A RETROSPECT INTO THE KINGS CERTAIN REVENUE ANNEXED TO THE CROWN Under the SURVEY of his Majesties Court of Exchequer WITH THE Proceedings upon two several Petitions Presented to his MAJESTY Concerning the Chauntry Rents c. And the First Fruits and Tenths of the CLERGY AND Several Considerations Offered to the High Court of Parliament shewing how all the Kings Rents above twenty Shillings a year may be more speedily brought into His MAJESTIES Coffers without Charge according to the Antient Course of Exchequer and the Laws of ENGLAND WITH Some Reasons and Arguments given for the due payment of Tythes Annexed Inseparably to the Office of the Ministry With further Perswasions to the Bishops and the Rest of the Clergy to render the just Proportion of their Livings and Spiritual Promotions according to the improved Value due to the King as Supream Pastor and Governour of the Church AND Divers Observations concerning the Rights and other Revenues of the CROWN Demonstrating the several Conditions and Qualities of those men that Diminish the KINGS Tributes Quisquis Deum reveretur Regem honorat diligitque proximum is Deo quae Dei sunt Caesari quae Caesaris denique revera suum cuique tribuit By George Carew of Grayes Inn Esq. LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1661. TO THE Right Honourable EDWARD Lord HYDE Baron of Henden Lord Chancellour of England THOMAS Earl of Southampton Lord High Treasurer of England And the Rest of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council Right Honourable I Observe in the Act of Free and General Pardon passed at the Parliament begun at Westminster the 25 day of April in the 12th year of the Raign of our most Gratious Soveraign Lord King Charles the Second That in the very next Clause of Exception after Offences for Conjurarations Witchcrafts and Charmes are Rancked Accomptants Receivers and Collectors that detained the publike mony of the Nation in their hands The Antient Genious of our Fore-Fathers in Framing the Court of Exchequer with that Policy and Art was such That all parts of the World admired that Court for the Excellency and Invention of it wherein was observed a Method that although Land and Mony there was ever in plenty Ebbing and Flowing Yet the Prodigal Coveteous and Ambitious Minister Receiver or Accomptant with all his Sleights and Stratagems could not deceive the King without Discovery The Course of that Court being altered upon the Dissolution of Abbies there followed great Losses to the Crown and many Inconveniencies and Grievances to the People In the Imperiall Chambers abroad The publike Books of Revenues lies open to the view of all people that any kind of Fraud may be discovered or better advantages found out for the Imperial Estate My Lords I am confident your own Honours binds you beyond all other Obligations in the world to Promote those things that may be for the Preservation and Improvement of the Kings Prerogatives Honours and Revenues Annexed to his Crown wherein truly consists the Happiness and Glory of the whole Kingdom There be two Contradictions used amongst men easily Reconciled by your Lordships Summa ratio est summum jus and Summum jus summa injuria In Extraordinary matters not properly relieveable in any other Court The Lords in Parliament have the Prerogative for their Excellency in Knowledge and Wisdom to Determine such Cases by their own Power May it please your Lordships I am Intrusted as an Executer to pay several Portions and Legacies to Hospitals Free-Scholes and poor Children out of mony left in the hands of Sir William Courten and Sir Paul Pinder who parted with it to the late King upon his Letters Patents and other Assignments out of the Revenue in the Exchequer before the late War Not doubting the Credit of the great Seal of England and payment of the Exchequer I took upon me the Execution of the Trust and paid some part of the Legacies out of my own Estate And notwithstanding I have used my indeavours with others to get in the said Debt yet I am daily sued by the Legatees for not recovering the Money charged upon the Revenue wherefore I humbly conceive that such Accomptants and Receivers which Convert the Kings Revenue to their own Use do not only Wound the King in Cheif but the whole Nation in General and those poor Hospitals and Orphans in particular that I am troubled for All which I submit to your Honours Considerations and Subscribe my self April 20. 1661. Your Faithful Servant THOMAS GOULD THE PREAMBLE IT was the Practice of former Ages when they met in Parliaments to examine the Causes of the Kings Necessities and to make those that were not Faithfull in their Offices to Relieve the King as they did by Hugo de Burgo and the Accomptants of the Revenue in HENRY the thirds time King JAMES and King CHARLES the first of ever Blessed Memory were both Large-Hearted and as Princes naturally are inclined very Bountiful Q. ELIZABETH left a Plentiful Revenue to the Crown of England King JAMES in Favour of the People sold most of the Lands in Fee-Farm An Invention found out to prevent an Act of Resumption The Flowers of the Crown ever since have been gathered by those that gave the King onely the Stalks which brought the King into many great Debts that stand Charged upon the Revenue left unsold And it so happened I became Intituled to a Considerable part of the Mony and in Prosecution of the said Debt by Administring upon some Estate I was Involved with a Corporation of Creditors that were likewise Concerned for divers Summs of Mony which Sir William Courten and Sir Paul Pinder had lent to the King This gave me Occasion to look into the Revenue of the Crown and to make several Applications to Committees in the Violent and Distempred times for satisfaction of the said Debts but I could have no other Tearms offered then Allowances as Debentures towards purchasing Crown Lands Bishops Lands or Delinquents Lands so called which I utterly refused Since his Majesties Restauration the Creditors have been more earnest upon me some crying out I should appeal to the King The Mirrour of Justice Others to the Hierarchy of the Church and perswade them to render that Part of the Revenue due to the King improved to their hands with the Creditors money by those Men that obstructed the Payment of the Kings Debts Others to the Lords that have a great Sence of the Kings Honour and the Regalia he lately parted withall Others to the Commons that hold the Purse-strings of the Nation have been pardoned great Arrears and Accompts which should have satisfied the Creditors Demands Being so divided in their Judgements and Opinions they brought me several Papers of perplext Notions concerning the Revenue of First Fruits and Tenths of the Clergy belonging to the King for his Supream pastoral Charge and Government of the Church with several Observations on that and the rest of the Revenues shewing how the King was made insolvent
pondere numero Allowing 6 d. in the pound for wearing of the money by often telling The uprightness of that Age was such that they accounted the Kings Rents sacred and individual considering that the Kings care and charge preserved all men in peace and plenty And the Sheriffs then minding the Common-weal and good of their Countrey answered the Kings Rents by Proxies at London who kept correspondence with Factors Clothiers Graâ—â—ers and others trading from all parts of England to the City and levied the Rents at his leasure By which means he promoted Trade kept the money still in the Countrey That imployed Spinners Weavers and Husbandmen which otherwise their whole Market money had been carried out of the Countrey by Receivers and Collectors That came as strangers amongst them The Prâ—mises considered it remains under your Lordships consideration whether it be not fit for a Parliament to consult what is most necessary to be done for the advantage of the King in his Revenue and the Commodity of the People in their payments and to hear what further shall be proposed upon the whole matter for his Majesties Service therein all which is submitted to January the 29th 1660. By Walter Devereux George Carew THE Business tending to the well setling of his Majesties revenue under Consideration of the Lord Treasurer and others The Petitioners not doubting but the referrees had been fully satisfied in the Premises concerning the Collections and what was alledged in the petition left it for the Barons to report And on the 13 th of May 1661. Calling for their report the Barons desired an information of the benefit intended to His Majestie in the said Collection some of them having forgotten the perticulars and also the discoverie of the mis-carriages and inconveniencies which had happened by the default of the Receivers Collectours and other Officers relating to the said accounts Whereupon it was breifly answered by the Petitioners that in their proposals concerning the said Collection left with Mr. Paine they had offered first that they would observe such a methode in every County that the rents should be duly answered without the charge of Poundage which the receivers had besides the Collectours fees Secondly without the charge of 2s upon every account which the Auditours Clerks were allowed for ingrossing the accounts Thirdly that they would give good Security to render a perfect Account yearly upon Oath and return the supers and upon whom depending that process may Issue duly out to avoid the charge of Messengers Fourthly they would discharge the King of 1500 â—b being part of a Debt due by Letters-Patent charged upon the revenue And lastly that they would Pay the said â—ents on the first day of May every Year during the said term desired by their Petition into His Majesties receipt of Exchequer And as for the arrears and supers depending upon the former tenants and Collectours in the Ministers accounts and receivers accounts relating to the same which were occasioned through the default of the Auditors and other Officers aforesaid The Petitioners then informing the Barons that they could not so clearly make them appear without an express order to some of the Clerks of the Court to peruse their last declared accounts and certifie the same Several Clerks being then present informed the Court that it was a work of time but for their satisfaction and upon the earnest desire of Mr. Walter Devereux one of the Petitioners being a Member of Parliameâ—t the Barons made this following Order Die Martis xiiii May 1661. ORDERED that the last declared accounts of the Ministers and receivers in the Counties of Wilts York-Shire and Lyncoln-Shire be brought into the Exchequer Chamber upon wednesday 15. of May by eight of the Clock in the morning to be perused in the presence of one of the Auditors Clerks by Mr. Hudson Mr. Wilkinson Mr. Carill and Mr. Burnet Matthew Hale Edw. Atkins Chr. Turnor Notwithstanding Sir Edward Sawyer was unconcerned in the said order for those Counties yet he appeared the next morning before the Barons and told them that it was not convenient for the Auditors to bring their accounts out of their Office or that they should be perused without the Lord Treasurer were first acquainted with the business pro consequentia and for that the Barons Oâ—der was not Obeyed the Petitioners desired a further Order which was graunted as follâ—weth viz. Die Mercurii xv May 1661. ORDERED That Mr. Harpham one of the Attornies in the Kings Remembrancers Office Mr. Wilkinson another Attorny in the Treasurers Remembrancers Office and Mr. Burnet one of the sworn Clerks of the Pipe-Office do forthwith peruse the last declared Receivers Accounts with the Ministers accounts relating to the same for the Counties of Wilts York-Shire and Lincoln or any other Counties and certifie unto us the Arrears and supers in the said accounts and for how long time they have been depending their Matthew Hale Edw. Atkyns Chr. Turnor Mr. Kinsman Auditor for Wilts had no declared accounts in his Office since the 7 th Year of King Charles the First And Mr. Chislett Deputy Auditor to Mr. Gwin for Lincoln shire told the Petitionâ—rs they had given the Barons sufficient satisfaction by Certificate under their 〈◊〉 concerning the Supers and Arrears in their accounts in December last And the Dâ—puty-Auditor for York-Shire had no declared account in his Office since the 14 th of the late King Charls But the 〈◊〉 in persuance of the last Order caused the last declared accompts to be perused with much opposition Sir Edward Sawyer telling the Auditors they deserved to lose their offices for suffering those persons to â—ook into their Accounts by the Attornies aforesaid who certified the Barons the 〈…〉 under their hands as appears before the Barons Report in the 19. page To the Right Reverend Father in God WILLIAM By Divine Providence LORD ARCH-BISHOP OF CANTERBURY HIS GRACE Primate of England and Metropolitane Right Reverend Father in God I HAVE observed in reading the Acts of Councils and Parliaments held by the KINGS of England That they have Supported themselves repaired their Estates and payd their Debts by improving the Revenue of the Crown and lessening the charge of supernumerary Officers belonging to the Exchequer And although the King hath an absolute Sovereign power in himself to do it without Parliaments yet he hath usually condescended in such cases to advise with the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons assembled in Parliament The State held it most just in the seventh year of King Henry the fourth to help the King out of his own rather then burthen the People and improved his Lands although in Lease And also in Henry the sixths time the King was induced by his Council to Convey to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and others all Profits of Wards Escheats and Forfeitures c. towards the defraying the charge of his House to prevent the immoderate Requests of importunate Suiters May it please your Grace The
States abroad that were raised by the aids and supplies of the English Crown took the boldness and liberty not onely to revile King James and the King of Denmark terming them Bankrupt Princes but also insulted over their subjects in the Indian Plantations c. And in derision of the English Nation they would usually say the Dutch Merchants had gold Chains to reach from Amsterdam to Whitehall which would purchase any advantage in Commerce or expiate any Crime and misdemeanour in their dealings which gave them great encouragement in their subtil and cruel practises to the prejudice of the King and Kingdom We the Creditours of Sir Paul Pinder and Sir William Courten and so consequently the Creditors of the King are bold out of necessity to ask the Lords spiritual the Lords Temporal and Commons assembled in Parliament releif for the money so long detained from us and if those things which are proposed be not by Your grave Wisdom thought fit to be improved towards all the Advantages mentioned in the several Petitions Arguments Proposals and considerations We leave it to your Honours to finde out some other expedient that may answer the Expectation of God and the World Richard Banks Thomas Coleman William Smith Thomas Gould On the behalf of our selves and the rest of the Creditours The Creditors APPEALE To the KINGS most excellent MAIESTY and the LORDS of His most Honourable privy-PRIVY-COUNCIL CONCERNING The Island of BARBADOS and the Ship Bona Esperanza taken by the Dutch Anno 1643. TO relate all the services and good offices done to the Crown and People of England by Sir William Courten and Sir Paul Pinder were to write Volums in their praises And to shew what Honour they did the English Nation abroad what advantages they brought to the King and Subjects at Home what encouragements they gave to Seamen and Merchants for encrease of Shipping and Trade were a just reprehension to some and a recrimination to others that by indirect practises have brought great Miseries both upon the Families and Creditors of those two worthy Patriots of their Country In the Year 1626. Sir William Courten sent Captain Henry Powel Commander of the good Ship called the William and John of London with six and fourty Men of several Handycraft Trades to plant and possess the Island of Barbados which was not before inhabited by any person whatsoever either native or others The said Captain Powel having landed his Men and taken possession of the Island for Sir William Courten continued with them upon the Island the space of a fortnight in which time they cut down some Woods and built some small Houses for their present conveniencies He then left them provisions and sailed to the Main upon the Coast of Guyana and furnished himself with roots plants fowles Tobacco-seeds sugar-canes potatoes and other materials and brought along with him thirty two Indians which he placed upon the said Island who taught the English to plant the said roots seeds c. the first that ever was planted there Sir William Courten sent another Ship called the Peter with a Pinnace called the Tomasine commanded by John Powel wherein were threescore and ten Men and Women with several materials also for planting the said Island for Sir William Courten aforesaid who were all landed there before Captain Henry Powel returned for England and had built a Fort called the plantation Fort That in the Year 1627 Sir William Courten set up the King of Englands Colours placed a Governour made Constitutions and Ordinances there according to the Laws of England having procured a Patent from King Charles the first under the great Seal in the name of Philip Earl of Pembroke in trust to countenance the said Government and Plantation And before the Year 1628 they had built three Forts 100 Houses began five plantations viz. the Corn Plantation the Indian bridg the fort the Indian East and Powels plantation all which was done at the proper Cost of Sir William Courten that about the Month of April 1628 the Earl of Carlisle having a patent of the Charebe Islands sent a letter directed to Captain John Powel and Captain William Deane in Barbadoes and to others there entreating them to give entertainment and respect unto Captain Charles Wolverstone whom he had sent thither with several men from London hearing it was a hopeful Plantation and to joyn with them in it The Earl of Carlisle engaging himself upon his Honour in the said Letter that the said Wolverstone and his men should not give them any occaâ—ion of offence or trouble in their said plantation not suspecting any prejudice from English-men coming from a person of Honour they entertained Wolverstone and fourty men or thereabouts with him who seduced the people under pretence of greater privileges in the said Island and seized the forts and took Captain John Powel Prisoner and others that would not adhere to them Then Wolverstone declared that he was there as Governour of the said Island for the Earl of Carlisle That in the Year 1629 Sir William Courten sent Captain Henry Powel again in the good Ship called the Peter and John with a 100 men well provided with Arms who took the forts released John Powel and the rest of the Prisoners and brought the said Wolverstone away Prisoner to London by virtue of a Warrant under the hand and seal of the said Earl of Pembroke The said John Powel and his Company afterwards continued in the quiet possession of the said Island six Months or thereabouts and then one Henery Hawley arrived at the said Island in a Ship called the Carlisle and invited the said John Powel with others to an entertainment on Ship-board who seized them and carried them away Prisoners to St. Christophers and sent a company of leud persons from thence and daily supplies from other Merchants of London who usurped the whole Island and Government from Sir William Courten and his Company contrary to the Law of God and Nations That several persons who refused to joyn with the Earl of Carlisle or those that pretended to have the Power under him were stigmatized whipt imprisoned and shot to death And then several men of mean quality understanding the condition of the Island took advantage of the times and went over with a company of loose and idle persons who possessed themselves of the said Island and plantations and out of the vast expence and charges of Sir William Courten and his endeavours they have gotten great estates but have yielded no satisfaction either to Sir William Courten or his assigns notwithstanding the said Sir William Courten had two several Judgments against the Earl of Carlisle and Wolverstone upon trials in the Court of Admiralty concerning the propriety of the said Island The Power of the said Earl of Carlisle being greater at the Council table then Sir William Courten or his interest the complaint was suspended and the Dammages which were then thirty thousand pounds and upwards wholly detained by
debito Justiciae to the Secular Preists and so got several grants of them to themselves for their Spiritual labours the other supernumerary orders of Monks and Nuns further perswaded the Layety to make Arbitrary Consecrations of Tythes to their Abbies and Monastries and to appropriate several Churches and Lands to their foundations of reputed Clergie Who by allowing severall salaries to their stipendaries for serving the Cure gave advantage to Covetous men upon the dissolution to dispoyle the Church who took grants of those impropriate Tythes and turned them into Lay-â—ees which was done more through the defect of Councils then any force of Adversaries in subjecting that Revenue of the Church to their humane titles supposing the property that God hath in them might be changed to their own uses by such contracts Whereupon several poor scandalous Livings have since made scandalous Ministers That in many parts of the North and West of England the Vicars are necessitated to sell Ale or go to their day-labour for the subsistance of themselves and their Families A grave Spaniard landing in King Edward the Sixths time neer the Ruins of an old Abbie by the sea coast perceived a poor Clergie-man hedging in of his Glebe land the Spaniard to satisfie his curiosity desired the Vicar to shew him his Church demanding what was his maintenance he told him he had twenty Nobles a Year being some part of God's revenue and inheritance which was reserved to himselfe the Spaniard wept bitterly and gave the poor Clergie-man all the mony he had saying That God had not been so provident for his Church in England as in other parts of the World The Offices Dignities and Possessions of BISHOPS DEANS and PREBENDS VINDICATED EPiscopacy was practised in the Apostles time and it was the constant Doctrine of all the Fathers that Bishops succeded the Apostles in the first and best ages of the Church and ordeyned Preachers in every City Presbyterian Government was not thought on before the Reformation at Geneva which is Aristocrary And the Independant sprung up with the New-England Faction whose Government is Democracy At the first General Council after Christ Bishops were planted in all parts of Christendom both for the purity in Doctrine and the safety and external state of the Church and have continued ever since in England untill these late violent times of Interruption that brought their Bishopricks into Abeyance and Consideration of the Law Before the Foundations of Parliaments were layd the Kings of England called onely their Prelates and Nobles to Council with them and the Affaires of the Kingdom was ordered by Edicts to the Officers and Governours of the several Counties King Henry the First in the Year of our Lord 1102. invested the Bishops by giving them a Pastoral Staff and a Ring testifying that their Donation was from their Sovereign The Pope at that time questioning the Kings Authority and Right to investitures the King sent expressly then to Rome Herbert Bishop of Norwich and Robert Bishop of Lichfeild to acquaint him that he would rather loose his Kingdom then his Right to Donations of Churches Asius the Oldest Bishop of his time being about 300. Years after Christ framed the Nicen Creed for the whol Christian World Which much improves the Benefit that the Church receives by Episcopacy Bishops have been Antiently Barons by Tenure and had their Votes in Parliament by a double right the one to advise in framing of Laws that they were not made repugnant to God's word and the other for their Temporalities having Estates and Families of their owne subject to the Laws and Statutes of the Kingdom It is a question whether such Prerogatives can be taken away which were originally annexed to their Dignities and Orders of their Persons and Offices By the same Rule the Lords temporal may lose their Privileges prerogatives and Preheminences held of the Crown which they have above other men Honours are rather Burthens then advantages rendring men obnoxious to great expences and offices do bring more trouble then Profit not acquiring any thing without Danger or envie no man should in reason envie his happiness that is rather a steward and servant to the people then Master of himself or his own Fortune Non nobis nati sumus every man serves God his King and Country in some Capacity or other moving in his station accordingly And since the Bishops have been interrupted and kept from their Votes in Parliament there hath been disorders and Confusions both in Church and State the Pulpets filled with Blasphemy the people taughâ— rebellion and Witchcraft the Press open to all manner of seditions and Heresies and nothing but violence and oppression raging throughout the whole Land no man Considering that the cause of all these Calamities proceeded from the Sacrilege Pride Envie and Covetousness of those Persons that made such strange returns for all the labours and Studies of so many learned Divinâ—s of this Kingdom by whose lives and Doctrines the Crown and Scepter of England hath been exalted above the Pontifical Chaire and the people freed from the Jurisdiction and slavery of the Pope The Lands and possessions of Bishops Deans and Prebends were given by Pious Kings and other 〈◊〉 Benefactours Originally in Franck-Almoyne for the service of God and the Church and were insepâ—rably annexed to the offiâ—e and Dignity of those orders that they might have honourable support answerable to the great care and â—harge they werâ— intrusted withall Their Maintainance ought to be sufficient to keep them from Corruptions and Sinister affections and to do acts of Hospitality giving good examples to all men Poverty breeds Contempt although the persons have extraordinary parts and deserts above other men The meanest Corporations and Civil societies of â—en are allowed their Presidents Mayors Councils and Officers to bear rule and Government over the rest and they hold their Authority by the Kings Charter It were very unreasonable in Cities Provinces and 〈◊〉 to deny God a reverend Worship and esteem and the King his Prerogatives in governing the Church according to order and deacency The Heathen when they would secure their Treasure from Violence layed it in the Templâ—s Consecrated to their Gods knowing that the most inhumane men amongst them would not take any thing out of those places that were dedicated to their Deities THE CONCLUSION THE Church is that in which men hope for Salvation united under a visible Government here and triumphant in Glory hereafter going under divers elogies both in Heaven and Earth That several Ministerial Officers subservient in the Church militant were ever allowed a sufficient and Honourable Maintenance according to their order In England before the Establishment of parochial right to Tythes Barons layed foundations of Churches at their pleasures claiming onely a right to the Advouson and upon lapse to the King as Patron Paramount he presents to the Cure an Incumbent being lawfully ordeined the Bishop institutes the Arch-Deacon c.