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
of him and of his Realme he should have Proctors of his Nation as other Christian Kings had in the Court of Rome and not to abide in this Land nor to be in any part of his Counsells as beene all the spirituall and temporall at Parliament and other great Councells when you list to call them And therefore though it please you to doe him that worship to set him in your privy Councell after your pleasure yet in every Parliament where every Lord both spirituall and temporall hath his place he ought to occupie but his place as a Bishop 3. Item The said Bishop now being Cardinall was assoyled of his Bishoppricke of Winchester whereupon he sued unto our holy Father to have a Bull declarative notwithstanding he was assumpt to the state of Cardinall that the See was not voyd where indeed it stood voyd for a certaine time yet the said Bull were granted and so he was exempt from his ordinary by the taking on him the state of Cardinall and the Church Bishopricke of Winchester so standing voyd hee tooke againe of the Pope you not learned thereof nor knowing whereby hee was fallen into the case of provision so that all his goods was lawfully and cleerely forfeited to you my right doubted Lord with more as the Statute declareth plainely for your advantage Iâ—em It is not unknowne to you doubted Lord how through your lands it is noysed that the said Cardinall and the Archbishop of Yorke had and have the governance of you and all youâ— land the which none of your true leige men ought to usurpe to take upon them and have also estranged me your sole uncle my cosin of Yorke my consin of Huntington and many other Lords of your Kin to have any knowledge of any great matâ—er that might touch your high estate or either of your Realmes and of Lords spirituall of right the Archbishop of Canterbury should be your cheefe Counsellour the which is also estranged and set aside and so be many other right sadd Lords and well advised as well spirituall as temporall to the great hurt of you my right doubted Lord and of your Realmes like as the experience and workes shewne cleerely and evidently more harme it is 5. Item In the tender age ofâ— you my right doubted Lord for the necessity of a Army the said Cardinall lent you 4000 pound upon certaine Jewels prised at two twenty 1000-markes with a letter of sale that if they were not quited at a certaine day you should leese them The said Cardinall seeing your money ready to have quitted your Jewells caused your Treasurer of England at that day being to pay the same money in part of another army in defrauding you my right doubted Lord of your said Jewells keeping them yet alway to his owne use to your right great losse and his singular profit and availe 6. Item the said Cardinall then being Bishop of Winchester Chancellor of England deluâ—â—ed the King of Scots upon certaine appointments as may be shewed presumptuously and of his owne authority contrary to the Act of Parliament I have heard notable men of Law say that they never heard the like thing done among them which was too great a defamation to your highnesse and also toâ—wed his Neece to the said King whom that my Lord of notable memory your Father would never have so deluâ—â—ed and there as he should have paid for his cosâ—sâ— forty thousand pounds the said Cardinall Châ—â—cellor of England caused you to pardon him thereof ten thousand marks whereof the greater somme hee paid you right a little what I report me to your highnesse 7. Itâ— where the said Cardinall lent you my redoubted Lord great and notable Sommes he hath had and his assignes the rule profit of the port of Hampton where the Customers bin his servants where by likelihood and as it is to be supposed he standing the chiefe Merchant of the wools of your landâ— that you be greatly defrauded and under that rule what woolls and other Merchantdizes have been shipped and may be from time to time hard is to esteeme to the great hurt and prejudice of you my right doubted Lord and of all your people 8. Item Howbeit that the said Cardinall hath divers times lent you great sommes of money sith the time of your raigne yet this loane hath beene so deferred and delayed that for the most part the convenable season of the imploying of the good lent was passed so that little fruit or none came thereofâ— as by experience both your Realmes have sufficiently in knowledge 9. Item Where there was Jewells and Plate prised at eleven thousand pound in weight of the said Cardinall forfeited to you my right redoubted Lord hee gate him a restorement thereof for a loane of a little percell of the sameâ— and so defrauded you wholly of them to your great hurt and his avayle the which good might greatly have eased your highnesse in sparing as much of the poore Commons 10. Item The Cardinall being feoft of my said Lord your Father against his intent gave Elizabeth Beauchampe three hundred markes of livelihood where that his will was that and she were wedded within a yeare then to have â—â— or else not where indeede it was two or three yeares after to your great hurt and diminishing of your inheritance 11. Item Notwithstanding that the said Cardinall hath no manner of authority nor interest into the Crowne nor none may have by any possibility yet he presumeth and taketh upon him in party your estate royall in calling before him into great abusion of all your land and derogation of your highnes which hath not been seen nor vsed in no dayes heretofore in greater estate then he is without your expresse ordenance and commandment 12. Item the said Cardinall nothing considering the necesity of you my right redoubted Lord hath sued a pardon of dismes that he should pay for the Church of Winchester for terme of his life giving thereby occasion to all other Lords spirituall to draw their good will for any necessity to grant any disme and so to lay all the charge upon the temporalty and the poore people 13. Item by the governance and labour of the said Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke there hath beene lost and dispended much notable and great good by divers embassadors sent out of this Realme Firstâ— to Arras for a feigned colourable peace whereas by likelinesse it was thought supposed that it should never turne to the effectuall availe of you my right doubted Lord nor to your said Realmes but under colour thereof was made the peace of your adversary and the Duke of Burgoyn for else your partie adverse and the said Duke might not well have found meanes nor wayes to have communed together nor to have concluded with other their confederations and conspirations made and wrought there then at that time against your highnesse whereby you might have right doubted Lord the greater partie of your obisance
as well in your Realme of France as in your Dutchie of Normandy and much other thing gone greatly as through the said colourable treatie and otherwise since the death of my brother of Bedford 14. Ite Now of late was sent another Embassador to Caleâ— by the labour and councell of the said Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke the cause why of the beginning is to me your sole Vncle and other Lords of your kin and Councell unknowne to your great charge and against the publike good of your Realme as it openly appeareth the which good if it be imployed for the defence of your Lands the marchandizes of the same might have had other courseâ— and your said lands not to have stood in so great mischiefe as they doe 15. Item after that to your great charge and hurt of both your Realmes the said Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke went to your said towne of Calis and divers Lords of your kin and of your Councell in their fellowship and there as there was naturall warre betweene the Duke of Orliance and the Duke of Burgonie for murther of their Fathers a capitall enmitie like to have endured for ever the said Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke licenâ—ed and suffered the said Duke of Orleance to intreate and commune apart with Councell of your said adversaries as well as with the Douchies of Burgondâ—e by which meanes the peace and alliance was made betweene the two Dukes to the greatest forâ—eâ—â—ing of your said capitall adversaries that could be thought and consequently my deare redoubted Lord to your greatest charge and hurt to both your Realmes under colour of which treatie your said adversaries in meane time wonne your city of Meaux and the country thereabout and many divers roades made into your Duchie of Normandy to the great noysance and destruction of your people as it sheweth openly 16. Item The said Archbishop of Yorke sent with others into this your Realme from the said Cardinall had with your advers partie at your said Towne of Calis made at his comming into your notable presence at Winsor all the swasions and colour all motions in the most appâ—rent wise that he could to induee your Highnesse to your agreement to the desires of your capitall Adversaries as I saw there in your noble presence of his writing at which time as I understood it was his singular opinion that is to say that you should leave your right your title and your honour of your crowne and your nomination of King of France during certaine yeares and that you should utterly abstaine and be content onely in writing with Rex â—ngliae c. to the greatest note of infamie that ever fell to you or any of your noble Progenitors since the taking of them first the said title and right of your Realme and Crowne of France to which matter in your presence there after that it had like your said Hignesse to aske mine advise thereupon with other of your bloud and Counsell I answered and said that I would never agree thereto to die therefore and of the same disposition I am yet and will be while I live in conservation of your honour and of your oath made unto your said Crowne in time of your coronation there 17. Item The said Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke have so laboured unto your Highnesse that you should intend to a new day of convention in March or Aprill next comming where it is noised to be more against your worship then with it and where it was evident to all the world that the rupture and breaking of the said peace should have fallen heretofore of your adverse partie because of the great untruths now by that meanes it is like peradventure to be â—aid unto very great slander of you my doubted Lord like to come to none other purpose nor effect than other conventions have done aforetime and so by subtilties and counsell of your said enemies your land they in hope and trust of the said treatie not mightily nor puissantly purveyed for shall be like under the cullor of the same treatie to be burnt up and destroyed lost and utterly turned from your obeysance 18. Itera It is said that the deliverance of the Duke of Orleance is utterly appointed by the mediation counsell and stirring of the said Cardinallâ— and Archbishor of Yorke and for that cause divers persons been come from your adversaries into this your Realme and the said Duke also brought to your city of London whereas my Lord your Father poysing so greatly the inconveniences and harme that might fall onely by his deliverance concluded ordained and determined in his last Will utterly in his wisdome his conquest in his Realme of France And yet then it is to be done by as great deliberation solemnity and suretie as may be devised or thought and seeing now the disposition of your Realme of France the puissance and might of your enemies and what ayde they have gotten against you there as well under the colour of the said treatie as otherwise what might or ought to be thought or said for that labouring the said Duke all things considered by such particular parsons the Lords of your blood not called thereunto I report mee unro your noble grace and excellency and unto the said wiâ—e true men of this your Realme 19. Item Where that every true counsellor specially unto any King or Prince ought of truth and of dutie to counsell promote inâ—rease perferre and advance the weale and prosperity of his Lord The said Cardinall being of your counsell my right doubted Lord hath late purchased of your Highnesse certaine great Lands and livelihood as the Castle and Lordship of Chirke in Wales and other lands in this your Realme unto which I was called suddenly and so in eschewing the breaking and losse of your armies then againe seeing none other remedy gave thereunto mine assent thinking that who that ever laboured moved or stirred the matter first unto your Lordship counselled youâ— neiâ—her for your worship nor profit 20. More the said Cardinall hath you bound apart to make him a sure estate of all the said Lands by Easter next comming as could be devised by any learned counsell or else that suretie not made the said Cardinall to have and enjoy to him and his heires forever the lands of the Dutchie of Lancaster in Norfolke to the value of seven or eight hundred markes by the yeare which thing seemeth right strange and unseene and unheard wayes of any leige man to seeke upon his soveraigne Lord both in his inheritance and in his Jewels and goods for it is thought but that right and extreme necessity caused it there should nor ought no such things to be done from which necessity God for his mercy ever preserve your noble person Wherefore my redoubted Lord seeing that you should be so counselled or stirred to leave your Crowne and inheritance in England and also by fraud and subtill meanes as is before rehearsed so to
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
under the name of Dereman in a poore Fisher-boate accompanied onely with Servitors The King thereupon seized all his Goods and Temporalties into his hands and sent Ambassadours to the Earle of Flanders the French King and the Pope praying them in no wise to suffer or softer within their dominions one that was such a notorious Traytor to him The French King thinking that this disagreement betweene the King and the Arch-Bishop would breed some stirre in England dealt with the Pope that as hee loved the Roman Church and the ayde of France so hee would support Beckets cause against the King with whom though hee had amity before yet at Beckets instigation as is probable whose whole life was nothing else but a continued act of Rebellion Treachery and Disobedience against his Soveraigne Lord he presently fell to invade the King of Englands Dominions and tooke by Assault certaine Holds of his in Normandy The Arch-Bishop also about the same time growing in great savour with the Pope whom the King by all his friends and Agents could not move to any thing against him sent out particular Excommunications against all the suffâ—agan Bishops of his Province and all such as had obeyed defended or occasioned the sayd Lawes and A vitall customes and against some of them by name which Excommunications he published at Vizely in France on Ascension day when the Church was most full of people getting into the Pulpit theâ—e and solemnely accursing them with Bell Booke and Candle threatning the like thunder-clap against his owne Royall person Whereupon the King receiving such a foile from the Pope and such an affront from the Arch-Bishop directs his Writs to the Sherifes of England commanding them to attach all such who appealed to the Court of Rome with the Fathers Mothers Brothers Sisters Nephewes and Neeces of all the Clergie that were with the Arch-Bishop and to put them under sureties as also to seize the Revenues Goods and Chattels of these Clergie-men And by other Letters to Guilbert Bishop of London he sequestred the profits and Livings which within his Diocesse did belong to any of the Clergie who were fled to Thomas and signified to his Justices by a publicke Decree that no man should bring any Letters or Commandment from Pope Alexander or Thomas Arch-Bishop of Canterbury into England containing an Indiction of the Realme upon peril to be apprehended and punished as a Traytor to the King and an enemy to the Realm And that they should safe keepe whosoever did bring any Interdict into England till the Kings pleasure were further knowne causing all the Arch-bishops goods to be confiscated and banished out of the Realme all the Arch-Bishops kindred Man Woman Child and sucking Babes forbidding hee should be any longer mentioned publikely and prayed for in the Church as Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and to vexe him the more because he knew hee was much delighted in the Monastery of Pontiniac an Abbey of Cirstercian Monkes he signified to all the Monkes of that Order in his Dominion that he would banish them every one if they would not procure the Arch-Bishop to bee thrust out of that Monastery which for feare of so great calamity to so many men of their Order was effected And because Pope Alexander Beckets surest Card was ferrited much in like sort by Fredericke Barbarossa the Emperour the King therefore determined to joyne in league with him being a prosessed enemie both to the French King and the Pope sending Ambassadors to him for that purpose which the Pope having notice of began presently to quaile promising speedily to end all Controversies betweene him and Becket to the Kings liking Whereupon at the procurement of Iohn of Oxford two Legates were sent into England to reconcile the King and Thomas but the Pope hearing when they were gone that they were resolved utterly to confound the Arch-Bishop sent Letters after them to rebate their absolute power who when they came to Thomas he absolutely refused to put their cause unto them but upon such conditions as neither they nor the King would brooke The passages betweene the King and the Pope and Becket and his Complaints to the Pope against the King too tedious to recite at large you may reade at leisure in Holinshed Vol. 3. p. 70. to 75. wherein he desires the Pope to use his rigour both against the King and the Prelates that sided with him and to constraine them to amendment After this the Pope moved the French King to mediate a Peace betweene them For which purpose both the Kings and the Arch-Bishop were brought together at Paris where suite being made to the King in his behalfe That he might returne be restored to his goods and revenues arising during his absence and likewise to the Kings favour upon his humble submission The King answered That for the rest he was contented but that he could not allow him the profits of his Arch-Bishoprick since his Banishment for that he had already given them to others yet he would give him such recompence for them as the French King or the Senate or Students of Paris should thinke meete Whereupon Becket being called for and advised by his frieuds to submit himselfe in the presence of both Kings without any more reservations he falling downe humbly upon his knees used these words My Lord and Soveraigne I doe here commit unto your owne judgement the cause and controversie betweene us so farre forth as I may saving the honour of Almighty God The King much offended with his last exception turned him about unto the French King and telling how much hee had done for the Arch-Bishop and how â—ee had used him sayd I am so well acquainted with the Trickes of this Fellow that I cannot hope for any good dealing at his hands See you not how he goeth about to delude me with this clause saving the honour of God for whatsoever shall displease him hee will by and by alleadge to be prejudiciall to the honour of Almighty God But this I will say unto you whereas there have beene Kings of England many before mee whereof some were peradventure of greater Power than I the most part farre lesse and againe many Arch-Bishops before this man holy and noâ—able men looke what duty was ever performed by the greatest Arch-Bishop that ever was to the weakest and simplest of my Predecessours let him but yeeld me that and it shall abundantly content mee Hereunto the Arch-Bishop answered cunningly and stoutly That his Predecessours who could not bring all things to passe at the first dash were content to beare with many things and that as men they fell and omitted their duty oft times that that which the Church had gotten was by the constancie of good Prelates whose example he would follow thus farre forth as though he could not augment the priviledges of the Church in his time yet he would never consent they should be diminished This answere being heard all men cryed shame of him and generally
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
Proclamation was made that no man should dare to harbour or give him entertainement by meate drinke or lodging At last after much adoe the Arch-Bishop made his peace and brought him into favour with the King who dying King Edward the third advanced him to the See of Canterbury The King going into France with a great Armie and laying claime to that Crowne committed the Government of the Realme here at home to the Arch-Bishop He besides other promises of faithfull diligence in the trust committed to him assured the King hee should want no money to expend in this exploit whereunto all kindes of people shewed themselves so willing to yeeld what helpe they possibly might as hee tooke â—pon him to discerne the King might command of them what hee liâ—t No sooner was the King over Seas but infinite summes of Money were collected with the very good liking of all the people This Money which men thought would have maintained the Warres for two or three yeares was spent in lesse than one The King wanting Money puts the Arch-Bishop in minde of his promise calling continually on him for more Monies The Arch-Bishop blames his Officers beyond the Seas for ill managing of his Treasure advising him to make peace with the French upon reasonable conditions sending him no more Money The King grew exceeding angry with the Arch-Bishop for this Motion and usage and his Souldiers calling for Mony he told them that the Arch-Bishop had beâ—rayed him to the French King who no doubt had hired him to detaine their pay in his hands and to satisfie his Souldiers needes was enforced to take up what Monies he could at hard rates from Usurers And though some excuse the Arch-Bishop in this yet others thinke him guilty of practising against the Kings further good â—ortunes in France because Pope Benedict the Twelfth was displeased much therewith as pretending it was pernicious to Christendome and thereupon put Flanders under Interdict for leaving the French King and adhering to King Edward and therefore the Arch-Bishop to please the Pope whom hee obeyed more than the King who had written a Leâ—â—er to the King and him to desist from that Warre thus thwaâ—â—ed the Kings deâ—ignes by not sending him such supplies of Money as hee promised and in moving him to peace The King taking it very hainously to be thus dealt with and that his brave beginnings and proceedings in France should bee thus crossed hereupon steps suddenly over into England and caâ—â—s the Bishop of Chichester then Lord Chancellour and the Bishop of Liâ—hâ—â—eld then Lord Treasurer prisoners into the Tower whither he intended to send the Arch-Bishop But hee having some inkling of the Kings intention got him to Canterbury and there stood upon his guard being accused by Heâ—â—y Bishop of Lincolne and Gregory Scrope then Lord chieâ—e Justice of England of Trechery and Conspiracy with the French and of High-treason the whole blame by the generall voyce of all men lying on him Sir Nicholas Cantilupus hereupon â—ollowed him to Canterbury with Iohn Faâ—ingdon a publike Notary who required him to make present payment of a great summe of Money which the King had taken up of out-landish Merchants upon the Arch-Bishops credit or else to get him over Seas immediately and yeeld his body prisoner to them till â—he debt was discharged for that the King upon his promise had undertaken hee should so doe The Arch-bishop sayd he could give no present answere but would take time to advise thereof writing divers Letters to the King not to hearken to Flatterers and those who defamed other mens actionâ— and to make choyse of better Counsellourâ— and not to disturbe the peace at home whiles he made waâ—â—es abroad After which hee called the Clergie and people into the Cathedrall Church of Canterbury and made an Oration to them taking Ecclesiastiâ—us 48.10 for his Theame He feared not any Prince neither â—oâ—ld any bring him into subjectionâ— no word could overcome â—im c. In which Sermon hee highly commended and approved Thâ—mas Becket Arch-Bishop of Canterbâ—ry who with-drew himselfe wholly from all Secular Affaires and betooke himselfe onely to the Government of the Church and blamed himselfe much for that hee had left the care of the Church and wholly yea dayly iâ—ployed himselfe in the managing the Kings affaires for which he now received no other reward for his merits towards the King and Kingdome but envie and the danger of his head promising with teares that hereafter hee would be more diligent in the Government of the Church Which Sermon ended to keepe off all Royall violence from him he published certaine Articles of Excommunication after the horrid Popish manner with Tapers burning and Bells ringing In which Articles hee Excommunicated all those who disturbed the peace of the King and Kingdome all Lay-men who should lay violent hands on the Clergie or invade their Lands Houses Goods or violate the Liberties of the Church or Magna Charta or forge any crimes oâ— any one but especially every one that should draw himselfe or any Bishop of his Province into the Kings hatred or displeasure or should falsely say they were guilty of Treason or worthy of any notable or capitall punishment Having published these Articles in the Church of Canterbury hee commanded the Bishop of London and all the Suffragans of his Province to proclaime them in their Churches and Diocesse The King hearing of this strange insolencie writes to the Bishop of London acquaints him how trecheroâ—sly the Arch-Bishop had dealt with him and how by these Excommunications hee thought to shift off his calling to an account and therefore commanded him not to publish themâ— Afâ—er which the King sent Ralph Eaâ—le of Stafford with two Notaries to the Arch-bishop to summon him in the Kings Name without delay to appeareâ— before him to consult with his other Nobles and Prelates concerning the affaires of England and France The Bishop gave no other answere but this That he would deliberate upon itâ— Soone after there came certaine Messengers from the Duke of Brabant desiring to speake with the Arch-Bishop who refusing to speake with them they cited him by Writings which they hanged on the High Crosse at Canterbury to make payment of a great summe of Money which the King of England had borrowed of him The King after this sends some Letters to the Prior and Covent of Canterbury who shewing the Letters to the Arch-Bishop he on Ash-Wednesday goes up into the Pulpit in the Cathedrall Church and there calling the Clergie and people to him spake much to them concerning his fidelity and integrity in the Kings businesse after which hee commanded the Kings Letters to be read and then answered all the Crimes and Calumnies as he â—earmed them layd against him in those Letters and putting his Answere which he there uttered into Writing he published it throughout his whole Provincâ— The King hereupon makes a Reply to his Answere shewing therein how treacherously and
hereafter in a peculiar Treatise of our Prelates Schisms So he got a grant from the Pope to receive a Subsidie of all the Clergie of his Diocesse to wit foure pence out of every Mark to defray his Archie piscopall chargesâ— under pretext of which by misinterpreting the Popes Bulls hee exacted from them a whole Tenth He endeavoured to exempt Clerkes from Temporall Jurisdiction and Courts in cases of Felony which being obtained divers Clerkes abused their Priviledges committed many hainous crimes so as the Bishops at the Kings and Nobles earnest request were enforced to make a strict Decree for their future punishment and restraint Besides he accompanyed Thomas Lile Bishop of Ely to the Barre where he was arraigned and found guilty of Murther yet admitted his appeale to purge himselfe before him as his Metropolitane after the Jury had found him guilty in affront of Law and Justice After which Ely breaking prison fled to Rome caused the Kings Judges to be Excommunicated together with their servants and their Lands to be Interdicted and such of them as dyed Excommunicated he caused to be unburied and to be digged out of their Graves in Church-yards and cast into Mires which caused great stirres in England At last this Arch-Bishop riding to Magfield fell into a Mire himselfe with his horse in which fall the horse striving to recover himselfe he was plunged over head and eares and drenched in the Myre and comming all wet into Magfield fell into a sleepe before his clothes were put off and so into a Palsey and there dyed A just punishment for his cruelty to the dead Corps oâ— those Excommunicate persons In his time there was a great mortalitie especially among Clergie-men 7â— Bishops dying in one yeare Anno 1345. and 2. the next Simon Langham his next Successour was successively both Chancellour and Treasurer of England and in his time all publike Offices of the King and Kingdome were administred by Clergieâ—men for this Arch-Prelate was Chancellour Iohn Bishop of Bath Treasurerâ— David Wollor Priest Master of the Rolls William Wickham Arch-deacon of Lincolne Keeper of the Privie Seale Iohn Troy Priest Treasurer of Ireland Robert Caldwell Clerke Treasurer of the Kings House William Bugâ—rig Generall Receiver of the Dutchie of Lancaster William Asheby Chancellor of the Exchequer Iohn Newnham one of the Chamberlaines of the Exchequer and one of the Keepers of the Treasury and Kings Jewels and William de Mulso the other Iohn Ronceby Clerke of the Houshold and Surveyor and Comptroller of the Kings workes Roger Barnburgh and 7. more Clergy-men Clerkes of the Chanceryâ— Richard Chesterfield the Kings under Treasurer Thomas Brantingham the Kings Treasurer in the parts of Guines Marke and Calice All which Clerkes abounded likewise with Ecclesiasticall Benefices and Dignities some of them possessing at least 20. Benefices and Dignities by the Popes owne license and having further liberty to retaine as many Livings as they could get This was in the yeare 1367. But not long after Anno 1371. upon a complaint of the Nobles in Parliament all Clergie-men were thrust out of Temporall Offices and Lay-men put into their places Holinshed out of Caxton saith that the King this yeare in Parliament demanded a subsidie of 50000. pound of the Laity and as much of the Clergie The temporall men soone agreed to that payment but the Clergie excused themselves with faire words and shiâ—ting answeres insomuch that the King tooke displeasure with them and deposed certaine spirituall men from their office of dignity as the Chancelour the Privy seale the Treasurer and such other in whose roomes he placed temporall men where as Caâ—ton in truth saith that this subsidy was raised by the Clergie by good avisement out of their Lay Fee and that this their removall from Lay Offices was at the request and asking of the Lords in hatred of men of holy Church with which Walsingham accords This Arch-Prelate being very ambitious was without the Kings privity created by Pope Vrban Cardinall of S. Sixtusâ— with which newes the King being much offended seised on his Temporalties At which the Arch-Bishop nothing troubled did at last with much difficulty obtaine leave from the King to goe to Rome destitute of his Family and stript of all his Archiepiscopall Ensignes where he shortly after dyed William Witlesey who next enjoyed this See had some differences with the King about granting Subsidies At last he and the Clergie condescended to grant an Annuall Tenth upon condition that the King would free them from the intolerable yoak of the Popes opprâ—â—â—ions But Wil. Courtney theÌ„ Bp oâ— Hereford after Arch-Bp of Cant. standing up stoutly in the midst oâ— the Synod sayd with a loud voyce That neither he nor the Clergies of his Diocesse would give any thing to the King beâ—ore the King had remedied those calamities under which the Clergie had long time suffered Whereupon the King sent Messengers to the Pope to Rome to take away Provisions Reservations and other Exactions wherewith the Clergie and people of England were grieved and put the Statute against Provisions in execution Simon Sudbury who next succeeded him about whose Election there was much debate was not long after his Instalment made Lord Chancellour of England and sundry other Clergie-men formerly put from the Administration of Temporall Offices and affaires by his example and meanes were restored to them againe those Lay-men who managed them being disgracefully thrust out thereupon Wakefeld Bishop of Worcester being made Lord High Treasurer This Arch-Bishop in the insurrection of Iacke Straw and Wat Tyler stirred up by Iohn Ball a seditious Priest was by this Vulgar rout who purposed to destroy all Bishops and Abbots proclaimed an enemie both to the King and people who were so incensed against him as their greatest enemie that apprehending him in the Tower of London where the King then was even whiles he was saying Masse they drew him out thence and with an Axe cut off his head like a Traytor The manner of which Execution is thus described by Walâ—igham Godwin and others These Rebels in all haste came to the Tower where the Court then was requiring with great out-cries the Arch-Bishop The Arch-Bishop then Lord Chancellour having had some inkling thereof the day before had spent all that night in prayer and just when they called for him was saying of Masse in the Chappell of the Tower That ended and hearing of their comming Let us now goe saith he unto his men surely it is better to dye seeing to live it can be no pleasure With that in came these murthering Rebels crying Where is the Traytor Where is the Traytor He answered I am the Arch-Bishop whom I thinke you seeke but no Traytor With great violence then they drew him out of the Chappell and carried him to the Tower Hillâ— seeing there nothing but swords and weapons and hearing nothing but Kill kill away with the Traytor c. yet he was not so
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
Obeysance made to the King made a publicke Oration in Parliament beâ—ore the King and Peeres wherein hee shewed the Kings undoubted Title to sundry Provinces and the whole Realme of France with the injustice and nullity of the Salicke Law the onely Obstacle to his Title stirring up the King and Nobles by force of Armes to regaine the same and withall declared that his loving Clergie and subjects of the spiritualty to shew their willingnesse and desire to ayde his Majesty for the recovery of his ancient Right and true Inheritance had in their Convocation granted to his Highnesse such a Summe of money as by Spirituall Persons never was to any Pâ—ince thorough the whole Christian World before those times given or advanced By which device seconded by the Duke of Exeâ—er he diverted and shifted off the Petition of the Commons and engaged the King and Kingdome in a long bloody and costly Warre The King himselfe professing on his death Bed that before the beginning of the same Warres hee was fully perswaded by men both Wise Pious and of great holinesse of life that in prosecuting his just Title he might ought both begin the same Warres and follow them till he brought them to an end justly and rightly and that without all danger of Gods displeasure or perill of soule Such an incendiary of war was this Arch-Embassadour of peace that should be Iohn Stafford preferred to the Bishopricke of Bath and Wells by provision from Pope Martin the fifth contrary to the Lawes enacted against Provisions from Rome immediately after Chichelyes death was in farther affront of the sayd Lawes promoted to the See of Canterbury by Pope Eugenius that prohibited usurpation of Papall Provisions deâ—ended by so many Lawes and Statutes being no whit abated through the Popes industry and the Prelates Treachery and ambition who would rather incurre the danger of these Lawes and dis-savour of their Princes then want a far Bishopricke though they paid Popes dearely for it This Arch-Prelate in the first Synod held under him at London Anno. 1444. confederating with the rest of the Clergie when a Subsidie was demanded of them petitioned that the Statutes of Provisors and the Writs or Actions of Praemunire which by the crafty and malicious interpretation of the Lawyers as they â—alsely â—urmised were turned to the destruction of the Clergie and disturbance of Ecclesiasticall Discipline might be either wholly abrogated or their rigour moderatedâ— and that Lay-men for suing Clergie-men falsly in Temporal Courts might have some severe punishment inflicted on them by a Law But this their motion vanishing into smoake and the Judges restraining their extravagant proceedings in Ecclesiasticall Courts by Prohibitions and bringing them within the compasse of the Statutes against Provisions and in the danger of Premunire's which did much terrifie them hereupon the Arch-Bishop and Prelates in their next Synod at London An. 1446. presented a new Petition to the King in the Name of the whole Clergie of England wherein they grievously complained of the Lay-Judges who were ever very troublesome and despightfull to Clerkes desiring that the Statutes of Provision and Praemunire might be more equally expounded in favour of the Prelates by the Parliamen than it was by the Lawyers and that they might be restrained from granting Prohibitions to and exercisingâ— any Jurisdiction over Spirituall Judges But this Petition proved ineffectuall it being provided by Statute that no spirituall Law shall have place contrary to a Common Law or Act of Parliament And this were not as the Lord Audley Chancellour of England once told Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester in the Parliament House who thought it strange that Bishops authorized by the King could fall in a Praemunire the Bishops would enter in with the King and by meanes of his Supremacie order the Lairy as they listed but wee will provide quoth he that the Praemunire shall ever hang over your heads and so we Laymen shall bee sure to enjoy our inheritance by the Common Lawes and Acts of Parliament After this the Pope exacted of the Clergie of England a Tenth of all their Revenues and sent Nuncioes to the Arch-Bishop with Bulls to collect it But the King hearing of this secret fraud commanded the Arch-Bishop not to obey the Pope herein who yet was so farre a servant to the Pope and enemie to the King that during all his Archiepiscopall Raigne the Pope made Bishops by Provision against the Lawes of the Realme Iohn Kemp the next Arch-Bishop elected lawfully by the Monkes of Canterbury with the Kings consent refused to take his Arch-Bishoprike from the King but waving his Election received it by Provision from the Pope who sent over sixe severall Bulls to this end the first to the Arch-Bishop himselfe the second to the Chapter of Canterbury the third to his Provinciall Suffragans the fourth to the Clergie of the City and Diocesse of Canterbury the fifth to the people of the same the sixth to the Vassals of the Arch-Bishop by which Bulls the Pope increased much hiâ— Revenues And â—o obliege this Arch-Prelate the faster to him the Popâ— by another Bull created him Cardinall of Saint Ruffine But this Arch-Bishop dying within one yeare and an halfe after his Consecration could doe him but little service Thomas Burgchier immediaâ—ely succeeding him by the speciall favour of King Henry the sixth this ingratefull Prelate made a Cardinall by the Pope some â—ew yeeres after An. 1461. crowned and consecrated Edward the fourth at Westminster to be King in his stead during King Henry his life and in a full Synod procured the Clergie to grant him a Tenth Afterwards in a Synod at London An. 1463. heâ— granted him another Subsidie and obtained a Grant from King Edward under his Seale that the Prelates should bridle the malice of those by whom their rights were violated as well by old Ecclesiasticall Lawes as by those new Lawes they should make both in all causes belonging to the Ecclesiasticall Court as also in the Tythe of great Trees of twenty yeares growth or more without the feare or penalty of the Statutes of Provisors or of the Writs or Actions of Premunire or of any Prohibition and that they might proceede therein without any consultation obtained And that if any of the Kings Judges or other secular Judges should by any Writs or Processe hinder or deterre any Arch-Bishop Bishop or Arch-deacon or their Vicars Officialls Commissaries or other Ecclesiasticall Judges That then upon the monition of the sayd Arch-Bishop Bishop c. so hindered or scared the sayd Judge should appeare in the Chancery at such day as the said Arch-Bishop or Ecclesiasticall Judge should appoint on paine of two hundred pound to answere to the King for this his contempt and that his Processe against the Ecclesiasticall Judge should by Royall Authority bee rescinded and pronounced to be voyd and frustrate In his time there were many Pilgrimages made both by King Edward the Queene
your holy Church of Rome is taken for such a sort as liveth against his blessed Word against the living of holy Apostles against the conditions of our holy Mother the Church I would say in all oppression in all Sodomitry in all murther in all pompe and pride summa summarum in all manner of mischiefe what tongue can tell or heart can thinke But I will not say so for men would reckon me uncharitable and too vehement Neverthelesse all the world knoweth that you doe reckon your selfe by the vertue of your Oath bound to no men but unto such as in very deede liveth after this ungracious manner and yet will you be faithfull and true unto them against all men yea I dare say if that their conâ—cience had not condemned them of such mischiefe they would never have desired this assistance of you But the verity is they are naught and have neede of maintainers in their mischiefe And also suspect you not to be tâ—â—e except you made an Oath to them yea and scarsely then unlesse that you in very deede at time and place convenient doe betray your Princes for that is the cause of your Oath and other profit hath not the King by it I will be reported by all practise that ever came out of your Oath It followeth And to my Lord the Pope I would gladly learne where the Pope hath got the dignity of a Lord. This thing is little regarded of my Lords the Bishops to bring in such a worldly dignity yea they will say it is but a trifle and mocke men for speaking against it but â—he truth is iâ— they durst as much now as in times past they would burne for this little trifle the best Lord in England For I dare say it hath cost many a mans life or ever they brought the Pope to Lordship Blessed S. Peter whose successor the Pope boasteth himself to be knew nothing of this Lordship for he saith unto his fellowes They shall not exercise any lordship over the Congregation And likewise S. Paul durst not take upon him to command as a Lord collections to be made for poore men but meekely desires them without any Lordship Also in anotheâ— place Let no man judge us but as the Ministers of Christ blessed S. Paul reckoneth himselfe but a Minister and a Servant and yet the day hath beene that he was so good as my Lord the Pope Our Master Christ that came to teach both Peter and Paul learned his Disciples not to use themselves as Lords but as Servants And marke the occasion of that he had sayd there be two new disciples brought unto him and the old being not yet perfect thought scorne that these two should sit above all other the one of the right hand and the other of the lâ—ft hand but our Master Christ reproveâ—h this proud stomacke of theirs very straightly saying How the Princes and Rulers of the infidels hath power over their Subjects but so shall not yee for he that will be greatest among you shall be least Here our Master Christ learneth none Hypocrisie that they should be called least in name and be greatest in very deede but he will that this Doctrine shall be expressed in their deedes My Lord the Pope calleth himselfe in words the Servant of all servants but in very deed hâ— will be Lord over all Lords Yea â—nd my Lords Bishops will be sworne to him as unto a Lord and they will reckon themselves perjured if they burne not all them that will take the Pope but for a servant Is not this a marvellous Hypocrisie to be called servant of all servants and yet desire to be taken as Lord and King over all Kings Yea and unto this be our Bishops sworne cause they will be obedient to their Princes But and their consciences were ripped you should finde no man sit there as a King but my Losell the Pope and we poore men must be condemned for reproving of this And why verily because my Lords have sworne to him against their Prince and all his true subjects But how standeth it with your Oath toward your Prince for to be sworne to the Pope which is not all onely another Lord but also contrary yea and as the world now is the greatest mortall enemie that our Prince hath For I dare say that if this wreâ—ched Clement could drowne our Noble Prince with one word it would not be long By Cardinall Poles practise and Instigations undone sine clementia The Common saying went in Hamburgh that this caitise hath not all onely excommunicated our Noble Prince but also given away the Kingdome to another And this fact must you defend for you are sworne to â—he Pope Yea I dare say if you had convenient occasion you would declare your fidelity I doe Judge after your â—acts that you have done to Kings in times past whensoever that you had power and might to bring to passe that which you have conceived against your Prince If you thinke I judge amisse or else doe you wrong let me be put to my proose and you shall see what an heape of holy facts that I will bring you out of your owne Chronicles and Bookes for the which you will be lauded and praised Highly that you have so faithfully stucke unto this damnable Idoll of Rome yea I dare say it had beene Heresie within this two yeares to have written or sayd thus much against the lâ—mme of the Devill on our Princes side This all the world can testifie whereâ—ore I thinke yoâ— will put me to no â—ryall But to your Oath How doth it stand with your allegiance toward youâ— Prince to be sworne to the Pope your owne Law saith that a leige man can make none Oath of fidelity to none other man but to his owâ—e King Moreover you doe remember your Oath made unto youâ— Prince wherein you doe renounce all clauses words and sentences made unto the Pope which may be hurâ—full or prejudiciall to his Highnesse how agreeth these two Oathes you may set them together as well as you can but I know no wayes to avoyd your perjury For the very truth is that the Kings grace and his councell considering your Oath made to the Pope to be prejudiciall to his regall power causeth you in your Oath aâ—terward made unto him to revoke those things that thou hast afore sworne to â—he Pope and to declare that his grace and his councell did reckon your Oath made to the Pope to bee against him therefore he maketh you to revoke it by name naming the same Oath and also the same Pope So that you may clearely perceive how that our Prince doth suspect you for your Oath making And in very deede the Popes meaning and yours was none other but for to betray the King and his Realme and therefore as soone as there was any variance betweene the King and the Pope then were you first of all assoyled of your allegeance due
to the Pope But what say you to your Oath made unto your Prince wherein you sweare that you shall be faithfull and true and beare unto him above all creatures love and favour to live and to dye with him and to open him all manner of Counsells that may be hurtfull unto his grace Now it is well knowne that the Pope hath done and dayly doth handle such Counsells as be against our Princes honour and conversation And yet you may neither tell it to your Prince nor let it and why because you be sworne to the Pope and forsworne to your Prince Tell me when any thing was opened unto our Prince by you that the Pope had handled in counsell against our Prince Of this thing I will take record of his Noble grace whether I say true or falseâ— and yet must I be accused of Treason And why because you are sworne to the Pope and I am true to the King It followeth I will helpe to defend and maintaine the Papistry of Rome against all men saving mine order And in your new Oath now in our days made is added The regalls of Saint Peter What and in all men be contained your Prince you must needes defend him And why because ye be sworne to the Pope and forsworne to your Prince For your Oath to your Prince is to defend him with all your wit and reason against all men now must you forsake one of them and your practise hath beene alwayes to forsake your Prince and sticke to the Pope for of your Oath made to your Prince you have been oftentimes assoiled And as your Law saith the Church of Rome is 〈◊〉 so to doe But of your Oath made unto the Pope there is no absolution neither in heaven nor earth Neither was it ever read heard nor seene that there could be any dispensation for it Let me be reported by all the Bookes that ever were written and by all the Bulls that ever were granted and by all the experience that ever was used and if I be found false let me be blamed and yet I am sure many men will reckon that I speake uncharitably but I would faine learne of all Charitable men in England with what other English words I could declare this intolerable or subtile treason thus long and shamefully used agâ—inst my Prince which is necessary to be knowne And I am compelled by violence to declare both my conâ—ession and learning in this cause For men hath not beene ashamed to report that I would which am but a wretch and poore simple wonne and not able to kill a Cat though I would doe my utteâ—most to make insurrection against my Noble and mighty Prince whom as God knoweth I doe honour worâ—hip love and favour to the uttermost power of my heart and am not satisfied because it is no more This I speake afore God Let him be mercifull unto me as it is true and if I were not so true in my heart it were not possible for me so earnestly to write against them whom I doe reckon to handle unfaithfully and untruely with their Prince yea against both Gods law and mans law The very truth is I can suffer through Gods grace all manner of wrongs injuries and slanders but to be called an hereticke against God or a Traytor against my Priâ—ce he liveth not but I will say he lyeth and will be able so to prove him if I may be reported by my workes or deedes by my conversation or living or by any thing that ever I did and I dare say as much of my self notwithstanding our Prelates slanders of me But unto my purpose the Bishops doth swear one Oath to the Pope another contrary to their Prince And yet they will be taken for good and faithfull children And I poore man must be condemned and all my workes for Heresiâ— and no man to reade them under the paine of Treason And why because I write against their perjurie toward their Prince But how commeth Saint Peter by these regales that you are sworne to defend seeing that he was never no King but a Fisher All the world knoweth that Regalia belongeth to Kings and to like power of Kings Why are you noâ— rather sworne to defend Peters net and his Fisherie the which things hee both had and used and never regalls But these things will not maintaine the holy Church of Rome and therefore yee sweare not to maintaine them But what meane you by that sentence Saving mine order why say you not saving my Kings pleasure your glosse saith you may not defend these things with weapons But oh Lord God what unshamefulnesse is this thus to delude with words all the whole world Men knoweth that when the Pope hath neede of your helpe there is no men sooner in Armes than you are if you call Armes Harneys Bylles and Glaves swords and gunnes and such other things Doe you not remember how soone the Bishop of Norwich Henry Spenser was in Armes to defend Popâ— Vrban it were but folly to recite examples In the yeare of our Lord 1164. was there a controversie betweene the Kings Grace and the Bishops of England for certaice Prerogatives belonging to the King Wherefore the King required an Oath and a confirmation of the Bishops as concerning those Articles prerogatives But answere was made of the Bishops that those prerogatives cum omnibus pravitatibus in regio scripâ—o contentis were of none effect nor strength because they did forbid to appeale to the Court of Rome unlesse the King gave licence And because that no Bishop might goe at the Popesâ— calling out of the Realme without the Kings assent And because the Clerkes should be convented in criminall causes a fore a temporall Judge And because the King would heare matters as concerning tithes and other Spirituall causes And because that it was against the See of Rome and the dignity of the same that a Bishop should be convented afore the King Briefely they would not be under the King but this addition should be set unto it Salvo honore Dei Ecclesiiae Romanae ordine nostro that is we will be under your grace saving the honour of God of the Church of Rome and of our order the cause why they did except these things was this as they themselves grant For Kings received their authorities and power of the Church but the Church receiveth her authority of Christ onely wherefore they conclude that the King cannot command over Bishops nor absolve any of them nor to judge of tithes nor of Churches neither yeâ— to forbid Bishops the handling of any spirituall cause Is not here a marveilous blindnesse and obstinacie against their Prince They will make it against Gods honour to obey their King and are not ashamed to say in the Kings face that his power is of them But I pray you whether was Kings before Bishops or Bishops before Kings you shall finde
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
subjects minding of his high goodnesse and great benignity so alwayes to impart the same unto them as justice being duly administred all rigour being excluded and the great and benevolent minds of his said subjects largely and many times approved towards his highnesse and specially in their Convocation and Synode now presently being in the Chapiter house of the Monastery of Westminster by correspondence of gratitude to them to be requiâ—ed of his meere motion benignity and liberality by authority of this his Parliament hath given and granted his liberall and free pardon to his said good and loving spirituall subjects and the said Ministers and to every of them to be had taken and enjoyed to and by them and every of them by vertue of this present Act in manner and forme ensuing that is to wit The Kings Highnesse of his said benignity and high liberality in consideration that the sad Archbishop Bishops and Clergie of the said Province of Canterbury in their said Convocation now being have given and granted to him a subsidie of one hundred thousand pounds of lawfulâ—mony currant in this Realme to be levied and collected by the said Clergy at their proper costs and charges and to be paid in certaine forme specified in their said graunt thereof is fully and resolutely contended and pleased that it be ordained established and enacted by authority of this his said Parliament that the most Reverend Father in God William Archbishop of Canterbury Metropolitan and Primate of all England and all other Bishops and Suffragans Prelates c shall be by authority of this present pardon acquired pardoned released and discharged against his Highnesse his heires successours and executors and every of them of all and all manner offences contempts and trespasses committed or done against all and singular Statute and Statutes of Provisours Provisions and Premunire and every of them and of all forfeitures and titles that may grow to the Kings Highnesse by reason of any of the same Statutes and of all and singular trespasses wrongs deceits misdemeanours forâ—eitures penalties and profits summes of mony paines of death paines coâ—porall and pecuniar as generally of all other things causes quarrels suits judgements and exactions in this present Act hereafter noâ— excepted nor soreprised which may be or can be by his Highnesse in any wise or by any meanes pardoned before and to the tenâ—h day of the moneth of March in the 22. yeare of his most Noble Raigne to every of his said loving subjects Provided alway that this Act of free pardon shall not in any wise extend or be beneficiall to the Reverend Father in God Iohn Archbishop of Dublin now being in the Kings Dominions of Ireland nor shall in any wise extend to pardon discharge or acquit the Bishop Hereford Peter Ligham Iohn Baker Adam Travers Robert Cliffe Rouland Philips and Thomas Pelles Clerkes who it seemes were guilty of some notorious crimes against the King and therefore excepted out of this generall pardon But to returne againe to Warham This Archbishop persecuted and shed the blood of some of our Martyrs and caused the corpes of VVilliam Tracy Esq. for some orthodoxe passages in his Will to be taken out of the grave and burnâ— for an Hereticke by an Order made in Convocation sending a Commission to Doctor Parker Chancellour of Worcester to execute this wicked sentence who accomplished the same King Henry the eighth hearing his Subject to be taken ouâ— of the ground and burnt without his knowledge or due order of Law sent for the Chancellour laid this to his charge as an high offence who excused himselfe by this Archbishops command then newly dead but in conclusion it cost the Chancellour 300â— to puâ—chase his pardon and would have cost the Archbishop more had not his death prevented this danger In fine this Archbishop VVarham and Fisher B. of Rochester gave credit and countenance to the forged visions revelations of Elizabeth Barton afterwards condemned of high Treason for the same as â—â—nding to the reproach perill and destruction of the Kings persâ—n honouâ— fame and dignity and Thomas Laurence Register to the Archbishop it is likely by his Masters privity proceeded so farre as to write a booke of her counterfeit miracles revelations and holinesse for which she and her complyces were afterwards execuâ—ed as Tiburne as they had justly deserved being attainted of treason by Parliament among which cursed câ—ue Richard Maister Priest Edward Bocking Doctor of Divinity and Henry Deering Munkes of Canterbury Henry Gold Bachelor of Divinity Thomas Laurence Register to the Archbishop oâ— Canterbury Warham and Hugh Ric. a Frier observant who seduced this silly girle to effect their owne and the Prelates designes the better thereby suffered death as Traytors by hanging drawing and quartering at Tiburne The act of their attainder treasons and execution is at large related by M. Hall in his Chronicle 25. H. 8. f. 218 221 222 223 224. to which I shall referre the Reader Thomas Cranmer next to him in succession was made Archbishop by King Henry the 8. much against his will for in his Discourse with D. Martyn a little before his Martyrdome being charged by him that he had aspired to the Archbishopricke of Canterbury he replyed I protest before you all there was never man came more unwillingly to a Bishopricke than I did to that insomuch that when King Henry did send for mee in Post that I should come over I prolonged my journey by seven weekes at the least â—hinking that â—ee would be forgetfull of mee in the meane time Hee comming to the See tooke the like Oath to the Pope as his predecâ—ssâ—â—rs had done and therefore was deeply charged of perjuâ—y by Martyn for renouncing and swearing against the Popes Supremacie afterward though he answered that the first oath was against the Lawes of God of the Realme the Kings Prerogative and made void by Parliament and so not binding After the nullifying of which oath partly by his meanes but principally by the Lord Croâ—wels whom the King made his Vicegerent Generall in all Ecclesiasticall affaires and causes and superiour to the Archbishop of Canterbury in place and Ecclesiasticall power the Popes Supremacy and usurped jurisdiction was by severall Acts of Parliament quite abolished out of England as prejudiciall and directly opposite to the Kings Prerogative Royall King Henry dying the Archbishop swore to his will by which Queene Mary was to succeed to the Crowne as next heire in case King Edward died without issue King Edward seeing the obstinacie of Qâ—â—enâ— Mary in matters of Religion what a pillar she was like to prove to the Church of Rome and persecutor of the true Professors of the Gospell ordaines by his last VVill that Queene Mary should be put by the Crowne and the Lady Jane succeed him as next Heire to which Testament all the Councell swore and the Archbishop too at last after much adoe Whereupon King Edward and Queene
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.
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
all pestiâ—ent filth that hath infected the State and government of the Church and Common-wealth looke upon him in his dependancies and he is the man the onely man that hath raised and advanced all those that together with himselfe have beene the Authors and causers of all the ruines miseries and calamities we now groane under Who is it but he onely that hath brought the Earle of Strafford to all his great places and imployments a fit instrument and spirit to act and execute all his wicked and bloody designes in thesâ— Kingdomes Who is it but he onely that brought in Secretary Windeâ—anke into the place of Secretary and trust the very Broker and Pâ—nder to the Whore of Babylon Who is it Mr. Speaker but he onely that hath advanced all Popish Bishops I shall name some of them Bishop Manwaring the Bishop of Bathe and Wells the Bishop of Oxford and Bishop Wren the least oâ— all but the most uncleane one These are men that should have sed Christs Flocke but they are the Wolves that devoured them the Sheepe should have fed upon the Mountaines but the Mountaines have eaten up the Sheepe It was the happinesse of the Church when the zeale of Gods house did eate up the Bishops glorious and brave Martyrs that went to the stake in defence of the Protestants religion but the zeale of these Bishops have beene to eate up and persecute the Church Who is it Mr. Speaker but the great Arch-Bishop of Canterbury that hath sit at the Helme to guide and steere them to all the managing of their Projects that have beene set on foote in this Kingdome these ten yeares last past and rather than he would stand out he hath most unworthily trucked and chaffered in the meanest of them As for instance that of Tobacco wherein thousands of poore people have beene stripped and turned out of their tradeâ— for which they have served as Apprentises we all know he was the Compounder and Contractor with them for the Licences putting them to pay Fines and Fee-Farme-rents to use their Trades Certainely Mr. Speaker he might have spent his time better and more for his grace in the Pulpit then thus sharking and taking in the Tobacco shop Mr. Speaker we all know what he hath beene charged withall here in this House Crimâ—s of a dangerous consequence and of transcendent nature no lesse than the subversion of the Government of this Kingdome and the alteration of the Protestant Religion and this not upon bare information onely but much of it comes before us already upon cleare and manifest poofes and there is scarce any businesse Grievances or Complaints come before us in this place wherein we doe not finde him intermingled and as it were twisted into it like a busie and angry Waspe his sting in the taile of everything We have this day heard the report of the Conference yesterday and in it the Accusations which the Scottish Natioâ— hath charged him withall And we doe all know he is guilty of the same if not more in this Kingdome Mr. Speaker he hath beene and is the common enemie to all goodnesse and good men and it is not safe that such a viper should be neere to his Majesties person to distill his poyson into his Sacred eares nor is it safe for the Common wealth that he should sit in so eminent a place of Government being thus accused we know what we did in the Earle of Strafâ—ords case This man is the corrupt Fountaine that hath inâ—ected all the streames and till the fountaine be purged we cannot expect to have any cleare Channels I shall be bold therefore to offer my opinion and if I erre it is the errour of my judgement and not my want of zeale and affection to the publicke good I conceive it most necessary and fit that we should now take up a Resolution to doe somewhat to strike whilst the Iron is hot And goe up to the Lords in the name of the Commons of this House and in the name of the Commons of England and to accuse him of High Treason and to desire their Lordships his person may be sequestred and that in convenient time they may bring up the Charge Which soone after was accordingly executed as you have already seene By these speeches Articles of High Treason against this Arch-Prelate it is apparent that his Treasons equall if not far exceed the Treasons of any of his Predecessors in the darkest mists of Popery and that he like his Predecessor Austin hath endeavored to rayse a bloody civill warre betweene England Ireland and Scotland onely for opposing his all-subduing Archiepiscopall Jurisdiction extended by him over all his Majesties three Kingdomes and for refusing to receive those Superstitious Romish Ceremonies and Innovations which he would have violently thrust upon them yea it is evident by these Articles that he is the primum mobile whence all our late warres tumults uproares and divisions proceededâ— and the spring whence all our insupportable grievances both in our Church and State have originally flowed And so by his owne late published maxime A schisme must needes be theirs whose the cause of it is and he makes the separation that gives the first just cause thereof the blame of all these late schismes warres and intolerable grievances whether Civill or Ecclesiasticall must rest intirely on his head who as he is like to leave no heires of his body lawâ—ully begotten to inherit his vertues so it is pity he should leave any successour behinde him in his See to perpetuate his and his Predecessors Treasons with other their Archiepiscopall vices It is his owne late resolution The condition of the Church were most miserable if it should be constrained to acknowledge a Wolfe manifestly raging for her shepheard and it is likewise his observation A man may become of a Pastor a Wolfe and since Iudas changed from an Apostle to a Devill Joh 6. It is no wonder to see others change from shepheards into Wolvesâ— I doubt the Church is not empty of such changlings at this day Whether himselfe and his forementioned Predecessors have not proved such Wolves and changlings by reason of the Venome of their Archiepiscoâ—all Chaire and whether the condition of our Church were not most miserable if she should be still constrained to acknowledge these Arch-Wolves of Canterbury manifestly raging to be her Shepheards and still to maintaine an interrupted succession of them to devoure the poore sheepe of Christ both soule and body and to be perpetuall pests Traytors and incendiaries to our Church and State as their Predecessours have ever beene I shall submit to those whom it most concernes who have now sufficient power and opportunity in their hands to redresse all incumbent and prevent all future mischiefes in this kinde I could now gladly wade out of this dangerous See of Canterbury wherein I have so long roved did not the Acts of some other ancient Prelates of it next successors to Augustine
merry after but dyed of griefe before they came In his time Vrsus Earle of Worceter had built a Castle at Worceter to some prejudice of the Monkes the Ditch of which Castle trenched somewhat upon the Church-yard and adjoyned too neere to the Monastery Aldred went unto the Earle and having demanded of him whether it were done by his appointment which hâ—e could not deny looking stedfastly on him used these insolent and uncharitable words Hightest thou Vrse Have thou Gods curse adding yea and mine too and the curse of all hollowed heads unlesse thou take away this Castle and know thou assuredly that thy posterity shall not inherit the Lands of Saint Mary which curse the Monkes say was shortly after accomplished Vrsus dying soone after and Roger his sonne flying the Realme Thurstan Arch-Bishop of â—orke about the yeare of our Lord 1100. contrary to the Kings expresse command and his owne faithfull Oath and promise to Henry the first received his Consecration from the Pope at the Councell of Rheemes whereupon the King banished him the Realme neither could he in five yeares space be entreated to restore him At last the Pope by his procurement writ a very sharpe Letter to the King signifying that he would Excommunicate both him and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury also if Thurstan were any longer kept from his See and some say he actually Excommunicated them both and interdicted as well the Province of Yorke as of Canterbury from the use of all manner of Sacraments and from the Baptisme of Infants Upon which the King to be out of trouble contrary to his solemne vow yeelded that he should be called home and soone after he was reconciled unto the King This Arch-Bishop Anno 1148. when as David King of Scots entred our borders and spoiled the Countrey as farre as the River of Teyse gathered together such a power as hee was able to raise on a sudden met them at Alverton slew 1200. of them after which hee cast off his Rochet and turned Monke at Pontfrast where hee dyed Henry Murdac Arch-Bishop of Yorke thrust into that See by the Pope against King Stephens good liking who commended his Kinsman William thereto refused to sweare fealtie to the King who thereupon was so displeased with him that the Townsmen of â—ork by his good liking shut Murdac out of the Citie and refused to receive him Murdac suspended them for this affront Eustace the Kings Sonne commanded Divine Service to be said notwithstanding as at other times hereupon divers tumults and seditions were raised in the Citie wherein an Arch-Deacon a great Friend of the Arch-Bishops was slaine two or three yeares these stirres continued till at last the Arch-Bishop submitted and reconciled himselfe to the King Geffrey Plantagenet Henry the second his base Sonne after the Arch-Bishopricke of Yorke had beene tenne yeares void and kept so long in the Kings hands was commended to that See by Richard the first and consecrated by the Arch-Bishop of Towers He tooke an oath to king Richard his Brother then going to the Holy Land not to set foot in England within 3. yeares space yet presently after he hied him over into England but upon his arrivall he was there arrested and imprisoned in a barbarous manner by William Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellour of England being drawne by the heeles from the very Altar of Saint Martins Church in Dover All the time of king Richard he had many contests with the Commons of Yorke who oft complained of him both to the king and Pope Richard dying king Iohn and this Bishop had many contentions one with the other Anno 1194. by the kings permission many grievous complaints were exhibited in Parliament against this Arch-Bishop for extortion and unjust vexations hee had practised but he passed so little thereof that he made no answer to their Bills Moreover in the second yeare of his raigne he commanded the Sheriffe of Yorkeshire to seize upon all thâ— Arch-Bishops goods and Lands and to returne them into the Exchequer for hindring the kings Officers in gathering a kinde of taxe throughout his Diocesse and refusing to saile into Noâ—mandy with him to make a marriage for his Neece and to conclude a league with the French king which command the Sheriffe executing the Arch-Bishop thereupon excommunicated not onely the Sheriffe that had done him this violence but all those in generall who were the Authors of the same and that had beene any meanes to stirre up the kings indignation against him The King hereupon suspends him from his Bishoprick to whom at last he was glad to pay 1000. pound for his restitution Holinshâ—â— writes that whereas this Arch-Bishop of Yorke had offended king Richard he pardoned and received him againe into favour Whereupon the Arch-Bishop waxed so proud that using the king reproachfully hee lost his Arch-Bishopricke the rule of Yorkeshire which he had in government as Sheriffe the favour of his Soveraigne and which was the greatest losse of all the love of God Anno 1207. this fire of contention raked up in ashes brake out againe King Iohn being at Winchester required such of the Nobilitie and Clergie as were there present that payment should be made unto him of the third part of all the moveable goods in England this motion no man gaine-saâ—d but Geffrey the Arch-Bishop who openly contradicted it After this whether it were he were guiltie of some greater attempt or that hee understood his Brother was grievously offended with him secretly hee avoided the Realmeâ— excommunicating before his departure such of his Jurisdiction as either had already paid or should hereafter presume to pay the said taxe whereupon hee was banished the Realme and lived five yeares in exile till his death Godfrey de Kinton his Successour though he had no bickerings with the king that I read of yet he fell out with the whole Citie of Yorke interdicting it in the beginning of Lent and not restoring it till the third of May following Iohn Roman Arch-Bishop of Yorke Anno 1294. excommunicated Anthony Beake Bishop of Durham or rather two of the Bishops servants being one of the kings Councell and at that time beyond the Seas in the kings Service Whereat the king being highly displeased the Arch-Bishop thought it best to put himselfe to his Mercie hee did so and was fain to redeeme the kings favour with 4000. Markes being fined so much by the whole Parliament for this his offence the griefe whereof strucke him into an incurable disease whereof he dyed Thomas de Corbridge his Successour Anno 1299. upon the Popes Commendatory Letters bestowed his Canons place of Yorke and Custoseship of the Parish of Saint Sepulcher on one Gilbert Segrave notwithstanding the King had formerly written earnestly to him in the behalfe of one Iohn Bush his Secretary which affront in preferring the Popes Clerke before him and his Secretary the King tooke so hainously that hee
the King and his Barons to complaine against the blanke Bulls found in the chests of Beâ—ard de Nympha the Popes agent after his death and of the many machinations of the Romanes to disquiet the Realme Iohn Gerâ—sey next Bishop of Wâ—nchester consecrated at Rome where â—e payd 6000. markes to the Pope and so much more to his Chancellour for his consecration was a great stickler in the Barons warres against King Henry the third as appeares by the forecited passages of Matthew Westminister and was excommunicated by Octobon the Popes Legate for taking part against the King in the Barons warres and forced to goe to Rome for his absolution where he died Henry Woodlocke Bishop of Winchester made request to King Edward the first for Robert Winchelsey Archbishop of Canterbury whom the King had banished for high Treason in which request he called the Archbishop an arch-Traytor his good Lord which the King as he had cause tooke so hainously that he confiscated all his goods and renounced all protection of him Adam Tarleton or de Arleton Bishop of Winchester about the yeere 1327. was arrested and accused of high Treason for aiding the Mortimers against King Edward the second both with men and armour when he was brought to the barre to be arraigned for this Treason the Archbishops of Canterbury Yorke and Dublin with their suffragans came with their Crossesâ— and rescued him by force carrying him with them from the barre in such manner as I have formerly related more at large in the Acts of Walâ—er Rainolds pag. 55.56 Notwithstanding the indictment and accusation being found true his temporalities wereseized into the Kings hands untill such time as the King much deale by his imagination and devise was deposed of his Kingdome If he which had beene a traytor unto his Prince before after deserved punishment for the same would soone be intreated to joyne with other in the like attempt it is no marvell No man so forward as he in taking part with Isabell the Queene against her husband King Edward the second She wiâ—h her sonnes and army being at Oxford this good Bishop steps up into the pulpit and there taking for his Text these words My head grieved me he made a long Discourse to prove that an evill head not otherwise to be cured must be taken away applying it to the King that hee ought to be deposed A Bishoplike application Hereupon they having gotten the King into their power the Bishop fearing least if at any time recovering his liberty crowne again they might receive condigne punishment councelled the Queene to make him away good ghostly advice of a Prelate wherupon she being as ready and willing as he to have it done they writ certaine letters unto the keepers of the old King signifiing in covert termes what they desired they either not perfectly understanding their meaning or desirous of some good warrant to shew for their discharge pray them to declare in expresse words whether they would have them put the King to death or no. To which question this subtile Fox framed this answer Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonumâ—est without any point at all If you set the point betweene nolite and tâ—aere it forbiddeth if betweene nolite and bonum it â—xhorteth them to the committinng of the fact This ambiguous sentence unpointed they take for a sufficient warrant and most pittifully murthered the innocent King by thrusting an hot spit into his fundament and who then so earnest a persecuter of those murthereâ—s as this Bishop that set them a worke who when diverse of his Letters were produced and shewed to him warranting this most trayterly inhumane Act eluded and avoided them by Sophisticall interpretations and utterly denied that he was any way consenting to this hainous fact of which in truth he was the chiefe occasion How clearely he excused himselfe I â—now not But sâ—re I am he like many Arch-trayterly Prelates before himâ— who were oftner rewarded than punished for their Treasons was so farre from receiving punishment as within two moneths after he was preferred unto Hereford than to the Bishoppricke of Worceâ—er and sixe yeares after that translated to Winchester by the Popeâ— at the request of the French King whose secret friend he was which King Edward the third taking in very ill part because the French King and he were enemies detained his temporalties from him till that in Parliament at the suite of the whole Cleargie he was content to yeeld them unto him after which he became blinde in body as hee was before in minde and so died deserving to have lost his head for these his notorious Treasons and conspiracies long before he being the Archplotter of all the Treacheries against King Edward the second Anno. 10. Richard the third 1366. thirteene Lords were appointed by Parliament to have the government of the Realme under the King in diminution of his Prerogative among these Williara Edingdon Bishop of Winchester Iohn Gilbert Bishop of Hereford Lord Treasurer of England Thomas Arundle Bishop of Ely and Chancellour Nicholas Abbat of Waltham Lord Keeper of the privy Seale VVilliam Archbishop of Canterbury Alexander Archbishop of Yorke and Thomas Bishop of Exeter were chiefe and the principall contrivers of this new project which fell out to be inconvenient and pernicious both to the King and Realme the very procurers of this Act as some of the Jâ—dges afterwards resolved deserving death which resolution afterward cost some of them their livesâ— as the Stories of those times declare It seemes this Bishop made great havocke of the goods of his Church for his successor Vâ—illiam VVicham sued his Executors for dilapidations and recovered of them 1672. pound tenne shillingsâ— besides 1566. head of neate 386. Weathers 417. Ewes 3521. Lambes and 127. Swine all which stocke it seemeth belonged unto the Bishoppricke of VVinchester at that time William Wicham his next successor was a great Pluralist the yearely revenues of his spirituall promotionsâ— according as they were then rated in the Kings bookes beside his Bishoppricke amounting to 876. poundâ— thirteene shillings and foure pence besides these Ecclesiasticall preferments he held many temporall offices at the Secretariship the Keepership of the Privy Seale the Mastership of Wards the Treasurership of the Kings revenues in France and divers others Being consecrated Bishop of VVinchester in the yeare 1367. he was made soone after first Treasurer then Chancellor of England It seemes that he was a better Treasurer for himselfe than the King who though hee received hugh summes of money by the ransome of two Kings and spoile of divers large Countries abroad and by unusuall subsedyes and taxations at home much grudged at by the Commons was yet so bare as for the payment of his debts he was constrained to find new devices to raise mony whereupon a solemne complaint was framed against this Bishop for vainely wasting or falsely imbezelling the Kings
Treasure for that otherwise it was impossible the King should be fallen so farre behind hand whereupon hee was charged with the receit of 1109600. pound which amounted to more than a million of pounds besides a hundred thousand frankes paid unto him by Galeace Duke of Millaine for all which a sodaine account is demanded of him divers other accusations and misdemeanours were likewise charged against him and by meanes hereof Iohn a Gaunâ— Duke of Lancaster questioning him in the Kings Courts for these misdemeanours William Skipwith Lord chiefe Justice condemned him as guilty of these accusations procured his temporalties to be taken from him and to be bestowed upon the young Priâ—ce of Wales and lastly commanded him in the Kings name not to come within twenty miles of the Court This happened in the yeare 1376. The next yeare the Parliament being assembled and Subsidies demanded of the Cleargy the Bishops utterly rufused to debate of any matter whatsoever till the Bishop of Winchester a principall member of that assembly might be present with him By this meanes Licence was obtained for his repaire thither and thither hee came glad he might be neere to the meanes of his reâ—titution But whether it were that he wanted money to beare the charge or to the intent to move commiseration or that he thought it safest to passe obscurely he that was wont to ride with the greatest traine of any Prelate in England came then very slenderly attended travelling through by-wayes as standing in doubt of snares his enemies might lay for him After two yeares trouble and the losse of ten thousand markes sustainâ—d by reason of the same with much adoe he obtainâ—â— restitution of his temporalties by the mediation of Aliâ—â— Piers a gentlewoman that in the last times of King Edâ—â—rd altogether possessed him Returning then unto Winchester he was received into the city with solemne procâ—â—sion and many signes of great joy Soone after his returne King Edward diedâ— and the Duke hoping bâ— reason of â—hâ—â—oung Kings nonage to workâ— some mâ—sâ—hiâ—fe unto this Bishop whom of all mortall men he most hated perhaps not without just reason began to rub up some of the old accusationsâ— with addiâ—ions of new complaints But the King thought good to be a meanes of reconciling these two personages and then was easily entreated under the broad Seale of England to pardon all those supposed offences wherewith the Bishop had heretofore beene charged This Bishop earnestly desiring to be made Bishop of VVinchester the King himselfe expâ—obrated to him the exilitie and smalenesse of his learning hee being no Scholler at allâ— but a surveyer of his buildings at first though laden with multitudes of pluralities to whom VVickham answered That albeit he were unlearned yet he was abâ—ut to bring forth a fâ—uitfull issue which should procreate very great store of learned men which was understood of those most ample Colledges he afterwards buâ—lt both at Oxford and VVinchesteâ— for which good works alone his name hath since beene famous and himselfe extolled above his deserts in other things which were but ill at best This Prelate having obtained divers goodly promotions which he acknowledged to have received rather as reward of service then in regard of any extraordinary desert otherwiseâ— he caused to be engraven in VVinchester Tower at VVinsor these words VVickhamâ— whereof when some complained to the King as a thing derogating from his honour that another should â—eeme to beare the charge of his buildings and the King in great displeasure reprehended him for it He answered that his meaning was not to ascribe the honour of that building to himselfe but his owne honour of preferments unto that buâ—lding not importing that VVicham made the Tower but that the Tower was the meanes of making VVickham and raising him from base estate unto those great places of honour he then enjoyed The Pope was now growne to that height of tyranny that he not onely placed but displaced Bishops at his pleasure And his meanes to do it was by translating them to some other Bishoppricke peradventure nothing worth at all Hee translated Henry Beauford from Lincolne to Winchester Iune 23. 1426. and made him Cardinall of S. Eusebius This Bishop was valiant and very wise Pope Martin the fiftâ— determining to make warre upon the Boâ—emians that had renounced all obedience unto the see of Rome made this Cardinall his Legate into that Country and appointed such forces as he could make to be at his commandement Toward the charges of this voyage the Cleargie of England gave a tenth of all their promotions and furnished out foure thousand men and more with this power he passed by France doing there some service for his Prince and Country into Bohemia the yeare 1429. There he remained certaine moneths behaving himselfe very valiantly till by the Pope he was discharged In his youth he was wantonly given and begate a base daughter named Iane upon Alice the daughter of Richard Earle of Arundell About the yeare of our Lord 1425. there fell out a great devision in the Realme of England which of a sparkle was like to have growne to a great flame by meanes of this Henry Beauford Bishop of Winchester Son to Iohn Duke of Lancaster by his third wife for whether this Bishop envied the authority of Humphry Duke of Glosterâ— Protector of the Realme or whether the Duke disdained at the riches and pompous estate of the said Bishop sure it is that the whole Realme was troubled with them and their partakers so that the citizens of London were faine to keepe dayly and nightly watches and to shut up their shops for feare of that which was doubted to have insued of their assembling of people about them The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Duke of Quimbre called the Prince of Portingale rode eight times in one day betweene the two parties and so the matter was staid for a time but the Bishop of Winchester to cleare himselfe of blame so farre as hee might and to charge his Nephew the Lord Protector with all the fault wrote a Letter to the Regent of France The 25. day of March a Parliament began at the Towne of Leicester where the Duke of Bedford openly rebuked the Lords in generall because that they in the time of warre through their privy malice and inward grudges had almost moved the people to warre and commotion in which time all men ought or should be of one minde heart and consent requiring them to defend serve and to dread their soveraigne Lord King Henry in performing his conquest in France which was in manner brought to conclusion In this Parliament the Duke of Glocester laid certaine Articles to the Bishop of Winchesters charge First Whereas hee being Protector and Defendor of this Land desired the Tower to be opened to him therein Richard VVoodvile Esquire having at that time the charge of the keeping of the Tower refused his desire and kept the same Tower against himâ—
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
and Nudigate three Monkes of the Charterhouse a Priest neare Winsor the Abbots of Ierney and Rivers Freer Forrest Crofts and Collines Priests Thomas Epsara Monke five Priests of Yorkeshire and Robert Bockham John Tomson Roger Barret John Wolcocke William Alse James Morton John Barrow Richard Bruneâ— Priests chiefe stirrers in the Devonshire rebellionsâ— and principall doers therein and one Welch a Priest Vicar of St. Thomas neare Exbridge hanged on the Tower there in his Priests apparell with a holy-water bucket and sacring Bell a paire of Bedes and such other Popish Trinkets about him for his rebellion were all executedâ— This Bishop imploed by King Henry the eight with Sir Henry Knevet as his Embassador at the Diâ—t at Ratisbond he held private intelligence and received and sent letters under hand to the Pope whose authority the King had utterly abolished and had then mortall enmity with for which false and trayâ—erly practise of which the King had certaine intelligence he caused in all Pardon 's afterwards all Treasons committed beyond the seas to be excepted which was most meant for the Bishops cause whom he exempted out of his Testament as being willfull and contentious and one that would trouble them all and exempted also out of his said Testament the Bishop of Westminsâ—er for that he was Schooled in Winchesters Schoole whom this King before his death was certainely beleeved to abhorre more than any English man in his Realme He was found to be the secret workerâ— that three yeares before the Kings death divers of the Privy Chamber were indited of heresie for the which the said King was much offended Anno. 1548. he was committed Prisoner to the Fleet and after to the Tower for a Sermon preached before King Edward and disobeying the Kings Injunctions when he had there continued two yeares and an halfe he was by authority deprived of his Bishoppricke and sent to prison againe where he continued till Queene Maries time when hee was not onely restored unto his Bishoppricke but likewise made Lord Chancellor of England For the extreame malice he bare to our Religion he not onely cruelly burnt many poore men but likewise wrought all the meanes his cunning head could devise to make away our late famous Quueene Elizabeth saying often it was in vaine to strike off a few leaves or branches when the roote remained he not onely caused this innocent Princesse to be imprisoned and barbarously handled both in the Tower and after at Woodstocke being the Queenes owne Sister and heire apparent to to the Crowne procuring to her so great vexation by his rigorous usage that she wished her selfe borne a Milkemaide but proceeded so farre in his treacherous plots against her that in all probabilities his cursed policy must have prevailed had not God moved the heart of Queene Mary her Sister with a very kinde and naturall affection towards her and in mercy taken him the more speedily out of the way by death till which time she had no securitie release or hope of life The whole Story of his treachery and Gods mercy towards this blessed Queene is at large related by Master Foxe He was a bitter opposite and enemy to Cranmer Ridley and Latimer refusing to eate his dinner that day the two last of them were burnt at Oxford before hee heard from thence of their death He was the bane of Queene Anne the Lady Anne of Cleave the Lord Cromwell Dr. Barnes and others And though in King Henries dayes he proved Queene Mary a Bastard and the Bishop of Rome to be an usurper yet afterwards when Queene Mary came to the Crowne he was her chiefest instrument the forwardest man to advance the Popes Supremacy and the sorest Persecutor Anno. 1554. On the Cunduit in Gracious streete King Henry the eight was painted in harnesse having in one hand a sword and in the other hand a Booke whereon was written Verbum Dei delivering the same as it were to King Edward his Sonne who was painted in a corner by him hereupon was no small matter made for Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester sent for the Painter and not onely called him Knave for painting a Booke in King Henrâ—es hand and specially for writing thereon Verbum Dei but also Traytor and villaine commanding him to wipe out the Booke and Verbum Dei too Whereupon the Painter fearing that he should leave some part of the Booke or of Verbum Dei in King Henries hand wiped away a peece of his finger withall England had great cause to blesse God for his death which happened so opportunity not so much for the great hurt he had done in times past in perverting his Princesse bringing in â—ixe Articles in murthering Gods Saints in defacing Christs sincere Religion as especially for that hee had thought to have brought to passe in murthering also Queene Elizâ—beth for whatsoever danger of death it was shee was in it did no doubt proceede from this Bloody Bishop who was the cause thereof and if it be certaine which we heard that her Highnesse being in the Tower a writ came downe from certaine of the Counsell for her execution it is out of controverâ—ie that wily Winchester was the onely Dedalus and framer of that Engin. He was an enemy to this Queene and with divers of the Lordsâ— strictly examined her at the Tower And when shee recovered from her dangerous sicknesse he and other Bishops repined looked blacked in the mouth and told this Queene they marvelled that she submitted not her selfe to her Majesties mercy considering that she had offended her highnesse Winchester after talking with her perswaded her to submit her selfe which she refusing he replied that she must tell another tale ere that she should he set at liberty least she should have advantage against him for her long and wrong imprisonment more English blood by his meanes was spilled in Queene Maries time by hanging heading burning and prisoning than ever was in any Kings raigne before her This treacherous Prelate who called King Edward his Soveraigne usurper being hated of God and all good men had a miserable death sutable to his life for the old Duke of Norfolke comming so visite him the same day that Ridly Latimer were burnt at Oxford the Bishop would not sit downe to dinner till one of his servants about foure of the clocke comming post from Oxford brought most certaine intelligence that fire was set to these Martyrs whereupon comming out rejoycing to the Duke Now saith he let us goe to Dinner They being set down meate immediatly was brought and the Bishop began merrily to eate but what followed The bloody Tyrant had not eaten a few bits but the sudden stroke of Gods terrible hand fell upon him in such sort as immediatly hee was taken from the Table and so brought to his bed where he continued the space of fifteene dayes in such intollerable anguish torments within rotting even above ground that all that while
Dei sunt decent Episcopum exequatur sed vices suas indignis et remissis executoribus committat ut terreno vel foro vel palatio totus serviat nam nec terreni Principis ratiocinia quisquam dimidius sufficienter administrat Quamobrem memoratus Pontifex cum jam esset grandaevus officio seculari suscepto in Australibus Angliae partibus ad publica totus negotâ—a recidebat mundo non crucifixus sed infixus writes Nubrigensis of him Roger Archbishop of Yorke deceasing A. 1181. delivered great summes of money to certaine Bishops to be distributed among poore people King Henry the second after his death called for the mony and seised it to his use alleadging a sentence given by the same Archbishop in his liâ—etime that no Ecclesiasticall person might give any thing by will except hee devised the the same whilst hee was in perfect health Yet this Bishop of Durham would not depart with 400 Markes which hee had received to distribute among the poore alleaging that hee dealt the same away before the Archbishops death and therefore hee that would have it againe must goe gather it up of them to whom hee had distributed it which himselfe would in no wise doe But the King tooke no small displeasure with this indiscreet answer in so much that hee seised the Castle of Durham into his hands and sought meanes to disquiet the said Bishop by divers manner of wayes King Richard going into the holy Land made this Bishop chiefe Justice from Trent Northwards and the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor and chiefe Justice of England betweene whom strife and discord immediately arâ—se which of them should be the greater for that which pleased the one displeased the other for all power is impatient of a consort The Bishop of Ely soone after imprisoned him till hee had surrendred Winsor Castle and others to him and put in pledges to be faithfull to the King and Kingdome of which more in Ely At the returne of King Richard from Ierusalem hee found him not so favourable as hee expected and thinking that he grudged him his Earledome resigned the same into his hands For the redemption of which he afterward offered the King great summes of money whereupon the King knowing how to use him in his kind writ letters to him full of reverend and gracious speeches wishing him to bring up his money to London and there to receive the Government of the whole Realme which hee would commit to him and the Archbishop of Canterbury Being very joyfull of this â—avour he comes about Shrovetide towards London and surfeiting of flesh by the way died This Prelate who much troubled and oppressed the Commons and whole Realme had no lesse than three bastard sonnes whom hee endeavoured to advance but they all dyed before him Hee was oft in armes in the field and besieged the Castle of Thifehill belonging to Earle Iohn he tooke up the Crossado and went beyond Sea with King Richard the first to the warres in the holy Land but considering the danger got a dispensation and returned speeding better than Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury and ten Archbishops and Bishops more who diâ—d at the siege before Acon and like warlike Prelates stirred up King Richard with sundry other Christian Princes to that bloody chargeable and unâ—ortunate warre wherein many thousands of Christians spent both their lives and estates and whereby Christians lost the verity of Christian Religion and Christ himselfe in a great measure whiles thus they warre to secure the place of his sepulcher which proved a sepulcher both to their bodies and soules * William K. of Scotland comming to visit King Richard the first afteâ— his release this Prelate and Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury went to Brackley where the Bishop had an Inne The King of Scots servants comming thither would have taken up the Bishops Inne for their King but the Bishops servants withstood them whereupon they bought provision for the King and dressed it in another house in that same Court When the Bishop came thither and his servants had informed him what had passed he would not retire but went on boldly unto his Inne and commanded his meat to be set on the table whiles he was at dinner the Archbishop of Canterbury comes to him and offers him his lodging and counsels him to remove and leave the Inne The King of Scots comming late from hunting when hee was told what had happened tooke it very grievously and would not goe thither but commanded all his provision to be given to the poore and goes forthwith to the King to Selnestone complains to him of the injury the Bishop of Durham had offered to him for which the King sharpely rebuked him Richard de Marisco Lord Chancellor of England and Archdeacon of Notthumberland an old Courtier was thrust into this See by Gualo the Popes Legate and consecrated by the Archbishop of Yorke in the yeare 1217. during the time of the vacancy This Richard was a very prodigall man and spent so liberally the goods of his Church as the Monkes doubting hee would undoe them and himselfe also went about by course of Law to stay him and force him to a moderation of expence But it fell out quite contrary to their expectation for hee being wilfully set continued Law with them appealing to Rome c. and continued his old course even untill his death The yeare 1226. in the beginning of Easter terme hee rid up to London with a troope of Lawyers attendâ—ng on him At Peterborough he was entertained in the Abâ—ey very â—onoâ—rably and going to bed there in very good health was found in the morning by his Chamberlaine starke dead Hee deceased May the first leaving his Church 40000. markes indebâ—ed though his contention and prâ—digall factious humour Anthony Beake the 41. Bishop of this See a very wealthy man contented not himselfe with ordinary Titles Therefore he procured the Pope to make him Patriarcâ— of â—erusalem obtained of the King the Principality of â—he Isle of Man during his life Anno 1294. being Ambassador to the Emperor Iohn Roâ—an the Archbishop of Yorke excommunicated him which cost him â—000 Markes fine to the King and his life to boote hee dying for griefe There was greaâ— stirre betweene him and the Prior and Covent of Durham Hee informed the Pope that the Prior was a very simple and insufficient man to rule that house and thereupon procured the government thereof both spirituall and temporall to be committed to him The Monkes appealed both the Pope and King who required the hearing of these controversies betweene the Prior and Bishop This notwithstanding the Bishops officers made no more adoe but excommunicated the Prior Monkes and all for not obeying their authority immediately Herewith â—he King greatly offended caused those Officers to be fined and summoned the Bishop himselfe to appeare before him at a day appointed before which day hee got to Rome never acquainting
the King with his determination The King thereupon seised into his hands the Bishops liberties appointed a new Chancellour new Justices and other officers of Durham Hee writ also to the Pope in favour of the Prior who delivering the Kings Letters himselfe the Pope adjudged him a sober and discreet man what ever the Bishop had reported of him and restored him to his place during the Bishops disgrace for this contempt the King tooke â—hree Mannors with the Church of Symondbury from the Bishopricke with divers Castles and Lands forfeited to him by Iohn Bayliol King of Scots and others The Bishop at last submitted himselfe and bought his peace Anno Dom. 1298. in the battell of Foukirke betweene the English and Scots this Bishop of Durham Anthony Beake led the second battell of the Englishmen conâ—isting of 39. standards who hasting forth to be the first that should give the on â—et when his men approached neere the enemies the Bishop commanded them to stay till the third battell which the King Edward the first led might approach But that valiant Knight the Lord Ralph Basset of Draiton said to him My Lord you may goe and say Masse which better becommeth you than to teach us what wee have to doe for wee will doe that which belongeth to the order and custome of warre About the yeare 1318. at the importunate suite of the Kings of England and France the Pope gave the Bishopricke of Duâ—ham unto one Lewes Beaumont a Frenchman borne and of the blood Royall there hee was lame of both his legges and so unlearned that hee could not read the Bulls and other instruments of his consecration When hee should have pronounced this word Metropoliticae not knowing what to make of it though hee had studied upon it and laboured his Lesson long before after a little pause Soyt pur dit saith he let it goe for read and so passed it over In like sort he stumbled at In aenigmate when hee had fumbled about it a while Par Saint Lewis quoth hee il n'est pas curtois qui ceste parolle ici escrit that is by Saint Lewes he is to blame that writ this word here Not without great cause therefore the Pope was somewhat strait laced in admitting him He obtained conâ—ecration so hardly as in foureteene yeares hee could scarce creepe oâ—t of debt Riding to Durham to be install'd there hee was robbed together with two Cardinals that were then in his company upon Wiglesden More neere Derlington The Captaines of this rour were named Gilbert Middleton and Walter Selby Not content to take all the treasure of the Cardinals the Bishop and their traine they carried the Bishop prisoner to Morpeth where they constrained him to pay a great ransome Gilbert Middleton was soone after taken at his owne Castle of Nitford carried to London and there drawne and hanged in the presence of the Cardinalls After this one Sir Iosceline Deinvill and his brother Robert came with a great company to divers of this B. of Durhams houses in the habits of Friers spoyled them leaving nothing but bare walls and did many other notable robberiesâ— for which they divers of their company were soone after hanged at York This B. stood very stoutly in defence of the Liberties of his See recovered divers lands taken away from Anthony Beake his predeâ—essor and procured this sentence to be given in the behalfe of his Church quod Episcâ—pus Dunelmensiâ— debet habere forisfacturas guerrarum intra libertates sicut Rex extra that the Bishop of Durham is to have the forfeitures of warre in as ample sort within his owne Liberties as the King without Iâ—mediately after this Bishops death in great hast but with no great good speed the Covent of Durâ—am proceeded unto the Election of a new Bishop the old being yet scarcely buried and they made choise of one of their owne company a Monke of Durham This election the Arch-Bishop of Yorke confirmed yea the matter grew so forward as the same Arch-bishop was content to give him consecration also All this while the Kings good will was not sought no nor which was a greater oversight as the world then went the Popes neither The King therefore not onely refused to deliver possession of the Temporalties unto this elect but also laboured the Pope ex plenitudine potestatis to conferre the Bishopricke upon a Chaplaine of his named Richard de Bury the Deane of Wells Partly to pleasure the one that requested partly to displeasure the other for not requesting he did so and commanded the Bishop of Winchester to consecrate him which being performed at Chertsey soone after Christmasse the King presently invested him in the temporalties belonging to that See Now was the Monke a Bishop without a Bishopricke having no other home he was faine to returne to his Cloyster and there for very griefe as it is supposed within a few dayes after dyed This Richard dé Bury at what time Edward of Windsor Prince of Wales fled into France with his Mother was principall receiver of the Kings Revenewes in Gascoigne Their mony failing he ayded them secretly with a great summe of that he had received for the King It had almost cost him his life he was so narrowly pursued by some of the Kings friends that got understanding of it as hee was glad to hide himselfe in a steeple in Paris the space of seven dayes The Queene we know was then contriving an open rebellion and plotting a mischeivous treason against her husband King Edward the second whom she shortly after seised upon in an hostile manner and afterwards caused to be deprived and murthered so that this Prelates furnishing of her thus with the Kings owne monies to further this her designe was high Treason at the least Not to mention how the Pope upon King Edward the third his request consecrated Thomas Hatfield his Secretary Bishop of this See without any regard or examination of his worthinesse being a man altogether illiterate and that when some of the Cardinalls tooke exceptions against him saying that he was not onely a meere lay man but a fellâ—w of light behaviour and no way fit for that place how the Pope answered that if the King of England had requested him for an Asse at that time he would not have denyed him and thereupon made this Aâ—se a Bishop Iohn Fordham Bishop of Durham Anno 1388. was by Parliament banished the Court as a pernicious instrument and corrupter of King Richard the second a Traytor a flatterer a whisperer a slanderer and wicked person Iohn Sherwood the 52 Bishop of Durham Solliciter of all King Edward the fourths causes in the Court of Rome fell off from his Masters Sonne King Edward the fifth to that bloody usurper Richard the third at whose Coronation this Bishop of Durham went on the one side of him and the Bishop of Bath on the other the Arch-bishop of Canterbury
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
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
him more than a King and the Clergy men more than a Pope but both of them an intollerable tyrant For by occasion of his double power hee put on a double tyrants person being onely innoxious to his complices and co-operators but equally grievous to all others not onely in his greedy desire of monies but likewise in his pleasure of domineering his pride being more than Kinglyâ— almost in all things Hee carrying himselfe above himselfe consumed much Treasure in walling about the Tower of London which he thought to have compassed with the Thames Et regem de magna parte pecuniae multipliciter damnificauit and many wayes damnified the King in mispending a great part of his money Therefore in the end he was precipitated from the top to the bottome of confusion He set over every Province rather to be destroyed than governed most wicked executioners of his covetousnes who would neither spare Clergy man nor Lay man nor Monke whereby they might the more advance the profit of the Chancellour for so was he called when as he was a Bishop the name verily of a Bishop being nothing at all or Lukewarme in him but the name of a Chancellor was famous and terrible throughout all England Hee appointed the Governours of every county under pretence of suppressing theeves to have great troopes of cruell and barbarous armed persons to ride with them every where to terrifie the people who going abroad in every place without punishment comitted both many enormities and cruelties Hoveden 〈◊〉 and Holinshed note that the King confirming this Bishop Chancellor and Lord chiefe Iustice of all England and the Bishop of Durham to be Lord chiefe Iustice from Trent Northwards when they were thus advanced to these dignities howsoever they came by them directly or indirectly that immediatly thereupon strife and discord did arise betwixt them for waxing proud and insolent they disdained each other contending which of them should beare most rule and authority insomuch that whatsoever seemed good to the one the other misliked The like hereof is noted before betweene the Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorke For the nature of ambition is to delight in singularity to admit no Peere to give placâ— to no superiour to acknowledge no equall as appeares by this proud Prelate Who afterward depriving Hugh of Durham of all his honour and dignity and putting the Bishop of Winchester to great trouble and doubting least the Nobles of the Realme should put him out of his place who detested him for his pride and insolencie he thereupon matched divers of his Kinswomen to them to make them true unto him promising them great preferments the rest of the Nobility hee either crushed or otherwise appeased fearing none but Iohn the Kings brother who was like to succeede him to curbe him hee sent his two brothers to the King of Scots to joyne in a firme league with him to crowne Arthur King and not Iohn in Case the King died without issue These â—everall particulars insolencies and oppressions being related to the King Wintring in Sicily he thereupon sent Walâ—er Archbishop of Rhoan a prudent and modest man with a Commission to be joyned with this Bishop in the government of the Kingdome and that nothing should be done without his consent sending Hugh Bardulfe Bishop of Durham with him to governe the Province of Yorke where the Bishops brother played Rex in a barbarous manner granting him likewise the custody of the Castle of Windsor Hugh meeting with the Bishop at the towne of Ely shewed him the Kings Letters to this purpose to which he answered that the Kings commandement should be done and so brought him with him to Euwell where he tooke him and kept him fast till hee was forced to surrender to him the Castle of Windsor and what else the King had committed to his custody and moreover was constrained to leave Henry de Putâ—nco his ownâ— sonne and Gilbert Lege for hostages of his fidelity to be true to the King and the Realme The Bishop hereupon contemned this command of the King pretending that hee knew his minde very well and that this Commission was fraudulently procured and when the Archbishop of Rhoan according to the Kings direction went to Canterbury to order that See being void this proud Chancellor aspiring to the prerogative of this See prohibited him to doe it threatning that he should dearely pay for this his presumption if he attempted to goe thither or doe any thing in that businesse so that this Archbishop continued idle in England But the Chancellor impatient of any collegue in the Kingdomes government like a â—inguler wilde beast preyed upon the Kingdome Whereupon he sends for a power from beyond the sea puts Gerardus de Cammilla from the government of Lincolne Castle his wives inheritanceâ— and commands him to resigne it into his hands he refusing to doe it repaiâ—es to Iohn the Kings brother for aide and assistance whereupon the Bishop in a rage presently goes and besiegeth the Casâ—le and seekes to force it Iohn in the meane time takes Notingham and Tikehill and sends to the Bishop to give over his siege who losing one of his hornes or hands his spirituall Legantine power by the Popes death and a little affrighted therewith by the advice of his friends he comes to a parly with Iohn and made his peace with him for the present upon the best termes and conditions hee could But hearing shortly after that the forraigne forces he had sent for to ayd him were arrived he takes courage and falls off from his Covenants protesting that he would drive Iohn or Iohn should drive him out of the Kingdome intimateing that one Kingdome was to little to containe two such great and swelling persons At last they come to new Articles of agreement soone after which Geoffery Plantagenet Archbishop of Yorke the Kings and Iohns base brother procured his consecration from the Archbishop of Towres which the Chancellour hindred and delayed all he might The Chancellour his bitter enemy and prosecutor hearing of it presently â—ends his owne Officers to Yorke invades and spoiles all the possessions of the Bishopprickâ— and what ever belonged thereto and commands all the Ports to be stopped to hinder his landing and accesse to his Church writing this Letter to the Sheriffe of Kent We command you that if the Elect of Yorke shall arrive in any Port or Haven within your Baylywicke or any Messenger of his that you cause him to be arrested and kept till you have commandement from us therein And we command you likewise to stay attach and keepe all Letters that come from the Pope or any other great man He notwithstanding arrives at Dover but found a greater storme on shore than at sea for the Captaine of Dover Castle who had married a Kinswoman of the Chancellors hindred his progresse and certified the Chancellour of his landing withall speede who no wayes dissembling the rage of his fierce minde commanded him to be stript of
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
a Lyon by the paw I am commanded to lay this great malefactour at your doores one who hath beene a great oppugner oâ— the life and liberty of Religion and who set a brand of infamy to use his own words upon Ipswich education In summe one who is a compleate mirrour of innovation superstition and oppressionâ— he is now in the snare of those Articles which were the workes of his owne hands The rod of Moses at a distance was a serpent it was a rod againe when it was taken into his hands this Bishop was a serpent a devouring serpent in the Diocesse of Norwich your Lordships peradventure will by handling of him make him a rod againeâ— or if not I doubt not but your Lordships will chastise him with such rods as his crimes shall deserve My Lords I am commanded by the House of Commons to desire your Lordships that this Bishop may be required to make answer to these Articles and that there may be such proceedings against him as the Course and Justice of Parliament doth admit You see by this Parlamentary impeachment what a Regulus Tyrant and Serpent this Wren hath beene I shall say no more of him but leave him to his legall triall Richard Mountague who next succeeded Bishop Wren in this Sea proceeded on in his extravagant courses and Popish innovations witnesse his strange Visitation Articles printed for the Diocesse of Norwich many whereof are directly Popish others unjust absurd and strangely ridiculous as of what Assise is â—our Surplesse What is your Surplesse or Lords Table worth if it were to be sold Is your Communion Table rayled in so as Cats and Dogges he might as well have added Rats and Mice cannot get through unto it c. This Bishop conscious to himselfe of his owne guiltinesse came not up to this last Parliament for feare of questioning and being complained of for suspending a Lecturer in Norwich without any just cause even sitting this Parliament the House thereupon made an Order that a speciall Committee should be appointed to examine all his offences old and new the newes whereof so affrighted him that within few dayes after he died to ease the Parliament of that labour of whom see more in Chichester Since his decease this See hath continued vacant and the whole Diocesse earnestly desire it may so remaine till Doomesday having beene almost ruined and infinitely vexed by their late monstrous Prelates of whom I shall now take my farewell and shape my course to Chester Diocesse The Bishops of Chester The Bishopricke of Coventry and Lichfield in former times had three Episcopall Sees Chester Coventry and Lichfield whence some of the Bishops in our Chronicles were formerly called the Bishops of Chester because they there resided of some of whose Acts I shall give you a taste Hugh Novant Bishop of Chester whom Godwin reckons among the Bishops of Coventry and Lichfield about the yeare 1188. when King Richard the first was taken prisoner by the Arch-duke of Austria joyned with Iohn Earle of Morton the Kings Brother against the King to dispossesse him of his Kingdome his brother went from this Earle and the French King to the Emperour with Letters a message promising him a great summe of money in their names to detaine the King still in Prison after the Articles for his release and ransome were concluded for which treason and conspiracy after the Kings enlargement this Bishop was indicted in a Parliament at Nottingham that he being privy to the Kings secrets had revolted from him to the King of France and Earle Iohn his enemies adhered to them plotting all mischiefe for the destruction of the King and of the Kingdome whereupon hee was peremptorily cited to appeare and answer this indictment within 40. dayes which he failing to doe was adjudged to be punished by Ecclesiasticall censures as he was a Bishop and as an Officer to the King he was also by the Laity banished the Realme and at last enforced to purchase his peace with a Fine of 5000 markes to the King Anno 211 90. he having purchased the Monastery of Coventry from the King came thither with a power of armed men to place in secular Priests in stead of the Monkes who making resistance against him he invaded them with forces chased away some lamed others of themâ— spoiled their house burnt their Charters and Evidences himselfe being wounded and that in the Church before the High Altar in this conflict to the effusion of his blood In the yeare of our Lord 1234. in the Purification of St. Mary King Henry the third came to a conference at Westminster wherein he sharpely rebuked certaine Bishops Et maximè AlexandruÌ„ Cestrensem Episâ—opum especially Alexander de Savensby Bishop of Chester that they were over-familiar with the Earle Marshall Et quòd ipsum de regni solio depellere nitebantur that they indevoured to depose him from his royall throne But this Bishop clad in his Pontificalibus when hee knew such things were objected to him and also that some had suggested to the King by way of exasperating that the Bishops favouring the party of the Marshall would create another King was exceedingly moved especially against Roger de Catelu whereupon hee incontinently excommunicated all those who imagined any such wickednesse against the King or maliciously imposed such things upon the Bishops who were altogether folicitous of the Kings honours and safety The innocency of the Bishops being thus manifested and proved and the sowers of dissention confounded Catelu held his peace being not free as it seemedâ— from the Anathema So the other Bishops who were present intervening Alexander Bâ— of Chester was pacified and his spirit quieted Nimis antè amaricatus being overmuch imbittered before Edmond Elect Archbishop of Canterbury with many of his suffragans were present at this conference who all condoling at the desolation of the King and Kingdome came to the King and as it were with one heart mind and mouth said O our Lord the King let us tell you in the Lord as your faithfull subjects that the counsell which you now have and useâ— is neither wholsome nor safe but cruell and dangerous to your selfe and to the Kingdome of England to wit the counsell of Peter Bishop of Winchester of whom before Peter de Rivallis and their complices Fiâ—st of all because they hate and contemne the English Nation calling them Traytors and causing them all to be so called and turning your minde away from the love of your owne Nation and â—hâ— hearts of your people from you as appeares in the Marshall who is the best man of your Land whom they have perverted and estranged from you by lyes they have scattered abroad of him And through this very counsell to wit by the said Bishop your Father King Iohn first lost the hearts of his people after that Normandy afterwards other lands and in the end exhausted all his treasure and almost lost the
Vortigerne but to King Powes named Beuly whose successors in tâ—at part of Wales issued from this Herdsmans race Our learned Martyr Doctor Barnes reciting this story and Legend out of Petrus de Natalibus concludes thus I thinke no man will binde me to prove this thing of the Calfe a lye and yet it must be preached and taught in each Church it must be written in holy Saints lives and he â—ust be a Saint that did it and why because hee deposed a King and set in a Neaâ—esherd Odo Bishop of Bayeux was at first in great estimation with his Brother William the Conquerour and bare great rule under him till at last for envy that Lanfranke was preferred before him he conspired against him who understanding thereof committed him to Prison where he remained till the said Prince then lying on his death bed released and restored him to his former liberty When the King was dead William Rufus took him backe into England supposing no lesse than to have had a speciall friend and a trusty Counsellour of him in all his affaires But ere long after his comming thither he fell againe into the same offence of ingratitude whereof he became culpable in the Conquerours dayes For perceiving that Lanfranke Arch Bishop of Canterbury was so highly esteemed with the King that he could beare no rule and partly suspecting that Lanfrancke had beene chiefe cause of his former imprisonment he suffered Duke Robert to bereave his Brother King William Rufus of the dominion of England all he might and conspired with the rest against his Nephew and thereupon writ sundry Letters unto Duke Robert counselling him to come over with an army in all hâ—ste to take the rule upon him which by his practise should easily be compassed Duke Robert thus animated pawnes the County of Constance to his younger Brother Henry for a great summe of gold and therewith returned answer to the said Bishop that he should provide and looke for him upon the South coast of England at a certaâ—ne â—ime appointed Hereupon Odo fortified the Castle of Rochester and began to make sore warres against â—he Kings friends in Kent and procured his other complices also to doe the like in other parts of the Realme And first on the West part of England Geoffrey Bishop of Constans with his Nephew Robert de Mowbray Earle of Northumberland setting forth from Bristow tooke and sacked Bath and Beâ—kley with a great part of Wiltshire and brought the spoile to Bristow where they fortified the Castle for their greater safety Robert de Bygod over-rode and robbed all the Countries about Norwich and Hugh de Grandwesuit spoyled and wasted all the Counâ—ries abouâ— Leicester And Robert Mountgomery Earle of Shrewâ—bury with William Bishop of Durham and others wasted the Country with fire and sword killing and taking great numbers of people where they came Afterwards comming to Worcester they assaulted the City and burnt the Suburbs But Bishop Wolstan being in the Towne encouraged the Citizens to resist who by his exhortation sallying out of the City when the enemies waxed negligent they slew and tooke above 5000. men of them in one day Archbishop Lanfranke in the meanâ— time whilst the Realme was thus troubled by Odoes meanes on each side writeth to and admonisheth all the Kings friends to make themselves ready to defend their Prince And when they were assembled with their forces he counselled the King to march into the â—ield speedily with them to represse his enemies The King following his counsell commanding first all unjust Imposts Taxes and Tallages to be laid downe and promising to restore such favourable Lawes as the people should dâ—sire to ingratiate himseâ—fe with hâ—s Subjects marcheth with a mighty army into Kent where the sedition beganâ— takes Tunbridge and Horne-Castle and afterward bâ—seigeth Bishop Odo in the Pemseyâ— which the Bâ—shop had strongly fortified Robert landing with a great Army in England during this siege Odo through want of victuall was glad to submit himselfe and promised to cause the Castle of Rochesteâ— to be delivered but at his comming thiâ—her they within the City suffred him to enter and straightwayes laid him fast in Pâ—â—son Some judge that this was done under a colour by his owne consent But the King besieging the City they within were glad â—o deliver iâ— up into his handâ— Thus lost Bâ—shop Odo all his Livings and dignities in England and so returned into Norâ—andy where under Duke Robert he had the chiefe government of the Country committed to him Anno Dom. 1196. Earle Iohn King Richard the first his Brother with his forces riding forth into the Country about Beauvois made havocke in robbing and spoyling all aâ—ore him Anon as Phillip the Bishop of Beauvois a man more given to the Campe then to the Church had knowledge hereof thinking them to be a meeâ—e prize for him with Sir William de Merlow and his Sonne and a great number of other valiant men of warre came forth into the fields and encounâ—ring with the enemies fought very stoutly But yet in the end the Bishop the Arch-deacon and all the chiefe Captaines were taken the residue slaine and chased After this Earle Iohn and Marchades presented the two Prelates with great triumph unto King Richard earely in the morning lying yet in his bed as those that were knowne to be his great enemies saying to him in French Rise Richard rise we have gotten the great Chantor of Beauvois and a good Quire man as we take it to answer him in the same note and here we deliver them unto you to use at your discretion The King seeing them smiled and was very glad for the taking of this Bishop for that he had ever found him his great adversary And therefore being thus taken fighting in the field with armour on his backe thought he might be bold in temporall wise to chastise him sith he not regarding his calling practised to molest him with temporall weapons Whereupon he committed him to close Prison all armed as he was It chanced soone after that two of his Chaplaines came unto the King to Roven where this Bishop was detained beseeching the King of License to attend upon their Master now in captivity unto whom as it is of some reported the King made this answer I am câ—ntent to make you Iudgeâ— in the cause betwixt me and your Master as for the evills which he hath either done or else gone about to doe unto me let the same be forgotten This is true that I being taken as I returned from my journey made into the holy Land and delivered into the Emperours hands was in respect of my Kingly state used according thereunto very friendly and honorably till your Master comming thither for what purpose he himselfe best knoweth had long conference with the Emperour After which I for my part in the next morning tasted the fruite of their over-nights talke being then loaden with as many Irons as a good Asse
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
punctuall and peremptory in all these Although the words of the tenth Canon Cap. 3. be faire yet the wicked intentions of Canterbury and Rosse may be seene in the poynt of justification of a sinner before God by comparing the Canon as it came from our Prelates and as it wes returned from Canterbury and Printed our Prelates say thus It is manifest that the superstition of former ages hath turned into a great prophanenesse and that people are growne cold for the most part in doing any good thinking there is no place to good workes because they are excluded from justification Therefore shall all Ministers as their Text giveth occasion urge the necessity of good workes as they would be saved and remember that they are Via Regni the way to the kingdome of Heaven though not causa regnandi howbeit they be not the cause of Salvation Here Rosse giveth his judgement That he would have this Canon simply commanding good workes to be â—reached and no mention made what place they have or have not in justification Upon this motion so agreeable to Canterburies mind the Canon is set downe as it standeth without the distinction of via regni or causa regnandi or any word sounding that way urging onely the necessiâ—y of good workes 7. By comparing Can. 9. Cap. 18. As it was sent in writing from our Prelates and as it is Printed at Canterburies command may be also manifest that he went about to establish auricular confession and Popish absolution 8. Our Prelates were not acquainted with Canons for afflicting of arbitrary penalties But in Canterburies Booke wheresoever there is no penalty expresly set downe it is provided that it shall be arbitrary as the Ordinary shall thinke fâ—ttest By these and many other the like it is apparent what tyrannicall power he went about to establish in the hands of our Prelates over the worship and the soules and goods of men overturning from the foundation the whole order of our Kirke what seeds of Poperie he did sow in our Kirke and how large an entry he did make for the grossest novations afterward which hath beene a maine cause of all their combustion The third and great novation wes the Booke of Common Prayer Administration of the Sacraments and other parts of Divine Service brought in without warrant from our Kirke to be universally received as the onely forme of divine Service under all highest paines both civill and Ecclesiasticall which is found by our nationall assembly besides the Popish frame formes in divine worship to containe many Popish errors ceremonies and â—he seeds of manifold and grosse superstitions and idolatries and to be repugnant to the Doctrine Discipline and order of our Reformation to the confession of Faith constitutions of generall Assemblies and Acts of Parliament establishing the true Religion that this also wes Canterburies worke we make manifest By the memoirs and instructions sent unto him from our Prelates wherein they gave a speciall account of the diligence they had used to doe all which herein they were enjoyned by thâ— approbation of the Service Booke sent to them and of all the marginall corrections wherein it varyeth from the English Booke shewing their desire to have some few things changed in it which notwithstanding wes not granted This we finde written by Saint Androis owne hand and subscribed by him and nine other of our Prelates By Canterburies owne Letters witnesses of his joy when the Booke wes ready for the presse of his prayers that God would speed the worke of the hope to see that service set up in Scotland of his diligence to send for the Printer and diâ—ecting him to prepare a blacke letter and to send it to his servants aâ— Edenburgh for Printing this booke Of his approbation of his proofes sent from the Presse Of his feare of delay in bringing the worke speedily to an end for the great good not of that Church but of the Church Of his encouraging Rosse who wes entrusted with the Presse to goe on in this peece of Service without feare of enemies All which may be seene in the Autographs and by Letters sent from the Prelate of London to Rosse wherein as he rejoyceth at the sight of the Scottish Canons which although they should make some noyse at the beginning yet they would be more for the good of the Kirke than the Canons of Edenburgh for the good of the Kingdome So concerning the Leiturgy he sheweth that Rosse had sent to him to have an explanation from Canterbury of some passage of the Service Booke and that the Presse behoved to stand till the explanation come to Edenburgh which theâ—efore he had in haste obtained from his Grace and sent the dispatch away by Canterburies owne conveyance But the Booke it selfe as it standeth interlined margined and patcht up is much more than all that is expressed in his Letters and the changeâ— and supplements themselves taken from the Masse Booke and other Romish Ritualls by which he maketh it to vary from the Booke of England are more pregnant testimonies of his Popish spirit and wicked intenâ—ions which he would have put in execution upon us then can be denyed The large declaration professeth that all the variation of our Booke from the Booke of England that ever the King understood wes in such things as the Scottish humour would better comply with than with that which stood in the English service These Popish innovations therefore have been surreptitiously inserted by him without the Kings knowledge and against his purpose Our Scottish Prelates doe petition that something may be abated of the English ceremonies as the Crosse in Baptisme the Ring in marriage and some other things But Canterbury will not onely have these kept but a great many more and worse superadded which wes nothing else but the adding of â—ewell to the fire To expresse and discover all would require a whole booke we sall onely touch some few in the matter of the Communion This Booke inverteth the order of the Communion in the Booke of England as may be seene by the numbers setting downe the orders of this new Communion 1.5.2.6.7.3.4.8.9.10.15 Of the divers secret reasons of this change we mention one onely In joyning the spirituall praise and thanksgiving which is in the Booke of England pertinently after the Communion with the Prayer of Consecration before the Communion and that under the name of Memoriall or Oblation for no other end but that the memoriall and Sacrifice of Praise mentioned in it may be understood according to the Popish meaning Bellar. de Missa lib. 2. cap. 21. Not of the spirituall sacrifice but of the oblation of the body of the Lord. It seemeth to be no great matter that without warrand of the Booke of England the Presbyter going from the North end of the Table shall stand during the time of consecration at such a part of the Table where he may with the more ease and decency use
Cassell was accused by Iohn Gese Bishop of Lismore and Waterford upon 30. Articles layd to his charge After all that he charged him that he made very much of the Irish and loved none of the English that he bestowed no benefice upon any English man and gave order likewise unto other Bishops that they should not conferre the least living thaâ— was â—pon them That he counterfeited the King of Englands seale and the Kings Letters Patents that he went about to make himselfe king of Mounster also that he tooke a Ring away from the Image of Saint Patricke which the Earle of Desmund had offered and bestowed it upon an Harlot of his beside many other enormities which he exhibited in writing And the Lords and Commons were much troubled betweene these twaine Now in the same Parliament there was debate betweene Adam Pay Bishop of Clon and another Prelate â—or that he sayd Adam went about to unite the others Church unto his but the other would not and so they were â—ent and referred unto the Court of Rome and this Parliament lasted 18. dayes Annoâ— 1532. Iohn Allen Arch-bishop of Dublin Chaplaine to Cardinal Wolsie and his Creature put the Earle of Kildare to great trouble wrongfully to take away his life and that out of affection to his Lord and Master the Cardinall This Arch-bishop Anno. 22. H. 8â— was specially and by name excepted out of the Kings generall pardon of the Premunire and other offences granted to all the Clergie that yeare as appeares by the Act it selâ—e 22. H. 8. c. 15. No doubt it was because the King tooke speciall notice of some great injuries and mis-demeanors by him committed which he meant to question him for After this meaning to sayle into England Anno. 1534. and that secretly lurkingâ— as Tartajus Thomas Fitzgerald and others apprehended and haled him out of his Bed brought him naked in his â—hirt bare footed and bare headed to their Captaine whom when the Archbishop espied incontinently hee kneeled and with a pitifull countenance and lamentable voyce he besought him for the love of God not to remember former injuries but to weigh his present calamity and what malice so ever he bare his person yet to respect his calling and vocation in that his enemy was a Christian and he among Christians an Arch-bishop As he spake thus bequeathing his soule to God his body to his enemies mercâ— Thomas Stibon without compassion and withall inflamed wiâ—h desire of revenge turned his horse aside saying in Irish Away with the Churle meaning the Arch-bishop should be detained as Prisonerâ— But the Caitifes present misâ—onstring his words murthered the Arch-bishop without further delay brained and hackt him in gobbets his blood withall crying to God for revenge the place ever since hath beene hedged and imbarred on every side ungrowne and unfrequented for the deâ—estation of the fact rough and â—igorous Justice deadly hatred of the Giraldins for his Masters Wolsies sake and his owne as he had much crossed and bridled them in their governments promoted their accusations and forged a Letter against them to their prejudice and danger as was likely was the cause of his ruine Anno. 1567. Marice a runne gate Priest going to Rome was consecrated Arch-bishop of Cashell by the Pope arriving in Ireland he made challenge to the same See which being denyed to him by the Arch-bishop placed there by the Queene the sayd supposed Bishop sudainely with an Irish scaine wounded the Bishop and put him in danger of his life Annoâ— 1579. The Lord chiefe Justice of Ireland upon suspition of Treason committed the Chauncellor of Liviricke to Prison for which he was indicted and found guilty and the Bishop likewise upon the same suâ—pition was committed Prisoner to his owne houâ—e Anno. 1600. The Rebells of Mounster by their Agents a certaine Spaniard elect Arch-bishop of Dublin the Bishop of Clonfort the Bishop of Killaloe and Archer a Jesuite had obtained at lengâ—h with praying intreating and earnest beseeching at the King of Spaines hands that succour should be sent into Mounster to the Rebels under the conduct of Don Iohn D' Aquila upon assured hope conceived that all Mounster would shortly revolt and the titular Earle of Desmond and Florenâ— Mac-Carti joyne great aydes unto them but Sir George Carew the Lord President of Mounster had providently before intercepted them and sent them over into England Whereupon D' Aquila arrived at Kinsale in Mounster with two thousand Spaniards old Souldiers and certaine Irish Fugitives the last day of October and straight wayes having published a writing wherein he gloriously stiled himselfe with this Title Master Generall and Captaine of the Catholike King in the warre of God for holding and keeping the faith in Ireland endeavoureth to make the world beleeve that Queene Elizabeth by the definitive sentences of the Pope was deprived of her Kingdomes and her Subjects absolved and freed from their Oath of Allegiance and that he and his men were come to deliver them out of the Devills clawes and the English tyranny And verily with thâ— goodly pretence he drew a number of lewd and wicked persons to band and side with him through these Prelates meanes I have now given a short account of some of â—he Irish Prelates disloyall and seditious Actions in â—ormer ages which I shall close up with the accusations and proceedings against some of them within the limits of this last yeare On the fourth of March last the whole house of Commons in Ireland sent up these Articles of High Treason against Iohn Bramham Bishop of Derry and others to the Upper House of Parliament there which I finde Printed with Captaine Audâ—ey Mermin his speech who presented them at the time of their transmission Articles of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in the Parliament Assembled against Sir Richard Bolton Knight Lord Chancellour of Ireland Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry and Sir Gerard Lowther Knight Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas and Sir George Ratcliffe Knight in maintenance of the accusation whereby they and every of them stand charged with High Treason FIrst that they the sayd Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry c. intending the destruction of the Common-wealth of this Realme have trayterously confederated and conspired together to subvert the fundamentall Laws and government of this Kingdome and in pursuance thereof they and every of them have trayterously contrived introduced and exercised an arbitrary and tyrannicall government against Law throughout this Kingdome by the countenance and assistance of Tâ—omas Earle of Strafford then chiefe Governour of this Kingdome That they and every of them the sayd Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry c. have trayterously assumed to themselves and every of them regall power over the goods persons Lands and liberties of his Majesties subjects of this Realme and likewise have maliciously perfidiously and trayterously given declared pronounced and published many false unjust and erronious opinions Judgements Senâ—ences and Decrees in extra
Lord as hee is my Judge I wish if his gracious pleasure so were that first the Kings Majesty and so forth all those to whom God hath given power and authority upon earth under him may throughly see and perceiveâ— how that noâ— onely the bloody Beare-Wolfe of Rome but also the most part of the other Bishops and stout sturdy Canons of Cathedrall Churchesâ— with other petty pronlers and prestigious Priests of Baalâ— his malignant members in all Realmes of Christendome especialle here in England doth yet roare abroad like hungry Lyonsâ— freâ— like angry Beares and bite as they dare like cruell wolves clustering together in corners like a swarme of Adders in a dunghill or most wily subtill serpents to uphold and preserve their filthy Father of Rome the head of their bawdy broodâ— if it may be No lesse do I iudge it than a bounden duty of all faithfull ministers to manifest their mischiefes to the universall worldâ— eveâ—y man according to his Talent given of God some with pen and some with tongue so bringing them out of their old estimation lest they should still raigne in the peoples consciences to their soules destruction An evident example have they of Christ thus to do which openly rebuked their filthy forefathers the Scribes Lawyers Phariâ—ees Doctors Priests Bishops and Hypocrites for making Gods commandements of no effecâ—â— to support their owne traditions Markâ— 8. Luk. 12. Paul also admonisheth us that after his departure should enter in among us such ravenuing wolves as should noâ— spare the flocke These spirituall manhunters are the very off-spring of Cain children of Caiphasâ— and successors of Simon Magus as their doctrine â—nd living declareth needing no fâ—rther probation most cruell enemies have they beene in a lages to the verity of God ever since the Law was first given and most fierce persecutours of Christ and his Church which hee there proves at large by severall examplesâ— â— No where could the verity be taught but these glorious gluttons were ever at hand to resist it Marvell not yee Bishopâ— and Prelates thâ—ugh I thus in the zeale of Helias and Pâ—ineas stomacke against your â—â—urdie stormes of stubbornenesse for never was any tyranny ministred upon Christâ— and his mysticall members but by your procurements and now in our dayes where are any of the Lords true Servants burned or otherwise murthered for true preaching writing glossing or interpretting the Gospell but it is by your cruell calling upon c. If you be not most wicked workers against God and his verity and most spitefull Traytors to the King and his Realme I cannot thinke there be any living upon the earth Be this onely spoken to you that maintaine such mysteries of madnesse never sent Christ such bloody Apostles nor two horned warriours but the Devils Vicar Antichrist which is the deadly destroyer of faithfull Beleevers What Christian blood hath been shed betweene Empire and Empire Kingdome and Kingdome as between Constantinople and Almaine England and France Italy and Spaine â—or the Bishops of Rome and how many cruell watres of their Priests calling on were too much either to write or to speake Alwayes have they beene working mischiefe in their idle Generation to obscure the verity of God I say yet once againe that it were very necessary for the Kings worthy Majestie with earnest eyes to marke how God hath gratiously vouchsaâ—ed to deliver both him and his people from your troublesome Termagaunt of Rome which afore made all Christian Kings his common slaves and to beware of you hollow hearted Traytors his spirituall promoters considering that your proud predecessours have alwayes so wickedly used his Graces noble Progenitors the worthy Kings of this Realme since the Conquest and aâ—ore Who overthrew King Herald subduing all his land to the Normans Who procured the death of King William Rufus and caused King Stephen to be throwne in prison Who troubled King Henry the First and most cruelly vexed King Henry the second Who subdued and poysoned Kings Iohn Who murthered King Edward the second and famished King Richard the second most unseemingly Besides that hath been wrought against the other Kings also To him that shall read and throughly marke the religious acts of Robert the Archbishop of Canterbury of old Egelwinus Anselmus Randolfe of Durham Ralfe of Chichester Alexander of Lincolne Nigelus of Ely Roger of Salisbury Thomas Becket Stephen Langhton Walter Stapleton Robert Baldocke Richard Scrope Henry Spencer Thomas Arundell and a great sort more of your anointed Antecessors Pontificiall Prelates mitâ—ed mummers mad mastry workers ringed ruâ—â—lers rocheted rutters shorne sawcy swilbols it will evidently appeare that your wicked generation hath done all that and many other mischiefes more By these your filthy â—orefathers and such oâ—her hath this Realme beene alwayes in most miserable captivity either of the Romans or Danes Saxons or Normans and now last of all under the most blasphemous Behemoth your Romish Popâ— the great Antichrist of Europe and most mighty maintainer of Sodome and Gomorrah How unchristianly your said Predecessors have used the Rulers of all other Christian Realms it were too long to write I reckon it therefore high time for all those Christian Princes which pretend to receive the Gospell of salvation and accordingly after that to live in mutuall peace and tranquillity for ever to cast you out of their privy councels and utterly to seclude you from all administrations till such time as they find you no longer wolves but faithfull feeders no destroyers but gentle teachers For as Saint Peter doth say 1 Pet. 5. Yee ought to be no Lords over the people of your Diocesse but examples of Christian meeknesse Who seeth not that in these daies your bloody Bishops of England Italy Cycell France Spaine Portugall Scotland and Ireland be the ground and originall foundation of all controversies schismes variances wars betwixt Realme and Realme at this present c. Consider your beginningâ— never came yee in with your Miters Robes and Rings by the doore as did the poore Apostles but by the window unrequired like Robbers Theeves and manquellers with Simon Magus Marcion and Menander never was your proud Pontificall power of the heavenly Fathers planting and therefore it must at the last up by the rootes yee must in the end be destroyed without hands Dan. 8. c. I thinke â—he devils in hell are not of a more perverse mind nor seek no more wayes to the soules destruction than you Yee play Pharaoh Caiphas Nero Trajanus with all tyrants parts besides Oh abominable scorners and theeves which practise nothing else but the utter destruction of soules If any thing under the Heavens hath need of Reformation let them thinke this to be one which minded any godlinesse for never did cruell Pharaoh hold the people of Israel in so wicked captivity as doth â—his superstitious sort idle Sodomites the most deerly redeemed heritage of the Lord. If they be no spirituall theeves soule murtherers heretickes of and
prescribing all Bishops when they ordaine Ministers Archbishops or Bishops to use this exhortation to them Have alwayes printed in your remembrance how great a treasure is committed to your charge for they be the sheepe of Christ which hee bought with his death and for whom he shed his bloodâ— the Church and Congregation whom you must serve is his spouse and body And if it shall chance the same Church or any member thereof to take any hurt or hinderance by reason of your negligence yee know the greatnesse of the fault and also of the horrible punishment which will ensue Whereâ—ore consider with your selves the end of your Ministry towards the children of God towards the spouse and body of Christ and see that you never cease your labour your care and diligence untill you have done all that lyeth in you according to your bounden duty to bring all such as are or shall be committed to your charge unto â—hat ripenesse or perfectnesse of age in Christ that there be no place left among them either for errour in religion or for vitiousnesse of life And what Prelate or Minister hath done this And for this selfe same cause yee see how yee ought to forsake and seâ— aside as much as you may all worldly cares and studies Wee have good hope that you have well weighed and pondered these things with your selves long before this time and that you have cleerly determined by Gods grace to give your selves wholly to this vocation whereunto it hath pleased God to call you see â—hat as much as lyeth in you you apply your selves whoâ—ly to this one thing and draw all your care and study this way to this end And that you will continually pray for the heavenly assistance of the Holy Ghost that by daily reading and weighing of the Scriptures you may so waxe riper and stronger in your Ministry And â—hat this your promise shall more move you to doe your dâ—ties yee shall answer plainly to these things which we in the name of the Congregation shall demand of you touching the same Will you give your faithfull diligence alwayes to â—inister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realme hath received the same according to the Commandements of God so that yoâ— may teach the people committed to your cure and charge with all diligence to keepe and observe the same I will so doe by the helpe of God Will you be diligent in Prayers and in reading of the holy Scriptures and in such studies as helpe to the knowledge of the same laying aside the study of the World and the Flesh I will endeavour my selfe so to doe the Lord being my helper And at the consecration of every Archbishop and Bishop this charge by the direction of the said booke is given to him Bee thou to thy flocke a sheepheard not a wolfe feed them but devoure them not And it is worthy observation that the same Chapters and Epistles are read at the ordination of Ministers and consecration of Bishops which proves their office and function both one and the same by divine institution The third part of the Homily of the perill of Idolatry ratified by the 35. Article of our Church subscribed unto by all our Prelates and Ministers published in King Edwardâ—he â—he 6. his dayes and reprinted by King Iames his speciall command determines thus against the Courtship and secular imployment of Prelates That Bishops in the Primitive Church did most diligently and sincerely teach and preach for they were then preaching Bishops and more often seene in Pulpits than in Princes Palaces more often occupied in his Legacie who said Goe yee unto the whole world and preach the Gospell unto all men than in Ambassages and affaires of Princes of this world And in the 5. and 6. part of the Homily against wilfull rebellion and the second part of the Homily for Whitsunday notably paints forth at large the treasons conspiracies practises aud rebellions of Popes and our Prelates against the Emperours and our Kings in former ages which hee that will may there read at his leasure being too common and large to recite M. Hugh Latimer who gave over his Bishopricke out of conscience in K. Henâ—y the 8. his raigne and never resumed it againe skipping for joy hâ—e was rid of that heavie burthen In his Sermon of the Plough preached thus God saith by the Prophet Ieremy Maledictus qui facit opus Dei fraudulenter guilefully and deceitfully some bookes have negligenter negligently or slackly How many such Prelates how many such Bishops Lord for thy mercy are there now in England And what shall wee in this case do shall wee company with them O Lord for thy mercy shall we not company with them O Lord whither shall wee flee from them But cursed be hee that doth the worke of the Lord negligently or guilefully A sore word for them that are negligent in discharging their office ill Yee that be Prelates looke well to your office for right Prelating is busie labouring and not Lording therefore preach and teach and let your plough be doing Ye Lords I say that live like loyterers looke well to your office the Plough is your office and charge if yee live idle and loyter you doe not your duty c. They have to say for themselves long customes ceremonies and authority placing in Parliament many things more And I fear mee this Land is not ripe to be ploughed for as the saying is it lacketh withering This Land lacketh withering at least it is not for mee to plough For what shall I looke for among thornes but pricking and scratching What among stones but stumbling what I had almost said among Scorpions but stinging But thus much I dare say that since Lording and loytering hath come up preaching hath gone downe contrary to the Apostles times for they preached and Lorded not and now they Lord and preach not for they that bee Lords will ill goe to the Plough it is no meete oâ—fice to them it is not seeming for their estate Thus came up Lording loyterers thus crept up unpreaching Pâ—elates for how many unlearned Prelates have wee now at this day And no marvell for if the ploughmen that now be were made Lords they would cleane give over ploughing they would leave their labour and fall to Lording outright and let the plough stand then both ploughs not walking nothing should be in the Common-wealth but hunger For ever since the Prelates were made Lords and Nobles their plough standeth there is no worke done the people starve they hawke they hunt they card they dice they pastime in their Prelacies with gallant Gentlemen with their dauncing Minions and with their fresh companions so that ploughing is set aside and by their Lording and loytering preaching and ploughing is cleane gone And thus if the ploughmen in the Country were as negligent
in their office as Prelates be wee should not long live for lacke of sustenance And as it is necesâ—ary to have this ploughing for the sustentaâ—ion of the body so must wee have also the other for the â—atisfaction of the soule or else we cannot live long ghostly for as the body wasteth and consumeth away for lacke of bodily meate so doth the soule pine away for want of ghostly meate And as diligently as the Husband man plougheth for the sustentation of the Body so diligently must the Prelates and Ministers labour for the feeding of the soule Both the Ploughs must still be going as most necessary for man they have great labours and therefore they ought to have good livings that they may commodiously feed their flocke for the preaching of the Word of God is called meate Scripture calleth it meate not strawburies that come but once a yeare and tarry not long but are soone gone but it is meate it is no dainties the people must have meate that must be familiar and continuall and daily given unto them to feed on c. And wherefore are Magistrates ordained but that the tranquillity of the Common-wealth may be confirmed limiting both Ploughes But now for the fault of unpreaching Prelates mee thinkes I could guesse what might be said for excusing of them they are so troubled with Lordly living they be so placed in Palaces couched in Courts ruffling in their rents dauncing in their Dominions burthened with Embassages pampering of their paunches like a Monke that maketh his Iubilee mounching in their maungers and moyling in their gay Mannors and Mansions and so troubled with loytering in their Lordships that they cannot attend it they are otheâ—wise occupied some in Kings matters some are Embassadours some of the Privie Counsell some furnish the Court some are Lords of Parliament some aree Presidents and controllers of Mints Well well Is this their duty is this their calling is this a meere office for a Priest to be controllers of Mints is this a meete office for a Priest that hath cure of soules is this his charge I would here aske a question Who controlleth the Divell at home at his Parish whiles hee controlleth the Mint If the Apostles might not leave the office of preaching to be Deacons shall one leave it for minting I cannot tell you the saying is that since Priests have beene Minters money hath beene worse than it was before And they say that the evilnesse of money hath made all things deere And in this behalfe I must speake to England Heare my Country England as Saint Paul said in 1 Cor. 6. for Paul was no sitting Bishop but a walking and a preaching Bishop Is there saith hee Congregationâ— Which hee speaketh in rebuking them â—or saith hee ad eâ—ubescentiam vestram dico I speake it to your shame So England I speake it to thy shame is there never a Nobleman to be a Lord President but it must be a Prelate Is there never a wise man in the Realm to be a Controller of the Mint I speake it to your shame I speake it to your shame If there be never a wise man make a water-bearer a tinker a cobler a slave a page controller of the Mint Make a meane Gentleman a Groome a Yeoman make a poore Begger Lord President Thus I speake not that I would have it so but to your shame Is there never a Gentleman meete nor able to be Lord President For why are noâ— the Noble men and young Gentlemen of England so brought up in the knowledge of God and in learning that they be able to execute offices in the Common-wealth the King hath a great many Wards and I heare there is a Court of Wards Why is there not a Schoole of Wards as well as there is a Court for their Lands Why are they not set to the Schooles where they may learne or why are they not sent to Universities that they may be able to serve the King when they come to age The onely cause why Noble men be not made Lord Presidents is because they have not beene brought up in learning yet there be already Noblemen enough though not so many as I could wish able to be Lord Presidents and wise men enough for the Mint and as unmeet a thing it is for Bishops to be Lord Presidents or Priests to be minters as it was for the Corinthians to plead matters of variance before heaâ—hen Judges It is also a slaunder to the Noblemen as though they lacked wisedome and learning to be able for such offices A prelate hath a charge and cure otherwise and therefore he cannot discharge his dutyâ— and be a Lord President too for a Presidentship requireth a whole man and a Bishop cannot be two men A Bishoop hath his office a flocke to teach to looke unto and therefore he canâ—ot meddle with another office which requireth an whole manâ— hee should therefore give it over to whom it is meete and labour in his owne businesse as Paul writeth to the Thessalonians Let every man doe his owne businesse and follow his calling Let the Priest preach and the Noblemen handle Temporall matters Well I would all men would looke to their duty as God hath called them and then wee should have a flourishing Christian Commonweale c. You may read all the Sermon to this purpose In the close whereof he proves the devill to be the best Bishop in England because hee alwaies followes his plough night and day is never a Non-resident and manifests our Bishops even in King Edwardâ— dayes when they were best to be as bad or worse than the Devill and chargeth the King in many of his Sermons to out with them and make them all Quondamâ— In his fift Sermon before King Edward f. 61 62. he thus prosecutes the same argument Though I say that I would wish more Lord Presidents I meane not that I would have Prelates Lord Presidents noâ— that Lord Bishops should be Lord Presidents As touching that I said my mind and consâ—ience the last yeare And although it is said Praesint it is not meant that they should be Lord Presidents the office of a Presidentâ—hip is a Civill office and it cannot be that one man shall discharge both well c. In his Sermon at Stanford p. 96. Christ was not the Emperours Treasurer therefore he meddled not with that point but left it to the Treasurer to define and determine Hee went about another vocation to preach unto the people their duty and to obey their Princes Kings Emperours and Magistrates and to bid them give that the King requireth of them not to appoint a King what hee shall require of them It is meete for every man to keepe his owne vocation and diligently walke in it and with faithfulnesse to study to be occupied in that God hath called him unto and not to be busie in that God hath not called him unto c. In his Sermon on S. Iohn Evangelists
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
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