And as if this had not been sufficient he procured sixe Subsidies to be lifted of the Clergy under paine of deprivation to all that should refuse And which is yet worse and above which Malice it selfe cannot ascend by his meanes a Prayer is framed Printed and sent through all the Paroches of England to be said in all Churches in time of Divine Service next after the Prayer for the Queene and Royall Progeny against our Nation by name of Trayterous Subjects having cast off all obedience to our annoynted Soveraigne and comming in a rebellious manner to invade England that shame may cover our faces as Enemies to God and the King Whosoever shall impartially examine what hath proceeded from himselfe in these two Bookes of Canons and Common Prayer what Doctrine hath beene published and Printed these yeares by-past in England by his Disciples and Emissaries what grosse Popery in the most materiall points we have found and are ready to shew in the posthume writings of the Prelate of Edenburgh and Dumblane his owne creatures his neerest familiars and most willing instruments to advance his counsels and projects â—all perceive that his intentions were deepe and large against all the reformed Kirkes and Reformation of Religion which in his Majesties dominions wes panting and by this time had rendred up the Ghost if God had not in a wonderfull way of mercy prevented us And that if the Pope himselfe had beene in his place he could not have beene more Popish nor could he more zealously have negotiated for Rome against the Reformed Kirkes to reduce them to the Heresies in Doctrine the Superstitions and Idolatry in worship and the Tyranny in Government whâ—ch are in that See and for which the Reformed Kirkes did separate from it and come furth of Babell From him certainely hath issued all this deluge which almost haâ—h overturned all We are therefore confident that your Lordships will by your meanes deale effectually wiâ—h the Parliament that this great firebrand be presently removed from his Majesties presence and that he may be put to tryall and put to his deserved censure according to the Lawes of the Kingdome which fall be good service to God honour to the King and Parliament terrour to the wicked and comfort to all good men and to us in speciall who by his meanes principally have beene put to so many and grievous afflictions wherein we had perished if God had not beene with us We doe indeed confesse that the Prelates of England have beene of very different humours some of them of a more hot and others of them men of a more moderate temper some of them more and some of them lesse inclinable to Popery yet what knowne truth and constant experience hath made undenyable we must at this opportunity professe that from the first time of Reformation of the Kirke of Scotland not onely after the comming of King Iames of happy memory into England but before the Prelates of England have beene by all meanes uncessantly working the overthrow of our discipline and government And it hath come to passe of late that the Prelates of England having prevailed and brought us to subjection in the point of Governement and finding their long waited for opportunity and a rare congruity of many spirits and powers ready to cooperate for their ends have made a strong assault upon the whole externall worship and doctrine of our Kirke By which their doing they did not aime to make us conforme to England but to make Scotland first whose weakâ—nesse in râ—sisting they had before experienced in the Novations of government and of some poynts of Worship and thereafter England conforme to Rome even in these matters wherein England had separated from Rome ever since the time of Reformation And evill therefore which hath issued not so much from the personall disposition of the Prelates themselves as from the innate quality and nature of their office and Prelaticall Hierarchy which did bring furth the Pope in ancient times and never ceaseth till it bringeth furth Popish Doctrine and worship where it is once rooâ—ed and the Principles thereof fomented and constantly followed And from that antipathy and inconsistency of the two formes of Ecclesiasticall Government which they conceived and not without cause that one Island united also under one head and Monarch wes noâ— able to beare the one being the same in all the parts and powers which it wes in the times of Popery and now is in the Roman Church The other being the forme of Government received maintained and practised by all the Reformed Kirks wherein by their owne testimonies and confessions the Kirke of Scotland had amongst them no small eminency This also we represent to your Lordships most serious consideration that not onely the firebrands may be removed but that the fire may be provided against that there be no more combustion after this I shall close up all touching the Prelates of Scotland with the late Act of their generall Assembly at Edenburgh for their utter extirpation out of that Church and the Recantation and abjuration of two of their late Bishops to wit the Bishop of Dunkelden and of the Orcanies The Generall Act for abolishing of Episcopacy and all Innovationâ— lately intended in the Church of Scotland THe Kings Majesty having graciously declared that it is his Royall will and pleasure that all questions about Religion and matters Ecclesiasticall be determined by Assemblies of the Kirke having also by publique Proclamation indicted this frâ—e National Assembly for setling the present distraction of this Kirke and for establishing a perfect peace against such divisions and disorders as hath beene sore displeasing to his Majesty and grievous to all his good Subjects and now his Majesâ—ies Commissioner Iohn Earle of Traquaire instructed and authorized with a full Commission being present and sitting in this Assembly now fully conveened and orderly constitute in all the members thereof according to the Order of this Kirke having at large declared his Majesties good will to the reformed Religion and his Royall care and tender affection to this Kirke where his Majesty had both his birth and Baptisme his great displeasure at the manifold distractions and division of this Kirk and Kingdome and his desires to have all our wounds perfectly cured with a free and fatherly hand And although in the way approved by the Kirke tryall hath beene taken in former assemblies before from the Kirke Registers to our full satisfaction yet the Commissioners grace making particular enquiry from the members of the Assembly now solemnely conveened concerning the reall and true causes of so many and great evills at this time past had so fore troubled the peace of this Kirke and Kingdome it was presented to his Majesties Commissioner by this Assembly that beside many other the maine and most materiall causes was First the pressing of this Kirke by the Prelates with a Service Booke or Booke of Common Prayer without direction or
suits in Law with Sr Henry Martyn and others of which be would â—ee an end ere he departed London besides he had not as yet furnished his house at Durham for his entertainment that it was a great way to Durham the wayes somewhat foule the weather cold and â—imself aged wherefore he neither would nor could goe out of Towne till the next Summer if then come what would and bid him returne this answere to the Arch-bishop Neither could the Secretary who perswaded him to send a milder answere and to sue to his Majestie for License to abide in Towne obtaine any other resolution from this Cholericke Prelate From him he repaired to Doctor Buckeridge Bishop of Ely at Ely house in Holburne acquainting him with this his Majesties Letter and commanding him by his Majesties Order upon his Canonicall obedience to repaire forthwith to his Bishopricke according to his Majesties command But this dutifull Prelategrew more Cholericke than the former answering him to this effect Let who would obey this Command yet he would not what sayd he have I lately bestowed almost 500. l. in repairing and furnishing my house here in London to make it fit for my habitation and must I now be Commanded to depart from it and sent into the cold waâ—â—y rotten fens of Ely to impaire my health and kill me up quite I will not be so served nor abused And therefore tell your Lord from me that I take it ill â—e should send me such a Command and that I will not goe from my house to Ely for his or any other mans pleasure The Secretary thereupon desired his Lordship to take notice that it was his Majesties pleasure he should depart to his Bishopricke as well as the Arch-bishops who did no more than he was enjoyned by the King whose mandate hee hoped his Lordship would obey however he neglected or disobeyed the Arch-bishops Command which yet was not to be slighted being his Metropolitan In conclusion the Bishop told him plainely he would obey neither the one nor other and that he would not stirre out of London all the winter till the spring if then The Secretary wondring at these two Bishops strange disobedience and contumacy both in words and deeds departes from them to Bishop Harsnet and Bishop Field with his Letter and instructions who gave him the like answers in effect though in calmer Termes not one of them stirring from London either upon the Kings Letter or Arch-bishops Command for all their Oath of Allegiance to the King and of Canonicall obedience to the Arch-Bishop If then these late Prelates have beene so Rebellious so contumacious both against his Majesties and their Metropolitanes commands when they required them onely to reside on their Bishoprickes as the Law of God the Statutes of the Realme the Canons of the Church in all ages yea the very Canon Law it selfe enjoyne them to doe under paine of mortall sinne What Rebels and disobedient Varlets would they have proved thinke you in matters and commands lesse reasonable Eleventhly our Prelates have beene strangely Rebellious contumacious and disloyall above all other Subjects in slighting vilifying affronting the Kings owne Letters Patents and frustrating his Subjects of the benefit of them Thus Doctor Young Deane of Winchester was put by the Mastership of Saint Crosses though granted him by Patent that Doctor Lewis who left his Provostship in Oriel Colledge in Oxford with other preferment and fled into France for buggery as was reported might be thrust in So Doctor Manwering publickely censured in Parliament for a Seditious Sermon and made uncapable of any preferment by the sentence of the House was immediately after the Parliament ended thrust into a living of three hundred pound per annum by our Prelates and hee who had the grant of the next advowson by Patent put by Thus divers others have beene thrust by such places as the King himselfe hath granted them by Patent by our Omnipotent Prelates to advance those of their own saction yea one of them hath not stucke to say that had the King himselfe granted a Patent for the Execution of Writs of Capias Excommunicatum to some who had long sued for it that he would make the King recall it or in case he would not he would withstand and not obey it Nay we know that though the Lord Majors of London by Patent and prescription time out of minde as the Kings Leiutenants and Vicegerents have used to carry up their swords before them in Pauls Church-yard and Church yet a proud ambitious Prelate not long sinceâ— questioned him for doing it before the Lords of the Privie Councell as if the Kings sword of Iustice had nothing to doe within that Precinct but onely the Bishops Crosier Neither hath the City of Yorke scaped Scotfree for the Bishops and Preâ—ends of that City have contested with the Citizens of Yorke even in his Majesties presence about those Liberties which both his Majestie himselfe but five yeares before and his royall Ancestors had anciently granted to them by severall Charters in expresse words endeavouring to nullifie and repeale their Patent and caused the Major of Yorke not to beare his sword within the close as he and his predecessors had usually done and that by speciall Charter from Richard the seconds time till of late Since that the now Arch-bishop of Canterbury hath had contests with the University of Cambridge touching their Charters and Priviledges which must all stop to adore his greatnesse contesting even before the King and Lords with that Universitie and Oxford too whether he as Arch-bishop or his Majestie as King should be their Visitor Now what greater affront almost can there be to royall Majestie than thus publikely to nullifie oppose and spurne under feete the Kings owne Charters and Patents as things of no value or moment Twelfthly they have most contemptuously affronâ—ed his Majesties owne late royall Declarations to all his Loyall Subjects both before the 39. Articles of Religion concerning the dissolution of the last Parliament in the very highest degree and that First in their Court Sermons before his Majesties face Secondly In bookes lately written or publickely authorized by them and their Chaplaines for the Presse Thirdly By their Visitation Oathes and Articles Fourthly by their late Injunctions Censures Orders and instructions by and in all which they have notoriously oppugned innovated altered both the established Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England sundry wayes caused an apparent backâ—liding to Arminianisme Popery Superstition Schisme oppressed and grieved his Majesties good Subjects and deprived many of them both of their livings liberties and freedome of their Consciences contrary to the expresse Provision Letter and purport of these his Majesties Royall Declaâ—ions as hath beene lately manifested in sundry new Printed bookes and voted by the Present Parliament Thiâ—teenthly They have caused some grand Juries and the Judge himselfe as well as the prosecutor to be Pursevanred into the High Commission onely for finding a
trayterous purpose and deâ—igne he did abuse the great power and trust his Majesty reposed in him and did intrude upon the placeâ— of divers great officers and upon the rigâ—t of other his Majesties Subjects whereby hee did procure to himselfe the nomination of sundry persons to Ecclesiasticall Dignities Promotions and Benefices belonging to his Majesty and divers of the Nobility Clergy and others and hath taken upon him the commendadation of Chaplaines to the King by which meanes hee hath preferred to his Majesties service and to other great promotions in the Churchâ— suâ—h as have beene Popishly affected or otherwise unâ—ound and corrupt both in doctrine and mannerâ— 9. Hee hath for the same trayterous and wicked intent chosen and imployed such men to be his owne Domesticall Chaplaines whom hee knew to be notoriously disaffected to the reformed religion grosly addicted to popish superstition and erroneous and unsound both in Judgement and practise and to them or some of them hath hee committed the Licensing of Bookes to be Printed by which meaneâ— divers false and superstitious bookes have beene published to the great scandall of Religion and to the seducing of many his Majesties Subjects 10. He hath trayterously wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church Rome and for the effecting thereof hath consorted confederated with divers popish Priests and Jesuites and hath kept secret intelligence with the Pope of Rome by himselfe his Agents Instruments treated with such as have from thence receivedâ— Authority and instruction he hath permitted and countenanced a popish Hierarchie or Ecclesiasticall government to beâ— established in this Kingdome by all which trayterous and malicious practises this Church and Kingdome hath beene exceedingly indangered and like to fall under the Tyranny of the Roman See 11. Hee in his owne person and his suffragans Visitors Sutrogates Chancellors and other Officers by his command have caused divers learned pious and Orthodox Ministers of Gods word to be silenced suspended deprived degraded excommunicated otherwise grieved without any just and lawfull cause and by divers other meanes hee hath hindred the preaching of Gods word caused divers of his Majesties loyall Subjects to forsake the Kingdome and increased and cherished Ignorance and profanenesse amongst the people that so hee might thâ— better facilitate the way to the effecting of his owne wicked and trayterous designe of altering and corrupting the true religion here established 12. Hee hath traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord betwixt the Church of England and other Reâ—ormed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Immunities which have beene by his Majesty and his royall Ancestors graunted 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 â—or the overthrow and extirpation of both 13. Hee hath maliciously 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 superstition to the great grievance and discontent of his Majesties Subjects of that Nation aâ—d 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 â—o Law did procure sundry of his Majesties subjects and inforced the Clergie of this Kingdome to contribute towards the maintenance of that warre and when his Majesty with much wisedome and Justice had made a Pacification betwixt the two Kingdomes the said Aâ—chbishop did presumptuously censure that pacification as dishonourable to his Majestie and by his counsels and endeavours so incensed his Majestie against his said subjects of Scotland that hee did thereupon by advice of the said Archbishop â—nter into an offensive warre against them to the greaâ— hazzard 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 hee laboured to subverâ—s 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 counselâ— 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 division betweene them and to ruine and destroy his Majesties Kingdomes for which they do impeach him of High Treason agaiâ—st our Soveraigne Lord the King his Crowne and Dignity The said Commons do further averre that the said VVilliam Archbishop of Caterbury during the times that the crimes aforementioned were done and committed hath beene a Bishop or Archbishop of this Realm of England one of the Kings Commissioners for Ecclesiasticall mattersâ— 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 Allegeanâ—e 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 tâ—at 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 coursâ— 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 Judgement may be upon every of them had and used as is agreeable to Law and Justice The Articles being read M. PYMME proceeded in his Speech 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 surable to the Person and Cause before you It is a description of the evill Spirits wherein they are said to be spirituall wickednesse in high places Crimes acted by the spirituall faculties of the Soule the Will and the Understanding exercised about spirituall matters concerning Gods Wordship 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 haynous 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
Schollers themselves and so presently authorized to govern them without the admission of any other Thomas Watson Bishop of Lincolne in the first yeere of Queene Elizabeth was deprived of hs Bishopricke and imprisoned for refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy and counselling the other Bishops to excommunicate the Queene for altering religion Of which see more before in Tonstall Bishop of London Of other Bishops of this See since his time I finde little in History As for the present Prelate of that Diocesse as he deserves due praise for his magnificent Structures of Libraries Hospitals and the like So on the other side his excessive pride and miscarriages in his Chancellor-ship for which he lost that office and especially his advancing of the now Arch-bishop of Canterbury who proved a scourge to him as well as others with his procuring Mountagues Appeale to be printed which kindled a great Combustion in our Church and State and laid the foundation of all those Popish Innovations both in doctrine and discipline which have since like a filthy leprosie over-spread our Church and bred such sad effects and distractions among us deserve iust blame Yea his late extraordinary stickling much spoken against to maintaine the Lordly iurisdiction and secular authority of our Prelates without the least diminution or reformation of their excesses hath much ecclipsed all the honour and reputation he had gained by his former sufferings which should have made him as the vulgar truely say more meeke and lowly in heart like Christ his Master of whom he and all other Pontifs should learne Humility not lofty and pontificall domineering like Diotrephes who loved to have the preheminenâ—e for which St. Iohn condemns him or like the ambitious Apostles who contended which of them should be greatest for which Christ sharpely rebuked thâ—m sundry times saying Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion ovâ—r them and they that are great exercise authority upon them But it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister and whosoever will be chiâ—fe among you let him be your sâ—rvant even as the Sonne of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransome for many Which texts together with that of Peter Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage but being ensamples to the flocke c. Yea all of you be subiect one to another and be cloathed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble it seemes this Prelate and his Brethren have forgotten or at least beleeve not to bee canonicall since they now poynt-blancke oppugne them yet me thinkes he should in this case have remembred what himselfe had but lately published in print as most Orthodox in doctrine and consonant in Discipline to the Church of England and very fit to be printed and published in any place or places where hâ— as Ordinary was inabled and licenced so to doe and so at Westminster In the holy Table Name and Thing pag. 82. against Clergy mens intermedling with secular affaires where thus he writes O foolish St. Basil that bids hâ—s Clergie take speciall heed that their Martha be not troubled with many things O dull Synesius that held it fitter for an Aegyptian then a Christian Priest to be over-troubled with matters of wrangling Well Doctor God helpe the poore people committed to thy Cure they are like to finde but a sorry Shepherd One that will be in the vestry when hee should be in the Pulpit and by his much nimblenesse in the one is like to shew a proportionable heavynesse in the other which he thus seconds p. 166.167 St. Cyprian was angry with one Geminius Victor for making against the Canon one Faustinus a Priest Overseer of his Will and by that meanes withdrawing him from his calling and miniâ—â—ry And enlarging himselfe in that discourse how carefull God had beene in providing Tithâ—s and Oblations for the Priest under the Law giving him not Lands and Husbandries amongst the other Tribes ut in nulla re avocarâ—â—ur that hee might have no occasion to be withdrawne from the Altar He aggravates the offence of these Testators that by making Church-men Executors and Overseers of their last Wills ab altari Sacerdotes Ministros volunt avocare will needs withdraw Ministers from their Ecclesiasticall functions with no lesse offence then if under the Law they had withdrawne the Priests from the holy Altar So that this plâ—ce takes my Doctor a little by the nose that cannot indure to be a looker on and a dull Spâ—ctator confined only to his ministeriall meditations So this Prelate And do not thâ—se pâ—ssages of this Bishop Noseâ—oo â—oo as wâ—ll as the Doctor who cannot endure to be a looker on and a dull Spectator confined only to his ministeriall Meditations unlesse he may likewise sit as a Peere in Parliament and intermeddle with secular affaires If not as some conceive they doe yet sure I am the words of Synesius and Cyprian in their places which hee quoâ—tâ—s will round him in the eare and give him no little checke For Synesius in his 52. Epistle to Andronicus writes thus against Bishops sitting as Iudges and intermedling with publike secular affaires to which Andronicus would have perswaded him To ioyne the power of administring the republique with the Priesthood is all one as to knit those things together which cannot be coupled by any coniunction Ancient times permitted the same persons to be Priests Iudges For the Aegyptians and Hebrewes for a long time used the government of Priests Afterwards when as it seemes to me that the divine worke began to be done in a humane manner Deus ambo vitae genera separavit God separated both kindes of life and one of these was appointed to sacred things the other to government and empire for He designeth some to the dregs of the lowest things others he hath associated unto himselfe Those are imployed in secular affaires not in Prayerâ— But yet in both God requires what is honest and consentaneous Why dost thou therefore againe revoke them Why wilt thou conioyne these things which God hath separated Who requirest us not to administer but to deprave us in administring than which what can be more unhappy Hast thou need of a Patron Goe to him who is President in the Lawes of the Republike or Lord chiefe Iustice. Hast thou need of God in any thing Goe to the Bishop of the City Contemplation is the end of Priesthood if a man not falsly usurpe that name to himselfe Now Contemplation and Action doe no wayâ—s accord for the force of the Will is moved into action which cannot bee without some affection But the Soule which is to
by foolish men If Aerius was an Hereticke in this thing he had Ierome a companion of his Heresie and not onely him but also many other Ancient Fathers both Greeke and Latine as Medina confesseth Alphonsus de Castro saith that the Church was sarre enough off from the minde of Hierome and a certaine man hath written in the Margin that Ieromes opinion is to be dissembled not to be urged Pighius writes that Ierome is involved in such difficulties out of which he could not winde himselfe and that he fell into perplexed absurdities no wayes cohearing and fighting among themselves It is no wonder if they speake evill of us who thus petulantly insult over Ierome Marianus Victorius endeavours to excuse Ierome and writes that he speakes not of Bishops and Presbyters but oâ— Bishops onely and that verily all these are equall and that many did ill interpret Hierome otherwise But Ierome most manifestly compares Presbyters with Bishops and that Marianus had most easily seene unlesse he had beene miserably blinde yet at length by the opinion of Marianus all Bishops are equall Turrianus otherwise and more acutely answers Hieronymum non dicere Presbyterum idem sed eundem esse cum Episcopo What knots doth this Jesuiâ—e here seeke in a Rush If a Presbyter be the same that a Bishop is and the Bishop the same that a Presbyter is what at last good Jesuite canst thou thinke to be between a Presbyter and a Bishop Thus verily our adversaries yea Bpp finde not how they may defend themselves from this sentence of Hierome and truely all of them sticke in the same mire albeiâ— some of them are more foulely plunged than others The matter now returnes to Bellarmine as to the Triary he most confidently pronounceth that Ierome differeth as much from Aerius as a Catholick from an Hereticke I most firmely averre the contrary that their opinions concerâ—ing this thing can by no meanes be disjoyned nor distinguished Aerius thought that a Presbyter differed not â—rom a Bishop by Divine right and authority Hierome contends this very thing and defends it by the same testimonies of Scriptures as Aerius doth Now quam inepte pueriliter how foolishly and childishly Epiphanius answereth to those testimonies all may perceive For he saith that the Apostle was wont to write thus because that at that time there were not any Presbyters in many Câ—urches by reason of the paucity of Presbyters I admire so great a Theologue who tooke upon him to refute all Heretickes saw not how shamefully he was mistaken For what was theâ—â— at that time greater plenty of Bishops than of Presbyters that whereas there were many Bishops in one City yet there were no presbyters there The notable absurdiâ—y of this anâ—were Bellarmine himselfe acknowledged And yet this is that Epiphanius who first of all proscribed Aerius as an Hereticke absque Synodi aut Ecclesiae judicio without the judgement of a Synod or of the Church But what saith Bellarmine he propoundeth a double difference betweene Aerius and Hierom. The first is that Ierom writes everywhere That a Bishop is greater than a Presbyter as to the power of Order I answere that it is most false Hierome never writ so neither doth he by any meanes acknowledg a Bishop to be greater than a Preâ—byter unlesse it be by custome which he distinguisheth from divine disposition And if there were so great a difference wherefore doth Ierome that he may revok Deacons to modesty reduce them into order affirme that Presbyters are Bishops Whence doth he admonish that this contention taken up against Presbyters belongs to B ps themselves seeing Presbyters by the first institution of this order and Ministry are B ps Now if there were the greatest difference between these in the power of order had not Ierome bin very sottish in his argument Now whereas he saith What doth a B p except ordination which a Presbyter may not do He speaks of the custome of those times that not even the when by the custome of the Church a Bishop was greater then a Presbyter could a Bishop doe more then a Presbyter in any thing except in ordination yea elsewhere Hierom himselfe attributes ordination to Presbyters And indeed so he doth for in Zoph 1. 2. Tom. 5. pag. 218. D. he writes thus Sacerdotes c That Priests who baptize and consecrate the Lords Supper which is the greater MANVS IMPONVNT LEVITAS ET ALIOS CONSTITVVNT SACERDOTES lay on hands ordaine Levites and other Priests which is in truth but the lesse The second is that although Ierome doth not acknowledge any difference jure divino betweene the jurisdiction of a Bishop and Presbyter yet he grants that this was lawfully introduced by the Apostles and that necessarily to avoyd Schismes I answere first that Bellarmin hath resolved out of the opinion of Ierome that there is no difference in the Jurisdiction of a Bishop and Presbyter whence it is manifest what Ierome thought of the Jurisdiction and Primacy of the Pope For seeing the Primacy of the Pope consists in Jurisdiction Ierome thinks that Iure Divino the Jurisdiction of a Bishop is not greater than that of a Presbyter it followes from Ieromes opinion that the Papacy and Prelacy Divino mullo juâ—â— nitatur rests upon no divine Law Secondly â—â—llarmine fights with himselfe and makes Ierome to speake contradictions For if Ierome thought that jurisdiction of a Bishop not to be Iuris Divini how theâ— was that difference introduced by the Apostles or how could Ierome prove out of the Apostles writings that there was not any difference betweene them Certainely that which the Apostles instituted and introduced hath the force of divine right Finally this profound Doctor in his adâ—0 â—0 Rationem Campiani p. 51. concludes thus of Aeriusâ—is â—is opinion And â—ruely if to condemne prayers for the deadâ— Et Episcopo Presbyteros aequare sit hâ—â—reticum NIHIL CATHOLICVM ESSE POTEST and â—o equall Presbyters to a Bishop he Heretiâ—all nothing can be Catholike Thus this great Doctor William Whitaker with whom his Coaetaneans Doctor Willet in his Synopsiâ— Papismi Controversie Generall 5. part 2. in the Appendix p. 272. to 284. in the last Edition and Master William Perkins in his Reformed Catholicke Cont. 18. c. 21. concurre I wonder therefore with what impudency and shamelesse brow Bishop Hall and others dare condemne the defenders of the identity and Parity of Presbyters and Bishops by Divine right for Aerian Heretickes Schismatickes Novillers and oppugners of the received Doctrine of the Church of England when as the learnedest Prelates Martyrs and writers of our Church as appeares by the premises have proâ—essedly justified this opinon as Apostolicall Orthodox Ancient and Catholike warranted by the unanimous consent both of Scriptures and Fathers â—s will further appearâ— by the next Authority with which I shall conclude And that is our incomparably learned Doctor Iohn Rainolds once professor of Divinity
Private men their Episcopacy making none of them to preach or write more than otherwise they would have done but lesse as experience manifests So that their Bishoprickes made them not to doe more good but rather hindred them to doe so much good as they would have done had they still continued private Ministers onely For the second that they are one of the greatest States of the Land setled by many Acts of Parliament and necessary members of the Parliament which cannot well be held without them I answere first that our Lord Abbots and Priors might and did pleade this as well as Bishops yet this was held no Plea at all no not in times of Popery and shall we allow it now in times of clearer light Secondly the wohle body of Popery it selfe together with the Pope his Popish Clergie Orders and Ceremonies were all setled among us by sundry Acts of Parliament and the Statutes of Magna Charta c. 1. with all other Acts of Parliament since enacting that holy Church or the Church of England Bishops and Churchmen shall enjoyâ— all their â—ranchises Rights Liberties Priviledges câ— are meant onely of our Popish Prelates Abbots Priors Monks Nunnes Masse-Priests and of exemption from secular Jurisdiction Sanctuaries with other Anti-Monarchicall priviledges granted to them by Kings Popes or Parliaments in times of Popery shall then our Popish Recusants or any other argue thence therefore it is fit that Popery with all Popish orders Bishops Sanctuaries and exemptions should be now revived and perpetuated among us because established by so many Lawes If this be no argument for the continuance of Popery or Popish Prelates who were principally established by these objected Lawes then certainely it can be no good Plea for the continuance of such of our Prelates who are true Protestants whom most of these Acts never established nor intended to continue Thirdly It is a rule in Philosophy and Law Eodem modo quo quid constituitur dissolvitur Since therefore our Lordly Bishops were first erected and constituted such Bishops and States of the Land by Acts of Parliament onely not by any divine institution which prohibits them all such secular Lordly Soveraignty and dominion as I have largely manifested in the premises They may lawfully without any injury or inconvenience by an Act of Parliament be unbishopped unlorded againe and thrust out of our Church as well as the Pope Abbots Priors Monkes and Masse-Priests were upon the reformation of Religion both at home and in forraine parts As for our Prelates necessity of sitting in Parliament I answer First that though they have beene anciently admitted to â—it in Parliament yet there is no necessity of their sitting there seeing it hath beene long since resolved and Bishop Iuell with Bishop Bilson confesse and prove at large that a Parliament may be and some Parliaments have beene kept without Bishops as I have formerly demonstrated Secondly many â—imes all some or a great part of our Bishops have beene secluded the Parliament and yet this hath beene no impeachment to the proceedings there In the Parliament 〈◊〉 Saint Edmonds-bury Anno 1296. all the Bishops were brought in a Premunire and secluded the House In King Edward the sixt his time Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester and Bonner Bishop of London were sequestred and kept out of the House In the first yeare of Qâ—eene Mary all the Married Protestant Bishops and in the first of Queene Elizabeth many of the Popish Prelates were secluded and thrust out of the Parliament yea many Parliaments have beene held when one or both the Arch-Bishoprickes with many other Biâ—hoprickes have beene voyd and no Proxies admitted to supply their places All which proves that there is no necessity of their Session there and that all of them may be excluded thence at all times as well as all of them at sotimes and most of them at others Thirdly our Bishops sit not in the Parliament Bishopsâ— but as they aâ—e Barons and hold by Barony as is cleere both by our Histories Law Bookes and their owne confessions Now most of them at this day are no Barons nor hold of the King by Barony therefore they have no legall Right to sit there being no Peers of the Realme nor yet to be tryed by their Peers in case of Treason or Felony but onely by an Ordinary Jury as hath been adjudged in our Law Bookes practised in point of experience Fourthly Abbots and Priors who were spirituall Lords of Parliament as well as Bishops and more than treble in number to them have beene long since suppressed and cast out of the house without any prejudice Therefore Bishops by the same reason may be suppressed and put out of Parliament without any inconvenience being sewer in number â—han they Fifthly In cases of Felony and Treason the Bishops by their owne Lawes and practise neither are nor ought to be present in the House nor to give any vote at all but onely the Temporall Lords And in cases of Lands and possessions or in passing of Lawes for the Civill Government of the Realme they have no judiciary nor Legislative power at all as Bishop Bilson and others forecited prove at large therefore their Session in Parliament is not necessary nor expedient by way of vote Sixthly the Temporall Lords and Prelates make but one house and if all the Bishops be dead or absent or if present if all the Temporall Lords vote one way and the Bishops the lesser number another the vote is good Therefore their presence and votes in Parliament are nor simply necessary and may be spared withouâ— any mischiefe or inconvenience Seventhly if reason might determine this conâ—roversie I suppose every man will grant that it is farre more necessary reasonable and expedient that the Judges Sergeants and Kings Councell learned in the Lawes of the Realme and best able to descide all legall controversies and to make good Lawes to redresse all mischiefes should have votes in Parliament than Bishops yet we know they have no votes at all by way of descition because no Barons nor Peers of the Realm but onely by way of direction and advice when their Judgements are demanded Why then our Bishops especially those who are no Barons as few or none of them are should not now be ranked in equipage with the Judges and have no other but a directive not voting descitive or Legislative voyce in Parliament I thinke no reason can be given and indeede many thinke there is little reason why they should have any votes at all since ancient that I say not present experience manifests that they crosse or oppose all or most good Bills and motions for the advancement of religion and reformation of Ecclesiasticall abuses and for the most part vote with the Popish Lords or worser side against the better and so by Pope Gregory his owne rule approved by Bishop Iewel ought to lose their priviledge of voting Quia
on Saint Stephens day by William Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the most part of the Nobility being present and swearing Fealty unto him as to their true and lawfull Soveraigne Howbeit there were diverse of the wiser sort of estates which regarding their former Oath to bee true unto the Empresse Maude could have beene contented that the Empresse should have governed till her Sonne had come to lawfull age notwithstanding they held their peace as yet and consented unto Stephen But the breach of their Oathes was worthily punished afterward insomuch that as well the Bishops as the other Nobles either dyed an evill death or were afflicted with divers kinds of calamities and mischances and that even here in this life Yet there were some of them namely the Bishop of Salisbury which protested that they were free from their Oath of Allegeance made to the sayd Empresse because that without the consent of the Lords of this Land she was marryed out of the Realme Whereas they tooke their Oath to receive her for Queene upon that condition That without their assent she should not marry with any person out of this Realme Moreover as some writers thinke the Bishops tooke it they should do God good service in providing for the wealth of the Realme and the advancement of the Church by their Perjurie For whereas the late deceased King Henry the first used himselfe not altogether for their purpose they thought That if they might set up and create a King chiefely by their especiall meanes and authority he would follow their counsell better and refoâ—me such things as they judged to be amisse So He. But this trecherous Act of them in dis-inheriting Maude wherein the Bishop of Wiâ—â—hester was a chiefe Actor yet afterwards joyned with Maude for a season and then fell off againe what Civill Warres Tumults Battailes evill effects and blood-shed it occasioned here in England to the prejudice of the whole Realme 〈◊〉 all our Chronicles and Historians in the life of King Stephen testifie at large Theobald Arch-Bishop of Canterbury his immediate Successour being summoned by the Pope to appeare at the Councell of Rhemes the King at the instigation of Henry Bishop of Winchester his Brother the Popes Legat and Arch-Bishops opposite prohibited him to passe beyond Sea to stay him at home But he thinking it safer to offend the King then the Pope resolved to goe and though all the Ports were stopped and layd for him yet over the Seas hee got The King thereupon seized all his goods and Temporalties and banished him the Realme he like a tall fellow thereupon interdicted the King with the whole Realme and taking advantage of the time which was very troublesome came home and lived in Norfolke till by the intercession of the Bishops he was restored to his Bishopricke After which growing into great favour with the King in a Convocation summoned at London 1152. the King would have constrained the Clergie to make Eustace his sonne King which they refusing and delaying to doe having a command from the Pope to the contrary pretending that his Father King Stephen was an Usurper and perjured Intruder the King and his sonne cauâ—ed the doores to bee shut upon the Clergie where they were assembled thinking by force and threatning to compell them thereto before they departed The greater number seemed to yeeld but the Arch-Bishop stealing secretly out of the place tooke his Barge and rowing downe the Thames got beyond Sea so that by this meanes the Synod was dissolved His goods hereupon were presently once more confiscate and his Temporalties seized into the Kings hands He thereupon troubled the Realme with Fire Sword and bloody Warres causing Henry Fitz-Empresse to invade the Land whose Title the Pope favoured of purpose to strengthen himselfe against King Lewis of France who had highly offended his Holinesse by casting his Bulls whereby he requireâ— the Fruites of Vacancies of Cathedrall Churches in France into the fire saying Hee had râ—ther the Popes Bulls should râ—st in the fire than his owne Soule shoâ—ld fry in Hell Thomas Becket succeeding Theobald by King Henry the seconds extraordinary favour though against the Canons he being both a souldier a Courtier and skilled onely in â—ecular affaires to require his Soveraignes extraordinary favour he first resigned his Bishopricke which hee had received from the Kings hands into the Popes in a secret manner receiving it backe againe as from him and then looked so narrowly into the Lands belonging to his See having great authority and some skill in the Law That under colour of defending the Rites of his Church hee tooke violently from every man what he listed and practising Treason secretly he required of the King the keeping of Rochester Castle and the custody of the Tower of London and called Roger Earle of Clare unto Westminster to doe his homage unto him for the Castle of Tunbridge which the Earle denyed through the setting on of the King so as he provoked many of all sorts of people every where with open mouth to exclaime against him and to make their complaints thicke and three-fold to the King betweene whom and the King there arose a great quarrell upon this occasion The Clergie by their flattery policy and Canons having exempâ—ed themselves from secular Jurisdiction and presuming upon Beckets power grew strangely impudent and disorderly insomuch that the Chiefe Justice declared in the Kings presence how that Clergie men had committed above an hundred murthers since his raigne wherewith the King highly offended he became somewhat too vehement in punishing them but the blame of the Kings over-much earnestnesse must lye on the Prelates inasmuch as they gave the cause thereof For whereas sacred Canons ordaine that Clerkes found guilty not onely of hainous and grievous sinnes but also of lesser should be degraded and thousands of such were then in the Church of England like inâ—umerable chaffe among a little good Corne yet very few such for many yeares had beene then deprived The Prelates forsooth while they bestirred themselves rather to uphold the liberties and dignities of Clerkes than to chastise and cut off their vices thought they did God and his Church good service in protecting from publicke Discipline such heinous offenders whom by duty of their places they ought to correct according to the Canon censure whereby they thrâ—ugh their impunity having liberty to doe what they listed had neither feare of God whose Judgement they thought to be a farre off neither of men in authority sith on the one side their Prelates neglected to reforme them and on the other side they were thus exempt by their order from secular Jurisdiction This being the state of the Church and Realme where in some were so injured without remedy and others so injurious without coertion as if neither sort were in condition of Subjects the king thereupon tooke speciall care of quickning the publicke Discipline and the rigour of ancient â—awes which thus lay
Peeâ—es of the Realme since hee proved another manner of man then hee looked to have found him the King having prepared a Royall Hoast and mighty Navie to revenge his forraine losses and wrongs on the Freâ—â—h King Hubert the Arch-Bishop who conâ—ederated with the Pope and French King against his Soveâ—aigne came with sundry others to Portesmouth to the King and â—â—â—ly forbids the King to proceed in the Voyage in trâ—th for feare hee should hinder King Philip from ayding the Pope against Otho the Emperour Whereupon the King dismâ—â—â—â—d his Forces Hubert being the instrument that so resolute Projects so inestimable Charges so necessary an Action of the Kings fell suddenly to the ground whereby besides the selfe-mischiefe which therewith fell on the King many fresh grudgings accrued unto him for suffering himselfe to bee thus violently repulsed from so behoofefull a purpose The King the next day checking himselfe for over-prizing the command of any man above the value of his Kingly Honour and Estate resolved to collect his disparkled Troupes and to put forth to Sea To which end taking order with his Nobles to follow him they gave him leave with a small company to waâ—t up and downe two dayes in expectance of their attendance till seeing them more obsequious â—o Huberâ—s command than his the Arch-Bishop also sending his inhibition after them on the Sea to stop their passage with the King hee was forced to come againe to Land The King hereupon put many of his Earles Barons Knights and Clergie-men to a grievous pecuniary Redemption for thus refusing to follow him for recovering his Inheritance The Arch Bishop though their Ring-leader might well have beene exempted from this Judgement by his passage to an higher dying the same weeke either of Griefe or of a Feaver which killed him in foure dayes But the King forthwith in person going to Canterbury seized upon all his Wealth and Possessions shewing himselfe right joyâ—ull that now hee was rid of him whom men suspected of too familiar practising with the French King saying Hee was never a King till now by reason of Huberts too presumptuous daring to crosse his Royall Resolutions as of late hee did This Hubert being Chiefe Justice and Archâ—Bishop in Richard the first his timâ— Anno 1198 the Monkes of Christsâ— Church in Canterbury exhibited this Complaint against him to Pope Innocent That their Arch-Bishop Hubert contrary to his Order and Dignity exercised the Office of High Iustice and saâ—e in Iudgement of Blood being so encumbred in Temporall matters that he could not â—ave time to discharge his Office touching Spirituall Causeâ— Whereupon the Pope sent to King Richard admonishing him not to suffer the sayd Arch Bishop to be any longer troubled with Temporall Affaires but to discharge him thereof and not to admit any Spirituall person from thenceforth unto any Temporall administration He further prohibited by vertue of their obedience all manner of Prelaâ—es and men of the Church that they should not presume rashly to take upon them any manner of Secular Function or Office Whereupon the Arch-Bishop was discharged of his Office of Chiefe Justice and Geffrey Fitz-Peter succeeded in government of the Realme in his stead Afterwards this Arch-Prelate being made Lord Chancellor of England by King Iohn Anno. 1199. and uttering some words unadvisedly that shewed how hee inwardly rejoyced at the Kings favour towards him in the gift of this Office and so gloried in the Honour whereto hee was preferred which he would never have done if he had weighed of worldly pompe as by his Profession hee ought and as one asketh the question in the same case Dic mihi nunquid Corporibus prosunt Certe nil dic Animabus Tantundem c. The Lord Bardolfe sayd unto him yet not so soâ—tly in his eare but that some over-heard it My Lord to speake and not offend you surely if you well consider the Honour and Dignity of your Calling you would not willingly yeeld to suffer this yoake of Bondage to be layd upon your shoulders For we have oftentimes heard of a Câ—ancellour made an Arch-Bishop as was Thomas Becket who upon his instalment in the Sea of Canterbury immediately resigned his Lord Chancelours Office sending his great Seale to the King then in Normandy with a Letter wherein he certified him That hee could not serve the Church and the Court both at once and that this moved him to resigne his Chancelourship as incompatible wiâ—h his Arch-Bishopricke but wee never heard of an Arch-Bishop made a Chancelour till now Such an unseemely and unlawfull thing was it then reputed for Bishops to intermeddle with Temporall Offices and Affaires which are incompatible with their Spirituall Function and are seldome managed by them but to the great oppression the ruin of the People and State Hubert being dead the Monkes of Canterbury secretly at midnight elected Reginald their Sub-prior for his Successour taking an Oath of him not to make his Election knowne to any till he came to the Popes presence whither he was advised to post with all speed The Oath hee violates as soone as ever he had crossed the Sea bearing himselfe every where as Lord Elect shewing withall the testimoniall of his Election to divers which so incensed his Brethren the Electors against him as they presently resolved to become suiters to the King â—or pardon of their fault in chusing him without his license and also that hee would permit them to make a new Election supposing the old frustrate by the Elects perjury They did so and obtained their request the rather because they made shew of readinesse in satisfying the Kings desire who wished them to elect Iohn Gray Bishop of Norwich him they sent for in all haste to Canterbuâ—y where they solâ—mnly elected him for their Arch-Bishop publishing his Election in the Church before the King and an infinite number of people placing him in the Bishops Chaire The King putting him in possession of his temporalties â—orth-with These two Elections being presented to the Pope hee adjudged them both voyd and making use of the Monkes debate â—he greater part being then at Rome some of them avouching their first Election as good others importunately seeking to have the latter confirmed he secretly practised with them and at last perswaded them to elect Stephen Langhton an English man and Cardinall of Rome of singular gifts and Learning which done the Pope with his owne hands gave him Consecration at Viturbium and well knowing how haynoâ—sly the King would take the matter he writ Letters unto him sweetned with many intreaties large praises of the new Arch-Bishop and seasoned now and then with some touches of doubtfull threatning if hee should oppose himselfe against that was then done This notwithstanding the King in great indignation as hee had just cause banished and drove out all the Monkes of Canterbury by force who were entertained in forraigne Monasteries seized upon all their goods lands and
world that it made all men exclaime against and detest King Iohn How much the Barons disliked this Grant of King Iohn his owne words to Pope Innocentius as also the Popes answere do witnesseâ— Our Earles and Barons saith he and the Pope writes the like were devout and loving unto us till we had subjected our selves to your Dominion but since that time and specially even for so doing they all rise up against us The manifold opprobrious speeches used by the Barons against King Iohn for subjecting himselfe and his Kingdome to the Pope doe declare the same Iohn say they is no King but the shame of Kings better to be no King than such a King behold a King without a Kingdoâ—e a Lord without dominion Alas thou wretch and servant of lowest condition â—o what misery of thraldome hast thou brought thy self Thou wast a king now thou art a Cow-heard thou wast the highest now the lowest Fie on thee Iohn the last of Kings the abominaton of English Princes the confusion of English Nobility Alas England that thou art made tribuâ—ary and subject to the rule of base servants of strangers and which is most miserable subject to the servant of servants Thou Iohn whose memory will be wofull in future time thou of a most free King hast made thy selfe tributary a farmer a vassall and that to servitude it selfe this thou hast done that all might be drowned in the Hell of Romish Avarice Yea so detestable was both this Fact of Iohn and dealing of the Pope that Philip the French King though the mortall enemie of King Iohn heaâ—ing thereof even upon this very point That the Barons and State did noâ— consent to that Act did proclaime both the absolute freedome of the Kingdome of England noâ—wiâ—hstanding this grant of Iohn and declaime also against this Pope for seeking to enthrall Kingdomes unto him As the King by the Treason and trechery of these Prelates and especially of the Arch-Bishop was thus enforced most ignominiously to resigne and prostituâ—e his Crowne and Kingdome to the Pope to the losse of his Kingly honour and the hearts of all his Barons and Subjects so he was faine to receive the Arch-Bishop and restore the other Bishops Monkes and banished Rebels against him to their Bishoprickes Goods and Revenues and to give them such Dammages and Recompence as the Pope should thinke 〈◊〉 For this King Anno Domini 1213. intending a Voyagâ— into Guien his Realme standing as yet interdicted his Lords refused to goe with him unlesse the interdicting might be first released and he clearely absolved of the Popes Curse to the end that Gods wrath and the Popes being fully pacified hee might with better speede move and maintaine the Warres whereupon he was constrained to alter his purpose and comming to Winchester dispatched a messenger with letters signed with the hands of twenty foure Earles and Barons to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of London Lincolne and Hereford then sojourning in France requiring them with all other banished men to returne into England promising them by his Letters Patents not onely a sure Safe-conduct for their comming over but that hee would also forget all passed displeasures and frankely restore unto every man all that by his meanes had beene wrongfully taken from them and as yet by him detained Hereupon the Arch-Bishop and other Bishops with all speede came into England with the other exiles and went to Winchester where the King then remained Who hearing that the Bishops were come went forth to receive these Traytors and at his first meeting with the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the King kneeled downe at his feete who should have rather kneeled to the King and asked him forgivenesse and that it would please him and the other Bishops also to provide for the miserable state of the Realme requiring of the Arch-Bishop having as then the Popes power in his hands as being his Legat to be absolved promising upon his solemne received Oath That he would before all things defend the Church and the Order of Priesthood from receiving any wrong also that he would restore the old Lawes made by the ancient Kings of England and namely those of S. Edward which were almost extinguished and forgotten and further that he would make recompence to all men whom he had by any meanes endammaged This done he was absolved by the Arch-Bishop and shortly after sent his Orators to Rome to take off the Interdict The Pope hereupon sent the Cardinall of Tusculum into England to compound the differences and dammages betweene the King and the Bishops and then to release the Interdict Who after a Convocation summoned and sundry meetings had at London Reading Wallingford and elsewhere some messages to Rome ordered the King to pay 40000. Markes dammages to these rebellious Prelates which done the Interdict was solemnly released by the Legat in the Cathedrall of Pauls in London Iune 29. 1214. after the terme of 6. yeares 3 moneths and 14. dayes that the Realme had beene shaken with that dreadfull Dart of Correction as it was then esteemed After this King Iohn raysed an Army intending to goe against those Lords who refused to follow him to Poictou But the Arch-Bishop meeting him at Northampton sought to appease himâ— but hee marching on to Notingham there with much adoe the Arch-Bishop following him and threatning to excommunicate all those that should ayde him enforced him to desist his Enterprise This done he thought all troubles at an end but the worst were yet behind For the King having wound himselfe into the Popes favour by this his Resignation and holding his Crowne from him as his Feudatarie began to curbe the Arch-Bishop and his Faction who finding the King stronger in the Popes favour than they thereupon stirred up the Barons to rebell and take Armes against the King who had lost their hearts by his Resignation In this Rebellion and Conspiracie Stephen Langthon the Arch-Bishop was the Ring-leader yea the principall Abettor Conspirer chiefe Agent and Counsellor as Matthew Paris Wendover Speed Holinshed and other our Historians testifie The Pope hereupon excommunicates the Barons and all other English or French who impugned King Iohn even in the generall Councell of Lateran then heldâ— and the Bishop of Winchester and Pandulph the Popes Legat who solemnly denounced the Popes Curse against the Barons did likewise suspend the Arch-Bishop from all his Episcopall authority who thereupon repairing to Rome for absolution was in the Councell of Lateran accused and convict of Conspiracie and Treason against the King and contempt against the Pope and Churches Censure for which the Pope resolving to depose him from his Sea and dignity by the Cardinals intercession for him hee being their brother Cardinall was intreated to deale somewhat milder but yet confirmed his suspension from his Bishopricke by publik sentence commanding by his Letters all his Suffragan Bishops to withdraw their obedience from him and for a
further revenge whereas Simon Langthon his brother by his procurement had beene elected to the Sea of Yorke a strange example to have an whole Kingdome ruled by two Brethren of so turbulent humors the Pope not onely did cassate his Election but likewise made him uncapable of any Episcopall Dignity placing in that Sea Walter Gray a trustie â—riend to the King and a professed enemie to the Langhtons whose Pall cost him no lesse than a thousand pound King Iohn having thus procured all his Barons to be excommunicated and the City of London siding with them to be interdicted and the Arch-Bishops suspension to be confirmed the Barons and Arch-Bishop held these Censures in such high contempt that they decreed neither themselves nor the Citizens should observe them nor the Prelates denounce them alledging that they were procured upon false suggestions and that the Pope had no power in Secular matters from Christ but onely in Spirituall and that Prelates had nothing at all to doe with Warres and thereupon sent for Lewis the Dolphin of France to receive the Crowne of England Who not so voyd of Ambition as to lose a Crown for want of fetching was not long behind landing here in England in despight of the Popes inhibition and threats of Excommunication to hinder him with a great Army and Fleete of sixe hundred Boates. After which he repaires to Lâ—ndon electing Simon Langhton for his Chancelor the Arch-Bishops Brother the Arch-bishop being the chiefe man in this Rebellion and Treaâ—on against King Iohn by whose Counsell and Preaching the Citizens of London and Barons though all excommunicated by the Pope did celebrate Divine Service and drew on Lewis to doe the like King Iohn levying a great Armie and hasting to give Battaile to those Rebels and Enemies comming to Swinshed Abbey was poysoned in a Chalice by a Monke of that House who went to the Abbor and shrived himselfe telling him how he intended to give the King such a Drinke that all England should be glad and joyfull thereof at which the Abbot wept for joy and praysed God for the Monkes constancie who being absolved before-hand by the Abbot tooke the Cup of Poyson and therewith poysoned both the King and himselfe to doe the Arch-Bishops and Prelates a favour since this King could not abide the pride and pretended authority of the Clergie when they went about to wrest out of his hands the Prerogative of his Princely Government He dying Henry his young Son was received to the Kingdome Lewis forsaken the Barons absolved by the Pope and Clergie-men too after a composion payd by them After this Stephen Langhton enshrines his Predecessor Becket as great a Traytor as himselfe in a very sumptuous Shrine the King and greatest part of the Nobility of the Realme being present at the solemnity which done this Arch-Traytor after he had endeavoured to raise a new Warre betweene the King and the Nobles dyed himselfe Iuly 9. 1228. To obscure whose Treasons and Rebellions our Monkes who writ the Histories of those times have raised up many slanders and lyes of this poysoned King Iohn to his great defamation Richard Wethershed the very next Arch-Bishop withstood King Henry the 3. who in Parliament demanded Escuage of those who held any Baronies of him maintaining that the Clergie ought not to be subject unto the judgement of Laymen though all the Laitie and other of the Spiritualty consented to the King After this hee had a great controversie with Hubert de Burgo Earle of Kent concerning some Lands of the Earle of Gloucester the profits whereof the Arch-Bishop challenged as due unto him in the minority of the sayd Earle The Arch-Bishop complained of the pretended wrong to the King with whom Hubert was very gracious for the good service he had done him in defending Dover Castle against the French and finding no remedy answerable to his minde at the Kings hands who answered him truely That the Lands were held of him in capite and so the wardship of them belonged to himselfe not to the Arch-Bishop hee thereupon excommunicated all the Authors of this his supposed injury the King onely excepted and then gat him to Rome the common Sanctuary and receptacle for all Rebellious Traytorly Prelates this being the first Excommunication that was pronounced against any man for invading the Temporalties of the Church The King hereupon sends divers to Rome to stop the Arch-bishops proceedings and defend his Royall Prerogative The Pope notwithstanding delighted much with the eloquence gravity and excellent behaviour of the Arch-Bishop granted presently all his demands even in prejudice of the Kings Crowne and Right Little joy had he of his Victory for being but three dayes in his way homeward he fell sicke at Saint Gemma and dyed In this Bishops time the Italians had gotten many Benefices in England who being much spited at certaine mad fellowes tooke upon them to thresh out their Corne every where and give it unto the poore as also to rob and spoyle them of their money and other goods after which the Italians were not so eager upon English Benefices Saint Edmund Arch-Bishop of Canteâ—bury had many bickerings with King Henry the third hee was baptized in the same Font that Thomas Becket his Predecessour was and somewhat participated of his disposition Being consecrated Arch-Bishop he presently fell into the Kings displeasure by opposing himselfe against the marriage of Elianor the Kings Sister with Simon Mounâ—fort Earle of Leicester because upon the death of the Earle Marshall her first Husband she had vowed Chastitie to have which vow dispensed withall the King procured the Pope to send Otto his Legate into England betweene whom and the Arch-Bishop there were many quarrels This Arch-Prelate refused to appeare upon summons before the King went to Rome where he made many complaints not onely against Otto but against the King himselfe â—or certaine injuries received at his hands yet with ill successe and was foiled in two severall suites both with the Monkes of Rochester and the Earle of Arundel to whom he was condemned in a thousand Markes to his great disgrace and impoverishing Hee Excommunicated the Monkes of Canterbury for chusing a Prior without his consent The Popes Legate absolving them for money hâ— excommunicated them afresh and interdicted their Church till Otto decided the Controversie which Otto excommunicated Fredericke the Emperour first in the Monastery of Saint Albanes and then publickly in Pauls Church and collected infinite summes of money here in England to maintaine the Popes warres against him which the Emperour tooke very ill at the Kings hands This Arch-Bishop for a great summe of money obtained a Grant fâ—om the Pope in derogation of the Kings Supremacie that if any Bishopricke continued voyd by the space of sixe moneths it should bee lawfull for the Arch-Bishop to conferre it on whom he list which the King procured the Pope immediately to revoke Polichronicon writes that hee called
a Councell of the Prelates together how hee might relieve the holy Church that was made subject and thrall It was consulted that the King and all other men that were Rebels should be warned and if they would not amend then the wrecke of censures of holy Church should not sleepe The holy man Edmund assented and went to the King with the other Bishops who threatned to Excommunicate him if he would not reforme the things they demanded and put away his evill Councellors The King asked avisement and he abode but all for nought Therefore the King was spared alone and all other that were Rebells were denounced accursed But thereby would they not be amended This Arch-Prelate at last being continually vexed thwarted and disgraced both by the King the Pope his Legates and others with whom he contested taking his leave of the King departed into voluntary exile and there bewailing the misery of his Country spoyled and miserably wasted by the tyranny and strange exactions of the Pope spent the rest of his time in continuall teares and through extreame griefe sorrow and fasting fell into a Consumption and dyed being afterwards canonized for a Saint by Pope Innocent the fourth Arch-Bishop Boniface his immediate successor raised many commotions and stirs both in Church and State hee was the Kings instrument for polling of England and brought him much money he was also a great warrier better skilled in Military than Church affaires Not to mention this Arch-Prelates combat with the Prior and Monkes of Saint Bartholmewes which put the whole City of London into an uproate and made much worke both at the Kings Court and at Rome Or how he procured a Grant from the Pope to receive one whole yeares profit of all Livings and Cures that should fall voyd within his Province for 7. yeares space to the value of 10000. Markesâ— At which the King at first was sore offended I shall only reciâ—e some traytorly and Anti-monarchicall constitutions made by him his fellow Prelates in a Synod held at Westminster 1270. to the great impeachment of the Kings Prerogative and affront of his Nobles Judges and Temporall Courts of Justice First they decreed That no Arch-Bishop Bishop or inferior Prelate and Clergi-man should eiâ—her by the Kings Writ or any other Noblemans or secuâ—ar Officers warrant be called to answer before any secular Court or Judge for any cause which they there determin to be meerely Ecclesiasticall Or for any extravagances and undue proceedings in their Ecclesiasticall Courts And that no Clergie-man should presume to appeare upon such Writ or summons before any temporall Judge or Court under paine of Excommunication because no Lay power hath any authority to judge the Lords Anointed whom they ought of necessity to obey And to take away so great abuses preserve the liberties of the Church we decree and ordaine say they that the sayd Archâ—bishops Bishops and other Prelates shall not appeare though they be called summoned to do it as aforesaid Yet to preserve the Kings â—onour the greatest Prelates shall goe or write to the King and shew that they cannot obey such his Royall Mandates without the perill of their Order and the subversion of their Ecclesiasticall Liberty And if the King desist not the Bp. whom it concernes shal admonish the King the second time that he looke to the salvation of his soule and altogether desist from such Mandates And if he desist not at the denuntiation of the Bishop the Arch-Bishop or else the Bishop of London as tâ—e Deane of the Bishops calling to him two or three Bishops or more whom he shall thinke meete shall goe to the King und admonish him more seriously requiring â—im to supersediate his Mandates And if the King after such exhortations and monitions shal proceed to attachments and destresses by himselfe or others then the Sheriffes and all other Baylifes who prosecute the Bishops to attach them shall by the Diocesans of the places be driven away in forme of Law by the sentence of Excommunication and interdiction The like shall be done if the Sheriffes or Bayliffes proceed to Attachments or Distresses pretending the foresayd monitions to be made to our Lord the King as afore-sayd And if the Sheriffes or Baâ—liffes shall persevere in their obstinacie the places wherein they live and the Lands they have within the Province of Canterbury shall be interdicted by the Diâ—cesans of the places at the denuntiation of the Bishop in whose Diocesse such Distresses shall be taken And if such Attachers be Clerks Beneficed they shall be suspended from their Office and if they persevere in their malice they shall be compelled to desist and give satisfaction by substracting the profits of theâ—r benefices And if they be not Beneficed in case they be presented to any Beneâ—ice they shall not be thâ—reto admitted â—or five yeares space And the Clerkes who shall dictate write or signe such Attachments or distresses or give any counsell or advice therein shall be Canonically punished and if any Clerke be suspected of the premises â—e shall not be admitted to any Ecclesiasticall Benefice untill he shall Canonically purge himselfe thereof And if our Lord the King or any other secular power competently admonished concerning this shall not revoke such distresses or Attachments the Bishop distrained shal put under Ecclesiasticall interdict the Lands Villages Townes and Castles which the King himselfe or other secular person so distrainiâ—g shall have within his Bishopricke And if the King or any other secular power contemning such penalties shall persevere in their obstinacy then the Arch-Bishop or the Bishop of London at the denunciation of the Bishop complaining calling to him two Bishops or more whom he shall thinke meete shall repaire to the King and diligently admonish and require him to supersede from the foresaid Mandates And if our Lord the King having heard these admonitions and exhortations shall proceed to Attachments or distresses by himself or others then the other two Bishops reputing this distresse as a common injury to the Church by the authority of this present Counsell shall put under Ecclesiasticall interdict all the Demisne Lands Burroughes Castles and Townes of the King himselfe or any other great man being within the Precincts of their Diocesse And if the King or other great Man shall not within 20. dayes after revoke the said Distresses or Attacâ—ments but shall for this bandy against the Church being with Pharaoh made more obdurate amidst the strokes of punishments then the Archâ—bishop shall put his whole Diocesse under inâ—erdict The same shall be done to the Castles Lands and Burroughes of great men who have Royalties within the said Province And if any Bishop shall be found negligent or remisse in the exeâ—utions of the said penalties in such cases he shall be sharpely reprehended by the Metropolitan Afâ—er which they in the same Councell decree the like Interdicts Excommunications and Proceedings against all such who shall intrude
Prelate Amm. 1385. this King called a Parliament at London wherein the Laity granted the King one Quindisme and a halfe upon condition that the Clergy would give him one Disme and a halfe This Arch-Bishop stiffely opposed this condition saying That it ought not to be made especially seeing the Church ought to be free and no wayes to be taxed by Lay-men adding that he would rather endanger his head for this cause then suffer the Church of England to be so much inslaved Which Answer so moved the company of Commons that the Knights of the Counties with certaine of the Nobles of the Kingdome with great fury petitioned that the Temporalties of the Ecclesiastickes might be taken away saying That the Clergy were growne to such excessive pride that it would be a worke of piety and charity by the taking away of their Temporalties which did puffe them up to compell them to be more humbly wise These things they cryed out these things they presented to the King in short writings thinking to bring this Petition to effect The Arch-Bishop to prevent the danger consulting with his Clergy granted the King one Tenth very willingly which the King accepted of and so for the present the unsatiable covetousnesse of the Enemies of the Church saith Walsingham was frustrated and this Clause of the Laity obliterated out of the Bill Thomas Arundell his immediate successour by provision from the Pope against the Law as he resigned his Chancellourship of England so soone as ever he was made Arch-Bishop as incompatible with his function as Thomas Becket Walter Reynalds Iohn Stratford with other his predecessors had commendably done before witnesse Matthew Parker Godwin and Fox in their lives which I wish our secular Prelates would now imitate though not in resuming this office againe as he did at last so he was scarce warme in his Seat when by King Richard the seconds displeasure he was dispossessed of the same for not onely the Arch-Bishops Brother the Earle of Arundell was attainted and condemned of High Treason against the King in full Parliament for which he was presently executed but the Arch-Bishop himselfe was by Sir Iohn Bushy in the behalfe of the Commonalty accused of high Treason for that hee had evill counselled his Majesty and induced him to grant Letters of Pardon to his brother the Earle of Arundell being a ranke Traytor After which he was found guilty and condemned of High Treason adjudged unto perpetuall exile for conspiring to take the King the Dukes of Lancester and Yorke prisoners and to hang and draw the other Lords of the Kings Councell and commanded within forty dayes to depart the Realme under paine of death He thus banished got to Rome and found such favour with the Pope as that he first writ earnestly to the King for his Restitution the King writes a sharpe Letter against him to the Pope wherein he sheweth That he plotted Treason against him and endeavoured to take away his life that he deserved rather to be quartered and executed as a Traytor then banished that the whole Kingdome wondred and were offended hee had dealt so mildly with him and not executed him as he deserved that hee was a man impatient of peace of a Trayterous and seditious spirit so as he could not restore him or re-admit him into the Realme without danger of his Life and Kingdome and therefore though all the World consented to his Restitution yet hee would never doe it whiles he breathed Upon which Letters the Pope not onely refused to restore him but at the Kings request made Roger Walden Arch Bishop in his stead The Pope hereupon conferred the Arch-bishopricke of St. Andrews in Scotland with other livings here in England by way of provision upon Arundelâ— who confederating afterward with Henry Duke of Lancaster against King Richard they levyed what forces they could and landed with them in England so that at last King Richard upon parly with this Arundell whom he had banished was forced to resigne his Crowne and to render himselfe prisoner to the Duke of Lancaster with promise of saving his life onely Hereupon the Arch-Bishop after the Resignation made in parliament Crowned the Duke King and made a Briefe Collation on these words 1 King 9. A man shall Raigne over the People Tending wholly to the praise of the new King and disparagement of the old Recorded at large by Holinshed After which hee thrust Walden out of his See and got restitution of it againe the Pope confirming his Restauration and declaring Walden to be an intruder who after a while was made Bishop of London This Arch-Bishop thus restored to his See and in high favour with the King proved a bloody persecutor and butcher of Gods Saints to which end following the steppes of his predecessour Courtney he with the rest of the Bishops fraudulently and surreptitiously procured by craftyâ— meanes and subtile pretences the cruell bloody Statute Ex Officio as Master Fox doth stile it to wit 2. Hen. 4. c. 15. to passe the Upper House of Parliament as a Law without the Commons assent or Privity whose assent they yet foisted into the written and Printed Coppies of that Act to blind the world withall and give it the colour of a Statute though it be not to be found in the Parliament Roll the Commons never consenting to it as Mr. Fox hath shewed at large in his Acts and Monuments p. 539.540 and the Statute of 25. Hen. 8. c. 14. witnesseth which bastard Statute by colour of which alone most or all our English Martyres were afterwards imprisoned burned tortured and put to death being thus unduly obtained this bloody Arch-Prelate forthwith caused many godly Martyres to be burnt to ashes and the Worthy honourable Lord Cobham with sundry others to be put to death by reason whereof the Kingdome of the Pope and of the Prelates his members here in this Realme began to beâ— so strong that none durst stirre or once mutter against them The Bishops having the King so full on their side armed moreover with these two forged Lawes with imprisonments sword fire and faggot raigned and ruled as they listed as Kings and Princes within themselves So strong were they of power that no humane force was able to stand against them so exalted in pride and puffed up in glory that they thought all things to be subject to their reverend majesties Whatsoever they set forth and decreed though in their owne names rites and by their owne authorities it must of all mâ—n bee received and obeyed And it was their Superstitious blindnesse and curious vanity that whatsoever â—oy came once in their fantacy it was straight-way determined and established for a Law of all men to be observed were it never so â—rivilous or superstitious yea such was the pride vaine-glory and insolency of this Arch-Bishop Arundel who stuffed the Church with Ceremonies and vaine Traditions of men as his Successors doth now that he in great
done for them before when the Commons in this Parliament required that all such Lands and revenues which sometime belonged to the Crowne and had beene given away by the King or by his predecessors King Edward or King Richard should be restored againe to the Kings use unto which request the Arch-Bishop and other the Prelaâ—es would in no wise consent Thus by this Arch-Bishop Arundel that Petition of the Commons the â—pirituall Temporalities came to naught Afterwards in an other Parliament Anno 1410. the Commons of the â—ower House exhibited a Bill to the King and Lords of the Upper House containing in effect as followeth To the most excellent Lord our King and to all the Nobles in this present Parliament assembled your faithfull Commons doe â—umbly signifie that our Soveraigne Lord the King might have of the Temporall possessâ—ons Lands and Tenements which are lewdly spent consumed and wasted by the Bishops Abbots and Priors within this Realme so much in value as would suffice to finde and sustaine an 150. Earles 1500. Knights 6200. Esquires and 100. Hospitals more than now be which is more largely and particularly related in Fabian The King as some write mis-liked the motion and therefore commanded that from thenceforth they should not presume to study about any such matters Another thing the Commons then sued to have granted to them but could not obtaine That Clerkes convict should noâ— thenceforth bee delivered to Bishops Prisons Moreover they demanded to have the Statâ—te either revoked or qualified which had beene enacted without their consent in the Second yeare of this Kings raigne against such as were reputed to be Heretickes or Lollards But the King seemed so highly to favour the Clergie that the Commons were answered plainely that they should not come by their purpose but rather that the said statute should be made more rigorous and sharpe for the punishment of such persons and all this by meanes of this bloodly Arch-Bishop Arundel of whom we have heard sufficient Henry Chichely being elected Arch Bishop by the Monks of Canterbury with the Kings consent immediaâ—ly after Arundels death hee refused to accept of this their Legall election and against the expresse Statutes of the Realme touching Provisions and Premuniâ—es accepted of the See onely by Collaâ—ion from Pope Iohn the 23. in affront both of the King and those Lawes which the Pope endeavored in vaine to get repealed and therefore opposed in point of practise all that he might reserving by a Decree of the Councell of Constance all vacancie to his own dispoâ—all bestowing all the Bishoprickes of England as soon as they were voyd at his own pleasure by the Arch-Bishops connivence in affront of the Lawes and the Kings royall Edicts This Arch-Prelate published throughout his Province Pope Martins Bulls for the extirpation of the Wicklevists and Hussites by force of armes and promised the same Indulgences to those who should take up the Crossado and warre against them as those enjoyed who went to the holy Land to fight against the Sarecens For which good service the same yeare Anno 1429. he received the Title of the Cardinall Presbyter of S. Eusebiusâ—rom â—rom Pope Martin the 5. who also created him his Legate here in England without the Kings privity and contrary to Law But to colour the businesse lest he should seeme to receive that power Legatine without the Kings permission and Licence against the Lawes and Customes of the Realme one Richard Condray was made the Kings procurer that hee might appeale to the next generall Councell from all injuries grievances and prejudices offered or to be offered by the Pope or Court of Rome to the King and the Kingdome Thereâ—ore as soon as it was known that the Arch-Bishop had received this Legatin power without the Kings privity or licence Condray made this appeale to Humfrey Duke of Gloster Lord Protector and others oâ— the Kings privie Councell in writing In which he expressed that no Legate of the Sea Apostolicke ought to come into the Kingdome of the King of England or other his Lands or Dominions but at the vocation petition requisition or intreaty oâ— the King of England for the time being the Roman Pontifex tolerating and consenting thereto as well tacitely as expresly in which appeale notwithstanding if the sayd Arch Bishop not as a Legate but as a Cardinall would say open or propound any thing from the Pope to the King it might be lawfull for him to doe it In which the King would so farre assiâ—t as he mighâ— doe it by the Lawes and Priviledges of his royall Crowne and of his famous Kingdome of England The appeale being read the Arch-Bishop in the presence of the Prelates and Nobles there present confessed and protested That it was not nor is nor should be his intention by his entring into England nor by any things done or to be done by him spoken or to be spoken for to exercise the Legatine power which hee had undertaken without the Kings permission or to derogate in any thing from the rights priviledges liberties or customes of the King or Kingdome or tâ— contradict â—hem but to preserve defend maintaine and roborate all and every of them By this device he deluded both the King Counsell and Lawes how well hee kept this his protestation his subsequent Acts will evidence For immediately after hee made a Synodicall Constitution That no married man or Lay man should exercise any Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction or be Iudge or Register in any Ecclesiasticall Court in causes of correction of the soule under paine of incurring the greater excommunication ipso facto if they offered to intermeddle in any of the premises contâ—aâ—y to the Councels prohibition which further makes voyd all citations processe and Acts whatsoever had and made by Laymen in the Cases aforesayd and suspends all Ordinaries from the exercise of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and ingresse into the Church who should grant any married or Lay man power to exercise any Ecclesiasticall Office or authority under them What the true intent of this Arch-Prelates Constitution was and how farre this Decree intrenched upon the Kings Prerogative Royall appeares by the Statute of 37. H. 8. c. 17. made purposely to repeale this Constitution which I shall here insert In most humble wise shew and declare unto your highnesse your most faithfull humble and obedient Subjects the Lords Spirituall and Temporall aud the Commons of this present Parliament assembled that whereas your Majesty is and hath alwayes justly beene by the Word of God supreame head in Earth of the Church of England and hath full power and authority to correct punish and represse all manner of Heresies errours vices abuses Idolatries hypocrisies and Superstitionsâ— springen and growing within the same and to exercise all manner of Iurisdictions commonly called Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction Neverthelesse the Arch-Bishop of Rome and his adherents minding utterly as much as in him lay to abolish obâ—cure
and delete such power given by God to the Princes of the earth whereby they might gather and get to themselves the government and rule of the world have in their Councells and Synods Provinciall made ordained and established and decreed divers ordinances and constitutions that no Lay or marryed man should or might exercise or occupie any Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall nor should be any Judge or Registerâ— in any Court commâ—nly called Ecclesiasticall Courâ— lest their â—alse and usurped power which they pretended and went about to have in Christs Church should decay waxe vile and of no reputation as by the sayd Councels and Constitutions Provinciall appeareth which standing and remaining in their effect not abolished by your Graces Lawes did seeme to appeare to make greatly for the sayd usurped power of the sayd Bishop of Rome and to be directly repugnant to your Majesties Title of supreame head of the Church and prerogative Royall your Grace being a Lay-man and albeit the sayd Decrees Ordinances and Constitutions by a Statute made the 25â— yeare of your most noble raigne be utterly abolished frustrate and of none effect yet because the contrary thereunto is not used nor put in practise by â—he Arch-Bishops Bishops Deanes and other Ecclesiasticall persons who have no manner of Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall but by under and from your royall Majesty it addeth or aâ— the least may give occasion to some evill disposed persoâ—s to thinke and little to regard the proceeding and censures Ecclesiasticall made by your Highnesse and your Vice-gerent Officialls Commissaries Judges and Visitatorsâ— being also Lay and married men to be of little or none effect or force whereby the people gathereth heart and presumption to doe evill and not to have such reverence to your most godly injunctions and proceedings as becommeth them But forasmuch as your Majesty is the onely and undoubtedly supreame head of the Church of England and also of Ireland to whom by Scripture all authority and power is wholly given to heare and determine all causes Ecclesiasticall and to correct all vice and sinne whatsoever and to all such persons as your Majesty shall appoint thereunto that in consideration thereof as well for the instruction of ignorant persons as also to avoyd the occaâ—ion of the opinion aforesayd and setting forth of your prerogative royall and supremacy It may therefore please your Highnesse that it may bee ordained and enacted by authority of this present Parliament that all and singular aswell Lay as those that be married now or hereafter shall be married being Doctors of the Civill Law lawfully create and made in any University which shall be made ordained constituted and deputed to bee any Chancellour Vicar Generall Commissary Officiall Scribe or Register by your Majesty or any of your Heires or Successours to anyâ— Arch-Bishop Bishop Arch-Deacon or other person whatsoever having authority under your Majesty your Heires and Successours to make any Chancellour Vicar Generall Commissary Offâ—ciall or Register may lawfâ—lly execute and exercise all mannâ—r of Jurisdiction commonly called Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and all Censures and Corrections appertaining oâ— any wise belonging unto the same albeit such person or persons be Lay married or unmarried so that they be Doctors of the Civill Law as is aforesayd any Law Constitution or Ordinance to the contrary notwiâ—hstanding By this Act it is apparent that the end of the former Constitution was trecherously to undermine and abolish the Kings Prerogative Royall in causes Ecclesiasticall and to make the Pope and our Prelates absolute Monarches and our Kings meere Cyphers to execute their Mandates when by the expresse words of this Law with that of 1. Ed. 6. c. 2.26 H. 8. c. 1.1 Eliz. c. â— 5 Eliz. c. 1.8 Eliz. c. 1. and 1. and 2. Phil. and Mâ—ry c. 8. it is most clearely resolved that our Arch-Bishops and Bishops have no manner of Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall over other Ministers by any divine right as they now vainely if not trayterously pretâ—nd but by from and under our Kings in whose name and right and under whose Seale alone all their Ecclesiasticall processe ought to issue as hath beene elsewhere plentifully manifested it being no lesse than a Premunire by the Statute of 1. Edw. 6. c. 2. â—or any Bishops or Ecclesiasticall Judges to issue out processes in their owne names and under their owne Seales as now our Prelates doe This Law of Premunire was such a curbe to our usurping Prelates that this Arch Prelate Chichely in the last Synod hee held Anno. 1439. without delay or difficulty granted King Henry the sixt a Tenth and promised him large supplyes from the Clergie in all things if he would abrogate those hard Lawes of Premunire where-with the Clergie were very falsely accused and oft taken and ensuared as in unjust sâ—ares whereas in truth those Lawes were the principall safety both of King and people to preserve and free them from the unjust incroachments of Popes and Prelates upon their Liberties Lawes and Estates which made the Pope and them so frequently to sollicite their repeale And by his countenance William Lindwood collected and set out the Provinciall Constitutions of the Arch-Prelates of Canterbury in their Synods in affront of the Kings prerogative Royall and the Lawes of the Realme dedicating them to this Arch-Prelate and entreating him to put them in due Execution being neglected and quite disregarded formerly both by Prelates Judges and people as he complaines in his Epistle Dedicatory to him In briefe when in the Parliament held at London Anno 1414. under King Henry the fifth the Commons reviewed their former Petition in Parliament made to King Henry the fourth but foure yeares before to seize the Bishops and Abbots Temporalities shewing how many Earles Knights and Esquires they would maintaine The Bishops and Abbots whom it touched very neare much â—earingâ— the issueâ— determined to assay all wayes to put by and overthrow this Bill and minding rather to bow than breake they first agreed to offer the King a great summe of money to stay this new moven Demand The cause of this offer seemed to some of the wise Prelates neither decent nor convenient for they well â—oresaw and perfectly knew that if the Commons perceived that they by rewards or by offer of money would resist their request and petition that they stirred and moved with a fury would not onely raile and despise them as corrupters of Princes and enemies of the Publickeâ—Wealth but would so cry and call on the King and the â—emporall Lords that they were like to lose both worke and oyle cost and lining Wherefore they determined to cast all chances which might serve their purpose and in speciall to replenish the Kings braine with some pleasant study so as that hee should neither phantasie nor regard the serious Petition of the importunate Commons Wherefore on a day when the King was present in Parliament this Henry Chichely Arch-Bishop of Canterbury after low
impediment The Lights of the Apostles on this side the Alpes I shall visite personally or by my Deputy once every yeare and those beyond the Alpes once every two yeares unlesse I am there-from absolved by an Apostolicall dispensation I shall not alien or sell the possessions belonging to my Arch-Bishopricke nor give nor morgage nor infeofe any of them afresh or any wayes alien them without the Popes Counsell So God me help and the holy Evangelists This Oath every Arch-Bishop and Bishop not onely in England but likewise in Spaine France Germany and other Kingdomes used to take to the Popes unholinesse No wonder therefore if they were such Traytors Rebels and Conspirators against their Kings such sticklers â—or the Pope such Champions â—or his unjust usurpations upon thâ—ir Soveraignes Prerogatives and so forward to twhart and discover al those designes oâ— their Princes which were any wayes displeasing or disadvantagious to the Pope who as long as this Oath continued and Bishops that tooke it bore sway in our Kingdome being both Privie Counsellers of State Lord Chancellours Lord Privie Seales Lord Treasurers or other great Officers never lost his hold or usurped power among us which he still keâ—pes onely by meanes of Bishops in other Kingdomes where the Prelates yet take this Oath of Alleagiance to him But this Oath which like a mystery of Iniquity was concealed from our Princes being discovered to King Henry the eighth in the twenty fourth yeare of his raigne this wise Prince considering the disloyalâ—ty and mischiefe of it sending for the Speaker and Commons House of Parliament spake thus unto them Welbeloved Subjects We had thought the Clergie of our Realme had beene our Subjects but now We have well perceived that they be but halfe Our Subjects yea and scarce our Subjects For all the Prelates at their Consecrations take an Oath to the Pope cleane contrary to the Oath they make unto Vs with which the Pope usually dispensed but never with any Oath made to himselfe which must be observed and stand good what ever Oath else bee violated so that they seeme to be his Subjects and not ours And so delivering them the Coppy of both Oathes of this to the Pope and the other to himselfe required them to invent some order that he might not be thus deluded The discovering and opening of these Oathes which were read in Parliament both to the King and People as both Hall and Mr. Fox record was the occasion that the Pope lost all hâ—s interest and Jurisdiction here in England within short while after This Oath to the Pope being thereupon abolished and made voyd by the Statute and a new Oath to the King prescribed and ministred to the Bishops together with an Oath of Alleagiance wherein the Popes Authority stands abjured and the King acknowledged Supreame head on earth under Christ of the Church of England the forme of which Oathes are recorded in Mr. Fox Mr. Hall and the Statute of 28. Hen. 8. c. 10. The Prologue of which Act with the Oath â—herein prescribed being pertinent to our purpose I shall here recite AN ACT EXTINGVISHING the Authority of the Bishop of Rome FOrasmuch as notwithstanding the good and wholsome Lawes Ordinances and Statutes heretofore made enacted and established by the Kings Highnesse our most gracious Soveraigne Lord and by the whole consent of his High Court of Parliament for the extirpation abolition and extinguishment out of this Realme and other his graces Dominions Seigniories and Countries of the pretended power and usurped authority of the Bishop of Rome by some called the Pope used within the same or elsewhere concerning the same Realme Dominions Seigniories or Countries which did obsuscate and wrest Gods holy Word and Testament a long season from the spirituall and true meaning thereof to his worldly and carnall affections as Pompe Glory Avarice Ambition and Tyranny covering and shadowing the same with his humane and politicke Devises Traditions and inventions set forth to promote and stablish his onely Dominion both upon the soules and also the bodies and goods of all Christian people excluding Christ out of his Kingdome and rule of mans soule as much as he may and all other temporall Kings and Princes out of their Dominions which they ought to have by Gods Law upon the bodies and goods oâ— their Subjects whereby he did not onely rob the Kings Majestie being onely the supreame head of this his Realme of England immediately under God of his honour right and preheminence due unto him by the Law of God but spoyled this his Realme yearely of innumerable treasure and with the losse oâ— the same deceived the Kings loving and obedient Subjects perswading to them by his Lawes Bulls and other his deceivable meanes such dreames vanities and fantasies as by the same many of them were seduced and conveyed unto superstitious and erronious opinions so that the Kings Majestie the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons of this Realme being over-wearied and fatigated with the Experience of the infinite abominations and mischieâ—es proceeding of his impostures and craftily colouring of his deceits to the great damages of soules bodies and goods were forced of necessity for the publicke weale of this Realme to exclude that forraine pretended power jurisdiction and authority used and usurped within this Realme and to devise such remedies for their reliefe in the same as doth not onely redound to the honour of God the high praise and advancement of the Kings Majestie and oâ— his Realme but also to the great and inestimable utility of the same And notwithstanding the sayd wholsome Lawes so made and heretoâ—ore established yet it is commen to the knowledge of the Kings Highnesse and also to divers and many his loving faithfull and obedient Subjects how that divers seditious and contentious persons being Impes of the sayd Bishop of Rome and his See and in heart members of his pretended Monarchy doe in corners and else-where as they dare whisper inculke preach and perswade and from time to time instill into the eares and heads of the poore simple and unlettered people the advancement and continuance of the sayd Bishops fained and pretended authority pretending the same to have his ground and originall of Gods Law whereby the opinions of many be suspended their judgements corrupted and deceived and diversitie in opinions augmented and increased to the great displeasure of Almighty God the high discontentation of our sayd most Dread Soveraigne Lord and the interruption of the unity love Charity concord and agreement that ought to be in a Christian Region and Congregation For avoyding whereof nd repression of the follies of such seditious persons 〈◊〉 are the meanes and Authors of such inconveniences Be it enacted ordained and established by the King our Soveraigne Lord and the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by Authority of the same That if any person or persons
dwelling demurring inhabiting or resiant within this Realme or within any other the Kings Dominions Signiories or Countries or the Marches of the same or elsewhere within or under his obeysance and power of what Estate Dignity Preheminence Order Degree or Condition soever he or they be after the last day of July which shall be in the yeare of our Lord God 1530â— shall by Writing Cyphering Printing Preaching or Teaching Deed or Act obstinately or malicioâ—sly hold or stand with to extoll set forth maintaine or defend the Authority Jurisdiction or Power of the Bishop of Rome or of his See heretoâ—ore claimed used or usurped within this Realme or in any Dominion or Countie being of within or under the Kings power or obeysance or by any pretence obstinately or maliciously invent any thing for the extolling advancing setting forth maintenance or defence of the same or any part thereofâ— or by any pretence obstinately or maliciously attribute any manner of Jurisdiction Authority or Pâ—eheminence to the sayd See of Rome or to any Bishop of the same See for the time being within this Realme or in any of the Kings Dominions or Counties That then every such person or persons so doing or offending their ayders assistants comforters abettors procurers maintainers factors Counsellours concealors and every of them being thereof lawfully convicted according to the Lawes of this Realme for every such default and offence shall incurre and run into the dangers penalties paines and forfeiâ—ures ordained and provided by the Satute of Provision and Praeâ—â—nire made in the â—6 yeare of the Raigne of the Noble and Valiant Prince King Richard the second against such as attempt procure or make provision to the See of Rome or elsewhere for any thing or things to the derogation or contrary to the Prerogative Royall or Jurisdiction of the Crowne and Dignitie of this Realme And for stronger defence and maintenance of this Act It is ordained and enacted by authority aforesayd that all every Ecclesiastical Judge ordinary chancellour commissary official vicar-generall and other Ecclesiastical officer or minister of what dignity preheminence or Degree soever they shall be and all and every Temporall judge justiciaâ— Major bayliffe sheriffe under-sheriffe Escheater Alderman Iurat Constable Head-borough third-borough borsholder every other said officer Minister to be made created elected or admitted within this Realme or any other the Kings Dominions of what state order degree or condition soever he shall be from and after the sayd last day of July shall before he take upon him the Execution of such Office make take and receive a Corporall oath upon the Evangelists before such person or persons as have or shall have Authority to admit him That he from henceforth shall utterly renounce refuse relinquish or forsake the Bishop of Rome and his authority power and jurisdiction and that he shall never consent nor agree that the Bishop of Rome shall practise exercise or have any manner of authority jurisdiction or power within this Realme or any other the Kings Dominions but that he shall reâ—ist the same at all times to the uttermost of his power and that from henâ—eforth he shall accept repute and take the Kings Majestie to be the onely supreame head in earth of the Church of England and that to his cunning wit and uttermost of his power without guile fraud or other undue meanes he shall observe keepe maintaine and defend the whole effects and contents of all and singular Acts and Statutes made and to be made within this Realme in derogation extirpation and extinguishment of the Bishop of Rome and his authority and all other Acts and Statutes made and to be made in reformation and corroboration of the Kings power of supreame head in earth of the Church of England and this he shall doe against all manner of persons of what estate dignity degree or condition they be and in no wise doe nor attempt nor to his power suffer to be done or attempted directly or indirectly any thing or things privily or apertly to the let hinderance dammage or derogation thereof or of any part thereof by any manner of meanes or for any manner of pretence and in case any oâ—th be made or hath beene made by him to any person or persons in maintenance defence or favour of the Bishop of Rome or his authority jurisdiction or power he repute the same as vaine and adnihilate So helpe him God c. I could wiâ—h this obsolete Oath were now againe revived to hinder the further growth of Popery This forementioned Oath to the Pope usually taken by all our Prelates being one maine Pillar to support the Popes usurped Monarchy both at home and abroade and a chiefe engine to undermine the royall Prerogatives of Christian Princes and perchance the groundworke of many of our owne and forraine Prelates Treasons Treacheries Rebellions Conspiracies and contempts against their Soveraignes It will not be amisse noâ— impertinent here to inserâ— that excellent discourse which our famous Martyr Doctor Barnes hath long since made upon it in his Supplication to King Henry the 8. where he thus writes I dare boldly say that if we poore men which be now condemned for Hereticks and also for Traytors against our King had not beene the Realme of England had not stood in â—o good a condition as it is for men had beene bound still in their Conscience to obey this wretched Idoll who durst have kept this innumerable summe of money within the Realme that yearely was sucked out by this Adder if our godly learning had not instructed their Conscience Let all the Libraries be sought in England and there shall not be one Book written in 4. C. yeares and admitted by the Church of Rome and by our spiritualty found that doth teach this obedience and fidelity toward Princes and delivereth our Realme from the bondage of this wicked Sathan the Pope or else that is able to satisfie and to quieâ— any mans Conscience within this Realme and yet I dare say he is noâ— in England that can reprove our learning by the doctrine of our Master Christ or else of his holy Apostles Yea men have studyed and devised how they might bring our mighty Prince and his Noble Realme under the feete of this Devill There could be nothing handled so secretly within this Realme but if it were either pleasant or profitable to the Pope to know then were all the Bishops in England sworne to reveale thaâ— matter to him This may well be proved by their shamefull and trayterous oath that they contrary to Gods Law mans Law and order of nature have made to this false man the Pope The words of their oath written in their owne Law be theseâ— mannerâ— There hath been wondrous packing used and hath cost many a thousand mens lives ere that the spiritualty brought it to passe that all they should be sworne to the Pope and owe none obedience to any man but to him onely This
matter hath beene wondrous craftily conveyed for at the beginning the Bishops were not sworne so straitely unto the Pope as now For I doe reade in the â—ime of Gregory the third which wâ—s in the yeare of our Lord 759. how their oath was no more but to sweare for to keepe the faith of our Holy Church and to abide in the unity of the same and not to consent for any manâ— pleasure to the contrary to promise also to seeke the profits of the Church of Rome And if any Bishops did live against the old Statutes of Holy Fathers with him they should have no conversation but rather forbid it if they could or else truely to shew the Pope of it This Oath continued a great many of yeares till that a mortall hatred sprang betweene the Emperour and the Pope for confirming of Bishops then as many Bishops as were confirmed by the Pope did sweare the Oath that I have first written For this Oath that Gregory maketh mention of was not sufficientâ— because that by it the Bishops were not bound to betray their Princes not to revelaâ—e their Counsailes to the Pope The which thing the Pope must needes know or else he could not bring to passe his purpose that is to say he could not be Lord over the world and cause Emperours and Kings to fetch their confirmations of him and to kneele downe and kisse his feete The which when he had brought to passe he proceeded further adding more things to the Bishops Oathâ— to the maintaining of his worldly honour and dignity as it shall afterward appeare But first we will examine this Oath how it standeth with Gods Word and with the true obedience to our Prince I pray you tell me out of what Scripture or else out of what example of our Master Christ and his Holy Apostles you have taken this doctrine to learne to sweare to S. Peter or else to the Church of Rome or else to the Pope What neede you to sweare to S. Peter ye can neither doe him good by your fidelity noâ— yet hurt by your falshood Oathes be taken that he that the Oath is made unto might be sure of the true helpe and suâ—cour of him that sweareth against all men that could hurt him Now S. Peter hath none enemies and though he had yet is not he afraid of them neither can you helpe him nor deliver him if he had neede But the verity is that good S. Peter must here stand in the fore-front to make men afrayd with and to make men beleeve that you are his friends but God knoweth that you neither favour his person learning nor living For if S. Peters person were here with his net on his necke I thinke you would bid him walke begger if you called him not Hereticke Why doe you not sweâ—re to follow his living and to preach and teach his Doctrine but that maketh nothing for your purpose Therefore you sweare all onely â—o Saint Peters name But wherein will you be faithfull to Saint Peter to maintaine his worldly honours dignities or riches you know well he saith that he hath forsaken all these things for Christs sake and for these things I thinke he will require none Oath of you Wherefore if you will needes be faithfull and sworne unto S. Peter it must be in maintaining and in defending spirituall things as preaching of Christs Gospell purely and sincerely ministring truely after the institution of our Master Christ the blessed Sacraments of holy Church and in vertuous living giving example to the Holy Church of Christ. But now if this be your Oath truely you are perjured and worthy to weare Papers for you doe reckon your selves too high and too honourable to goe about such simple things as these be And therefore you have applyed your selves to other greater matters as to Christening of Bells to hallowing of Churches to blessing of Candles to consecrating of Holy Oyle to hallowing of Chalices vestments and Aâ—tars and to giving 40. dayes of pardon to them that receive your blessings in the streete and to some that visite Holy Saints and such like great matters which pertaine nothing to your Oath Wherefore I doe reckon that after the true forme of your Oath we have but few Bishops but that be perjured or abjured call it what you will both against God against S. Peter and against their Prince It followeth And to the Holy Church of Rome What needeth this what good can you doe to the Church of Rome or what profit is it to her that you sweare thinke you that â—he will compell you by your Oath to be true to her then must she needes sue you of perjury if you breake your Oath But marke how the Church of Rome is set in your Oath as the better person before the Pope wherefore it must needes follow that the Pope is under the Church and lesse than the Church and no head of the Church except you will make him a third person yeâ— neither pertaineth to S. Peter nor yet to holy Church but is a thing of himselfe and as your Law saith neither God nor man but middle betweene them both that is as much to say after my learning as the Devill himselfe But what meaneth it that you sweare onely to the Holy Church of Rome will you be traytors to the Holy Church of Constantinople or else to the Holy Church of England Or doe you thinke other Churches not holy tell us what you meane for it seemeth a marveilous thing and also a speciall thing that you make such an Oath all onely to the Holy Church of Rome naming none other Church Why are you not rather sworne to keep and to feede to nourish and to be true to your owne Church of the which you have taken cure and charge As S. Peter commandeth you See that you feede Christs flocke which is among you For of these you have taken your name living and dignity you are called Bishop of Winchester of London and of Lincolne and of these you are Fed but these be forgotten in your Oath and these you little regard but to maintaine the Holy Church of Rome that giveth you never a penny but robbeth all other Churches you must be â—â—raitely sworne And why Antichrist must have a cloake for his Treason For now if he be a Traytor he is to be excused Why for he is sworne to it But shall I tell you what I doe take out of it The truth is that you sweare to betray to kill and slay all members of all other Churches saving those that live after the whoredome and mischief that is used in Rome For if you should be bound to seeke out in Rome Christened men and those that doe live after the living of the holy Church I thinke you should finde but few yea and unto those you would thinke scorne to be sworne Ergo it must follow that you are sworne to the worst sort of Rome and that
ill as Turkes or Sarazens so that what paine or study soever they tooke for the Common wealth or what Acts or Lawes soever they made or stablished should be taken as Lawes made by Painims and Heaâ—hen People and not worthy to be kept by Christian men Wherefore he most humbly besoâ—ght the Kings Highnesse to call the sayd Bishop before him and to cause him to speake more discreetly of such a number as was in the Commons-house The King was not well contented with the saying of the Bishop yet he gently answered the Speaker that he would send for the Bishop and send them word what answere he made and so they departed againe After this the King sent for the Archbishop of Canterbury and sixe other Bishops and for the Bishop of Rochester also and there declared to him the grudge of the Commons to the which the Bishop answeâ—ed that he meant the doings of the Bohemians was for lacke of Faith and not the doings of them that were in the Commons House Which saying was confirmed by the Bishops being present who had him in great reputation and so by that onely saying the King accepted his excuse and thereof sent word to the Commons by Sir VVilliam-Fitz-VVilliams Knight Treasurer of his Household which blind excuse pleased the Commons nothing at all After divers assemblies were kept betweene certaine of the Lords and certaine of the Commons for the Bills of Probates of Testaments and the Mortuaries the Temporalty layd to the Spiritualty their owne Lawes and Constitutions and the Spiritualty sore defended them by prescription and usage to whom this answer was made by a Gentleman of Grayes-Inne The usage hath ever beene of theeves to Rob on Shooters-hill Ergo is it Lawfull With this answere the Spiritual men were sore offended because their doings were called robberies But the Temporall men stood still by their sayings insomuch that the said Gentleman said to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury that both the exaction of Probates of Testaments and the taking of Mortuaries as they were used were open Robbery and theft After long disputation the Temporall Lords began to leane to the Commons but for all that the Bills remained unconcluded for a while The King like a good and discreete Prince not long after ayded them for the redresse of their griefes against the Spiritualty and caused two new Bills to be made indifferently both for the Probates of Testaments and Mortuaries which Bills were so reasonable that the Spirituall Lords assented to them all though they were sore against their minds and in especiall the Probates of Testaments sore displeased the Bishops and the Mortuaries sore displâ—asedâ— the Parsons and Vicars After these acts thus agreed the Commons made another Act for Pluralities of benefices Non-Residence buying selling and taking of Farmes by Spirituall Persons which Act so displeased the Spiritually that the Priests railed on the Commons of the Common house and called them Heretickes and Schismatickes â—or the which divers Priests were punished This Act was sore debaâ—ed above in the Parliament Chamber and the Lords Spirituall would in no wise consent Wherefore the King perceiving the grudge of his Commons câ—used â—iâ—ht Lords and eight of his Commons to meeâ—e in the Sâ—aâ—â—â—hâ—â—â—er aâ— an after-noone and there was sore debating of the cause insomuch that the Temporall Lords of the Upper house which were there â—ooke part with the Commons against the Spirituall Lords and by force of reason caused them to assent to the â—ill with a little qualifying Which Bill theâ— next day was wholly agreed to in the Lords house to the great rejoycingâ— of the Lay people and to the great displeasure of the Spirituall personsâ— Immediately after this not onely Cardinall VVolâ—e himselfe but the Arch-bishop and whole Cleâ—giâ— of â—â—gland were brought into a Pr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this Parliamenâ— the Cardinall for accepting of a power Legatiâ—e from thâ— Pope contrary to the Lawes of the Realme and the 〈◊〉 of the Clâ—â—â—iâ— for consenting and submitted thereunto and holding a Synode by vertue of iâ— to avoid this danger and purchase a pardon the Clergie of the Province of Canterbury proâ—fered to give the King one hâ—ndred thousand pounds and the Clergie of the Province of Yorke 18000 â—ounds more but the King would not accept of this summe unlesse they would declare him in the Act by which they granted him this subsidie to be supreame head of the Church of England here on earth next under Christ but proceeded to take the forfeiture of the Premunire against them This put the Prelates the Popes sworne vassals to a great Dilemma for either they must plainly renounce the Popes usurped supremacie or the Kings mercy and fall under the lash of a Premunire whereby all their Bishoprickes goods livings were forâ—eited to his Majestie and their lives and liberties at his devotion Loath were the Bishops to forsake their old Lord the Pope whose servants they had beene so long and therefore they used all delayes and adjournments to spin out the time and delude the King but hee would not be mocked by them At last therefore they agreed upon this recognition Wee acknowledge the Kings Majestie to be the singular Protector the supreame Lord and likewise supreame head of the Church and Clergie of England so farre forth as it is lawfull for him to be by the Lawes of Christ. But the King much offended with this ambiguous dubious and equivocating acknowledgement which in truth was no concession of what he demanded required them to make a full and plaine acknowledgement of his supremacie in direct and positive termes without ambiguity or shifts or else to denie and conclude against it and incurâ—e the penalty of the Premunire Being thus put to it the Archbishop and Bishops hereupon made many adjournments of the Convocation and at last put it over from Aprill to the fifth of October to â—hunne the rocke on which they were like to split themselves or their holy Father the Pope in which space the Archbishop died At last they agreed to give the King the Title he desired and inserted it into a publike instrument Whereupon the King at last granted them a generall pardon in Parliament which begins thus The King our Soveraigne Lord calling to his blessed and most gracious remembrance that his good and loving subâ—ects the most Reverend Father in God the Archbishop of Canâ—erbury and other Bishops Suffragans Prelates and other spirituall persons of the Province of the Archbishopricke of Canterbury of this his Realme of England and the Ministers under-written which have exercised practised or executed in spirituall Courts and other jurisdictions within the said Province have fallen and incurred into divers dangers of his Lawes by things done perpetrated and committed contrary to the order of his Lawes and spâ—â—ially contrary to the forme of the Statutes of Provisours Provisions and Premunire and his Highnesse having alway a tender eye with mercy pitty and compassion â—owards his spirituall
devill and his disciples be against thee for God thy protector is stronger than hee or any other and shall by his grace give him and them a fall and so shew unto thee that God is on thy side Consider that it is written in Prov. 6. that amongst many crimes there rehearsed that God hateth chiefly hee doth detest those persons that sow discord among their brethren as all we Christians are brethren under our heavenly Father Also it is written in Iohn 8. that those that do stirre men to murther are children of the Devill which was from the beginning a murtherer and brought Adam to sinne and thereby to death as the Jewes his children stirred the peopâ—e to put Christ to death Saint Paul also in Rom. 16. warneth them to beware of those that make dissention and debate among them against the Doctrine that he had taught them and biddeth them eschew their company wherein the Holy Ghost wrought in Paul for these many yeares past little warre hath beene in these parts of Christendome but the Bishop of Rome either hath beene a stirrer of it or a nourisher of it and seldome any compounder of it unlesse it was for his ambition and profit Whereâ—ore since as S. Paul saith in 1 Cor. 14. that God is not the God of dissention but of peace who commandeth by his Word peace alway to be kept we are sure that all those that goe about to breake peace betweene Realmes and to bring them to warre are the children of the devill what holy names soever they pretend to cloake their pestilent malice withall which cloaking under hypocrisie is double devillishnesse and of Christ most deâ—ested because under his blessed name they do play the Devills part And therefore seeing Christ is on ourside against them let us not feare them at all but putting our confidence in Almighty God cleaving fast to the Kings Majesty our supreme head on earth next under Christ of this Church of England as â—aithfull subjects by Godslaw ought to do though they goe about to stirre Gog Magog and all the ravenners of the world against us we trust in God verily and doubt not but they shall have such a ruine as is prophesied by Ezekiel in C. 39. against Gog and Magog going about to destroy the people of God whom the people of God shall so vanquish and overthrow on the mountaines of Israel that none of them shall escape but their carkasses there to lye to be devoured by kiâ—es and crowes and birds of the aire and if they shall persist in their pestilent malice to make invasion into this Realme then let us wish that their great Captaine Gog I meane the Bishop of Rome may come to them to drinke with them of the same cup that hee maliciously goeth about to prepare for us that the people of God might surely live in peace Thus Tonstall concerning the Pope and the Cardinall though a Papist It is an Italian proverbe of our English men That an Italianated English man is a devill incarnate such a one was this Cardinall qui Italis pontificiisque adulationibus conâ—iliis atque technis in Regis atque Patriae discrimine sic se 〈…〉 passus â—st â—â— non modo 〈…〉 PRODITOR writes his immediaâ—e successor of himâ— In the 31. yeare of King Henry the 8â— he put the King Kingdome to extraordinary trouble and expence â—or the King being then enformed by his â—rusty and faithfull friends that the cankered and cruell Serpent the Bishop of Rome by that Arch-trâ—ytor Reginald Poole enemy to Gods Words and his naturall country had moved and stirred divers great Princes and Potentates of Christendome to invade the Realme of England and utterly to destroy the whole Nation of the same Wherefore his Majesty in his owne person without any delay tooke very laborious and painâ—ull journeys â—owards the Sea coasts also hee sent divers of his Nobles and Counsellours to view and search all the Ports and dangers of the Coasts where any meeâ—e and convenient landing place might be supposed as well on the borders of England as also of VVales and in all such doubtfull places his highnesse caused divers and many Bulwarkes and â—ortifications to be made And further his Highnesse caused the Lord Admirall Earle of Southhampton to prepare in readinesse ships for the Sea to his great cost and charges And beside this to have all people in a readinesse hee directed his commissions throughout the Realme to have his people mustered and the harnesse and weapons seene and viewed to the intent that all things should be in readinesse if his enemies should make any attempt into this Realme and likewise caused a generall muster to be made of all the Citizens of London betweene the age of 60. and 16. This Arch-traytor after the Pope had imployed him to move the Emperour and King of Spaine to breake their league with King Henry and to proclaime warre against him kept a continuall guard about him lest the King should send some to murther him And retiring to Viterbium where he lived some space neere a Nunnery he begaâ— two bastards a sonne and a daughter on the Abbeâ—se who oft repaired to his lodging which was afterwards objected to him when he was elected Pope by the major part of Cardinals and yet lost that Antichristian See by his owne negligence and delayes King Edward the 6. deceasing and Queene Mary comming to the Crowne she presently sent for this Traytor home the Pope upon this occasion makes him his Legate to reduce England under his vassallage and tyranny The Cardinall hereupon sore longed homeward not doubting but if things stood as hee thought to get a dispensation to lay off the Hat and put on a Crowne But the Emperour mistrusting what the Prelate intended found devises to hold him beyond the seas untill the match was concluded betweene Queene Maâ—y and his sonne Anno 1554. he arrived in England and the same day he landed an Act passed in the Parliament house through the Queenes and VVinchesiers meanes for his restitution in blood and the utter repealing of the Act of atâ—ainder against him in King Henry the 8. his raigne The Cardinall soone after caused Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury to be deprived and degraded seating himselfe in his See and making a long Oration in Parliament declaring the offence and schisme of the Kingdome in casting off the Pope and his willingnesse to receive them into the bosome of the Church againe upon their submission he caused the Parliament to make an Act repealing all Statutes Articles and Provisions made against the See of Rome since the 20. yeare of Henry the 8. reviving the Popes supremacie and denying the Queens wherein the whole Realm submitted it selfe to the Pope some parts of which Act pertinent to my purpose I shall crave leave to recite Whereas since the 20. yeare of K. Henry the 8. of famous memory Father unto your Majesty our most naturall Soveraigne
and gracious Lady and Queene much false and erroneous Doctrine hath beene taught preached and written partly by divers naturall borne subjects of this Realme and partly being brought in hither from sundry other forraine Countries hath beene sowne and spread a broad within the same by reason wherof as well the spiritualiâ—y as the temporality of your Highnesse Realmes and Dominions have swerved from the obedience of the See Apostolicke and declined from the unity of Christs Church and so have continued untill such time as your Majesty being first raised up by God and set in the seat royall over us then by his divine gracious providence knit in marriage with the most Noble and Vertuous Prince the King our Soveraigne Lord your husband the Popes holinesse and the See Apostolike sent hither unto your Majesties as unto persons undefiled and by Gods goodnesse preserved from the common infection aforesaid to the whole Realm the most reverend father in God the Lord Cardinall Poole Legate de Latere to call us home againe into the right way from whence we have all this long while wandred and strayed abroad and we aâ—â—er sundry long and grievous plagues and calamities seeing by the goodnesse of Godâ— our owne errours have acknowledged the same unto the said most reverend Father and by him have beene and are the rather at the contemplation of your Majesties received and embraced into the unity and bosome of Christs Church and upon our humble submission and promise made for a declaration of our repentance to repeale and abrogate such Acts and Statures as had beene made in Parliament since the said 20. yeare of the said King Henry the 8. against the supremacie of the See Apoâ—stolike as in our submission exhibited to the said most reverend Father in God by your Majesties appeareth The tenor whereof ensueth Wee the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons assembled in this present Parliament representing the whole body of the Realme of England and the Dominions of the same in the name of our selves particularly and also of the said body universally in this our supplication directed to your Majesties with most humble suit that it may by your graces intercession and meanes be exhibited to the most reverend Father in God the Lord Cardinall Poole Legate sent specially hither from our most holy Father Pope Iulius the third and the See Apostolike of Rome do declare our selves very sory and repentant of the Schisme and disobedience committed in this Realme and dominions aforesaid against the said See Apostolike either by making agreeing or executing any Lawes ordinances or Commandements against the supremacy of the said See or otherwise doing or speaking that might impugne the same offering our selves and promising by this our supplication that for a token and knowledge of our said repentance we are and shall be alwayes ready under and with the Authorities of your Majesties to the uttermost of our powers to doe what shall lye in us for the abrogation and repealing of the said Lawes and Ordinances in this present Parliament as well for our selves as for the whole body whom wee represent whereupon wee most humbly desire your Majesties as personages undefiled in the offence of this body towards the said See which neverthelesse God by his providence hath made subject to you so to set forth this our most humble suit that wee may obtaine from the See Apostolike by the said most reverend Father as well particularly as generally absolution release and discharge from all danger of such censures and senâ—enâ—â—s as by the Lawes of the Church wee are fallen into and that wee may aâ— children repentant be received into the bosome and unity of Christs Church so as this noble Realme with allâ— the members thereof may in this unity and perfect obedience to the See Apostolike and Popes for the time being serve God and your Majesties to the furtherance and advancement of his honouâ— and glory wee are at the intercession of your Majesties by the authority of our holy Father Pope Iulius the third and of the See Apostolicke assoyled discharged and delivered from excommunication interdictions and other censures Ecclesiasticall which have hanged over our heads for our said defaults since the time of the said schisme mentioned in our said supplication The which time the said Lord Legate and wee do all declare recognise and meane by this Act to be onely since the 20. yeare oâ— the raigne of your most Noble Father King Henry the 8. It may now like your Majesties that for the accomplishment of our promise made in thâ— said supplication that is to repeale all Lawes and Statutes made contrary to the said supremacie and See Apostolike during the said schisme which is to be understood since the 20. yeare of the raigne of the said late King Henry the 8. and so the Lord Legate doth accept and recognise the same After which they repeale in this Act also the Statutes against the Popes supremacie and profit And declare that the title or stile of supemacie or supreme head of the Church of England and of Ireland or either of them never was nor could be justly or lawfully attributed or acknowledged to any King or Soveraigne Governour of this Realme nor in any wise could or might rightfully justly or lawfully by any King or Soveraigne Governour of this Realme be claymed challenged or used And withall they commend Queene Mary for omitting this stile though sâ—â—â—led by Act of Parliament And to colour this disloyalty and prejudice to the Crown they adde this srivolous clause to the end of this Act And forasmuch as we your Majesties humble obedient subjects the Lords spirituall and temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled neither by the making or delivering of either the supplications aforâ—said nor by any clause Articles or Sentence thereof or of any other Clause Aâ—ticle or Sentence of this or any other Statuâ—e or the preambles of the same made or agreed upon in this Session of this prâ—sâ—nt Parliament by any manner of interpretation construction implication or otherwise intend to derogate impaire or diminish any of the prerogatives liberâ—ies franchesies preheminences or jurisdictions of your Crowne imperiall of this Realme and other the Dominions to the same belonging Wee do most humbly beseech your Majesties that it may be declared and ordained and be it â—nacâ—ed and declared by authority of this present Parliament that neither the making exhibiting or inferring in this present Statute or in the preambles of the same of the supplicaâ—ions or promise aforesaid or either of them nor any other things words sentences clauses Articles in the preambles or body of the Acts aforesaid shall be construed understood or expounded to derogate diminish or take away any the liberties priviledges prerogatives preheminences authorities or jurisdictions or any part or parcell thereof which were in your Imperiall Crowne of this Realme or did belong to your said Imperiall Crowne the 20.
rotten Corps of learned Martin Bucer Paulus Fagius Peter Martyrs wise to be digged out of their graves and burnt to ashes for Heretiques yea the common talke was that he purposed to have taken up King Henry the 8. his body at Windsor and to have burnt it yea and King Edward the 6. his Corps too as many thought I cannot here omit what his immediate sucâ—essor Matthew Parker records of him that this Cardinall being out of hope to get the Crowne of England to himselfe to which he aspired endeavoured to transferre all his right therein to King Philip leâ—t Queene Mary dying without issue Queene Elizabeth who differed from him and the Papists in matters of Religion whose life he and they had layd in waite for keeping her in long and strict imprisonment should of right injoy it to which purpose they very secretly entred into most wicked consultations concerning this matter to this effect that Mary not onely by the Common Law should be proclaimed Queene but likewise a conquerour of the Kingdome by right of warre so as by this pretext shee might change all publike and private rights and interests and give the Kingdome to whom soever she pleased But this counâ—ell though liked of at first yet because it was doubtfull and dangerous was not long approved of Wherefore rejecting it they thought it best and most expedient for the establishment of the Popes affaires that the Lady Elizabeth should be either dispatched out of the way or married to some Noble Spaniard But God providing for her and our safety dissipated all these wicked consultations and brought them to nothing And Cardinall Poole perswading Queene Mary to joyne with King Philip her husband in a warre against the French King with whom Pope Paul the fourth had confederated against the Emperour seeking to betray the Kingdome oâ— Naples to him the Pope was â—arre exasperated hereby against the Cardinall that he revoked his power Legatine imprisoned Cardinall Moron Protector of the English at Rome and Pooles speciall friend cited Poole to appeare at Rome as suspected of Heresie and created William Peter a Franciscan to be his Legate in his place The Queene hereupon intercedes for the Cardinall who having intelligence of this matter refused to have his silver Crosse the badge of his authority carried beâ—ore him till by the intercession oâ— Ormanet the Popes Dâ—tary here in England and the Queenes mediation he was at last restored to his Office In 〈◊〉 the flames of persecution consumed 5. Bishops 2â— Divines 8. Gentlemen 84. Artificers 100. Husbandmen Servants and Labourers 26. Wives 20. Widowes 9. Virgins aâ— Boyes and 2. Infants To close up all concerning him in Holmsheds words A Trayter he lived and a Traytor he dyed the same day on which Queene Mary expired the Tydings of whose deparâ—ure strucke him quite dead being sicke before of a quartane Feaver Illud autem saith his Successour ad aternam â—mmanitatis Pontificiae memoriam infamiamque contra Polum valebit quod eo Legato ac accelerante integerrimus Doctissimusque Archiepiscopus Craâ—nerus igne crematus est quod Archiepiscopo praeterea quod legimus accidit nemini sew or none of them having zeale enough to make them Martyrs pluresque in illâ— sue legationis triennio ferro staâ—maque crudeliter mactaâ—â— sunâ— quâ—m in â—uiusquam regis eorum qui post Lucium huic insulae imperabant longissimo regno Ita Cranmerum Martyrenâ— Polum tyramâ—um â—antuaria celebrat hic plumbo depressus ille cineribus atque flamma ad coelos elatus est Matthew Parker his immediate successor though a man of better temper a learned Antiquary a frequent Preacher of Gods Word not onely in his Cathedrall at Canterbury but in sundry Parish Churches was yet over-Pontificall and Princely in his buildings feasts houshold-stuffe and apparell if not an overâ—stiffe maintainer of his Jurisdiction and Ecclesiasticall Courts which grew so odious among the people that they offered violence to the Ministers and Promoters of those Courts Anno. 1566. â—eating and vexing them with clamors and out-cryes as they went along the streetes which insolency the Queene by her opportunâ— severity repressed Two yeares afâ—er Annoâ— 1568. Câ—lemâ—n Burton Hallingham Benson and others making profession of the purer Religion more zealously than was knowne before would allow of nothing but what was taken out of the Scriptnres and out of a desire of reformation not onely openly questioned but condemned the received Discipline of the Church of England with the Church Liturgie and the very calling oâ— Bishop as favouring too much of the Popish Religion protesting in the Pulpits that it was an impious thing to hold any thing Common with the Church of Rome using all diligence to have the Church of England reformed in every point according to the Rule of the Church of Geneva These the Queene by this Arch-Bishops instigation commanded to be layd by the heeles yet it is almost incredible how upon a sudden their followers increased every where knowne by the envious name of Puritanes through a kinde of obstinate perversenesse of their owne stopping their eares against all advise so Martyn though I think rather out of solide judgement and the inconveniences they saw and found in the Lordly Prelacie in thosâ— best times which â—saith hee might seeme to be helped forward also by the sloathfull connivency of the Bishops some of whom then misliked their owne calling and government and could have beene content with its dissolution and change to a better and the secret favour of some Noble men at Court whom Martyn slaunders to have gaped after the goods of the Church when as they rather did it out of the mischiefes and dislike of the Prelaticall government In his time the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland the Lord Dacres and othersâ— Anno 1569. being pressed forward by one Nicholas Martin a Romish Priest senâ— from the Bishop of Rome to pronounce Queene Elizabeth an Hereticke and therefore to have lost all Dominion and Soveraignty raised a Rebellion in the North to set up Popery and restore the Romish Religion the 5. wounds of Christ being painted in their Banners Murrey then Regent of Scotland informed the Queene that the Bishop of Rosse then in England was the Author of that Rebellionâ— whereupon he was committed to the Bishop of London and remained his prisoner And the same yeare Pope Pius the fifth by his Bull excommunicated and deprived Queene Elizabeth from her Crowne and absolved all her Nobles Subjects and people of the Realme from their Oath of allegiance or any other duty to her which Bull Iohn Felton setting up at the Bishop of Londons Palace gate was executed for his paines yet I read of no reâ—utation of it made by this Archprelate Edmund Grindall next enjoying this See a grave and pious man and a fugitive in Queene Maries raigne stood highly in Queene Elizabethsâ—avour â—avour for a long time till by
the cunning devises of some who accused him as a favourer of the Puritans Conventicles and prophecying which he justified in a particular treatise which I have seene dedicated to the Queene and subscribed by all his suffragans hee utterly lost the same being thereupon suspended from his Bishopricke and so dyed suspended Martin records that the true cause of his suspension was for disallowing the matrimony of Julio an Italian Physitian with another mans wife therein thwarting the Earle of Leicesters pleasure In his dayes M. Iohn or rather Philip Stubs of Lincolnes Inne lost his hand for writing a booke against the Queenes intended match with the Duke of Anjou with this Title The gulfe wherein England will be swallowed up by the French marriage with which the Queene was sorely vexed and displeased Sentence was pronounced against him by vertue of a Law made in the raigne of Philip and Mary then expired and personall to them whereupon the Iudges and chiefe Lawyers were at variance concerning the force of that Statute but might prevailed therein against right And about the same time Edward Campian Ralph Sherwin Luke Kerby Alexander Briant Priests were indited condemned and executed for high Treason for plotting the ruine of the Queene and Kingdome as adhering to the Pope the Queenes enemie and comming into England to raise forces against her Iohn VVhitegift next to him in succession a stately Pontificall Bishop contested much for the authority and Lordly jurisdiction of Prelates in defence whereof hee then writ though hee durst not averre our Archbishops to be of divine institution Hee had some contestations with the Judges whom he much troubled about Prohibitions ex officio oathes and proceedings the power of the high Commission and other Exclesiasticall Courts 〈◊〉 he endeavoured to enlarge to the prejudice of the Queenes prerogative and the Subjects liberties whereupon in the Parliament Anno 1585. divers Bils and complaints were exhibited against the oath ex officio the granting of faculties by Bishops Non-residencie and other abuses which this Prelate by his power to prevent a reformationâ— crossed and frustrated to the great disturbance of the Church and State and the increase oâ— schismes and divisions in both After this Anno 1588. hee procured these reverend Ministers and Gentlemen M. Vdall M. Penry M. Cartwright King Prudlar Paine M. Knightly M. Wigstone and others to be questioned and fined in Starchamber for writing against the English Hierarchy and caused M. Penry Vdall and others against all Law and Justice to be condemned and executed for this cause whereupon the Judge before whom they were arraigned much troubled in conscience fell into desperation and died miserably These his violent proceedings stirred up VVigginton Coppinger and franticke Hacket whom the Prelates oppression made starke mad to accuse the Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorke of high Treason and to runne into extravagant actions and opinions which they afterward recanted And not these alone but others likewise opposing the government of the Church of England disallowed the calling of Bishops and got some eminent Lawyers as M. Maurice Atturney of the Court of Wards and others to write against the government of Bishops and the Oath ex ofâ—icio which troubled much the whole Church State Judges Parliament and Kingdome and fired them almost into an uproare this Archprelate straining his Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction beyond its bounds farre higher than any of his predecessors since the reformation Whereupon multitudes of bookes were written against the calling Lordlinesse and extravagances of the Prelates and their Courts some in serious others in more light and jesting manner wherewith the Prelates were much nettled and their government rendred very odious among the people which certainly had then beene subverted had not the power of this Archprelate made a privy Counsellor and of Chancellour Hatâ—on a man popishly affected as was generally then reported kept it from ruine This Archprelates traine of servants was extraordinary great to the number of above 60 menservants who were all trained up to martiaâ—â—â—â—â—ires and mustred almost every weeke his stable being stiâ—l well furnished with good store of great horses a commendable thing in a warlike Prelate though scarce allowable in a pious Apostolicall Bishop who should rather traine up schollers for the pulpit than souldiers for the field Richard Bancroft his great creature and immediate successor had many conflicts with the Judges concerning prohibitions ex officio Oathes and the power of the High Commissioners before the King and Councell to the great disquiet of the Realme and oppression of the people hee defended the Bishops Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to be jure Divino and not derived immediately by Letters Patents from the King like an ungratefull wretch contrary to the expresse Acts of 26. H. 8. c. 1.31 H. 8 c. 9 10.37 H. 8. c. 17. 1. Edw. 6. c.. 1. Eliz. c. 1.1 2. Phil. Mar. c. 8. 8. Eliz. c. 1. and the whole streame of the Fathers forraine Protestants and our English writers to the great affront of the Kings prerogative royall And if some men yet alive may be credited who accused him to the Councell of these crimes and offered to prove them hee had a hand in the compiling of Dolmans the Jesuites Booke concerning the succession of the Crowne of England the maine scope of which booke written as some say by Cardinall Allen and Fr. Ingelfield Dolmans enemies was to exclude all persons how neere soever allyed to the Crown unlesse they were Roman Catholikes contending further for the right of Isabel Infanta of Spaine and seeking to disprove King Iames his most rightfull title thereunto which Dolman with other old Priests and Jesuites hee harboured in his house where they affirme this booke was Printed and some thought hee was privie to that devillish plot of the Gunpowder-treason most of the traytors lying at Lambeth whiles they were about that hellish worke This Relation I had from others who averred it for truth and offered to prove it in his lifetime could they have beene heard And it seemes for the point of Dolmans booke and conniving at such other seditious traiterly popish pamphlets of that nature this Prelate was not altogether cleare for in the Conference at Hampton Court before King Iames when D. Reynolds moved the King that such unlawfull and seditious bookes might be suppressed at least restrained which unsetled and corrupted the minds of many young Schollers in both Universities instancing in Ficlerus a Papist De jure Magistratus in subditos for one Bancroft then Bishop of London supposing himselfe principally aimed and why should hee have such a suspition unlesse conscious of some guilt upon such a generall motion and information answered first in the Generall that there was no such licentious divulging of those Bookes as hee imagined or complained off And secondly to the particular instance of Ficlerus that he detested both the Author and applyer alike But for the first my Lord Cecill
justified the complaint true taxing also the unlimited liberty of dispersing and divulging these Popish and seditious Pamplets both in Pauls Church-yard and the Universities instancing in one then lately set forth and published namely Speculum Tragicum which both his Majesty and the Lord Henry Howard Earle of North-Hampton termed a dangerous booke both for matter and intention Yea Lewis Hughes an ancient Minister writes thus of this Arch-Prelate In the later end of Queene Elizabeths raigne when shee began to be sickly and not like to live long D. Bancroft then Bishop of London knowing that King Iames was to succeed her and fearing that his Majestie would reforme things amisse in the worship and service of God and in the government of the Church did license a booke written by a Jesuite that hee kept in his house wherein was written That it was in the Popes power as a gift appropriate to Saint Peters Chaire to depose the Kings of England and to give authority to the people to elect and set up another Fifteene hundred of those bookes were printed and dispersed and being questioned for it his answer was that hee did set the Jesuites to write one against another that hee might out of their writings picke matter against them It was thought by many hee had no good meaning in licensing and suffering so many dangerous Bookes to be dispersed So hee Which sufficiently discovers this Arch-Prelates traiterly heart to his Soveraigne his affection to the Popes supremacy and disaffection to our Religion he being a great Persecutor and Silencer of hundreds of our most conscionable preaching Ministers and if I may credit other mens reports his life was ill and his death fearfull George Abbot his successor in this See though a man of a better temper and worthy praise for his frequent preaching was yet taxed by some for being over-stately to his fellow brethren and for his overmuch delight in shooting at deere which he exercised so long till at last by the unhappy glance of his arrow hee kild his keeper instead of the Bucke hee let loose at He incurred his Majesties displeasure so farre by whose means I know nor unlesse by his successors that hee was debarred accâ—sse to the Kings Court yea suspended from his oâ—fice of Arch-Bishop for a season which was executed in the interim by Commissioners He was a means of some good mens troubles in the High Commission where he caused M. Huntly a Kentish Minister to be most unjustly fined and imprisoned for denying to preach a Visitation Sermon when hee was sicke and unable to doe it and therefore sent the Arch-deacon 20s s to procure another which was refused and which is â—arre more injuâ—ious when this poore Minister after many motions was released by the Judges of the Kings Bench by an Habeas Corpus â—rom his unjust imprisonment hee and the other Prelates caused him for this very Act of seeking his just relief in a legall way to be apprehended by their pursevant immediately after the Judges had bayled him even in the face of the Court and for this very cause deprived and degraded him in the High Commission and committed him a fresh and gave his living to his Chaplaine to the great affronâ— of justice for which act he might have smarâ—ed in a high degree had hee beene but questioned I should now descend to the present Archbishop William Laud the last of this See but that I must first ascend to Auâ—tin the first Archbishop of Canterbury whom I have purposely reserved to this place the better to parallell them together The Archbishopricke of Canterbury had its originall creation from Pope Gregory the first a very traytor to his Soveraigne Mauritius and flatterer of the usurper Phocas about the yeare of our Lord. 600. This its unhappy derivation from â—uch a trecherous and rebellious parentage hath tainted the whole line of our Canterburian Arch-Prelates and infused such an occult pernicious quality into this See as hath made it a very chaire of Pestilence which hath infected all or most of those who have sate therein and made them as great Traytors and rebels to their Soveraignes of England as their Holy Fathers of Rome have proved to their liege Lordâ— the Roman Emperours and to plague our â—and with civill dissentions warres and bloodshed almost as much as the Popes have molested Italy and Germany in this kind Augustine the first Arch-Bishop of Canterbury sent from Rome by Gregory the first rather to pervert that convert our Nation to the Christian faith about 600. yeares after Christ was consecrated Bishop of the English Nation for no lesse Diocesse or title would content him by Etherius Archbishop of Arelat electing Canterbury for his Archiepiscopall See After which by the assistance of King Ethelbert in the yeare 602. hee caused the Brittish Bishops and learned men to meete together in a Synode at a place called Augustines Okâ— to dispute with them concerning the observation of Easter day and the Ceremonies of Baptisme wherein they differed from the Church of Rome to whom hee would have them conforme not onely in doctrine but even in rites and ceremonies using both perswasions prayers and threatnings to bring them under his yoke and discipline But the Britains refusing to conform to his demands at this Synode Augustine not long after caused another Synode to be sommoned Whereunto 7. British Bishops and a great number of Monkes especially of the famous Monastery of Bangor repaired who inquired of an holy Anchorite living among them whether they should submit to Austins preaching and ceremonies or no who answered If hee be a man of God then obey him They replying How shall wee know him to be such a one hee subjoyned If hee be meeke and humble it is credible that he beares the yoke of Christ and will offer it to you to beare but if he bee haughty and proud hee is not of God and therefore not to be lisâ—ned to by you But how said â—hey shall wee know this Observe quoth hee how he carrieth himselfe when hee first enters into the Synode and if hee shall rise up to yâ—u know that hee is Christs servant and obey him in all things bnt if hee shall do contrary and whereas you are many shall proudly despise you do ye neglect and contemne him againe Augustine enâ—ers first into the Synode with pride and pompe with the banner of his Apostleship a silver Crosse a Letany Procession Pageants painted Images Reliques Anthems and such like rituall trifles The British Bishops approaching neare him sitting ambitiously in his chaire he did not onely not rise up to salute them but also noâ— so much as daigne to shew them any signe of love or benevolence with his countenance or gesture The Britons observing this arrogancy of the man contradicted what ever he propounded to them and whereas hee commanded them to observe the manners and customes of the Church of Rome in all things they not
onely stoutly repugned them but likewise affirmed their owne rites and ceremenies to be farre ancienter and better than those hee prescribed them which having received from their ancesters who were followers of the Apostles and having so long observed they ought not to change propter no vos dogmatistas for new dogmatists pleasures They further added that they would not account him for their Archbishop sâ—eing they had an Archbishop of their owne already resident at Leicester to whom tâ—ey ought to and would obey and that they would not subject themselves to a forraine Bishop With which answer Augustineâ—eing â—eing enraged fiercely threatned future warres and revenge of death unto them which followed soone after For Augustine requesting the Britons in this Synode that they would receive him for their Archbishop and joyne in common labour with him to preach the Gospell to the English Saxons The Britons who were driven out of their owne country by them refused to doe it adding that they had worthily hated the English and their religion which were esteemed by them but as dogs and therefore unworthily contemned This answer of the Britons Augustine gladly â—aid hold on imagining that he had gained an occasion from them whence hee might revenge their neglect and contempt of him Therefore hee greedily carries the newes of this contumely to King Ethelbert which this King not unwillingly laid hold on and thereupon instigated Edelfred King of the Northumbrians his kinsman although a Pagan against the Britons who thereupon Anno Dom. 613. comes with a numerous and almost â—tupendious army to Leicester called by the Britons Caâ—â—legan now Chester where Brochinal the Captaine of the Britans expected his comming and whether Abbot Dinoth-with a great number of Priests Hermites and Monkes â—specially such as were of Bangor monastery had fled These keeping a fast for three dayes space prayed to God to protect his people from the swords of the Barbarians The King commanded them to turne their armies first of all upon those who fought against him though not with armes yet with their prayers which was more whom Brochinal their Generall also terrified with the first comming of the enemies flying most shamefully exposed weaponlesse and naked to the swords of the enemies 50. men onely of them escaped by flight the residue to the number of 1200 were slaine with the sword of â—delfred Beda relates that Augustine taught by divine Oracle foretold this warre to the British Bishops and Clerkes in the Augustinian Councell when as it is more likely that hee having communicated counsell with King Ethelbert was not onely consâ—ious to the inferring of that warre but also the cause thereof For he was familiar with the King by whose perswasion and instigation Edelfred inflicted this calamity on the Britons And verily it is reported that Augustine in his first conference concerning these Rites when hee could not perswade them by entreaties threatned them Moreover Amandus Xierixiensis a man of the order of the Friers Minorites seemes to suffragate to this conjecture whose very words I will subjoyne VVhereas the â—ritains saith he were Catholikes the Saxons were Gentiles to convert whom S. Gregory sent Augustine and Mellitus who converted the Saxons But when as Augustine with his Apostolicall authority would perswade the Brittish Bishops and Abbots to receive him for their Legate and to preach with him to the English discord was moved for their disobedience to Saint Augustine so a warre was raised betweene the King of the Britons and the King of the Saâ—ons who now being converted would make the Britons subject to Augustine by whom writes Matthew Parker we are able to prove out of historians that Religion was overturned and rooted out or at least depraved and corrupted And this they say was predicted by Merlin in these wordsâ— Religion shall be blotted out againe and there shall be a transmutation of the chiefe Sees The dignity of London shall adorne Canterbury which was fulfilled by Augustine who caused 1200. of the Monkes of Bangor in Wales to be slaine because they obeyed him not in the councell as Alexander Essebiensis plainly teacheth It is marvellous that Merlin in one prophecie and in coherent words should thus foretell the deletion of religion the transmutation of the Principall Sees and the transferring of the dignity of London to Canterbury This slaughter of these Monkes of Bangor by Edelfred the avenger of Augustines wrath was avenged soone after by God who hated his cruelty for whiles the King hastned to â—oote out the remainder of them and burne their famous Monastery three Dukes of the Britaine 's met him slew ten thousand and sixty of his souldiers routed his whole army wounded the King himselfe and put him to a shamefull flight This was the fruit of this first Archbishop of Canterbury to raise up such a bloody warre within the bowels of our Kingdomes to the ruine of both parties and all to advance his owne jurisdiction and introduce his Roman ceremonies And verily writes Matthew Parker his successour that first contention raysed by Augustine about the introducing of Roman Rites which could not be appeased but with the overthrow and blood of the innocent Britaines ad nosâ—ra recentiora tempora cum simili pernicie coedeque Christianorum pervenit is desceuded to our latter times with the like destruction of Christians And had he lived to have seen and heard the violent actions practises of his present successor William Laud whose minâ—on D. Iohn Pocklinton in two severall pernitious Pamphlets adjudged solemnely to be burnt in both Universities by the Lords House of Parliament though licensed for the Presse by D. Bray this Canterburies owne domesticke Chaplain who by like order fron the Lords House hath publikely recanted his licensing of these Pamphlets in a Sermon at Saint Margarets in VVestminster before sundry of the Commons House hath proclaimed to the World that this present Prelate of Canterbury derived his lineall succession from this Augustine first Prelate of this See and so through his loynes from Pope Gregory the first founder of it and through his predecessours from S. Peters Chaire at Rome though I doubt Peter never sate Bishop nor ever had any chaire there I say had he but survived to have seene Bishop Lauds strange violent acts and tyrannoâ—s proceedings to advance his Archiepiscopall authority and erect Romes superstitions rites and ceremonies in the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland and that even by warre by blood shed rather than saile in his designes by cutting of Ministers Lawyers Physitians and Mechanicks eares searing their cheâ—kes slitting their noses whipping them openly through the streetes at carts tailes banishing them their Country shutting them up close Prisoners in remote Ilands where neither their kindred friends wives nor children must have any accesse to them no nor yet once set footing in those Ilands to enqâ—ire how their husbands did under paine of like imprisonment noâ— they have pen inke or
his place and delivered up his Seale to the Queene without the Councels consent from whom he received it not she having no right to require it For which cause hee was committed to the Tower by the Lord Protectour Richard Duke of Yorke who afterwards usurping the Crowne released the Arch-Bishop out of prison who thereupon sided and was veâ—y inward with this Usurper and at last dyed of the Plague May 29. 1500. I read nothing of Savageâ— his next successour but this That he was not preferred to this See for any extraordinary great learning that he spent his time in a manner altogether as our Prelates doe now either in Temporall affairesâ— being a great Courtier or else in hunting wherewith hee was unreasonably delighted keeping a great number of tall Fellowes about him to attend his person But of his preaching or maintaining Ministers to instruct the people I read not one word It is likely his tall fellowes occasioned many a quarrell and sometimes would take a purse for a need Christopher Bambridge his Successor being Embassadour from King Henry the 8. to the Pope and Lewis the 12. of France perswaded King Henry to take the Popes part and proclaime Warre against Lewis ingageing his Soveraigne in a needlesse Warre only to pleasure his Lord and Master the Pope who for this good service made him a Cardinall he was at last poysoned by Raynaldo de Modena an Italian Priest his Steward upon malice and displeasure conceived for a blow this Bishop gave him when as a Bishop should be no striker 1 Tim. 3.3 as Goodwin relates out of Paulus Iovius Thomas Wolsie or Wolfesie as Mr. Tyndall oft times stiles him an Arch-Traytor and most insolent domineering Prelate succeeded him in that See holding likewise the Bishopricke of Bath and Wells first and after that of Ely Winchester Worcester and Hereford together with the Abbey of Saint Albanes and divers other Ecclesiasticall Livings besides his Temporall Offices in Commendaâ— with it This proud imperious Prelate when he was once Arch-Bishop studied day and night how to be a Cardinall and caused King Henry the Eighth and the French King to write to Rome for him and at their request he obtained his purpose Hee grew so into exceeding pride that hee thought himselfe equall with the King and when he said Masse which hee did oftner to shew his pride then devotion hee made Dukes and Earles to serve him with Wine with assay taken and to hold to him the Bason and the Lavatory His pride and excesse in dyet apparell furniture and attendanceâ— and his pompe in going to Westminster Hall were intollerable and more then Royall or Papall Hee was much offended with the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury because he stiled him Brother in a Letter as though he had done him great injury by that Title Hee quite altered the state of the Kings house putting out and in what Officers he pleased Hee oppressed and vexed the Citizens of London causing divers of them to be executed siding with strangers both Merchants and Artificers against them Confederating with the French King he procured King Henry to permit him to redeeme Tornaye on his owne Termes Hee procured a meeting of the King of England and France to their infinite expence onely that he might be seene in his owne vaine pompe and shew of Dignitie himselfe drawing up the instrument and termes of their meeting in his owne name which began thus Thomas Arch-Bispop of Yorke c. Hee committed the Earle of Northumberland and wrought the Duke of Buckingham out of the Kings favour and at last cut off the Dukes head for opposing his pride and unjust proceedings Hee began his Letters to forraigne Princes and the Pope for the most part in this mannerâ— â—go Rex meus I and my King putting himselfe before his Soveraigne making him but his underling and Pupill swaying him like a Schoole-boy at his pleasure Hee set his Armes likewise above the Kings over christ-Christ-Church Colledge-gate in Oxford which he founded Hee stamped his Cardinalls Cap on the kings Coyne as our Bishops doe now their Armes and Miters on their Procesâ— instead of the Kings Seale and Armes Hee set up a Leganâ—â—ne Court here in England by Commission from the Pope to which hee drew the Conusans of all Ecclesiasticall Causes and when the king had summoned a Convocation at Pauls in London by vertue of his Writ hee came most insolently into the Convocation House and by his power Legantine dissolved the Convocation summoning them all to appeare before him at Saint Peterâ— in Westminster the Monday following there to celebrate the Synod under him which power Legantine brought him and all the Clergiâ— into a Premunire to his overthrow and their cost they being enforced to grant the king an hundred thousand pounds to acknowledge him on earth supreme Head of the Church of England and to renounce the Popes Supremacie to buy their peace He dissolved 40. Monasteries of good worth converting all their goods and moveables into his own Coffers which were so stuffed with Treasure that 12. Barrelsâ— full oâ— Gold and Silver were laid aside to serve the Pope in his Warres emptying the Land also of twelve score thousand pounds which he forced from the king all which he sent to relieve and ransome the Pope then in prison to the great impoverishing of his Majesties Coffers and the Realm His revenues one way or otherâ— were equall to the kings he had no lesse then 1200. Horâ—e for his retinue 80. waggons for his carriage and 60. Mules for sumpter horses when he went into France Hee carried the Great Seale of England with him in his Embassie without the kings consent so that no Writs nor Patents could be sealed nor busines of the kingdom dispatched in the interim He proclaimed warres against the Emperor without the kings consent stirred up the French king to warre against him ayding him with Monies without the Kings privity and contrary to his likeing he demanded â—he 5. part of the true value of every mans goods by way of loane toward the maintenance of the Warrs in France putting men to confesse upon their Oathes the true estimate of their Estates without the Kings privitie which caused many insurrections and mutinies in the Kingdome the people rising up and denying to pay it at which the King being very angry released the loane as an intollerable oppression sore against this Prelates willâ— yet the Cardinall the sole cause and urger thereof would needs lay the odium of it on the King to alienate the hearts of his Subjects from himâ— and take the sole praise of the release of it to himselfe as if hee with much suite and danger had obtained it Hee falsely prosecuted and imprisoned the Earle of Kildare accusing him before the Counsell to take away his life where hee pressed him so deeply with disloyalty that the presumption as the Cardinall did force it being vehement the Treason
of Woborne in Bedfordshire Adam Sudbury Abbot of Germany with Astbeed a Monke of that House the Abbot of Sawly in Lanâ—ashâ—re and the Prior of the same William Wâ—ld Prior of Birlingtoâ— the Parson of Padington 5. priests of Lincolnshire Doctor Markerell who stiled himselfe Captaine Cobler and Iohn Allen Priests the chiefe fire-brands in this Rebellion were hanged for Rebellion as they well deserved though they named their enterprise an holy blessed Pilgrimage and had certaine Banners in the field wherein was planted Christ hanging on the Crosse on the one side and a Chalice with a painted Cake in it on the other side For other Arch-Bishops since I finde not much concerning them onely I reade that Robert Holgate his next Successour was committed prisoner to the Tower in the first yeare of Queene Mary where he lay an yeare and halfe and that Edwin Sands another of his Successours was long impriâ—oned by Queene Mary he being Vice-chancellour of Cambridge when the Lady Iane was proclaimed Queeneâ— preached a Sermon upon that ocâ—â—sion which was like to cost him his life Samuel Harsnet the last Archbish. but one being made a Privie Councellour by our present Soverâ—igne King Charles was such a furious Hildebrand that like Davus in the Comedie he perturbed all things where ever he came insomuch that the Lords and Court growing wearie of him and his domineering outrage caused him to be sent from Court to his Arch-Bishopricke and there to keepe residence till he should be sent for Where having no other imployment hee falls by the eares with Doctor Howson Bishop of Durham whom he excommunicated for refusing to admit him to visit in his Diocesse as his Metropolitane he being a Count Palatine in his Bishopricke and withall falling to persecute the godly Ministers of his Diocesse he was smitten mortally with a dangerous disease whereof he died the very night before he resolved to suspend and silence some good men summoned to appeare before him the next morning This furious Arch-Prelate was such an enemie to the Lawes and Liberties of the subject that in the case of Mr. Walter Long censured in Star-chamber about 4. Caroli for comming up to the Parliament House whereof he was a member whilâ—s he was Sheriffe of Wiltshire contrary to his Oath as was pretended when as his Counsell produced divers ancient Records and Presidents touching the Priviledges of Parliaments and the members of it to exempt him from the Jurisdiction and sentence of that Court this Arch-Bishop checked his counsell for troubling them with Moth-Eaten Records saying That they sate there not to be guided by Presidents but to make Presidents and so proceeded to censure in the cause In a word I may conclud of himâ— as Saint Bernard long before did of one of his predecessors Nonne Eboracensis ipse est cui te praesâ—nte fratres tui restiterunt in faciem eo quod reprehensibilis erat sed speravit in multitudine divitiarum suarum praevaluâ—t in vanitate sua Certâ—m est tamen quod non intravit per ostium in ouile ovium sed ascendit aliunde Si Paston fuiâ—set diligendus erat si mercenarius tolerandus Nunc autem cavendus et repellendus utpote fur latro Richard Neale the last Arch-bishop of York before his comming to that See about the 13 yeare of King Iames not long after hee was created a Bishop was highly questioned in Parliment for seditious speeches against the Commons House for which he had suffered condigne punishment had he not beene an active instrument to dissolve that Parliament to avoid the censure of it Since that he had a hand in dissolving other Parliaments to the prejudice of the King and Kingdome In the Remonstrance of the Commons House of Parliament presented to King Charles our Soveraigne in the 3. yeare of his Raigne hee was by name complained against as one of the chiefe heads of the popish and Arminian Factions which disquietted both our Church and State and as a persecuter of good Ministers and suppressour of Lectures How many godly Ministers he prosecuted silenced suspended deprived both in the High Commission and all the Diocesse under his Jurisdiction whiles hee continued in favour at the Court is so well knowne to all that I need not relate it And his disfavour at Court as most conjecture was the cause of his unexpected Clemencie to the Ministers of the province of York some few years before his death He was the first advancer of William Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury of Doctor Cousins with sundry other Incendiaries and Innovators both in Church and State who were entertained by him for his Chaplainesâ— and then promoted by his meanesâ— to the ruine almost of our Religion and Kingdome He was a great enemy to Parliaments Prohibitions the Liberties of the Subject and Lawes of the Land Hee seldome or never preached himselfe and therefore could not endure frequent preaching in others Hee was a great furtherer of the Booke for sports on the Lords day and an enemy to puritie Puritans and the sincere practise of pietie Hee had a hand in ratifying the late Canons and Oath in affront of his Majesties Prerogative the Parliament Lawes and Liberties of the Subject And no doubt he had a finger in the late Scottish Warres and Combustions whereupon hee burnt all his Letters concerning Church and State-affaires as soone as he heard the Scots had entred into England for feare they should have beene surprized and his fellow-Prelates machinations against the Scots by their surprisall discovered He had a chiefe hand and influence in the unjust and bloudy sentences against Dr. Layton and Mr. Pryn in the Star-chamber against Mr. Smartâ— Dr. Bastwicke Mr. Huntly and sundry others in the High Comission in the vexatious and most exorbitant proceedings against Calvin Bruen Peter Lee Mr. Inch and sundry others of Chester for visiting M. Pryn in his passage through that Citie towards Castleâ— and by 2. Orders under the high Commission Seale of Yorke signed with his owne and other Commissioners hands bearing date the 10. Novem. and 4. Decem. 1637. commanded 5. Pictures of the Portraiture of M. Pryn to be defaced and then burnt at the high Crosse in Chester before the Maior Alderman and Citizensâ— out of an hatred to Mr. Prynnes person which no doubt hee would have burned to as well as his picture had it bin in his power This Arch-Prelate by the aide of his quondam Chaplain Canterbury incroached much on the liberties of the Lord Maior and Citizens of Yorke with whom he had many contests and procured a Mandate to the Lord Maior not to carry his sword before him within the Close and Cathedrall at Yorke though his Predecessours had ever used to do it from K. Richard the 2. his daies who gave them this priviledge by a Charter and yet the Deane and Prebends of Yorke in the meane have intruded themselves contrary to divers Charters into the civill Government
tuum dilectum filium nostrum Stephanum insignem Regem Anglorum efficere studeas ut monitâ—s hortatu consilio tuo ipsum in benignitatem dilectionem suam suscipiat pro beati Petri nostra reverentia propensius habeat commendatum Et quia sicut veritate teste attendimus eum sine salutis sui ordinis periculo praefato filio nostro astringi non posse volumus paterno sibi tibi affectu consulumus ut vobis sufficiat veraci simplici verbo promisstonem ab eo suscipere quod laesionem vel detrimentum ei vel terrae suae non inferat Dat. ut supra Is it not strange that a peevish order of Religion devised by a man should breake the expresse Law of God who commandeth all men to honour and obey their Kings and Princes in whom some part of the power of God is manifest and laid open to us And even uuto this end the Cardinall of Hosâ—ia also wrote to the Canons of Pauls after this manner covertly incouraging them to stand to their election of the said Robert who was no more willing to give over his new Bishopricke than they carefull to offend the King but raâ—her imagined which way to keepe it still maugre his displeasure and yet not to sweare obedience unto him for all that he should be able to doe or performe unto the contrary Humilis Dei gratia Hostiensis Episcopus Londinen sis Ecclesiae canonicis spiritum consilii in Domino Sicut rationi contraria prorsus est abiicienda petitio ita in hiâ—s quae juste desiderantur effectum negare omnino non convenit Sane nuper accepimus quod Londinensis Ecclesia diu proprio destituta Pastore communi voto pari assensu cleri populi venerabilem â—ilium nostrum Robertum ejusdem Ecclesiae Archidiaconumâ—in Pastorem Episcopum animarum suarum susceperet elegerit Novimus quidem eum esse personam quam sapientia desuper ei attributa honestas conversationis morum reverentia plurimum commendabilem reddidit Inde est quod fraternitati vestroe mandando consulimus ut proposito vestro bono quod ut credimus ex Deo est ut ex literis Domini Papae cognoscetis non lente dehitum finem imponatis ne tam nobilis Ecclesia sub occasione hujusmodi spiritualium quod absit temporalium detrimentum patiatur Ipsius namque industria credimus quod antiqua religio forma disciplinae gravitas habitus in Ecclesia vestra reparari si quae fuerint ipsius contentiones ex Pastoris absentia Dei gratia cooperante eodem praesente poterint reformari Dat. c. Hereby you see how King Stephen was dealt withall And albeit that Canterbury is not openly to be touched herewith yet it is not to be doubted but he was a doer in it so farre as might tend to the maintenance of the right and prerogative of the holy Church Thus farre verbatim out of Harrison Mariaâ— Bishop of London was one of those undutifull Bishops who about the yeare of our Lord 1208. interdicted the whole Realme and excommunicated King Iohn by the Popes Commandement they all endured five yeares banishment for this their trechery and conâ—umacy together with confiscation of their goods and the King being specially incensed against this man in token of his great displeasure Anno 1211. threw downe to the ground his Castle of Stortford which William the Conqueror had given to his Church Besides he joyned in the publication of the Popes sentence for deposing the King and stirred up the French King and all other Christians to invade England in an hostile manner and to depose King Iohn from the Crowne and promised them remission of all their sinnes for this good Service After which hee voluntarily resigned his Bishoppricke Anno. 1221. Roger Niger Bishop of London excommunicated the Kings Officers Ano 1233. for that they acâ—ording to their duty had laâ—d hands upon and hindred Walter Mauclerke Bishop of Carlile to passe over the Seas he having no license to depart the Realme and riding flreight unto the Court he certified the King what hee had done and there renewed the same sentence againe the King himselfe not a little murmuring at this his insolent act as he had cause and prohibiting him to doe it the Bishops then at Court notwithstanding the inhibition excommunicated these his Officers likewise for doing their duty About the same time King Henry the third gave commandement for the appehending of Hubert de Burge Earle of Kent upon some pretence of Treason who having suddaine notice thereof at midnight fled into a Chapple in Essex belonging to the Bishop of Norwich The King hearing this was exceeding angry and fearing least he should raise some tumults in his Realme if he escaped thus sent Sir Godfrey de Cranecombâ— with 300. armed men to apprehend and bring him to the Tower of London under paine of death who hasting to the Chapple found the Earle who had some notice of their comming kneeling there upon his knees before the high Altar with a Crucifix in one hand and the Hostia in the other Godfrey and his associates entring into the Chapple commanded him in the Kings name and by his direction to come out of the Chapple and repaire to him to London which he refusing saying that hee would upon no tearmes depart from thence they taking the Crosse and Lords body out of his hands bound him in chaines carried him to the Tower and acquainted the King therewithâ— who was glad of the newes Roger hearing this and taking it to be a great infringment of the Churches liberties goeth in post hast to the King and boldly reproves him for violating the peace of the Church and threatens to excommunicate all those that apprehended him unlesse the King would immediatly restore him to the Chappell whence he was extracted and thereupon enforceth the King sore against his will to remit him o the Chappell The King hereupon commanded the Chapple to be strictly guarded by the Shrieffe of Essex till Hubert should be starved or forced out thence About a yeare or two after this Hubert being imprisoned in the Castle of the Devises within the Diocesse of Salisbury escaped and fled to the Church there his keepers missing him ranne out to seeke him with lanternes clubbes and weapons and finding him in the Church carrying the Lords crosse in his hands before the Altar they bastinadoed and dragged him thence into the Castle where they imprisoned him more strictly than before Hereupon the Bishop of Salisbury excommunicated them because they refused to bring the Earle backe againe to the Church saying they would rather the Earle should be hanged than they for suffering him to escape whereupon the Bishop of Salisbury and this Robert Niger Bishop of London with other Bishops went to the King and never left till they had by perswasions and threats against his will procured
the Earle to be sent backe to the Church Fulco Basset his next successor a man of a haughty stout spirit as he opposed the Popes exactions Rustands his Legate so he had many contâ—sts with King Hâ—nry the third and was the maine pillar of the Barons who reposed all his hope in him before such time he grew cold and remisse in standing for the publike liberties whereby hee much blemished his fame and incensed the Barons and people against him in so much that the King reviled him in these words that neither he nor any of his name were ever true unto him threatning to finde meanes to correct him for his obstinacy In the presence of some whom hee knew would tell the King of it he sticked not to use this bold and couragious speech unfitting a Pâ—elate My Bishopricke my Myter and Crosier the King and the Pope may take from me but my helmet and sword I hope they will not yet neither of these two could secure him from Gods stroke for he died of the Plague at London Anno 1258. Henry Sandwich Bishop of London tooke part with the Barons who rebelled against King Henry the third for which cause he was excommunicated by Ottobon the Popes Legate with other Bishops being the chiefe incendiaries in these warres of whom Matthew Westminster writes thus The high Priests that I say not the Pharises gathered a counsell together against the Lord and against his annoynted saying Ye see that we have profitted nothing if we let the King escape thus The Romans will come and take away our purses with the money let us therefore ordaine 24 Elders round about his Throne who excluding the Parthians Meedes Elamites and strangers of Rome and freeing Ierusalem from Egyptian bondage may governe and order all and singular the affaires of the Realme The Knights Barons and Prelates therefore meeting together at Oxford in the 42. yeare of King Henry the third his reigne the King and Edward his eldest sonne being present ordained by common consent that twelve men nominated by the King and twelve by the Barons and Prelates should governe the Realme to which order the King and his sonne for feare of perpetuall imprisonment assented all and singular the Prelates except Ethelmaâ— Bishop elect onely of Winchester the Kings brother tooke a corporall oath faithfully to observe this infidelity and a sentence of excommunication was denounced by all the Archbishops and Bishops of the Kingdome against the transgressors of it Moreover saith he it is not without admiration with what face these Senators that aged Bishop of Worcester and other Prelates the Fathers Iudges of mens consciences should give such free assent to take away the Kings royall power when as they had taken a corporall Oath of giving terrene honour to the said King and his Lords which they very ill observed in ordaining that they should never governeâ— but ever be governed by others After which the Lords and Knights perceiving the generall inconvenience of this Ordinance in setting up so many Kings in stead of one the Bishop of Worceter would by no means yeeld to alter it saying that this ordinance was ratefied by an Oath and that the Pope could not dispence with the Oath making conscience of this unjust Oath like Herod and of Schisme and error contrary to the Lawes and Cannons drawing many false Prophets to him to foment this his error After this the King commanded the Bishop of Hereford a great stickler against him in these rebellious courses an oppressour of his subjects apprehended imprisoned and his goods confiscatedâ— Not long after the Prelates Earles and Barons who so sediciously held their King captivated meete at London where they ordained that two Earles and one Bishop on the behalfe of the Comonalty should elect nine persons whereof three should alwayes be assisting to the King and that by the advise of those three and the other nine all things in the Kings house as well as in the Kingdome should be ordered and that the King should doe nothing without their advise at least without the consent of these three Whereupon the Earles of Lecester Worcester Glocester and the Bishop of Chechister who the day before the battell of Lewes absolved all those who fought against his Soveraigne Lord the King from all their sinnes were chosen out to be the chiefe Councellers and Captaines who eleâ—ted other nine The King for feare of perpetuall imprisonment and that they would chuse another King consented to the ordinance OMNIBVS EPISCOPIS all the Bishops Earles and Barons consenting thereunto and sealing it with their Seales The Bishops of London Winchester Worcester and other Bishops were sent to the Popes Legate Cardinall of Sabine whom they would not suffer to come into the Realme to confirme this agreement who sharply reprehended the Bishops because they consented to so great a depression of the Kings power citing them three dayes after to appeare before him at Boâ—onâ—e about the affaires of the Kingdome who neither appearing by themselves nor their Proctors the Legate thereupon suspended them excommunicated the Barons the Cinque ports the city of London and the Bishops to for hindring him from comming into England and for their default But the said Bishops and the rest not regarding this thunderbolt appealed from it to the Pope and the next generall Councell and to the Church as well Triumphant as Militant and trusting to the defence of the Martiall sword little esteemed the spirituall the Bishops presuming to be present at and to exercise divine offices notwithstanding this suspention and excommunication till Otho his comming into England who calling a Councell at Wiâ—â—minsterâ— suspended this Henry Bishop of Londonâ— Iohn Bishop of Winchester and Stephen Bishop of Chichesterâ— both from their office and Benefice who â—ostered and incouraged the part of the Kings enemies excommunicating the Bishop of Lincolne for the same cause who at last supplicated for mercy not judgement with Walter Bishop of Worcester who lying at the point of death confessed he had erred fovendâ— in fomenting and fostering the part of Simon Montford and thereupon sent Letters to the Legate desiring the benefit of absolution which he obtained and so died By which relation of Matthew Westminister seconded by the continuer of Matthew Paris and other of our Chroniclers it is most apparant that this Bishop of London and the other Prelates were the chiefe fomenters of all the warres and rebellions against the King and those that stirred up and encouraged the Barons in their unnaturall bloody wars against their Soveraigne Henry the third as Stephen Langton Archbishop of Canterbury was the principall author and contriver of those against King Iohn Anno. 1329. 1330. Richard Wentworth Bishop of London was accused by Edmond Woodstocke Earle of Kent for conspiring with him to helpe set up a new King Edward the second after his death whom Thoraas Dunhead a Fryer affirmed for cetaine by
King hereupon moved with pitty sends forth his Proclamations That all such as were out-lawed or proscribed should be at Glocester upon a certaine day there to be received into the Kings favour againe and to have restitution of their inheritancesâ— but least they might suspect any evill measure it was ordered that they should be in the Churches protection and come under the safe conduct of the Archbishop and the other Prelatesâ— Thither at the time and place limitted doth Hubert de Burgo Earle of Kent and lately chiefe Justicier of England repaire upon whom by mediation of the Bishop the compassionate King lookes graciously receiving him in his armesâ— with the kisse of peace In like sort was the Lord Gilbert Basset and all others of that fellowship received into favour their severall livings and rights fully restored and both Hubert and Basset admitted to be of his Councell Vpon this reconcilement the practise by which the late great Marshall was destroyed and his possessions dismembred came to light the coppy of the Letters which had beene sent into Ireland being by commandement of the Archbishop of Canterbury openly read in the presence of the King the Prelates Earles and Barons It moved teares in all of them the King with an Oath affirming that he knew not the Contents of the said Letters though by the urging of the Bishop of Winchester Rivallis Segrave Passeletu with other of his Councell hee had caused his Seale to be put unto them At the sound of Summons to make their severall appearances the Malefactors take Sanctuary the Bishop and Peter de Rivallis in Winchester Church Segrave in Leicester Abby Passeleiu in the new Temple and others otherwhere And some write that the King commanded Winchester utterly to depart the Court and to repaire to his Bishopricke and there to give himselfe intirely to the cure of soules If such a precept were now given by his Majesty to all our Court Prelates it would be but just In the end upon the intercession of Edraond Archbishop of Canterbury who piously endeavoured to extinguish all occasions of further dissention in the Kingdome and undertooke they should have a lawfull triall the delinquents appeared at Westminster before the King who sate in person with his Justiciers upon the Bench Peter de Rivallis was first called for the Bishop came not whom the King shot through with an angry eye saying O thou Traytor by thy wicked advise I was drawne to set my Seale to these treacherous Letters for the destruction of the Earle Marshall the contents whereof were to me unknowne and by thine and such like councell I banished my naturall Subjects and turned their rainds and hearts from me By thy bad councell and thy complices I was moved to make warre upon them to my irreparable losse and the dishonour of ray Realme In which enterprize I wasted my treasure and lost many worthy persons together with much of my royall respect therefore I exact of thee an account as well of my treasure as of the custodies of wards together with many other profits and escheats belonging to my Crowne Peter denying none of the accusations but falling to the ground thus besought him My Soveraigne Lord and King I have beene nourished by you and made rich in worldly substance confound not you owne creature but at least wise grant me a time of deliberation that I may render a competent reason for such poynts as I am charged with Thou shalt said the King be carried to the Tower of London there to deliberate till I am satisfied he was so Stepâ—en de Segrave the Lord chiefe Justice whom the King also called most wicked Traytor had time till Michaelmas to make his accounts at the Archbishops and other Bishops humble intreaty and for other matters hee shifted them of from himselfe by laying the blame upon such as were higher in place than he into whose office of chiefe Justice Hugh de Pateshull is advanced The like evasion Robert Passeleu hadâ— by leaving the fault upon Walter Bishop of Carleil who was above him in the Exchequer And thus were these civill enormities reformed not without reducing store of coyne to the King this Bishop of VVinchester being the chiefe Author of all these warres and mischiefes which thus molested King State and People at that time Anno. 1238. Otho the Popes Legate lodging at Osnie Abby some of his servants abusing the Schollers of Oxford that came thither to see him they thereupon falling together by the eares slew the Legates Cooke and hurt other of his servants reviling the Legate and stiling him a wicked wretch a Robber of England the gulfe of Roman avarice c. Hereupon the Legate fled up into the Towne for feare and sent to the King to Abindon to rescue him the next day he publikely excommunicated all who had assaulted him depriving them both from their office and benefice and pronouncing them irregular interdicted all the Churches in Oxford and suspended the Schollers from studying there the which Sentence was by this Bishop of VVinchester solemnely denounced and executed before all the Clergy and people assembled together for that purpose at S. Frideswids in Oxford and so all that Summer the Schollers were dissipated their study at Oxford was suspended At length the Abbot and Canons of Osnie and regent Masters of Oxford comming bare foote to the Legate with their heads uncovered and their upper garments put off and rent oft times humbly craved pardon of himâ— and so at last going through the midst of the Citty of London to the Bishop of Durhams house they with much adoe obtained pardon whereupon the Schollers were restored to their Study at Oxford and released from their said sentences An. 1246. The Pope writ to William Bishop of VVinchester and the Bishop of Lincolne that they should levy 6000. markes of the Cleargy to his use They thereupon began to execute this mandate of the Pope but are prohibited by the King to proceede under paine of proscription The Cleargy now interposed betweene the King Pope and terrified with both their threatsâ— were uncertaine what to doe but perceiving the Kings inconstancy and fearing least his courage failing he should at last as he often had done before yeeld to the Popeâ— many of them paying their money secretly avoided both the Kings and Popes indignation To prevent these exactions messengers were sent to the Pope from the King Peeres Prelates and Commons of England these the Pope reviles and repels as Schismaticks saying The King of England who now turnes his heeles against me and Frederizeth hath his Councell but I have mine With which scornefull words the King was so moved that he proclaimed through England That no man should pay any thing to the Pope But the Pope growing more angry hereat threatned the Prelates with all kinde of punishment that they should pay the foresaid summe to his Nuncio in the new Temple very spedily The King terrified with the
unduly and against reason by the commandement of the said Lord of VVinchester and afterward in approving of the said refusall he received the said VVoodvile and cherished him against the State and worship of the King and of the said Lord of Glocester Secondly The said Lord of Winchester without the advise and assent of the said Lord of Glocester or of the Kings Councell purposed and disposed him to set hand on the Kings person and to have removed him from Eltham the place that he was in to Windsor to the intent to put him in governance as he list Thirdly that where the said Lord of Glocester to whom of all persons thaâ— should be in the Land by the way of Nature and birth it belongeth to see the governance of the Kings person informed of the said undue purpose of the said Lord of Winchester declared in the Article next above said and in setting thereof determining to have gone to Eltham unto the King to have provided as the cause required and the said Lord of Winchester untruely and against the Kings peace to the intent to trouble the said Lord of Glocester going to the Kingâ— purposing his death in case that he had gone that way set men of armes and Archers at the end of London bridge next Southwâ—rke and in forbearing of the Kings high way let draw the chaine of the stoopes there and set up pipes and hurdles in manner and former of Bulworkes and set mâ—n in cellers and windowes with Bowes and Arrowesâ— and other weapons to the intent to bring finall destruction to the said Lord of Glocesters person as well as of those that then should come with him Fourthly The said Lord of Glocester saithâ— and affirmeth that our soveraigne Lord his Brother that was King Henry the fift told him on a time when our Soveraigne Lord being Prince was lodged in the Pallace of Westminster in the great Chamber by the noyse of a Spaniell there was on a night a man spied and taken behind a carpet of the said Chamber the which man was delivered to the Earle of Arundell to be examined upon the cause of his being there at that time the which so examined at that time confessed that he was there by the stirring and procuring of the said Lord of Winchester ordained to have slaine the said Prince there in his bed wherefore the said Earle of Arundell let sacke him forthwith and drownes him in the Thames Fiftly Our Soveraigne Lord that was King Henry the fifth said unto the said Lord of Glocester that his Father King Henry the fourth livingâ— and visited then greatly with sicknesse by the hand of God the said Lord of Winchester said unto the King Henry the fifth being then Prince that the King his Father so visited with sicknesse was not personable and therefore not disposed to come in conversation and governance of the people and for so much councelled him to take the governance and Crowne of this Land upon him Such a loyall Prelate was he To these Articles the Archbishop gave in his answer in writing too tedious to recite whereupon the Lords in Parliament tooke an Oath to be indifferent umpiers betweene the Bishop and Duke and at lastâ— with much adoe made a finall accord and decree betweene them recorded at large by Hall and Holinshed wherâ—by they both were reconciled for a season But in the yeare 1427. the Bishop passing the sea into France received the habit hat and dignity of a Cardinall with all ceremonies to it appertaining which promotion the late King right deepely piercing into the unrestrainable ambitions mind of the man which even from his youth was ever wont to checke for the highest and also right well ascertained with what intollerable pride his head should soone be swollâ—n under such a hat did therefore all his life long kepe this Prelate backe from that presumptuous estate But now the King being young and the Regent his friend hee obtained his purpose to the impoverishiâ—g of the spiritualitie of this Realme For by a Bull Legantine which he purchased from Rome he gathered so much treasure that no man in manner had money but he so that hee was called the rich Cardinall of Wincester Afterwards An. 1429. the Pope unleagated him and set another in his place to his great discontent Anno. 1441. the flames of contention brake out afresh betweene the said Duke and the Cardinall for after his former reconciliation to the Duke he and the Archbishop of Yorke Iohn Kerap ceased not to doe many things without the consent of the King or Duke being during the minority of the King Governour and Protector of the Realme whereat the Duke as good cause he had was greatly offended and there upon declared to King Henry the â—ixth in writing wherein the Cardinall and the Archbishop had offended both his Majesty and the Lawes of the Realme This complaint of the Duke was contained in twentie foure Articles which chiefely rested in that the Cardinall had from time to time through his ambitious desire to surmount all other in high degree of honor sought to enrich himself to the great and notorious hinderance of the King as in defrauding him not onely of his treasure but also in doing practising things prejudiciall to his affaires in France and namely by setting at liberty the King of Scots upon so easie conditions as the Kings Majesty greatly lost therehy as in particulars thus followethâ— and out of the Dukes owne coppie regestred by Hall and Holinshed 1. These be in part the points and Articles which I Humphrey Duke of Gloster for my truth and acquitall said late I would give in writing my right doubted Lord unto your Highnes advertising your Excellence of such things as in part have bin done in your tender age in derogation of your noble estate and hurt of both your Realmes and yet be done and used dayly 2. First the Cardinall then being Bishop of Winchester him took upon the state of Cardinall which was naied and denaied him by the King of most noble memory my Lord your Father saying that he had as lefe set his Crowne beside him as to see him weare a Cardinalls Hat he being a Cardinall for he knew full well the pride and ambition that was in his person then being but a Bishop should have so greatly extolled him into more intollerable pride when that he were a Cardinall and also he though it against his freedome of the chiefe Church of this Realme which that he worshipped as duly as ever did Prince that blessed be his soule And howbeit that my said Lord your Father would have had certaine Clarkes of this Land Cardinalls and to have no Bishopricks in England yet his intent was never to doe so great dâ—rogation to the Church of Canterbury as to make them that were his suffragans to sit above their Ordinary and Metropolitan But the cause was that in generall and in all matters which might concerne the weale
loose your Jewels in my truth and in mine acquitall as it seemes to me I may not nor ought not counsell so great an hurt to you and to all your Land 21. Item It is not unknowne to you my right doubted Lord how oftentimes I have offered my service to and for the defence of your Realme of France and Dutchy oâ— Normandy where I have beene put there from by the labour of the Lord Cardinall in preferring others after his singular affection which hath caused a great part of the said Dutchy of Normandy as well as of the Realme of France to be lost as it is well knowne and what good my right doubted Lord was lost on that army that was last sent thither which the Earle of Mortaigne your Counsell of France hath well and clearly declared to your Highnesse here before 22. Item My right doubted Lord it is not unknowneâ— that it had not beene possible to the said Cardinall to have come to his great riches but by such meanes for of his Church it might not rise and inheritance he had none Wherefore my right doubted Lord sith there is great good behoofe at this time for the weale and safegard of your Realmes the poverty necessity and indigence of your leige people in highnesse understand like it unto your noble grace to consider the said lucre of the said Cardinall and the great deceipts that you be deceived in by the labour of him and of the Archbishop as well in this your Realme as in the Realme of France and Dutchy of Normandy where neither office livelihood nor Captaine may be had withouâ— too great good given unto him whereby a great part of all the losse that is lost they have beene the causers of for who that would give most his was the prise not considering the merrits service nor sufficiency of persons Furthermore it is greatly to be considered how when the said Cardinall had forfeited all his goods because of provision as the Statute thereupon more plainely declareth by having the rule of you my right doubted Lordâ— purchased himselfe in great defraudation of your Highnesse a Charter of pardon the which good and it had beene well governed might many yeares have sustained your warres without any tâ—lage of your poore people 23. Iâ—em my redoubted Lord whereas I wrote many things for the weale of you and of your Realmesâ— peradventure some wil say and understandâ— that I would or have written by way of accusement of all your Counsell which God knoweth I doe not for your Highnesse may well see that I name them that be causâ—rs of the sâ—id inordinate rule Wherefore considering that the said Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke are they that pretend the governance of you and of your Realmes and Lordshipsâ— please iâ— unto your Highnâ—sse of your right wisenesse to estrâ—nge them of your Counsell to that intent that men may be at their freedome to say what they thinke of truth 24. For truth I dare speake of my truth the poore dare not doe so And if the Cardinall and the Archbishop of Yorke may afterward declare themselves of that is and shall be said of them you my most doubted Lord may then restore them againe to your Counsell at your noble pleasure When the King had heard the accusations thus laid by the Duke of Glocester against the Cardinall he committed the examination thereof to his Counsell whereof the more part were spirituall persons so that what for feare and what for favour the matter was winked at and nothing said to it onely faire countenance was made to the Duke as though no malice had beene conceived against him but venome will breake out and inward grudge will soone appeare which was this yeare to all men apparant for divers secret attempts were advanced forward this season against this Noble man Humfry Duke of Glocester a farre off which in conclusion came so neare that they bereft him both of life and land For this proud covetous Prelate setting the Queene against this good Duke at a Parliament at Berry caused him there to be arrested and murthered by meanes of whose death all France was shortly after lost the Kingdome involved in a bloody civill warre I shall close up the History of this proud Prelate with old Father Latimers words concerning him in a Sermon before King Edward the sixth There was a Bishop of Winchester in King Henry the sixth dayes which King was but a child but yet were there many good Acts made in his childhood and I doe not reade that they were broken This Bishop was a great man borne and did beare such a stroake that he was able to shoulder the Lord Protector Well it chanced that the Lord Protector and he fell out and the Bishop would beare nothing at all with him but played the Sacrapha so the Regent of France was faine to be sent for from beyond the seas to set them at one and goe betweene them for the Bishop was as able and ready to buckle with the Lord Protector as hee was with him Was not this a good Prelate he should have beene at home Preaching at his Diocesse with a wannion This Protector was so noble and godly a man that he was called of every man the good Duke Humfry he kept such a house as was never since kept in England without any inhaunsing of rents I warrant you or any such matter And the Bishop for standing so stiffely by the matter and bearing up the order of our Mother the holy Church was made a Cardinall at Calis and thither the Bishop of Rome sent him a Cardinals Hat he should have had a Tiburne Tippit a halfe penny halter and all such proud Prelates These Romish Hats never brought good into England Vpon this the Bishop goeth to the Queene Katherine the Kings wife a proud woman and a stout and perswaded her that if the Duke were in such authority still and lived the people would honour him more than the King and the King should not be set by and so betweene them I cannot tell how it came to passe but at S. Edmundsberry in a Parliament the good Duke Humfry was smothered To leave this Cardinall Ste. Gardiner both Chancellor of England B. of Winchester was the chiefe author of making reviving the bloody Act intitled the 6. Articles by which many of our godly Martyrs suffered the chiefe plotter and contriver of the noble Lord Cromwells death Who could not abide the pride of the Prelates and was attainted by Parliament and never came to his answer He was a great opposer of the reformation of Religion and abuses of the Clergy both in King Henry the eights and King Edwards dayes and stirred up under hand divers Priests Abbots and Monkes to oppose the Kings Supremacie and to rayse up open rebellion in Lincolneshire in the North Cornewall and other places in maintenance of Popery for which Treasons and Rebellions Exmew Middlemore
to prophane uses because they are consecrated and dedicated to God But who knoweth not that Holidayes are after the same manner consecrated and dedicated unto God and to be spent in no other but in holy workes which of you if he should see any one enter into the Church with encredible audacity and use the consecrated vestments in steed of prophane garments Temples for a Taverne the Altar for a Table the Corporals or Alterclothes for Mappes eating in sacred Patens drinking in the Holy Chalices which of us would not tremble who would not exclaime And now we behold the most solemne the most famous the most sacred Holy-dayes dedicated to God that they might be spent in Prayers Meditations reading of holy things Hymnes and Psalmâ—s and spirituall Songs to be prophaned with sacrilegious Dances Morrisses Caperings Feasts Drinking-matches uncleannesses scurrilities and yet no man trembles no man is moved no man wonders O immortall God! What part hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse what fellowship hath light with darkenesse what agreement hath Christ with Belial what hath the merriment of the flesh to doe with the gladnesse of the spirit what the solemnities of God with the feasts of Bacchus and his crue What now those dayes wherein wee ought to please God most shall we in them more provoke him unto anger with our wickednesse on those dayes in which the spirit is to be fed and recreated in them shall we more overwhelme him with wine and uncleannesses c. What a madnesse is this what infirnall furies scare us out of our wits Thus and much more this Romish Cardinall Bellarmin to the eternall infamy of our prophane English Prelates to whom this Cardinall in point of Dancing and Pastimes especially on sacred Dayes is not onely a Puritan but a Saint And thus much for the Prelates of Winchester I shall next survey the Bishops of Durham and see whether they have been better qualified than these their Brethren Durham Kenulph the tenth Bishop of Durham Anno. 750. was taken by Edbert King of the Northumbrians belike â—or some great Treason or misdemeanour for the Monkes conceale the reason and committed prisoner to the Castle of Bebba which King commanded the Church of Saint Peter in Lindisfarne to be besieged which shewes that the Bishop and his Church stood out then in rebellion against their Soveraigne Egelricke the 16. Bishop of Durham was charged with Treason and conspiracy against William the Conqueror and that hee had disturbed the Kings peace and practised pyracie on the Seas whereupon hee was committed perpetuall prisoner to Westminster where by continuall fasting and abundance of teares washing away the guilt of his former misdeeds he wan unto â—imself such a reputation of holinesse as the place of his buriall was much frequented after his death Egelwyn his next successor in this See much opposed himselfe against William the Conqueror to whom afterward hee was in shew reconciled for a time at last the ancient hatred hee bore unto the King boyling in his stomacke hee joyned winh certaine Noble men in a flat rebellion against the Conquerour he and they alleaging at first that they feared imprisonment and hard measure but indeed proposing to apprehend and depose the King to set up an English man in his roome and commit him to perpetuall imprisonment When things succeeded not according to expectation William the Conquerour getting the victory Egelwynâ—lyes â—lyes into Scotland the King having banished him the Realme before where out of his zeale hee â—â—communicates the King and all his followers as invaders and robbers of the Church The yeare following he comes into England where hee and the Nobles combining with him with many thousands of the Laity and Clergy were faine to hide themselves in woods and secret places being unable to encounter with the Kings forces when they had done many harmes and mischiefes in divers places to the wrong of the King they came at last â—o the Isle of Ely which they fortifiedâ— and seized on as the place of their residence and refuge and oâ—t times issuing out thence much wasted and spoyled the bordering countries building a wooden Castle in the Ilandâ— wherupon the Conqueror comes with all his forces both by sea and land and besiegeth the Iland mâ—king wayes and passages over bogges and fennes formerly unpassable building a strong Castle at Wiâ—bitch Egelwyn perceiving the danger tooke ship and departed into voluntary exile committing some pyracies by the way he set his course for Colen but was forced by contrary winds to land in Scotland thence returning againe to Ely hee was at last there taken prisoner by the Conquerour and committed close prisoner to Abingdon where An. 1071. refusing to take any sustenance for meere griefe and anger he died Before his death the Conquerour having deprived him of his Bishopricke caused one Walcher to be consecrated in his place hee attending more worldly affaires than the charge of his flocke as many of our Prelates do now gave himselfe altogeher to temporall businesse wherein hee wholly occupied himselfe contra dignitatem Pontificalem writes Matthew Paris He bought of the King the Earledome of Northumberland being by this meanes both a Spiritual and a Temporall Loâ—d and ingrossing both jurisdictions into his hands and then making himselfe a secular Judge tooke upon him to sit in the Court and to determine all causes at his pleasure dealing with all very corruptly and taking that course as might be most for his owne gaine hereupon he geatly enriched his coffers but purchased to himselfe extreme hatred among the Common people whom hee much impoverished with his extortions which was his destruction in the end There was a Gentleman of great account called Leulfus who had married the Earle of Northumberlands daughâ—er that for very devotion to the end hee might live neere the Church in his latter time came to Durham to dwell he keeping company very much with the Bishop who loved him much for his wisedome equity and vertues Leofwin the Bishops Chaplain whom he trusted with all his houshold matters and Gilbert the Bishops kinsman that dealt in his Temporall affaires very corrupt men envying the credit that Leulfus had gotten with the Bishop every where opposed and traduced him and his actions both in words and deed and at last conspired to murther him which they did in a barbarous manner assaultiâ—g him in his house with armed men and murthering not onely the innocent Gentleman himselfe but also his servants and whoâ—e houshold the newes of this horrible outragious cruelty comming to the eares of the Bishop amazed him so as turning about to Leofwin hee said to him Thou hast already slaine mee with thy tongue and doubting the danger got him into his Castle and dispatched messengers to the friends and kindred of Leulfus protesting that the fact was committed without his knowledge and that hee was heartily sory for it and if any suspect him hee could be
with the rest of the Bishops and Abbots mitred and in rich Copes every one of them carrying Censers in their hands going in great solemnity before him and afterwards crowning both him and his Queene according to the custome of the Realme so officious were they to this usurper Cutbert Tonstall the 58. Bishop of Durham December 20. 1551. was committed to the Tower for his disobedience to King Edward the sixth where he continued all his Reigne The King was so farre offended with him that 7. Edward 6. the Bishopricke of Durham was dissolved by Act of Parliament and all the Lands and hereditaments thereof given to the King but he dying this Bishopricke was againe revived and erected 1. Mar. Parliament 2. cap. 3. and this Bishop thereunto restored Who in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth for his contumacy and disobedience in maintaining the Popes Supremacie which he oppugned formerly and for refusing the oath of Supremacy which he had sworne unto in the raigne of King Henry the eight he was justly deprived and committed prisoner to Lambeth House where he dyed I finde this Tonstall highly applauded by some who lived since his dayes but M. Tyndall who knew him farre better than they writes thus of him And as for the Bishopricke of Durham to say the very truth he to wit Cardinall Wolsie could not but of good cougruity reward his old Chaplaine and one of the chiefe of all his Secretaries withall still Saturne that so seldome speaketh but walketh up and downe all day musing and imagining mischiefe a doubling hypocrite made to dissemble Which for what service done in Christs Gospell came he to the Bishopricke of Londâ—n Or what such service did he therein hee burnt the New Testament calling it Doctrinam peregrinam strange learning The story of whose buying and burning of M. Tyndals New Testaments who with the money set forth a new and better Edition is related by M. Hall at large in his Chronicle 21. H. 8. f. 186. Yea Verily looke how strange his living in whose blood that Testament was made was from the living of the Pope even so strange is that Doctrine from the Popes Law in which onely and in the Practise thereof is Tunstall learned Which also for what cause left he the Bishopricke of London Even for the same cause he tooke it after that he had long served for it covetousnesse and ambition Neither is it possible naturally pray marke this passage that there should be any good Bishop so long as the Bishoprickes be nothing save worldly Pompe and honour superfluous abundance of all manner of riches and liberty to doe what a man left unpunished things which onely the evill desire and good men abhorre For the late Bishops of this See of Durham Neale Howson their dispositions and actions against goodnesse and good men and their turbulencie both in Church and State are so well knowne to most that I neede not mention it And as for the present Bishop Dr Morton whom I honour for his learning and workes against the Papists how farre hee hath degenerated of late yeares from his Pristine zeale and hatred of Romish Superstitions and Innovations and how farre he hath ingaged himself in the late Wars and differences between England and Scotland I leave to others to determine Onely this I cannot preâ—ermit in silence that as the first Popish Innovations and superstitions which lately over-spread our whole Church had their Originall from Bishop Neale and his Chaplaine Dr. Cosens at Durham so God hath made that City and Bishopricke of Durham the onely County of England stiled by the name of a Bishoprick the seate of our late wars wherein the Scottish Armie now resides to manifest to all the world that these unhappie civill warres sprung from the Bishops since the seate of them is no where but in this Bishoprick the Scottish Generall for the most part hath kept his residence in the Bishop of Durhams own Palaces who for feare hath left them vacant and fled that Country which he hath much oppressed From Durham I proceede to Salisbury Salisbury Alstane or Adelstane Bishop of Sherburne which See was not long after translated to Salisbury turned warrior and led an Army into Kent against Ethelwolfe King oâ— that County and chased away both the King and all other that would not submit themselves to Egbert over the Thames out of their Country He fought oft against the Danes provided money and furnished out men to withstand them and tooke upon him to order all matters of the State under King Ethelwolfe When King Ethelwolfe returned from Rome Adelstane who bare no small rule in the Kingdome of the West-Saxons would not suffer him to be admitted King because he had done in certaine points contrary to the Lawes and Ordinances of the Kingdome as he conceived whereupon by this Bishops meanes Ethelbald this Kings sonne was established King in his Fathers steed and so continued till at last by agreement the Kingdome was devided betwixt them This Bishop was fervently set on covetousnesse and greatly enriched his See of Sherburne where he continued Bishop 50. yeares Roger the great rich Bishop of Salisbury advanced and specially trusted by King Henry the first for all the benefits that he and his friends received from him proved not so thankfull or faithfull to his Majestie as was to be expected For King Henry the first having lost his onely sonne and Heire apparent Prince William by mis-fortune upon the Sea and having no issue lawfully begotten to inherit the Kingdome but onely Mawd the Empresse thought good to take an Oath of all the Nobility wherein they promised to yeeld obedience to her as their Soveraigne and to none other This Oath Roger not onely tooke himselfe but likewise administred to all the other being then Chancellour of England yet notwithstanding forgetting all duties of Religion towards God of thankfulnesse towards his patron and Loyalty towards his Prince he was the first man who upon the death of the King fell to plotting for the advancement of Stephen unto the Kingdome who likewise had taken the former Oath and swore homage and fealty unto Mawde which by his perswasion he first attempted and much deale by his ungracious counsell at last obtained At the time of King Henry his death it hapned that Mawde was in Normandy with her Father wherefore Stephen Earle of Bologne taking this advantage wrought so with this Bishop and the Bishop of Winchester and they with him as they were content to set the Crowne upon his head who otherwise than by a kinde of election which they procured had no colour of right unto the same For if they regarded nearenesse of blood not onely Mawde and her sonne were nearer but Theobald also Earle of Bloyes Stephens elder brother Howbeit these Clergie men that bare all the sway in those times desirous to continue their owne greatnesse would needes make choyse
saw that there were swords drawne round about them for words were no jests but there was a contention almost about life and blood Yet the Legate and Archbishop gave not over but prosecuted the tenor of their office for casting themselves humbly downe at the Kings feete in his Bedchamber they beseeched him to compassionate the Church to compassionate his owne sâ—ule and fame that he would not suffer a dissention to be made betweene the Kingdome and Priesthood He rising up courteously although he removed the envie of the things done â—rom himselfe yet he made no effectuall performance of his good promises And so this great suite wherein the Prelates presumed to convent the king himselfe before them to try his title to Castles being temporall possessions ceased and the pretended execution of their owne Canons never pressed before that I read of vanished into nothing These bickerings betweene the Bishop his Nephewes and the king to whom he owed even the Crowne he wore caused all the Bishops to fall off from him againe and joyne with Maude This their treachery to King Stephen is most fully recorded by William Malmesbury who relates that the Bishop of Winchester brother to king Stephen and the Popes Legate taking some offence against the king came to a Parley with Maude in the fields neere Winchester where Maude the Empresse swore and vowed to him that all the greatest businesses in England and especially the Donations of Bishoprickes and Abbies should be at his disposall if he with the holy Church would receive her for their Soveraigne and be continually loyall to her some of the greatest Nobles of her party making the same oath Whereupon the Bishop made no scruple to receive the Empresse as Lady of England and to sweare to her by himselfe and some others that as long as she brake not this agreement that he would be faithfull to her which done the next day she was received by the Bishop in the Cathedrall Church of Winchester with an honourable Procession the Bishop of Winchester going on her right hand and Barnard Bishop of Saint Davids on her left there were other Bishops present beside these as Alexander Bishop of Lincolne Robert of Hereford Nigellus of Ely Robert of Bath with sundry Abbotsâ— a few dayes after Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury came to the Empresse at Winchester being invited by the Legate but deâ—erred to sweare fealty to the Empresse without the kings privity being as hee thought a dishonour to his fame and person but after some conference had with the king by the Cardinall and most of the Prelates who intreated leave of him to yeeld to the necessity of the time they condescended to the Legates motion and fell off to the Empresse Whereupon about a fortnight after Easter Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury held a Councell of all the Bishops of England and of many Abbots in great state at Winchester wherein the Bishop of Winchester made this speech That by vertue of his Legatine power which he derived from the Pope he had summoned the Clergie of England to this Councell that they might consult in Common of the peace of the Country which was in great danger of Shipwrack that in the time of King Henry his Uncle England was a singular houshold of peace c. Which King some yeares before his death caused all the Bishops and Barons to sweare to the Empresse his Daughter and onely Childe that the whole kingdome of England with the Dutchy of Normandy should descend to her if he had no issue male by the Duke of Loraines daughter That dismall fortune envied his most excellent Uncle so as he dyed in Normandy without issue male Therefore because it seemed long to expect the Lady who resided in Normandy and delayd to come into England to provide for the peace of the Country my Brother was permitted to raigne And although I became a surety betweene God and him that hee should honour and exalt the holy Church maintaine good Lawes and abrogate evill yet it grieves me to remember it shames me to relate what a one he hath shewed himselfe in his kingdome how no justice hath beene exercised upon the presumptuous how all peace was presently abolished almost the same yeare the Bishops apprehended and compelled to a reddition of their possessions Abbies sold the Churches rob'd of their treasures the Counsells of wicked men heard of good men either suspended or altogether contemned You know how often I have convented him both by my selfe and by the Bishops especially in the Councell the last yeare summoned to that purpose and that I got nothing but hatred thereby Neither can it be unknowne to any who will rightly consider it that I ought to love my mortall brother but ought much more to esteeme the cause of my immortall Father Therefore because God hath exercised his judgement touching my brother that he might permit him without my knowledge to fall into the power of the Mighty left the kingdome should â—ottet if it wanted a king I have invited you all by the right of my Legation to assemble together at this place Yesterday the cause was secretly ventilated before the greater part of the Clergie of England to whose right especially it belongs both to elect and ordaine a king Therefore having first invocated as it is meete Gods assistance we have â—lected the Daughter of a peace-making king a glorioâ—s king a rich king a good king and in our time incomparable to be Queene of England and Normandy and we promise fidelity and maintenance to her When the Bishop of Winchester had thus spoken all the Bishops and Clergie present as William of Malmsbury then present at the Councell relates did either modestly give their acclamation to the sentence of Mauds election and Stephens rejection or keeping silence did not contradict it In this Councell many who tooke king Stephens part were excommunicated and by name William Martell who had intercepted some of the Legates goods aâ—ter this Councell the City of London formerly addicted to king Stephen and the greatest part of England willingly submitted to the dominion of Maude who was principally counselled by Robert her brother and by the Legate of Winchester who pretended that hee sought her welfare but within few dayes after there fell out a difference betweene the Legate and Maude which occasioned a great alteration and was the cause of many new mischiefes in Englâ—nd Whereupon the Bishop Legate departed from the Court absolved all those whom he â—ormerly excommunicated in the Councell without the consent of the Bishops raised up a complaint against the Empresse that she intended to apprehend him and made no account of any thing she had sworne to Which report was spred over all England Whereupon he stirred up the Londoners and Barons against the Empresse whom he beseiged and restored Sâ—ephen not onely to his liberty but to the Crowne In the meane time â—his Roger Bishop of Salisbury dyes of a Quarâ—aine Fever which
he fell into out of griefe of minde This Prelate was so high in king Henries favour that he denyed little or nothing to him that he demanded he gave him Lands Churches Prebends of Clarkes whole Abbies of Monkes and committed the kingdome to his trust making him Chancellor of England Roger therefore pleaded causes he moderated expences he kept the kings treasure and that without a companion and witnesse both while the king was present in England and absent in Normandy and not onely by the king but likewise by the Nobles and even by those who secretly envied his felicity and especially by the kings Servants and debtoâ—s all things almost that he could thinke of were conferred on him if any thing was contiguous to his possessions which might conduce to his utility that he either begged or bought if not he extorted it by violence he alone was in greatest honour abounding in wealth pompe â—riends authority stately houses and Castles and seemed the onely happy man on earth Yet at last in a moment fortune cruelly stung him with her Scorpions tayle so as he saw many of his friends wounded and his most familiar Souldiers beheaded before his face himselfe captivated two of his Nephewes most potent Prelates to be put to flight and taken prisoners and a third a young man whom he most loved to bee bound in chaines his Castles to be rendred up his treasures spoyled himself afterwards in a Councell torne with most foule reproaches the residue of his money and plate which he had layd upon the Altar to finish a Church to beâ— carried away against his will and which is the extremity of calamity Cum multis miser videreturâ— paucissimis miserabilis erat So much envy hatred had he contracted out of his over great power and that undeservedly with some whom he had advanced to honours So Malmesbury writes of him of whom you have heard sufficient Anno Dom. 1223. Huberâ— de Burgo Earle of Kent being taken and proclaimed a traytor escaped out of the Castle of Veâ—â— or Devises and tooke sanctuary in the next Church those who kept the Castle hearing of it sent and tooke him with those that helped him to make his escape out of the Church and imprisoned him againe in the Castle Robert Bingham the Bishop of Salisbury hereupon came to the Castle and threatned to curse them if they would not deliver the Earle restore him to sanctury againe They made answer they had rather the Earle should hang for them than they for him and so because they would not deliver him the Bishop excommunicated them and after riding to the Courâ— and taking with him the Bishop of London and other Bishops prevailed so much by complaint to the King that the Earle though a traytor was restored to the Church againe but so as the Sheriffe of the Shire had commandement to compasse the Church about with men to watch that no reliefe came unto him whereby he might bee constrained through famishment to submit himselfe but hee shortly armed was there rescued by a power of armed men who conveyed him armed and oâ— horsebacke into Wales where he joyned with other of King Henry the thirds enemies And all through the pride and practise of this Prelate to whose pretended jurisdiction even in case of Treason the King himselfe must submit William of Yorke the ninth Bishop of Salisbury about the year 1247. was a Courtier from his childhood and better seene the in Lawes of the Realme which hee chiefly studied than in the Law of God a great deale Matthew Paris reporteth that he firâ—â— brought in the custome that tenants should be suiters unto the Courts of their Landlords This Matthew Paris stiles a very bad custome in magnum subditorum damnum detrimentum superiorum parvum vel nullum emolumentum unde qui nunquam hoc fecerant mirabantur se ad hoc fuisse coactos And speaking of this Bishops death he saith This Bishop passed from these worldly cares and imployments to the dangers which secular men and Courtiers are beleeved to undergoe for their workes follow them Anno 1392. King Richard the second picked a quarrell against the Major and Sheriffes of London upon this occasion Walter Romay one of Iohn Walthams servants then Bishop of Salisbury and high Treasurer of England tooke a horseloafe from a Bakers man as hee passed by in Fleetstreet and would not deliver it againe but broke the bakers mans head when he was earnest to recover his loafe the cohabitants of the streete hereupon rose and would have had the Bishops man to prison for breaking the Kings peace but hee was rescued by his fellowes and escaped to the Bishops house in an Allie close by The people set in a rage for this rescue gathered in great multitudes about the Bishops Palace gate and would have fetched out the offender by force assaulting the house to breake it open but the Major and Sheriffes comming thither after some perswasions used appeased the people who retired quietly to their houses The Bishop being then at Windsor where the Court lay being informed of this riot tooke such indignation therewith that taking with him Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Yorke then Lord Chancellor of England he went to the King and made an hainous complaint against the Citizens for their misdemeanour whereupon the Major Sheriffes and great sort more of the Citizens were sent for to the Court and charged with divers misdemeanors notwithstanding their excuses they were all arrested and imprisoned the Major in the Castle of Windsor the rest in other places to be safely kept till the King by the advice of his Counsell should further determine what should be done with them Moreover the liberties of the City were seised into the Kings hands the authority of the Major utterly ceased and the King appointed Sir Edward Darlingrug to governe the City by the name of Lord Warding and to see that every man had justice ministred as the case required who because hee was thought to be overfavourable to the Citizens was removed and Sir Baldwin Radington put in his roome At length the King through suit and instant labour of certaine Noblemen especially of the Duke of Glocester began somewhat to relent and pacifie his rigorous displeasures against the Londoners and releasing them out of prison and confirming some of their priviledges and abrogating others hee was at last reconciled to them after they had purchased his pardon with many rich presents to him and his Queene whom they royally intertained and the payment of ten thousand pounds which they were compelled to give the King to collect of the Commons of the City not without great offence and grudging in their minds And aâ—l this came through the pride and malice of this Prelate of Salisbuâ—y whose servant had occasioned this riot and yet went Scotfree when the innocent Major and Citizens were thus rigorously dealt withall M. Fox observes truly
generall prohibitions to all or most of the Sheriffes of England as is evident by the Râ—gister of Writs Fitz herberts natura Brevium Rastall and others commanding the Sheriffe to inhibite Bishops and their Officers to cite Laymen before them to take an oath in any case whatsoever except of Matrimony or Testament only and not to suffer the people to appeare before them to take such oathes The continuer of Matthew Paris his History of England p. 966 967. writes of this Bishop of Lincolne That Simon Earle of Leicester who most opposed Henry the third and warred against him adhered to him and delivered his children to him to be educated That by his counsell tractabat ardua tentabat dubia finivit inchoata ea maximè per quae meritum sibi succrescere aestimabat And this Bishop is said to have enjoyned the Earle in remisâ—ion of his sinnes that he should undertake this cause of the Barons against the King for which he contended even unto death affirming that the peace of the Church of England could not be established but by the materiall Sword and that all who died for it should be crowned with martyrdome And some say that this Bishop laying his hand sometimes on the head of this Earles â—ldest sonne said unto him Oh my deere sonne both thâ—u and thy father shall both die in one day and with one kind of death yet for justice and vâ—rity Such an animater was he both of rebellion and warres Henry Lexinton the next Bishop of this See Anno 1257. offered some kind of hard measure unto the University of Oxford by infringing certaine liberties thâ—t of old belonged unto it For redresse hereof they were forced to make their complaint unto the King lying then at S. Albons and sent nine Masters of Art to the Court for that purpose Matthew Paris a Monkâ— of S. Albons was present at the delivery of the petition and as himselfe writeth was bold to sâ—ep unto the King using these speeches to him in private I beseech your Grace even for Gods sake to have compassion upon the Church now tottering and in great danger of utter subversion The Vniversity of Paris the nurse of â—o many excellent and famous Prâ—lates is now greatly troubled If the Vniversity of Oxford be disquieted and moleâ—ted also especially at this time being the second Vniversity of Christendome and even another foundation of the Church it is much to be feared leaâ—â— it cause a generall confusion and uâ—â—â—r ruine of the whole Church God forbid said the King that that should happen especially in my time I will endeavour to prevent it I doubt not he was as good as his word for I finde no more mention of any further stirres This I have thought good the rather to set downe to shew what was the reputation of our University of Oxford in those daies and what indignities this Bishop offered to it to cause a publike combustion Henry Burwash the 15. Bishop of Lincolne though advanced to that See by King Edward the second his speciall favour within two yeeres after his consecration for some contempts and misdemeanors he fell so faire into the Kings displeasure that his temporalties were seized upon into the Kings hands for two yeeres space Anno 1324. they were restored to him againe and he to the Kings favour but the grudge thereof so stâ—cke in his stomacke as the Queene rising against her husband seeking to depose him as afterward shee did no man was so forward to take her part no man was so eager against the King his undoubted true and naturall Prince as this Bishop Thomas Walfingham writes that almost all the Prelates joyned with the Queene against the King precipuè c. but especially the Bishop of Lincolne Hâ—reford Dublin and Ely who raised a great Army for herâ— others and principally the Archbishop oâ— Canterbury â—urnished her with money and when the Queene had taken the King prisoner Anno 1327. keeping her Châ—istmas aâ— Walâ—ingford the Archbishop of Canterbury and Yâ—rke the Bishop of Winchâ—ster whom she mâ—de Lord Treâ—surer the Biâ—hâ—p of Norwich her Lord Chaâ—cellour this good Bishop of Lincolne the Bishops of Ely Coventry and other Prelates kâ—pt their Christmas with her with great honour joy and triumph whence comming to Westminster prâ—sently after Twelftide they assembled in Parliament deposed the King from his Crowne and elected his sonne in his steed to which election the Archbishop of Canterbury there present consented ET OMNES PRAELATI and all the Prelates the Archbishop making an oration to them to confirme and justifie this election taking for his text Vox Populi vox Dei Such good Subjects were all the Archbishops and Bishops at that time and this Prelate one of the ringleaders who not content thus to spoyle his Soveraigne of his Crown Kingdome and life too not long after making a new Paâ—ke at Tyinghurst he inclosed in the same ground belonging to divers poore men his tenants for which he had many a bitter curse of them whereupon it is reported that after his death he appeared to one of his Gentlemen in the likenesse of a Keeper with a Bow and Arrowes in his hand a horne by his side and a greene jerkin on his backe telling him that for the injurious enclosing of that Parke he was appointed to the keeping of the same there to be tormented till it were disparked againe desiring him to intreat the Canons of Lincolne his brethren that this wrong done by him by their good meanes might be righted who upon this information sent one William Batchellour of their Company to see it utterly disparked which was effected Anno 1351. the Univeâ—sity of Oxford presented unto Iohn Synwall Bishop of Lincolne unto whose jurisdiction Oxford then appertained one William Palmarin for theiâ— Chancellour and prayed him to admit him The Bishop I know not for what cause delayed hâ—s admission from time to time and enforced the University to complaine of this hard dealing unto the Archbishop He presently set downe a day wherein he enjoyned the Bishop to admit this Chancellour or else to render a reason of his refusall At the time appointed the Proctours of the University were ready together with this William Palmorie to demand admission And when the Bishop of Lincolne came not trusting belike to this priviledge procured from Rome to exempâ— himsâ—lfe his authority and jurisdiction the Archbishop causes his Chancellour Iohn Carâ—ton Deane of Wels to admit him writ to the Uniuersity to receive him and cited the Bishop to answer before him for his contempt He appealed to the Pope would not come and for his contumacy was convicted Much money was spent in this suite afterwards at Rome The event was that the Archbishop prevailed and the others priviledge was by speciall order of the Pope revoked who also granted unto the University at the same time that the Chancellour hereafter should onely be elected by the
too large for one mans government that Ely were a fit place for an Episcopall See c. These Reasons amplified with golden Rhetoricke so perswaded the King as he not onely consented himselfe that this Monastery should be converted into a Cathedrall Church and the Abbot made a Bishop but also procured the Pope to confirme and allow of the same but Richard dying before his enstalement Henry the first Anno 1109. appointed this Bishopricke unto one Hervaeus that had beene Bishop of Bangor and agreeing ill with the Welchmen was faine to leave his Bishoppricke therâ— and seeke abroad for somewhat elsewhere Nigellus the second Bishop of this See by reason of his imployment in matters of State and Councell could not attend his Pastorall charge and therefore committed the managing and government of his Bishoppricke unto one Ranulphus sometime a Monke of Glastonbury that had new cast away his Cowle a covetous and wicked man King Stephen and he had many bickerings and as Matthew Paris writes hee banished him the Realme he was Nephew to Roger Bishop of Salisbury from whom in ejus pernâ—â—iem traxerat incâ—ntiuum he had drawne an incentive to his distruction but of him and his contests with this King you may read more in Roger of Salisbury his Vncle. This See continuing void five yeares without a Bishop after Nigellus death Geoffery Rydell Anno. 1174. succeeded him a very lofty and high minded man called commonly The Proud Bishop of Ely King Richard the first and he accorded so ill that he dying intestate and leaving in his coffers great store of ready money namely 3060. markes of silver and 205. pound of gold the King confiscated and converted it to his owne use William Longchamp next Bishop of this See being made Lord Chancellour of England chiefe Justice of the South part of England Protector of the Realmeby Richard the first when he went his voyage to the Holy-land set the whole Kingdome in a combustion through his strang insolence oppression pride violence For having all temporall and spirituall Jurisdiction in his hands the Pope making him his Legate here in England at the Kings request which cost him a thousand pounds in money to the great offence of the King infatuated with too much prosperity and the brightnesse of his owne good fortune he began presently to play both King and Priest nay Pope in the Realme and to doe many things not onely untowardly and undiscreetly but very arrogantly and insolenâ—ly savoring aswell of inconscionable covetousnesse and cruelty as lacke of wisedome and policy in so great a government requisite He calling a Convocation by vertue of his power Legantine at the intreaty of Hugh Novant Bishop of Chester displaced the Monkes of Coventree and put in secular Priests in their roomes Officers appointed by the King himselfe he discharged and removed putting others in their steeds He utterly rejected his fellow Justices whom the King joyned with him in Commission for government of the Realme refusing to heare their Counsell or to be advised by them Hee kept a guard of Flemmings and French about him At his Table all Noblemens children did serve and waite upon him Iohn the Kings brother and afterward King himselfe hee sought to keepe under and disgrace by all meanes possible opposing him all hee could that he might put him from the Crowne He tyrannized exceedingly over the Nobility and Commons whom he grieved with intollerable exactions oppressions extraordinary outward pomp and intollerable behaviour He was extreame burthensome one way or other to all the Cathedrall Churches of England His Offices were such prolling companions bearing themselves bold upon their Masters absolute authority as there was no sort of peaple whom they grieved not by some kinde of extortion all the wealth of the Kingdome came into their hands insomuch that scarce any ordinary person had left him a silver belt to gird him withall any woman any brooch or bracelet or any gentleman a ring to weare upon his finger Hee purchased every where apase bestowed all Temporall and Ecclesiasticall Offices and places that fell where he pleased Hee never rode with lesse than 1500. horse and commanded all the Nobility and Gentry when he went abroad to attend him lodging for the most part at some Monastery or other to their great expence having both Regall and Papall authority in his hands hee most arrogantly domineered both over the Cleargy and Layety and as it is written of a certaine man That he used both hands for a right hand so likewise hee for the more easie effecting of his designes as our Lordly Prelates doe now used both his powers one to assist the other for to compell and curbe potent Laymen if peradventure he could doe lesse than he desired by his secular power he supplied what was wanting with the censures of his Apostolicall power But if perchance any Clergy man resisted his will him without doubt alledging the Canons for himselfe in vaine he oppressed and curbed by his secular power There was no man who might hide himselfe from his heate when as he might justly feare both the rod of his Secular and the sword of his spirituall jurisdiction to be inflicted on him and no Ecclesiasticall Person could by any meanes or authority be able to defend himselfe against his royall preheminence Finally glorying of his immense power that the Metropolitane Churches which as yet did seeme to contemne his excellency might have experience of his authority he went in a terrible manner to both And first of all to Yorke to the Bishop elect whereof hee was most maliciously dispitefull And sending before him a mandate to the Clergy of the said Church that they should meete him in a solemne manner as the Legate of the Aposticke See when as they had thought to appeale against him he regarded not the appeale made to the higher power but gave the appellants their choyce that they should either fulfill his commands or be committed to prison as guilty of high Treasonâ— Being therefore thus affrighted they obeyed and not daring so much as to mutter any further against him as to one triumphing they with a counterfeit sorrow bestowed as much honor glory on him as he would himself The chiefe Chanter of that Church had gone out of the way a little before that he might not see that which he could not behold without torment of mind which the Bishop undestanding raging against this absent person as a rebell with an implacable motion by his own Sergeants spoiled him of all his goods Having preyed upon the Archbishoppricke and pursed all up into his Treasury this famous tryumpher departed And not long after he triumphed in like manner over those of Canterbury when as no man now durst to resist him Having therefore both Metropolitane Sees thus prostrate to him he used both as he pleased In a word the Lay-men in England at that time writes Neubrigensis found
all his goods and to be thrust prisoner into the Monastery of Dover The Officers hereupon sent from this most cruell tyrant seize upon all his carriage and goods and strip him and his of all they had and finding him in the Church of S. Martyn in Dover neither respecting the greatnesse of his person nor the holinesse of the place dragging him by force from the very sacred Altar and violently halling him out of the Church in a most contumelious manner thrust him prisoner into the Castle The same of this enormity flying as it were upon the wings of the winde presently filled all England The Nobility storme at it the inferiour sort curse him for it and all with common votes detest the tyrant Iohn most of all grieved at the captivity and abuse of his brother earnestly seekes not onely to free him from prison but to revenge his wrong Wherefore he speedily gathers together a great army many Bishops and Nobles that formerly sided with the Chancellor joyning their forces with him being justly offended with his tyrannicall proceedings and immoderate pride as well as others and raged against him more than others both with their tongues and mindes The Chancellor hereupon releaseth the Archbishop who comming to London allayed and recompensed the griefe of the injury sustained with the more aboundant affections and offices of many But Iohn with the other Nobles and Prelates not satisfied with his release though stirred up with his imprisonment proceeded on to breake the hornes of this Vnicorne who with his friends and forraigne souldiers encamped about Winchester but finding himselfe too weake and most of his friends and his souldiers to fall off from him flees first to Windsor and from thence to London where finding the Citizens who formerly feared him for his pride and cruelty to incline to Iohn flies with all his company into the Tower which being oppressed with the multitude was more likely to betray than defend them whereupon he seeing his danger â—oes forth and submits himselfe to Iohn craves leave for thâ—se included in the Tower to departâ— resignes up the Tower and all the other royall forts to him and flieth privatly in an inglorious manner to Dover to his Sisters husband thinking to steale secretly beyond the seas to the King and knowing that his enemies if they should have any inkling of his intent would assuredly hinder the same or worke him some mischiefe by the way he disguised himselfe in womans apparell and so went unto the Sea side at Dover mufled with a met-yard in his hand and a webbe of cloth under his arme There he sate upon a rocke ready to take shippe where a certaine leude marriner thinking him to be some strumper began to dally wantonly with him whereby it came to passe that being a stranger borne and not able to speake good English nor give the marriner an answer either in words or deeds he suspected him to be a man and called a company of women who pulling off his kerchiefe and muffler found his crowne and beard shaven and quickly knew him to be that hatâ—full Chancellour whom so many had so long cursed and feared whereupon in great dispite they threw him to the ground spit upon him beat him sore and drew him by the heeles aloâ—â— tâ—e â—ands the people flocking out of the Towne deriding and abusing him both in words and deeds The Burgâ—sses of the Towne heaâ—iâ—g of this tumult came and tooke him from the people his servants being not able to rescue him and 〈◊〉 him into a seller there to keepe him prisoner till notice had beene given of his departure It is a world to see he that was a few monethes before honoredâ— and reverenced of all men like a petty god attended by Noblemens sonnes and Gentlemen of quality whom he matched with his Neeces and Kindswomen every man accounting himselfe happy whom he favoured yea to be acquainted well with his Porters and Officers being thus once downe and standing in neede of his friends helpe had no man that moved a finger to rid him out of the present calamity trouble Whereupon he lay prisoner in this pickle a good space The Earle Iohn was desirous to have done him some further notable disgrace and contumely neither was there any one almost that for his owne sake withstood it But the Bishops though most of them his enemies regarding notwithstanding his calling and place would not suffer it but caused him to be released So not long after being deposed of his Office of Chancellor by direction of the King deprived of authority and banished the Land by the Lords Barons and Prelates of the Realme hee gat him over Sea into Normandy where hee was borne and complained of these proceedings against him to the Pope whose Legate he was who thereupon writ Letters in his favour to all the Archbishops and Bishops of England commanding them to excommunicate Iohn Earle of Morton and interdict the Realme till the Bishop was restored unto his former estate which the Bishops neglecting to doe notwithstanding this Bishops owne Letter to the Bishop of Lincolne touching this matter he there rested himselfe after this turmoile till the returne of King Richard from the holy Land the Archbishop of Roan governing the Kingdome the meane while whom he caused the Pope to excommnnicate Anno. 1194. Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury with the Bishops of Lincolne London Rochester Winchester Worceter Hereford the Elect of Exeter and many Abbots and Clergy men of the Province of Canterbury after they had excommunicated Earle Iohn with all his Fauters and Councellours in an Assembly at Westminster in the Chappell of the infirme Monkes on â—he 4th of February appealed to the presence of the Pope against this Bishop of Ely that he should not from thenceforth enjoy the office of a Legate in England which appeale they ratified with their seales and sent it first to the King and afterwards to the Pope to be confirmed Vpon the Kings returne this Bishop excused himselfe the best he might reconciled himselfe to Geoffery Archbishop of Yorke purging himselfe with an hundred Clerkes his compurgators from the guilt of his wrongfull imprisonment and misusage at Dover and being after sent Embassadour to the Pope with the Bishop of Durham and others fell sicke by the way at Poyters and so died From this and other forcited presidents we may see how dangerous and pernicious a thing it is for any one man to have the exercise of spirituall and temporall Jurisdiction vested in him since it makes him a double tyrant and oppressour Eustachius this turbulent Prelates successor was one of those Bishops that pronounced the Popes excommunication against King Iohn and interdicted the whole Realme for which he was glad to flee the Realme continuing in exile for many yeares his temporalties goods being seised on by the King in the interim yea the King for this Act warned all the Prelates and Clergie of England that
in which he had a finger which proceeding of our Prelates may justly induce us to passe the same censure on them now as famous Henry Bullenger did of old on the Bishops then in his Booke De Episcoporum Functione Iurisdicâ—ione Tiguri 1538. â— 112.113.143.1150.159 to 163. and 172. and as Mr. Calvin after him did in his notable Booke De Necessitate Reformandae Ecclesiae Edi. 1543 p. p. 24.25.26.104.105.106 to which I shall referre the reader As for Dr. Manwaring who had some relation to this church we all know that he received a Censure in the Parliament House 3. Caroli for two seditious Sermons Preached at the Court before his Maiestie and then published in Print by the now Archbishop of Canterburies meanes wherein he indeavoured to undermine the Subjects liberties and the proprietie of their goods â—etled in them by our Lawes by false divinityâ— and to give the King an absolute power against Law to impose what taxes he pleased and to take away such a proportion of goods and treasure from his people as himselfe should thinke meete upon any occasion For which Sermons though he were censured by both Houses to be never more capable of any future preferment in Church or Common-wealth yet immediatly after the dissolution of the Parliament he was by Canterburies meanes in affront of that Sentenceâ— advanced first to a great living granted formerly to another then to a Deanery and soone after to the Bishopricke of St. Davids where he so demeaned himselfe in advancing of superstition prophanesse and idolatry that now he dares not shew his face in Parliament and lies lurking in obscure Places and Ale hoâ—ses as some report fearing a deprivation from this usurpedâ— dignityâ— given him in contempt of his former sentence in Parliament And thus much for the Bishops of these Sees I now proceede to others CHAP. V. Containing the Treasons Conspiracies Contumacies and disloyalties of the Bishops of Chichester Carlile Norwich Chester Coventry and Litchfield NOt to mention how Agilricke Bishop of the South-Saxons with divers other Bishops and Abots were deprived by William the Conqueror Anno 1076. 〈…〉 in the Councels of Winchester and Windsor and after that committed to perpetuall Prison upon suspition of Treason and Rebellion against the Conqueror to deprive him of the Crown Ralph the third Bishop of Chichester a man of high Stature and no lesse high of mindâ— stood very stoutly in defence of Bishop Anselme in so much that when King William Rufus threatned him for the same he offered him his Ring and Crosier saying It should better become him to loose his placeâ— than his duety to the Archbishop whom he could never be induced to forsake untill he seemed to forsake his owne cause by flying the Country After this when King Henry the first was content to dispense with the marriage of Priests to which Anselme was an heavy enemy notwithstanding the Canons lately made in the Councell of London to the contrary the Priests granting him an yearely summe of money to defend them against Anselme this Bishop resisted the collection of that money in his Diocesse calling it the tribute of Fornication and when notwithstanding his resistance it was payd he interdicted his owne Diocesse commanding the Church doores to be every where stopped up with thornes The King whether not vouchsafing to contend with him or taking his well meaning in good part was not onely content to pardon this his contemptuous disobedience but also bestowed the money so gathered in his Diocesse upon him saving It was a poore Bishoppricke and needed such helpes This Bishop went every yeare thrice about his Diocesse Causa praedicandi onely to Preach the Gospell to the people exacting nothing from his Provincialls by his Episcopall power but receiving onely what they willingly presented to him as a free gift rebuking those who offended which was the sole kind of Visitation in those dayes without any such Visitation Articles Procurations presentments Fees c as are this day practised imposed exacted both against Law and Canon too Hilary the fifth Bishop of this See though hee was content absolutely to allow of the Declaration after published at Claridon without mention of that odious clause saluo ordine suo being shreudly baited of his brethren for his labour yet afterwards hee had some contests with the King and sought to impeach his prerogative royall as appearâ—s by this notable passage of the Author of the Holy Table name and Thing p. 30.31 Sure I am that according to this advice of Eleutheâ—ius the Danishâ— and first Norman Kings have governed their Churches and Churchmen by Capitulaâ—s and mixed Digests composed as it were of Common and Canon Law and promulged with the advice of the Counsell of the King as wâ—e may see in those particulars set forth by Mr. Lambard Mr. Selden Dr. Powell and others And I doe not beleeve there can be shewed any Ecclesiasticall Canons for the government of the Church of England untill long after the conquest which were not either originally promulgedâ— or afterwards approved and allowed by either the Monarch or some King of the Heptarchy sitting and directing in the Nationall or Provinciall Synod For all the Collections that Lindwood Comments upon are as Theophrastus speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rough and rugged mony of a more fresh later coyning and yet in those usurping times I have seene a Transcript of a Record An. 1157.3o. Henry the 2. wherein when the Bishop of Chichister opposed some late Canons against the Kings exemption of the Abby of Battells from the Episcopall Jurisdiction it is said That the King being angry and much moved therewith should reply Tu pro Papae authoritate ab hominibus concessa contra dignitatum Regalium authoritates mihi à Deo concessas calliditate arguta niti praecogitas Doe you Sir goe about by subtilties of wit to oppose the Popes authority which is but the favour or connivence of men against the authority of my Regall Dignities being the Charters and Donations of God himselfe and thereupon requires Reason and Justice against the Bishop for this soule insolencie A good evidence that the Canon Law had little esteeme or foâ—ce among us in that age and not long after it was prohibited by speciall Writ to be read among us as appeares by the Writ of 19. Hen. 3. directed to the Major and Sheriefes of London commanding them Quod per totara Civitatem London Clamari faciant firmiter prohiberi ne aliquis Scolas regens de Legibus in eadem Civitate de caetero ibidem Leges doceat Decembrisâ— This was five yeares after the Decretalls published and it seemes most probable that these Leges were Canon Lawes perhaps mixt as usually they were in the profession also with the Imperialls for both of them were it seemes studied here under Henry the third by the Clergy more â—han any other part of
againe whereupon the King threatned to make him recant in another manner and to turne him out of his Bishoprick but the then Duke of Buckingham and the other Prelates procured his peace and translated him from Rochester where he then sate Bishop to Glocester In which Diocesse proceeding in his former courses he turned Communion Tables rayled them Altarwise set up an Altar or two in his owne private Chappell with Tapers on them one of which Altars many say he dedicated to the Virgin Mary besides he set up diverse Crucifixes and Images in the Cathedrall at Glocester and elsewhere and after the Popish manner consecrated diverse Altar-cloathes pulpit Clothes which other vestments for the Cathedrall whereon Crucifixes were embroydred to the great scandall of the people And as if this were not sufficient to proclaime his Popery to the world he hath bestowed much cost in repairing the High-crosse at Windsor where he was a Prebend On one side whereof there is a large statue of Christ in colours after the Popish Garbs in forraigne partsâ— hanging on the Crosse with this Latine inscription over it Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum in great guilded Letters On the other side the picture of Christ rising out of the Sepulcher with his body halfe in and halfe out of it And to manifest that hee is not ashamed of this scandalous worke it is thereupon ingraven That this was done at the cost of Godfry Bishop of Glocester one of the Pâ—â—bends there Besides he suspended one Master Ridler minister of Little Deane some 8 miles from Glocester upon the complaint of some Papists whom he favouâ—s of which there are many in that parish for preaching Thâ—â— a Pâ—pist living and dying a papist in all points could not be saved enjâ—yâ—ing him to make a publike Recantation of this his scandalous and erroneous doctrine as he termed it though caught by all Orthodox Protestant Divines in the Cathedrall Church of Glâ—cestâ—r in a Sermon there to be preached Febr. 2. 1636. which this minister not retractiâ—g in his Sermon according to the Bâ—shops expectation he thereupon dreâ— up a Recantation himselfe enjoyning Master Ridler to pâ—blish it in the open Caâ—hedâ—â—ll on Matâ—hias day followingâ— which hee refusing was thereupon suspended and his suspension openly read in the Cathedrall March the 5. 1636. This strange Recantation was marked in the front wâ—th the Jesuits badge â—HSâ— and began thus In the name of God Amen In which he stiles the Church of Rome the Catholike Church avers that wee did separate from her only in point of policy for which he cites a Staâ—ute in King Henry the 8. his raigne as if there had beene no further separation from her sinâ—e not in point of Dâ—ctrines and in substance determines that the Church of Rome and our Châ—rch are both one for we have both the samâ— Hierarchy and governement the same Liturgy Holy dayes Fasts Ceremonies Sacraments c. So as those who affiâ—mâ— that Papists are damned do but through the sides of the Church of Rome give a deadly blow to the Church of England deny that we are saved More such good Romish stuffe is expressed in this Râ—canâ—ation over-tedioâ—s to recite Since this when the New Canons were compiled in the late pretended Synod this Bishop at first refâ—sed to subscribe them only as most conceive because some of them made literally against Popery whereupon he was suspended from his Bishoprick for a season Since this some Citizens and a Minister of Glocester have exhibited a Petition against him in Parliament to prove him among other things to be a Papist or popishly affected he hath beene a great encouâ—ager of Revells Mâ—ygames Morrices and dauncing meetings on the Lords day both by his presence at exhortations to and rewards for them causing one Master Workeman a Reverend minister of Glocester to be questioned suspended and censured in the high Commission only for preaching against those prophane Sports and Images in the very words of our Homilies He hath beene a great setter forwards of all late Popish Innovations and an open favourer of Papists so that when the Petitions against him come to be fully heard as they have beene in part I doubt his name and person will but ill accord However if he prove himselfe a Gâ—od man at the best he will fall out to be like his brethren an Ill-Bâ—shop I have now run cuâ—â—orily over our Bishops disloyall seditions extravagant actions in particular I shall give you but two instances more of their Acts in their Convocaâ—ion in generall in affront of our Parliaments and Lawes the one ancient the other moderne and so conclude with our English Prelates The first is this In King Edward the second his reigne Hugh Spencer the Father and Son who seduced and abused the King Kingdome were banished the Realme by Act of Parliament for ever as Traytors and enemies of the King and of his Realme the Bishops consenting peâ—swading the K. to condescend thereunto Yet after this An. 1319. Hugh Sâ—encâ—r the Younger and his Father Petitioned the King against the award in Parliament whereby they were formerly banished and disinherited without consent of the Prelates desiring it might be reversed the King delivered this Petition to the then Archbyshop of Canterbury Walter Raynolds and his Suffragans assembled in their Provinciall Councell requiâ—ing to have their advise and opinion â—herein The Prelates upon deliberation had to humour the King declared that in their opinion the said award as touching the disinheriting and banâ—shâ—ng â—he Spensers Faâ—hâ—r and Son was erroneous and not rightly decreed and for themselves they deemed that they neither did or could think it reason to consent thereto though Walsingham writes expressely that they perswadâ—d the King to consent to this banishment and theâ—efore they required that it might be repealed whereupon the King disanulled the same which afterwards occasioned much bloodshed civill warres and cost Hugh Spencer the Elder his head and the King his Crowne and Life in Conclusion The later is yet Fâ—esh in memory to wit the Canons c. Oath and Subsidies lately made and granted by our Present Prelates An. 1640. in their pretended Synod held and continued against Law in affront of the Parliament then dissolved What strange kind of meâ—â—â—ll these Canons and Oath c. were compounded of appeares by the perusall of them in the printed Booke and how culpable our Prelates were in casting mounting and discharging them upon the inferiour ministers and people in contempt of our Lawes and Liberties their late impeachment at the Barre in the Lords house by the house of Commons will best demonstrate the true Copy whereof here ensueth August the 4. 1641. The Impeachment against the Bishops sent up by Serjeant Wilde delivered at the Bar in the Lords house verbally by Order of the House MY Lords the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons house of Parliament being sensible of the great Infelicities and Troubles which the
got him to Edenburgh and assisted with many Lords kept the Queene and her husband out of that Towne whereby great dissention and part-taking was raised amongst the Nobility of the Realme But as I gather peace being made betweene them he was againe made Chancellor After this in the yeare of Christ 1515. he commeth with the Earle of Arrane who submitteth himselfe to the Governour Shortly following the Governour gave to this Archbishop of Glascow the Abbey of Arbroth assigning to the Earle of Murrey a large pension out of the same which Bishop being thus in favour with the Governour was in the yeare of Christ 1517. in May when the Governour went into France appointed amongst others to have the Rule of the Realme untill his returne Two yeares after which the Nobility being divided about the quarrell of the Earle of Angus and Arrane this Bishop in the yeare of Christ 1519. being then also Chancellor with other Noblemen of the Realme kept the Towne of Glascow but after that this Chancellour who would not come to Edenburgh the King of England and of France their Embassadors came to Sterling where a peace was proclaimed amongst the Nobility But what can long continue in one stay or what peace will be long embraced amongst ambitious mindes sith in the yeare following being the yeare of Christ 1â—20 the Noblemen â—ell againe to factions For when divers of the Peeres were come to Edenburgh to aide the Earle of Angus against the Earle of Arrane this Chancellor remaining then in the Towne they pursued the Earle and Chancellour so hotly that they were both constrained to forsake the Towne and to fly through the North locke about the thirteenth day of Aprill But as the events of quarrels be doubtfull now up now downe so this Archbishop not long aâ—ter this disgrace recovered breath and in November following did accompany the Regent come out of France to Edenburgh where was a Parliament holden to summon the Earle of Angus to appeare but he refusing it was agreed that the Earle should passe into England there to remaine The Bishop thus having the better of his enemies Andrew Forman Bishop of Saint Andrewes dyed in the yeare 1522 being about the ninth yeare of Iames the first by occasion whereof this Chancellor Iames Beton Bishop of Glascow was advanced to that See and â—urther made Abbot of Dumfermling Upon which new honour in the yeare of Christ 1524. He was appointed one of the Governours of the Realme by Parliament but he not possessing this honour any long time the Earle of Angus who had gotten the King into his usurped government and denyed the delivery of the King being sent for by this Bishop and the other Nobility sent to the Chancellor for the greaâ— Seale which was delivered to the Messengers upon which this Bishop not forgetting the same hastened the sentence of divorce sued before him between the Queen and the Earle of Angus Whereof the Earle to revenge the same did with the King in the yeare of Christ 1526. seeke for the Queene and the Bishop of Saint Andrewes but because they were kept secretly in their friends houses so that they could not be heard of He spoyled the Abbey of Dumfermling and the Castle of Saint Andrewes taking away all that the Archbishop had Notwithstanding which the Archbishop keeping in favour with the old Queene and the young King did in the yeare of Christ 1529 and in the sixteenth yeare oâ— James the fifth Christen James the Kingâ— Sonne boâ—ne at Saint Andrewes and not long after surrendred his Soule to God Anno 1542. Immediately after the death of James the fifâ—h of Scotland David Beton Cardinall and Archbishop of Saint Andrewes the speciall Minister and factor of the French causes to the advancement and continuance thâ—reof â—orged a Will of the late King departed in which amongst other things he established himselfe chiefe Regent The Protestants to whom this Cardinall was ever a cruell enemy and sharpâ— scourge espyed forth his unjust dealing in this behalfe and thereupon set the Earle of Arran against him who by the helpe of his owne and â—heir friends he removed the Cardinall and his adherents from their usurped roome and Authority and therewith was the said Earle proclaymed Protector and Governour of the Realme The next yeare at a Convention of the Lords at Edenburgh this Archbishop was put in ward in the Castle of Dalkish lest he should goe about to perswade the Nobility not to consent to the Governours desires and the King of Englands match propounded to the Scottish Queene Which match of Prince Edward with Queene Mary of Scotland though concluded on by a Parliament in Scotland this Archâ—ishop Beton hindred fâ—aring lest Scotland should change the Church Orders and reforme Religion as England had begun to doe Whereupon ensued divers Commotions in Scotland and a bloody Warâ—e King Henry the eighth sending an Army into Scotland upon this breach and occasion on the one side and the Pope and French King sending aide to this Cardinall Archbishop and his faction on the other side After this this Archbishop he was removed to his owne Castle of Saint Andrewes with Warders about him to see him safely kept Anno 1â—44 The Patriarch of Hierusalem arriving in Scotland he was honorably received by this Cardinall Arch Prelate and the Bishops of Scotland into the City of Glascow during whose abode there great contentions arose betweene this Arch Prelate and the Archbishop of Glascow who should in that City be of greatest authority and honour Which in the end came to this issue that both families fell together by the â—ares which of them should goe before with his Crosse borne upright For the Cardinall Archbishop of Saint Andrewes and Primate of the Kingdome did affirme that the Archbishop of Glascow should not have his Crosse borne in his owne Church so long as he was present Which the servants of the Archbishop of Glascow tooke so in disdaine that they plucked downe the Cardinals Crosse and threw it to the ground Whereupon the Governour understanding the whole matter and that it was now come from words to swords made haste to appease the factious commotion and caused the Patriarch therewith to be brought to Edenburgh accompanyed with the Clergy and so appeased the controversie That done the Patriarch the Popes Legate comming to Rome procured the â—egantine power to be granted to the Cardinall which he long enjoyed not For being greatly envyed by reason of these honours and some grievous facts by meanes whereof there fell continuall dissentions betweene the Nobility which ended not till this Cardinall was slaine who corrupting his Keepers whiles he was imprisoned in Saint Andrewes Castle he found meanes to escape thence and in the yeare 1543. he came to the Coronation of the young Queene and shortly after perswaded the Earle of Arrane the Governour to leave the part of â—he King of England and wholly to become French At the Coronation the
colour or fraud that I have formerly erred in this that I thought the government of the Church to be like the regiment of terrene Kingdomes expresly against the precept of Christ our Lord and that the Monarchy whereby the Church is governed did not rest in the person of Christ our Saviour alone as it doth in truth but likewise in the Ministers who yet are nothing else but vassalls and Clarks under Christ Et aequales inter se and equall among themselves c. Lastly I confesse that the Office of a Bishop as now it is used and claimed omni authoritate verbi Dei destituitur solo politico hominum commento fundatur is destitute 〈◊〉 all authority from Gods Word and founded onely upon the politicke device of men out of which the Primacy of the Pope or Antichrist hath sprung Et merito damnandum est and it is deservedly to be condemned because the assembly of the Presbytery who have the power of Iurisdiction and Inspection both in Visitations and in Ordinations performeth all these things with greater authority piety and zeale than any one Bishop whose care for the most part is intent not upon God or their function but the world which he principally ordereth Consider after what sort it hath beene usurped these 506. yeares last past with how great cruelty and tyranny they have exercised it and thou shalt finde that it hath beene the Principall Originall of suppressing the Word of God in every kingdome which will evidently appeare to any one who shall survey the Ecclesiasticall History This Arch-Prelate held correspondency with our English Bishops from whom asking leave of the generall Assembly to goe into England about his Civill affaires onely as he pretented he received his consecration to this Arch-bishopricke in a secret manner Anno. 1589. and then returned into Scotland where he durst nor exercise his Archiepiscopall authority openly for a space King Iames after he was made Archbishop brought him from Saint Andrewes to Edenburgh that he might preach there openly in the great Church the King himselfe accompanying him with his Guard to secure him from the people brought him into the Church sending halfe of his Guard to convey the Bishop to the Pulpit doore which Master Iohn Cooper one of the ordinary Ministers of Edinburgh had prepossessed who standing up to say prayer and preach assoone as he perceived the King in his seate the King perceiving it sayd Master Iohn Cooper I will not have you preach this day I command you to goe downe out of the Pulpit and let the Bishop of Saint Andrewes come up and preach to me to the which the ordinary Minister replyed Please your Majesty this is the day appointed to me to preach and if it were your Majesties pleasure I would faine supply the place my selfe But the King replyed againe I will not heare you at this time I command you to goe downe and let Master Patricke Adamson come up and Preach this day and beside the King had remembred that he should not have stiled him a Bishop by reason there were so strait Acts against them Then Master John Cooper sayd I shall obey Sir and came downe from the Pulpit yet the rest of the Ministers that were there sitting with him at the entry of the Pulpit did not open the doore to the Bishop while the King commanded him and then so soone as the Bishop was entred into the Pulpit and began with low becke to doe reverence to the King and to other inferiour Magistrates the whole people rose out of their places with a great out-cry and lamentation and ranne out of the Church especially the women and when the Guard thought to have kept them in they ran over the Guard and Master Iohn Cooper going also out of the Church went to Mr. Robert Bruce his house the women all going with him and many men and there heard his Sermon which he should have Preached in the Church the fearefull noyse yet continuing in the Church many running out of the Church and some comming in againe to see whereto the matter would returne made the King to cry out and say What a devill ayles the people that they may not heare a man Preach but cry what he would cry for the space of a long time not any audience could be given so with what feare the Bishop Preacht that day and with how little audience they can best tell that considered the matter rightly alwayes the King set the Bishop in the midst of the Guard and so tooke him downe to the Abbey with him but so soone as he came to Saint Andrewes againe the Presbytery entred in Proces against him for taking upon him to be a Bishop which they proved by many reasons but chiefely for that the King called him so and albeit they had many hinderances and the King caused a great delay to be made devising meanes to save him from excommunication yet in the end he was excommunicated by the Provinciall Assembly albeit by the Kings earnest dealing his excommunication was not published in all Churches as it should have beene upon some promises which he made and yet never performed them This Arch-bishop by the instigation of our English Prelates writ and Preached in defence of Episcopacy as he afterwards confessed in the Synod of Fiffe where he retracted this his Doctrine as erronious and being put from his Bishopricke excommunicated and hated of the people who put him to the horne for his debts he fell into a great sicknesse called a Dogges appetite and wanting meate to satisfie his hunger he was in manner starved to death confessing in his sickenesse that his sentence of excommunication was justly pronounced and desired the Assembly to release him from it for Christs sake whereupon he was afterwards absolved after his forementioned recantation After this the very calling of Bishops having beene condemned and abjured in the Assembly at Dundy as unlawfull Anno. 1580. the Church of Scotland upon this Adamsons death continued free from the government and tyranny of Bishops till King Iames was possessed of the Crowne of England and some yeares after at which time some ambitious Scottish Ministers stealing secretly into England procured themselves to be consecrated Bishops by our English Prelates and by certaine insensible degrees by the helpe of our English Bishops by perjury forgery and other indirect meanes with much difficulty and opposition set up Episcopacy againe in the Church of Scotland to the great disturbance of that Church and State whereupon after the assembly at Glascow An. 1610. where Episcopacy was againe revived by admitting Ministers to have Vote in Parliament though with many a limitation which they afterwards frustrated and eluded by degrees one Gladstaine was ordained Arch-bishop of Saint Andrewes who is credibly reported to have made a solemne recantation at his death for his acceptance of such an unlawfull office which recantation was suppressed After him one Sprotswood succeeded a very vicious false and crafty
Prelates calling not to be divine and thereupon induced me to search into the bottome of it as farre as my poore abilities and leasure would permit till I found it to be so iâ—deed was the pravity of their actions and enormities of their lives In which if I have erred it is in following my Saviours infallible rule Matth. 7.15 to 20. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves ye shall know them by their â—ruits A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit neither can a corrupt trâ—e bring forth good fruit wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them Fifthly That it can neither be safe for King nor State to tolerate Lordly Prelates or to admit them to manage the chiefe Offices Councels and affaires of the Kingdome to which thâ—ir consultations and imployments for the most part have â—vâ—r proved pernicious as ancient and present experience abundantly testifie And that the readiest way to provide for our Kingdoms and Churches future security and tranquillity will be utterly to suppresse and remove them from all such offices and consultations Sixthly That those who have beene so perfidious and rebellious to our Kings and Kingdome will hardly prove faithfull and trusty in matters of Religion in which they have extraordinarily prevaricated in all ages and not a little of late yeares as is too manifest by sundry evidences and complaints in Parliament And here give me leave to recommend â—nâ— serious consideration to you how dangerous it is to intrust our Religion in the Prelates hands grounded upon these words of our famous Occham Who writing against the Popâ—s Monarchy alleadgeth this reason among others against it that there is greater danger of poysoning â—he people and whole Church by one supreame head then by many We know all the Bishops of England are to be consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being and are subject to him as Primate and Metropolitan of all Eâ—gland taking an Oath of Canonicall obedience to him so as they all in a manner depend on him Againe we know that no Minister can be ordained or admitted to Preach or instituted to any living as an Incumbent or Curate but by these Bishops who take upon them to visitâ— silence and suspend them at their pleasure yea and to dispose of most Patrons benefices to whom they please as we see by late wofull experience Suppose then which I trust shall never happen that any to whom the Crowne of England shall descend should be ill affected to our Religion if he should make choice of such an Archbishop and he of other inferiour Prelates sutable to his disaffectiâ—on who must ordaine all other Bishops Ministers and may suspend and silence them or deny to admit those that are Orthodox at his pleasure how easily might our Church and Religion by one over-potent Arch-bishop or Prelate backed by his Soveraigne be undermined suppressed and eradicated in a short space Whereas if this jurisdiction were devested from the Bishops which are but 26. and depend on one Arch-Prelate and setled in the Ministers which are many and more independent on the Prince then they our Religion would be farre more secure and the Ministers and people lesse subject to be infected with Romish Innovations which one Archbishop of Canterbury is now able sodainly to poyson our Church and people with Seventhly That these Bishops were the chiefe instruments to introduce advance and support the Popes Antichristian authority usurped jurisdiction and erronious doctrines among us and to revive them again when diminished or extinguished the Pope and popery still raigning among us till the Prelates attainted by King Henry the eight in a Praemunire were inforced sore against their wils to renounce the Popes authority to acknowledg him the supreame head on earth of our English Church and by speciall Letters patents and Acts of Parliament to confesse all their Episcopall jurisdiction to be derived not from God or the Pope but ONELY from by and under him their Soveraigne And I dare further averre for ratification of this Conclusion that the Prelates of Italy Germany France Spaine Hungary and Poland are the maine pillars which support the Popes Monarchy false Doctrines Ceremonies and Superstitions in those Countries and Kingdomes which would soone turne Protestants were but the Bishops suppressed and their great temporall revenues taken away the enjoyment of which Antichristian dignities and possessions engageth them to maintaine and uphold the Pope and popery against their consciences The truth of which will appeare by most of the transmarine reformed Churches who could never utterly abandon the Pope with his Doctrines and superstitions till they had extirpated their Lordly Bishops â— That as long as our Lordly Prelates continue there will not onely be a possibility but a probability of bringing in popery and the Pope againe among us since their Lordly Hierarchy is supported onely by popish Doctrines Canons Ceremonies and Principles which they are engaged to maintaine to preserve their tottering thrones from ruine How farre the Pope his Doctrines and Superstitions had of late in a little time serued themselves into our Church almost to the utter ruine of our Religion and of the Ministers and professors of it persecuted and driven out into forraine Countryes and that onely by the Bishops and their instruments machinations is so well knowne to all and so abundantly discovered to and by this present Parliament that I need not relate itâ— Onely this I dare say that if ever they get head and life among us againe as they did in Queene Maries dayes and that principally by the Prelates meanes it will be by our Lordly Bishops activity who if once totally suppressed both Pope and papists would utterly despaire of ever reducing England to their vassallage Eighthly That Bishops have done a world of mischiefe to our Kings and Kingdomes as appeares by all the premises but little or no good that I can read off And as for the diligent preaching of Gods word and publishing Christs true Religion the chiefe and almost onely duty of Bishops from Augustine the first Archbishop of Canterbury and first introducer of the Popes authority errours and superstitions among usâ— till Cranmers time which is above 800 yeares I thinke there was not one Archbishop guilty of it The like I may say of other Seas and I presume I may justifie that some two poor Country Curats or Lecturers in our dayes have converted more soules to God by their diligent zealous preaching then all the Archbâ—shops of Canterbury put together most of whom I read to have been Rebels Traytors State-officers persecutors of Religion but very few of them soule-converting Preachers Why then should â—hese Popes of another World as the Pope of Rome once stiled them be still tolerated when they have done so much mischiefe and so little good to our State and Church Ninthly That the endowing of the Prelates with great Temporall
the cause that they do not execute this their office Other becaâ—se they cannot or because they have so much worldly businesse that they will not apply â—hemselves to performe both Or else they be afraid to speâ—ke the truth lest they should displease men whom Paul reproveth saying If I should please men I should not be the servant of Christ. Also the Prophet saith God breaketh the bones of them which study to please menâ— they be confounded because the Lord 〈◊〉 thâ—m Our Bishops love so well their great dominionsâ— whereby they maintaine their Lordly honour thâ—t they will â—ot displeâ—se men with preâ—ching the â—ruth lest they should â—hâ—n loose their great poâ—â—essions and consequently their Lordly glory But surely as long as they possesse their great Dominions so long they will continue and maintaine their pride And so long as they continue in pride so long they shall not receive the holy Ghost which shall reach them to speake the truth For upon whom shall my spirit rest saith the Prophet Esay but upon the mâ—â—ke and lowly and upon him which feareth my sayings Also the Prophet saith God resâ—steth the proud and unto the mâ—â—ke and lowly hâ—e givâ—th â—is grace Wherefore so long as the Bishops contiâ—â—e in this worldly wealth and honour so long will they 〈◊〉 their duâ—y and office but raâ—her persâ—cute the word of Goâ— which declareth and sheweth what is their office â—nd their duty And so long as they do not eâ—ercise their offâ—â—e â—nd vocâ—â—ion but â—o peâ—secuâ—e â—he Word and such as sincâ—â—ely pâ—each the same so long shall sinne incrâ—ase For if the eye be wicked all the body shall be â—ull of darknesse For even as at such time when the Bishop of Rome was first endowed with great possessions a voice was heard saying Now venome and poyson is cast and shed forth into the Church of God In like wise no doubt most godly Governour semblable voyce and saying may be verified in and upon all the Church of England sith your Bishops were endowed with so great possessions and Lordly Dominions No doubt gracious Lord so long as great Lordly Dominions worldly honours and wealth be annexed and knit to the vocation and offices of Bishops and other pastours these mischiefes and inconveniences shall ever ensue and follow First the most proud and ambitious the most covetous and wicked which other by mony friendships or flattery can obtaine the benefice will labour with all studie and policie to get the benefice onely for the worldly honour and not for the zeale and love which he should have to instruct and teach the people committed to his cure and charge And for the Profit which belongeth and appertaineth to the same benefice they will dissemble humility and despection of all worldly profits and pleasures so colourably and subtilly that it shall be very hard for your Majesty or any other having authority to give benefices to perceive them And when they have obtained the benefice then every Christian man shall well perceive that he hath not entred in by the doore that is for the zeale and love to do and execute the office but hath climed up and ascended by another way that is for the lucre and honour annexed to the office And then certainly whosoever ascendeth and entereth in by another way cannot be but a theefe by day and by night whose study and labour must be to steale kill and destroy as Christ whose words must ever be true saith The theefe commeth not but to steale to kill and to destroy So that so long as so much worldly profit and honour belongeth to the benefice so long will hee that for want and lacke of learning cannot doe the office and also the most covetous and proud will labour to have thâ—â—â—fice whereby the people committed to his cure shall not onâ—â— be untaught and not learned in Gods Word but also all they which can preach and teach Gods Word and love the same by such a worldly wolfe shall be extremely persecnted and tormented For hee cannot but steale kill and destroy and utterly abhorre and hate the godly as Christ saith If you were of the world the world would love his owne But because you be not of the world but I have chosen you from the world therefore the world doth hate you No doubt a man shall much rather upon thornes gather grapes and upon brambles and bryers gather figges than of such greedy theeves to have any Christian religion either set forth preached or stablished Wherefore most redoubted Prince seeing that their great possessions riches wordly offices cures and businesse be the impediment and let that they do not execute their vocation and office which is so godly profitable necessary for this your Commonwealth You being our Soveraigne Lord and King whom God hath called to governe this your Realme and to redresse the enormities and abuses of the same by all justice and equity are bounden to take away from Bishops and other spirituall shepheards such superfluity of possessions and riches and other secular cures businesse and worldly offices which be the cause of much sinne in them and no lesse occasion whereby they be letted to execute their office to the great losse and hindrance of much faith vertue and goodnesse which might be administred to your subjects through the true preaching of Gods Word And that done then circumspectly to take heed that none be admitted to be Pastours but such as can preach and have preached sincerely Gods Word And all such as will not to remove them from their cures This godly order observed in the election of spirituall Pastours the pestilent poyson removed and taken away from their vocation faith shall increase and sinne shall decrease true obedience shall be observed with all humility to your Majesty and to the higher powers by your grace appointed in office civill quietnesse rest and peace shall be established God shall be feared honoured and loved which is the effect of all Christian living O Lord save our most Soveraigne Lord King Henry the eight and grant that hee may once throughly feele and perceive what miserable calamity sorrow and wretchednesse we suffer now in these dayes abroad in the Country by these unlearned Popish and most cruell tyrants even the very enemies of Christs Crosse whose paine shall be without end when wee shall live in joy for ever Grant yet once againe I say good Lord and most mercifull Father through thy Sonne Jesus Christ that when his Grace shall know and perceive by thy gift and goodnesse their most detestable wayes in misusing thy heritage that hee will earnestly go about to see a redresse among them and to the penitent and contrite in heart to shew his accustomed goodnesse and to the other his justice according to Saint Pauls Doctrine and his Graces Lawes And most dread Soveraigne with all humility and humblenesse of heart I beseech your grace according to your accustomed goodnesse
defieth all his enemies For he saith in his heart Tush I shall neâ—er be cast downe there shall no harme happen unto me He sitteth lurking like a Lyon in his den that he may privily murther the innocent and sucke his blood When such O Lord God as will not obey their Popish and devillish proceedings are brought before that grievous Wolfe they are miserably taunted mocked scorned blasphemed as thy deerely beloved sonne was in Bishop Caiphas house and afterward cruelly committed to prison to the Tower to the Fleete to the Marshalseys to the Kings Bench to the Counters to Lollardes Tower to Newgate c. where they are kept as sheepe in a pinfold appointed to be slaine And as this cruell and bloody Wolfe dealeth with the poore Lambes even so doe the residue of that lecherous litter He with all other of that Wolvish kind hunger and thirst nothing so greatly as the devouring of the bodies and the sucking of the blood of thy poore and innocent Lambes Ah Lord God under that most wicked Queene Iezabel were not the Prophets more cruelly handled than thy faithfull Ministers be now for as in the days of the wicked Queen Iezabel the Priests of Baal were had in great honour were chiefest and of highest authority about the Queen none bearing so much rule in the Court as they none having so much reverence done unto them as they had even so now is it with the idolatrous Priests of England they alone be chiefest and of much estimation with the Queene They alone â—uffle and raigne they alone beare the swing in the Court they alone have all things going forward as they desire they alone be capped kneeled and crowched to they alone have the keyes of the English Kingdome hanging at their girdles whatsoever they binde or loose whispering and trayterously conspiring among themselves that same is both bound and loosed in the starre Chamber in Westminster-Hall in the Parliament house yea in the Queenes privie Chamber and throughout the Realme of England The very Nobility of England are in a manner brought to such slavery that they dare not displease the least of these spitefull spirituall limmes of Antichrist It is writ that certaine men gave their judgements what thing was most mighty and strongest upon earth The first sayd wine is a strong thing The second sayd the King is strongest The third sayd women yet have more strength but above all things the truth beareth away the victory But we may now say unto such an height is the tyranny of the Spirituall Sorcerers growne that Priests in England are mightier than either Wine King Queene Lords Women and all that is there besides But how agreeth this with the example of Christ which fled away when the people would have made him a King or a temporall governour Christ refused to meddle with any worldly matters as the History of dividing the inheritance betweene the two brethren doth declare Christ willed his Disciples to refuse all worldly dominion and temporall rule When they strove among them who of them should be taken for the greatest Christ sayd unto them The Kings of the Gentiles reigne over them and they that beare rule over them are called gracious Lords but ye shall not be so for he that is greatest among you shall be as the least and he that is chiefe shall be as the minister Christ sent not his Disciples to be Lords of the Councell Lords of the Parliament Lord President Lord Chauncellour Lord Bishop Lord Suffragan Lord Deane Master Queenes Amner Mr. Comptroller Mr. Steward Mr. Receiver Sr. Iohn Massemonger c. but to be Ministers and disposers of the Mysteries of God to be Preachers of the Gospell to bee labourers in the Lords harvest to be Pastors and feeders of the Lords flock to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world to be an example to the faithfull in word and conversation in love in spirit in faith and in purenesse to feede Christs flocke so much as lyeth in their power taking the oversight of them not as though they were compelled but willingly not for the desire of filthy lucre but of a good minde not as though they were Lordâ— over the Parishes but that they be an ensample to the flocke that when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare they may receive an uncorruptible crowne of glory But these things O Lord have they all forgotten These ambitious Antichrists are so drowned in vaine glory and in the desire of filthy lucre and worldly promotions that they neither regard God nor the higher powers that they neither esteeme their office nor any one point of godlinesse honesty that they neither think upon the dreadfull day of judgement nor yet remember themselves to be mortall Their whole study in the time of this their Luciferâ— like pride is nothing else but to suppresse thy holy truth and to advance and set up their Antichristan Kingdome that they as Gods may sit alone in the Consciences of men But O Lord God though thou sufferest these Priests of Baal for our unthankefulnesse a while to prosper to raigne to ruleâ— to ruffle to flourish to triumph and to tread downe thy holy Word under their â—eete yet are we certaine that thou wilt at the last arise defend thine owne cause against these Antichrists bring thine enemies unto confusion and set thy people after they have unfainedly repented in a quiet and blessed State So he and blessed be God that he after and we now live to see this verified in part Miles Coverdale once Bishop of Exeter in King Edward the sixth his reigne being deprived of it in Queene Maries would not returne thereto againe in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne but led a private life in London where he writ a booke intituled an Apologie in defence of the Church of England Printed at London 1564. wherein he writes thus of Bishops intermedling with secular affaires and of their Treasons against our Kings by the Popes instigation The Old Canons of the Apostles command that Bishop to be removed from his Office which will both supply the place of a civill Magistrate and also of an Ecclesiasticall person These men for all that both doe and will needes serve both places Nay rather the one office which they ought chiefely to execute they once touch not and yet no body commandeth them to be displaced c. And as â—oâ—uâ— we of all others most justly have left him For our Kings yea even they which with greatest reverence did follow and obey the authority and faith of the Bishops of Rome have long since found and felt well enough the yoake and tyranny of the Popes Kingdome For the Bishops of Rome took the Crowne off from the head of our King Henry the second and compelled him to put aside all Majesty and like a meere private man to come unto their Legate with great submission and humility so as all his Subjects
strike And so in this place with most manifest words Christ declaâ—eth that hee came not for this purpose to take upon him the office of a Magistrate but rather that hee might raigne in our hearts so that it might be our hap to come to the â—ternall goods whatsoever happened of our temporall goods Therefore when hee was interrupted of a certaine Jew that hee would helpe him in recovering his inheritance hee answered Man who hath made mee a judge or divider over you As though he should say hath not this world Judges that may decide so base controversies it is not appointed unto mee that this or that man should waxe rich by inheritance but that all men should come to the inheritance of life immortall But in these words Christ would be token many things to wit that he which hath an Apostolicall office ought not to be wrapped with prophane and filthy affaires for so the Apostle saith otherwhere No man going warfare under God entangleth himselfe with worldly businesse And the Apostles say all at once It is not meete for us to leave the Word of God and attend on the Tables Christ also by this reproving would declare that this doctrine taketh not away the Magistrates offices but rather confirmeth them Whereupon hee saith also elsewhere Render to Cesar that that is Cesars And when his Disciples strived for preheminencie he said The Kings of the Nations governe them and so forth Whereby he declared that neither hee himselfe nor his ought as they call them to be secular Judges neither did hee by this refusing abolish the order of the Magistrate but much more as we have said confirme it Thus farre your owne Doctor Hofmeister against you that the intent of Christ refusing to be a Judge herein was chiefely against such usurpation of worldly Magistracie as the Pope and his Prelates too exercise Pag. 1095. he concludes that a Bishop may in some cases lawfully excommunicate a wicked Prince But who denieth this M. Sanders that a godly Bishop may upon great and urgent occasion if it shall be necessary to edifie Gods Church and there be no other remedy to flee to this last censure of excommunication against a wicked King The Bishops need not therefore calumniate Presbyteries upon pretence that they hold it lawfull to excommunicate Kings since they themselves averre that Bishops may lawfully doe it and de facto have sundry times put it in practise both at home and abroad So Bishop Bridges Our laborious Historian M. Iohn Fox in his Acts and Monuments highly applauded by the whole Convocation in their Canons 1571. and enjoyned to be had in every Cathedrall and Collegiate Church and in every Archbishops Bishops Deanes Arch-Deacons and Canons residentiaries house for their servants and strangers to read in doth every where discoâ—er condemne the Treasons Conspiracies Seditions Warres Wealth pride calling and secular imployments of our Bishops of which hee writes thus in particular p. 1381. This hath bin one great abuse in England these many yeares that such offices as beene of most importance and weight have commonly beene committed to Bishops and other spirituall men whereby three devilliâ—h mischiefes and inconveniences have hapned in this Realme to the great dishonour of God and utter neglecting of the flocke of Christ the which three be these First they have had small leasure to attend to their pastorall cures which hereby have beene utterly neglected and left undone Secondly it hath also puft up many Bishops and other spirituall persons into such haughtinesse and pride that they have thought no Noble man of the Realme worthy to be their equall or fellow Thirdly where they by this meanes knew the very secrets of Princes they being in such high offices have caused the same to be knowne in Rome afore the King could accomplish and bring his intents to passe in England By â—his meanes hath the Papacy bâ—ene so maintained and things ordered after theiâ— wills and pleasures that much mischiefe haâ—h happened in this Realme and others sometimes to the destruction of Princes and sometimes to the utter undoing of many Common-wealths So he Who page 216.358.359.360.414.430.432.434.439.517 518.599.625.961.972.1009.1016.1463.1856 of the said Acts and Monuments London 1610. writes often in the magent That Bishops and Presbyters are all one and the same and that there was no difference betweene them in the Primitive times which was the common received opinion of our Martyrs yea of our learned D. Humfrey Regius professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford Puritanopap Confut. ad Rat. 3. p. 262.265 and of D. William Fulke against Bristow Motive 40. against Gregory Martyn p 172. and confuration of the Rhemish Testament Notes on Titus 1. sect 2. and on Philip. I. sect 1. Iohn Iuell the incomparable Bishop of Salisbury in his defence of the Apology of the Church of England Part. 2. cap. 3. disp 5. p. 98 99 100 101. writes thus of the equality of Bishops and Ministers Saint Ierome saith All Bishops wheresoever they be be they at Rome be they at Eugubiuâ— be they at Constantinople be they at Rhegium be all of like preheminence and of like Priesthood And as Cyprian saith There is but one Bishopricke and a peece thereof is perfectly wholly holden of every particular Bishop What Saint Ierome meant hereby Erasmus a man of great learning and judgement expoundeth thus Ierome seemeth to match all Bishops together as if they were all equally the Apostles successors and hee thinketh not any Bishop to be lesse than other for that hee is poorer or greater than other for that hee is richer for hee makes the Bishop of Eugubium a poore towne equall with the Bishop of Rome And farther hee thinketh that a Bishop is no better than any Priest saving that the Bishop hath authority to order Ministers Hereto M. Harding answereth thus Erasmus saith within five lines following that the Meâ—ropolitan hath a certaine dignity and jurisdiction above other Bishops take the one saith hee with the other I am contented M. Harding Erasmus saith The Metropolitan had a dignity above other Bishops but hee saith noâ— the Bishop of Rome had jurisdiction over all Bishops throughout the World In Saint Hieromes time there were Meâ—ropolitans Archbishops Archdeacons and others But Christ appointed not these distinctions of orders from the beginning These names are not found in all the Scriptures This is the thing that we deâ—end S. Ierome saith Let Bishops understand whereunto wee adde further Let the Bishops of Rome themselves undestand that they are in authority over Priests more by custome than by order of Gods truth These be Hieromes words truly translated what he meant thereby I leave to the judgement of the Reader Erasmus likewise saith in the selfe same place above alleaged Whereas Saint Ierome yeeldeth lesse dignity and authority unto Bishops than nowadayes they seeme to have wee must understand he spake of that time wherein he lived
If hee had seene our Bishops that now bee hee would have said otherwise For now the Pope claimeth a power above all the powers in heaven and earth as it is written in the Councell of Lateran Againe â—rasmus in another place speaking hereof saith thus This holy man Saint Ierome saith plainly and freely and as hee thinketh that the Bishop of Rome is above other Bishops not by Bishoprickeâ— but onely by riches By riches onely M. Harding Erasmus saith the Pope is above other Bishops By riches onely hee saith not by right of Gods word not by vertue not by learning not by diligence in preaching but onely by riches Now it may please you to follow your owne rule and to lay the one saying to the other But Saint Ieromes words are plaine of themselves and have no need of other expositor Thus he writeth What doth a Bishop saving onely the ordering of Ministers but a Priest may do the same Neither may wee thinke that the Chuâ—ch of Rome is oneâ— and the Church of all the world beside is another France England Affrica Persia Levante India and all barbarous Nations worship one Christ and keepe one rule of the truth If wee seeke for Authority the whole world is greater than the City of Rome Wheresoever there be a Bishop be it at Euguâ—ium be it at Rome be it at Constantinople be it at Rhegium Be it at Alexandria be it at Tanais they are all of one worthinesse they are all of one Bishopricke The power of riches and the basenesse of poverty maketh not a Bishop either higher or lower for they are all the Apostles successors What bring you mee the custome of Rome being but one City Here M. Harding findeth great fault for that I have translated these words Of one Bishopricke and not as hee would have it Of one Priesthood God woâ— a very simple quarrell Let him take whether he liketh best if either other of these words shall serve his turne Erasmus saith Bishop Pâ—iest and Presbyter at that time were all tâ—ree all one But Mâ— Harding saith The Primates had Authority over other inâ—eriour Bishops I graunt they had so Howbeit they had it by agreement and custome but neither by Christ nor by Peter nor Paul nor by any right of Gods Word Saintâ— Ierome saith Let Bishops understand that they are above Priests rather of Custome than of any truth or right of Christs institution and that they ought to rule the Church altogether And againe Therefore a Priest and a Bishop are both one thing and before that by the inflaming of the Devill parts were taken in Religion and these words were uttered among the people I hold of Paul I hold of Apollo I hold of Peter the Churches were governed by the common advice of the Priests Saint Augustine saith The office of a Biâ—hop is above the office of a Priest not by the authority of the Scripâ—ures but after the names of honour which the custome of the Church hath now obtained So part 2. cap. 9. Divis. 1. p. 196 He brings in M. Harding the Papist writing thus Even so they which denyed the distinction of a Bishop and a Priest were condemned of heresie as we find in Saint Augustine in the Booke and Chapter aforesaid And in Epiphanius Lib. 3. cap. 75. In the Councell of Constance the same is to be found To whom he answers in the Margent Vntâ—uth for hereby both Saint Paul and Saint Ierome and other good men are condemned of Heresie And p. 202. He gives this further answer But what meant M. Harding here to come in with the difference betweene Priests and Bishops thinkes hee that Priests and Bishops hold onely by Tradition or is it so horrible an heresie as hee maketh it to say that by the Scriptures of God a Bishop and a Priest are all one or knoweth hee how farre and unto whom he reacheth the name of an Hereticke Verily Chrysostome saith Betweene a Bishop and a Priest in a manner there is no difference Saint Hierome saith somewhat in rougher sort I heare say there is one become so peevish that hee setteth Deacons before Priests that is to say before Bishops Whereas the Apostle plainly teacheth us that Priests and Bishops he all one Saint Augustine saith What is a Bishop but the first Priest that is to say the highest Priest So saith Saint Ambrose There is but one consâ—cration of a Priest and Bishop for both of them are Priests but the Bishop is the first In his Sermon upon Haggai 1 p. 176. he writes thus against the temporall possessions and secular Offices of Clergy men When Constantinus the Emperour endowed the Church with lands and possessions they say there was a voyce of Angels heard in the ayre saying This day poyson is powred into the Church If there were poyson powred into Church then I doubt there was nover Treacle powred into it since This wee see that from that time shee hath done worse and worse Augustine findeth fault with the multitude of Ceremonies and saith the Church in â—his time was in worse case by mans devises than was the Church of the Iewes Bernard said There is no part sound in the Clergie And againe They which chuse tâ—e first places in the Church are chiefest in persecuting Christ. And againe they be not Teachers but deceivers they are not feeders but beguilers they be not Prelates but Pilates Which hee thus further prosecutes in his Sermon on Matthew 9. p. 198. And what shall I speake of Bishops Their cloven Miter signifieth perfect knowledge of the new Testament and the old their Crosiers Staffe signifieth diligence in attending the flocke of Christ their purple Bootes and Sandals signifie that they should ever be booted and ready to goe abroad through thicke and thinne to teach the Gospell and thereto they applyed the words of the Prophet How beautifull are the feete of them which bring glad tydings of peace which bring glad tydings of good things But alas in what kind of things do they beare themselves for Bishops These mysticall titles and shewes are not enough to â—eâ—ch in the Lords Harvest they are garments more meete â—or Players than for good Labourers Saint Bernard writes thus to Eugenius the Bishop of Rome who sometime had beene his Scholler Thou which art the shepheard â—ettest up and downe shining in gold and gorgeously attired but what get thy sheepe If I durst speake it these things are not the fodder for Christs sheepe but for devils Whatsoever apparell they have upon them unlesse they will fall to worke Christ will not know them for labourers How then can the Bishop of Rome be taken for the chiefe Pastor of Christ which these 900. yeares hath not opened his mouth to feed the flocke These 900. yeares I say since Gregory the first of that name it can hardly be found that ever any Bishop of Rome was seene in a Pulpit One of
themselves Adrianus the fourth a Bishop of Rome was wont to say Wee succeed not Peter in teaching but Romulus in murthering And in the Canon of â—he Apostles it is decreed That the Bishop that teacheth not his flocke shâ—uld be deposed To which purpose they alleage Saint Augustine A Bishops office iâ— a name of labour not a name of honour that hee which coveteth the place of preeminence and hath not a desire to do good may know hee is not a Bishop Thus saith Origen Thus saith Chrysostome thus say divers others of the old Fathers whom it were long and needlesse to rehearse There be many Priests and few Priests saith Chrysostome Many that beare the name but few that be Priests indeed Thus the Harvest is great and plentious but the Labourers are but few The labourers are but few but the destroyers and wasters are exceeding many Yea such as should be the harvest men most of all destroy the corne I will not here report that I am well able that your eyes have seene and that many of you have felt the state of our time hath beene such Saint Bernard saw it in his time and therefore saith All are â—riends and all are enemies all are helpers and all are adversaries and hinderers Againe Alas alas O Lord God they are the chiefest in persecuting thee that seeme to love the highest roomes and to beare rule in thy Church he cites their Latin which I omiâ— And in his Defence of the Apologie â—f the Church of England part 6. c. 9. Div. 3. p. 667 568. hee writes thus of Bishops intanglement in worldly affaires and bravery in apparell Our Princes never tooke upon them the office of Bishops but your Bishops have taken upon them the office of Princes Of your Bishops it is written in your owne Councels Behold there is now in a manner no worldly affaire but Priests and Bishops have it in hand Such Bishops be they of whom Saint Chrysostome writeth thus They that neither beleeve nor feare the judgement of God abusing their Ecclesiasticall dignity in secular sort turne the same into secular dignity Such Bishops they be of whom Saint Hierome saith thus They themselves be to themselves both Laymen and Bishops too And againe They worship the Lord and Melchom both together thinking that they may serve both the World and the Lord and satisfie two masters at once God Mammon who fighting under Christ bend themselves to worldly affaires and offer up one image Both to God and Cesar. And therefore Cardinall Cuâ—amâ—â— saith Hereof groweth a great deformity that Bishops are bent only to worldly cares Marke these words M. Harding hee saith Your Bishops are bent onely to worldly cares If yee will beleeve none of these yet your Popes owne Legates in your late Chapter at Trident speaking of your Priestlike apparell say thus Our Priests differ nothing from Laymen saving only in apparel nay indeed they differ not so much from them as in apparell Yee say your Bishops be gay and gallant attended and guarded with Princelike routs both behind and before And therefore yee make no small account specially in respect of our estate which you call beggerly In such disdaine the Heathen sometimes said That Christ was the beggerliest and poorest of all the Gods that were in heaven Howbeit our Bishoprickes saving that certaine of your Fathers have shamefully spoyled them are now even as they were beforeâ— Certainly the poorest Bishopricke in England as it is reported is better in revenues than three of your Popes Italian Bishoprickes in the Kingdome of Naples Howbeit the Gospell of Christ standeth not by riches but by truth in comparison of the one wee make small reckoning of the other Neverthelesse the wise and godly have evermore sound fault with the Ecclesiasticall bravery of your Roman Clergy Saint Bernard saith Therehence commeth their whorelike finenesse their players weed their Princely apparell therehence commeth their gold in their bridles in their Saddles and in their spurres Againe hee saith They goe trimly and finely in their colours as if a spouse should come from her chamber if thou shouldst suddenly see one of them jetting a farre off wouldst thou not rather thinke it were a spouse than the keeper of the spouse Laurentius Valla although bitterly yet not unpleasantly thus expresseth your Lordly bravey I thinke if the Devill in the ayre have any games among them to make sport withall they are most busily occupied in counterfeiting the apparell and tire and pride and riot of Priests and have greatest pastime Pope Bonefacius the 8. in a great Iubilee and in a solemne procession went apparelled in the Empeâ—ours Robes and had the Crowne Imperiall on his head and the sword of majestie borne before him as an Emperour This spirituall jolity M. Harding liketh you well Notwithstanding Saint Bernard saith These be pastures for Devils not for sheepe no doubt even thus did Peter Euen such pastime plaid Saint Paul Yee tell us further though they teach not though they say noâ— though they do not though they live not as becommeth Bishops nor as becommeth a Christian man yet be they Bishops notwithstanding Hereat wee will not greatly strive for so the Wolfe if hee once get a sheep-hooke and a cloke may be a shepheard and a blind man if hee get once into the watch-tower may be a spie But miserable are the poore sheepe that so are fed miserable is that poore Castle that so is watched Saint Augustine saith A Bishops office is a name of labour and not of honour that who so loveth to rule and not to profit may understand himseâ—fe to be no Bishop Againe hee saith of such a one Hee ought rather to be called a shamelesse dogge than a Bâ—shop As for that yee say Your Bishops be duly ordinated and consecrated Saint Augustine replieth Touching the outward consecration of a Bishop many give it to wolves and be wolves themselves Saint Bernard speaking of your Priests and Bishops saith In their apparell they are Souldiers in their gaines they are Priests and Bishops But in effect and in deed they are neither of both for neither do they fight in the field as do Souldiers nor do they preach as Priests and Bishops Of whether order therefore be they Whereas they would be of both Orders they forsake both and confound both Saint Paul saith every man shall rise againe in his owne order but in what order shall these rise whether forasmuch as they have sinned without order shall they perish without order I feare me they shall be ordered none otherwhere but whereas is no Order but disorder and horror everlasting Againe in his Defence of the Apologie of the Church of England Par. 6. chap. 2. Divis. 1. he writes thus concerning Bishops voting and authority in Parliament in settling matters in Religion Where yee would seeme to say that the
Wickliffe and his Scholars afterwards Husse and Hussites last of all Luther Calvin Brentius Bullinger Musculus and other who might be recâ—koned particularly in great number sith as here with us both Bishops and the Queenes proâ—essors of Divinity in our Universities and other learned men doe consent therein so in â—orraigne Nations all whom I have read treating of this matter and many more no doubt whom I have not read The siâ—ting examining of the Trent Councell hath beene undertaken by onely two which I have seene the one a Divine the other a Lawyer Kemnisius and Gentilletus they both condemne the contrary doctrine thereunto as a Trent errour the one by Scriptures and Fathers the others by the Canon Law But what doe I further speake of severall persons It is the common judgement of the reformed Churches of Helvetia Savoy France Scotland Germany Hungary Poâ—on the Low Countries and our owne witnesse the Harmony of Confessions Wherefore siâ—h Doctor Bancroft I assure my selfe will not say that all these have approved that as sound and Christian Doctrine which by the generall consent of the whole Church in a most flourishing time was condemned for Heresie I hope he will acknowledge that he was overseene in that he avouched the Superiority which Bishops have among us over the Clergie to be of Gods owne Ordinance Thus Doctor Rainoldâ— of whom you may reade more to this purpose in his Conference with Hart Aug. 1584. London 1609. p. 12â— 123.185.218.4â—1.540.541 I could recite many more of our owne writers and records to the same effect but because I have published A Catalogue of them and of such Testimonies in all ages as plainely evidence Bishops and Presbyters to be both one and the same in Iurisdiction Oâ—â—â—ce Dignity Order and Degree by Divine Law and Institution and their Disparity to be a meere humane Ordinance long after the Apostles times c. and because I have at large manifested this trâ—th in my Vnbishoping of Timothy and Titus and in my Breviate of the Prelates intolerable Vsurpations both upon the Kings Prerogative Royall and the Subjects Liberties I shall for brevity sake referre you to them and proceede to answere some principall Objections in defence and maintenance of Episcopacy and then cast Anchor CHAP. IX Comprising an Answer to the Principall Objections alleadged by the Prelates in defence of the Divine pretended Institution and for the continuance of their Episcopacy in our Church HAving thus given you a taste what our owne Authors ancient and Modeâ—ne Protestants and Papists Martyrs and Prelates have formerly written touching the pretended Divine Jurisdiction the Treasons Conspiracies Seditions Antimonarchicall practises Lordlinesse secular imployments courtship and great Temporall possessions of our prelates I shall onely Answere two Aâ—guments or rather bare Allegationâ— now principally insisted on for the maintenance of Episcopall Superiority by a Divine right with three more Objections for the continuance of Episcopacy still in our Church and so conclude The first Allegation for Episcopacies Divine institution is taken â—rom the Angel of the Church of Ephesus whom Bâ—shop Hall Bishop Vsher and others will neâ—dâ—s have â—o be a Bishop Superiour in Authority and Jurisdiction to other Ministers because he writes onely in the singular number to the Angel not to the Angels of that Church which say â—hey implies a Supâ—riority of one speciall Minister in that Church to whom this Epistle is principally directed over the other Presbyters not once mentioned in this Epistle To which I answere First that â—his word Angel is but a metaphoricall Title proper onely to the heavenly Spirits in strictnesse of speech and in a large sense as it signifies a Messenger or Servant it may as aptly denoâ—e a Minister or Presbyter as a Bishop The Tiâ—le therefore of it selfe as it is used by S. Iohn makes nothing â—or Episcopacy since ordinary Presbyters are in Scripture sometimes stiled Angels but Bishops distinct â—rom Presbyters are never so named there Secondly our Bishops themselves if not the whole Church of England with our late famous King Iames in the Contents annexed by them to the Bibles of the last Translation now onely used permitted in our Churches in expresse Termes expound the Angels of â—he 7. Churches to be the Ministers of them the Contents of the second Chap. of the Revelation running thus What is commanded to be written to the ANGELS that is The Ministers of the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thiatyra c. had these Angels beene such as you now call Bishops you would have rendred the Contents thus What is written to the Angels that is to the Bishops of Ephesus c. But since you expound Angels thus to be the Ministers of these Churches who in vulgar appellation and acception are distinct from Bishops and as you hold inferiour to them you must now either renounce your owne and our Churches exposition or your Episcopacy For if the Angels of these Churches be the most eminent persons and rulers in them as you argue and these as the Contents testifie be not Bishops but Ministerâ— it followes infallibly that Ordinary Ministers and Presbyters are superiour to Bishops not Bishops to them And that these Angels were the Ministers of these Churâ—hes is evident by the expresse resolution of our owne learned Iames Pilkington late Bishop of Durham in his Exposition upon the Prophet Aggeus cap. 1. v. 13. London 1562. where he writes thus That more worshipfull names are given to the Preaching Minister than to any sort of men This name Angell is given to the Preachers for the heavenly comfort that they bring to man from God whose Messengers they be In the Revel of S. Iohn he writes to the 7. Angels â— to the 7. Ministers not Bishops of the 7. Congregations or Churches in Asia By this Bishops resolution then and by Pope Gregory the firsts too these seven Angels are seven Preaching Ministers not Lordly Non-Preaching Prelates And Master Fox in his Meditations on Apoc. c. 2 p. 27.28 concurres with them averriâ—g That by the seven Angels is meant either the Ministers of the seven Churches or the Churches themselves which exposition is as ancient as Aretas Primasius and Ambrosius Ansbertus who in their Commentaries on Apocalypsis write thus Septem stellae Angeli sunt septem Ecclesiarum Nec putandum est quod hoc loco Angeli singuli singulis deputentur hominibus quod incongrue ab aliquibus aestimatur sed potius Angeli Eccles. hic intelligendi sunt rectores populi qui singulis Ecclesiis praesidentes verbum vitae cunctis annunciant Nam Angeli nomen nuncius interpretatum dicitur Et Angelo Ecclesiae Ephesi scribe Darivo hic casu Angelo posuit non genitivo Ac si diceret Scribe Angelo huic Ecclesiae ut non tam Angelum Ecclesiam separatim videatur dixisse quam quis Angelus exponere
follow his Edition as Master Calvin and some few others doe in their Commentaries whereas both he and they are professed Enemies to Episcopacy and disclaime those Postscripts as false and spurious Fiâ—thly Master Beza and the â—etâ—ers forth of the Greeke Bible Printed by the Heires of Andrew Francofurti 1597. passe this sentence upon these Postscripts and this clause Ordained the first Bishops of Ephesus or of the Church of the Ephesians Non extaâ— in quibusdam vetustis Codiâ—ibus sane supposttum fuisse puâ—o And Guilielmus Estius a famous Roman Doctor in his Commentary on 2 Tim. 1.4 writes thus of the Postscript to it Graeâ—a subscriptio post finem Epistolae sic habet Scriptae Roma ad Timotheum secunda cum Paulus iterum sisteretur Caesari Neroni where he omits this addition Ephesiorum Ecclesiae primus Episcopus and then passeth this verdict upon it Sed hujusmodi Graecae subscriptiones ut incerti sunt authoris ITA NON Magnae authoritatis And Thomâ—s de vio Cajetanus Andreas Hyperius Estius with others deâ—â— the subscription to Titus That this Epistle was written from Nicopolis of Macedonia and the Century writers with others that the Second to Timothy was written from Rome aâ— Pauls second appearing before Nero a meere falshood and mistake All which considered I wonder our great learned Prelates Bâ—shop Downeham Bishop White and Bishop Hall and especially our great Antiquary Bishop Vsher should so much insist upon these spurious false postscripts and draw a maine Argument from to prove their Episcopacy of Divine Institution when Bellarmine and those Papists who write most eagerly for the Prelates Hierarchy are ashamed to produce such a false and impotent proofe for their groundlesse Episcopall jurisdiction If these Answers satisfy not this Objection from these Postscripts you may receive more full satisfaction and further Answers to it in my Vnbishoping of Timothy and Titus p. 52. to 58. To which I shall remit the Reader From these two Arguments for the pretended Divine right of Episcopacy I shall next proceed to answer the most considerable reasons produced for the continuing of Lordly Prelates in our Church The first for order and moment is the Antiquity of Lordly Bishops in our Church who if we credit Bishop Hall and others are not onely of Divine institution but their Episcopall Government hath continued in this our Island ever since the first plantation of the Gospell without contradiction Therefore it will be neither decent nor expedient but dangerous and inconvenient to remove them now To this I answer first that though Bishops have been very ancient in our Church yet how ancient and what kinde of Bishops these were will be the question Metraphrastes writes that Saint Peter continued long in Britaine constituted Churches and ordained Bishops Presbyters and Deacons and then returned to Rome the 12 yeare of Nero Caesar. But as this Authour is very fabulous in other things so without doubt he is false and singular iâ— this as I could easily manifest did not Bishop Vshers siquidem Symeoni Metaphrastae credimus and Baronius his sicut in aliis multis ibi a se positis errare Metaphrastum certum est ita in his hallucinatum esse constat Iohn Speed his For a dreame we leave it c. and Francis Godwin Bishop of Landaffe in his Discourse of the first conversion of this Island of Britaine unto Christian Religion p. 3 4 5 6. where he largely and professedly proves against this Impostor That Peter was never in Britaine ease me of this Labour and sufficiently refute the vaine confidence of those who have lately produced this branded Authority to derive the Antiquity of our Lordly Prelates from the Apostles themselves as if they had first planted them in our Church That which is likewise alledged out of the Greeke Martyrologe and Dorotheus his Synopsis That Aristobulus was ordained Bishop of the Britaine 's by Paul and by him sent Bishop into England seemes to be of the same stampe with the former in Bishop Godwins judgement who rejects it as fabulous because none of our owne Authors or Histories so much as once mention his so memorable labour and martyrdome among us But grant it true yeâ— since the word Bishop is here used onely for an ordinary Minister or Preacher of the Gospell and Aristobulus sent onely to convert our Nation being Pagans had no Bishopricke or Diocesse here nor any Inferiour Presbyters under him for ought appeares over whom to play the Lord as our Lordly Prelates have this Authority will stand those in small steed who with more confidence then judgement have objected it in defence of our Lordly Bishops which by the common consent of all our Writers began not till King Lucius his raigne about the yeare of Christ 179. So that from the Preaching of the Gospell in our Island by Iacobus Zebedeus Anno Christi 41. of Simon Zelotes Anno 47. of Ioseph of Araâ—atâ—aea Anno 48. of Saint Paul Anno 60. of Philip the Apostle and his twelve associates Anno 63. till Lucius erected Bishops and Bishoprickes to wit for the space of about one hundred and forty yeares after the first Preaching of the Gospell here our Church of Britaine had no Bishops at all to governe it but onely Presbyters for ought appâ—ares by any credible Authour the Christian faith all this while continuing un-extinguished among us at Glastenbury and in some other places as our Antiquaries manifest If then that rule of Tertullian be infallible That is best and truest which is first and that of Hierome most certaine That the Church of God immediately after the Apostles times before the erection of Lord Bishops was governed by a common Councell of Presbyters not by Bishops and our Church as is probable and the Church of Scotland as some Authors write for certaine was governed in this manner by Presbyters for above an hundred yeares together it will rather follow that our Lord Bishops should now be totally suppressed and a Presbyteriall government re-erected in our Church because it is ancienter than that of Bishops and planted among us by the Apostles when our Island first received the Gospell then that the government of our Lordly Prelates should be perpetuaâ—ed among us because ancient onely yet not so old as that of Presbyters by above one hundred yeares Touching the first erection of Arch-bishops Bishops and Bishoprickes among us there is great variance obscurity and incertaineâ—y in Writers yet this is the generall verdict both of our owne and forraigne Authours That in King Lucius his time before the conversion of our Island to Christianity there were in it 28 Flamines and three Arch Flamines to whom the other Iudges of manners and Priests were subject that upon the conversion of King Lucius and his people to the Christian Faith by Fagan and Deâ—wan they by command from Pope Eleutherius with the Kings
Majesties royall prerogative more oppressive to his Loyall Subjects and more destructive to the fundamentall Lawes of the Realme and liberties of the Subject than all other professions of men whatsoever For first they have presumed to keepe Consistories Visitations Synods and exercise all manner of Episcopall Jurisdiction in their Diocesse without his Majesties speciall Letters Patents or Commissions under the great Seale of England authorizing them to doe it contrary to the Statutes of 26. Hen. 8. c. 1.37 Hen. 8. c. 17. 1 Ed. 6. c. 2. 1. Eliz. c. 1.5 Eliz. c. 1. and 8. Eliz. c. 1. Secondly they have dared to make out all their Processes Citations Excommunications Suspensions Sentences Probates of Wills Letters of Administation Writs of Iure Patronatus accounts of Executors and the like in their owne names and Stiles and under their owne Seales alone not the Kings as if they were the onely Kings the Supreame Ecclesiasticall heads and Governours of the Church of England not his Majesty contrary to the Statutes of 37. H. 8. c. 17. 1 Ed. 6. c. 2. 1 Eliz. c. 1. 1 Jac. c. 25. Thirdly they have presumed in Printed Bookes to justifie these proceedings to be Lawfull and not content herewith they have most audaciously caused all the Judges of England to resolve and moved his Majestie to dâ—clare and proclaime these their disloyall unjust usurpations on his Crowne to be just and legall when as I dare make good the contrary against all the Prelaâ—es and Lawyers of England and have done it in part in my Breviate of the Prelates intolerable incroachments upon the Kings Prerogative royall and the Subjects Liberties This resolution of â—he Judges against the Kings Prerogative the Prelates have caused to be â—nrolled both in the High Commission at Lambeth and Yorke and in all their Ecclesiasticall Courts throughout England in perpetuam rei memoriam the Arch-bishop of Canterbury keeping the Originall certificate of the Judges among the records of his Court as a good evidence against his Majesty and his successors Fourthly they have pillored stigmatized banished close imprisoned and cut off the eares of those who have opposed these their encroachments upon his Majesties Prerogative Royall according to their Oath and duty to deterre all others from defending his Majesties Title Fifthly they have taken upon them to make Print and publish in their owne names by their owne authorities without his Majesties or the Parliaments speciall License new Visitation Oathes Articles Injunctions Canons Ordinances Rites and Ceremonies enforced them on Ministers Church Wardens Sidemen and others and excommunicated suspended silenced fâ—ned imprisoned and persecuted his Majesties faithfull and loyalest Subjects for not submitting to them contrary to the Statutes of 25. H. 8. c. 19.21.27 H. 8. c. 15.3 Ed. 6. c. 10.11 1 Eliz. c. 2.13 Eliz. c. 12. Magna Charta c. 29. and the Petition of Right Sixthly they have presumed to grant Licenses to marry without banes and to eate flesh on fasting dayes in their owne names a Prerogative peculiar to the King alone who onely can dispense with penall Lawes and the booke of Common Prayer which enjoyne no marriages to be solemnized unlesse the Banes be first thrice asked in the Church Seventhly they have adventured to hold plea of divers cases in their Consistories of which the Conusance belongs onely to the Kings temporall Courts which the formes of Proâ—ibitions and Ad Iura Regia in the Register determine to be a dis-inheriting of the Kings Crowne and Royall dignity a contempt derogation and grievous prejudice to his Royall authority and intolerable rebellion affront disloyalty and contuâ—acy to his Soveraigne Iurisdiction Eighthly they have stopped the current of the Kings owne Prohibitions to their Ecclesiasticall spitefull Courts in cases where they have beene usually granted in former ages even in times of Popery and of the most domineering Prelates and oft questioned threatned convented the Kings Judgeâ— before the King and Lords of the Councell for granting them An insolency and affront to Soveraigne Justice which no former ages can Parallell Ninthly they have disobeyed his Majesties Prohibitions proceeded in contempt and despite of them yea they have committed divers to prison who have sued for and delivered Prohibitions in a faire dutifull manner in the High Commission Court and Articled against one Mr. Iohn Clobery in the High Commission onely for suing out of a Prohibition to that Court as if it were a Capitall oâ—fence For which contumâ—cy and Rebellion their temporalities might bee justly seised into the Kings hands and themselves attainted in a Preâ—unire Adde to this that the now Archbishop of Canterbury hath many times openly protested in Court that he would breake both the necke and backe of Prohibitions And Matthew Wren whilst Bishop of Norwich in the 14. yeare of his Mâ—jesties reigne procured his Majestie to declare under his Highnesse great Seale of England his royall pleasure That if any person within the sayd City of Norwhich should refuse to pay according to the rate of two shillings the pound in lieu of the Tithes of Houses unto the Minister of any Parish within the sayd City that the same should be heard in the Court of Chancery or in the Consistory of the Bishop of Norwich And that in such Case no Prohibition should be granted against the said Bishop of Norwich their Chancellors or Commissaries in the sayd Courts of Consistory Tenthly they hâ—ve disobeyed and contemned his Majesties just and lawfull-commands in a most pâ—remptory and insolent manner of which I shall give onely one memorable instance His Majesty about the yeare of our Lord 1629. taking notice of the Bishops Non-residence from their Bishoprickes and how they lived for the most part idlely in London hunting after new prefeâ—ments to the ill example of the inâ—erior Clâ—rgiâ— the delapidation and ruine of their mansion houses the decay of Hospitality the impairing of their woods and temporalties the increase of Popery and decrease of Religion was pleased to send a letter to Doctor Abbot then Arch-Bishop of Canterbury for the redresse of the sayd inconveniences commanding him in his Royall name to enjoyne every Bishop then residing about London upon his Canonicall Obedience under paine of his Majesties displeasure forthwith to repaire to his Bishopricke and no longer to abide about London The Arch-Bishop hereupon sends his Secretary with this his Majesties Letter to the Bishops then in London and Westminster charging them upon their Canonical Obedience according to this Letter presently to depart to their several Bishoprickes His Secretary repaired with this Letter and the Arch-bishops instructions to Dr Howson the Bp of Durham lodging on Snowhill neare Sepulchers Church and required him in the Arch-bishops name by vertue of his Canonicall obedience to repaire to his Bishoprick according to his Majesties command He hereupon in a great rage giving the Secretary some harsh words told him plainly that he neither would nor could obey this mandate for he had many great
they list themselves Notwithstanding any Appellation provocation priviledge or exemption in that behalfe to be had made pretended or alleadged by ANY PERSON OR PERSONS therefore by Lords and Peeres as well as others resident or dwelling in any place or places exempt or not exempt within the Realmes of England and Ireland and Principality of Wales for no lesâ—er circuite would content them and all Lawes Statutes Proclamations or other grants Priviledges or Ordinances which be or may seeme contrary to the premises notwithstanding What Matthew Paris writes of the Popes Non-obstantees in his Bulls which first begar them Per illud verbum adjectionem detestabilem Non Obstante omnem â—xtinguit justitiam praehabitam I may more truely affirme of this that it extinguisheth all Iustice yea his Majesties Supremacy our fundamentall Lawes Statutes and the Subjects Liberties since it robs the King of the Regall right of receiving appeales as supreame head of the Church of England for releese of his oppressed Subjects and of the honour of his Royall Lawes Proclamations grants exemptions which must all stoope to the Prelates pleasures and strips the Subjects naked of the benefit and protection of all Lawes Statutes Proclamations and other grants priviledges Ordinances or exemptions whatsoever which might shelter them from the Prelates tyranny and oppressions So that you have here the very height of Treason Conspiracy and Contumacy against his Majestie the Lawes of the Realme and hereditary liberties of the people In all these respects to omit other particulars our Prelates if they be not direct Traytors to his Majestie and the Realme so farre as to incurre a Capitall Censure as is more than probable or at least a Praemunire of which there is no question yet I dare averre they are the most notorious Rebels the obstinatest contemners enemies and oppugners of his Majesties Royall Prerogative the Fundamentall Lawes of the Realme and just Liberties of the Subject this day breathing inferiour to none of their predecessors in contumacy and disobedience to their Soveraigne and our Lawes what ever they preteâ—d and exceeding them in many particulars Having thus I hope sufficiently answered all our Prelates Arguments for the supportation and continuance of their Lordly Prelacy in our Church and their Evasions to shift off this Antipathy as no way pertinent unto them give me leave onely to observe these sixe remarkeable Circumstances in our Prelats premised Treason Conspiracies and Rebellions which highly aggravate their offences and make them farre more execrable Traytors Rebels and delinquents than all other rankes of men and then I shall conclude First they have presumed to justifie their Treasons and Rebellions against their Soveraignes as pious religious holy and commendable actions and to Canonize these Episcopall Arch-Traytors and Rebells not onely for chiefe pillars patriots and defenders of the Churches Liberties but even for holy Saints and Martyrs as appeares by the examples of Dunstan Anselme Becket Edmund of Canterbury Hugh of Lincolne S. Germain 〈◊〉 Richard Scroope of Yorke with others no Laymen having yet beene so happy as for their Treasons and Rebellions onelâ— or especially to bee Sainted and adored as many Bishops and Clergie men have beene Hence Doctor Barnes in his Supplication to King Henry the 8. p. 190. writes thus I would not speake how damnable it is to institute Masses for a willing Traytor and murtherer there was never no learning that could allow this But there is no remedy he that dyes against his King and for the maintaining of your Treason must needes be a Saint if Masses blessings and miracles will helpe for all these bee at your Commandment to give where your list So that we poore men must be accused of insurrection and Treason and we must beare all the blame we must be driven out of the Realme we must be burned for it when as God knowes there is no people under heaven that more abhorreth and with earnester â—eart resisteth and more diligently doth preach against disobedience than we doe yea I dare say boldly let all your bookes be searched thaâ— were written this 500. yeares and all they shall not declare the authority of a Prince and the true obedience toward him as one of our little bookes shall doe that be condemned by you for heresie and all this will not helpe us But as for you you may preach you may write you may doe you may sweare against your Princes and also assoile all other men of their obedience towards their Princes you may compell Princes to be sworne to you and yet are you children of obedience and good Christian men And if ye dye for this doctrine then is there no remedy but you must be Saints and rather than faile ye shall doe miracles which he proves by the example of Thomas Becket of Germane formerly cited who was made a Saint for deposing King Vortiger and making his Neat-heard King in his steed These shamefull and abominable things doe ye prayse and allow and in the meane time condemne us for heretickes and Traytors Secondly in interceding for saving rescuing protecting rewarding Trayterous and Rebellious Bishops after their Treasons and Rebellions committed and warding off the sword of Justice from their Mitred Pates though worthy of ten thousand deaths when as all others Peeres or Commons whom they have drawne into their Treasons Rebellions and Conspiracies have beene sure to suffer the rigor of Justice without any mitigation or pardon this most of the premised instances witnesse especially that of Adam de Tarlton Part. 1. p 54.55.56.57.265.266 Thirdly in mincing extenuating excusing and patronizing the Treasons Conspiracies and Rebellions of Prelates and referring them to the Pope or their owne Ecclesiastical-Tribunalls that so they might scape unpunishedâ— a priviledge and tricke of Episcopall Leger-de-maine that no Layman was capable of but onely Bishops and Clerkes Fourthly in slandering reviling censuring excommunicating their Princes together with â—heir Judges and Officers for the execution of Justice on Bishops who have beene Arch-Rebells Traytors and Conspirators as appeares by the examples of Richard Scroope and others which story of Scroope Doctor Barnes thus descants on in his Supplication to King Henry the 8. p. 188.189 Doe you not remember how that in the dayes of Henry the fourth a captaine of your Church called Richard Scroope Archbishop of York did gather an Host of men and waged battle against his King but God the Defendor of his Ruler gave the King the victory which caused the Traytor to be beheaded And then your fore-fathers with their devillish craâ—t made the people beleeve by their false Chronicle that at every stroke that was given at the Bishops necke the King received another of God in his necke And whereas the King was afterward stricken with a sickenesse you made him and all his Subjects beleeve that it was Gods punishment because he had killed the Bishop and not thus content but you fained after his death that he did miracles Is not
others of them were so palliated and countenanced by their owne over-swaying greatnesse that none durst question nor record them thougâ— notoriousâ— and some of them were questionlesse concealed by our Histoâ—ians who being for the most part Monkes Priests or the Prelates owne creatures flatterers and dependants out of favour or affection did labour all they could to palliate not to record or lay open their ghostly Fathers nakednesse in this kindeâ— Neither have I collected every particular of this nature which our Historians relate buâ— onely selected such presidents as I cursorily observed in ow Annals and hastily collected for the most part long since to which I presume â—he diligent Reader may accumulate many more yet these I conceive are so many for number so prodigious for circumstance that they exceede both in multâ—tude and heinousnesse all disloyall practises of like sort acted against our English Monarches by all other their subjects of what quality soever the Nobles and others attainted formerly of Treason Rebellion and suffering for the same being for the most part but the Prelates instruments the chiefe Architects Arch-plotters and inciters of all the Conspiracies Treasons Rebellions warres and dissentions that ever hapned in our Kingdome and yet these Arch-traytors and Incendiaries commonly escaped the hand of Iustice by reason of their unholy holy Order and appeales to Rome when as their under-hand Instruments though lesse culpable received due execution If then we consider the paucity of our Arch-Prelates and Lord Bishops of England of which there is but one in each See at a time when full and sometimes none for divers yeares in times of vacancy in comparison of the numerosity of the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of England on the one side and then on the other hand compare the multitude of the Prelates notorious Treasons Rebellions Seditions and Contumacies against their Kings with thosâ— of the Nobility Gentry Commons which they farre exceede in number and notorius circumstances Or if we observe with what an high hand these Prelates have acted justified defended these their villanies not onely by protecting but canonizing the Authors of them for holy Saints and Martyrs as Dunstane Becket Anselme Hugh and others onely because they were Prelates when as in truth they ought so much the rather to have branded them for notorious Traytors and Rebels execrable both to God and man we must necessarily conclude their NO BISHOP NO KING to â—e a notorious Bull and NO KING VNLESSE NO BISHOP to be a more probable and most true Position and that ouâ— English Lord Bps especially those of Canterbury Primates of all England â—nely in evill for the most part have beene the most notorious Traytors Rebels Conspirators Incendiaries Vipers Pests Grievances to the Kings and State of England of all otâ—ers and so by consequence rather of Antichristian and Diabolicall thâ—n Divine or Apostolicall instiâ—ution fit to be utterly extirpated both by King and Kingdome neither of which shall long flourish in happinesse piety or tranquillity whiles Lordly Prelates beare the sway and manage the chiefe Tempâ—rall Offices or Affaires contrary to Christs owne expresse Inhibitions Mat. 20.25 26 27 Luk 22.25.26 Act. 6.4 2 Tim. 2.4 1 Pet. 5.1 â—33 Rom. 12.7 8. 1 Johâ— 3.9 10 If any surmise I write thus sharpely onely out of malice against our Prelates I shall desire but this favour from them to suspend their censures till they have impartially surveyed the ensuing Particulars which I have sincerely related as I finde them recorded without flattery on the one hand or malignity on the other and then I doubt not but they will change their mindes and readily subscribe to my Conclusions ratified by so many ancient Presidents of old and so many visible experiments fresh before our eyes Now because the Arch-Prelates of Canterbury erected by Gregory the first his Bull then Pope of Rome which have engaged them ever since to be Popes sworne Vassals for the most part and to imitate Popes in their most execrable Treasons and Conspiracies have beene the Archest Tâ—aytors Rebels and Opposites to the Kings â—f England in all Ages I shall for Order and Honour sake begin first with their Contumacies Treacheries and Rebellious practises and that in a Chronologicall manner according to their severall Antiquities and from them I shall descend to the Arch-bishops of Yorke the greatest Arch-traytors and Rebels next to those of Canterbury and then passe to otâ—er of our Prelates in their order with as much brevity and perspicuity as the subject matter will permit me concluding with such materiall observations against our Lordly Hierarchy as shall be infallibly warranted by the ensuing Histories and with such domesticke Authorities against Episcopacy the Lordlinesse Secularity wealth and temporall imployments of our Prelates and their mischievousnesse both in Church and state as I trust will abundantly satisfie the most Episcopall men whose arguments both for the pretended Divinity and perpetuity of Episcopacy in our Church I hope I shall satisfactorily answere But not to detaine you longer with a Prologue I shall addresse my selfe to the subject matter surveying the Bishops of Canterburies actions in the first place THE ANTIPATHIE OF THE ENGLISH LORDLY PRELACIE BOTH TO REGALL MONARCHY AND CIVILL UNITY CHAP. I. Containing the severall Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Seditions Contumacies Disloyalties of the Arch-bishops of Canterâ—ury against their Soveraignes Kings of England the severall Warres Tumults Dissentions occasioned and raysed by them in or against our Realme with their manifold practises and attempts to undermine our Lawes IN relating these Disloyalties of our holy Arâ—h-Prelates of Canterbury I cannot sing as the Poet once did Ab Iove principium Musae Iovis omnia plena sith there is little of God in any of their actions I am now to relate unlesse I take Iove here not for the true living God but for a meere impious treacherous murthering usurping Devill incarnate who thrust his Father Saturne out of his Royall Throne and injuriously possessed hâ—mselfe of his Kingdome against all right and equity And in this sense I may truely chaunt Ab Iove principium c. since I must not onely begin but proceede and end with Devils incarnate masked under a Pâ—â—laâ—es white Rocher rather than with holy Fathers of the Church One of the first men of this stampe that encounters me in the Sea of Canterbury is Odo surnamed the Severe possessing this Ponâ—â—â—call Chaire about the yeare of our Lord 940. This pragmaticall turbulent Arch-Prelate as hee was thrice in Armes in the Field after he was made a Bishop where he â—ought like a valiant Champion so hee caused King Edwin wiâ—h whom hee had very evill agreement to bee divorced from his Queene some say for consanguinity others for other reasons Whereupon the King betaking himselfe â—o his Concubines Odo thereâ—pon suspended the King from the Church excommunicated his Concubines causing one of them whom the King unreasonably doâ—ed upon to bee fetcht out of the Court
with violence branded her in the fore-head with an hot Iron and then banished her into Ireland After which shee returning into England Odo apprehends her the second time and cuts off her sinewes at the â—ocke bone The King being therewith much exasperated spoyled all the Monkes of all their goods banished Dunstan the chiefe of the Monkes inâ—o Flanders who together with Cynesius the Bishop on the day of this Kings Coronation entred most audaciously into his Bed-chamber and by violence dragged him both out of his Bed and Bed-chamber where they pretended hee was sporting with his Concubine and threatned Odo with severe punishments who was taken away by death soone after and so delivered from all feare of the Kings displeasure This Odo together with his Monkes wrought so with the Subjects before his death that the Mercians with the Northumbrians did utterly cast off the yoake of obedience to Edwin and by an unanimous consent made choyce of his Brother Edgar for their King Deo dictante populo annuente God himselfe to wit by the mouth of Odo and the other Prelates and Monks dictating it and the people thereunto consenting writes Matthew Westminster Arch-bishop Parker and Bishop Godwin in the life of Dunstan Arch-Bishop of Canterbury after Odo record That during the time of Dunstan his Banishment into France King Edwin by the Rebellion of his Subjects at the instigation as is likely of our Monkes Prelates and their favourers was deprived both of his life and Kingdome Whereupon Edgar that succeeded him warned by his Brothers example was content to curry savour with them and Dunstan creating him first Bishop of Worcester next of London and finally of Canterbury A good reward for this his Treason Dunstan comming to the Arch-Bishopricke in this manner not long after caused King Edward to be slaine by his Souldiers for refusing to ayde the Bishop of Rochester against his Brother Agelredus who besieged that City and the Bishop The Monkes of that time impute thâ—s trecherous Act to Queene Alsdrith his Mother in Law and Gods Divine Judgement to excuse their Patron Dunstan After his Murther as Iohn Capgrave and Speed record this holy Arch-Bishop Dunstan would have advanced Edgith his sister to the Crowne and invested her against Etheldred the lawfull Heire had she not by the late experience of Edwards fall utterly refused that Titleâ— which neither belonged to hâ—â— Right nor was safe for her Person to undertake Whereupon Dunstan and the Monkes perceiving that Queene Elfrida Alferus Duke of Mercia and many Nobles combined for young Etheldred the right Heiâ—e disavowing Prince Edward surnamed the Martyr as illegitimate did with all their might oppose Etheldred holding their states dangerous and their new-gotten footing unsure if in the Nonage of the King Elfrida his Mother and other their Opposites should rule all under him as was probable For Elfrida hated Dunstan because hee desired to hinder King Edgar from maâ—rying her after he was contracted to her rushing impudently into the Kings Bed-Chamber the first Night hee lay with her demanding of the King who it was he had in Bed with him who answering that it was his Queene and Consort Dunstan replyed that he could not marry her without offending God and breaking the institution of the Roman Church because of the spirituall Kindred that was betweene them he being her God-father often warning the King to be divorced from her which he refused Wherefore Dunstan and the Pâ—elates considering that Edward was altogether wrought in their mould they abetted his Title to the Crowne though a Bastard as one lawfully borne and begot in the Nuptiall Bed of Queene Ethelfleda Their Claimes thus banded among the Sâ—atesmen began to be diversly affected among the Commons and had put the Game to the Hazard if the wisedome of Dunstan had not seene â—he Chase For a Councell being assembled to argue their Rights the Arch-bishop came in with his Banner and Crosse and not staying for further debate de Iure did de facto present King Edward for their lawfull King and the Assembly consisting of Clergie men perswading peace drew the approbation of the rest and so was hee admitted and proclaimed their Soveraigne and after Crowned at Kingston by Dunstan and the true Heire put by for the time by this Arch-Traytor Dunstan and his Clergie till about three yeares after Edward was murthered by the procurement of Queene Elfrida and Etheldred Crowned King by Dunstan much against his will This King Dunstan and his Monkes continued to opposeâ— For Etheldred conceiving a just indignation against the Bishop of Rochester for his obstinacie and contumacious carriage towards him thereupon besieged his Citie Whereupon Dunstan commanded the King to desist from his purpose lest hee should provoke Saint Andrew the Patron of that City which the King refusing to doe without the Bishops submission and unlesse hee would likewise pay him an hundred poundsâ— Dunstan wondring thereat sent this Message to the King Because thou hast preferred Silver before God Money before an Apostle and Covetousnesse before me violent mischiefes shall come upon thee which the Lord â—ath spoken Such an Arch-Traytor and proud imperious Prelate was this Arch-Bishop Dunstan And if â—his Saint was such what thinke you may his Successors prove who were not so holy as to be Canonized This Dunstan before hee became Arch bishop of Canterbury caused King Etheldred to pâ—eferre him before all his Nobles and to â—ay up all his richest Royall Household-stuffe Charters Records with all his Wealth and Treasures in his Monasterie and finally to commit his very Kingdome Body and Soule to him so that all things were in Dunstans power the King not daring to doe any thing either in publike Affaires of the Kingdome or in his owne private Negotiations without Dunstans advice so that he alone exercised Royall Authority in every place In and by which he wholly imployed his endeavours how to enrich those Monasteries with Lands and Revenues which himselfe had founded or the Danes wasted wasting the Kings Treasury and appropriating the Crowne Lands to this purpose Which when King Edwyn comming to the Crowne sought to resume Dunstan much displeased herewith sharpely reprehended him then affronted him and at last cauâ—ed him to be murthered as is before remembred And for all this good service he was not onely made an Arch-Prelate but a Saint Siricius his next Successor but one consilio infausto by an unhappie if noâ— perfidious Traytorly advice perswaded King Etheldred in the thirteenth yeare of his Raigne to buy his Peace of the Danes at ten thousand pound annuall Rent to the ignominie and almost utter destruction of â—he whole Kingdome Which evill writes Henry Huntingdon hath continued to this very day and will longer endure unlesse Gods mercy helpe us For now wee pay that to our Kings out of Custome which was payd to the Danes out of unspeakeable feares Yea we aâ— this day have â—ared
detaine me in it a little longer Not to mention the forwardnesse and activity of Laurentius the second Arch-Bishop of this See to settle the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of Rome among us to obtrude theÌ„ on the Britaines who withstood them or his contests with King Eadbaldus from whose tyranny and displeasure he purposed to flee into forraine parts had noâ— S. Peter in a dreame reproved and whipped him with whip-cord for this his cowardice so terribly if it be true that all his body was gore blood Theodorus the seventh Prelate who possessed this Chaire by birth a Greeke was so farre from doing any thing contrary to or different from the Church of Rome that he over-contentiously propugned her Authority and Ceremonies depriving some Bishops upon his meere pleasure for this cause onely that they were consecrated after a different manner from the Romans and compelling them to be canonically ordained He exercised the right and authority oâ— his See in such sort that he seemed not so much to governe by judgement and Counsell as to be violently hurried with the impetuousnesse and perturbation of his minde so that he did not a little obscure those other vertues which were not vulgar with this overmuch pertinacity of asserting his owne dignity His unjust deprivation of Bishops without cause whom he thrust in and out at his pleasure as his late successors have deprived silenced and suspended our best preaching Ministers detracted much from his glory especially his unjust dealing with Wilfrid Arch-Bishop of Yorke whom he most unworthily expelled from his See though every way equall if not superiour to himselfe in holinesse of life learning and industry by persecuting whom immoderately and unjustly mulium nâ—â—uit Ecclesiae paci male consuluit famae suae he much prejudiced the Churches peaceâ— and his owne reputation he stirred up King Egfrid against Wilfrid and by that meanes kept him off from being restored to his Bishopricke And when as Wilfrid appearing before the Kings tribunall expostulated the cause of his injuries Theodor answered We lay no guilt to your charge sed quod constituimus ratum esse volumus but what we have decreed that we will shall be ratified Than which speech what can be more absurd as if he should say So I will have it so I command my will shall stand for a reason Such a wilfull and headstrong Prelate was he to the great disturbance both of Church and state for which some sayâ— he repented on his death-bed though this vice dyed not with him but descended to his successors Birhtubaldus an English man his next successor not onely assisted but caused Alfricke King of Northumberland to thrust Wilfrid out of his See at Yorke 5. yeares after his restitution to it and to spoyle him of all his lands and goods and banish him the Kingdome And then afterwards endeavoured to justifie and make good this deprivation though unjust in a Councell which he summoned for this purpose which when he could not effect he endeavoured by faire speeches to perswade Wilfrid to renounce his Bishopricke rather than violate the peace of the Church but he refusing appealed to Rome whereupon his complaint to the Pope Birhtuald is sent for Wilfrid acquitted and this turbulent malicious Arch-Prelate overthrowne and forced to restore Wilfrid to Yorke againe after a long contestation betweene them to the great Disturbance of Church and State Tatwin the 9. Archbishop of Canterbury two yeares after his consecration â—ad a great controversie with the Archbishop of Yorke concerning primacy for which cause hee posted to Rome and tâ—ere received his pall and confirmation from the Pope but these controversies for primacie I shall reserve for another Treatise Cutbert his successor as Thomas Sprot describes him was a deceitfull man full of foxâ—like craft a viper eating out the bowels of his owne mother In his dayes both Prince and people Priests Nunnes and Monkes were extremely addicted to uncleannesse whoredome adultery and costly apparell the Bishops themselves being as bad reproved them not for these sinnes lived wickedly rixas arma inter se gerebant brawled and warred among themselves addicted not themselves to read the Scriptures but to luxury and preached notâ— or very rarely by meanes whereof people were so ignorant that they could scarce say the Articles of the Creed or the Lords prayer in their mother tongue To reforme these abuses a Synode was called but these sinnes still raigning the Kingdome was soone over-runne and conquered by the bloody Danes Lambert the 13. Archbishop of Canterbury about the yeare of Christ 76â— so highly offended Offa King of Mercia that out of his enmity against him and the Kentish men hee obtained a Bull from Pope Adrian to erect a new Archbishopricke at Lichfield obtaining an Archbishops Pall for Eadulphus Bishop of that See to whom the Diocesses of Worcester Leicester Legecester Hereford Helenham and Duâ—wich were annexed and subjected so as Canterbury had left unto him for his Province onely the Bishoprickes of London Winchester Rochester and Sherburne which much abated his pride Athelardus his next successor and Eanbaldus Archbishop of Yorke about the yeare 79â— procuring letters from Kenulph King of Mercia written in his and his Bishops Dukes and peoples names to Pope Leo for the reuniting of the former disjoyned Bishoprickes to the See of Canterbury poasted with them to Rome where after they had solicited and bribed the Pope they obtained their suit without much difficulty and so these Bishoprickes were reannexed to Canterbury lest the seamelesse coate of Christ should sustaine some rent or schisme betweene the two Archbishâ—prickes and withall Ethelard obtained such a large grant from the Pope that if any of his Diocesse as well Kings and Princes as ordinary people should transgresse his Lordly Mandates he should excommunicate them till they repented and if they continued impenitent all should esteeme them as Ethnickes and publicans In his time the English grew such Apostates from vertue ut gentes quascunque proditione superarent that they exceeded all Nations in treason and trechery No doubt they learned it from their traiterous Prelates and Priests whom the Danes in his dayes â—lew together with Monkes Nunnes and Levites without any commiseration Et fudeâ—unt sanguinem sanctorum etiam IN CIRCUITU ALTARIS as Alcuinus writes by which it appeares that altars in those dayes stood not close against the East wall of the Chancell as now some place them but in such sort thas they might be COMPASSED ROUND the Alter of Augustine in his collegiate Church at Canterbury standing before those dayes in ejus Porticus MEDIO in the MIDST of the Porch there and the Altar of the old Church in Saint Edmonds Bury built ovall standing likewise AS IT WERE IN THE MIDST of the Church as Camden out of Everden a Monke of that house relates but of this in the by
Elnothus Archbishop of Canterbury about the yeare of our Lord 1036. against his Alleagiance and Oath crowned Harold a bastard having no right to the Crowne King of England Hardi-Canute the right heire being put by his right At first this Prelate seemed unwilling to performe that service for it is reported that hee having the Regall Scepter and Crowne in his custodie with an oath refused to consecrate any other for King so long as the Queenes Children were living for said he Canutus committed them to my trust and assurance and to them will I give my faith and allegiance This Scepter and Crowne therefore I here lay downe upon this Altar neither do I deny or deliver them to you but I require by the Apostolique authority all Bishops that none of them presume to take the same away neither therewith that they consecrate you for King as for your selfe if you dare you may usurpe that which I have committed to God on this his Table Notwithstanding that great thunderclap was allayd with the showers of golden promises of his just and religious Government intendâ—d though present experience manifested the contrarie and hee perswaded without much intreaty to crowne this usurper King And now having thus long sayled in this troublesome See of Canterbury I shall onely trouble you with a passage out of William Harrison touching the Archbishops of Canterbury in generall and Robert the Norman in particular and then hoise up my sailes and steare my course into the Northernâ— See of Yorke The Archbishop of Canterbury writes hee is commonly called Primate of all England and in the Coronations of the Kings of this Land and all other times wherein it shall please the Prince to weare and put on his Crowne his office is to set it upon their heads They beare also the name of their high Chaplins continually although not a few of them have presumed in time past to be their equals and void of subjection unto them That this is true it may easily appeare by their owne acts yet kept in record besides their Epistles and Answers written or in Print wherein they have sought not onely to match but also to maâ—e them with great rigour and more than open tyranny Our adversaries will peradventure deny this absolutely as they do many other things apparent though not without shamelesse impudencie or at leastwise deâ—end it as just and not swerving from common equity because they imagine every Archbishop to be the Kings equall in his owne Province But how well their doing herein agreeth with the saying of Peter and examples of the Primitive Church it may easily appeare some examples also of their demeanour I will not let to remember lest they should say I speake of malice and without all ground of likelihood of their practices with meane persons I speake nor neither will I beginne at Dunâ—tane the author of all their pride and presumption here in England but for so much as the dealing of Robert the Norman against Earle Goodwine is a rare History and deserveâ—h to be remembred I will touch it in this place protesting to deale with all in more faithfull manner than it hath heretofore beene delivered unto us by the Norman Writers or French English who offer purpose have so defaced Earle Goodwine that were it noâ— for the testimony of one or two meere English men living in those dayes it should be impossible for mee or any other at this present to declare the truâ—h of that matter according to the circumstances marke therefore what I say for the truth is that such Normanâ— as came in with Emma in the time of Ethelred and Canutus and the Confessor did fall by sundry meanes into such favour with those Princes that the Gentlemen did grow to beare great rule in the Court and their Clerkes to be possessors of the best benefices in the Land Hereupon therefore one Robert a jolly ambitious Priest got first to be Bishop of London and after the death of Eadsius to be Archbishop of Canterbury by the gift of King Edward leaving his former See to VVilliam his Countriman Vlfo also a Norman was preferred to Lincolne and other to other places as the King did thinke convenient These Norman Clerkes and their friends being thus exalted it was not long ere they began to mocke abuse and despise the English and so much the more as they daily saw themselves to encrease in â—avour with King Edward who also called divers of them to be of his secret Councell which did not a little incense the hearts of the English against them A â—â—ay also was made at Dover betweene the servants of Earle Goodwine and the French whose Masters came over to see and salute the King which so inflamed the minds of the French Clergie and Courtiers against the English Nobility that each part sought for opportunity of revenge which ere long tooke hold betweene them for the said Robert being called to be Arcâ—bishop of Canterbury was no sooner in possession of his See than hee began to quarrell with Earle Goodwine the Kings Father in Law by the marriage of his daughter who also was ready to acquit his demeanour with like malice and so the mischiefe began Hereupon therefore the Archbishop charged the Earle with the murther of Alfred the Kings brother whom not he but Harald the sonne of Canutus and the Danes had cruelly made away for Alfred and his brother comming into the Land with five and twenty â—aile upon the death of Canutus being landed the Normans that arrived with them giving out how they came to recover their right to wit the Crowne of England and thereunto the unskilfull young Gentlemen shewing themselves to like of the â—umor that was spread in this behalfeâ— the report of their demeanour was quickly brought to Harald who caused a company â—orthwith of Danes privily to lay in wait for them as they rodâ— toward Gilford where Alfred was slaine and whence Edward with much difficulty escaped to his ships and so returned into Normandy But this affirmation of the Archbishop being greatly soothed out with his crafty utterance for he was learned confirmed by his French friends for they had all conspired against the Earle and thereunto the King being desirous to revenge the death of his Brother bred such a grudge in his mind against Goodwine that he banished him and his Sonnes cleane out of the Landâ— hee sent also his wife the Earles daughter prisoner to Wilton with one onely maiden attending upon her where shee lay almost a yeare before shee was released in the meane season the rest of the Peeres as Siward Earle of Northumberland surnamed Digara or â—ortis Leofrick Earle of Chester and other went to the King before the departure of Goodwine endeavouring to perswade him unto the revocation of his sentence and desiring that his cause might be heard and discussed by Order of Law But the King incensed by the Archbishop and his Normans would not heare on that side