skrine the Decalogue shal befairely painted and the Communion Table shall bee placed close to the same more decently then it hath beene which being performed the Quire will be much beautified and the celebration of divine service for sight and audience better accommodated then heretofore That Quire to omit the example of Christ-Church the other Cathedrall Church in this Citie and of Saint Paule in London if I bee not mistaken representing in a lesser modell the patterne of Westminster Abbey where there is a skrine enclosing some monuments and a way on each hand to the Chappell adjoying Your Grace may bee pleased also to understand that the Earle obtained Licence to erect his Monument in that place by the unanimous consent of the Deane and Chapter of that Church and that they are Honourable personages whose memory is preserved in that monument the one being Lord Iustice and Lord Chancellour of this Kingdome the other principall Secretary of State both Ancestors to his most pious and Vertuous Lady lately deceased And finally Your Grace is intreated to take Your consideration the meritts of this Noble Earle his zeale for the advancement of true Religion declared by his suppressing forreign jurisdictions and presumptions by building of Churches in severall places and erecting Schoole-houses and Almeshouses at his owne charge besides his publike workes for the common-Wealth raising structures of great strength and expence in places of importance and planting of English Colonyes to the great security and settlement of Peace and civility within those parts all which considered hee may be justly deemed worthy of Honourable memory in the Church Thus much by opening the truth I have written at the Earles request who is exceeding desirous to purge himselfe to Your Grace from giving any scandall to the Church whereupon he hopeth to gaine Your Graces approbation of his blamelesse carriage which I also humbly beseech on his behalfe ever remaining To doe Your Grace Service La Dubline Talloch 17. Feb 1633. To which Letter of the Archbishop of Dublin this Arch-Prelate returned this waspish insolent answer writ with Master Dells but endorsed with his owne hand found in his Study with the former Originalls in the very beginning whereof you may discerne his most palpable dissimulation and falshood S. in Christo My very good Lord IT is most true that I have taken offence at a Tombe erected by the Earle of Corke in the Cathedrall of Saint Patrick but I did not take that Offence lately onely but before ever my Lord Deputy that now is was named to the place And I took that offence by a complaint thence sent unto me for I was never there though I cannot recall who it was that complaind And I am sure the complaint came then unto mee with a full cry that it was built in the place where the High-Altar first stood and the Communion Table afterwards Your Lordship at the Earles entreaty hath signified to me your knowledge for so you say that the Tombe stands in a great Arch at the end of the Quire which was plaistered up to keepe out the Winde and that the High Altar stood at the end of the Lady Maries Chappell which is beyond it and that the East Window is at the top of the Arch and not darkened My Lord it will be hard for mee to speake any thing contrary to Your Lordship who hath beene so often upon that place where I never was yet I shall deale freely and tell Your Lordship what I thinke And first my Lord I am satisfied that the Tombe darkens none of the East-Window But I am no way satisfied that the Altar stood at the upper end of the Lady Maries Chappell That an Altar stood there I easily grant for in those times there were diverse Altars in one Cathedrall and every by Chappell had one at least But that the High-Altar did ever stand in any Cathedrall in other place then the East end of the Quire is quite out of my knowledge nor did I ever heare it till now by Your Lordships Letters That the place before the Arch was an earthen Floore and often troubled with a fresh I doe againe really believe Your Lordship And the Earle hath done very well to raise it and pave it with stone But that the swelling of the Tombe The Iron Grate before it The taking in of some ancient Monuments on either side The erecting of a Skrine before which you say the Communion Table should stand would take off little or no Roome from the Quire that I must confesse I doe not very well understand Your Lordship addes that when the Skrine is built and the Communion Table placed before it it will much beautifie the Quire and be like other Cathedralls To that I can say nothing but must leave it to their eye-sight and judgement that are upon the place And whereas Your Lordship sayes that my Lord had leave of the Deane and Chapter with their unanimous consent to erect a Monument in that place if the place be fit for a Monument the consent was very well askt and given But if it appeare the place were inconvenient then my Lord of Corke did not very well to aske a consent and the Deane and Chapter did very ill to grant it and the more unanimous the consent was the worse And whereas you write that there are other Honourable Personages whose memory is preserved in that Monument to that I say if the Monument stand where it ought God forbid it should be toucht If it stand where it ought not it may be fairely and decently removed and set up in some convenient place upon the side of the Quire or elsewhere where it will as well preserve the memory of those Honourable Personages which you mention as now it doth And God forbid any violence should be offered to that in any kinde And last of all whereas Your Lordship desires I should take into consideration the merits of that Noble Earle I am very willing to doe that And first I am very glad to heare from Your Lordship his zeale for the advancement of true Religion but I may not conceale from Your Lordship that I have likewise heard from others and that some yeares since that hee hath gotten into his hands no small proportion of the Churches meanes And if that be so any man may see his end in advancing true Religion But such a Zeale that poore Church hath little need of and God blesse every part of the Church from it As for his Lordships building of Churches Schooles and Hospitalls I know nothing of that and can say as little to it Only this I can say that if he take from the Church in one place to build Church Schoole or Hospitall in another t is no zeale nor the way which Christian bounty uses to tread And if his Lordship hath done any Publike worke for strength and fortification to the Kingdom I pray God that bee not done with the Churches
therefore some publike censure ought to passe upon them the Books thus seized to be openly burnt else they would in a few monthes be sold openly againe to corrupt the people and no satisfaction at all given for this foule offence to the Church of England which Archbishop Abbot confessed to be true and said he would take some Order in it but by this Bishops power there was nothing more done against the Licenser Compiler or Booke which soone after was as publikely sold as if it had neverbeene called in to the perverting of many in their judgments who knew not of this grand Imposture now publikly discovered at the Lords Barre by all the forementioned books themselves there produced and the testimony of Master Prynne upon Oath seconded by the Stationers booke of entries and the testimonies of Master Sparke and Master Walley Doctor Martin for this good service was presently after by this Bishop advanced to a great living and likewise to the headship of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge instead of other punishment Master Prynne for his paines in derecting this fraudulent dealing of the Bishop and his Chaplaine by way of revenge was soone after by this Bishops meanes imprisoned in the Tower and most severely censured in the Starre-Chamber for his Booke called Histrianastix though Licensed by Authority in which he made some mention of this imposture concealed from the most so fatall was it in those times for any man out of Conscience or publike ends to oppose the Bishops Arminian designes such a Stirrop to mount up to preferments to advance them After this the Archbishops Chaplaine Doctor Haywood on the 26. of August 1634 licensed Booke intituled Collectiones Theologica writ by Thomas Chune and Dedicated to the Archbishop of Canterbury himselfe in which hee justified the Arminian Errors and the Church of Rome to be a true Church whereof there were two Impressions in one yeare yet neither the Author nor Booke once questioned though publikely complained of by Doctor Bastwicke at his Censure in the High-Commission where the Archb. openly justified it In the yeares 1636. and 1639. the Arminian Errors were defended by Bishop Mountague in print in his Pars. 1. 2. Originum Ecclesiasticarum Gods Love to mankinde and by sundry others without controle On the contrary Doctor Twisse his Booke in answer of Arminius though writ in Latine was refused License by the Bishop and his Arminian Chaplaines Bray and Baker and his answers to Doctor Jackson and the Arminian Pamphlet intituled Gods love to Mankind suppressed some Lectures of Bish Davenant and Sermons of Doctor Clerke against the Arminians were likewise stopped at the Presse and not suffered to be printed with their other Lectures and Sermons What Bookes against Mountague and the Arminians were called in suppressed and the Authors Printers Dispersers of them severely prosecuted in the High-Commission in the Yeares 1628. and 1629 Wee have already evidenced Only wee shall informe you or one or two Presidents more of later date Doctor George Downham Bishop of Derry in Ireland publishing a Booke in that Kingdome against the Arminians and the Totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints from Grace about the Yeare 1630. Some of them comming over into England Bishop Laud caused a strict Letter to be written in his Majesties name to Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury for the calling in and suppressing it within the Realme of England where it was accordingly seized on and another Letter to Doctor Vsher Archbishop of Armagh for the suppressing and seizing thereof in the Realme of Ireland Which was manifested by the Docket Booke in the signet Office where entreyes of those Letters are made in Aug. 1631. and by this Letter of Bishop Vsher to Bishop Laud found in his study at Lambheth indorsed with his owne hand and arrested by Master Prynne which fully discovers that hee was the sole or principall occasion of his Majestices Letters for calling in this Booke which hee seconded with his owne Letter to Bishop Vsher for that purpose who returned this answer to him My most honoured Lord THe 8th of October I received your Letters of the 22. of August c. The last part of your Lordships Letter concerneth the Bishop of Derryes Book for the calling in whereof the 15th day of October I received His Majesties Letters dated at Woodstocke the 24. of August whereupon I presently sent out warrants and caused all the Bookes that were left unsent into England to be seized upon What did passe heretofore in the Presse at Dublin I had no eye unto because it was out of my province and the care J supposed did more properly belong unto my brother of Dublin But seeing His Majestic hath been pleased to impose that charge upon me I will God willing take order that nothing hereafter shall be published contrary unto His Majesties sacred direction It seemeth Your Lordship did conceive that my Lord of Derryes booke came out since the Historie of Gotteschalchus whereas it was published above halfe a yeare before whereby it came to passe that all the Coppies almost both in Ireland and England were dispersed before the Prohibition came forth The matter is not new as Your Lordship hath rightly observed but was long since preached in Saint Pauls Church when Doctor Bancroft was your Lordships Predecessour in that See at which time the Treatise of Perseverance was to have beene published with Doctor Downams Lectures upon the 15th Psalme at as the very end of that Booke is partly intimated And in the History of Gotteschalchus Your Lordship may see your owne observation fully verefied that after Prelates had written against Prelates and Synods against Synods these things could have no end untill both sides became weary of contending But sure I am I have made Your Lordship weary longere this and therefore it is high time now to end Therefore craving pardon for that prolixitie I humbly take leave and rest Your Honours faithfull Servant Iace Armachanus Droghe da Novemb. 8. 1631. By this Letter it is apparent that this Prelate whiles Bishop of London exercised a kind of Patriarchicall Jurisdiction for suppressing all Orthodox Bookes against the Arminians both in England and Ireland and that his commands in this kinde were punctually executed by those Archbishops in both Kingdomes who should have most stoutly opposed his Arminian Innovations About the Palsgraves first comming into Engl. An. 1635. there was a Book printed intituled the Palsgraves Religion containing the sum of the Religion professed in the Palatinate Churches translated out of a printed Latine Coppy which Archbishop Laud caused to bee strictly called in and suppressed only because it glanced at the Arminian Errors and bowing at the Name of JESUS as not warranted by Phil. 29. 10. which was proved by the testimonies of Master Prynne Michaell Sparke Senior and others What policies besides the forementioned Royall Declaration and Proclamation this Arch-Prelate contrived and practised to suppresse all preaching against Armianisme in the
Nov. 11. 1639. This Letter was thus endorsed with the Archbishops owne hand My Answer of Novemb. 11. 1639. to the Heads of the Bishop of Exons Bookes intended for Episcopacie What Reply Bishop Hall returned to this his Graces Letter these following Lines of his will disclose My most Reverend and most Honourable good Lord. I Should be unthankefull if I did not acknowledge every one of these Lines of so long a Letter written with your Graces owne hand a new obligation to me who know the price of your time yet the matter of them binds mee more those Animadversions were so just that I had amended those passages divers of them voluntarily ere I received this Gracious Admonition for I did onely send your Grace the rude draught of what I meant to polish in the Expression your Grace observes truely some mitigation in stating the Cause which I confesse to have purposely used out of a desire to hold as good Termes with our neighbour Churches abroad as I safely might your Grace knowes well how Doctor Field and Doctor Downam have handled that point if we may make the Case sure for us with the least aspersion cast upon them who honour our Government and cannot obtaine it I conceived it the better especially since the Scottish case so palpably differs yet I would so determine it as that nothing but necessity can either excuse them or hold up the truth of their being In the Presbyterie I must fall foule with them howsoever That Clause of abdication was inserted with respect to the present occasion I shall willingly abdicate it Those many scruples which may arise and must be met with in this cause will bee avoyded if we doe plainly and shortly state the Question thus Whether the Majority of Bishops above Presbyters be by Divine Institution which if we make good I suppose is as much as can be reasonably desired for what Christian can thinke it life or lawfull to depart from that which Christ and his Apostles have set in his Church with an intent of perpetuall continuance I have noted in my discourse those two sorts of Adversaries and with respect to them put in these two words Lawfull against the first and against the second Divine though the latter in the tractation comprehendeth both We shall not much neede I hope in this way to come within the Ken of that Roman Rock of jus Divinum mediatum although it must fall into our mention Shortly I shall take carefull heede to those points which you Grace adviseth and when I have laid my last hand upon the first part whereof each clause must Bis ad Limam semel ad linguam I shall transcribe and send it to your Grace for your full and free Censure In the meane time with my best prayers I take leave and vow my selfe Your Graces in all faithfull observance to command Jos. Exon. Exon. Pal. Nov. 16. The Archbishop with his owne hand thus endorsed this Letter Received Nov. 18 1639. L. Exon. his Answer to those Animadversions I made upon the heads of his intended Booke for Episcopacie The Archbishop returning an Answer to this Letter thereupon Bishop Hall sent up his Treatise of Episcopacy by Divine Right accompanied with this Epistle and the ensuing Propositions which together with his Booke he wholly submitted to his Graces judgement and disposall Most Reverend and my ever most Honourable good Lord I Have received your Graces speedy and full answer to my last And now according to my promise I present to your Graces hands this Worke of mine the bulk whereof swelled under my hand beyond my purpose whiles I could think no passage of it unnecessary I humbly submit it to your Graces free Censure not personall for I could not be so weake as to thinke your Grace could lose so much time in perusall of it but Deputative The more and the more judicious eyes passe upon it the better Whether for haste or delay for impression or suppression or suppression I am altogether indifferent for my owne judgement I doe not think it werthy or capable of the attestation of others especially my betters for that I do both take my rise from a particular occasion and do often intersperse polemicall dissertations as with M. Parker Anti-Tilenus Vedelius and others without which me thought I could not satisfactorily clear those points which passages I have no reason to think others should take upon them either to own or justifie It was my second bold motion to your Grace That divers select Bishops and Divines should shortly and fully expresse their judgements in this subject Your Grace thought fitter to which I subscribed that it-should be done by one or two and allowed and seconded by more such a discourse should be only positive and short As for this I suppose the judicious perusers will thinke it may be of good use to settle and prepare the mindes of men towards an unanimity of Judgement in this point which perhaps may be otherwise varying And if I may have leave to shoot my bolt I should conceive if an attestation to our just Tenent be thought requisite from many and the best hands it would sort best that the substance of it should be drawn up into some short and full Propositions such as these which I have taken the boldnesse to inclose and sent or tendred to them for their subscription wherein I should hold a generality of expression the safest I beseech your Grace pardon this presumption of mine and for this my Labour if it be found that it may be of any profitable use in these way ward times let it flye otherwise it may this festivall be imployed in Thuris Piperisue Cucullos I shall be well content with either the light or the fire Your Grace will soon finde that I have been plain enough with our Genevians for the Forraign Churches I have taken the same course with our learned Bishop Andrews as pittying their alleadging necessity not approving their form in the mean time not thinking it best to make Enemies where we may have friends I do finde and shew the Scottish case utterly unlike theirs for our greater advantage I have driven the point further than some worthy Divines before me and especially have laboured in that part where the cause beares most viz. in matter of Scripture and the next following Antiquity What it is is wholly and absolutely at your Graces disposing to what ever purpose your Grace will think fit And so with the apprecation of an happy New year to your Grace and to this whole Church I take my humble leave and am Your Graces in all faithfull Observance to Command JOS. EXON Exon. Pal. S. Tho. Day This Letter was thus superscribed To the most Reverend and most honourable my singular good Lord my Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitan Chancellor of Oxford and one of the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Councell present these And thus indorsed
a halfe the motives the same that first moved us at the first to leave Rome I answered him it could not be resolve I did that I might the more deeply dive into the sincerity of his intentions as strongly as my poore ability would suffer me to plead for Rome because she had reformed Missals Monasteries sundry Corruptions in conferring of Orders and Benefices that all had not received the Councell of Trent that of those who had some did mitigate harder expressions and were upon courses of Conciliation of both harts as appeared by a Booke of Franc. â Sancta Clara c. I fell then to question him Whether and when he had been at Rome He told me in June and July last I askt him how the affaires went there He told me their opinion of us was that his Majesty was favourable to the Catholikes that some great ones about him were so too or in heart were ONE HE NAMED concerning whom as at home so abroad as of old of the best of men there was much murmuring among the people for some said he was a good man others said nay he deceiveth the people Now if some might interpose their judgements they would pronounce a good man he is because he deceiveth both here and there but both to their own good Concerning the Fryars he told me some were very good but most otherwise and that in excesse especially for Sinnes of uncleannesse which generally raigne in Italy Three severall times I had discourse with him in the last of which falling into discourse of Fran. â Sancta Clara he told me he was HOMO NEQUISSIMUS by whose meanes yeerly there was sent to the Catholikes in Flanders ten thousand pounds The Author of that Booke which goes under his name was Father Giles PADRE AEGIDIO who lives at the Venetian Ambassadours c. Since I came to Venice I have procured the acquaintance of Padre Fulgentio who is Teologo de Stato called by the Colledge to Counsell when there is any businesse between them and the Pope c. I sent to him Fran. â Sancta Clara after discoursing with him he told me it was impossible to concile Trent and England and yet men sooner then Articles He likt his intention in the generall his judgement and temper in most of the Problems before he came to the Articles There is as I am informed by a discreet Gentleman at Florence a Jesuit lately returned from England to Rome who pretends to have made a strict discovery of the state of England as it stands for Religion how King is disposed how Queene what Lords are of the Puritan faction what not but by name his Honour of Dorset and Pembroke are strong for Precisians He sayes That the Puritanes are shrewd fellowes but those that are counted good Protestants are faire conditioned honest men and think they may be saved in any Religion I am promished the the Relation written if it come to my hands and there be any thing in it worthy your Graces view I shall hereafter humbly present it to you as now my selfe Your Graces most humble and most obedient servant WILL. MIDLETON The second Letter is dated December 21. 1635. in which there are these observable clauses Right Honourable and most Reverend c. WHen I was in France I fell acquainted with one Father Talbot a Jesuit with whom I had many discourses but among others this about the Book of Franciscus â Sancta Clara. I askt his judgement of it and the rest of the Catholiks He answered it relisht not with them I fell presently into a comendation partly of the book but more of the intention of him who writ it He seconded what I said but withall told me there was a certaine Consultation held what they should doe with it some exrema suadebant and cried ad ignem but himselfe talking with the Popes Nuncio at Paris thought the best course was to let it dye of it selfe to which the Nuncio a very moderate man so he told him was very inclinable From which I did gather that though they did pretend a dislike the Booke was not disallowed by them above which collection of mine then is now confirmed for this very day I received a Letter dated from Rome Decemb. 11. and it is in these words Father Francis his book upon the exposition of the Articles contrary to what I have told you is licensed here in Rome and I have it Sent it was from one Master House lodging in the house of one Master Pitton a kind of Agent from the English Priests In Rome there is great talk of an English Cardinall and the man who is already Roman Catholike must be the man Master Mountague Your Lordship I know will smile if not at this yet at that I shall now write A Catholike discoursing with me let a word fall and this it was That within this twelve moneth the Pope did wish that his Sacred Majesty of England were as once his trusty Sonne for then he would not be so used as he is either by French or Spaniard The same party did not ask the question but onely thus I wonder whether my Lord of Canterbury have any hand in sending S. Major Bret to Rome I answered because I saw he was fishing Surely no because as you know it is written he comes from the Queen and in her name ROME IS VERY KIND TO OUR ENGLISH GENTLEMEN I humbly entreat your Graces pardon if in a desire to let nothing I hear scape your knowledge I most lowly offer unto you such things as will make you lose so much time as you shall read the Letter But though your Lordship lose a little time yet not me I beseech you lose that good opinion which I hope you have conceived of Your Graces most really devoted and obedient servant WILL. MIDLETON December 21. 1635. By these Letters it is most apparent that Saint Giles was the Author of Sancta Clara's book that though the Jesuits seemed to dislike it yet it was at last authorized and printed at Rome where they had a good opinion not onely of the Kings favour to the Roman Catholikes but of the Archbishops inclination to their party their Religion and conceived he had a hand in sending Major Bret to Rome to negotiate with the Popes c. This last Letter is thus endorsed with Mr. Dels hand Recep Jan. 10. 1635. from Venice from Master Midleton The allowance of Saint Clara his Book at Rome to which the Archbishop himselfe addes with his owne hand This is not so therefore it seems he had better intelligence here from Rome then Master Midleton had at Venice The English Cardinall The English Agent How farre this Book was approved countenanced here in England by the King and Archbishop will appeare by these Instructions under Secretary Windebankes owne hand to his Sonne when he was at Paris to solicite the Palsgraves enlargement found among his sequestred papers and attested by
the whole Kingdome of England be committed to the safe custody of the Gentleman Vsher attending this high Court and that he be sequestred from the said House untill his Grace shall cleare himselfe of the Accusations that shall be laid against him by the said House This proud imperious Arch-Prelate who had close-imprisoned others for sundry yeares in remote Castles in forraigne Islands meerely for opposing his Tyranny and Innovations excluding not only their Friends but Wives Children from the least accesse unto their Prisons or the Isles wherein they were exiled for their comfort or reliefe was yet so impatient of restraint himselfe that immediatly after his Commitment to Master Maxwels house at Chearing Crosse though he had convenient lodgings more liberty by farre then he demerited and all his friends free accesse to visit him yet hee became an humble suiter to the House of Peers even in the wet cold winter season when a warme lodging in most mens judgment was more wholesome for him then cold moist walkes that he might have liberty to goe abroad with his Keeper to take the Ayre which liberty himselfe would never indulge to any Prisoner committed by him for the least offence especially under the Notion of a Puritan O strange impatience worthy admiration that he who had close Imprisoned many Godly Christians Ministers mobscure holes and Dungeons without the least pity or indulgence divers yeares even for well doing or petty offences against himselfe should not be able to endure a few weekes imprisonment when charged with high Treason it selfe against the King and Kingdome without Petitioning for liberty to take the Ayre A request so unseasonable that no wise Man in his condition would have demanded it and the Parliament in Justice or Honour could not condescend to it But this suit of his being deemed unseasonable was rejected And here behold the common Genius of Tyrannicall domineering spirits none so inexorable mercilesse insensible of others unjust oppressions as they in the ruffe of their prosperity none more degenerous pusilanimous querulous impatient or sordidly base then they in the stormes of adversity Let this Arch-Prelates suddaine downe-fall from the Pinnacle of Honour Power into a restrained despicable condition and his impatience under it be a future admonition to all Lording Prelates and Tyrâ—nizing Grandees to carry themselves with all moderation in their places and to learne this good lesson from an heathen Poet which most men in the hight of their felicity are over-apt to forget Desinat elatis quisquam confidere rebus Jnstabilesque Deos et Lubrica Numina discat Illa manus quoe sceptra sibi gestanda parabat Cuius se toties submisit ad oscula supplex Nobilitas digitos ductis inflectere nervis Cogitur c. Aspiciat ne quis nimium sublata secundis Colla gerat What occurrences happened betweene the Archbishops restraint and his commitment to the Tower you may read in his Diary and in the â—roviat of his life On the 22. of February 1640. the House of Commons Ordered that to morrow morning the Report concerning the Articles against the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury be first reade if it be ready On February 23. they further Ordered Mr. Pym to make the report of the Articles against the Archbishop of Cant. the next morning February 24. Mr. Pym presented from the Committee appointed for that purpose the Articles against the Archbishop of Canterbury The Title to the Articles the Articles themselves and the conclusion to them were all severally twice read and all severally voted and past upon the question and afterwards by resolution upon the Question it was ordered that these Articles so read and voted should be ingrossed February 26. The Articles against the Archbishop of Canterbury which were formerly ordered to be ingrossed were now read and it was resolved upon the question that the Articles thus ingrossed and read should be sent up to the Lords in maintenance of the Charge against the Archbishop of Canterbury whereby he stands charged of high Treason Mr. Pymme Mr. Hampden and Mr. Maynard went up with the Articles according to the former Order Vpon the reading of these Articles the Lords made this Order for his the Archbishops commitment to the Tower 26. February 1640. ORdered by the Lords in Parliament that the Lord Archbishop of Cant. his Grace shal stand comitted to the Tower of London But the pleasure of this house is that he continue still in the safe custody of the Gentleman Vsher of this House till Mâ—nday the first of March 1640 and then that the Letutenant receive his Grace into his safe Custody until the pleasure of this House he further known and in the meane time Mr. Maxwell is to be responsible for him and not to permit him to goe abroad and that the Archbishop os Canterbury and the Earle of Strafford shall not come together Mr. Pym returnes and acquaints the House that according to his Abilities he had performed their commands and it was ordered that thankes shold be given him for the good service he had therein done this House Thus the Commons Iournall relates the times and manner of these proceedings and Articles against Canterbury unanimously voted by all when both Houses were fullest with the concurring suffrages of all those Members who have since deserted the Parliament and repaired to Oxford some of whom made bitter Invectives against him whose mouths must be for ever stopped by their own suffrages in full Parliament from uttering any thing in lustification of this Arch-Traitor or in derogation of the Iudgment execution passed against him upon the several Articles of his Impeachment which I shall here Present you with altogether beginning with the Originall Articles of the House of Commons carried up by Master Pym and others whose speech at their delivery I have here annexed to them as they were printed by order of the house long since next adioyning the Scottish Commissioners Charge against him and then the Commons Additionall Articles ARTICLES OF The COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT In maintenance of their Accusation against WJLLJAM LAVD Arch-Bishop of CANTERBVRY whereby he stands Charged with High Treason Presented and carryed up to the LORDS by Mr. John Pym Febr. 26. 1640. Mr. Pym comming to the Lords barre to present the Articles spake as followeth My LORDS I Am commanded by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses now assembled for the Commons in Parliament to deliver to your Lordships these Articles in maintenance of their Charge against the Archbishop of Canterbury Their desire is that first your Lordships would be pleased to heare the Articles read and then I shall endeavour to present to you the sense of the Commons concerning the nature of the Charge and the order of their proceedings FIRST THat he hath traiterously endeavoured to subvert the Fundamentall Lawes and government of this Kingdome of England and instead thereof to introduce an Arbitrary and tyrannicall Government against law and to that end
to me when I came to Glocester I passed with the consent of the Chapter two Acts One for the repaire of the Edifice of the Church which is extreamely decayed in the fairest places The other for the remove of the Communion Table which stood almost in the midest of the Quier and I with the generall consent of all the Prebends present after the Act made removed it and plac'd it as it stands in his Majesties Chappell 's and all well ordered Cathedrall Churches and thus much I signified to your Lordship from Gloucester since which time there hath beene a letter or Lybell found in a Pulpit of one of the Churches in the City against both me and that Act in which the Author as yet not knowne wonders that the Prebends would not resist me and complaines that there was in none of them the spirit of Elias c. To prevent further stir in the City some thinke it very fit that the High Commission would take some speedy order about it to send a Commission downe or otherwise as they in their wisedome thinke fit The Circumstances because they are many I will omit and instead of them I have herein sent your Lorship a Copy of the Libelling letter as it was sent to me and a Coppy of a letter sent to me subscribed by two of the Prebends and a Coppy of so much of a letter as concernes this businesse sent by Master Pryor now Sub-Deane that so your Lordship may see the whole sum of the busines Vpon the receipt of these letters I writ unto my Lord of Gloucester but what course for redresse of these things his Lordship will take I knowe not I beseech your Lordship let me have your lawfull assistance that so long as I do nothing but that which is established and practis'd in our Church I may not be brought in contempt at my first entrace upon that place by any turbulent spirits and so disinabl'd to do that good service which I owe to the Church of God And if it stand with your Lordships liking I will humbly desire that his gracious Majesty might know what successes I have in beginning to reforme what J found most ancisse in that place In the close of our Sub-Deanes letter your Lordship shall see a strange Monster lately home in that City of Glocester I pray God the Puritanes which swarme in those parts doe not say it was one of Gods judgments for turning the Communion Table into an Altar I would have waited upon your Lordship for all my businesse and have brought these papers my selfe but that I am unable at this time by sicknesse to come out of my Chamber Therefore I take my leave and shall ever rest Your Lordships in all love and duty WILLIAM LAVD St. Johns Colledge upon March 3. 1616. So soone did this Prelate begin to introduce these Popish Innovations into our Cathedralls only at first against Law to the great scandall of well affected Protestants and encouragment of Papists In the Yeares 1626 and 1627. Master Iohn Cosens a great acquaintance and Camrade of this Archbishops set up a goodly stone Altar rayled in Altarwise adorned with Pictures Candlesticks Tapers Basons Altarcloths having superstitious Images upon them instead of a Communion Table bowed constantly to it repaiting and erecting diverse unlawfull Images some of Christ Himselfe in that Cathedrall where the likewise introduced Copes and Chalices having Crucifixes and Pictures of the HOLY GHOST upon them together with many other Popish trinkets setting up a multitude of Candles Tapers in that Church on Candlemasseday after the Popish manner Against which Innovations Master Peter Smart the ancientest Prebend of that Church preaching openly in the Cathedrall and then complaining in Parliament Anno 1628. after the dissolution of that Parliament by this Arch-Innovators means as appeares by sundry Letters concerning this businesse between Dr. Coseus and him found in the Archbishops Study he was successively brought into the High Commission Courts both a Durham Lambeth and Luke for vexation and at last there most unjustly deprived of all his Ecclesiasticall livings fined imprisoned diverse yeares and his livings conferred upon others by this Arch-Prelates meanes as his owne Letters manifest All which particulars having beene lately heard proved by sundry depositions before the Commons and Lords and published in Print to the World by Master Smart himselfe in his Catalogue of Superstitious Innovations brought into Durham Cathedrall London 1642. and in his Cantus Epithalamicus were onely mentioned not insisted on by the Commons as were his severall Innovations in the Cathedrall of Pauls whiles he was Bishop of London as notoriously visible to most as his very repairing of Pauls at other mens costs These Innovations in these 3. Cathedralls were introduced somented by him before his advancement to the Archi-Episcopal Sea of Canterbury after which hee became more bold and violent enforcing them by new Injunctions Statutes Oathes upon all or most Cathedralls of which the ensuing Instances were produced insteed of many more No sooner was this active Prelate promoted to the Archbishop ricke of Canterburie but presently he began to pollute the Cathedrall of Canterbury with his popish Innovations First hee caused an Altar to be there erected by the Deane and Chapter and much monies to bee expended by them upon Basons Candlesticks Altar-Cloaths and other furniture to adorne it as appeares by a Letter written to him from the Deane and Chapter of Canterbury found in his study by Master Prynne under their hand and Seale dated the 4. Iuly 1634. wherein among other things they write thus 5ly We have obeyed Your Graces directions in pulling down the exorbitant States within our Quire whereby the Church is very much beautified Lastly wee most humbly beseech Your Grace to take notice that many and most necessary have beene the occasions of extraordinary expences this Yeare FOR ORNAMENTS OF THE ALTAR c. Your Graces most humble SERVANTS Isaue Bargrave Iohn Warner Thomas Iackson Thomas Paske Merie Casâ—uâ—on Iohn Iefferay Humfrey Peake Thomas Blechonden Christ-Church Canterb 8 Iuly 1634. After this new Altar was thus erected and furnished some of the Prebends and other Officers belonging to this Church had private instructions given them to how unto it but this not sufficing that this Ceremony might bee there perpetually observed under paine of Perjury in the Yeare 1634 the Archbishop compiled New Statutes for the Government of that Cathedrall which were sent thither under the Great Seale with his owne hand subscribed to every leafe wherein there was this Statute among others which the Prebends Chapter and Officers there were bound by Oath to observe that they should SUMMA REVERENTIA ADORARE DEUM VERSVS ALTARE as was manifest by the Statutes themselves and attested upon Oath by Doctor Thomas Blechenden one of the Prebends there at the Lords Barre who confessed hee was sworne to observe all the statutes of that Cathedrall and this among the rest
but that it may lye by him that when you speak with his Grace about this among other businesses his Grace may have recourse to my papers if he think fit There are in my Diocesse 469 Churches and Chappels or thereabout and the Communion Tables are placed already in above 140 of them as the Communion Table is placed in our Cathedrall Church here I have begun and proceeded herein in a perswasive way some parishes were no sooner spoken to but they obeyed other Parishes refused at the first but they were quickly satisfied and then submitted only the Churchwardens of Beckington being encouraged and back'd by divers of the parish not so well affected to the government and rites of the Church as they should be are become obstinate and will have the Chancell ordered and the Communion Table there placed as the parishioners shall think fit who also bear the charges of these Churchwardens as they have confessed unto me which was the cause why they hasted so speedily to London and stayed so long there about this businesse If these men have their wils the example will do a great deal of harme for then many of the Parishes which have already conformed themselves to the Cathedrall will fall back and other Parishes will never come on to this conformity who are now at a stand to see what will be done in the Chancell of Beckington I know your judgement and affection to the Church concurres with mine and therefore I am assured you will do nothing herein but that which shall be for the good of the Church and preservation of authority in all things just and lawfull I pray If D. Duck desire to read the coppy of the proceedings and reasons which I have sent you let him borrow it of you for it is fit my Chancelour should be acquainted with these things whose counsell and assistance must be used therein And so with remembrance of my true love and best wishes to you I commend you to the grace of God and rest Your very affectionate and faithfull friend Guil. Bath and Wels. Wels 2 Ian. 1635. Hereupon the poor Churchwardens being destitute of all relief continued excommunicated about a whole year after which they were taken and imprisoned in the common Gaole a long time upon a Capias Excommunicatum from whence at last they were released by the Bishop upon this ensuing submission and pennance worse then any imprisonment A true Copy of the Pennance that Iames Wheeler and Iohn Frye were enjoyned unto by my Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels examined by those whose names are underwritten Thomas Iles Iohn Bailly George Long William Webb Whereas the right reverend Father in God William by Gods permission Lord Bishop of Bathe and Wels hath heretofore lawfully required and commanded James Wheeler and John Frye late Churchwardens of the Parish-church of Beckington within the Dioces of Bathe and Wels aforesaid to remove the Communion Table in the Chancell of their said parish-Church and to place it close under the East wall of the said Chancell in the same manner and forme as the Communion Table standeth in the Cathedrall Church in Wells aforesaid and to remoue the seats placed above the said Table And likewise whereas they the said James Wheeler and John Frye contemned and wilfully disobeyed the command of the said Reverend Father and have in most contemptuous manner stood excommunicated for their said contempt for the space of one whole yeare now last past or there abouts not regarding nor fearing the dreadfull Censure of the Church And have likewise some dayes last past stood aggravated and have been signified unto the Kings most excellent Majesty for the apprehending their bodies and committing them to the Common-gaole of the County of Somerset the rather to compell them to their due obedience to the lawfull command of the Church now upon the earnest request and submission of the said Wheeler and Fry the said Reverend Father hath absolved them from the said sentences and enjoyned unto them that upon Sunday the 25 day of Iune in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred thirty seven they in their usuall apparell shall stand first in the middle Ally in the Parish-church of Beckington aforesaid and there immediately after the reading of the Gospell shall openly and penitently with an audible voice make this acknowledgement following repeating the same after the Minister viz. We James Wheeler and John Fry do here before this Congregation assembled acknowledge and confesse that we have grievously offended the Divine Majesty of Almighty God and the lawes Ecelesiasticall of this Realme of England in that we have in contemptuous manner refused to remove the Communion Table in the Chancell of the Parish-church of Beckington and to place it close under the East wall of the said Chancell in the same manner and forme as the Communion Table standeth in the Cathedrall Church in Wels and to remove the seats placed above the said Table being thereunto lawfully and judicially monished and warned by the right reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels. And in that for our contempts and disobediences in not performing the said lawfull command of the said reverend Father we have suffered our selves to be lawfully excommunicated and so to stand for the space of one whole yeare last past or thereabouts not fearing nor regarding the dreadfull censure of the Church And in like or rather more contemptuous manner have suffered our selves to be lawfully aggravated and signified according to the laudable laws â— statutes of this Realm thereby in a legall manner to compell us to our due obedience to the lawfull command of the Church And we do hereby protest that we are right heartily sorry for the same and we do faithfully promise never from henceforth to offend in the like againe but to demeane our selves as shall become good Christians and dutifull subjects and we doe ask God forgivenesse for this our sinne and offence and you all here present for our evill example And we doe desire you all to pray for us and with us to Almighty God that it may please him of his infinite goodnesse to forgive us of this our offence And then humbly and penitently kneeling downe must devoutly rehearse the Lords Prayer and they must certifie hereof at Wels in writing subscribed to these presents under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens of Beckington aforesaid on Tuesday the 27 day of Iune aforesaid together with this Schedule And the like pennance is to be performed by the within named James Wheeler and John Fry for the same offence in the Parish-church of Froom-felwood within the Dioces aforesaid before the Pulpit or Ministers seat there in manner and forme prescribed on Sunday the 2 day of Iuly Anno predict And certificate must be made of the due performance thereof as abovesaid under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens there upon Tuesday the fourth day of Iuly aforesaid
speciall Letter of all his proceedings herein wherein he thanks God for enabling him in some good measure to effect that there which other able men had only sufficiently spoken of but not accomplished elsewhere likewise boasts of his solitary opposition of the Archbishop of Armagh and the whole Convocation at Dublin in the points of Election and Gods Decree when the Articles of Ireland were in a violent manner suppressed and called in by his Graces procurement making the signe of the Crosse in the frontispeece of his Letter as the Popish Priests and Jesuites use to doe in all their Letters one to another Which Letter sound in this Arch-bishops Study at Lambeth and attested by Master Prynne was openly read at the Lords Barre in forme ensuing My LORD IN humblest manner I begge your gratious acceptance of this just as necessary duty whillst I make an unquestionable relation of that which so nearely concernes my selfe To provide the best J could for the more worthy receiving of the holy Communion this last Easter J have I thanke God for it beene able in some measure to do that here which able men have sufficiently spoken of else-where I have Sacramentally heard the Confessions of the people Committed to my Charge in Goran a certaine through-fare towne in the County of Kilkenye in the Chancell they kneeling before the Altar This is every where now counted a most strange Act without all warrant sayes bold ignorance there is no president for it saies the Divill Envie and double blinded malice t is as voyd of Law as full of singularity So unbidden so unled did I once protest against that horrible decree obtruded as it was received from Calvine by the Archbishop of Armagh and the whole body of this Kingdomes Clergy then Assembled in the Convocation at Dubline that I stood then alone that no man then stood by me when I made that Protestation I appeale to the not yet forgotten so eloquent so godly so very leaud railing cursing Censure upon that occasion publikely delivered by one that was then called Chancelllor Sing since Deane of Drummore the Lord Bishop of Derrie and Master of the Rolls were not many houres ignorant of the very words by the then Chancellor and now Deane then and there uttered The luckie opportunity of a trustie Messenger a servant to the Earle of Ormond and Chirurgian to his Troop by name Michaell Oxenbridge with the just conscience of my dutie on this behalfe emboldens me thus humbly to pray for such acceptance in a Cause most acceptable as may yet make the person of the poore receiver more worthy to be accepted Goran Aprill 18. 1638. Your Graces most devoted Iames Croxton To the most Reverend Father in God William by the Divine providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Primate and Metropolitan of all England This Letter was thus endorsed with the Archbishops owne hand Received July 6. 1638. Mr. Croxton his receiving of Confession BY which it is most apparent that the introducing of Auricular Confession was a speciall designe of the Archbishops prosecuted by his Emissaries and Creatures in all places who gave him exact accounts of their proceedings herein the more to endeare themselves in his favour To what end these Doctrines and practises of Auricular Confession and Priests absolution were thus urged Master VVilliam Tyndall in his Practise of Popish Prelates and Obedience of a Christian man with other Protestant VVriters will informe us to wit to enslave the Laity to the Clergie to advance the Priest above the King the Myter above the Scepter the Ecclesiasticall Tribunall above the Secular to fish out all mens secrets to awe and keepe them under bondage and accomplish all their owne designes upon them with more facility as they doe in Popish Kingdomes where such Confessions and Absolutions are in use Having thus done with this Arch-Priests Master-Peece Confession and the power of Priests to remit sinnes confessed wee shall proceed to that which depends upon it and must have necessarily followed on it to the great oppression of the ignorant seduced people that is 2. The use of Popish Penances as wearing of haire-cloth and such like corporall punishments enjoyned by Priests for sinnes Confessed with intention to satisfie God thereby for the sinnes confessed lately pressed as lawfull profitable commendable THe use and lawfulnesse hereof never heard of nor maintained in our Church since Reformation till this Archbishops Domination is thus pressed justified commended in these ensuing authorized bookes Christs Epistls to a Devout soule pag. 252. Enjoyne thy selfe for thy Pennance to say some devout prayer or to doe some greater Pennance as thou and thy spirituall Director shall thinke fit Franeis Sales his Introduction to a Devout Life pag. 131. Recompence this losse at least by multiplying Jaculatory prayers and by reading some books of Devotion with some voluntary Pennance or other for committing this fault Pag. 209. The soveraigne balsome of Confession or pennance Pag. 428. Disciplying the body likewise hath a marvellous efficacy to stir up in us desire of devotion when it is moderately used Haire-Cloath tameth the flesh very much upon the principall dayes of pennance one may well use it with the advise of a discreet Confessor Dr. Pocklingtons Altare Christianum p. 42. writes thus The first Room is called the Church-Porch where penitents used to stand or rather to cast themselves downe and in humble manner to desire the faithfull to pray for them as they went into the Church after Delinquents had perfectly fulfilled their penance they were reconciled to the Sacraments and communicated This distinction of places in the Church is very ancient and observed even from the Apostles times Pag. 44. This man after penance done for this fault was admitted into the Church againe Pag. 52. Cap. 10. Of dayes of pennance and absolution Citizens pennance P. 54. None that had fallen into any notorious crime were admitted againe into the Church before they had done open penance in Sack-cloth and Ashes Cerdon was not received into the Church before he had performed his penance Exomologesin faciens Pag. 55. In what sort penitents performed their penance and made Confession the Act it selfe will discover This Exomologesis giveth law both to our food and rayment sacco cinere incubare and ordereth men to lye in Sack-Cloth and Ashes to humble your selves before the Priest and to fall downe upon the knees before Gods Altars to sue unto all Brethren for their prayers in their behalfe Haec omnia exomologesis penance worketh all this P. 56. Feeling nothing but rough Sack-Cloth galling the sides seeing nothing but head hands face cloaths covered over with ashes have nothing to be seene but a pale face thinne cheekes and a meagre looke and this continued two three sometimes foure yeares together before perfectionem suam reciperent P. 57. Hereupon the Bishops made an addition to the Ecclesiastcall Canon that in every Church a Penitentiary shold be appointed to admit
shall hisse them out of countenance neither can they shelter themselves under the examples of other Churches in France and Netherlands c. Since necessity hath long agoe cast them into that condition which these men after establishment in the right forme have wilfully drawn upon themselves with an impetuous exclusion of a setled government And certainly my Lord me thinkes there should be a kinde of necessity in this course since not some few but the whole Church of Scotland hath thus broken out into Schisme and shamed both it selfe and the Gospell and without some timely prevention the mischiefe may yet grow further whereas this way it may be at the least choakingly convinced and seasonably checked Neither neede the charge hereof be great to his Majesties coffers since the burthen of the Commissioners may be layd upon the severall Diocesse from whence they are sent Your Grace sees whither my zeal hath carried me If I have been to bold and forward in thus presuming I humbly crave the pardon of your Grace which hath been extended to greater errours I hope a good heart will excuse all the best wishes whereof are truely vowed and duly paid to your Grace By your Graces in all faithfull Observance to Command JOS. EXON Exon. Pal. Sept. 28. Which Letter was thus directed To the most Reverend and most Honourable my singular good Lord My Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitan Chancellor of Oxford and one of the Lords of his Majesties most honourable Privy Councell present these And thus endorsed by the Arch-Bishops own hand Dat. Sept. 28. Received Octob. 1629. B. of Exon. Dr. Hall To move for a Generall Councell of all his Majesties Dominions to settle the Scottish Schisme What was done upon this Letter and how the Arch-Bishop tooke occasion from it to engage Bishop Hall to write in defence of Episcopall Superiority by Divine Right and Institution will appear by the Bishops next Letter to this Arch-Prelate the Originall whereof we have under Bishop Halls own hand and Seale May it please your Grace I Was not only glad but almost proud of your Graces acceptance of my poor but bold motion which that it found favour in his Majesties eyes upon your Graces recommendation was as much above my hope as above the possibility of my thankfulnesse I do most humbly rest in the grounds of his Majesties most wise and just resolution although that which I propounded was not in any ayme at the Reclamation of those stiffe Spirits but at their conviction and shaming together with the satisfaction and setling of any distempered or wavering minds of any contentious person at home or abroad But since it hath pleased his Majestie to lay aside that thought I am most submissively silent As for that motion which comming from your Graces hand is no lesse in my construction then a command of my undertaking this great taske of writing a satisfactory discourse in this subject I beseech your Grace to give me leave to say it doth too much overvalue me If your Grace did but know my great weakenesse so well as I know my little strength your Grace would not have singled me out for so high and noble an undertaking I confesse in an holy zeale to the cause no man shall outstrip me in abilities too many yet since it hath pleased your Grace to honour me so farre as to thinke mee capable and worthy of such an imployment I shall most gladly without prejudice to any more able paines endeavour my best this way But would your Grace bee pleased to give mee leave to suggest another Motion I thinke I should intimate that which would not a little advance the successe of this great service Single labours will be easily passed over with neglect what will the Vulgar bee more apt to say then This is but one Doctors judgement Vis unita fortior Might it therefore please your Grace to single out and Empannell a whole Jury of learned Bishops and Divines to joyne together in this subject it could not choose but sway much with the world And since I have taken the boldnesse to move so farre will your Grace give mee leave out of the zealous intention of my thoughts upon the speede of this notable service to propound some further specialty If therefore in Ireland the Lord Primate the Bishop of Kilmore the Bishop of Downe and Conner men as your Grace best knowes of singular note in the Church Heere at home my Lord Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Salisbury and if your Grace shall thinke mee worthy to come in the arreare of these great and famous Prelates I shall not faile of my best With them the Professors and some other eminent Doctors in the name of both Universities and three or foure of the Bishops and Doctors of Scotland shall be enjoyned by your Grace to expresse their judgements fully concerning these two Heads of Episcopacy and Lay Prebytery and to Print them together It will bee a worke that will carry in it such authority and satisfaction as will give great contentment to the world and carry in it a strong rebuke of the Aversaries And if your Graces reason and resolution should so lead you as to bee seene in the head of this Learned Squadron the worke would beare not much lesse sway then if it were a Synodicall Act Neither would I wish that each of these should write a Volume of this matter but succinctly though fully and clearly declare themselves in these particulars with such evidence of Scripture Antiquity and Reasons as may most convince But whether these be done in Thesi or Hypothesi whether in way of Paroenesis or Apology or reproofe I humbly submit to your Graces judgement and direction I beseech your Grace pardon this well-meant presumption and make account of the dayly Devotions of Your Graces in all faithfull observance to Command Jos. Exon. Exon. Pal. Oct. 12. 1639. After I had sent away my Letters of complaint concerning Coxe the man came to me and upon our second and third conference began to relent and finding that I had sent up his Sermon to your Grace resolved to wait voluntarily upon your Grace so as I hope your Grace shall at once heare of his offence and submission If so a free and publike recantation would doe more good here then his exorbitance hath done hurt he hath been usque ad invidiam conformable and is a sufficient Scholler and of unblameable conversation otherwise I humbly leave him to your Graces either justice or mercy or both J. E. This Letter was thus Superscribed To the most Reverend Father in God my ever most honoured Lord my Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitane Chancellor of Oxford and one of the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privie Counsell present these And thus Endorsed with the Archbishops owne hand Rec. Oct. 16. 1639. The Bishop of Exeter That more then one
the hands of my Lord the Bishop of Ely and this thrice reading over hath been the cause why I did not give you a more speedy account of it And now my Lord according to the freedome which you have given one I must tell you that I have here and there in my reading of it over made bold to alter or leave out a phrase or two but have as yet varied nothing that is materiall and indeed I should think it very uncivill and unjust too to vary any thing that is substantiall without first acquainting you with it that so it may be done either by your owne pen or at the least not without your owne consent The particulars which I chiefly insist upon are these First you doe extreamly well to distinguish the Scottish businesse from the state of the forraigne Churches but yet to those Churches and their Authors you are a little more favourable then our case will now beare But this I conceive will be easily helpt and that without pressing too much upon them The second is the first touch which you have concerning the Sabatarians where you let their strict superstition passe without any touch at all I think one little one will doo no harme The third which you seeme to passe by as not much materiall in the Question is in our judgement here the very Maine of the cause and it is whether Episcopacy be an Order or Degree an Order certainly if it be of Divine and Apostolicall institution For that which is but different by degree and circumstantially cannot be other then Iuris positivi and the ancient word in the Fathers is Ordinatio Episcopi and our ordinary phrase is of any of our Brethren the Bishops he is one of our Order and why does the Church of England ordaine or consecrate every one that is made a Bishop if it be but a Degree of the same Order For when a Bishop is translated or made an Arch-bishop theras then no consecration because they are Iuris positivi and onely degrees Your Lordship is very neere a whole leafe upon this transition I beseech you weigh it well and then let me have it altered by your owne pen and the sooner sent the better The last with which I durst not but acquaint the King is about Antichrist which title in three or four places of your booke you bestow upon the Pope positively and determinately whereas King James of blessed memory having brought strong proofe in a Worke of his as you well know to prove the Pope to be Antichrist yet being ofterwards challenged about it he made this answer when the King that now is went into Spaine and acquainted him with it that he writ that not concludingly but by way of Argument onely that the Pope and his Adherent might see there were as good and better Arguments to prove him Antichrist then for the Pope to challenge temporall jurisdiction over Kings This whole passage being knowne to me I could not but speak with the King about it who commanded me to write unto you that you might quallifie your expression in these particulars and so not differ from the knowne judgment of his pious and learned Father This is easily done by your owne pen and the rather because all Protestants joyne not in this opinion of Antichrist I have no more to trouble your Lordship with but to pray you to have your answer to these with as much speed as much speed as may be so to Gods blessed protection I leave you and rest Your Lordships very loving friend and brother W. CANT Lambeth Jan. 14. 1639. I had not leizure to toke a copy of these Letters therefore I pray let me have them back againe when you give me your answer This Letter was thus indorsed To the right reverend Father in God my very good Lord and Brother the Lord Bishop of Exeter these And after the receit againe thus indorsed by the Arch-bishop himselfe My Letters of Jan. 14. 1639. to L. B. Exon. about his book for Episcopacy To which Letter Bishop Hall returned this Answer found together with it in the Arch-bishops study MOst Reverend and my ever most Honourable Lord I doe first humbly thanke your Grace for those houres and paines you have been pleased to bestow both upon my papers and me and yet more for that noble freedome your Grace hath been pleased according to my earnest request to use in making knowne your Graces Judgement in those few Animadversions which I have now received and the gracious respect shewed to me that after so full power put into your Graces hands to dispose of those papers at your owne pleasure yet your Grace hath been pleased to take my unworthinesse along with you in the altering of my passages therein wherein I hope I have satisfied your Graces expectation accordingly As for my favourablenesse to foraigne Authors and Churches I foretold your Grace that I held it best not to be sparing of good words though in the reality of the Tenet I have gone further then the most others Those Authors whom I mention with so faire respect are in those things for which I cite them our friends but if your Grace find any phrase too high or unseasonable it is but a dash of your Chaplaines pen to whom I beseech your Grace to give an absolute freedome in this behalfe For that of the Sabatarians I have put a drop or two of vinegar more into my inke in two severall places For that passage concerning Antichrist I have turned it upon themselves without a declaration of my owne judgement however I find our learned patterne Bishop Andrewes more then once punctuall this way For that poynt of the Degree or Order of Episcopacy although I well knew the weight of it yet I did purposely intend to wave it here because both it fetcheth a great and learned part of the Schoole upon us and because I found it to be out of my way since these factions with whom we deale deny both a severall Order and a severall Degree allowing onely a priority of Order in the same degree but our Tenet is doubtlesse most defensible and I have accordingly so stated it in this review which together with all my best services I doe humbly recommend to your Graces acceptation vowing my hearty prayers for your Graces happy proceedings as duly merited from Your Graces most humble and faithfully devoted in all observance JOS. EXON Exom Pal. Jan. 18. I have sent back your Graces Letter according to your Graces pleasure and withall have been bold upon the humble suit of one of my worthy Clergy Master Bury to recommend a pious Petition of his to your Grace the least touch of answer in your Graces Letter will abundantly satisfie him Two Râ—negadoes have in two severall parts of my Diocesse been received into the Church under that solemne forme of Penance which your Grace was pleased to appoint This Letter was thus superscribed To the most Reverend
Ierusalem how often would I have gathered thy children c. and thou wouldst not wherefore if they would they might have been saved it is therefore in mans power to resist his vocation Answ First if men might enjoy Heaven if they would and wittingly and willingly runne unto Hell they are neither worthy of mercy from God nor pitty from men But secondly it is true that it is not for any defect or want of grace on Gods behalfe that many being called beleeve not but the defect is in themselves there is no defect properly in God for his calling is sufficient unto all but that it is effectuall to some and not to others commeth of their owne corruption and evilnesse of nature which God taketh away and healeth in whom he pleases and suffereth the rest to remaine in their hardnesse of heart Thirdly there is a sufficient calling for all when God offereth the externall meanes of salvation whereby all might come thereunto if they had grace Now this calling may be resisted by men whom God justly leaveth unto themselves There is also an effectuall calling when as God worketh inwardly by the efficacy of his spirit drawing his elect and of unwilling maketh them willing to obey their calling and thus onely the elect are called and this calling cannot be resisted as appeares by these words of our Saviours Many are called namely sufficiently on Gods behalfe but few are chosen that is effectually called as the elect onely are Now the first of these callings was offered to Jerusalem Fourthly that Gods effectuall and gracious calling of election cannot be resisted is cleer from Scripture No man saith the Apostle hath resisted God's will but as the Psalmist saith Whatsoever pleased him that did he in heaven and earth whom it pleased God therefore to save and call by his grace they shall be saved and called c. In Doctor Jones his Comentary on the Hebrewes this clause is raced out in the copy page 283. But whose sinnes did Christ remit in his offering The sinnes of many not of all Some deliver this peremptory doctrine that he dyed as well for Caine as Abel for Saul as David for Judas as Peter Indeed the distinction of the School-men is not wholly to be rejected that Christ dyed quoad efficaciam only for the elect quoad sufficientiam for all yet properly to speak he dyed properly for the sinnes of the elect for the Scripture is evident that the benefit of Christs death reacheth to the faithfull alone to as many as beleeved in him he gave this power to be called the sonnes of God that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish the cup of the new Testament shed for many I pray for them I pray not for the world and doe you think that he would shed his blood for the wicked of the world If we will have any comfort by the passion of Christ let us examine our selves whether we have any fruit of it or not canst thou say with Job I know that my Redeemer liveth with Paul I live yet not I but Christ in me then Christ was offered for thy sinnes then all thy sinnes were nailed to his crosse and not one of them shall be laid to thy charge at the day of judgement This may be a singular comfort to Gods chosen children in many things we sinne all The just man falleth seven times a day but here is our comfort Christ hath taken away our sinnes Caine cryed out my sinne is greater then I can beare we need not take up that lamentable cry for Christ hath taken away our sinnes O death where is thy sting thanks he to God that giveth us victory through Jesus Christ c. Ibidem page 269. Many are called by the Word preached but are not called by the Spirit c. 34. Passages deleted concerning hearing Gods word In Master Wards Comentary on Matthew written copy page 235. this is expunged The hearing of the Word is necessary unto the knowledge of God It may here be objected we can learne this knowledge nostro Marte by our owne reading and study and comparing one thing with another and therefore the preaching of the Word is not necessary Answ First certainly by those meanes men may learne the principles of Religion and the propositions of faith and obedience Secondly but the knowledge of God and Christ is a greater thing yea a spirituall thing which is onely revealed from Heaven Matth. 16. 17. which revelation Christ promises in the ministery of the Word 2 Cor. 3. 6. Thirdly they that know not the Gospell are ignorant of the power vertue and wisdome of God and therefore the greatest Schollers in the Universities and the wisest in the Court or Temples or Innes of Court should heare willingly without contempt derision and scorne the Sermons of the meanest Schollers or gifted Ministers that are called by God to the work of the Ministery as Aaron was because in the preaching of the Word God hath promised to make knowne his power c. Ibidem written copy fol. 227. this is likewise crossed out Quest What is required here of no Answ First we must take heed of all evill hearing that is restraine and keep our eares from wicked councels perswasions allurements and provocations unto sinne Prov. 1. 10. Dout. 13. 1. c. Xenocrates Amphotidus did rather choose to perswade children then men because the manners of the men are so corrupted that he had no hope to peswade or prevaile with them Plutarch de Instit liber but the children being free from evill habits were more easily perswaded and drawne to embrace morall 〈◊〉 so the way for the eare to receive and entertaine good words yea Gods good Word i◠to preserve keep and stop it from hearing all evill words whatsoever as much as in no lyeth Secondly we must accustome our selves to heare that which is good Prov. 4. 20. Quest How may we know whether Christ hath opened our eares and cured the deafnesse of our soules or not Answ First some heare amisse as for example First some dislike and distaste Sermons either because they are so common and ordinary or because they are sometimes something long Secondly some love not preaching neither desire it and therefore heare it with a great deale of tediousnesse and wearinesse Thirdly some desire it amisse or affect it for some evill end or base or by respect Fourthly some carp at the word they heare Fifthly some deride the word they heare Sixthly some heare only for some table-talk Seventhly some heare that they may learne by some wrested argument or other to maintaine or defend their sinnes Eighthly some heare that they may be delighted that is they desire rhetorick wit eloquence strong lines near acute polished phrases that thereby their itching eares might be tickled and delighted Ezek. 33. 32. but non delectent verba sed prosint Senec. words should profit rather then please Secondly good hearing hath many properties whereby it may be known as
that the Licenser changed this passage in Doctor Jones his Comentary on the Hebrewes page 106. We have begun in pure and sound Religion let us not END in Popery into let us not end in prophanenesse yet behold these purgers ending not only in Popery but Libertinisme and prophanensse too in the highest degree as their expunging these clauses to omit hundreds of like nature evidence In Mr. Ward 's Comentary on Matthew p. 161. they deleted this period Thirdly they Professors must be carefull to stop the mouthes of morall civill honest men who usually object that they are not so proud covetous idle revengefull angry and selfe-conceited as Professors are for they are Pharises toward others and little better then Publicans in themselves Let those therefore who call upon the Name of the Lord depart from all iniquity and let them labour to abound in all vertues both morall and Theologicall that so our profession may be praised both of prophane and civill men Page 147. in the same Author Thirdly another reason why we must never sinne at all is because sinne is like Penalopes Webbe and therefore to admit of one were to cast our selves as farre back as ever we were wherefore we must so runne that we may attaine and so follow Gods Plough that we look not backe the sow who after her washing turnes her selfe to her former wallowing becomes as filthy as ever and man by a willing running or falling into sinne becomes as far off from God and odious unto him as ever and therefore we must take no liberty unto sinne at all And page 217. Secondly those are here blame-blame-worthy who after a generall call to the profession of the gospel live wickedly turning the grace of God into wantonnesse Jude 4. and ending in the flesh though they began in the Spirit Gal. 5. 19 certainly these are the worst of all in the Lords esteem this not being the perswasion of him who called them TO these purgations infinite others might be accumulated enough to make many whole Folio Volumes but for brevitie sake we shall pretermit them all these here mentioned for the Readers fuller satisfaction clearer discovery of this prelats popish intentions not being read at large at the Lords Bar but onely the principall of them the rest but pointed at though all there actually produced in generall collections of them to husband time and avoyd tediousnesse in this kind of evidence Now we appeal to all the world and every mans conscience who shal impartially peruse these severall orthodox passages expunged out of new licensed books by the Archb. and his Agents before they could passe the Presse the like whereof was never heard of in any Protestant Church but onely in Romish Babel and compare them with the severall forementioned Popish Doctrines Superstitions Errours Clauses authorized by them in other late printed Pamphlets to corrupt the People whether they be not a most full satisfactory experimentall irrefragable Evidence to convince your Lordships and all gainesayers of the Arch-bishops reall Endeavours utterly to subvert the Protestant Religion and introduce the whole body of popery with arbitrary power and tyranny among us without any publike opposition notwithstanding all his meer verball protestations to the contrary most apparently contradicted refuted by these his popish purgations uncapable of any justification or excuse unparalleld by any Protestant Prelates unheard of in any Protestant Church or in our own before his cominâ—ering in it unpractised by any but onely popish Inquisitors in their Indices Expurgatorâ—y wherein we find the very selfe-same passages in substance yea and some of them in terminis deleted out of Classicall Authors which this Arch-bishop and his Chaplaines have obliterated out of our Protestant Writers as you may evidently discerne by these few particular instances in the Index Librorum expurgatorum by Gasper Quiroga Cardinall and Arch-bishop of Toledo and generall Inquisitor for Spaine Salmuri 1601. wherein I find these with sundry other like clauses expunged out of the Index to Saint Augustine's Works set out by Froben The Annotations to the Bible of Robert Stephanus Erasmus and others Eucharistiam non esse sacrificium sed sacrificij memoriam Fides sola justificat Justi summus sola fide Justos ab injustis fides discernit non opera Imaginum usus prohibitus Matrimonium omnibus concessum qui continere non volunt Opera nostra noe non salvare Peccata venialia damnant Qui Sabbathum observat sanctificat Sacra sunt venalia Romae Culum est venale Densque Roma ipsa Lupanar Facta est toto execrabilis orbe Christus solâ—â— pacificator justificator Non meremur beatitudinem de condiguo Vult Dominus Altare terreum nos autem marmoreum construâ—mus Episcopus non differt a Presbytere Sacerdos Episcopus olim idem Monachi olim non fuerunt siâ—ut hodis c. Voterum nulla vincula apud veteres Monaches Boatissime pater audit Romanus Pontifexâ— Tuin euim glorificatur nomen Dei cum nihil nosiris meritis sed totum tribuitur illius â—isericordiae Templorum supervacaneus ornatus Alienis meritis operibus nemo juvetur Fides etiam in tentatione manet Summum malum est in operibus nosiris meritis confidere hoc cum est meritum Christi blasphâ—mâ—re Confitenda Deo peccata non homini Scripturae divinae omnibus voleutibus perviae faciles Seripiuras legere omnibus etiam mundâ—nis praeceptum Sanctorum invocationem pracavit Joâ—nnes Salut non ex Meritis Imagines pictas contra Religionem esse scribit Epiphanus Imagines vel siaâ—uas Dei cultores adorarâ— non debent c. What affinity there is between these purgations of this popish Spanish Inquisitor and those of this English Archprelate his Agents you may easily discern by comparing both together therupon necessarily conclude that their intentions were alike popish because their Practises Purgations are so parallell Only there are these remarkable differences between them First that these purgations made by him and his Agents are far more grosse in sundry particulars then any we find in this or any other Romish Inquisitors Index Expurgatorem Secondly that they were made by this Arch-prelat and his Chaplaines who professed himselfe a zealous Protestant and who in respect of his very calling supreame authority in our Church and the great trust reposed in him ought rather to have authorized then purged out these passages especially in such times when we were all generally running headlong unto popery and apostatizing unto Rome when as all these other deleatures were made by professed papists only in popish Kingdomes Churches when they were falling off to the protestant Religion which they endeavovred to prevent By this Card you may see and suppresse what compasse this Arch-director and Corrector of our Church did sayle by and what forraigne port he was making to The precedent branch of the Evidence against the Arch-bishop hath given most ample proof of the seventh and ninth Originall Articles
parte intererit salutem Cum vacante â—uper sede Episcopi Cicestren per mortem naturalem vltimi Episcopi ejusdem ad humilem petitionem Decani Capituli Ecclesiae nostrae Cathedralis Cicestr per Literas Nostras petendi licentiam concesserimus alium sibi eligendum in Episcopum pastorem sedis pradicti iidem Decanus Capitulum vigore obtentu licentiae nostrae perdilectum nobis in Christo Richardum Mountague sacrae Theologia Baccalaurum sibi et Ecclesia praedicta elegerunt in Episcopum pastorem prout per literas suas sigillo corum communi sigillatas Nobis inde direstas plenius liquet apparet Nos electionem illam acceptantes eidem electioni Regium nostrum assensum adhibuimus pariter et faverem et hoc vobis tenore praesentium significamus Rogantes ac in side et dilectione quibus Nobis tenemini firmiter precipiendo mandautes quatenus vos eundum Richardum Mountague in Episcopum et pastorem Ecclesiae Cathedralis nostrae Cicestren pradictae fie vt praefertur electum electionemque praedict confirmare et cundem Episcopum et pastorem Ecelesiae Cathedralis predictae consecrare ceteraque omnia et singula peragere quae vestro in hac parte incumbunt officio pastorali juxta formam statutorum et legum Regni nostri Angliae in hac parte editâ— et provis velitis cum diligentia favere effectu In cujus rei c. This conteineth your Majesties Royall Assent for Richard Mountague Batchelar in Divinity to be Bishop of Chichester voyde by the death of the last Incumbent By order of the Lord Bishop of London After this he so far honoured him as to be present at his consecration Witnesse this passage in his Diary penned with his own-hand August 23. 24. 1628. Saturday Saint Bartholmeus Eve the Duke of Buckingham slain at Portsmouth by one Lieutenant Felton about 9. in the morning the Newes of his death came to Croydon where it found my selfe and the Bishops of Winchester Ely and Carlisle at the consecration of Bishop Mountague for Chichester with my Lords Grace In the year 1638. upon the Translation of Bishop Wren to Ely this Archbishop preferred him to the See of Norwich witnesse Bishop Mountagues Letter to the Archbishop thus endorsed with his own hand Rec. Martii 29. 1638. Bishop of Ghichesters submission of his Bookes to me c. Found in his Study at Lambeth and attested by Master Prynne May it please your Grace By Mr Bray I sent your Grace another part of my Altar Relations as my between-times of sicknesse would give me leave to transcribe the rest as I can dispatch it I will send after with Gods helpe In the last there is much of the Churches sacrifice faithfully related out of Antiquity not positively by me asserted I am but a Narrator and so the lesse offensive Howsoever I give your Grace Power to dispose of what I write as will fit the Church and State For we are I know of the same Religion drive to the same end though not the same way So much I related to Master Bray and Mr Deane of Christ-Church The remaynes of my Ague are worse then the Ague it selfe so that I cannot waite upon your Grace as I would Yesterday I took a Purgation which I hope will doe me good but hath much weakened mee and Phisitians in expelling the remaynes and restoring health unto the castle of strength say they must tuto pede movere I cannot learn that my Lord of Norwich is yet fully translated till when I suppose there is no issuing of my Conge D'esleer I must humbly intreat your Grace that you would be pleased to informe me when and what I should doe in both which I am so ignorant God make me profitable to his Church to which I can bring nothing but honesty and Industry which I will promise and to your Grace thankefullnesse for your long-continued extraordinary Favours in which vote I rest Your Graces poor Servant and Brother Rich. Cicist For the most Reverend my Lord of Canterbury his Grace this By this Letter it is most apparent First that Bishop Mountague made the Archbishop acquainted with his Bookes before he printed them and submitted them to his censure and how full of Popery they are you have already heard Yea after they were printed he presented him with printed Coppies of them curiously bound up and guilded produced and read formerly at the Lords Barre Secondly That Canterbury and he were of the same religion and did drive at the same end and what was that but the erecting of Altars the introducing of Popery and reconciling us to Rome as this Letter and the foregoing evidence manifest Thirdly That his promotions were by the Archbishops long-continued extraordinary favours for which he returnes him thankes in this Letter And no wonder was it that Bishop Mountague was his speciall Favourite for if we beleeve the Pamphlet intituled The Popes Nuncio p. 11. 14. 16. first published in Italian by the Venetian Embassadour this great confident of the Archbishop was very intimate with Panzain the Popes first Legate frequently visited him and very passionately desired a Reconciliation of us and the Church of Rome Yea Godfrey Goodman Bishop of Glocester in his Letter to the Archbishop whiles they were both prisoners in the Tower dated August 30. 1642. the originall whereof was seised on by M. Prynne writes That at that instant when he dissented from the New Canons by Bishop Mountagues encouragement An. 1640. he could have proved how that in his person he did visit and held correspondency with the Popes Agent and received his Letters in behalfe of his Sonne who was then travelling to Rome who by his Letters he had extraordinary entertainment there This Bishop Mountague would ascribe to the favour and credit which he had gotten by his writings If so it seemes they were very well approved of at Rome And this is not onely probable but reall as appeares by an originall Letter under Bishop Mountagues own hand to Secretary Windebanke dated from Aldingburne Jan. 26. wherein he desires this Popish Secretary to give his son leave to goe to Rome in his travell which he is desireous to do and I writes he AM DESIROVS HE SHOVLD desiring him to acquaint his GRACE therewith and remember his duty to him His Graces advancement then of such an Arminian and Romish Prelate so intimate with the Popes Legate and much favoured at Rome must certainly favour of a Romish designe to corrupt our Church subvert our Religion set up Popery and reduce us back to Rome Doctor Roger Manwaring Vicar of Saint Giles in the fields a man very Popishly affected and intimate with Papists who abounded in his Parish upon a complaint and Impeachment of the Commons in Parliament for two Sermons preached before his Majestie the third year of his reigne in Justification of the Lawfulnesse of the Kings imposing Loues and Taxes on his People without consent
for any abuse accordingly 7. That the Bishops suffer f none under Noblemen and men qualified by Law to have any private Chaplain in his house 8. That they take speciall care that Divine Service be diligently frequented as well for Prayers and Catechismes as Sermons and take particular note of all such as absent themselves as Recusants or other waies 9. That every Bishop that by our grace and favour and good opinion of his service shall be nominated by us to another Bishopricke shall from that day of nomination not presume to make any Lease for three lives or one and twenty yeares or concurrent Lease or any way renew any Estate or cut any wood or timber but meerly receive the rents due and quit the place For wee thinke it a hatefull thing that any mans leaving the Bishoprick should almost undoe the Successor And if any man shall presume to breake this order g we will refuse at our Royall Assent and keepe him at the place which he hath so abused 10. And lastly we command you to give us an Account every yeare the second of Ianuary of the performance of these our Commands Exceptions taken a This is broken b And this c This Catechising must be by the Catechism in the Com prayer book and no other Divers in London must preach too or loose their means They cannot agree upon the great Cause d Whether this bind the Parson or Vicar if he read the Lecture Or all the Ministers where there is a combination Vnlesse it be upon the uery edge of a Diocese c e And execut by himselfe And whether it shall be sufficient to conforme some times so the reading of Prayer bee constant f Excepted against in regard of displacing many young men c. g What if he do not let them till the Royall Assent be past Dorchester How diligent he was to put these Instructions into execution within his own Diocesse will appeare by this Letter of his to his severall Archdeacons the originall whereof was produced interlined with his own hand SIR THese are to let you understand that his Majestie out of his Royall and Princely Care that the Government of the Church may be carefully lookt unto by the Bishops and others with whom it is trusted hath lately sent certain Instructions to my Lords Grace of Canterbury and of Yorke to be by them disperst to the severall Bishops of each Diocesse within their Provinces to the intent that whatsoever concernes any Bishops personally or otherwise in reference to those of the Clergy which they are to governe may be by every of them readily and carefully performed The Instructions which concern the Persons to be governed are only the third for keeping the Kings Declaration that so differences and questions may cease and the fifth about Lecturers and the seventh concerning private Chaplaines in the Houses of men not qualified and the eighth about either Recusants or any other Absents from Church and Divine Service all the rest are Personall to the Bishops yet because they are so full of Justice Honour and Care of the Church I send to you the whole Body of the Instructions as they came to me praying and requiring you as Arch-Deacon of London to send me at or before Wednesday the third of February next both the Christian and Surnames of every Lecturer within your Archdeaconry as well in places exempt as not exempt and the place where he preacheth and his quality and Degree As also the Names of such men as being not qualified keep Chaplains in their Houses And these are farther to pray and in his Majesties name to require you that you leave with the Parson or Vicar of the place a Copy not of all but of the foure Instructions mentioned with the foure severall branches belonging to the Lecturers with a Charge that the Person or Vicar deliver another Copy of them to the Churchwardens and that you do not onely call upon them for Performance now presently but also take great care from time to time that at the End of your next Visitation and so forward at the End of every severall Visitation I may by your self or your Officialls have true notice how they are perform'd and where and by whom they are disobey'd For so much my Lords Grace of Canterbury requires of me as you shall see by the Tenor of his Graces Letters to mee here inclosed I pray you in any case not to faile in this for if you should when I come to give up my Account I must discharge my selfe upon you and that Neglect would make you go backward in his Majesties favour besides whatsoever else may follow Thus not doubting of your care and fidelity in this behalfe I leave you to the Grace of God and shall so rest Your very loving Friend Wil. London January 4. 1629. Upon the publication of these Instructions strictly pursued till this present Parliament Lecturers and Chaplaines in private Gentlemens houses were generally questioned and suppressed in all places with very great Rigor especially if they refused or neglected to read Common Prayers in their Surplisses and Hoods before they Lectured all Sermons on the Lords dayes in the Afternoon were generally suppressed by degrees throughout the Kingdome most single and many Combination Lectures were put downe in every place All Catechismes but that in the Common Prayer Book prohibited All Expositions of Chapters or of the Catechisme forbidden and layd aside Wakes Revels Dancing and all kind of Recreations introduced authorized commanded by a Regall Declaration printed and published in the Kings name by this Prelate as we have already proved and preached for in Pulpits instead of Afternoon Sermons and Catechismes on the Lords day that people might go more merrily down to Hell and banish the thoughts of God and heaven out of their minds on that very day whereon they should minde them most And that these Instructions might be the better executed this Prelate both before and after he was Archbishop together with Bishop Mountague Bishop Wren Bishop Peirce and others thrust them into their Visitation Articles and every Church-Warden and Sidesman on their Oath was to inquire after the Execution and Violation of them If any doubt arose upon these Instructions how to proceed upon them not Archbishop Abbot but this Lording Prelate was consulted with as the only Oracle who best knew their meaning as being the contriver of them Witnesse the Bishop of Bristols Letter and Quaeres to him about his Majesties late Instructions Febr. 12. 1629. the Originall whereof indorsed with Mr Dells his Secretaries hand found with the former Papers in his study was produced If any neglect or connivance at Lecturers was used in any place information and complaint thereof was presently sent up unto him witnesse this one from Canterbury against Archbishop Abbot himselfe thus endorsed with this Prelates own hand Feb 18. 1629. The Proceedings of the Dean and Arch-Deacon of Canterbury upon the Kings Instructions MAster Deane and
Afternoon Sermon but only such Questions and Answers as are conteined in the Common Prayer book not allowing Ministers to expound or open the points of the same to the people he and his Officers affirming in publike places that such an Exposition might be as ill as a Sermon And by colour of these Instructions and the Declaration for Sports he silenced suspended at least fifty Ministers forcing many of them and above three thousand people besides to desert the Kingdome and fly into Holland and New-England as appears by the Articles of his impeachment presented to the Lords by the house of Commons and by sundry witnesses before severall Committees All which Exorbitancies issued from these Instructions and must be put on this Archbishops score the Author of them to whom Bishop Wren and other Bishops gave an annuall Account of their due execution Bishop Mountague succeeding Bishop Wren in the Bishoprick of Norwich in pursuance of these Instructions exceeded him in his Visitation Articles concerning Lectures and Lecturers as appeares by these ensuing printed both at London and Cambridge Anno. 1638. 4. Concerning Lecturers and Lectures Forasmuch as of late years the course and humor of Lecturing and the frequenting and hearing such exercises is of great resent in the State and Church of England from which course as much good may ensue and be procured if well and discreetly managed so if otherwise great hurt danger and scandall may and often doth result the cure and care whereof properly and immediately belongs to the Bishop of the Diocesse where such exercises are the Church-Wardens and Sidesmen are given to understand that there be amongst us three sorts of Lecturers 1 The first most hugged followed admired and maintained is a super-inducted Lecturer in another mans cure and pastorall charge who hath some resemblance to the ancient Catharist in the Primitive Church but is up and down the same with the Doctor in the New Discipline which I take it is the motive of his so great approbation and good entertainment above the Incumbent of the Cure though never so learned and painfull 2 Concerning him it is to be enquired of what degrees in Schools he is and of how long standing and studying in Divinity whether he be a graduate in Divinity a Doctor or at least a Batchelor and not a young Student or Preacher 3 Are his Lectures popular Afternoon Sermons or be they Catechisticall and readings upon some common place of Divinity or the four parts of the English authorized Catechisme or some of the 39 Articles of our Confession 4 Is he there admitted with the consent of the Incumbent or against his will with warrant and authority from the Bishop under his Episcopall seal Is the Minister and Incumbent of that place where he Lectureth a Preacher or not and if a Benefice be offered the Lecturer do you suppose he would take it 5 Doth he often and at times appointed read Divine Service and administer the Communion in his Surplisse and Hood of his degree 6 Of what length are his Lectures and how is his Prayer at beginning and end is he there in conforme unto the Appointment and Order of the Canon Can. 55. 7 Doth he in his popular Lectures ordinarily fall upon points of misticall darke and abstruse Divinity as Praedestination c. Doth he intermeddle with matters of State Government forrein from his profession above his understanding 8 Doth he oppose or traduce openly the Doctrine of his Brethren and neighbouring Ministers or obliquely underhand or upon the by gird at them the Doctrine Discipline of the Church any Parishioner c. so designing him them or that that a man may take notice of his meaning 9 The second sort of Lecturers be those of Combination when many neighbouring Ministers do voluntarily agree and consent with the Ordinaries approbation not otherwise to preach a Sermon every man in his course at some adjoyning market town upon the market day for instructing of such who repair together to sell and buy in their duty to God and commerce with man Have you any such Lecturers 10 Who be the Combiners be they beneficed men of the Diocesse and not strangers or Curates who are not to be admitted because if they offend in their Sermons the Diocesan cannot reach them they are gone 11 Doth this Lecturer any way abridge hinder or cut off Divine Service which is compleatly to be finished before the Lecture begin 12 Do any resorting thereto walke aloofe or in the Church-yard on stay at some house purposely and not repair to the Church till Lecture begin If any such misdemeanour be present it and without amendment the Lecture shall cease 13 A third sort be running Lecturers who point upon such a day to meete at such a Church most an end in some Country Town or Village and then after Sermon and dinner at some house of their disciples repeat censure and explain the Sermon discourse of points proposed at their last meeting by the head of that Classis or Assembly ever to the promoting of their owne fancies and derogation from the doctrine and discipline of the Church after all they do again condicere and appoint to meet next at such a Church in like sort to like purpose Such I found in Sussex at my comming thither If you have any such or know any such present them as far as you can learn who they be where they do meet whither any of your Parish run after them By these we may discerne the spirit of this Prelate and his Malignity against Lecturers and Lectures which he carefully suppressed in Chichester Diocesse where he published the like Articles and would have done the like in Norwich but that his predecessour Bishop Wren had left no Lectures for him to suppresse Doctor Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wells a great creature of this Arch-Prelates to please his Grace the better by colour of these Instructions which he rigorously observed suppressed all Lectures within his Diocesse both in Market Townes and elsewhere as well combination Lectures as those maintained by Ministers or Lecturers upon stipends or the peoples benevolence some of which Lectures had continued 40 or 50 years without interruption and were countenanced by some of his Predecessors actuall preaching at them in their turnes which when he had effected he publikely gloryed in this wicked act using this most execrable speech I thank God I have not one Lecture lest in my Diocesse professing before that he hated the very name of Lectures and would not leave so much as one Lecture in his Diocesse and requiring the Ministers upon their canonicall obedience not to preach any Lecture alleaging that there was no such need of preaching no was there was in the Apostles dayes Yea he suspended Mr Devenish the Minister of Bridgewater for preaching a Lecture there in his own Church on the Market day which Lecture had continued from Queen Elizabeth time till then and refused to absolve him till he hath
be to them no welcome guests or else be sent away beyond Sea where they will open many mouthes against the authors of their misery 9 The Common-wealth shall lose many skilfull workmen in sundry Manufactures whom in times past the Land hath so much desired 10 Many thousand English of the poorer sort shall misse their good masters that set them on work and paid them well which will cause them to grieve at their departure if not to murmure 11 And say a handfull of Aliens should remaine to make up a poore Congregation where shall they baptize their new-borne Infants If in their Parish Churches then shall the strangers lose one of their Sacraments and if in the said strangers Congregation then it would be known when they shall be sent away to be admitted as Natives in their English Parishes 12 A greater difficulty will yet arise about the English Rites and Ceremonies enjoyned to such Aliens as shall remaine For though they mislike them not in the English Churches unto the which upon occasion they do willingly resort yet when this Innovation shall come upon them it will bee so uncouth and strange as it is doubtfull whether it or the separation of the Natives from the Aliens will bring the more trouble And whether they will not both be followed though not aequis passibus with the utter dissolution of their Congregations 13 And the rather because it is not likely that upon their want of a Minister any will be ready to come though sent for from beyond the Seas to serve them upon these two Conditions The one to be contented with so meane a stipend as they shall then be able to afford and that uncertaine too The other to observe such Rites and Ceremonies as they were never acquainted withall yea are offensive to some beyond the Seas from whence they shall be called 3 Lastly forasmuch as we have given no occasion of offence that might deserve the taking away of our former Liberties but have still demeaned our selves peaceably and respectively toward the English Discipline Neither do we harbour any factious English persons as members of our Congregations And also that by two severall Orders of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Councell your Lordship and your Successors have power to order the disordered in both the Congregations if any shall happen Therefore we humbly entreat your good Lordship seriously to take the premises into your grave and judicious consideration And as occasion shall serve to acquaint his Grace of Canterbury with them if your Lordship think it so fitting Vnto whose Grace we desire our humble duties to be presented humbly beseeching his Grace that he will be pleased to be graciously and favourably enclined to us and the rest of the strangers And if it be possible to stay the proceedings of his Graces Commissaries upon the said three Congregations of his Graces Diocesse that so they and we all may yet continue under the shadow of His Majesties most gracious protection and Toleration as before And wee shall pray for his Graces and your Honours long life and prosperity These weighty motives not prevailing they presented an humble Petition to the Archbishop himselfe Iun. 26. 1635. endorsed with his owne hand and seised in his study by Mr Prynne the same in substance with their Remonstrance to the Bishop of Norwich beseeching his Grace to be pleased to take these their motives into his pious and charitable consideration and to suffer them yet to enjoy the benefit of his Majesties and his Noble Predecessours grace of Toleration To this Petition after much sollicitation meanes and friends made to the Archbishop he returned a very peremptory Answer in a Letter of his to the Dutch and Walloone Congregations at Norwich dated August 19. 1635. the Copy whereof was found in his study wherein all the favour he would grant to them or any other forraigue Churches was this That his Majesty was resolved that his Injunctions shall hold and that obedience shall be yeelded to them by all the Natives after the first descent who might continue in their Congregations to the end the Aliens might the better look to the education of their children and that their severall Congregations might not be too much lessened at once but that all of the second descent borne here in England and so termed should resort to their severall Parish Churches whereas they dwell concluding his Letter in those words And thus I have given you answer fairely in all your particulars and doe expect all obedience and conformity to my Injunctions which if you shall performe the State will have occasion to see how ready you are to practise the obedience which you teach And for my part I doubt not but your selves or your posterity at least shall have cause to thank both the State and the Church for this care taken of you But if you refuse as you have no cause to doe and I hope you will not I shall then proceed against the Natives according to the Lawes and Canons Ecclesiasticall So hopeing the best of your selves and your obedience I leave you to the Grace of God and rest Your loving Friend W. Cant. August 19. 1635. By these Injunctions these Churches were molested and disquieted some three or foure yeares space some of them interdicted suspended and shut up for a time for refusing conformity others of them dissolved their Ministers deserting them rather then submitting to these Injunctions all of them much diminished discontented the maintenance of their Ministers and poore Members much impaired almost to their utter desolation notwithstanding all the great friends they could make to intercede in their behalfe and they brought quite under that Episcopall Iurisdiction and Tyranny from which they were formerly exempted Hereupon many consciencious Aliens and their children deserted the Kingdom who could not in conscience submit to the Ceremonies Innovations in our Churches and most of their Families were miserably distracted as appeares by a Summary Relation of the Archbishops proceedings herein presented to the Parliament and by a late printed Book entituled A Relation of the Troubles of the three Forraigne Churches in Kent caused by the Injunctions of William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury Anno Dom. 1634. set forth by Iohn Bulteel Minister of Gods Word to the Walloon Congregation of Canterbury printed Anno 1645. to which we shall referre the Reader for fuller satisfaction And as he thus endeavoured to subvert the Forraigne Dutch French and Walloon Churches at home and to presse the English Liturgy upon them so he attempted to disturbe our English Regiments and Congregations abroad in Forraigne parts and Plantations by imposing the strict observation of the English Liturgy and Ceremonies on them not formerly used by Orders from the Councell Table especially by that of October 1. 1633. to the Merchant-Adventurers which bred great disturbances among them as appeares by sundry Letters from Sir William Boswell Mr Stephen Goffe and others found in the Archbishops study which we
said Miles Burkitt in contempt of his said Ordinary doth come forth out of the said rayles and doth administer the Sacrament to many that will not come up to the said rayles Hocque fuit est verum c. Item we Article and object that you the said Miles Burkite did consent procure and abet Paul Gardner one of the Churchwardens of Pateshall in the County of Northampton aforesaid to remove and carry down forth of the rayles the Communion Table into the body of the Chancell and there did minister the holy Sacrament on Easterday last past and other times notwithstanding the Articles of your Diocesan to the contrary Hocque fuit est verum c. Upon which Articles this good Minister was for a long time vexed in the High-commission and almost ruined From Ministers thus persecuted for opposing these Innovations of rayling in Communion Tables Altarwise and administring the Sacrament at the Rayles we shall proceed to Church-wardens severally prosecuted excommunicated and undone for not rayling in Communion Tables only or removing them out of the rayles We shall begin with the Churchwardens of Beckington in the County of Somerset whose case by the testimonies of Mr. John Ash a Member of the House of Commons and Lord of that Parish of M. William Long and M. George Long who solicited the cause in the Churchwardens behalfe was manifested to be thus The Communion Table in the Parish-church of Beckington had for 70 years and more stood in the midst of the Chancell enclosed with a very decent Wainscot-border and a dore with seats for the Communicants to receive in round about it In the year 1633. D. Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wels a great creature of Canterburies appointed certaine Commissioners to view the Churches within his Diocesse certifie to him the defects thereof who viewing the Church of Beckington certified among other things that there was not a decent Communion Table in it neither was it placed under the East window nor railed in otherwise then with a Border about it where the communicants kneel at the holy Communion and that there were seats above the Communion Table To which Certificate the Churchwardens and Sidemen of Beckington were ordered by the Bishop to return an answer under their hands before Ascension-day 1634. which they did accordingly After which the Churchwardens were enjoyned by the Bishop by word of mouth to remove and rayle in their Communion Table Altarwise against the East end of the Chancel which they refusing to doe conceiving it to be against the Rubrick Q. Elizabeths Injunctions and the 82 Canon thereupon Iames Wheeler Iohn Fry Churchwardens were on the 9 of June 1635. cited into the Bishops Court at Wels before William Hunt the Bishops Surrogate and D. Duck his Chancelour for that the Communion Table in the Chancell of Beckington was not placed under the East window of the Chancel nor rayled in otherwise then with a Border about it and that there were seats above the said Table who admonished them to repaire the said defects and to place the Lords Table against the East wall of the Chancell with the ends of it North and South as it stood in the Cathedrall Church at Wels with a rayle about it and to certifie that they had done all this by the 6 of October following At which day they were excommunicated in open Court by the Bishop himself for refusing to remove and rayle in the Table and pull down the said seats Whereupon the Churchwardens appealed to the Arches for relief where after much waiting and solicitation they procured from Sir Iohn Lambe Dean of the Arches a Letter to the Bishop to absolve them for a time which he did only for 27 dayes admonishing them to submit to what he had formerly enjoyned them for not doing whereof he excommunicated them againe in open Court on the 12 of January following Hereupon the Churchwardens appealed to the Arches the second time and petitioned the Archbishop for reliefe to which Petition this Certificat under the hands of about one hundred of the Parishioners was annexed To the most Reverend Father in God and Right Honourable William by Gods providence Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan ever all England We the Inhabitants and parishioners of Beckington in the County of Somerset do humbly certifie that the Communion Table of our Church of Beckington hath and doth stand in the midst of the Chancel being the most convenientest place time out of minde and beyond the remembrance of any of our parishioners now living And that near threescore years since the pavement of the said Chancel upon which the Communion Table standeth was new made and in the new making thereof raised about a foot above the rest of the ground of the said Chancell and then also compassed about with a fair Wainscot border in which there is only one Wainscot door to come into the said Table which door is kept fast and none doth enter in thereat but the Minister and such as he doth require which said Communion Table doth at the day of the date hereof stand so conveniently and decently as aforesaid And we the said parishioners with an unanimous consent do humbly pray That it may so continue freed from all Innovation And so do humbly take our leaves dated this 19 day of December Anno Dom 1635. But notwithstanding this Petition and Certificate the Archbishop refused to admit of their Appeal threatned them with the High-commission and to lay their Solicitour by the heels commanding them to submit to and obey their Diocaesan who sent up all the proceedings in this cause to the Archbishop with severall reasons why this Table should be removed found in the Archbishops study by Mr. Prynne endorsed with his own hand Whereupon they were enforced to petition the King himself for reliefe informing his Majesty That the Communion Table had continued as then it stood by the approbation of all the Archbishops Bishops of that Diocesse during the reignes of Queen Elizabeth King James and even eleven years in his Majesties reigne as appeared by a Certificate under the hands of almost an hundred of the parishioners hands annexed to the Petition desiring the Table might not be removed but the Archbishop by his power hindred them from receiving any relief from his Majesty upon what grounds and reasons this Letter of the Bishop of Bath and Wels to Sir Iohn Lambe will best discover Good Master Deane According to my promise in my Letter to you the last week I have now sent unto you a copy of all my proceedings in the cause concerning the Chancel of the Parish-church of Beckington and the placing of the Communion Table therein together with my reasons for the same which I hope will give you full satisfaction in this businesse I have sent likewise a copy to my Lords Grace of Canterbury not that I think it worthy of his reading or that he hath leisure to peruse it