrinall and habituall rebelion prone to produce actuall rebellions and the mother of them in which sense onely this prayer stiles it Rebellion yet such for which no Romanist ever dyed unlesse he reduced it into some treasonable and rebellious action and then he suffered onely for the act not the Religion or opinion which induced him thereunto he might well then have spared these three irrationall reasons for this Alteration with this assertion of his p. 39. I took it my duty to lay it before you that the King had not onely Power but Reason to command it which onely aggravate not extenuate or justifie his fact his justification then rests solely upon the Kings command and warrant but this will not excuse his guilt For we have nothing but his own bare word in his own case to which no faith can be given having so often bin taken tardy in this kind to prove first that himselfe did not move the King to command these alterations to be made which is more than probable by his aleaging the reasons whereupon they were made and his activity in other changes of this nature Secondly that himself did not procure the Warrant for these Alterations after they were made and printed being written with his own hand and having no witnesse but himself to prove the date as he hath done in other cases Thirdly admit the command and warrant proceeded originally from the King himselfe not him yet he being by his place and office principally entrusted with the care honour safety of our Religion and Church so much concerned in these alterations it had been his duty to have disobeyed this command and disswaded his Majesty from such a
the hands of my Lord the Bishop of Ely and this thrice reading over hath been the cause why I did not give you a more speedy account of it And now my Lord according to the freedome which you have given one I must tell you that I have here and there in my reading of it over made bold to alter or leave out a phrase or two but have as yet varied nothing that is materiall and indeed I should think it very uncivill and unjust too to vary any thing that is substantiall without first acquainting you with it that so it may be done either by your owne pen or at the least not without your owne consent The particulars which I chiefly insist upon are these First you doe extreamly well to distinguish the Scottish businesse from the state of the forraigne Churches but yet to those Churches and their Authors you are a little more favourable then our case will now beare But this I conceive will be easily helpt and that without pressing too much upon them The second is the first touch which you have concerning the Sabatarians where you let their strict superstition passe without any touch at all I think one little one will doo no harme The third which you seeme to passe by as not much materiall in the Question is in our judgement here the very Maine of the cause and it is whether Episcopacy be an Order or Degree an Order certainly if it be of Divine and Apostolicall institution For that which is but different by degree and circumstantially cannot be other then Iuris positivi and the ancient word in the Fathers is Ordinatio Episcopi and our ordinary phrase is of any of our Brethren the Bishops he is one of our Order and why does the Church of England ordaine or consecrate every one that is made a Bishop if it be but a Degree of the same Order For when a Bishop is translated or made an Arch-bishop theras then no consecration because they are Iuris positivi and onely degrees Your Lordship is very neere a whole leafe upon this transition I beseech you weigh it well and then let me have it altered by your owne pen and the sooner sent the better The last with which I durst not but acquaint the King is about Antichrist which title in three or four places of your booke you bestow upon the Pope positively and determinately whereas King James of blessed memory having brought strong proofe in a Worke of his as you well know to prove the Pope to be Antichrist yet being ofterwards challenged about it he made this answer when the King that now is went into Spaine and acquainted him with it that he writ that not concludingly but by way of Argument onely that the Pope and his Adherent might see there were as good and better Arguments to prove him Antichrist then for the Pope to challenge temporall jurisdiction over Kings This whole passage being knowne to me I could not but speak with the King about it who commanded me to write unto you that you might quallifie your expression in these particulars and so not differ from the knowne judgment of his pious and learned Father This is easily done by your owne pen and the rather because all Protestants joyne not in this opinion of Antichrist I have no more to trouble your Lordship with but to pray you to have your answer to these with as much speed as much speed as may be so to Gods blessed protection I leave you and rest Your Lordships very loving friend and brother W. CANT Lambeth Jan. 14. 1639. I had not leizure to toke a copy of these Letters therefore I pray let me have them back againe when you give me your answer This Letter was thus indorsed To the right reverend Father in God my very good Lord and Brother the Lord Bishop of Exeter these And after the receit againe thus indorsed by the Arch-bishop himselfe My Letters of Jan. 14. 1639. to L. B. Exon. about his book for Episcopacy To which Letter Bishop Hall returned this Answer found together with it in the Arch-bishops study MOst Reverend and my ever most Honourable Lord I doe first humbly thanke your Grace for those houres and paines you have been pleased to bestow both upon my papers and me and yet more for that noble freedome your Grace hath been pleased according to my earnest request to use in making knowne your Graces Judgement in those few Animadversions which I have now received and the gracious respect shewed to me that after so full power put into your Graces hands to dispose of those papers at your owne pleasure yet your Grace hath been pleased to take my unworthinesse along with you in the altering of my passages therein wherein I hope I have satisfied your Graces expectation accordingly As for my favourablenesse to foraigne Authors and Churches I foretold your Grace that I held it best not to be sparing of good words though in the reality of the Tenet I have gone further then the most others Those Authors whom I mention with so faire respect are in those things for which I cite them our friends but if your Grace find any phrase too high or unseasonable it is but a dash of your Chaplaines pen to whom I beseech your Grace to give an absolute freedome in this behalfe For that of the Sabatarians I have put a drop or two of vinegar more into my inke in two severall places For that passage concerning Antichrist I have turned it upon themselves without a declaration of my owne judgement however I find our learned patterne Bishop Andrewes more then once punctuall this way For that poynt of the Degree or Order of Episcopacy although I well knew the weight of it yet I did purposely intend to wave it here because both it fetcheth a great and learned part of the Schoole upon us and because I found it to be out of my way since these factions with whom we deale deny both a severall Order and a severall Degree allowing onely a priority of Order in the same degree but our Tenet is doubtlesse most defensible and I have accordingly so stated it in this review which together with all my best services I doe humbly recommend to your Graces acceptation vowing my hearty prayers for your Graces happy proceedings as duly merited from Your Graces most humble and faithfully devoted in all observance JOS. EXON Exom Pal. Jan. 18. I have sent back your Graces Letter according to your Graces pleasure and withall have been bold upon the humble suit of one of my worthy Clergy Master Bury to recommend a pious Petition of his to your Grace the least touch of answer in your Graces Letter will abundantly satisfie him Two Râ—negadoes have in two severall parts of my Diocesse been received into the Church under that solemne forme of Penance which your Grace was pleased to appoint This Letter was thus superscribed To the most Reverend
Popery to be an Antichristian Yoake Fifthly to the Hymne printed in the end of all our Psalmes and Common-prayer books From Turke and Pope defend us Lord which both would thrust out of his throne our Lord Jesus Christ thy deare Sonne and the prayer for private families bound up with our Bibles and Common-prayer-books confound Satan and Antichrist c. Sixthly to the whole torrent of our Protestant Martyrs Writers who define the Pope to be Antichrist yea the great Antichrist prophesied of in Scripture This was the direct position of our godly learned Martyr Walter Brute who maintained it in a large discourse recorded by Master Fox in his Acts and Monuments edit 1641. vol. I. p. 622. to 632. of our English Apostle Iohn Wickliffe Fox ibid. p. 594. justified by John Hus and Joan Wicklif Dialog l. 4. c. 15. Rich. Wimbledon in his Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse anno 1389. Fox vol. 1. p. 718. Sir Geofry Chaucer in his Plough-mans Tale Lucifers letters to the Prelats of England supposed to be written by William Swinderly Martyr Fox Acts and Monuments edit 1610. p. 482. 483. Sir Iohn Oldeastle that famous Knight and Martyr Fox ibid. p. 417. 418. Pierce Ploughman his complaint of the abuses of the World Fox ibid. 1. edit 1641. p. 520. to 532. Mr. Wil. Tyndall a godly learned Martyr in his Obedience of a Christian man p. 214. 215 c. in his Revelation of Antichrist and Practice of Popish Prelats The Author of the image of a very christian Bishop and of a counterfeit Bishop printed about the yeere 1538. Rodericke Mors his complaint to the Parliament of England about 37 of King Henry 8. c. 23 24. William Wraughter his Hunting and resening of the Romish Fox dedicated to King Henry the eighth Henry Stalbridge his Exhortatory Epistle to his dearly beloved Country of England in King Henry the eighth his Reigne Iohn Bale Bishop of Osyris in his Image of both Churches and Scriptorum Illustrium Brittaâ—dae p. 33. 116. 117. 161. 286. 287. 471. 481. 633. to 640. 647. 702. de Vitis Ponrificum Romanorum Father Latymer Master Bilney Master Rogers Shetterdon and other of our Martyrs William Alley Bishop of Exeter in his Poore mans Library part 1. sol 56. Bishop Iewell in his Defence of the Apology of the Church of England p. 593. 449. 480. to 497. 508. and Reply to Harding p. 220. to 230. Master Thomas Beacon his Acts of Christ and Antichrist his Supplication unto Christ his Reports of Certaine men Reliques of Rome Master Iohn Fox in his Meditations upon the Apocalips Bishop Bilson in his book of Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion Doctor Whitaker Doctor Robert Abbot Bishop of Sarum Doctor George Downham Bishop of Derry Doctor Beard Master Powel Doctor Willet Doctor Fulke Doctor Sutcliffe Doctor Sharp Master Squire in their severall Treatises and discourses concerning Antichrist Doctor Iohn White in his way to the true Church Sect. 61. Num. 4. Master Brightman upon the Revelation Doctor Crakenthorpe his defence of Constantine and of the Popes temporall Monarchy and generally all other our eminentest English Writers of any note till this Arch-bishops reigne have positively defined the Pope and Papacy to be the great Antichrist and proved the same at large We shall close up this with two of the Arch-bishops predecessors resolutions in this point The first is Arch-bishop Cranmer who as he refused to move or stirre his cap to the Popes Commissioners when he was converted before them for his Religion so he likewise professedly averred the Pope to be the Artichrist in these very termes recorded by Master Fox in his Acts and Monuments Vol. 3. Edit 1641. p. 653. 660. 661. The Bishop of Rome unlesse he be Antichrist I cannot tell what to make of him wherefore if I should obey him I cannot obey Christ he is like the Devill in his doings for the Devill said to Christ If thou wilt fall downe and worship me I will give thee all the Kingdomes of the world thus he tooke upon him to give that which was not his owne even so the Bishop of Rome giveth Princes their Crownes being none of his owne for where Princes either by election either by succession either by inheritance obtaine their Crowne he saith that they should have it from him Christ saith that Antichrist shall be and who shall he be forsooth he that advanceth himselfe above all other creatures Now if there be none already that hath advanced himselfe after such sort besides the Pope then in the mean time let him be Antichrist c. After which he desired all them present to beare him witnesse that he tooke the traditions and Religion of that usurping Prelat to be most erronious false and against the doctrine of the whole Scripture which he had often times wel proved by writing and the author of the same to be very Antichrist so often preached of by the Apostles Prophets in whom did most evidently concur al signes and tokens whereby he was painted out to the world to be known for it was most evident that he had advanced himselfe above all Emperours and Kings of the world whom he affirmed to hold their estates and Empires of him as of their chiefe c. He hath brought in gods of his owne framing and invented a new Religion full of gaine and lucre quite contrary to the holy Scriptures onely for the maintaining of his Kingdome displacing Christ from his glory and holding his people in a miserable servitude of blindnesse to the losse of a great number of soules which God at the latter day shall exact at his hand boasting many times in his canons and decrees that he can dispence contra Petrum contra Paulum contra vetus novum testamentum and that he plenitudine potestatis tantum prtesi quantum Deus that is against Peter against Paul against the old and new Testament and of the fulnesse of power may doe as much as God O Lord who ever heard such blasphemy if there be any man that can advance himselfe above him let him be judged Antichrist This enemy of God and our Redemption is so evidently painted out of the Scriptures by such manifest signes and tokens which all so cleerly appeare in him that except a man will shut up his eyes and heart against the light he cannot but know him and therefore for my part I will never give my consent to the receiving of him into this Church of England thus Cranmer resigned at his death This Arch-prelat therefore hath shut his eyes and heart against this shining truth in his godly Predecessors judgement who not onely doubts but denies the Pope to be the Antichrist The second is Arch-bishop Whitguift who when he commenced Doctor and answered the Divinity act at Cambridge anno 1569. publikely maintained this assertion in the Schooles Papa est ille Ancichristus as Sir George Paul records in his life p. 5. which this Arch-bishops immediate Predecessor Abbot
faithfully promised to preach it no more And when he absolved him on this promise he most prophanely used to him these words of our Saviour spoken to the Woman taken in Adultery Iohn 8. 14. Go thy way sinne no more that is preach this Lecture no more as if preaching was as heinous a sinne as Adultery lest a worse thing happen to thee Furthermore in pursuit of these Instructions he put down all Sermons on the Lords dayes in the Afternoon throughout his Diocesse strictly charging the Ministers in his Visitations not to preach on Lords dayes in the Afternoon upon any occasion under pain of Suspension After which hee suspended one Mr Cornish only for preaching a Funerall Sermon on a Lordsday Evening Furthermore he convented the Minister of Beercoockham before him for having two Sermons on that parish Revellday alleadging that it was a hinderance to the Revel and utterance of the Church-all provided to be spent ' on that day belike he had more care of the Church wardens Ale then the peoples Soules and he questioned one Mr Thomas Erford a Minister as a Delinquent for preaching at the parish of Mountague on their Revellday upon the Prophet Joels exhortation to Fasting weeping and mourning charging him that not only his Sermon but his every text too was scandalous to the Revel and gave offence to the meeting And whereas divers godly Ministers of his Diocesse being restrained from preaching did take great paine thereupon to catechise their Parishioners in the principles of Religion on Lordsdayes in the Afternoon according to the Letter of these Instructions enlarging themselves upon the Questions and Answers in the Catechisme in the Common-Prayer-Booke for the peoples better Instruction and using a short prayer before and after that exercise this Bishop being informed of it corrected and sharply reproved these Ministers for their pains threatning to punish them severely if they Persisted therein saying Thus it was a Catechizing Sermon-wise and AS BAD AS PREACHING Charging them that they should aske no other Questions nor receive any other Answers from the people but such as were conteined in the Book of Common prayer which one Mr Bâ—â—rett Rector of Barwick not observing was enjoyned penance for it and one Humfrey Blake Churchwarden of Bridgewater was likewise put to penance for not presenting Mr Devenish the Minister there as a Delinquent for expounding the Church-Cateckisme and making a short prayer of his own before he began his exercise All which particulars were proved by substantiall witnesses before a Committee of the House of Commons drawn up into an Impeachment against this Bishop and being in verity the Impious fruites of this Arch-Prelates project who encouraged him herein must be justly and principally charged upon his score Quia plus peccat Author quà m Actor The like Suppressions of Sermons and Catechizing on the Lords day in the Afternoon were common in all or most other Diocesse neither could any Combination Lectures be obtained in them but with very great suite and upon very hard conditions which the Bishops tooke advantage to prescribe by colour of these Instructions all strictly observed till this present Parliament This we could prove by many Instances we shall produce but one instead of all the rest found among Sir Iohn Lambes Papers the Archbishops grand Instrument herein by Mr Prynns endorsed with Sir Iohns own fift Orders given by the Right Reverend Father in God JOHN Lord Bishop of PFTERBOROVGH for and concerning the Sermon weekly on Wednesday in Saint JAMES Chappell in BRACKLEY September the 14. 1639. 1. IT is ordered that the fifteen Divines whose names are here under written shall be appointed to their severall dayes by Dr Hâ—ath Chancellor of the said Dioces or his permission by Doctor Sybthorpe one of his Surrogates in a Catalogue to be signed by him annexed to these orders II. That no other Divine shall be admitted to Preach there upon any Wednesday but one of these fifteene except the Curate of that place upon any pretence whatsoever And if one of these shall dye or depart or refuse to preach none other shall be Substituted but by expresse allowance of the Bishop III. That the Bell shall begin to toll a quarter of an houre before nine of the Clocke in the morning and shall continue so toleing till nine of the Clocke and no longer IIII. That immediatly upon ceasing of the Bell the Divine Service of the Church of England for morning prayer shall begin and shall be said together with the Letanie either by the Preacher for that day or else in case of necessity only by the Minister of the place of his assistant in his Surplice and Hood according to his degree in Schooles V. The Preacher for that day shall be ready at the Communion Table in his Surplice and Hood while a Psalme is in singing after the Morning prayer and the Letanie to begin the Communion Service commonly called the second Service and that there be no Hiatus or stopp at all after the end of the Psalmes If he be not there He who did reade the Morning prayer that day shall presently goe thither and proceede to the second Service and no Sermon shall be had that day VI. The Preacher assoone as he hath repeated the Nicen Creede shall goe up into the Pulpet in his Surplice and hood VII No other forme of prayer before the Sermon shall be vsed then is set downe in the LV. Canon to move the people to pray in the words and manner there perscribed interposing only if he so desire the names of the Vniversities and of his Colledge or of his Patron he being one quallified by Law to have a Chaplaine VIII The Sermon at the utmost shall be within the compasse of an howre and shall be ended with Glory be to God c. without any other prayers in the Pulpit VIIII The Preacher shall after is Sermon come presently from the Pulpit and so goe to the Communion table and reade the prayer for the whole estate of Christs Church c. and one or two of the Collects which stands after the Communion Service and so shall dismisse the people with that blessing there The peace of God c. X. A Surplice and Hood are to be provided for the Preacher at the charge of the Towne XI The people to be admonished by the Preacher as neede shall require to be diligent and of reverend behaviour at the divine service both before the Sermon and also after it All men to be uncovered during all the time both of Service and Sermon all persons to do Reverence at the blessed name of Iesus to stand at the Creedes Hymnes and Gospells to kneele at the confession and prayers and practise all other parts of conformity to the Church Government or otherwise it shall be sufficient cause to have the combination for the said weekely Sermon forthwith inhibited if the Divine Service be neglected or deserted Or if these Orders above
Imprisonment by them voted Illegall there being all this while no proceedings against him nor any crime objected to him in any Court of Justice By means of which Imprisonment he was much prejudiced and undone in his Estate and his wife with four small children exposed to Pennury and Beggery Such a spite did He bear this witnesse for his Activity in the businesse of Impropriations Mr William Kendall Mr Iohn Lane and Mr Tempest Miller severally deposed at the Lords Bar that the Archbishop in the presence of them and divers others speaking of the Feoffees of Impropriations said that they were the bane of the Church and then uttered these words in a vaunting manner I was the man that did set my self against them and then clapping his hand upon his brest said I thank God I have destroyed this work So as he did not only subvert this pious project to propagate the preaching of the Gospell but boasted of it and had so much shamelesse Impiety as to thanke God himselfe for effecting it who hath now in justice brought him into judgement for it and made it one part of that Charge and Evidence which we conceive will most justly destroy him The seventh and next stratagem he used to subvert the Protestant Religion which he had almost totally suppressed corrupted with Popish Errours Superstitions Innovations in our English Churches was his endeavours to undermine and suppresse it in these few Duth and French Churches planted here among us who enjoyed their owne Government Priviledges Discipline without any interruption by any of his Predecessors or other English Prelates in all our Protestant Princes reignes from King Edward the sixth his reigne till this Archprelates molestation of and attempts against them thus laid down in the twelfth Originall Article of his Impeachment He hath Traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord between the Church of England and other Reformed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Immunities which have been by his Majesty and his Royall Ancestors granted to the Dutch and French Churches in this Kingdom And divers other wayes hath expressed his malice and disaffection to these Churches that so by such dis-union the Papists might have more advantage for the overthrow and extirpation of both To make good this Article we could produce many Letters Papers Instructions Orders under the Archbishops own hand or indorsed by him found in his own study here ready at the Barre but for brevity sake we shall instance only in some few particulars of more speciall note The first is that this Arch-prelate though he beares so good an affection and honourable respect to the Church of Rome as to justifie her to be a true visible Apostolike Church which never erred in fundamentals and wherein men may be saved and that we and she are one and the same Church still no doubt of that both one as we have formerly proved Yet he is so maliciously despitefull to the Protestant Churches in forraign parts and at home that he reputes them not only no true Churches but even no Churches at all because they have no lord-Lord-bishops different in Order and Degree from ordinary Ministers This opinion of his we shall manifest not only by his Divinity Questions when he was to proceed Batchelor and Doctor of Divinity for which Dr Holland publickly checkt and turned him out of the Schools with disgrace as a sower of discord between Brethren to wit the Church of England and other reformed Churches but by his own late reprinted Book An 1639. entituled A Relation of the Conference between William Laud then Lord Bishop of St. Davids now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Mr Fisher the Jesuite c. p. 175 176. where thus he writes in justification of his former Theses in the Divinity Schools For the calling and Authority of Bishops over the inferiour Clergy that was a thing of known use and benefit for preservation of Truth and Peace in the Church And so much St Ierom tels us though being none himselfe he was no great friend to Bishops And this was so setled in the mindes of men from the very infancy of the Christian Church as that it had not been till that time contradicted by any So that then there was no controversie about the calling all agreed upon it Then citing Jeroms words in the margin he thus comments upon them So even according to St. Ierom Bishops had a very ancient and honourable descent in the Church from St. Mark the Evangelist And about the end of the same Epistle he acknowledgeth it Traditionem esse Apostolicam Nay more then so he affirmes plainly That ubi non est Sacerdos NON EST ECCLESIA St. Ierom advers Luciferianos And in that place most manifest it is that St. Ierom by Sacerdos meanes a Bishop for he speaks de Sacerdote qui potestatem habet Ordinandi which in St. Ieroms owne judgement no meere Priest had but a Bishop only St. Ierom Epist. ad Evagrium so even with him NO BISHOP NO CHURCH Which being his own positive judgement the Dutch and French Protestant Churches both at home and abroad must needs be no Church at all in his opinion because they have no such Bishops and so are in farre worse condition then the Church of Rome in his repute To make this more apparent we shall desire you to take notice that in Decemb. 1639. there was a plot between this Archbishop and others of our Prelates to obtrude upon all our Ministers this subscription as the received Doctrine of the Church of England to wit that there could be no Church of Christ without Diocesan Lord Bishops which clearly appeares by the forementioned propositions of Bishop Hall which the Archbishop thought fit for the subscription of others but especially by the 1. 12. and 13. propositions viz. God had never any Church on earth that was ruled by a Parity There was NO CHVRCH OF CHRIST VPON EARTH ever since the times of the Apostles governed any otherwise then by Bishops This course of government thus set by the Apostles in their life time by the speciall direction of the holy Spirit is unalterable by any humane Authority but OVGHT to be perpetuated in the Church to the end of the world From whence it inevitably followes that the reformed forraign Churches having no such imparity of Governours nor Lordly Bishops in them are in this Arch-Prelates and his Confederates judgements No Churches of God or Christ at all and if the designe of subscribing these Propositions had succeeded as it did in the Etcetera Oath for a time he would have engaged the whole Church of England with all our Ministers by a publike subscription in this most unchristian and uncharitable opinion which not prevailing was yet soone after thus seconded in print by his grand Favourite Bishop Mountague whom he advanced to two Bishopricks in his Originum Ecclesiasticarum Tomi prioris Pars posterior p. 464 published with his approbation
authorized by his Chaplain Dr Bray presented to and accepted by himselfe when published as appears by two faire gilded printed copies thereof with his Archiepiscopall Armes engraven on the Covers found in his study by Mr Pryune printed An. 1640. since these Propositions of Bishop Hall were sent him resolving that there can be not only no Church but no Ministers at all without Bishops to ordain them in these terms Non est Sacerdotium nisi in Ecclesia non est Ecclesia sine Sacerdotio Illud autem intelligo per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Episcopalem ordinariam Neque euim admittenda consneus extraordinariam aliquam sen vocationem seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nisi miraculosam Oportet omnino miraculis agant suam confirment functionem signo aliquo qui non ab Episcopis derivata ab Apostolis per successionem institutione in Ecclesiam inducuntur sed velorti à sese vel nescio unde intrusi sese ingeruâ—t Nâ—m quod pretendunt ordinariam vocationem retinendam adhibendam eique adherescondum nisi in casu necessitatis absurdum est suppositione innititur impossibilitatis Neque enim talis casus an t extitit aliquando aut contingere potest nisi fallat not Dominus qui promisit Porta inferorum non pravalebunt Ecce sum vobiscum ad consummationem mundi By which Position the forraigne Protestant Churches are resolved concluded to be no Churches their Ministers no Ministers their Sacraments no Sacraments their Ordinances no Ordinances of Christ which perchance made Mr John Dury ordained in one of those Churches to be re-ordained a Minister here by the Bishop of Exeter Dr Hall before he was admitted to his Benefice as appeares by their severall Original Letters found in the Archbishops study And then what are they but meere Pagan Conventicles farre worse then Papists and the Church of Rome We shall only adde to this that whereas Bishop Hall in his Treatise of Episcopacy pag. 18. excused the forraign Protestant Churches from being unchurched by these Positions only in this regard that the reason why they renounced Bishops was meerly out of necessity because their Bishops would not suffer them to enjoy the Gospel Adding pag. 19. That it is very considerable whether the condition they were in doth absolutely warrant such a proceeding which is somewhat too hard a censure of them yet the Archbishop in his forecited Letter to Bishop Hall taxeth him for this his overmuch lenity towards them in these termes You are a little more favourable to the forraigne Churches and their Authors then our cause will beare and yet in the very same Letter he mislikes and blames this Bishop for his overmuch sharpnesse towards the Pope in his second Book for bestowing the Title of Antichrist upon him wherewith he was so highly offended that out of a zeal to his Holinesse he presently complaines to the King himselfe of this indignity offered to the Pope and procures a speciall Mandate from his Majesty to Bishop Hall to qualifie his expressions in this particular with his owne pen which he did accordingly Notwithstanding the Generall confessions of all forraign Protestant Churches The authorized Impressions of all their eminentest Writers Our own Homâ—lies Writers of all sorts and the very Act of Parliament for the Confirmation of the Subsidies granted by the Clergy 3. Iac. penned by all the Prelates and Clergy of England in full Convocation give the Pope this Title and stile the Iesuites and their Adberents THE UNSHAMEFACT BROOD OF ANTICHRIST This his indulgence therefore to the Pope Priests and Church of Rome and professed emnity against the forraigne Reformed Churches in unchurching them in making their Ministers no Ministers at all and them no Christians nor Christian Assemblies discovers his very Intrals and inward bent of his soule to Popery to the Church of Rome yea his inveterate hatred to these Protestant Churches and their Religion too The next thing wee shall fully evidence 2. Though this Archbishop was so zealous an Advocate for the Church of Rome as both in his publick Speeches Writings to maintaine That her Religion is the same with ours as we have formerly proved yet he could by no meanes endure that the Religion of the forraign Protestant Churches and Ours should be termed one and the same Whereupon he presumed to countermand alter and purge his Majesties Letters Patents under the Great Seale for a Collection for the poore distressed Ministers of the Palatinate Ann. 1634. because it termed their Religion The true Religion which we together with them professe to maintain This wee shall make good by two substantiall witnesses and the printed Letters Patents themselves The witnesses are Mr Wakerly then Secretary to Mr Secretary Cook and Mr Hartlib who deposed at the Lords Barre upon Oath That in the yeare 1634. the Queen of Bohemia sent over one Mr Ruly a Palatinate Minister into England with Letters of recommendation to the Archbishop to desire his mediation and assistance to the King to grant Letters Patents under the great seale for a generall Collection towards the reliefe of the exiled Ministers of the Palatinate and their families who were then in great distresse which Letter Mr Ruly presenting to the Archbishop among whose Papers Mr Prynne found the very Originall after the reading thereof the Archbishop promised out of respect to the Queen of Bohemia who writ to him with her own hand to move the King in it which he did and then informed him that it was the Kings pleasure there should be Letters Patents drawn for a generall collection for those Ministers as was desired Wherupon Mr Ruly requested the Archbishop in regard he was a stranger and knew not our proceedings to give him some directions how to get the Letters Patents drawn and sealed who answered that he needed no instructions herein for it was a thing of usuall course and willed him to repaire to the Officers of the King his Secretaries and Attorney generall who would draw and procure them to be sealed Whereupon he repaired to Mr Wakerly who went with him to the other Officers and procured Letters Patents to be drawn according to former Presidents both in King James and King Charles reignes and namely verbatim according to Letters Patents for a like Collection dated 29 Ian. 3. Caroli which being drawn engrossed and passed the Great Seal of England without any scruple the Lord Keeper both reading and approving the same before the sealing Mr Ruly carried the Patent over to Lambeth to desire the Archbishops assistance for the printing dispersing and promoting therof where meeting with Mr Dell his Secretary he acquainted him with his businesse and shewed him the Patent who casting his eye thereon took some exceptions thereat because it made our and their Religion to be both one saying Are your Church and Religion and ours one which done he carried the Patent to the Archbishop who after he had perused it calling for Mr Ruly demanded
been allowed to them in the time of Queen Elizabeth or since The Order of King James under his signet the 13 of Iune These are therefore to will and command all our Courts of Iustice and other our loving Subjects to permit and suffer the said strangers members of the Out-landish Churches and their children to enjoy the continuance of our favours before declared in this behalfe Considering the loving kindenesse and good entertainment which our Subjects and their children doe receive and finde beyond the Seas The Order of the Privy Councell for the Walloones of Norwich the 10 of October Those of Norwich although borne in the Kingdome shall continue to be of the said Church and Society and shall be subject to such Discipline as hath been by all the time of fifty five yeares practised among them And if any shall be refractory they shall be bound to appeare at this Board The gracious Answer of King Charles to the Deputies of the Forraigne Churches the 30 of April I thank you for this and I assure you that I will continue unto you the same favour which the King my father did shew unto you And I hope that my marriage shall not be any dammage unto you but rather an occasion of much good to your Countrey men The Order of King Charles for all strangers the 13 of Novemb. We will and command our Iudges c. to permit and suffer the said strangers members of the Out-landish Churches and their children quietly to enjoy all and singular such Priviledges and Immunities as have been formerly granted unto them without any troubles arrests or proceedings by way of information or otherwise considering the faire usage and good entertainment which our Subjects and their children doe receive beyond the Seas The Order of the Privy Councell for the Dutch of Norwich the 7 of Ianuary That all those that are now or hereafter shall be members of the Dutch Congregation although borne within this Kingdome shall continue to be of the said Church and Society so long as his Majesty shall be pleased without any prejudice to their Priviledges and Birth-right and shall be subject to all such Discipline as hath beene all the time aforesaid usually practised amongst them and from time to time contribute to the maintenance of the Ministry and poore and the defraying of all other necessaries charges of the same Congregation as they shall be assessed and occasion shall in that behalfe require By vertue of this Patent Orders Grants the Dutch and French Churches in London and other Diocesse enjoyed the free exercise of their Religion Discipline exempt from all Archiepiscopall and Episcopall Iurisdiction from Edward the sixths time till Ann. 1634. without any interruption But no sooner was this Prelate warme in his Archiepiscopall chaire but he begins to disturb their peace and threaten their totall subvertion throughout his Province as in Canterbury Sandwich Maidstone Norwich Colchester London Southampton and likewise in Yorkeshire Axholme and elsewhere which he had formerly projected in this manner On March 22. Ann. 1632. this Bishop upon his own motion procured a reference to himselfe from the Lords of the Councell concerning the English living in forraigne parts and the forraigne Protestant Churches in England concerning which he drew up and presented two severall Papers to the Lords found in his study under Mr Dells hand thus endorsed with his owne Concerning the Dutch and French Churches in England c. here necessary to be inserted though not read at large VVHereas I was commanded by your Lordships upon Friday March 22. 1632. First to represent to His Gracious Majesty the great and Honourable care you had to preserve the unity and Government of the Church of England as it stands now established by Law Which care was very great and pious and according to my duty in the Name of the Church I humbly thank your Lordships for it And have in pursuance of your Commands faithfully acquainted His Majesty with as many particulars as I could carry away safe in my memory Secondly I was commanded by your Lordships to take into farther consideration such Heads as might best conduce to the rectifying of such his Majesties Subjects as reside at Hamborough or elsewhere beyond the Seas but especially in the Low-Countreys either in Merchandize or in use and exercise of Armes under the Colonells there As also what might be thought fit to be done concerning the French and Dutch Churches as they now stand and are used at this present within this Realme but at such time as your Lordships in your wisdome shall best approve Concerning the first of these viz. the English living in Forraigne parts I humbly recommend to your Lordships Wise dome as followeth 1. Whether it be not fit I had almost said necessary that the severall Colonels in the Low-Countreys should entertaine no Minister as Preacher to their Regiments but such as shall conforme in all things to the Church of England established And be commended unto them from your Lordships by advise of the Lords Archbishops of Canterbury or York for the time being 2. That the Company of Merchants residing there or in any other Forraigne Parts shall admit no Minister as Preacher to them but such as are so qualified and so commended as aforesaid 3. That if any Minister having by feigned carriage gotten to be so recommended either to any of the severall Colonells or to the Deputy Governour and Body of the Merchants there shall after be found unconformable and will not mend upon warning given him by the Colonell or Deputy Governour of the Merchants shall within three months after such warning given and refused be dismissed from his service that a more orderly and peaceable man may be sent unto them 4. That every Minister or Preacher with any Regiment of souldiers that are his Majesties borne Subjects or with the Company of Merchants there or elsewhere shall read Divine Service Christen children Administer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper marry instruct the younger or more ignorant sort in the Catechisme visit the sick bury the Dead and doe all other Duties according as they are prescribed in the Book of Common-Prayer maintained in the Chuch of England and not otherwise And that he which will not conforme himselfe so to doe shall not continue Preacher either to any Regiment of English or Scottish or to the Merchants 5. That if any Minister or Preacher being the Kings Subject shall with any bitter words or writings in print or otherwise defame the Government of the Church of England established His Majesties Embassador or Agent in those parts for the time being is to be informed of it and upon notice given from him to the State he or they so offending shall be commanded over by Privy Seale or otherwise to answer their offence or offences here 6. That no Colonell of any severall Regiment or Deputy Governour of the Merchants shall give way that their Minister or
shall pretermit for brevity sake only we shall insert the Copy of his owne Letter to the Merchants at Delfe found in his study dated Iune 17. 1634. AFter our hearty Commendations c. We are commanded by his Majesty to signifie unto you that this Bearer Mr Beaumont chosen by joynt consent of your Company to be your Preacher at Delfe or where else you shall at any time reside is a man learned sober and conformable to the Doctrine and Discipline established in the Church of England And that you are to receive him with all decent and curteous usage fitting his Person and Calling and to allow him the usuall ancient stipend which Mr Forbes lately or any other before him hath received And farther we are to let you know that it is his Majesties expresse Command that both you the Deputy and all and every other Merchant that is or shall bee residing in those parts beyond the Seas doe conforme themselves to the Doctrine and Discipline setled in the Church of England And that they frequent the Common Prayers with all religious Duty and Reverence at all times required as well as they doe Sermons And that out of your Company you doe yearly about Easter as the Canons prescribe name two Church Wardens and two Sidesmen which may look to the Orders of the Church and give an Accompt according to their Office And Mr Beaumont himselfe is hereby to take notice that his Majesties expresse pleasure and Command to him is that he doe punctually keep and observe all the Orders of the Church of England as they are prescribed in the Canons and the Rubricks of the Liturgy And that if any of your Company shall shew themselves refractory to this Ordinance of his Majesty which we hope will not be he is to certifie the name of any such Offender and his offence to the Lord Bishop of London for the time being who is to take order and give remedy accordingly And these Letters you are to register and keep by you that they which come after may understand what care his Majesty hath taken for the well ordering of your Company in Church affaires And you are likewise to deliver a Copy of these Letters to Mr Beaumont and to every Successor of his respectively that he and they may know what his Majesty expects from them and be the more inexcusable if they disobey Thus not doubting but that you will shew your selves very respectfull of these his Majesties Commands we leave you to the Grace of God and rest Your very loving friend W. Cant. By all which premises compared with his forementioned judgement of the Forraign Churches that they were no true Churches of Christ because they had no Bishops their Ministers no Ministers and their Religion not the same with ours it is infallibly evident that his designe was to suppresse and subvert the Dutch and French Churches by degrees at home and to embroyle them and our English Congregations abroad for the better advancement of the Roman Catholike Church and Religion both at home and in Forraign parts And so we have fully made good the twelfth Originall Article against him in all particulars Our eigth and last Evidence to prove his trayterous design to subvert the Protestant Religion and bring in Popery is comprised in the 13 Originall Article That he hath trayterously and trecherously plotted and endeavoured to stirre up warre and enmity betwixt his Majesties two Kingdoms of England and Scotland and to that purpose hath laboured to introduce into the Kingdom of Scotland divers Innovations both in Religion and Government all or the most part of them tending to Popery and Superstition to the great grievance and discontent of his Majesties Subjects of that Nation and for their refusing to submit to these Innovations he did trayterously advise his Majesty to subdue them by force of Arms c. Nay joyned in confederacy with the Papists Priests Iesuites and employed Popish Captains and Commanders to make warre against them all which we can abundently prove by sundry Papers under his own hand by Originall Letters found in his study and sundry Additions Alterations in the New Scottish Liturgy elsewhere recorded the Originall Copy whereof we have ready to produce under his own hand But because he hath pleaded the Act of Pacification and Oblivion made since his Impeachment in barre of this Article and the Scottish Liturgy which doubtlesse it extends not to and thereby hath tacitely acknowledged the truth of this Article of which he dares not abide the triall we shall forbeare to give any evidence thereon till his plea be over-ruld which the Commons did not presse the Lords to do because they would avoyd expence of time and conceived their forementioned evidence very full to convict him guilty of the first branch of his first generall Charge abundantly proved by all the premises That he hath trayterously endeavoured to subvert Gods true Religion by Law established in this Realm and instead thereof to set up Popery Superstition and Idolatry The second BRANCH of the first generall CHARGE concerning the arch-ARCH-BISHOPS endeavours to reconcile the Church of England to the Church of ROME WEE shall now passe on to the second Branch of the Arch-bishops first generall impeachment touching Religion thus expressed in the tenth originall Article That he hath traiterously and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome and for the effecting thereof hath confederated with divers popish Priests and Jesuits and hath kept secret intelligence with the Pope of Rome and by himselfe his Agents and Instruments treated with such as have from thence received authority and instructions he hath permitted and countenanced a popish Hierarchy or Ecclesiasticall government to be established in this Kingdome by all which traiterous and malicious practises the Church and Kingdome hath been exceedingly endangered and hath been like to fall under the tyranny of the Roman Sea Which is somewhat amplified in the seventh additional Article which we shall conuex thereto To prove this Article we shall lay downe and make good two ground-workes which the precedent Evidence hath sufficiently cleered First that this Arch-bishop hath beene generally reputed a Person popishly affected and a Papist in heart both whiles he was resident in the University of Oxford and ever since and that he was beleeved reported to be such a one by the popish party both at Rome and elswhere beyond the Seas No wonder therefore if he endeavoured to reconcile and reduce the Church of England to the Church of Rome To prove the Arch bishop a reputed Papist whiles he was resident in Oxford we shall produce two Witnesses of credit who knew him very well there and have had some neere relation to him since The first is Doctor Danel Featly who deposed viva voce at the Barre That the Arch-bishop whiles he was remaining in Oxford was generally reputed to be popishly affected and one addicted to the popish party and that he
Protestantium Doctores Sacerdotes sacrificia agnoscere In the 25. Article concerning Homilies pag. 321. he thus shakes off our Homilies in our Bishops owne tearmes Nec tenentur Protestantes ob haec verba in Articulo statim in singula verba vel sententias Homiliarum jurare c. Prudenter igitur quae sanam Doctrinam sapiunt populo legenda alia neglectui habenda Pape 332. in the 37. Article concerning the power of the civill Magistrates against the Popes Jurisdiction he writes thus D. Montacutius contr Heighum alij eorum doctissimi quibuscum de hoc egi nullam utique Jurisdictionem spiritualem Regibus nosiris concedunt sed gubernium civile temporale indirectè per accidens ob pacem Reipubl in personas causas Ecclesiasticas extensum Gavisus sum etiam valdà de illo quod etiam his diebus factum est Cantabrigiae in Comitijs pro actu Doctoroli ubi SUMMO PONTIFICI UT MAXIMO PATRI sic enim eum appellabant designata est cura spiritualium Regi temporalium licet sub fine subjiciebatur Regum esse omnes regere quod intelligi debet civiliter non spiritualiter modò â nobis explicato After which pag. 334 335 336. he handles these three Questions First Whether any have power to withdraw themselves from subjection and obedience to the Sea and Church of Rome upon any occasion Secondly Whether we of this Realme had sufficient causes to doe it Thirdly Whether we did well in it and did not exceed measure therein And he resolves the two latter thus Vtraque quaestio siâ—e dubio gravissima est maximum meretur discussionem Quod si causa sufficiens non fuerit vel terminus justae substractionis excesserint quanta pericula in tà m diuturno scismate Hinc utique omnia quantacunque mala sunt originaliter ebullierunt Catholici veriori tutiori parti adhaerere volentes cum insufficientiasm causae quam moderaminis excessum agnoverunt ponderant utique gravissimum illud Augustini praecidendae unitatis nulla est justa necessitas Lib. 2. cont Epist Parm. Utinam DENVO AUTHORITATE PUBLICA pro dignitane PURITANIS NON INTERMIXTIS EX AFFECTU READUNITIONIS PERPENDERETUR ad hoc singuli evoluant Augustinum contra Donatum Scio illos hoc abhorrere de quibus dicit Cassander licet haud satis affectus Romanae Ecclesiae Plerique ex eis qui sibi ab Evangelio nomen sumpserunt cum partem qua vetus Catholicorum Ecclesiae Romanae nomen retinet prorsus aspernantur omnem que ejus communionem defugiunt nec ut membra ejusdem corporis amore misericordia prosequuntur quod nos a Puritanis hic experimur sed ut Satanae Antichristi corpus abominatur Scio id equidem doles qui ejusmodi sunt quomodo â schismatis rectius dixisset Haereseos nota eximi possunt non video From all these remarkable passages of this book it is most evident that it was purposely penned published dedicated and presented to the King to reconcile him and reunite our Church and Articles to the Church of Rome that this union and accommodation was already accomplished by Bishop Andrewes Bishop Muntague and others of our most eminent moderate Divines in many points of greatest moment and would soon be effected in the residue by a publike Assembly or Synod of our Prelates and divines if no Puritans were intermixed among them But you will object What is all this or this Book to the Archbishop Did he know any thing of this Plot Book or had any hand therein Yes verily First he know of this book before it was published Doctor Lindsey his great favourite whom he advanced to a Deanary and two Bishopricks as we have formerly proved acquainting him therewith and bringing the Author of it to his Grace who had recourse to him severall times after This we shall prove by a paper writen with his own hand by way of extenuation of this charge even since his commitment to the Tower and there seiâ—ed on by Master Pryme which was read as followeth MY Intelligence with the Pope by S. Clara. I never saw that Franciscan Fryar in my life to the utmost of my memory above four times or five at most He was first brought to me by Doctor Linsey it was when he was setting out his booke about the Articles of the Church of England and I then told Doctor Linsey I did feare he would never expound them so as the Church of England might have cause to thanke him for it He never came to me after till he was almost ready to print another booke to prove that Episcopacy was authorized in the Church by divine right and these was after this vnhappy stirres began His desire was to have this book printed here but at his severall addresses to me for this I still gave him this answer That I did not like the way which the Church of Rome went concerning Episcopacy And howsoever I would never give way that any such book from the pen of any Romanist should be printed here And the Bishops of England are very well able to defend their owne cause and calling without calling in any ayd from Rome and would so doe when they saw cause And this is all the conference that ever I had with him This excuse of his though partiall acknowledgeth that he was acquainted with the book and Author before its printing and that Doctor Linsey his favourite was a great promoter of it privy to the plot of Reconciliation and very intimate with the Fryar that compiled it Secondly when the book was printed this Author presented not onely the King but Archbishop himself with one of them bound up in Vellam with the Kings Armes on the cover and blew silk strings which he thus endorsed with his owne hand Fron. â Sanctâ Clara Problemata 37. Expositio paraphrastica Confessionis Anglicanae Which book he reserved in his Study at Lambeth where Master Prynne seized and produced it at the Barre Thirdly he not onely received but permitted it to be publikely sold and dispersed amongst us without any seizure or restaint and to be twice or thrice reprinted in London notwithstanding many exceptions and complaints against it when as he most strictly suppressed orthodox books Fourthly if Fryar Saint Giles were the true Author of this book as he was reputed by the Fryars in forraigne parts the Archbishop not onely knew but maintained him in the University of Oxford to seduce poyson the Schollers there and reconcile them to Rome and gave him an annuall pension of one hundred Markes the blame of which action for his owne excuse he would transferre upon the King without any proofe at all but onely this surreptitious warrant without any date at all writ with his owne hand not by any Secretary of State which will no wayes extenuate but aggravate his crime the warrant being no doubt fraudulently procured to serve a turne at
I took it not out of Missale Romanum nor the Roman Pontifical as is objected but from Bishop Andrews his Form as learned reverend Orthodox Protestant a Prelate as ever the Church of England bred To this was Replied 1. That it is confessed there is neither Canon nor Rubrick enjoyning any to stand up at every rehearsal of gloria patri in time of Divine service a most disorderly unnecessary and confused Ceremony wherein men start up and quat down sodainly again as if they were frighted out of their sleep And we have proved that it is enjoyned only by the Roman Missal no very good Directory for us Protestants as for his pretended antiquity and customary usage of this Ceremony in our own and other Protestant Churches it is meerly fabulous without any Authority to warrant it but his own asseveration 2 That bowing at the name of Iesus was originally introduced prescribed by Popes decrees Popish Councels Canonists Writers of purpose to justifie the adoration of Images and the consecrated Host that it is no where enjoyned by our Common Prayer Book Articles of Religion Homilies or Book of Ordination the only Authentick binding Records of our Church wherein all Rites and Ceremonies to which we are bound by Law are prescribed That the Injunctions and Canons are no binding Lawes and their Authority had they ever any long since expired that some of the best Orthodoxest of our writers have professedly writen against this Ceremony as Thomas Beacon Dr. Whitaker Dr. Willet Dr. Ayry and others which was never pressed on any by our Prelates in their visitation Articles nor generally used till of late and now quite exploded as superstitious and absurd Yea Dr. Featly and Sir Nathaniel Brent directly prove that it was not used in Lambeth Chappel by his predecessor Abbot or his Chaplains servants 3. For Organs there were none in that Chappel before his time since the Reformation Therefore an Innovation there And though generally received and used in Cathedrals yet all Authors agree it was a Pope Vitalian by name first introduced the use of them into Christian Churches and all know they are most in use only in Popish Churches beyond the seas Fourthly for the Antiquity and lawfulnesse of consecrating Churches we have already discussed and shall further resute it in its due place for the consecration of Altars Flagons Altar-clothes and other Altar-furniture the only thing here objected we have proved the original and derivation of it to be meerly from the Roman Missal and Pontifical and from no better nor higher Antiquity He pretends but proves not that he took his immediate president from Bishop Andrews a late deceased superstitious if not Popish Prelate how ever he applauds him Therefore certainly from no Antiquity But from whom did Bishop Andrews take his patern doubtlesse from the Roman Missal and Pontifical since no other sampler can be produced And are these a fit patern for a Protestant Bishops imitation As for his objected reason that Altars Churches Flagons c. could not be called nor reputed Holy unlesse thus solemnly consecrated First It is but a meer Nonsequitur it being not any Bishops formal unwarrantable consecration but the peoples appropriation of them to a sacred use that makes them holy not inherently but relatively only with reference to the holy Ordinances therein administred of which hereafter For the Statute of 5 and 6. E. 6. c. 5. It hath been not one sillable in it in justification of the consecration of Churches much lesse of Altars Flagons Altar-clothes and the like neither doth it ever stile the Church or Churches holy or a holy or consecrated place nor could it well be so in respect of their consecration only they being Hallowed onely by Popish Prelates in times of Popery with such Popish Reliques Ceremonies Chrisms Exorcisms Crossings and washings with holy water and since then exploded as superstitious and ridiculous Therefore to justifie these consecrations from thence is to make a conclusion without any premises to warrant it Finally he discovers a rotten Popish spirit inclination in the highest degree in pleading for and justifying to the utmost such Popish consecrations against the expresse resolutions of our Orthodox forecited Writers Prelates and his own learned predecessour Matthew Parker who have so severely censured them as Popish Iewish and childish tryfles fit to be exploded Secondly having ended with my Chappel at Lambeth they next pursued me to my study there Where first they charge me for having an English Bible with a Crucifix embroidered on the Cover of it To which I Answer That I bought it not but it was sent unto me by a Lady and the Crucifix it self is lawful if there be no adoration of it as appears by the Christians engraving of it on their Chalices in Tertullians dayes To which was replied First that his receiving and reserving of this Bible with a Crucifix on the Cover which was so visible to his eyes and lay upon his study Table was as great an offence as if he had bought it And no Lady durst have sent him such a present had she not been assured of his good affection to such Popish Pictures Secondly whereas he avers the Picture of the Crucifix to be lawful so it be not adored He herein expresly contradicts our Homilies to which he hath subscribed our Statutes Injunctions Authors forecited yea the judgement of all sound Antiquity And if this Picture of Christ hanging still on the Crosse as if he had never been taken down thence be lawful as he avers with the Papists against all Orthodox Protestants then it is lawful to make or reserve it either for a meer civill use to grace his study or please his eye sight only which certainly is an extream dishonour to disparagement of our most blessed Saviour and his passion who is the holy One of God transcending all civil uses being made for holy ends alone or for a religious use to stir up our devotion and put us in remembrance of his death which he hath purposely ordained his word and Sacraments to do which at best is superstition Thirdly the place of Tertullian already quoted proves not at all that the Christians had any Crucifixes or Pictures of Christ engraven on their Chalices there is no such sillable in his writings but only that the Hereticks against whom he writ had the Picture of a lost sheep engraven on some of their Cups And we hope there is a vast difference between Hereticks and Orthodox Christians the Picture of a lost sheep and a Crucifix or Picture of Christ himself hanging on the Crosse The second thing charged against me in my study is a g Book of Popish Pictures printed 1623. containing the Portratures of the Life Passion and Death of our Lord Iesus Christ I Answer that I kept it only as a Scholler to peruse and refute it upon occasion nor to adore or make use of the Pictures
Declaration before the 39 Articles wrested to propagate Arminianism and suppresse truth p. 120 to 164. His Proclamation for calling in and suppressing Sales his Popish Book how procured mistaken to abuse the world and justifie Laud and Heywood p. 186 187. His Instructions concerning Lectures and preaching how procured abused p. 370 to 474. 478 to 488 His Letter to the Archbishop and Bishops concerning Ordination penned by Laud how much abused to suppresse preaching and keep out good men from the Ministry p. 382 to 385. 537 538 539 His Voyage into Spain of purpose to seduce him in his Religion which was there attempted by the Pope his Nuncio the Jesuits Buckingham and Digby and King James his Instructions to him before he went concerning his writing that the Pope was Antichrist Lauds privity and assistance to the Voyage Match Instructions and the Match with France plotted by the Popish party to seduce the King p. 416 to 419 547 to 550 His command to judge Richardson to St. revoke his Order against Wakes and Revels p. 151 c. St. Clara his Book Dedicated to him to reconcile him and us to Rome p. 423. Ana Fustidius Dedicated to him by Cardinal Barbarino Ibid. Bishop of Calcedon Lauds intimacy with him and Windebanks use of him p. 454 455. Catechizing in the Afternoon a meer pretence to suppresse Preaching and what form must be used p. 368 369 370 372 374 376 378 Chaplains in private houses suppressed p 369 371 372. Mistris Charnocks testimony p. 69. Christs Epistle to a devout Soul a Popish Book Licensed p. 186 187 195 c. Church maintained to be alwayes visible The Church of Rome to be a true Church to have the same Religion with in not to have erred in Fundamentals the Reformed Protestant Churches to be no Churches if they want Lord Bishops and not to be of our Religion by Laud and his adherents who endeavoared to suppresse the Dutch French and Walloon Churches here and purged out clauses concerning the Church and building Churches East and West p. 27 30 207 293 296 to 300 388 to 409. 441. 530 531 532. High Commission Lauds design to advance its power p. 369. St. Clara his intimacy with Canterbury and Book to reconcile us to Rome p. 39 423 to 432 550 557 to 560. Dr. Clerks Sermons miserably gelded purged by Lauds Chaplains p. 254 to 376 John Cooks testimony against Canteroury p. 452 453. Mr. Cooks recantation in Oxford p. 176 Consecrations of Flagous Altar-clothes Churches Chappels Church-yards meerly Popish introduced used justified by Canterbury whose Arguments for them are examined refuted p. 65 114 to 128 217 218. 497 to 506. Considerations compiled and presented by Laud to the King to suppresse Preaching Lectures Lecturers p. 368 to 376. 536 537 477. Con the Popes Nuncio p. 413 440. Contrition Popish passages against it expunged p. 308. Copes introduced enjoyned by Laud p. 64 71. 76 80 81. 468 469 476 to 490. Mr. Corbets testimony and trouble for not bowing to the Altar by Bishop Laud and his Visitor p. 71. 477. Earl of Corks Tomb in Ireland ordered by Laud to be taken down for standing in the place of the Altar and Letters thence concerning it p. 82 to 88. Dr. J. Cosin a Popish Innovator at Durham Cambridge advanced protected by Laud p. 72 73 78 355 356. 532. Councels Evangelical to perfection justified in new printed Books p. 209 210. Passages against them expunged p. 300. Councellors that are ill passages against them purged out of new Books by Laud and his Agents p. 245 301 302. Creed-Church how consecrated by Laud p. 113 114 598 503. Credentia a Popish Innovation and Vtensil introduced by Laud in his Chappel p. 63 464 468. Crowlyes Answer to Champenyes p. 69 Croxton recommended by Laud to the Lord Deputy Wentworth by him advanced in Ireland his Letter to the Archbishop and practise of auricular confession publiquely there p. 194 195. Crucifixes erected by the Archbishop and his Agents in his own and the Kings Chappels Cathedrals and elsewhere p. 59 to 57. 205 205 216. 462 to 490. Iustified by him p. 464 465. Mr. Culmer suspended by Laud for not reading the Declaration for Sports on the Lords day p. 146. 506. Dr. Cumber his justification of Auricular Confession and Letter to Laud with his Answer thereunto touching Mr. Bernards Sermon p. 193. 363 364. 535. D Dancing and other Pastimes on the Lords day justified in late printed Books condemned by Fathers Councels Calvin others p. 222 to 226 372. 504 505 506. Davis his Petition to Laud concerning Contributions to rail in the Altar p 90. Deans Arminian and Popish preferred by Laud p. 356 532 533. Declaration for Sports enlarged reprinted and pressedon Ministers by Lauds Practise p. 128 156 382. Decree of God passages concerning it deleted p. 333 364 365. Decree of Star-chamber concerning licensing and reprinting Books illegall procured abused by Laud to the prejudice of our Religion and the advancement of Poperty and Arminianisme p. 198 to 210 512. to 516. Barron Denham his Orders against Wakes Revels Churchals p. 126 127 153 154 513 515. Master Dell Lauds Secretary his Letter to silence Master Leigh p. 388. His intimacy with Priests and Jesuits and answer to the Pursevants p. 450 451 453. Master Deuxels testimony of Priests liberty in their prisons p. 450. Master Dow advanced his popish Booke p. 207 357. Bishop Downhams Book against the Arminians and falling from Grace called in by Lauds meanes both in England and Ireland p. 171 172 508 510. His Protestation against toleration of popery in Ireland p. 434. Doctor Duppa an Arminian made Vice-Chancellour of Oxford and promoted by Laud 176 p. 354 359 360. Master Dury his reordination and attempts to reconcile the Calvinists and Lutherans p. 340 539 541 Dutch and French reformed Churches in England prosecuted and deprived of their priviledges by Laud accounted no true Churches nor of our Religion p. 27 33 388 to 409 539 to 543. E King Edward VI. his Patent to the Dutch and French to enjoy Churches of their owne Discipline in England p. 394 395. his times depressed p. 420 421. Election Universall and from foreseen Faith and Works maintained passages against it deleted p. 303 to 307 309 to 312. Egerton his testimony against Laud p. 453. Equivocation clauses against it expunged p. 307. F Faith alone doth not justifie but Charity and Works maintained passages against it the nature of faith and growth in it deleted p. 209 307 314 315 341. Falling from Grace maintained in many late printed Books and passages against it expunged p. 219 279 to 287 314 315 316 425. Fast Booke purged of passages against popery by Laud p. 250. Passages against popish Fasting deleted p. 307. Fastidius his Booke printed and dedicated to the King by Cardinall Barbarino p. 423 Feares carnall passages against them and the feare of God expunged p. 388 341. Dr. Featlies testimony against Laud and the purging of his Sermons
Jan. 10. Les plus Grands du Berray rapporterent au Roy qu'il troubloit le repose du publie qu'il S'emparoit contre toute la Justice de son domaine c. Il depublia la Bulledecernee par le Pape pour faire la guerre aux Albegiois auec tant de zele de fruict que plusieurs a sa parole S'y croâ—serent courageusement La guâ—rre eut une issue houreuse car les Heretiques furent tellement deconfits qu'ils ne purrent depuis seremetter on campagne c. Ribadeniera Flures des Vies des Saincts p. 124. Note Note * Page 14. 15. 25. Note * See the Kings Cabinet opened * Officium Beatae Mariae secundum Vsum Sarum Paristis 1919. p. 12. Bishop Jewels Defence of the Apology part 2. c. 18. Divis 1. p. 295. 296. Object 1. Answ 1. Object 2. Answ 1. Object 3. Answ * See his late Libell intituled Innocency and Truth Justified Answ 2. Note Note Note * See the Irish Cabinet * Note f Jer. 31. 23. c. 50. 7. g Deut. 33. 21. h Psal 82. 3. i Iohn Lilburn in his late Libels Englands Birth-right with others k Isa 59. 4. 9. 14 l I say 5. 7. m Eccl 3. 16. n Isa 1 21. o Ier. 9. 22. Ier. 9. 22. q 2 Sam. 8. 15. r Deut. 16. 18. 19. 20. a Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 10. c. 63. a See the Breviate of his Life p. 1. 2. 3. b Se his Conference with Fisher p. 171. A necessary Introduction to his Tryall p. 148. 149. c Annaliuâ—â— Pars posterior p. 680. b Claudian in Eutropium l. 1. p. 67. c Rerum Ang. licarum l. 4. c. 14. d 1 Tim. 3. â—ir 1. 7 8. * Ovid Metam l. 2. * See the Breviate of his life pag. 22. and Diurnall Occurrences pag. 13. and 14. the Commons Journall NOTE f Clandian in Rufinum I. 2. p. g Pag. 23. 24. Master Pyme Speech See the Charge of the Scottish Commissioners against Canterbury * Which Doctor Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wels in his speech to his Clergy to set on this contribution stiled Bellum Episcopale adding that what ever his Majesty had expressed in his Declarations to be the cause of this warre yet in truth this warre is FOR VS Bishops NOTE * NOTE NOTE * Therefore the fitter to make a Popish Priest Prelate Cardinall * He knew he could not have done them half the service by going over from hence to Rome as by staying here to promote their designes and that made him stay * In secular imployments inconsistent with not in preaching and paines in his Calling Note this impudent asseveration here abundantly refuted * In secular imployments inconsistent with not in preaching and paines in his Calling Note this impudent asseveration here abundantly refuted * Belike he was born a Popeling * It was onely by bringing Rome home to them or meeting them more then halfe way in their journey thither * A great Actor in the late Irish Rebellion against the Protestants * All know what a good Protestant he lived and died * Both desperate Apostate Papists Mr Chainels Sermon at his Funerall informe us how good a Protestant he lived and dyed * Cambdens Britannias p. 229. * Artit Orig. 7. Additionall 7. * Artit Orig. 210. 1. His Popish superstitious Innovations in Lambheth Chappell * Bishop Iewels his defence of the Apology of the Church of England 5. Part c. 5. Diuis 1. to 3 p. 551. c. Reply to Harding Artit 14. p. 496. to 518. Thomas Becons Reliques of Rome Catechisme on the second commandement Mr. Fox Acts Monuments vol. 1. p. 167. 168. 255. vol 2. p. 388. 389. 394. 658. 669. 409. 410. vol 3. p. 992. to 993. with infinit others * Bochellus Decreta Ecclesiae Gallicanae lib. 4. Tit. 1. c. 80. p. 556. 557 NOTE * See Ribadeniera Flevers des vies des Sainctes pars â—ap 104. Apres Compline et Matines il visi oit tous les Rutols de 〈…〉 Eglile faisant a chacun vne Prostration et reverence * Apud Bochellum Decreta Eccles Gal. l. 4 Tit. 1. c. 81. p. 558. Salamantinae 1588. 8. 9. 21. * See the Archbishops speech in Star chamber p. 47. 48 49. * De Hey Iyns Cole from the Altar and Antidonum Lincolniense Dr. Pocklington Reeue Shelford and others * See Lame Giles his Haultings Anti-Armianisme p. 191 Appendix and Queeres concerning Bowing at the name of Iesus * Laurentius Surius concil Tom. 3 p. 6. 741. 810. * Platina in vita ejus Volateran Thomas Beacons Reliques of Rome ch Of the Ornaments of the Church Of plain-song Prick-song Organs and singing in Churches Histriomastix p. 283. to 287. * See A Necessary Introduction to his Tryall p. 15â— to 164. * Exod. 20 4 5 Lev. 26. 1. Deut 4. 14. to 25. 1. 5. 8 9. Isay 2. 20 c. 30. 27. c. 31. 7. c. 44. 9. c. Hoses 14. 8. Rom. 1. 23. 24 25. 1 Iohn 5. 21. 2. His Popish Innovations in his Majesties Chapell at White-Hall * Claudian His Popists Innovations at Westminster Abbey at his Majesties Coronation †See the Breviat of his life p. 7. †Page 69. 70. 9. 43. 78. 110. 157 162. 165. 4 His Popish Innovations in the Vniversities of Oxford and Cambridge * Dabis fidem ad observandum statuta istius Vniversitatis c. Statuta selectae Corpore statutum Vniversitatis Oxon Tit. 9. Sect. 6. Paragr 1. p. 114. * Acts and Monuments Edit 16. 40. â— vol. 3. p. 773. Edit 1610. p. 1781. His Popish Innovations in the Vniversity of Cambridge Object Answer * De summo Bono l. 2. c. 20. †Cicero de legibus l. 3. * Gratian distinct 86. * Foutes venero inficere est non tantum contra morem Majorum sed etiam contra fas Deorum Florus Historiae lib. 1. Grotius de Iure Belli lib. 3. c. 4. Sect. 16. p. 444. See 22. H. 8. c. 10. 5. His Popish Innovations and superstitions in Cathedrall Churches NOTE NOTE NOTE * This was then a grosse untruth for it then stood not so in any Cathedralls NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE * See Master Francis Rouse his printed Speech at the Transmission of Master Smarts cause to the Lords Innovations in Canterbury Cathedrall Innovations in VVinchester Cathedrall NOTE Innovations in Litchfield Cathedrall Innovations at Hereford NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE * A notorious untruth of an Arch-Prelate NOTE NOTE * Doctor Heylyns Antidotum Lincolniense pag. 37. 39. 65. c. his Coale from the Altar p. 26 27. with Pocklington Dow Reeve Shelford Bishop Pierce and others Innovations in Parish Churches Chappell 's The case of St. Gregories Church NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE 19. 20. 21. NOTE 22. NOTE 23. 24. 18. 19. 20. 21. 21. 22. 23. NOTE 24. NOTE NOTE Note Note
have beene by His Majestie and his Royall Ancesters granted to the Dutch and French Churches in this kingdome And divers other wayes hath expressed his malice and disaffection to these Churches that so by such disunion the Papists might have more advantage for the overthrow and extirpation of both 13. Hee hath malitiously and traiterously plotted and endeavoured to stirre up warre and enmity betwixt his Majesties two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and to that purpose hath laboured to introduce into the Kingdome of Scotland divers Innovations both in Religion and Government all or the most part of them tending to Popery and superstition to the great grievance and discontent of his Majesties Subjects of that Nation and for their refusing to submit to such Innovations hee did trayterously advise his Majesty to subdue them by force of Armes and by his owne Authority and Power contrary to Law did procure sundry of his Majestyes Subjects inforced the Clergie of this Kingdome to contribute towards the maintenance of that war And when his Majesty with much wisdom Justice had made a Pacification betwixt the two Kingdomes the said Archbishop did presumptuously censure that pacification as dishonourable to his Majesty and by his councells and endeavours so incensed his Majesty against his said Subjects of Scotland that he did thereupon by advice of the said Archbishop enter into an offensive warre against them to the great hazard of his Majesties person and his Subjects of both Kingdomes 14. That to preserve himselfe from being questioned for these and other his trayterous courses he hath laboured to subvert the rights of Parliament and the ancient course of Parliamentary proceeding and by false and malitious slanders to incense his Majesty against Parliaments By which words counsels and actions he hath traiterously and contrary to his allegiance laboured to alienate the hearts of the Kings liege people from his Majesty and to set a devision betweene them and to ruine and destroy his Majesties Kingdomes for which they doe impeach him of High Treason against our Soveraigne Lord the King his Crowne and Dignity The said Commons do further averre that the said William Archbishop of Canterbury during the times that the crimes aforementioned were done and committed hath beene a Bishop or Archbishop of this Realme of England one of the Kings Commissioners for Ecclesiasticall matters and one of his Majesties most honourable Privie Councell and hath taken an oath for his faithfull discharge of the said Office of Councellor and hath likewise taken an oath of supremacy and Allegeance And the said Commons by protestation saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter any other accusation or impeachment against the said Archbishop and also of replying to the Answers that the said Archbishop shall make unto the said Articles or to any of them and of offering further proofe also of the Premises or any of them or of any other impeachment or accusation that shall be exhibited by them as the cause shall according to the course of Parliament require do pray that the said Archbishop may be put to answer to all and every the premises and that such proceedings examination tryall and Judgment may be upon every of them had and used as is agreeable to Law and Justice The Articles being read Mr. PYMME proceeded in his Specch as followeth My Lords THere is an expression in the Scripture which I will not presume either to understand or to interpret yet to a vulgar eye it seemes to have an aspect something sutable to the Person and Cause before you It is a description of the evill Spirits wherein they are said to be spirituall wickednesses in high places Crimes acted by the spirituall faculties of the Soule the Will and the Vnderstanding exercised about spirituall matters concerning Gods Worship and the Salvation of Man seconded with power authority learning and many other advantages do make the party who commits them very sutable to that description Spirituall wickednesses in high places These crimes My Lords are various in their Nature heynous in their quality and universall in their extent If you examine them Theologically as they stand in opposition to the truth of God they will be found to be against the rule of Faith against the power of godlinesse against the meanes of Salvation If you examine them Morally as they stand in opposition to the light of Nature to right reason and the principles of humane society you will then perceive pride without any moderation such a Pride as that is which exalts it selfe above all that is called God Malice without any provocation Malice against vertue against innocencie against piety injustice without any meanes of restitution even such injustice as doth robbe the present times of their possessions the future of their possibilities If they be examined My Lords by Legall Rules in a Civill way as they stand in opposition to the Publique Good and to the Lawes of the Land Hee will be found to be a Traytor against his Majesties Crown an Incendiary against the Peace of the State he will be found to be the highest the boldest the most impudent Oppressour that ever was an Oppressor both of King and People This Charge my Lords is distributed and conveyed into 14. severall Articles as you have heard and those Articles are only generall It being the intention of the House of Commons which they have commanded me to declare to make them more certaine and particuler by preparatory Examinations to be taken with the helpe of your Lordships house as in the Case of my Lord of Strafford I shall now runne through them with a light touch only marking in every of them some speciall point of venome virulency and malignity 1. The first Article my Lords doth containe his endeavour to introduce into this Kingdome an Arbitrary power of Government without any limitations or Rules of Law This my Lords is against the safety of the Kings Person the honour of his Crowne and most destructive to his people Those Causes which are most perfect have not only a power to produce effects but to conserve and cherish them The Seminary vertue and the Nutritive vertue in vegetables do produce from the same principles It was the defect of justice the restraining of oppression and violence that first brought Government into the World and set up Kings the most excellent way of Government And by the maintenance of justice all kinds of Government receive a sure foundation and establishment It is this that hath in it an ability to preserve and secure the Royall power of Kings yea to adorne and encrease it 2. In the second Article your Lordships may observe absolute and unlimited power defended by Preaching by Sermons and other discourses printed and published upon that subject And truly my Lords it seemes to be a prodigious crime that the truth of God and his holy Law should be perverted to defend the lawlesnesse of men That the holy and
this Arch-Roman Ingineer to undermine and blow up our established Religion Hee had learnt from Abbot Bernard A minimis incipiunt qui in maxima proruunt and from Chrysostome Id certè moris est apud haereticos ut adumbrant seipsos occultent in principijs quousque majorem fiduciam capeant quodam favore multitudinis juventur tunc contagiosa sua venena intrepide effundunt Wherefore he began his mines at some seeming distance and set blindes before them to prevent discovery To this purpose combining with the Jesuites prosecuting their very method to ruine our Religion he first bent all his force industry to introduce Arminianisme the most plausible lesse discernible Doctrinall part of Popery yet a ready Jesuiticall Posterne to let in all the rest and that under a specious pretence of opposing Puritanisme and Puritans onely against whom he laboured to engage some Prelates and the Duke of Buckingham first then next His Majestie This practise of his he began in Oxford in a Sermon preached by him on Shrove-Sunday Anno 1614. for which he was then publikely though not by name taxed by Learned Dr. Robert Abbot Dr. of the Chaire in Oxford in his Sermon all Saint Peters on Easter day 1615. as appeares by a †Letter and Notes of this Sermon under his own hand sent by him to the then Bishop of Lincoln his great Patron viz. That men under pretence of truth preaching against the Puritans strike at the heart and root of Faith and Religion now established among us That this preaching against the Puritans was but the practise of Persons and Campions Councell when they came into England to seduce young Students And when many of them were afraid to loose their places if they should professedly be thus the councell they then gave them was that they should speake freely against the Puritans and that should suffice And they cannot intend that they are accounted Papists because they speak against the Puritans but because THEY INDEED ARE PAPISTS they speake nothing against them If they do at any time speake against the Papists they do beat a little upon the bush that softly too for feare of troubling or disquieting the Birds which are in it They speake of nothing but that in which one Papist will speake against another as against Aequivocation the Popes temporall Authority and the like and perhaps against some of their Blasphemous speeches But in the point of Free-will Justification Concupiscens being sinne after Baptisme Inhaerent Righteousnesse and certainty of Salvation c. wherein Papists and Arminians concurre the Papists beyond the Seas can say They ARE WHOLLY THEIRS and the Recusants at home make their braggs of them And in all things they keepe themselves so neare the brinke that upon any occasion they may step over to them c. From this Passage of Doctor Abbot which Laud then confessed in his Letter the whole Vniversity applyed unto him as himselfe did too you may readily guesse both at his Popish Innovations and practises in the Vniversity of Oxf. in those dayes which he hath continued ever since After this we find him taking special notice of Dr. Prideaux his questions against the Arminiaus found in his Study thus endorsed with his own hand An. 1617. Questions given to be disputed of at Exeter Colledge of Oxon by Doctor Prideaux Rector and at that time appointed to Answer Barkleyes Parenesis Questiones Arminianae An. 1 1. Paulus ad Rom. cap. 7. loquatur in sua Persona de serenato Af. 2. Analysis Arminij 9. cap ad Rom. sit probanda Neg. 2. 1. Praevisio fidelitatis infidelitatis praecedat aeternum decretum praedestinationis N. 2. Objectum Electionis sit fidelis ad finem perseveraturus N. 3. 1. Justicia originalis Adamo fuerit ante lapsum naturalis A. 2. Lapsus Adami diverso respectu dici possit necessarius contingens A. 4. 1. Peccatum Originale infantes sine actualibus peccatis morientes condemnet A. 2. Homo post lapsum retinuer it liberum arbitrium ad bonum N. 5. 1. Ponenda sit in Deo scientia media de futuris conditionatis ascientia simplicis intelligentiae visionis distincta N. 2. Facienti quod in se est ex naturae viribus dentur infallibiter auxilia ad salutem necessaria N. 6. 1. Gratia sufficiens ad salutem concedatur omnibus N. 2. Gratia regenerationis sit resistibilis N. 7. 1. To Credere sine meritorum Christi imputatione nos justificet N. 2. Aliquis possit à fide penitus excidere N. 8. 1. Renatus possit debeat esse certus de sua salute A. 2. Fideles possint in hac vita vivere sine peccato N. 9. 1. Deus author peccati statuatur ex sententia Orthodoxorum de praedestinatione 2. Arminianismus sit merè Semi-Pelagianismus A These questione it seemes did much displease him as crossing his Jesuiticall design of propagating Arminianisme Besides we find in his own Diary these Passages under his own hand in pursuance of this designe Dec. 23. 1624. The same day I delivered my L. Duke of Bucking a little tract ABOVT DOCTRINALL PVRJTANISME in some ten Heades which his Grace had spoken to me that I would draw for him that he might be acquainted with them in which he branded the Anti-Arminian Tenets for Doctrinall Puritanisme that so the Arminian might be imbraced as Orthodox Immediatly after King Iames his death a bitter Eenemy to the Arminians whom he branded with the titles of Atheisticall Sectaries and pestilent Heriticks who dare take upon them that Licentious Liberty to fetch againe from Hell the ancient Heresies long since condemned or else to invent new of their owne braine contrary to the beliefe of the true Catholick Church Bishop Laud to ingage the King and Duke against the Anti-Arminians under the title of Putitans and ingratiate the Arminians in their favour under the Title of Orkthodox Divines presented the Duke with a Catalogne of the names of Clergy men who were Orthodox to wit Arminians and who Putitans which he thus expresseth in his Diary Aprill 5. 1625. Die Martis Schedulam exhibui Duci Buckinghamiae in qua Nomina er ant omnium Ecclesiasticorum sub literis O. P. that is Orthodox and Puritans Nomina ut sic digererem jussit ipse Dux Buckinghamiae traditurus ea ut dixit Regi Carolo. Within foure dayes after the Duke of Buckingham sent this Prelate to Bishop Andrews to consult about the 5. Arminian Articles condemned in the Synod of Dort to promote and propagate them in our Church and to returne his Answer to him as is cleare by these Passages in his Diary written with his owne hand April 9. 1625. Eodem die in mandatis accepiut Rever Episc Winton adirem quid velit in causa Ecclesiae sciscitarem Responsum referem PRAECIPVE IN 5. ARTICVLIS c. April 10. die Solis post concionem finitam adij Episcopum que tum
therefore some publike censure ought to passe upon them the Books thus seized to be openly burnt else they would in a few monthes be sold openly againe to corrupt the people and no satisfaction at all given for this foule offence to the Church of England which Archbishop Abbot confessed to be true and said he would take some Order in it but by this Bishops power there was nothing more done against the Licenser Compiler or Booke which soone after was as publikely sold as if it had neverbeene called in to the perverting of many in their judgments who knew not of this grand Imposture now publikly discovered at the Lords Barre by all the forementioned books themselves there produced and the testimony of Master Prynne upon Oath seconded by the Stationers booke of entries and the testimonies of Master Sparke and Master Walley Doctor Martin for this good service was presently after by this Bishop advanced to a great living and likewise to the headship of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge instead of other punishment Master Prynne for his paines in derecting this fraudulent dealing of the Bishop and his Chaplaine by way of revenge was soone after by this Bishops meanes imprisoned in the Tower and most severely censured in the Starre-Chamber for his Booke called Histrianastix though Licensed by Authority in which he made some mention of this imposture concealed from the most so fatall was it in those times for any man out of Conscience or publike ends to oppose the Bishops Arminian designes such a Stirrop to mount up to preferments to advance them After this the Archbishops Chaplaine Doctor Haywood on the 26. of August 1634 licensed Booke intituled Collectiones Theologica writ by Thomas Chune and Dedicated to the Archbishop of Canterbury himselfe in which hee justified the Arminian Errors and the Church of Rome to be a true Church whereof there were two Impressions in one yeare yet neither the Author nor Booke once questioned though publikely complained of by Doctor Bastwicke at his Censure in the High-Commission where the Archb. openly justified it In the yeares 1636. and 1639. the Arminian Errors were defended by Bishop Mountague in print in his Pars. 1. 2. Originum Ecclesiasticarum Gods Love to mankinde and by sundry others without controle On the contrary Doctor Twisse his Booke in answer of Arminius though writ in Latine was refused License by the Bishop and his Arminian Chaplaines Bray and Baker and his answers to Doctor Jackson and the Arminian Pamphlet intituled Gods love to Mankind suppressed some Lectures of Bish Davenant and Sermons of Doctor Clerke against the Arminians were likewise stopped at the Presse and not suffered to be printed with their other Lectures and Sermons What Bookes against Mountague and the Arminians were called in suppressed and the Authors Printers Dispersers of them severely prosecuted in the High-Commission in the Yeares 1628. and 1629 Wee have already evidenced Only wee shall informe you or one or two Presidents more of later date Doctor George Downham Bishop of Derry in Ireland publishing a Booke in that Kingdome against the Arminians and the Totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints from Grace about the Yeare 1630. Some of them comming over into England Bishop Laud caused a strict Letter to be written in his Majesties name to Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury for the calling in and suppressing it within the Realme of England where it was accordingly seized on and another Letter to Doctor Vsher Archbishop of Armagh for the suppressing and seizing thereof in the Realme of Ireland Which was manifested by the Docket Booke in the signet Office where entreyes of those Letters are made in Aug. 1631. and by this Letter of Bishop Vsher to Bishop Laud found in his study at Lambheth indorsed with his owne hand and arrested by Master Prynne which fully discovers that hee was the sole or principall occasion of his Majestices Letters for calling in this Booke which hee seconded with his owne Letter to Bishop Vsher for that purpose who returned this answer to him My most honoured Lord THe 8th of October I received your Letters of the 22. of August c. The last part of your Lordships Letter concerneth the Bishop of Derryes Book for the calling in whereof the 15th day of October I received His Majesties Letters dated at Woodstocke the 24. of August whereupon I presently sent out warrants and caused all the Bookes that were left unsent into England to be seized upon What did passe heretofore in the Presse at Dublin I had no eye unto because it was out of my province and the care J supposed did more properly belong unto my brother of Dublin But seeing His Majestic hath been pleased to impose that charge upon me I will God willing take order that nothing hereafter shall be published contrary unto His Majesties sacred direction It seemeth Your Lordship did conceive that my Lord of Derryes booke came out since the Historie of Gotteschalchus whereas it was published above halfe a yeare before whereby it came to passe that all the Coppies almost both in Ireland and England were dispersed before the Prohibition came forth The matter is not new as Your Lordship hath rightly observed but was long since preached in Saint Pauls Church when Doctor Bancroft was your Lordships Predecessour in that See at which time the Treatise of Perseverance was to have beene published with Doctor Downams Lectures upon the 15th Psalme at as the very end of that Booke is partly intimated And in the History of Gotteschalchus Your Lordship may see your owne observation fully verefied that after Prelates had written against Prelates and Synods against Synods these things could have no end untill both sides became weary of contending But sure I am I have made Your Lordship weary longere this and therefore it is high time now to end Therefore craving pardon for that prolixitie I humbly take leave and rest Your Honours faithfull Servant Iace Armachanus Droghe da Novemb. 8. 1631. By this Letter it is apparent that this Prelate whiles Bishop of London exercised a kind of Patriarchicall Jurisdiction for suppressing all Orthodox Bookes against the Arminians both in England and Ireland and that his commands in this kinde were punctually executed by those Archbishops in both Kingdomes who should have most stoutly opposed his Arminian Innovations About the Palsgraves first comming into Engl. An. 1635. there was a Book printed intituled the Palsgraves Religion containing the sum of the Religion professed in the Palatinate Churches translated out of a printed Latine Coppy which Archbishop Laud caused to bee strictly called in and suppressed only because it glanced at the Arminian Errors and bowing at the Name of JESUS as not warranted by Phil. 29. 10. which was proved by the testimonies of Master Prynne Michaell Sparke Senior and others What policies besides the forementioned Royall Declaration and Proclamation this Arch-Prelate contrived and practised to suppresse all preaching against Armianisme in the
His Majesties Commissioners to this strict authority that J cannot say but sure J am that till that time the Lords day never had attained such credit as to be thought an Article of the faith though of some mens fancies Nor was it like to be of long continuance it was so violently followed THE WHOLE BOOKE BEING NOW CALLED IN and in the place thereof the Articles of the Church of England confirmed by Parliament in that Kingdome Anno 1634. Vniformity with the Church of England was the pretence for revoking these Articles but the reall cause was because they defined in terminis The Pope to be Antichrist the Church of Rome to be no true Church the Lords day to be totally sanctfied and all the Arminian Tenets to be erronious contrary to the established Doctrine both of the Church of England and Ireland Grand obstacles to this Arch-Preltats Popish designes and therefore necessary to bee sette aside These Articles being thus repealed the Archbishop soon after sent over Master Chapple the most notorius seducing Arminian in the whole Vniversity of Cambridge into Jreland to be President of the Colledge of Dublin there to poyson that Vniversity with his Arminian Drugs which he there publikely vented as Dr. Hoyle Divinity Reader in that Vniversity attested upon Oath who had frequent contestations with him concerning the same This Chapple joyning with Dr. Bramhall Chaplaine to the Lord Deputy Wentworth a professed Arminian who managed all the Ecclesiastical affaires of that Church under the Archbishop and Lord Deputy raised a great party there to oppose and suppresse the truth What influence this Arch-Prelate likewise had upon the Prelates and Clergy of Scotland and how farre he proceeded in introducing Arminianisme by it Popery into the Church of Scotland is so largely demonstrated by M. Baily in his Canterburians selfe-conviction the last Edition that we shall not here insist upon it And thus we have given you a true and Copious Evidence of this Arch-Prelates endeavours to undermine our established Religion by introducing fomenting dangerous Arminian Errors in all our three Kingdomes of purpose to Vsher Popery into them by insensible degrees through this Iesuiticall devise We shall now proceed to his varius attemps and endeavours to undermine the established Protestant and advance the Romish Religion in our Churches by introducing broaching maintaining printing publishing all kind of Doctrinall points of Popery by suppressing Bookes and purging out Passages against them in old and new writers by promoting protecting the Propugners discouraging persecuting the oppugners of Popish Assertions Sermons Pamphlets and sundry other practises The Authorizing Printing dispersing Popish Bookes Doctrines and prohibiting contrary Impressions to refute them being the most pernitious destructiue prevalent project of all others to undermine Religion seduce corrupt both the present and future Generations with Popish Errors and set up Popery in its full vigor we shall begin with this Archbishops various practises concerning the Authorising printing dispersing of Popish prohibiting suppressing purging corrupting Orthodox Bookes against Popery wherein he directly traced the Popish Prelates Jesuites footsteps The Pope with Popish Prelates and Jesuites being Masters of the printing Presses in most parts had foure principall wayes to advance Popery and suppresse the Protestant Religion in relation only to printing The first was to License and print sundry Books and Discourses from time to time upon al occasions in defence of their Erronious Popish Tenets against the Protestants The second to prohibit sundry speciall Treatises against Popery to bee printed reprinted dispersed or read and to seize on and suppresse them in all places with greatest diligence when printed The third to purge out the principall Passages Motives Invectives against Popery and its abuses in all old printed Books ere they should bee reprinted and out of all new Bookes tendred to the Presse before they could gaine License to passe it The fourth to punish the Authors Printers dispersers of any prohibited or unlicensed Books against Popery with the severest censures all which is abundantly evident by their severall Indices Librorum Prohibitorum and Librorum Expurgandorum by the Provinciall Councell of Sennes Anno 1528. Apud Surium Concil Tom. 4. p. 718. to 723. Laurentius Bochellius Decreta Ecclesia Gall lib. 1. Tit. 10. De Libris vetitis cap. 1. to 29. The Statute of 34 and 35. H. 8. c. 1. Master Fox his Acts and Monuments the old Edition pag. 536. 573. 680. 450. 1335. c. Dr. Iames his Index Generalis Librorum prohibitorum a Pontifieijs c. Oxon 1627. Antonij Posseâ—ini Bibliothesa selecta with sundry others The Arch-bishop in imitation of this their policy first of all ingrossed the sole power of licensing all new Bookes of Divinity into his owne his Chaplaines and Creatures hands so as nothing could passe the Presse with publique approbation but by his or their precedent approbation without danger of ruine to the Authors Printers Stationers Venders Dispersers And because he feared and experimentally discerned that when Stationers or Printers were restrained to print new Bookes against Popery they would presently fall to reprint old ones formerly licenced by Authority to prevent this inconvenience to the Popish party he procured this ensuing Decree of his owne contriving to be ratified by the Lords in the Starre-Chamber then sent it to the Stationers to print and commanded them punctually to observe it whereby he Monopolized the sole power of authorizing Divinity Bookes for the Presse to himselfe and his Agents and restrained the reprinting of all Books though formerly printed by Authority without a speciall review and relicencing of them by him and his Chaplaines This Decree was intituled A Decree of Star-Chamber concerning Printing made the first day of July 1637. Imprinted at LONDON by Robert Barker c. 1637. This Decree in the Printed Order of Star-chamber prefixed thereunto is Expresly alleaged to be drawne and Penned by the advice of the most Reverend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace the Right Honourable and Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of London Lord High Treasurer of ENGLAND and of the Lord Keeper the Lord chiefe Justices and Lord chiefe Barron when it was the Archbishops project only who sent it to the Presse the others names being used only for conformity as M. Walley others attested upon Oath We shall rehearse only such clauses thereof as are most observable pertinent to our purpose 2. Jtem That no person or persons whatsoever shall at any time print or cause to be imprinted any Booke or Pamphlet whatsoever unlesse the same Booke or Pamphlet and also all and every the Titles Epistles Prefaces Proems Preambles Introductions Tables Dedications and other matters or things whatsoever thereunto annexed or therewith imprinted shall be first lawfully licenced and authorized only by such person and persons as are hereafter expressed and by no other and shall be also first entred into the Registers Booke of the Company
acquitted by the Court. 3ly That when he could not have his will of this innocent Gentleman one way he meditared present revenge another way proclamed it in open Court charging him with raising a Faction in the High-Commission Court when as his fellow Commissioners would not concur with him in his Factious prosecution to gratifie the Papists 4ly That hee bare an extraordinary affection to Popish but an extreame inveterate malice to true Protestant Saints and Martyers because hee was so farre incensed against Mr. Gillibrand and his Almanacke onely for omitting the names of false Popish Saints and Martyres and placing the names of our reall Protestant Martyres in their stead the truth whereof was then further manifested at the Bar by a memorable Passage in Doctor John Pocklingtons Altare Christianum licenced by Doctor Bray the Archbishops owne houshold Chaplaine as appeares by the printed Approbation prefixed to it and perused by the Archbishop himselfe who ordered it to be printed of which booke there being two editions Mr Pryn found both of them curiously guilded and bound up in the Archbishops Study at Lambheth in both of which this Passage remained uncorrected unexpunged wherein the Calender before the Booke of Martyres which Mr. Gellibrand imitated with our Godly Martyres are most grosly railed against censured traduced as Traytors Murderers Rebells Heretickes and the Popish Saints in whose places they were inserted proclaimed to be the holy Martyres and Confessors of Iesus Christ whose names are written in heaven in these very tearmes which you may find in the first Edition Pag. 92. and Edit 2. Pag. 114. This was the holy and profitable use of these Diptickes much like the List of persons CENSVRED BY HOLY CHVRCH called WITH SOME REPROACH OF TRVTH AND CHRISTIAN RELIGION Catalogus testium Veritatis collected into one volume by Flacius Illericus and enlarged since by others And as unlike a KALENDER that I have seene to wit that before Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments wherein THE HOLY MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS OF JESVS CHRJST who had not only place sometimes in these Dipticks but WHOSE NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN ARE RASED OVT AND TRAITORS MVRDERERS REBELS AND HERETICKS SET IN THEIR ROOMES so as if Penry Hacket or Legat had come in time they might have challenged as orient and scarlet a dye as some of them Certainly more venome and malice could never have beene couched or Vented in fewer words against Mr. Fox his authorized Kalender to his Acts Monuments against our own English Martyres the Professors of the Protestant Religion in all ages so by consequence against our Religion it selfe then is comprised vented in these lines twice published in print in these Editions by this Arch-Prelates his Chaplaines speciall approbation without the least retractation of purpose to please the Popish party offended with Mr. Gellebrands Almanacke which this Bishop would have Martyred and burned for an Hereticke as our Martyres were to gratifie the Popish party much offended at it by which the whole World may clearely discerne his strong inclination his cordiall affection to them and their his palpable disaffection to us and our Religion We shall now proceed to other evidence About the latter end of the yeare 1636. Master Prynne being certainly informed of the Archbishops intention to procure a Decree in Starchamber prohibiting the reprinting of all old Bookes of Divinity unlesse they were first reviewed purged new Licenced by his Chaplaines or Agents before this Decree was ratified sent for Michael Spark Senior and perswaded him to reprint some three or foure old Bookes of speciall use against Popery ere this Decree should passe by name Thomas Beacons Display of the Popish Masse and his Reliques of Rome as being then most seasonable opposite to the Archbishops Romish designes formerly printed cum privilegio in Queen Elizabeths Reigne An. 1560. yea dedicated to all the Bishops of England and highly approved by them Hereupon he caused Mistresse Anne Griffin to begge leave of the Company of Stationers who were owners of those Coppies to reprint these Bookes which being granted she printed off his Display of the Popish Masse and began to Print his Reliques of Rome No sooner was the first of them published abroad but a Papist seeing one of them newly printed lying to be sold in a Book-sellers shop in Paules Church-yeard reading the Title thereof grew very angry at the Booke being a very solid learned Treatise against the Popish Masse with the Ceremonies accompaning it and said hee wondered much that the Archbishop would suffer such Bookes to be Printed in this Age adding that perchance he knew not of it and therefore he would goe over to Lambheth and informe him thereof to the end it might be suddainly called in ere it were dispersed which it seemes he performed accordingly for the very next morning the Archbishop called in this Booke very strictly sending his Pursevants and Officers to seize on all of them they could meete with and understanding that Mistresse Griffin printed it he sent for her to Lambheth where he in a very angry manner demanded of her why she did reprint this book against the Masse NOW above all other times whether she could find no other time but this to print it To which she answered she did it for want of other work to imploy her servants who else must sit still seeing they could get no good New bookes Licenced Then he demanded of her how shee durst reprint it without a new License she answered She did it by leave of the Company of Stationers and knew of no order to the contrary After which he threatned her with the high Commission and told her that if she printed any more old Books though formerly licensed without a review and new licensing of them by his Chaplaines he would put downe her printing House and she should never print againe though there was then no Order to the contrary whereupon she durst not proceed to print his Reliques of Rome but gave it over All which was fully proved by the severall Oathes of Mr. Prynne Michaell Spark senior Anne Griffin such an Arch-favourer of Popery was this Prelate then grown that he would not permit this Treatise against the verry Popish Masse it selfe to be reprinted though formerly oft printed cum Privilegio growes angry at the printing of it causeth it presently to be suppressed upon a Papiste Information and thus checks the Printer Was not Popery grown to a strong head among us when not so much as one small old Booke against the Masse and Idolatry of it might passe the Presse but it must presently be suppressed by this Arch bishops speciall command and the Printer thus threatned for it Yet he forsooth if wee dare believe his Protestations was then as averse from as great an Enemy to Popery as any mortall breathing About the same time a Booke intituled The Palsegraves Religion containing the Faith and Confession of the Churches of the Palatinate formerly
constant care to uphold and maintaine the Religion prefessed in the Church of England in its purity without Error or Corruption Doth therefore hereby declare His Royall Will and pleasure to be and doth straightly Charge and Command all persons of what degree quality or condition soever to whose hands any of the said Bookes are or shall come that without delay they deliver or send them to the Bishop or Chancellor of the Diocesse whom His Majestie requireth to cause the same to be publikly burnt as such of them as have beene already seized on have beene by His Majesties expresse Commande And to this His Majesties Royall Pleasure he requireth all his loving Subjects to yeeld all doe Conformity and Obedience as they will avoid the censure of high Contempt God save the KING Given at Our Court at White-hall the fourteenth yeare of Our Reigne Vpon this Proclamation some few of these Bookes were seised and publikely burnt in Smithfield the poore Printer Oakes imprisoned divers Monthes almost to his utter undoing though he proved he complained of it to Doctor Haywood who commanded him to proceed but the Stationer was brought Ore tenus to the Star-Chamber and charged with the insertion of the Popish Passages after the Doctor had expunged them which he denied where the Archbishop made a Speech to cleare himselfe and his Chaplaine in which there was not one word of truth after which the Stationer was ordered to be committed to Prison and to find out the Translator which he affirming he could not do if he were imprisoned thereupon his imprisonment was respited and no further examination had of this foule businesse then to cleare the Archbishop and his Chaplaine by this devise in the meane time Mr. Prynnes Crosse Bill which truly related all the carriage of the businesse was suppressed that so the truth of it which he thou could would have manifested by sundry punctuall witnesses had he been permitted might never come to publike knowledge to the Archbishops and his Chaplaines shame who abused his Majesty and the People with false representations of this businesse which was now charged proved and testified against him at the Barre by Mr. Prynne Mistresse Oakes Michaell Sparke Senior and others to his shame The Epistle to a devout Soul written by a Friar then newly translated into English was licenced the selfe same day for the same Stationer that Sales book was being as full of Popery as it vvhich Mr. Prynne likewise charging in his Crosse Bill thereupon some of the Bookes were seized by the Stationers and the rest vented in private But Sales to make the Papists ammends was soone after reprinted here withall the Popery in it and sould publikely without restraint notwithstanding his Majesties Proclamation which was but a meere Pageâ—â—â— and devise of the Archbishops to cleare himselfe and his Chaplaine Having thus given you a summary Catalogue of the Popish Bookes Sermons licenced and published by him his Chaplaines and Agents we shall next present you with a List or Extract of the severall Popish Errors Doctrines Positions Paradoxes authorized and maintained in them most of them so grosse so execrable that they never durst appeare in any of our Impressions from the infancy of Reformation till this Arch-Prelate became their Patriot We shall begin with Auricular Confession and the power of Priests to remit sinnes the summe whereof is this 1. That Priests have not only a Ministeriall but an Authoritative and Juditiall Power to râ—mit sine confessed And that we ought frequently to confesse our sins to our Priests and Confessors at least once every Month especially in Lent We read in the Popes Nuntio compiled by the Venetian Ambassador concerning the Negotiation of Signior Panzanioes p. 12. That an English Doctor told Panzanioes friend that the King did approve of Auricular Confession was willing to introduce it and would use force to make it received were it not for feare of Sedition amongst the people Certainly all who shall read these ensuing authorized passages touching Auricular confession of Sins to Priests Confessors of Priests not only Ministeriall but Iuditiall Power to remit sinnes will undoubtedly beleive that at least our Popish Priests Prelates and this Archbishop in particular had a plotted resolution to introduce Auricular confession and set up an Authoritative Iuditiall power in Priests to receive confessions and remit sinnes confessed in all his Majesties Dominions The Passages to this purpose are these Mountagues Gagge p. 78. 83. 84. It is confessed that all Priests and none but Priests have power to forgive sinnes It is confessed that private confession unto a Priest is of very ancient practise in the Church we urge it and perswade it in extremis ut supra we require it in case of perplexity and likewise before the receiving of the Lords Supper according to which Doctrine and Injunction our Bishops do or should enquire of it in their Visitations touching the use and neglect of this so good an order VVhich he thus seconds in his Appeale p. 299. My words are It is confessed that private confession unto a Priest is of very Ancient practise in the Church of excellent use and benefit being discrectly handled We refuse it to none if men require it if need be to have it we urge and perswade it in extremis Wee require it in case of perplexity for the quieting of men disturbed in their consciences This is my Popery per partes for wariant whereof I bring my witnesse and authority the Injunction direction and practise of the Church and of the Bishops accordingly in the Church that which their Mother holy Church hath commanded in that sort and case to be observed pag. 312. Priests have power not only to pronounce but to give remission of sinnes which seemeth to be the Doctrine of the Communion Book in the Visitation of the sicke where the Priest saith And by his Authority committed unto me I absolve thee from all thy sinnes It is Justifiable it is the Doctrine and practise of the Church of England Pag. 315. 316. Informers it is confessed that all Priests and none but Priests have power to forgive sinnes And is it not so confessed when by publique warrant in ordination that power is given unto all Priests to doe soe in those solemne words of Ordination whose sinnes you forgive they are forgiven c. But with you Puritans this Doctrine and practice of the Church is held to bee Popery And here you inferre that Priests have no more power to do this than Laymen here you cast confession upon both one and other and Laymen may heare it aswell as a Priest and therefore it is probable you will not be very precise for Absolution to conferre it on a Layman as well as on a Priest But such absolution is a part of that Priestly power which could not be given by men or Angels but onely and immediatly by Almighty God himselfe a part of that Paramount power which the
written copy f. 231. Book f. 272. The King that is the breath of our nostrils must once dye It seems Kings in this age must be so flattered and their power so elevated that they must be reputed Gods and not put in mind of their mortality no nor other men else what meanes the crossing out of this sentence in the same Author pag. 380. Ye live banisht here in Aegypt ye were ready to starve for hunger where ye came first ye are now seated in Goshen entreated curteously yet remember ye must depart and it will be a heavy departing unto you we are wedded to the world as to a spirituall Aegypt we have need to be put in mind of our departure from it Thus the Lord Jesus shewed to Peter that the time was at hand he should lay downe his tabernacle Luke 9. 31. so Philip had his Usher who daily said to him Memento Philippe te esse mortalem Did these popish Inquisitors judge you ever thinke of death or their departure hence who obliterated such clauses as these 13. Passages deleted against Popish Blind Obedience THe Licenser expunged this clause out of Doctor Iones his Comentary on the Hebrewes in the written copy pag. 352. Some bold Papists take occasion from hence to extort caecam obedientiam blind obedience Abraham followed God not knowing whether he went so you must follow your teachers though you know not whether they call you There is no consequence in that we must follow God though we know not whether must we therefore follow men God is wise men are foolish God is truth men are deceitfull therefore saith the holy Ghost try the spirits whether they be of God the Bereans would examine Pauls doctrine by the Scrirtures before they would follow him so must we doe the chicken followes the hen must it therefore follow the Kite too if God call us let us goe though we know not whether he is our Shepheard he will not lead us into ditches or deliver us into the hands of the Wolfe he is our Father he will not carry his children where they shall be hurt he is the Eagle we are his birds let him carry us whether it pleaseth him 14. Passages expunged against the Papists that Baptisme onely binds us to observe Gods Will and Commandements and that it absolves not men from all sinnes IN Master Wards Comentary upon Matthew chapter 18. verse 20. this clause is obliterated Whether doth Baptisme onely bind us to the observance of the will and Commandements of God First Bellarm. l. b. 1. de Baptis cap. 16. answears hereunto That although Christians are bound by solemne Vow in Baptisme to walk in obedience before God and to keep his Commandements yet are they not therefore freed and exempted from the observance of the Lawes and Ordinances of men which they are bound in conscience to keep and that under paine of damnation Secondly we answer that Baptisme onely bindeth us to keep the Commandements of God and so farre forth onely to obey men as they command things lawfull but we must not be brought in bondage to mens traditions and observations seeing we are the Lords free men and by baptisme are consecrated to his service and this we confirme from this place Goe and teach baptizing them c and teaching them to observe all that I command you therfore baptisme bindeth in only to the observation of Gods precepts 1 Cor. 7. 23. ye are bought with a price be not the servants of men Baptisme is a signe of the death of Christ the price of our redemption therefore we are freed from all meere humane service in the receiving of Baptisme and for this cause it is called the baptisme of Christ Augustin Contr. Petil. lib. 3. 55. saith Legimus Paulim dixisse Evangelium meum Baptismum autem meum nunquam dixit c. i. e. We read Paul to have said my Gospell but my Baptisme never for never any of the Apostles durst call the Baptisme of Christ their baptisme therefore seeing it is the Baptisme of Christ and that we are onely baptized in his name not in our owne names or the names of men we must onely hope to be saved by saith in him and become his servants wholly If the studious Reader would see how this answer of ours is both maintained and opposed I referre him to Doctor Willets Synopsis fol. 582 and Amesius Bellarm Enervat tom 1 page 251 252. And in the same Author page 18. this sentence is expunged Quest 3. Wherein doth Baptisme excell circumcision that those who were circumcised run thus unto John to be baptized Answ 1. Pererius the Jesuit saith there is a three-fold pre-eminence of Baptisme above Circumcision viz. first in the facility and easinesse of it it not being so painfull secondly in the universality of it it being free for both sexes and all Nations professing Christ and thirdly in the efficacy thereof because Baptisme absolveth a man from all sinne and the punishment thereof Secondly we willingly acknowledge the two first poynts of preheminence but reject justly the third because neither Circumcision then nor Baptisme now hath any such efficacy actually to give remission of sinnes for if it were so then it would follow that every one who is baptized it surely saved his sinnes being remitted or else that his sinnes being remitted returne againe But God useth not where he hath once forgiven sinnes to remember them any more Ezek. 18. 22. Thirdly Baptisme we confesse in signification and representation is more rich then circumcision was washing being a more lively resemblance of our eleansing in the blood of Christ and besides it is a commemoration of a benefit performed whereas Circumcision was a type of the same to be exhibited But for the efficacy there is no difference seeing they both are seales and confirmations of faith for the remission of sinnes and not actuall conferrers and bestowers of grace although they are by the instituti on of Christ meanes and instruments of conveying grace upon the elect 15. Passages deleted against Becket Gardener with other Popish Saints Prelats Writers and in defence of Calvin and Luther IN Doctor Jones his Comentary upon the Hebrewes written copy page 323. this clause is totally obliterated I pray God there be no such that knowing the Scriptures and Fathers sinne against their owne knowledge and that of malice to the truth among them Papists What did Gardener Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancelour of England in Queen Maries dayes that burnt Cranmer and Hooper who when Doctor Day Bishop of Chichester came unto him lying on his death-bed in desperation and comforted him with the sweet mercies of God in Christ he brake forth into this speech My Lord you may say so to a man in my case but open this window once to the people and farewell all Did he not despise the spirit of grace and sinne against the holy Ghost Yet I define nothing I leave him to the supreame Judge In Doctor
the Church of England was ready to ring the Changes and insinuating unto his Auditory that there was cause to fear an Alteration of Religion saying that Religion and the Gospel stood on tiptoes ready to be gone that divers good Ministers were silenced and that they should beware of a relapse unto Popery In this censure the Archbishop had the chiefest hand as was proved by the High Commission Bookes and Mr Wardes Submission which was drawn up by Sir Iohn Lambe and sent to this Archbishop who endorsed it with his owne hand This severe sentence utterly ruined this famous painfull preacher who lay long in prison and soone after ended his dayes in great grief and sorrow In April 1630. Articles were exhibited against Mr Charles Chancy a Reverend learned painfull Minister living at Ware for preaching against the Bacchanales and disorders used by many in the Christmas holy-dayes the increase of Popery Arminianisme and using these expressions in a Sermon of his charged against him in his Articles in Ianuary before That Idolatry was admitted into the Church and that not only the prophets of Baal but Baal himselfe is received and houses multiplyed for the entertainment of them and with all saying that the preaching of the Gospel would be suppressed That there wanted men of courage to tell the Superiours in the Church of their neglect for that there was increase of much Atheisme Popery Arminianisme and Heresie in our Church since the reformation of it as at this time wherein Heresies were not onely broached but maintained whereby he raised a fear among the people and insinuated to them that some alteration of Religion would ensue and be brought in and scandalized the whole Church of England and Government thereof To these Articles Mr Chancy gave in his answer upon Oath in the High Commission the 21 of the same April and the very next day by Order of that Court the whole cause was referred to this Bishop then of London being his ordinary provided that if Mr Chancy did not submit himselfe to performe his Lordships order therein that then his Lordship if it seemed good unto him might transferre the cause backe again to be censured in this Court Whereupon Mr Chancy made a Submission to his Lordship in Latin and soon after was enforced to desert the Kingdome and set sayle for New England to avoyd further persecution All which is manifest by the Originall Articles and Mr Chancyes answer to them found among Sir John Lambes sequestred Writings by Mr Prynne and by the Order of Reference and M. Chancyes Submission endorsed with the Bishops own hand the chiefe Prosecutor of this cause To these we could add M. Cotton M. Hooker M. Davenport M. Wells M. Peters M. Glover and sundry other Ministers driven into New England and other Plantations those that fled over into Holland to avoyd his prosecution with some hundreds of Ministers questioned in the High Commission and else-where by his meanes and there suspended silenced for not publishing the Booke of Sports or not submitting to his Popish Innovations M. Salisbury was questioned and troubled by this Prelate for these passages in his Sermon on Math. 24. 6. How many thousands have made shipwrack of faith a good conscience renounced our true Church stepp'd aside to Arminianisme and from thence as it is the widest gate that opens towards Rome relapsed to Popery Thus are wee scattered in our Jacob and divided in our Israel The Low Countryes not long since if not still sighed as deeply and mourned as strongly to finde herselfe as imperceivably to be overgrowne with Arminianisme And what a faction is like to be in our deplorable England between Popery and Arminianisme together except God be more mercifull and our State the more vigilant and mindfull We shall see sooner then tell and feel sooner then see Doctor Staughton D. Sibbes D. Taylor D. Gouge M. White of Dorchester M. Rogers of Dodham with sundry more of our most eminent preaching orthodox Divines were brought into the High Commission and troubled or silenced for a time by his procurement upon frivilous pretences But in truth because they were principle Props of our Protestant Religion against his Popish and Arminian Innovations But omitting these we shall conclude this head with one memorable instance more which comes very home Mr Nathaniel Bernard Lecturer at Sepulchers in London preaching at Antholins Church in May 3. 1629. used this expression in his prayer before his Sermon Oh Lord open the eyes of the Queenes Majestie that shee may see Iesus Christ whom shee hath peirced with her Infidelity Superstition and Idolatry This Archbishop then of London was presently informed of this passage attested by Walter Kirby an Atturney of Bernards Inne Iohn Browne of Durham Minister and some others Whereupon the Bishop brought him into the High Commission where after long attendance upon his Submission this ensuing Order was framed Die Jovis viz. xxviii die mensis Januarii Anno Domini juxta c 1629. Coram Commissionariis Regiis apud Lambeth Judicialiter sedentibus presente Thoma Mottershed Registrarij Regij Deputat Officum Dominorum contra Nathanielem Bernard Clericum Prima Sessio Termini Hillarij HIS appearance by bond was respited untill this day at which day and place the said Nathaniel Bernard appeared personally and then it being objected unto him by the Court that he had in a Sermon lately by him preached or otherwise delivered some Scandalous and undutiful speeches derogatory to some particular person of most eminent place which the Court desired not to have there repeated and for that the said Mr Bernard had acknowledged his error in that kinde as some of the Commissioners there unto whom he had submitted himself reported and himselfe confessed the Court was inclined upon his submission being a young scholler and a student in Divinity to accept his submission and enclined to deal mercifully and favourably with him yet considering that his scandalous and undutifull speeches were of such high nature as could not be well remitted or pardoned by this Court without the approbation and the good liking of his most Excellent Majestie the Court desired the Lord Bishop of London to acquaint his Majestie therewith and if his Majestie upon understanding of the Cause would be graciously pleased to pardon him and leave it to the Court that then this Court would take such further order for his dismission as they should think meet Mottershed The Copy of this Order with another Paper conteining the words were both endorsed with the Bishops own hand and found among his Papers by Mr Prynne who produced them Mr Bernard not long after upon his submission was dismissed the Court After which repairing to the University of Cambridge to visit his friends he fortuned to preach at Saint Maries Church there on the 6. of May 1632. in the afternoon wherein he let fall divers Passages concerning preaching the purity of Gods Ordinances worship and against the Introducers of
the year 1626. some godly Persons in and about London to promote the preaching of the Gospel and set up a Preaching Ministry to instruct the people in divers great Towns and Parishes impropriate where they wanted means to maintain Preaching of which they had long been destitute in former times resolved to lay their purses together and chuse out of themselves four Divines four Common Lawyers and four Citizens of note who should be Feoffees in trust to purchase in these Impropriations and with the profits of them to set up and maintain a constant preaching Ministery in places of greatest need and eminency whereupon they made choice of Dr W. Gouge Dr R. Sibbs C. Ofspring I. Davenport Divines Ralph Eyre S. Brown of Lincolas Inne C. Sherland of Greyes Inne J. White of middle Temple Esquires Common Lawyers Iohn Geering Richard Davis George Harwood and Francis Bridges Citizens to be Feoffees for this purpose who with their own monyes and the contributions of other well-affected persons in 2 or 3 years space purchased in the Impropriations of Hartford Dunstable Cirencester with others and set up able preaching conformable Ministers authorized by the Bishops of the Diocesse there in many other places where they had never any before as likewise at Bridgenorth Clarely and had they not been interrupted in this good work would in very few years in all probability have purchased in most of the great Towns noted Parishes Impropriations of England in Lay-mens hands where Preaching was most wanting and meanes to maintain it No sooner had this Malignant Prelate notice of this pious religious work but out of his enmity to Preaching and the good of ignorant peoples souls whom he would rather have still keept in blindnesse and the chaines of Sathan then instructed with the Gospels light and brought under the Scepter of Jesus Christ he presently projects not only the obstruction but utter subvertion of this pious designe which none but a Devill incarnate or Enemy of all goodnesse could dislike many even of the worser sort of Bishops yea Courtiers applauding it as a very necessary and godly work That he himself projected the overthrow of these Feoffees was proved out of his own Diary where thus he writes in the close of it Things which I have projected to do if Godblesse me in them the third whereof is this To overthrow the Feofment dangerous both to Church and State going under the specious pretence of buying in Impropriations Over against which he writes in the Margin DONE which fights point-blanke with his very next project of a quite contrary nature justifying these Feoffees acts namely To procure King CHARLES to give all the Impropriations yet remaining in the Crown within the Realme of Ireland to that poor Church Against which he writes in the Margin Done and settled there though to the impairing of that Crownes revenues and that by power of the Councell Table in an arbitrary forcible and illegall way to the undoing of many as appears by sundry Originall Letters thence whereas the Feoffees buying in Impropriations did no wayes lessen the Kings revenues and was done in a just and legall way To overthrow this pious work he caused Mr Noy the Kings Atturney Generall by the Kings command to exhibit a Bill against these Feoffees in the Eschequer Chamber to confiscate their purchased Impropriations to the King by a Decree of that Court and so dissolve all they had done which Bill was prosecuted with all violence To set on the prosecution with more edge he suborned his flattering creatures to declaime against these Feoffees and their design in the Pulpit both at Court and elsewhere Among others his great Minion Peter Heylin preaching at Saint Maryes in Oxford before the whole Vniversity at the publike Act there on Sunday in the afternoon the 11th of July 1630. discharged his venome against Lecturers and these Feoffees in these bitter Invectives p. 38 39 Planting of Pensionary Lectures in so many places where it needs not and upon dayes of common labour will at the last bringing forth of fruites appear to be a tare indeed though now no wheat be counted fairer c. Wee will proceed a little further in the proposall of some things to be considered The Corporation of Feoffees for buying in Impropriations to the Church Doth it not seeme in the appearance to be an excellent peece of Wheat A noble and gracious point of Piety Is not this Templum Domini Templum Domini But blessed God that men should thus draw near unto thee with their mouths yet be far from thee in their hearts For what are those intrusted in the managing of this great businesse Are they not the most of them the most active and the best affected men in the whole cause et magna partis momenta chiefe Patrons of the faction And what are those whom they prefer Are they not most of them such as must be serviceable to their dangerous Innovations And will they not in time have more preferments to bestow and therefore more dependances then all the Prelates in the Kingdome c. Yet all this while we sleep and slumber and fold our hands in sloath and see perhaps but dare not note it This Sermon he presented to this Bishop in writing bound up in Velome who thus endorsed it with his own hand S. Mat. 13 25. Master Peter Heylin and reserved it as a monument in his study where it was seised by Mr Pryn and Mr Bendy who produced and attested it Feb. 13. 1632. this cause came to hearing and sentence in the Exchequer Chamber where the Feoffees and their good designe were utterly overthrowne of which the Bishop made this speciall Memento in his Diary in these termes Feb. 13. 1632. Wednesday the Feoffees that pretended to buy in Impropriations were dissolved in the Chequer Chamber They were the main Instruments for the Puritane faction to undoe the Church The Criminall part reserved John White of the Middle Temple Esquire a member of the House of Commons deposed at the Lords Barre that he attending this Archbishop then of London at London House as a Councellour about a right of Patronage to Chingford in Essex after the hearing of the businesse the Bishop demanded of him Whether he were not one of the Feoffees for buying in Impropriations to which he answered he was whereupon the Bishop fell upon him with much bitternesse of spirit calling him An enemy of the Church an underminer of Religion and vehemently affirmed that this worke of his and his fellow-Feoffees was mischeivous to the Church and destructive to Religion and that he would see him and his fellows shortly called to an Account for it and stop them from proceeding in that work That some few dayes after he attended this Bishop again at Fulham upon the former cause where he took occasion to discourse with him at large about the Feoffees proceedings enforming him that their onely ayme and end in purchasing in Impropriations was for the
told him he was the most odious man at Rome of any or of any that had sate in that Sea The Arch-bishop then averred that he used these speeches to him at dinner at Lambeth at a time when Auditor Phillips was there who demanded of Sir Henry whether he saw the Pope when he was at Rome and what manner of man he was Who replied that he saw him in his Garden out of a window riding a great horse in a morning and that he was very like the Auditor Sir Henry confessed this discourse with the Auditor but absolutely denied he ever said he was the most odious man at Rome of any c. and desired him to prove it Wherupon the Archbishop asked of his Secretary Dell whether he did not heare Sir Henry tell him so much at dinner Who answered that he did not heare him say so but that his Grace told him after dinner that he said so which Sir Henry peremptorily denied After which Sir Henry being demanded by Master Serjeant Wild who they were that spake against the Arch-bishop who for him and what he conceived to be the cause why some spake thus against him others in his behalf He answered that there were two factions in Rome one of the Jesuits some of these disliked the Arch-bishop and spake against him because they conceived he aimed at too great an Ecclesiasticall power in these Kingdomes for himself The other was of the Secular Priests who all spake very well of him and commended him because he carried himselfe in such sort in the government of our Church as to draw it neerer unto the Church of Rome and shewed himselfe favourable to their party Whereupon the Arch-bishop said that Sir Henry never told him this before Who answered it was true and the reason was because he never demanded of him any such Question but now he was demanded the Question upon his Oath and therefore he must speak the truth At which passage most of the Auditory smiled and the Committee of Commons who managed the Evidence thanked the Arch-bishop for this good testimony on his behalfe desiring him to furnish them with some more such witnesses Adding that seeing Sir Henry was but a single witnesse in this case and so perhaps the Arch-bishop would evade his testimony though produced by himselfe and since he had given them this occasion to examine what opinion the Priests and Jesuits had of him at Rome they therefore humbly desired that they might now produce the testimonies of some other Gentlemen of note who had been at Rome as well as S. Hen. could give as good or better an account of his credit there as he had done Whereupon they poduced Captain Authony Mildmay brother to Sir Henry to testifie his knowledge in this particular who deposed at the Bar upon oath That he was at Rome at the time when Con the Popes Nuncio was to come over into Eng. as Nuncio who then enquired of him concerning the infirmities and age of Arch-bishop Abbot and thereupon said Bishop Laud who is to succeed him will be more favourable to us then he hath been That there were two great factions in Rome one of the Jesuits another of the Secular Priests that the Jesuits faction did not like the Archb. because he usurped too much Ecclesiasticall power to himself and endeavoured to make himselfe a Patriarke over all his Majesties Kingdomes but the Secular Priests and their faction loved and spake very well of him because they said they knew him to be their friend and that he had a designe to bring the Popish Religion into England That Father Fitton and Father John told him that there was a designe to reconcile England to the Church of Rome that Bishop Laud was the chiefe instrument in it that other English Bishops did joyne with him in the designe and that he should find that there should be none preferred in the Court but such as were Papists or affected to popery That Father Fitton being the generall agent for the Secular Priests had extraordinary good intelligence from England and that Master Walter Mountague when he was at Rome lay at his house that Father John was the generall agent at Rome for the Benedictines and that Father Talbot a Jesuit had told him as much as these two had done concerning Bishop Laud who yet spake somewhat ill of him because said he he intends to make himselfe a Patriark of all the Kings Dominions out of his pride which he said would eclipse the Popes authority and therefore he said he was condemned at Rome by their party the Jesuits for this particular although otherwise he was a great favourer of their Religion This testimony even from Rome it selfe is very full and punctuall to our purpose that there was no difference at all between the Secular Priests and the Archbishop nor yet between the Jesuits and him but only this that he out of his ambition would like his Predecessor Anselme be Papa alterius orbis the Pope or Patriark of our other world and of the Kings Dominions which the titles of Sanctitatis Vestrae Sanctissime Pater attributed to him by the University of Oxford and Master Croxton made them jealous of which the Jesuits could not well brook at Rome But to make this more cleer we shall adde one witnesse more who hath been often times at Rome and spent divers yeers among papists in foraigne parts and that is one Master Thomas Challoner a Gentleman of quality who thereupon being sworn gave in this following testimony viva voce upon oath which he set downe under his owne hand MY LORDS TOuching the Arch-bishop of Canterbury I can say little in particular but in generall thus First that for these fourteen or fifteen yeers last past it hath been my fortune divers and sundry times to be in France Flanders Holland and Italy where very often happening into the company of Lawyers priests and men of the long Robe I found them alwayes very forward in their discourse of England and of the great hopes they had to see it suddenly reduced to the catholike faith that they had many great parsons in England who were secretly of their religion and in particular the Arch-bishop whom they avowed to be wholly theirs a good Roman Catholike a politike propagator of the Roman faith by minutes and degrees wherein he used great subtilty and craft which they called wisdom and that both he and others would openly declare themselves so to be in time convenient beseeching God the blessed Virgin to prosper his designes And this is so notorious as I beleeve no man of any experience in foraigne parts who hath had an eare to hear or a tongue and heart to speak the truth but hath heard the same often re-iterated and will attest it Yet upon what foundation these opinions should be built I am not precisely able to determine Secondly that eleven or twelve yeers since I being at Bruxels in Brabant
and there discoursing with an English Gentleman who had been an ancient traveller touching the then late rooting out of sundry English able and orthodox Ministers for not complying with the Bishops in divers new idolatrous ceremonies this Gentleman assured me that he had often heard of strange reports of matters likely to befall England both from English and Irish papists which he gave no heed unto supposing them to speake rather as they would have it then as it was in verity But now that he had heard so much from me he did much suspect that there was some plot in hand to change the Religion in Eng. wherof he would diligently enquire assuring me that he had as good means to know it as any man of our Nation that lived on that side of the Seas At our next meeting he told me that he had dived into the plot That ere long we must all of necessity be papists in Eng. that the best wits both in Eng. and on that side of the Seas were interested therein That it was so politickly laid that he did not see how in the judgment of man it could possibly be prevented That the Archb. and some other Bishops were of the plot and that the rest of the Bishops and Clergy partly for feare of losing what they had partly for hopes of geting more would undoubtedly comply That the refusers if they could not be corrupted were to be turned out of their livings banished imprisoned or forced to live in obscurity That it was to be done by gradations to bring in this point of Popery in one quarter of a yeer and the rest in another and if not direct popery yet so neer thereunto as the common people themselves would slide into it unawares that nothing but the King of Sweden's prosperity did hinder the sudden effecting of it Lastly that if we resisted not we should be cheated and cozened of our Religion and if we resisted we should be compelled thereto perforce I replied that I thought the Papists in England were not of any considerable number to effect their ends by force and that they were also dis-armed He told me the Papists were more in number and better armed then I conceived them to be many going now to Church who would then declare themselves papists besides a world of Newters who for hopes of preferment would be easily drawne to their party that they vvere all united and besides armed with authority He affirming that for many yeers vve had vvholly been governed by Papists most men in highest authority being either vvholly so or at least as serviceable unto them for private ends as if they vvere so indeed I replied that if we should be compelled to defend our Religion by force their authority would not be regarded He told me the Irish vvould be brought in I answered that I had spent some yeers in Ireland and knew them to want both courage and meanes to effect so great a businesse so that unlesse they were backed by the King of Spaine in a better manner then I conceived he was able at that time to doe they durst not undertake it He told me they should have a better back and more encouragement then the King of Spaine could give them and that both France and Spain should assist therein I replied that I thought France and Spaine were likely to disagree and therefore unfit for such a businesse He told me that since J vvould needs have it the greatest introducers of popery should be the Protestants themselves Whereat vvhen J vvondred as seeming to me a paradox he told me that the vvar should be so disguised under false notions and pretences as the Protestants should ignorantly become the Jesuits servants and by the effusion of their ovvne blood set up popery by force Thirdly that being in Rome seven or eight yeers since one Father John of the Order of Saint Benet was very tnquisitive of me to knovv vvho bestovved the livings in England and vvhether the Arch bishop did not doe it I answered that the livings were in the donation of such as had the Advousons of them whether it were the King Arch bishops Bishops Deanes and Chapters Colledges Corporations Noble men Gentlemen or others He asked me if the Arch-bishop did not bestow the Kings livings I said no but the Lord Keeper if they were under such a value if above the King himselfe He seemed very much agrieved that the Arch-bishop did not bestow them and told me that he did not despaire of seeing England to be very suddenly Catholike And though be were by reason of his Order tyed more strictly to the Pope then others were yet he was carefull to have both Kings and Kingdomes priviledges preserved and more particularly that the Benefices in England might not be bestowed upon Italians as formerly but that the Arch-bishop should have the ordering thereof All this I have oft related some yeers since to divers persons of quality for which I incurred some trouble by the Jesuits and this Arch-bishops meanes This Testimony is so home and punctuall that we shall adde no more thereto it informs us of a long since plotted and actuated confederacy between this Archbishop and other English Prelats and the Popes Instruments at Rome and in other forraigne parts to introduce popery and reduce us back to Rome It chalks out to us the manner and method of their proceedings in all particulars and the politick contrivances of all sorts to effect their intended designe all which we have by wofull experience seen punctually acted pursued accordingly to this very moment in which pursuit this Archbishop hath been the Archinstrument since then we visibly behold these reports of theirs verefied to the view of all the world we must no longer look upon them is empty rumours or discourses but as reall Evidences beyond all exceptions The second groundwork we shall lay and prove is this That there hath been for many yeers last past a dangerous damnable Plot and serious endeavour of the Pope and his Instruments to reduce and reconcile the Church of England to the Church and Sea of Rome and that this Arch-bishop was privy to and had notice of it This Plot was first laid about the yeer 1617. when the Spanish Match was set on foot and King Charles then Prince of Wales fent into Spaine of purpose to reconcile him and in him our Kingdomes to the Church of Rome the prime end the Pope and Catholikes intended in that Match and Treaty as appeares by the severall Articles passages and proceedings in it well knowne to this Prelate by the Popes Letter to the Prince whiles in Spaine to reconcile him to Rome and make him a dutifull Sonne of that Church by the Popes Letter to his Nuncio the Bishop of Conchen when the Prince was in Spaine to endeavour his conversion to their Church upon this occasion by a Jesuits Oration to induce his Highnesse to that Religion and by the
engaging the King in a bloody warre against the Scots and working him to their party and in case they could not doe it then to give him a poysoned sigge as his Father was poysoned and seize upon the Prince whom they would educate in the Romish Religion This Plot was discovered meerly out of remorse of conscionce by one who was a chiefe actor in it sent from Rome to assist Con the Popes Lagat in his Negotiations in England to one Andreas ab Habernfield Physitian to the Queen of Bohemia who disclosed it to Sir William Boswell the Kings leager at the Hague who from thence by sundry Letters revealed it to this Arch-bishop in whose chamber at the Tower the whole plot and originall Letters concerning it were seized on by Master Prynne who attested and produced them at the Barre and published them at large to the world by order of Parliament in Romes Master-piece where the principall Agents in this plot and their proceedings therein are particularly related many of them as Secr Windebank the Earle and Countesse of Arundell Mr. Porter of the Bed-chamber and Sir Toby Matthew being the Arch-bishops intimate friends and familiars Of this Plot the Arch-bishop took such speciall notice that he acquainted the King himselfe with it as appeares by his owne Letter to the King and his Majesties Answer to it with his owne royall hand to it in the margin sent from York to Lambeth Yet for all this he was so far from crossing this their Jesuiticall designe that he confederated and joyned with the Jesuits and popish party in fomenting maintaining the war against the Scots and revived it when it was ceased by perswading the King to break the first pacification and denounce a second war against them The third particular we shall produce to prove an endeavour of the Pope and Cardinall Barbarino at Rome to reconcile reduce us back to them and that this Arch-bishop had notice of it is a Letter found in his Study attested by Master Prynne written to him by one Master John Greaves from Ligonne March 3. 1639. indorsed with his owne hand thus Rece Mar. 27. 1640. Fastidius printed at Rome Wherein Master Greaves hath this clause I humbly beseech your Grace to pardon my presumptions and this other Information which I shall give your Grace They have printed at Rome a Book of Fastidius a Britaine Bishop De Vitâ Christianâ WHICH THE CARDINALL FRANCISCO BARBARINO INTENDS TO DEDICATE TO HIS SACRED MAJESTY a Book of singulan devotion and piety and of great Antiquity the Author being a Bishop in England about three hundred yeers after our Saviour Lucas Holstenius a very learned man hath the care oft the Edition but hath not I thinke as yet finished the Annotations upon it For the Text he and I compared the Manuscript which was also very ancient with the printed Copy and I find it exactly to agree Now what other meaning could there be for this Cardinall to print this book at Rome to dedicate it publikely to our King and to use Master Greaves himselfe in comparing the printed Copy with the Manuscript but to insinuate himself into the Kings affections thereby to reduce both him and his Dominions unto the bosome of the Church of Rome which the forementioned discovery of this and the Jesuits Plot by Andreas ab Habernfield more largely demonstrates this Cardinall sending over sundry Statues Pictures Antiquities and other vanities from Rome to his Majesty to incline him to the Roman party as we have elsewhere manifested The fourth particular Evidence we shall insist on which addes luster and vigor to all the former is the Book intituled Deus Natura Gratia Vbi ad trutinam Fidei Catholicae examinatur Confessio Anglicana ad singula puncta quid teneat qualiter differat execuitur Accessit Paraphrastica Exposit to reliquorum Articulorum Confessionis Anglicae per Fr. Franciscum â Sancta Clara olim apud Duacenses in Collegio B. Bon aventurae Provinciae ANGLIAE F. F Minorum S. Theolog. Lectorem primarium Printed Lugduni 1634. Cum Privilegio Regis approbatione Doctorum This Book was dedicated to our King Charles with a Dedicatory Epistle to seduce his Majesty in his Religion and induce him to establish the Romish Religion amongst us by his Royall authority as this close of the Epistle manifests Periculosum nobis admodum atquè etiam miserabile est tot nunc fides existere quot voluntates c. Contremiscunt ossa mea dum hoc recogito Morbus ubi spiritus vitales opprimuntur nempè ut fides radix vitae corrumpitur difficilime sanatur Hic morbus noster Remedium tamen illud efficax à Samaritano nostro designatum reperimus nec aliud nisi illud DIC ECCLESIAE Dico Ecclesiae definitiones Majestati Vestrae propono Sanctorum Patrum Venerabilium Doctorum expositiones Novorum ineptijs praepono quas dum modestè retego in Christo â—ego saniem non-scalpendo sed suavitèr lambendo lavo ut abluam SACRO VESTRO IMPERIO OPUS QUIPPE UT EXECUTIONI MANDETUR quod ab Ecclesia Sanctis Patribus sancitum est secundum illud Justiniani Constit 42. Haec decrevimus Sanctorum Patrum canones secuti HOC TUA MAJESTATE DIGNUM hoc dignitati causae consonum HOC SALUTI ANIMARUM PRORSUS NECESSARIUM ET OMNIS POPULUS DICET AMEN Sacrae suae Majestatis Devotissimus Subditus Fr. Fran. â S. Clara. The scope of the whole Book in the composing and publishing was to reconcile reduce both our King Church and the Articles of our Religion which iâ— coments upon to the Church of Rome This we shall evidence First by the Authors owne expresse confession pag. 338. Instudui ut vides pie Lector RECONCILIARE Articulos Confessionis Anglicae DETERMINATION IBUS ECCLESIAE CATHOLICAE NON ECCLESIAM IPSIS ex quâ collapsi sunt SED IPSOS ECCLESIAE in qua Dei opitulante Gratia salvandi sunt DUCENDOS CENSUI Corticem verborum subinde censurâ graviori dignum censebis sensum ocrò latitantem quem elicui non adeò veritati dissonum nisi alio detorquere malint recte judicabis his tamen verborum Novitatibus Christum lacerum inspexi tunicam inconsuâ—ilem dissutam dissectam reperi quis non condoleret quis non REDINTEGRATIONEM SUADERET omnibus modis si posset PERSUADERET HIC UNICUS SCOPUS MEUS c. Omnia Ecclesiae ejus sub Christo capiti the Pope quâ del eo reverentiâ submitto Vltro obtestor Deum Sanctos ejus me in hoc qualicunque Opello nostro animarum salutem PER FIDEI REDINTIGRATIONEM intendere Quod Deus per viscera Domini Nostri Jesu Christi ad intercessionem omnium beatorum opportunè efficiat ET SERENISSIMUM REGEM NOSTRUM PRO OMNIUM CATHOLICORUM VOTIS AD UTRAMQUE FAELICITATEM PERDVCAT Secondly by the censures and judgements of the Doctors and Divines who are twelve in number prefixed by way of
in by the High Commission and attested onely by Master Sparke a single Witnesse Bishop Downhams Book was called in by the Kings speciall command both in England and Ireland because published contrary to the his Royall Proclamation and Declaration For Master Prynnes Perpetuity I doe not know that it was burnt in private if it were it was by the censure of the Court there being some things in it liable to just exceptions Doctor Sutcliffes Book is not proved to be called in by me For Master Prynne Master Burton and those that printed their Books they were not censured in the High Commission but dismissed thence without censure For Doctor Jackson he was a learned discreet man I licensed not his Book nor doe I know he professed himselfe an Arminian True it is the Historicall Narration was licensed by my Chaplaine Doctor Martin without my privity for which I turned him out of my service and the Book it selfe was called in and suppressed Fourthly the Kings Proclamation and Declaration before the Articles were his owne not mine both published to settle peace in the Church by silencing those controversies which disturbed it by printing or preaching which unquiet spirits would not submit to and the Authors of the Books forementioned among others with some other Preachers about the City and University for which they were justly questioned suspended and some that broached Arminian Tenets in Oxford were brought in question and ordered to recant as well as those that preached against it The censure of Master Ford and his complices in Oxford was by the King and Counsell upon a solemne hearing at Woodstock not by me and they well deserved it for kindling such a fire in the University as was like to set all in combustion For the University of Cambridge I medled not with it The considerations was not my paper but Bishop Harsnets who drew them and I did but transcribe them and the end of them was not to supresse preaching against Arminianisme but to preserve peace and order in the Church For the Instructions they were the Kings not mine and they were sent to me in a Letter by my Predecessor Archbishop Abbot and brought to me by his Secretary Master Baker with command to see them put in execution within my Diocesse of London to prove which I have produced the testimony of Master Dobson who affirmed it to be true Fiftly for the purging some passages out of Bishop Hals and Bishop Davenants Letter and imprisoning Master Butter for printing them I answer that the same was done by my Chaplaine as being contrary to his Majesties Proclamation and Declaration and Bishop Hall himselfe at last consented to it and was well satisfied upon the reason given him by my Chaplaine that it was for the quiet of the Church and therefore for the Printer of his owne head to put it in deserved exemplary punishment Sixtly there is no proofe that the Articles of Irreland were reversed by my procurement it was done by the Convocation there where I was not present To this was replied in generall That his endeavours to introduce Arminianisme were so fully cleered by the premised evidence and his protection both of the Authors and fomenters of it that impudency it selfe would blush to deny it That the Jesuits Letter which he had in his custody endorsed with his owne hand did fully discover to him that the planting and introducing Arminianisme here in England was their Plot and chief Engine to subvert our Religion And though it makes no particular mention of him yet it informes their Superiour and others that the Arminians had locked up the Dukes eares already a Periphrasis of himselfe the Dukes Earwig as he was then stiled who had his eare more then any His compliance therefore with the Arminians notwithstanding they were but the Jesuits instruments to drive on their designes as he certainly knew by this Letter much agravates his crime and makes exceedingly against him True it is there are some strange passages concerning Parliaments in this Letter but himselfe hath as bad or worse in his Diary and Answer to the Remonstrance of the Commons Anno 1628. therefore certainly he disliked not these in this Letter Particularly this replication was retorted to these his answers First that he was a professed patriot of the Arminians persons Books Tenens and particularly of Bishop Mountagues of whose cause he was most anxious and inquisitive whom he acquainted with his Majesties speciall favour to him while he lay under the cloud of the Parliaments displeasure his receiving all informations or speeches against his Erronious booke whose proceedings in Parliament when there questioned were daily represented to and reserved carefully by him whose ill book and opinions were in sundry conferences particularly justified by him whose preferments proceeded originally from him and with whom he held most intimate correspondency till his death as the forecited passages in his owne Diary and alleaged evidence proves most fully For his advancement by Sir Dully Carltons meanes it is but a bare surmise contrary to the Dockquet Book to excuse himselfe The Proclamation for calling in his book proceeded from the Parliaments prosecution of him not from this Bishops care who ordered it so that it proved the chiefe instrument of promoting Arminianisme by hindring all writing and preaching against it what in him lay he informing the world in the very Proclamation it selfe that the Author was punished onely with a good Bishoprick for writing this Book highly advanced maugre three severall Parliaments complaints and opposition In briefe the Commons Remonstrance is a sufficient evidence of his guilt and no slander at all as he slanderously tearmes it being verified by so many proofs Secondly his answer to the Remonstrance of the Commons is full of bitternesse sawcinesse scandals against the Parliament charging them with untruths in the highest degree onely for speaking that which was most true That he was commanded to returne this answer to it by the King himselfe without any suit of his owne is very improbable and rests on him to prove which he hath not done However he proves not that he did exceed his Commission And whereas he alleageth by way of excuse that his answer to it was never published truly this was his griefe as appeares by his owne endorsment of it and no act of his who desired to have it printed then Whereas he pretends he durst not have answered it had not the King commanded him certainly he that durst controll the Kings owne Letters Patents under his Seale as he did in the case of the collection for the Palatinate and sundry other particulars given in evidence against him revoke the Kings own pardons and prohibitions to the high Commission saying they should not serve the turn yea deprive the King of his Soveraignty that he should not relieve nor pardon any man censured in the high Commission though never so unjustly that hath presumed so frequently to break off Parliaments yea to
so he deserved to be censured for it That the Papists burnt it I could not help that Neither did it agree with Master Fox his Calender but he abused it in leaving out divers Saints allowed by the Church of England as the Epiphany and Annunciation of our Lady For Doctor Pocklingtons Book wherein he abused our Martyrs it was licensed by his Chaplain Doctor Bray who was censured for it as was Doctor Pocklington too in the Lords House But it is objected that my Chaplaines act is in law mine owne I answer not unlesse I command it But the Book it selfe was found in my Study and I preferred Doctor Pocklington for it I know no such thing and though I had the Book yet I knew not of this passage in it Fourthly for the calling in of Beacons Book printed by Mistris Griffin it is nothing to me what a Jesuit said of it and if called in it was because she reprinted it contrary to the Star-chamber Decree Fiftly for the Palsgraves Religion I remember it not and if called in it was because it was contrary to the Kings Declaration and touched upon some points of controversie prohibited by it Sixtly the hindring of the reprinting of Master Fox Bishop Jewell and Doctor Willet was no act of mine Seventhly I hindered the printing of no new Books against Popery Eightly the questioning of Master Prynne Master Burton and the rest in the High Commission was no act of mine but the Courts nor were they censured but got off without censure Master Burton said he was questioned before the Counsell Table for one of his Books as a Libell If it were a Libell there was cause to doe it He added he could not be quiet for being troubled in the high Commission nor could the Church be quiet for him which was the cause of his trouble He affirmed I committed him to the Fleet and denied him the benefit of the Petition of Right I answer there was cause enough for his commitment for printing of Books without license and for disturbing the peace of the Church and he had the benefit of the Petition of Right because the reason of his commitment was expressed in the Warrant Ninthly I licensed none of the particular books forecited my selfe nor any of my Chaplains to my knowledge I am certaine not by my command and if any of them have transgressed herein themselves must answer for it not I who having many other weighty publike affaires to look after had no time to peruse or license Books my selfe and was enforced to commit this trust to their care Tenthly to the particular books I answer First that though Sales his book was licensed by my Chaplaine yet he was abused therein by the Translator Printer who was punished for it in Star-chamber The book it self was called in and burnt by Proclamation and I dismissed the Doctor for licensing it out of my house and service For Christs Epistle to a devout Soule it was licensed at London House by Doctor Weeks the Bishop of Londons Chaplain not mine and so nothing to me besides it was suppressed before it was published For Doctor Heylins Books they are nothing to me I had no hand in them nor yet in Doctor Pocklingtons who hath been censured for them himselfe For Bishop Mountagues Impressions they concerne not me I did neitheir advise nor authorize them For the Lives of the Emperours which commend the Councell of Trent the Book was not licensed and I know not of it For the Popish Index Biblicus printed in England it is nothing to me it was without my privity and direction For the severall popish passages objected out of some newbooks the Authors themselvs must answer them at their perill they concerne not me For the rejecting of Master Prynnes Crosse Bill in Star-chamber complaining of these popish Books and Doctrines it was none of my act but the Courts and Lord Keeper Coventries and so was Mr. Burtons censure for his Book in which I gave no Vote For Master Croxtons Letter to me with a Crosse enjoyning Auricular confession I could not hinder it nor his practise of confession being in Ireland And for the passages objected out of mine owne Speech in Star-chamber that they imply and necessarily inferre the popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation and the giving of divine worship to the Altar even the same that is given to God I answer that neither of these can be inferred from thence for my words onely imply that Christs body is truly and really present in the Sacrament yet not corporally but in a spirituall manner and so is received by us which is no more then Master Calvin himselfe affirmes on the 1 Cor. 11. 24. where thus he writes Neque enim mortis tantum Resurrectionis suae beneficium nobis offert Christus sed corpus suum in quo passus est Resurrexit Concludo REALITER ut vulgo loquuntur id est VERE Nobis in Coena datur Christi corpus ut sic Aâ—imis Nostris in Cibum salutarem and Master Perkins himselfe faith as much For my words that we should bow DEO ET ALTARI which are coupled both together with a Conjunction Copulative yea both bowed to at the self-same time in one and the same act and the worship directed to and terminated in both alike Ergo divine worship is given to the Altar herein as well as to God which is flat Idolatry or but such civill reverence given to God as is rendred to the Altar which is to dishonour God and gives him no greater worship in his house then is due unto a creature I answer that though the act of bowing be the same to both yet the object mind and intention being different the worship must be so too There is a double worship and bowing one of the body the other of the heart as Master Perkins himselfe distinguisheth which is properly called Veneration when done but to a creature in a civill respect and worship onely when given to God himself To this was replied Ferst that this Decree of Star-chamber concerning printing was onely his owne act originally who projected and put that Court upon it whereof he was an over-potent Member theirs onely Ministerially to satisfie his importunity therein as the forecited Passages in the Decreee it selfe and our Witnesses attest Yea the printing of it was by his own command to enlarge his Jurisdiction which it much advanced We grant that some things in the Decree were good approved of by the Stationers who desired the same of which we complain not and some particulars very usefull had a right use been made of them But the prohibiting reprinting of all Orthodox Books formerly printed by authority unlesse re-licensed by him or his Agents the deniall of any old book to be reprinted even against Popery it selfe with the suppressing or purging most new Books against Popery under pretext of this Decree and the arbitrary punishing such who transgressed herein both in the Star-chamber
the hearing And whereas he pretends he was not present at his censure which he proves not we know he was vertually if not personally present thereat yea his unjust suppression of his tendred Answer and defence was the onely cause of his censure which if received were so learned solid satisfactory that prophanenesse and injustice it selfe could not have imposed such a censure on him Thirdly annuall Feasts of Dedication of Churches are not so ancient but that we know their Originall The Feast of Dedication of the Altar instituted by Judas Maccabeus was the first of this kind we read of Indeed Solomon kept a Feast for seven dayes space when the Temple was dedicated And Constantine the great with some others in his dayes when Churches were dedicated made a great Feast but that those Feasts continued annuall in perpetuity I find no mention in any approved Antiquity These annuall Feasts of dedication were first invented by the spurious popish Decrees of Pope Felix and Gregory thus recorded by Gratian Solennitates dedicationum Ecclesiarum Epissoporum Saterdotum per singulos annos sunt celebrandae Solennitates Ecclesiarum dedicationum Sacerdotum per singulos annos solenniter sunt celebrandae ipso Domino exemplum dante qui ad festum dedicationis Templi omnibus id faciendi dans formam cum reliquis populis eandem festevitatem celebraturus venit sicut scriptum est Facta sunt Encoenia in Hieru olymis hyems erat ambulabat Jesus in Temple in porticu Solomonis Quod autem octo diebus encaenia sint celebrando in libro Regum perfecta dedicatione Templi cernas Other Decrees then these of these two Popes the latter whereof is built upon cleer mistakes of Scripture cannot be produced These Bacanalian feasts are thus censured by Aretius Problem 126. Hodie verò Solennitates instituuntur tote die bibitur tote die luditur saltatur lascivi cantus audiuntur quae omnia magis spirant Bacchi quoddam festum à Maenadibus celebrandum quam piam Christianismi antiquitatem And were wholly abolished among us by the Injunctions of King Henry the eighth and Statute of 6 Edw. 6. c. 3. by reason of the idlenesse excesse and great mischiefes they produced to mens soules Yea many Judges riding the Westerne Circuit suppressed the Wakes and Revels kept upon them from time to time for these abuses and other weighty Reasons Yet this prophane Arch-prelate revives re-establisheth them by this DECLARATION causeth those Judges Orders to be reversed with a strong Hand by a Plot and Certificate from Bishop Pierce and others checks nay punisheth Chiefe Justice Richardson removes him from that Circuit and le ts loose the Reines to all Licentiousnesse prophanenesse whereby infinite mischiefs ensued as we have fully proved So that this whole Charge sticks still upon him Ninthly from these ceremoniall and practicall they proceed to doctrinall innovations in matters of Religion wherein I am charged First with an endeavour to introduce and propagate Arminianisme in our Church the rediest inlet to Popery and a part thereof though I knew it to be a plot of the Jesuits to subvert our Religion as appears by the Jesuits Letter and that principally First in being a common Patriot of Arminians together with their Books Tenets and a preferrer of such by name of Bishop Mountague and his Appeale complained of in Parliament Doctor Jackson and others for which I was taxed by a Declaration of the Commons in Parliament Secondly in censuring the Commons Declaration in Parliament against the Arminians and their Vote too Thirdly in calling in and suppressing Books against Arminianisme though licensed and questioning censuring the Authors Printers dispersers of them in the high Commission as Bishop Carltons and Bishop Downames Books Doctor Featlies Doctor Goads Master Rouses Doctor Sutcliffes Master Prynnes Master Burtons Books and others when as the Arminian Authors went unquestioned and their Books printed by authority as Doctor Jacksons Book and the Historicall Narration licensed by my owne Chaplaine Doctor Martin Fourthly In abusing his Majesties Proclamation his Declaration before the 39. Articles of our Church with the subsequent Instructions prohibiting controversies against the Article especially in the controverted points of Arminianisme to suppresse all preaching against Arminian errours and punish such as durst oppose them by silencing suspending censuring them in the high Commission or elswhere and conniving at the Arminians to vent and preach their errours freely under pretext thereof without restraint or opposition both in the University and City Fiftly for purging passages against Arminianisme and Arminians out of Books tendred to the Presse and particularly out of Bishop Hals and Bishop Davenants Letters with some other incident particulars which fall under these heads Sixtly in repealing the Articles of Ireland against Arminianisme which King James declaimed against as damnable heresie To this I answer in generall that I never endeavoured to introduce Arminianisme into our Church nor ever maintained any Arminian opinions For the Jesuits Letter it is nothing at all to me it layes nothing to my charge in particular and it was lawfull for me to read and keep it it containes many strange vile things in it against the Parliament which I approve not but detest To the particulars I answer First that I did neither protect nor countenance the Arminians persons books or tenets for Bishop Mountague I had no hand in his Book I countenanced it not it was suppressed and called in by Proclamation he was preferred by Sir Dudly Carltons meanes not mine who was then a stranger to me True is is I was in a Declaration of the Commons house taxed as a favourer advancer of Arminians and their opinions without any particular proofe at all which was a great slander to me Secondly I answer that being publickly traduced in that Declaration I did returne an answer to vindicate my owne innocency as was necessary for me to doe to free my selfe from that scandall without any derogation to the Parliaments authority Neither did I this till I was expresly commanded by the King himselfe as appeares by the endorsment whose command it was lawfull yea necessary for me to obey and I durst not have done it without such his Royall command After which I penned it with all due respect to the Parliament and it was never published For my answer to the Parliaments Vote it was onely a private paper kept in my Study and communicated to none written for my owne private satisfaction and derogating noting from the power of Parliaments it belonging properly to the Convocation and Church of England by the Lawes and Statutes of the Land to make Canons and settle controversies in Religion as the Statute of 25. Hen. 8. c. 19. 1. Eliz. c. 1. evidence Thirdly the calling in and suppressing of these Books and prosecuting the Authors Printers of them in the High Commission was the Courts act not mine For Bishop Carltons Book it was called