any liuing man yet it is continued preserued in the memory of men liuing doth farre excell our written lawes namely our Statutes or Actes of Parliament which is manifest in this that when our Parliaments haue altered or changed any fundamentall pointes of the Common lawe those alterations haue beene found by experience to bee so inconuenient for the commonwealth as that the common lawe hath in effect beene restored againe in the same points by other Actes of Parliament in suceedîng ages And as our Custumary vnwritten lawe doth excell our Parliament lawes which are written so for the gouernment of the Common-weale of England which is as well instituted established as any Common-weale in Christendome Our natiue Common lawe is farre more apt agreeable then the Ciuill or Canon lawe or any other written lawe in the worlde besides howsoeuer some of our owne Countrimen who are Ciues in aliena Republica hospites in sua may perâ—â—ppes affirme the contrary But certaine it is That the greate and wise-men of England in the Parliament of Merton did not preferre a Forreine lawe before theire owne when motion being made by the Clergie that Children borne before Marriage might be adiudged legitumate They all made aunswere with one voice Nolumus Leges Angliae mutari And againe in II. R. 2. when a newe course of proceeding in Criminall Causes according to the forme of the Ciuill lawe was propounded in that vnruly Parliament Aunswere was made by all the Estates That the Realme of England neither had bin in former times nor hereafter should bee Ruled and gouerned by the Ciuill law Rot Parliam II. R. 2. in Archiv Turris And heere I may obserue for the Honour of our Nation and of our Auncestors who haue founded this Common-weale wherein wee liue and enioy so many felicities That England hauing had a good and happie Genius from the beginning hath bin enhabited alwaies with a vertuous wise people who euer embraced honest and good Customes full of Reason and conveniencie which being confirmed by common vse practise and continued time out of minde became the common lawe of the Land And though this lawe bee the peculiar inuention of this Nation and deliuered ouer from age to age by Tradition for the common lawe of England is a Tradition learned by Tradition as well as by Bookes yet may wee truly say That no humaine lawe written or vnwritten hath more certainty in the Rules and Maximes more coherence in the parts thereof or more harmony of reason in it nay wee may confidently averr that it doth excell all other lawes in vpholding a free Monarchie which is the most excellent forme of gouernment exalting the prerogatiue Royall and being very tender and watchfull to preserue it and yet maintaining withall the ingenuous liberty of the subiect Breefely it is â—o framed and sitted to the nature disposition of this people as wee may properly say it is connaturall to the Nation so as it cannot possibly bee ruled by any other lawe This lawe therefore doth demonstrate the strength of witt and reason and selfe sufficiencie which hath beene alwayes in the people of this land which haue made theire owne lawes out of their wisdome experience like a silke worme that formeth all her webb out of her selfe onely not begging or borrowing a forme of a common-weale either from Rome or from Greece as all other nations of Europe haue done but hauing sufficient prouision of lawe Iustice within the land haue no neede Iustitiam iudicium aâ— alienigenis emendicare as King Iohn wrote most nobly to Pope Innocent the third Matth Parishistor magn pag 215. En populus sapiens intelligens gens magna As it is said of Gods chosen people 4. Deuter. Neither could any one man euer vaunt that like Minos Solon or Lycurgus he was the first Lawegiuer to our Nation for neither did the King make his owne prerogatiue nor the Iudges make the Rules or Maximes of the lawe nor the common subiect prescribe and limitt the liberties which he enioyeth by the lawe but as it is said of euery Art or Science which is brought to perfection Per varios vsus artem experientia fecit so may it properly bee said of our lawe Per varios vsus legem experientia fecit Long experience many trialles of what was best for the common good did make the Common lawe But vppon what reason then doth Polidor Virgill other writers affirme that King William the Conqueror was our Lawegiuer caused all our lawes to bee written in French Assuredly the Norman Conqueror found the auncient lawes of England so honorable profitable both for the Prince people as that he thought it not fitt to make any alteration in the fundamentall pointes or substance thereof the change that was made was but in formulis iuris he altered some legall formes of proceeding to honor his owne language for a marke of Conquest withall he caused the pleading of diuers Actions to be made entred in French sett forth his publique Ordinances Acts of Counsell in the same tongue which forme of pleading in French continued till 36. Edw. 3. when in regard that the French tongue begann to growe out of vse which for many yeares after the Norman Conquest was as common as the English among the Gentry of England it was ordained by Parliament that all pleas should bee pleaded debated Iudged in the English tongue entred enrolled in Latine And as for our statutes or Acts of Parliament the billes were for the most part exhibited in French passed and enrolled in the same language euen till the time of King H. 7. And so are they printed in Rastalles first Abridgment of statutes published in the yeare 1559. But after the begining of King Henry 7. his raigne wee finde all our Acts of Parliament recorded in English Onely our Reports of the Cases resolutions and Iudgments in the lawe whereof our bookes of the lawe do consist haue euer vntill this day beene penned published in that mixt kinde of speech which wee call the lawe French differing indeede not a litle from the French tongue as it is now refined and spoken in Fraunce as well by reason of the words of Art and forme called the Tearmes of the lawe as for that wee doe still retaine many other old wordes Phrases of speech which were vsed foure hundred yeares since are now become obsolete out of vse among them but are growne by long continuall vse so apt so naturall so proper for the matter subiect of these Reports as no other language is significant enough to expresse the same but onely this lawe french wherein they are written And this is the true onely cause why our Reports other books of the lawe for the most part are not sett forth in English Latine or the moderne french for that the proper peculiar phrase of the common
Breeue hee was constituted Vicar generall of the Sea of Rome and tooke vppon him the stile and title of vicar generall in the said seuerall dioceses 3 That hee did exercise Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction as Vicar generall of the Sea of Rome by instituting diuers persons to benefices with cure of soules by graunting dispensations in causes Matrimoniall by pronouncing sentences of diuorce betwene diuers married persons and by doing all other actes and things pertayning to Episcopall iurisdiction within the said seuerall Dioceses against our Souerainge Lord the King his Crowne and dignitie Royall and in contempt of his Maiestie and disherison of his Crowne and contrary to the forme and effect of the statute c. To this inditement Lalor pleaded not guiltie and when the issue was to bee tried the name and reputation of the man and the nature of the cause drewe all the principall gentlemen both of the Pale and Prouinces that were in towne to the hearing of the matter At what time a substantiall lury of the Cittie of Dublin being sworne for the triall and the points of the Inditement being opened and set forth by the Kings Seriant the Atturney generall thought it not impertinent but very necessary before hee descended to the perticular enidence against the prisoner to informe and satisfie the hearers in two points Why Lalor was indited vppon the old statute of 16 R. 2. 1 What reason moued vs to grounde this inditement vppon the olde statute of 16 Richard 2. rather then vppon some other later lawe made since the time of King Henr. 8. 2 What were the true causes of the making of this lawe of 16. Rich. and other former lawes against Prouisors and such as did appeale to the Court of Rome in those times when both the Prince and people of England did for the most part acknowledge the Pope to be the thirteenth Apostle and only oracle in matters of Religion and did followe his doctrine in most of those points wherein wee now dissent from him 1 For the first poynt wee did purposely forbeare to proceede against him vppon any latter law to the end that such as were igâ—onorant might bee enformed that long before King Henr 8. was borne diuers lawes were made against the vsurpatâ—on of the Bishop of Rome vppon the rights of of the Crowne of England welny as sharpe and as seuere as any statutes which haue beene made in later times and that therefore wee made choyse to proceede vppon a lawe made more then 200. yeares past when the King the Lords and Commons which made the lawes and the Iudges which did interpret the lawes did for the most part follow the same opinions in Religion which were taught and held in the Court of Rome the treâ— causeof making the stattute of 〈◊〉 R 2 other statuts against pouisors 2 For the second poynt the causes that moued and almost enforced the English nation to make this and other statutes of the same nature were of the greatest importance that could possible arise in any state For these lawes were made to vphold and maintaine the Soueraingtie of the King the liberty of the people the common lawe and the common-weale which otherwise had beene vndermined and viterly ruined by the vsurpation of the Bishop of Rome For albeit the Kings of England were absolute Emperours within their Dominions and had vnder them as learned a Prelacie and Cleargie as valiant and prudent a Nobility as free and wealthy a Commonalty as any was then in Christendome yet if wee looke into the stories and records of these two Imperiall kingdomes wee shall finde that if these lawes of Prouision and Praemunire had not beene made they had lost the name of Imperiall and of Kingdomes too and had beene long since made Tributary Prouinces to the Bishop of Rome or rather part of S. Peters patrimony in demesne Our Kings had had their Scepters wrested out of their hands their Crownes spurned of from their heads their neckstrod vppon they had beene made Laquaies or footmen to the Bishop of Rome as some of the Emperours and French Kings were our Prelats had beene made his chaplaines and Clearks our Nobilitie his vassals and seruants our Commons his slaues and villaines if these Acts of manu-mission had not freed them In a word before the making of these Lawes the flourishing Crowne and Common-wealth of England was in extreame danger to haue beene brought into most miserable seruitude and slauery vnder collour of religion and deuotion to the Sea of Rome And this was not onely seene and felt by the King and much repined at and protested against by the Nobility but the Commons the generall multitude of the Subiects did exclame and crie out vppon it The statuts of praemunire made at praier of the commoÌ„s For the Commons of England may bee an example vnto all other Subiects in the world in this that they haue euer beene tender and sensible of the wrongs and dishonors offred vnto their Kings and haue euer contended to vphold and maintaine their honor and Soueraigntie And their faith and loyaltie hath beene generally such though euery age hath brought forth some particular monsters of disloyaltie as no pretence of zeale or religion cold euer withdrawe the greater part of the Subiects to submitt themselues to a foreine yoke no not when Popery was in her height and exaltation whereof this Act and diuers other of the same kinde are cleare and manifest testimonies For this Act of 16. Richard 2. was made at the prayer of the Commons which prayer they make not for themselues neither shew they their owne selfe loue therein as in other Bills which containe their greeuances but their loue and zeale to the King and his Crowne When after the Norman Conquest they importuned their Kings for the great Charter they sought their owne liberties and in other bills preferred commonly by the Commons against Shiriffs Escheators Purueyors or the like they seeke their owne profit and ease but heere their petition is to the King to make a lawe for the defence and maintenance of his owne honor The effect of the statut of 16. R. 2. cap. 5. They complaine that by Bulls and processes from Rome the King is depriued of that iurisdiction which belongeth of right to his Imperiall Crowne that the King doth loose the seruice and counsell of his Prelats and learned men by translations made by the Bishop of Rome That the Kings lawes are defeated at his will the Treasure of the Realme is exhausted and exported to enrich his Court and that by those meanes the Crowne of England which hath euer beene free and subiect vnto none but immediatly vnto God should be submitted vnto the Bishop of Rome to the vtter destruction of the King and the whole Realme which God defend say they and therevppon out of their exceeding zeale and feruencie they offer to liue and die with the king in defence of the liberties of the Crowne And
recumbere dignus suit exempla sectamur Nunquid reuerendissimum patrem nostrum Columbam eius successores viros à Deo dilectos diuâ—nis pagâ—â—â—s contraria sapuisse aut egisse credendum est In this disputation or dialogue two things may bee obserued first that at this time the authority of the Bishop of Rome was of no estimation in these Ilands next that the Primitiue Churches of Briâ—tany and Ireland were instituted according to the forme and discipline of the East Churches and not of the West and planted by the disciples of Iohn and not of Peter Thus much for the time of the Brittons The Pope had no iurisdiction in England in the time of the Saxons For the Saxons though King Ina gaue the Peter pence to the Pope partly as Almes and partly in recompence of a house erected in Rome for entertainment of English pilgrimes yet it is certaine that Alfred and Athelstane Edgar and Edmund Canutus and Edward the Consessor and diuers other Kings of the Saxon race did giue all the Bishopricks in England Per annulum baculum without any other ceremony as the Emperour and the French King and other Christian Princes were wont to doe They made also seuerall lawes for the gouernment of the Church Among others Saint Edward begins his lawes with his protestation that it is his Princely charge Vt populum Domini super omnia sanctam Ecclesiam regat guberâ—et And King Edgar in his Oration to his English Cleargie Egâ— saieth hee Constantini vos Petri gladium habetis iungamus dextras gladium gladio copulemus vt ciâ—ciantur extra Castra leprosi purgetur sanctuarium Domini So as the Kings of England with their owne Cleargie did gouerne the Church and therein sought no ayd of the Court of Rome And the troth is that though the Pope had then long hands yet hee did extend them so farre as England bycause they were full of businesse neerer home in drawing the Emperour and the French King vnder his yoke The first vsurpatioÌ„ of the Pope vpon the crowne began in the time of king William the CoÌ„querour But vppon the conquest made by the Norman hee apprehended the first occasion to vsurpe vppon the liberties of the Crowne of England For the Conquâ—rour came in with the Popes Banner and vnder it wonne the battaile which gott him the garland and therefore the Pope presumed hee might boldly plucke some flowers from it being partly gained by his countenance and blessing Heerevppon hee sent two Legates into England which were admitted and receaued by the Conquerour With them hee called a Synod of the Clergie and deposed old Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury bycause he had not purchased his Pal in the Court of Rome hee displaced many Bishops and Abbots to place his Normans in their Romes By sending Legates into England And amongst the the rest it is to bee noted that the King hauing earnestly moued Wolstan Bishop of Worcester being then very aged to giue vp his staffe his answere was that hee would giue vp his staffe onely to him of whome hee first receaued the same Inter Epist Lanfr Archiepiscopi Cant. M. S. in Archiâ— Robert Coâ—â—on Eq. Aur. And so the old man went to Sanit Edwards Tombe and there offred vp his staffe and Ring with these words Of thee O holy Edward I receaued my staffe and my Ring and to thee I doe now surrender the same againe which pâ—oues that before the Norman Conquest the King did inuest his Bishops per annulum baculum as I said before In the time of William Ruffus the Pope atteÌ„pted to draw appeales to Rome but prâ—uailed not Thus wee see by the admission of the Popes Legates the first step or entrie made into his vsurped iurisdiction in England Albeit the King still retained the absolute power of inuesting Bishops and seemed onely to vse the aduise and assistance of the Legates in Ecclesiasticall matters for that no decâ—ee passed or was put in execution without his Royall assent therevnto Besides how farre forth hee submitted himselfe to the Pope it appeareth by a short Epistle which hee wrote to Gregory the. 7. in this forme Excellentissimo sanctae Ecclesiae Pastori Gregâ—rio gratia Dei anglorum Rex Dux Normannorum Willielmus salutem cum Aâ—…icitia Hubertus Legatus tâ—us Religiose Pater ad me veâ—iens ex tua parte me admonuit vt tibi successoribus tuis fidâ—lâ—tatem facerem de pecunia quam antecessores mei ad Romanâ—â— Ecclesiam â—â—â—…ere solebant melius cogiâ—arem Vnum admisi alterum non admisâ— fidelitatem facere nolui nec volo quia â—â—c ego promisi ncc antecessores â—â—os antecessoribus tuis id secrsse comperio Pecuâ—ia tribus ferè annis in Gallijs me agente negligentur collecta est nunc vâ—ro diâ—ina misericordia me in Regnum meum reuersâ— quod Collectum est per praefatum Legatum mittetur quod reliquum est per Legatos Lanâ—ranci Archichiscopi â—â—delis nostri cum opportunum fuerit transmittetur c. But in the time of his next successor King William Rufus they attempted to passe one degree farther that is to drawe appeales to the Court of Rome For Anselme being made Archbishop of Cauterbury and being at some difference with the King besought his leaue to goe to Rome vnder pretence of fetching his Pall. The King knowing hee would appeale to the Pope denied him leaue to goe and withall told him that none of his Bishops ought to bee subiect to the Pope but the Pope himselfe ought to bee subiect to the Emperour and that the King of England had the same absolute liberties in his Dominions as the Emperour had in the Empyre And that it was an auncient custome and lawe in England vsed time out of minde before the Conquest that none might appeale to the Pope without the Kings leaue and that hee that breaketh this lawe or custome doth violate the Crowne and dignitie Royall and hee that violates my Crowne saieth hee is mine enemie and a traytor How answere you this quoth the King Christ himselfe answeres you saith the Archbishop Tu es Petrus super hanc petram c. Wherewith the King was nothing satisfied And therevppon Anselme departing out of the Realme without licence the King seised his temporalities and became so exasperate and implacable towards the Bishop as hee kept him in perpetuall exile during his Raigne albeit great intercession were made for his returne as well by the Pope as the King of France In the time of king HeÌ„ry the first the Pope vsurpeth the donation of Bishopricks c. In the time of the next King Henr 1. though hee were a learned and a prudent Prince yet they sought to gaine a further point vppon him and to plucke a flower from his Crowne of greater value namely the patronage and donation of Bishoprickes and all other benefices Ecclesiasticall For Anselme being reuok't
adiudged high treason to bring in Bulls of Excommunication whereby the Realme should bee cursed 7 That no decree should bee brought from the Pope to bee executed in England vppon paine of imprisonment and confiscation of goods To these and other Constitutions of the like nature made at Claringdon all the rest of the Bishops and great men did subscribe and bound themselues by oath to obserue the same absolutly onely the Archbishop would not subscribe and sweare but with a Sauing saluosuo ordine bonore sancte Ecclesiâ— yet at last hee was content to make the like absolute subscription and oath as the rest had done but presently hee repented and to shewe his repentance suspended himselfe from celebrating Masse till he had receaued absolution from the Pope Then he began to maintaine and iustifie the exemption of Clarkes againe whereat the Kings displeasure was kindled a new and then the Archbishop once againe promised absolute obedience to the Kings lawes See the ficklenes mutability of your constant Martyr The King to bind fast this slippery Proteus called a Parliament of the Bishops and Barons and sending for the Roll of those lawes required all the Bishops to set their seales therevnto They all assented but the Archbishop who protested he would not set his seale nor giue allowance to those lawes The King being highly offended with his rebellious demeanor required the Barons in Parliament to giue Iudgement of him who being his subiect would not be ruled by his lawes Cito facite mihi iustitiam de illo qui homo meus ligeus est stare Iuri in Curia mearecusat Wherevppon the Barons proceeding against him being ready to condemne him I prohibit you quoth the Archbishop in the name of Almighty God to proceed against mee for I haue appealed to the Pope and so departed in contempt of that high Court Omnibus clamantibus saith Houenden quo progrederis proditor expecta audi iudicium tuum After this he lurked secretly neere the Sea shore and changing his apparell and name like a Iesuit of these times he tooke shipping with a purpose to flie to Rome but his passage being hindred by contrary windes hee was summoned to a Parliament at Northampton where he made default wilfully for which contempt his temporalties were seised and his body being attacht he was charged with so great an account to the King as that he was found in arreare thirty thousand markes and committed to prison whence hee found meanes to escape shortly after and to passe out of the Realme to Rome Hee was no sooner gone but the King sends writts to all the Shiriffs in England to attach the bodies of all such as made any appeales to the Court of Rome herevppon many messages and letters passing to froe all the suffragans of Canterbury ioyne in a letter to the Pope wherein they condemne the fugitiue Archbishop and iustifie the Kings proceedings Vppon this the Pope sends two Legates to the King being then in Normandy to mediate for the Archbishop They with the mediation of the French King preuailed so farre with King Henry as that he was pleased to accept his submission once againe and promised the King of France that if he would be obedient to his lawes he should enioy as ample liberties as any Archbishop of Canterbury euer had and so sent him into England with recommendation vnto the young King his Sonne then lately Crowned who hearing of his comming commaunded him to forbeare to come to his presence vntill he had absolued the Archbishop of Yorke others whome he had excommunicated for performing their duties at his Coronation The Archbishop returned answere that they had done him wrong in vsurping his office yet if they would take a solmne oath to become obedient to the Popes commaundement in all things concerning the Church he would absolute them The Bishops vnderstanding this protested they would neuer take that oath vnlesse the King willed them so to doe King Henry the father being hereof aduertised into France did rise into great passion and choler and in the hearing of some of his seruants vttered words to this effect Will no man reueng mee of mine enemies Wherevppon the foure Gentlemen named in the storyes of that time passed into England and first mouing the Archbishop to absolue the Bishops whome he had excommunicated for performing their duties at the young Kings Coronation and receauing a peremptory answere of deniall from the Archbishop they laid violent hands vppon him and slew him for which the King was faine not onely to suffer corporall pennance but in token of his humiliation to kisse the knee of the Popes Legate And this is the abridgement of Beckets troubles or rather treasons for which he was celebrated for so famous a Martyr Foure points of iurisdiction vsurped vppon the crowne of England by the Pope before the raigne of K. Iohn And thus you see by what degrees the Court of Rome did within the space of one hundred and odd yeares vsurpe vppon the Crowne of England foure points of Iurisdiction viz. First sending of Legats into England SecoÌ„dly drawing of appeales to the Court of Rome Thirdly donation of bishopricks and other Ecclesiasticall benefices and fourthly exemption of Clarkes from the secular power And you see withall how our Kings and Parliaments haue from time to time opposed and withstood this vniust vsurpation Now then the Bishop of Rome hauing claimed and welny recouered full and sole iurisdiction in all causes Ecclesiasticall and ouer all persons Ecclesiasticall with power to dispose of all Ecclesiasticall benefices in England whereby he had vppon the matter made an absolute conquest of more then halfe the kingdome for euerie one that could read the Psalme of Miserere was a Clarke the Cleargie possessed the moytie of all temporall possessions There remained now nothing to make him owner and proprietor of all but to geâ—â— a surrender of the Crowne and to make the King his Farmer and the people his Villaines which he fully accomplisht and brought to passe in the times of King Iohn and of Henr. 3. The cause of the quarrell betweene K. Iohn the Pope The quarrell betweene the Pope and King Iohn which wrested the Sceptor out of his hand and in the end brake his heart began about the election of the Archbishop of Canterbury I call it election and not donation or inuestiture for the manner of inuesting of Bishops by the Staffe and Ring after the time of King Henr. 1. was not any more vsed but by the Kings licence they were Canonically elected and being elected the King gaue his Roiall assent to their election and by restitution of their temporalties did fully inuest them And though this course of election began to be in vse in the time of Rich. 1. and Henr. 2. Yet I finde it not confirmed by any Constitution or Charter before the time of King Iohn who by his Charter dated the fifteenth of Ianuary in the
sixteenth yeare of his Raigne graunted this priuiledge to the Church of England in these words viz. Quod qualiscunque consuetudo temporibus praedecessorum â—ostrorum hactenus in Ecclesia Anglicana fuerit obsâ—râ—â—tâ— quidquid iuris nâ—bis hactenus vindicauerimus de caetero in vniuersis singulis Ecclesijs Monasterijs Cathedralibus Conuentualibus totius regni Angliae liberae sint in perpetuum electiones quorumcumque Praelatorum maâ—orum minorum When Câ—â—â—nicall election began first in England Salua nobis haerâ—dibus nostris custodia Ecclesiarum Monasteriorum vacantium quae â—d nos pertinent Promittimus etiam quod nec impediemus nec impediri permittemus per ministros nostros nec procurabimus quin in vniuâ—rsis singulis Monasterijs Ecclesijs postquaÌ„ vacaucrint praelaturae quemâ—â—que voluerint liberé sibi praeficiaÌ„â— electores Pastorum petita tamen à nobis prius haeredibus nostris licentia eligendi quam non denegabimus nec differemus Et similiter post celebratam electionem nosler requiratur assensus quem non denegabimus nisi aduersus â—andem rationale proposuerimus legitimè probauerimus propter quod non debemus consentire c. But to returne to the cause of his great quarell with the Pope The Sea of Canterbury being voyd the Monkes of Canterbury sudenly and secretly without the Kings licence elected one Reignold their Subprior to be Archbishop who immediatly posted away to be confirmed by the Pope But when hee came there the Pope reiected him bycause he came not recommended from the King Here vppon the Monkes made suite to the King to nominate some fitt person to whose election they might proceed The King commends Iohn Gray Bishop of Nâ—rwich his principall Counsellor who was afterward Lord Iustice of this kingdome who with a full consent was elected by them and afterwards admitted and fully inuested by the King These two elections bred such a controuersie as none might determine but the Pope who gaue a short rule in the Case for he pronounced both elections void and caused some of the Monkes of Canterbury who were theÌ„ present in the Court of Rome to proceed to the election of Stephan Langton lately made Cardinall at the motion and suite of the french King who being so elected was forthwith confirmed and consecrated by the Pope recommended to the King of England with a flattering letter and a present of foure Rings set with precious stones which were of great value estimation in those daies King Iohns round and Kingly letter to the Pope Howbeit the King more esteeming this Iewell of the Crowne namely the patronage of Bishoprickes returned a round and Kingly answere to the Pope that inconsideratly rashly he had cassed and made void the election of the Bishop of Norwich and had caused one Langton a man to him vnknowen and bred vp and nourish't amongst his mortall enemies to be coÌ„secrated Archbishop without any due forme of election and without his Roiall assent which was most of all requisite by the auncient lawes and customes of his Realme That he merueiled much that the Pope himself the whole Court of Rome did not consider what a precious account they ought to make of the King of Englands friendship in regard that his one kingdome did yeeld them more profit and reuenew then all the other countries on this side the Alpes To conclude he would maintaine the liberties of his Crowne to the death he would restraine all his subiects from going to Rome And since the Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates within his dominions were as learned and religious as any other in Christendome his subiects should bee iudged by them in Ecclesiasticall matters and should not need to runn out of their owne countrey to beg Iustice at the hands of strangers The Pope curseth the King interdicteth the realme But what followed vppon this The Pope after a sharpe replie sendeth forth a Bull of malediction against the King and of interdiction against the Realme whereby all the Churches in England were shut vp the priests and religious persons were forbidden to vse any Liturgies or diuine seruice to marry to bury or to performe any Christian duety among the people This put the King into such a rage that he on the other part seised the temporalties of all Bishops and Abbots and confiscated the goods of all the Cleargie Then doeth the Pope by a solemne sentence at Rome depose the King and by a Bull sent into England dischargeth his subiects of their allegeance and by a legate sent to the King of France gaue the kingdome of England to him and his successors for euer These things brought such confusion and miserie to all estates and degrees of people in England as the King became odious to all his subiects as well to the Laytie as to the Cleargie For as the Bishops and religious people cursed him abroad so the Barons tooke armes against him at home till with much bloudshed they forced him by graunting the great Charter to restore King Edwards lawes containing the aunâ—ient liberties of the subiects of England The Pope being a spectator of this Tragedy and seeing the King in so weake and desperate estate sent a Legate to comfort him and to make a reasonable motion vnto him to witt that hee should surrender and giue vp his Crowne and kingdome to the Pope which should bee regraunted vnto him againe to hold in Feefarme and vassallage of the Church of Rome And that therevppon the Pope would blesse him and his Realme againe and curse his rebells and enemies in such sort as he should be better establisht in his kingdome then he was before King Iohn sendeth his crowne to the Pope became his farmer In a word this motion was presently embraced by that miserable King so as with his owne hands hee gaue vp the Crowne to the Popes legate and by an instrument or Charter sealed with a Bull or seale of gold he graunted to God and and the Church of Rome the Apostles Peter and Paule and to Pope Innocent the third and his successors the whole kingdome of England and the whole kingdome of Ireland and tooke backe an estate thereof by an instrument sealed with Lead yeelding yearely to the Church of Rome ouer and aboue the Peter pence a thousand markes sterling viz. seuen hundred markes for England and three hundred markes for Ireland with a flattering sauing of all his liberties and Royalties The Pope had no sooner gotten this conueyance though it were void in law but he excommunicateth the Barons and repeales the great Charter affirming that it contained liberties too great for his subiects calls the King his vassall and these kingdomes Saint Peters patrimony graunts a generall Bull of Prouision for the bestowing of all Ecclesiasticall benefices takes vppon him to be absolute and immediate Lord of all And thus vnder colour of exercising iurisdiction within these kingdomes the Pope
by degrees gott the very kingdomes themselues And so would hee doe at this day if the King would giue way to his iurisdiction In the time of King H. 3 the Pope conuerteth the whole profits of both realmes to his owne vse But what vse did the Pope make of this graunt and surrender of the Crowne vnto him what did hee gaine by it if our Kings retained the profits of their kingdomes to their owne vse Indeed wee doe not finde that the Feefarme of a thousand markes was euer payd but that it is all runn in arreare till this present day For the troth is the Court of Rome did scorne to accept so poore a reuenew as a thousand markes per annum out of two kingdomes But after the death of King Iohn during all the raigne of Henr 3 his Sonne the Pope did not claime a Seâ—gniory or a rent out of England and Ireland but did endeauour to conuert all the profits of both lands to his owne vse as if hee had beene â—â—â—sed of all in demeâ—ne For whosoeuer will read Matth. Paris his story of the time of King Henr. 3. will say these things spoken of before were but the beginnings of euils For the exactions and oppressions of the Court of Rome were so continnuall and intolerable as that poore Monke who liued in those times though otherwise hee adored the Pope doth call England Baalams asse loaden beaten and enforced to speake doth call the Court of Rome Charybdis and barathrum auaritiae the Popes Collectors Harpies and the Pope himselfe a stepfather and the Church of Rome a stepmother Hee sheweth that two third parts of the land being then in the hands of Churchmen the entier profits thereof were exported to enrich the Pope and the Court of Rome which was done for the most part by these two waies and meanes First by conâ—erring the best Ecclesiasticall benefices vppon Italians and other strangers 〈◊〉 entan that Court whose farmers and factors in England tooke the prosits turned them into money and returned the money to Rome Secondly by imposing continuall taxes and tallages worse then Irish â—uttings being sometimes the tenth sometimes the fifteenth sometimes the third sometimes the moytie of all the goods both of the Cleagie and Laytie vnder colour of maintaining the Popes holy warres against the Emperour and the Greeke Church who were then said to bee in rebellion against their Lady and mistresse the Church of Rome Besides for the speedy leuying and safe returne of these monyes the Pope had his Lumbards and other Italian Bankers and vsurers resident in London and other parts of the Realme who offered to lend and disburse the moneys taxed and returne the same by exchange to Rome taking such penall bands the forme whereof is set downe in Matth. Paris and such excessiue vsury as the poore religious houses were faine to sell their Chalices and Copes and the rest of the cleargie and laâ—ty had their backes bowed and their estates broken vnder the burthen Besides the Pope tooke for perquisits and casualties the goods of all clarkes that died intestate the goods of all vsurers and all goods giuen to charitable vses Moreouer he had a swarme of Friers the first corruptors of religion in England who perswaded the nobility and gentry to put on the signe of the Crosse and to vow themselues to the holy warres which they had no sooner done but they were againe perswaded to receaue dispensations of their vowes and to giue money for the same to the church of Rome I omitt diuers other policies then vsed by the Popes collectors to exhaust the wealth of the Realme which they affirmed they might take with as good a conscience as the Hebrewes tooke the Iewells of the Egiptians Breefely whereas the King had scarce meanes to maintaine his Roâ—all famely they receaued out of England seuenty thousand pounds sterling at least yearely which amounteth to two hundred and ten thousand pounds sterling of the moneys currant at this day Besides they exported sixe thousand markes out of Ireland at one time which the Emperour Fredericke intercepted Lastly the King himselfe was so much deiected as at a Royall feast hee placed the Popes legate in his owne Chaire of Estate himselfe sitting on his right hand and the Bishop of Yorke on his left non sine multorum obliquantibus oculis saieth Matth. Paris Thus we see the effect of the Popes pretended iurisdiction within the dominions of the King of England Wee see to what calamity and seruitude it then reduced both the Prince and people Was it not therefore high time to meet and oppose those inconueniences Assuredly if King Edward 1. who was the Sonne and heire of Heâ—r 3. had enherited the weaknes of his father and had not resisted this vsurpation and insolencie of the Court of Rome the Pope had beene proprietor of both these Ilands and there had beene no King of England at this day King Edw. 1. opposeth the Popes â—surpation But King Edward 1. may well be styled vindex Anglicae libertatis the Moses that deliuered his people from slauerie and oppression and as he was a braue and victorious Prince so was he the best Pâ—ter patriae that euer raigned in England since the Norman Conquest till the Coronation of our gracious Soueraigne At the time of the death of his fathet hee was absent in the warre of the holy land being a principall commaunder of the Christian armie there so as he returned not before the second yeare of his raigne But he was no sooner returned and crowned but the first worke he did was to shake of the yoke of the Bishop of Rome For the Pope hauing then summoned a generall Counsell before he would licence his Bishops to repaire vnto it he tooke of them a solemne oath that they should not receaue the Popes blessing Againe the Pope forbidds the King to warre against Scotland the King regards not his prohibition he demaunds the first fruits of Ecclesiasticall liuings the King forbidds the payment thereof vnto him The Pope sendeth forth a generall Bull prohibiting the cleargie to pay subsidies or tributes to temporall Princes A tenth was graunted to the King in Parliament the cleargie refused to pay it the King seiseth their temporalties for their contempt and gott payment notwithstanding the Popes Bull. After this he made the statute of Morâ—main whereby hee brake the Popes chiefe nett which within an age or two more would haue drawen to the Church all the temporall possessions of the kingdome c. Againe one of the Kings subiects brought a Bull of excoÌ„munication against another the King coÌ„maundeth he should be executed as a traytor according to the auncient law But because that law had not of long time beene put in execution the Chauncellor Treasurer kneeld before the King and obtained grace for him so as he was onely banished out of the Realme And as he iudged it treason to bring in Bulls of excommunication so he held it