have beene by His Majestie and his Royall Ancesters granted to the Dutch and French Churches in this kingdome And divers other wayes hath expressed his malice and disaffection to these Churches that so by such disunion the Papists might have more advantage for the overthrow and extirpation of both 13. Hee hath malitiously and traiterously plotted and endeavoured to stirre up warre and enmity betwixt his Majesties two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and to that purpose hath laboured to introduce into the Kingdome of Scotland divers Innovations both in Religion and Government all or the most part of them tending to Popery and superstition to the great grievance and discontent of his Majesties Subjects of that Nation and for their refusing to submit to such Innovations hee did trayterously advise his Majesty to subdue them by force of Armes and by his owne Authority and Power contrary to Law did procure sundry of his Majestyes Subjects inforced the Clergie of this Kingdome to contribute towards the maintenance of that war And when his Majesty with much wisdom Justice had made a Pacification betwixt the two Kingdomes the said Archbishop did presumptuously censure that pacification as dishonourable to his Majesty and by his councells and endeavours so incensed his Majesty against his said Subjects of Scotland that he did thereupon by advice of the said Archbishop enter into an offensive warre against them to the great hazard of his Majesties person and his Subjects of both Kingdomes 14. That to preserve himselfe from being questioned for these and other his trayterous courses he hath laboured to subvert the rights of Parliament and the ancient course of Parliamentary proceeding and by false and malitious slanders to incense his Majesty against Parliaments By which words counsels and actions he hath traiterously and contrary to his allegiance laboured to alienate the hearts of the Kings liege people from his Majesty and to set a devision betweene them and to ruine and destroy his Majesties Kingdomes for which they doe impeach him of High Treason against our Soveraigne Lord the King his Crowne and Dignity The said Commons do further averre that the said William Archbishop of Canterbury during the times that the crimes aforementioned were done and committed hath beene a Bishop or Archbishop of this Realme of England one of the Kings Commissioners for Ecclesiasticall matters and one of his Majesties most honourable Privie Councell and hath taken an oath for his faithfull discharge of the said Office of Councellor and hath likewise taken an oath of supremacy and Allegeance And the said Commons by protestation saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter any other accusation or impeachment against the said Archbishop and also of replying to the Answers that the said Archbishop shall make unto the said Articles or to any of them and of offering further proofe also of the Premises or any of them or of any other impeachment or accusation that shall be exhibited by them as the cause shall according to the course of Parliament require do pray that the said Archbishop may be put to answer to all and every the premises and that such proceedings examination tryall and Judgment may be upon every of them had and used as is agreeable to Law and Justice The Articles being read Mr. PYMME proceeded in his Specch as followeth My Lords THere is an expression in the Scripture which I will not presume either to understand or to interpret yet to a vulgar eye it seemes to have an aspect something sutable to the Person and Cause before you It is a description of the evill Spirits wherein they are said to be spirituall wickednesses in high places Crimes acted by the spirituall faculties of the Soule the Will and the Vnderstanding exercised about spirituall matters concerning Gods Worship and the Salvation of Man seconded with power authority learning and many other advantages do make the party who commits them very sutable to that description Spirituall wickednesses in high places These crimes My Lords are various in their Nature heynous in their quality and universall in their extent If you examine them Theologically as they stand in opposition to the truth of God they will be found to be against the rule of Faith against the power of godlinesse against the meanes of Salvation If you examine them Morally as they stand in opposition to the light of Nature to right reason and the principles of humane society you will then perceive pride without any moderation such a Pride as that is which exalts it selfe above all that is called God Malice without any provocation Malice against vertue against innocencie against piety injustice without any meanes of restitution even such injustice as doth robbe the present times of their possessions the future of their possibilities If they be examined My Lords by Legall Rules in a Civill way as they stand in opposition to the Publique Good and to the Lawes of the Land Hee will be found to be a Traytor against his Majesties Crown an Incendiary against the Peace of the State he will be found to be the highest the boldest the most impudent Oppressour that ever was an Oppressor both of King and People This Charge my Lords is distributed and conveyed into 14. severall Articles as you have heard and those Articles are only generall It being the intention of the House of Commons which they have commanded me to declare to make them more certaine and particuler by preparatory Examinations to be taken with the helpe of your Lordships house as in the Case of my Lord of Strafford I shall now runne through them with a light touch only marking in every of them some speciall point of venome virulency and malignity 1. The first Article my Lords doth containe his endeavour to introduce into this Kingdome an Arbitrary power of Government without any limitations or Rules of Law This my Lords is against the safety of the Kings Person the honour of his Crowne and most destructive to his people Those Causes which are most perfect have not only a power to produce effects but to conserve and cherish them The Seminary vertue and the Nutritive vertue in vegetables do produce from the same principles It was the defect of justice the restraining of oppression and violence that first brought Government into the World and set up Kings the most excellent way of Government And by the maintenance of justice all kinds of Government receive a sure foundation and establishment It is this that hath in it an ability to preserve and secure the Royall power of Kings yea to adorne and encrease it 2. In the second Article your Lordships may observe absolute and unlimited power defended by Preaching by Sermons and other discourses printed and published upon that subject And truly my Lords it seemes to be a prodigious crime that the truth of God and his holy Law should be perverted to defend the lawlesnesse of men That the holy and
as he hath sought to make an Ecclesiasticall division or religious difference betweene us and forraine Nations so he hath sought to make a Civill difference betweene us and his Majesties subjects of the Kingdome of Scotland And theis he hath promoted by many innovations there prest by himselfe and his owne authority when they were uncapable of such alterations He advised his Majesty to use violence He hath made private and publique Collections towards the maintenance of the Warre which he might justly call his owne warre And with all impudent boldnesse hath struck Tallies in the Exchequer for divers summes of money procured by himselfe Pro defensione Regni when by his Counsels the King was drawne to undertake not a Defensive but an Offensive Warre 14. He hath lastly thought to secure himselfe and his party by seeking to undermine Parliaments and thereby hath laboured to bereave this Kingdome of the Legislative power which can only be used in Parliaments and that we should be left a Kingdome without that which indeed makes and constitutes a Kingdome and is the only Meanes to preserve and restore it from distempers and decayes He hath hereby endeavoured to bereave us of the highest Judicatory such a Judicatory as is necessary and essentiall to our government Some Cases of Treason and others concerning the Prerogative of the Crowne and liberty of the People It is the supreame Judicatory to which all difficult Cases resort from other Courts He hath fought to deprive the King of the Love and Counsell of his People of that assistance which he might have from them and likewise to deprive the People of that reliefe of grievances which they most humbly expect from his Majestie My Lords The Parliament is the Cabinet wherein the chiefest Jewells both of the Crowne and Kingdome are deposited The great Prerogative of the King and libertie of the People are most effectually exercised and maintained by Parliaments Here my Lords you cannot passe by this occasion of great thankes to God and His Majesty for passing the Bill whereby the frequent course of Parliaments is established which I assure my selfe he will by experience finde to bee a strong foundation both of his honour and of his Crowne This is all my Lords I have to say to the particulars of the Charge The Commons desire your Lordships that they may have the same way of Examination that they had in the case of the Earle of Strafford That is to examine members of all kindes of your Lordships House and their owne and others as they shall see cause And those examinations to be kept secret and private that they may with more advantage be made use of when the matter comes to tryall They have declared that they reserve to themselves the power of making Additionall Articles by which they intend to reduce his Charge to be more particular and certaine in respect of the severall times occasion and other circumstances of the offences therein Charged And that your Lordships would bee pleased to put this cause in such a quicke way of proceeding that these great and dangerous crimes together with the offendors may be brought to a just judgment The Charge of the Scottish Commissioners against the Prelate of Canterburie NOvations in Religion which are Vniversally acknowledged to bee the maine cause of commotions in Kingdomes and states and are knowne to be the true cause of our present troubles were many and great beside the bookes of Ordination and Homilies 1. Some particular alterations in matters of Religion pressed upon us without order and against Law contrary to the forme established in our Kirk 2. A new booke of Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall 3. A Liturgie or booke of Common-Prayer which did also carrie with them many dangerous errours in matters of Doctrine Of all which we challenge the Prelate of Canterburie as the prime cause on earth And first that this Prelate was the Author and urger of some particular changes which made great disturbance amongst us we make manifest 1. By fourteene letters subscribed William Cant. in the space of two yeares to one of our pretended Bishops Bannatine wherein he often enjoyneth him and other pretended Bishops to appeare in the Chappell in their Whites contrary to the custome of our Kirke and to his promise made to the pretended Bishop of Edenburgh at the Coronation that none of them after that time should be pressed to weare these garments there by moving him against his will to put them on for that time wherein he directeth him to give order for saying the English Service in the Chappell twice a day for his neglect shewing him that he was disappointed of the Bishopricke of Edenburgh promising him upon the greater care of these novations advancement to a better Bishopricke taxing him for his boldnesse in preaching the sound Doctrine of the reformed Kirkes against Master Mitchell who had taught the errours of Arminius in the point of the extent of the merit of Christ bidding him send up a list of the names of Councellours and Senatours of the Colledge of Justice who did not communicate in the Chappell in a forme which was not received in our Kirke commending him when he found him obsequious to these his commands telling him that he had moved the King the second time for the punishment of such as had not received in the Chappell and wherein he upbraideth him bitterly that in his first Synod at Aberdein he had only disputed against our Custome of Scotland of fasting sometimes on the Lords Day and presumptuously censuring our Kirke that in this wee were opposite to Christianitie it selfe and that amongst us there were no Canons at all More of this stuffe may be seene in the Letters themselves Secondly by two papers of memoirs and instructions from the pretended Bishop of Saint Androis to the pretended Bishop of Rosse comming to this Prelate for ordering the affaires of the Kirke and Kingdome of Scotland as not only to obtaine Warrants to order the Exchequer the Privie Counsell the great Commission of Surrenders the mater of Balmerino's processe as might please our Prelates but warrants also for sitting of the High Commission Court once a weeke in Edenburgh and to gaine from the Noblemen for the benefit of Prelates and their adherents the Abbacies of Kelso Arbroith St. Androis and Lindors and in the smallest matters to receive his Commands as for taking downe Galleries and stone-walls in the Kirks of Edenburgh and Saint Androis for no other end but to make way for Altars and adoration towards the East which besides other evills made no small noyse and disturbance amongst the people deprived hereby of their ordinary accommodation for publike worship The second Novation which troubled our peace was a booke of Canons and constitutions Ecclesiasticall obtruded upon our Kirke found by our Generall Assembly to be devised for establishing a tyrannicall power in the persons of our Prelates over the Worship of God over the Consciences Liberties and
Messe the privat Messe without the people of communicating in one kinde of the consumption by the Priest and consummation of the Sacrifice of receiving the Sacrament in the mouth and not in the hand c. Our supplications were many against these Bookes but Canterbury procured them to be answered with terrible Proclamations We were constrained to use the remedy of Protestation but for our Protestations and other lawfull meanes which we used for our deliverance Canterbury procured us to be declared Rebells and Traitors in all Parish Kirkes of England when we were seeking to possesse our Religion in peace against these devices and novations Canterbury kindleth warre against us In all these it is knowne that he was although not the sole yet the principall Agent and adviser When by the Pacification at Barwicke both Kingdomes looked for Peace and quietnesse hee spared not openly in the hearing of many often before the King and privately at the Counsell Table and the Privy Jointo to speake of us as Rebells and Traitors and to speake against the Pacification as dishonourable and meere to be broken Neither did his malignancy and bitternesse ever suffer him to rest till a new war was entred upon and all things prepared for our destruction By him was it that our Covenant approven by National Assemblies subscribed by His Majesties Commissioner and by the Lords of his Majesties Counsell and by them commanded to be subscribed by all the Subjects of the Kingdome as a Testimony of our duty to God and the King by him was it still called ungodly damnable Treasonable by him were Oaths invented and pressed upon diverse of our poore Country men upon the paine of imprisonment and many miseries which were unwarrantable by Law and contrary to their Nationall Oath When our Commissioners did appeare to render the reasons of our demands hee spared not in the presence of the King and Committee to raile against our Nationall Assembly as not daring to appeare before the World and Kirkes abroad where himselfe and his actions were able to endure tryall and against our just and necessary defence as the most malicious and Treasonable Contempt of Monarchicall Government that any bygone age heard of His hand also was at the Warrant for the restraint and imprisonment of Our Commissioners sent from the Parliament warranted by the King and seeking the peace of the Kingdomes When we had by our Declarations Remonstrances and Representations manifested the truth of our intentions and lawfulnesse of our actions to all the good Subjects of the Kingdome of England when the late Parliament could not be moved to assist or enter in Warre against us maintaining our Religion and Liberties Canterbury did not only advise the breaking up of that high and honourable Court to the great griefe and hazard of the Kingdome but which is without example did sit still in the Convocation and make Canons and Constitutions against us and our just and necessary defence ordaining under all highest paines that hereafter the Clergie shall preach foure times in the yeare such doctrine as is contrary not onely to our proceedings but to the doctrine and proceedings of other Reformed Kirkes to the judgment of all sound Divines and Politiques and tending to the utter slavery and ruining of all Estates and Kingdomes and to the dishonour of Kings and Monarchs And as if this had not beene sufficient he procured six Subsedies to be lifted of the Clergie under paire of deprivation to all that should refuse And which is yet worse and above which Malice it selfe cannot ascend by his meanes a Prayer is framed Printed and sent through all Paroches of England to be said in all Churches in time of Divine Service next after the Prayer for the Queen and Royall Progeny against our Nation by name of trayterous Subjects having cast off all Obedience to Our Annoynted Soveraigne and comming in all rebellious manner to invade England that shame may cover our faces as Enemies to God and the King Whosoever shall impartially examine what hath proceeded from himselfe in these Books of Canons and common Prayer what Doctrine hath beene published and printed these yeares by-past in England by his Disciples and Emissaries what grosse Popery in the most materiall points we have found and are ready to shew in the posthume writings of the Prelate at Edenburgh and Dublane his owne creatures his neerest familiars and most willing instruments to advance his counsells and projects shall perceive that his intentions were deepe and large against all the reformed Kirkes and Reformation of Religion which in his Majesties dominions was panting and by this time had rendred up the Ghost if God had not in a wonderfull way of mercy prevented us And that if the Pope himselfe had beene in his place he could not have beene more Popish nor could he more zealously have negotiated for Rome against the Reformed Kirkes to reduce them to the Heresies in doctrine the Superstitions and Idolatty in worship and the tyranny in Government which are in that See and for which the Reformed Kirkes did separate from it and come forth of Babell From him certainly hath issued all this deluge which almost hath overturned all We are therefore confident that your Lordships will by your meanes deale effectually with the Parliament that this great firebrand be presently removed from his Majesties presence and that he may be put to tryall and put to his deserved censure according to the Lawes of the Kingdome which shall be good service to God honour to the King and Parliament terrour to the wicked and comfort to all good men and to us in speciall who by his meanes principally have been put to so many and grievous aflictions wherein we had perished if God had not beene with us Wee doe indeed confesse that the Prelates of England have beene of very different humours some of them of a more moderate temper some of them more and some of them lesse inclinable to Popery yet what knowne truth and constant experience hath made undenyable we must at this opportunity professe that from the first time of Reformation of the Kirke of Scotland not only after the comming of King James of happy memory into England but before the Prelates of England have bin by all means uncessantly working the overthrow of our discipline and Government And it hath come to passe of late that the Prelates of England having prevailed and brought us to subjection in the point of Government and finding their long waited for opportunity and a rare congruitie of many spirits and powers ready to co-operate for their ends have made a strong assault upon the whole externall worship and doctrine of our Kirk By which their doing they did not aime to make us conforme to England but to make Scotland first whose weaknesse in resisting they had before experienced in the Novations of Government and of some points of worship and thereafter England conform to Rome even in these matters wherein England
Conspiracy which if fully prosecuted at that time might have prevented the bloody Massacres which have since been made in Ireland and England in prosecution of the same Designe to advance the Catholick Cause and reduce us back to our prestine Romish thraldome and superstitions Thirdly for Habernfields plot it is true upon the first discovery of it to him in the generall onely when he deemed it to be a conspiracy plotted prosecuted onely by Puritans he acquainted the King therewith which we confesse in our Evidence but as soon as he received the full discovery of it found the parties engaged in it to be Papists Priests Jesuits and some of his owne creatures confederates therein particularized as Secretary Windebanke Sir Toby Matthew and others about the Court he presently sets downe proceeds no farther in it conceales his papers to himselfe not discovering them to King Counsell Parliament nor endeavouring to apprehend examine the parties named in it when present and some of them questioned yea impeached in Parliament for some particulars relating to it Which concealment of his of a most desperate Treason and Conspiracy thus circumstantiated in a case of such grand concernment to the safety of the King Kingdome Church and Protestant Religion we conceive to be a high and treasonable offence tending onely to advance those popish Designes to subvert our Religion and subject us unto Rome which have ever since been prosecuted by the selfe-same parties faction with an higher hand and more open face of late then ever heretofore That this plot was not a fiction unlesse onely in that which concernes himselfe wherein he knew there were some mistakes he being not so odious at Rome as it seemes to make him but a reall truth in all or most particulars which concern our Religion his owne Diary his endorsments on it together with our dear-bought experience late Discoveries concurring with it fully evidence His own cōviction therfore of its reality should have enduced him if not to prosecute yet at leastwise to have revealed itto the Parliament that they might have fifted it to the Bran which he never did Master Prynnes seizing it in his Chamber to his great griefe being the onely meanes to bring it unto light His argument that it makes most of any thing for the justification of his sincerity to our Religion and opposition to Popery aggravates not extenuates his offence in concealing it because then he had more reason to disclose it as well for his owne vindication from scandal as the publike safety of our King Church Religion but his engagements to this confederated Popish party and the Advancment of their cause were such that he preferred them before his owne private pretended justification or the safety of all these coupled together Wherefore he still remaines under the guilt weight of this and all other the Commons forementioned particular charges notwitstanding all his Answers Defences to enervate or elude them And therefore upon this first generall Branch of his Charge the Commons prayed Judgement against him from the House of Peers as the Archest Traytor the cunningest Vnderminer Subverter of of our established Religion the greatest Advancer of Popery and most sedulous Agent to reduce us back to Rome of any Archbishop or pretender to the Protestant Religion that our English Soile or the Christian world have ever bred concluding in the Poets words Dij talem terris avertite Pestem The remaining Branches of whose Charge and Tryall we shall God willing contract into a lesser Volume and publish with convenient speed in each Branch whereof he will appeare as Criminall as Treasonable as Arch a Malefactor as in this wherein he most protested most laboured to assert his Innocency against so many pregnant Evidences and cleer Demonstrations of his guiltinesse as will render him most execrable to all true Protestants for eternity however some have already enrolled him in their lying Legends for a most glorious Martyr and more meritorious Saint then ever his traiterous Predecessor Becket was whose Treasons and other grand Misdemeanours were farre inferiour both in quantity quality and a trocity unto his FINIS THE TABLE OF THE Principal matters contained in this History some Pages whereof being over-cast and twice set others misprinted wherethey are twice paged thou shalt finde that in the later which is not in the former and the other in the corrected that is not in the mistaken pages Dr. Robert Abbots testimony of Lauds inclination to Popery in a publique Sermon in Oxford p. 155 410 411. 545 546. Absolution of Priests but declarative expunged p. 207. 350 to 357. Ferdinando Adams Excommunicated and vexed by Lauds Officers for not removing the Lords Table and setting up a place of Scripture near the Commissaries Court p. 101. 488 489 494. Mr. Adams his Sermon in defence of Auricular Confession p. 192 193. Adoring the Eucharist passages concerning it and against Popish Adorations expunged p. 271. Altars erected justified as Christs Throne furnished with Candlesticks Tapers and other Popish Trinckets railed in bowed to by Lauds Example and Injunctions and justified to be necessary p. 62 63 64 67 68 71. 72 76. 102 113 114 101 to 125 148 191 199 200 217 218. 473 to 490. Passages against Altars expunged p. 279. Placed anciently in the midst not East end of the Quire p. 480 to 490. Bishop Andrews his Popish Chappel opiions and Altar-furniture p. 121 to 125. 424 425 499. Angel Gardians Invocation maintained in late printed Books p. 213. 214. Antichrist by our own Statutes Homilies Writers resolved to be the Papacy and Pope yet denied by Laud and his Confederates who purged out the Name and Title thereof when applied to the Pope with King James his opinion concerning Antichrist and Bishop Ushers p. 178 206 207 260 to 279,542 551 to 555. Apostacy see falling from grace Arbitrary Government passages against it expunged p. 289 290. Arminianism a Plot of the Jesuits it and Arminians countenanced promoted by Laud passages against them purged out Books against them suppressed their Errors countenanced in Presse Pulpit p. 159 to 178 284 285. 507 to 517 530 to 537. See Election Predestination Universal Grace Articles of Ireland against Arminianism and the Pope suppressed by Lauds means p. 177 178 272. 509. 512. Assurance of salvation passages deleted out of new Books in defence thereof by Lauds Agents p. 287 to 291 Ave Maries use and practise justified in new printed Books p. 213 214. Auricular Confession maintained in Print Pulpit practise passages against it expunged by Laud and his instruments p. 188 to 196. 288 289. Dr. Aylets Letter concerning the rayling in Lords Tables and receiving at the Rails p 121. B Baker an Arminian advanced by Laud a Licenser of Popish Books and purger of passages against Popery and Arminianism his Answer concerning the Gunpowder Treason p. 184 186. 256 to 300. sparsim 360. 528. Baptism passages against the Papists and Popish Ceremonies used in it deleted p. 292 295
after the Triall and above 2 Moneths after the Execution this work was delegated by the Commons unto me at which time most of the Papers Notes Books Evidences used at his tryall were laid aside and dispersed into severall mens hands whereby much time was spent before I could recollect and marshall them into Order to digest this History out of them Secondly since the assignment of this task unto my care I have been almost every day taken up with publike imployments for the State at the Committee of Accounts and elsewhere besides the dayly avocations of my particular calling my onely support since our unhappy Wars so as I have had few vacant hours to compile it but those I have borrowed from my naturall rest whiles others have bin sleeping Thirdly I have since this undertaking been necessitated to write publish sundry other Impressions uncapable of delay in defence of the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction of Parliaments Civill Magistrates and concerning Ecclesiasticall Censures and Church-Government against Independents Anabaptists others yea to Vindicate the Parliaments just Proceedings with mine own Innocency against the seditious Anti-parliamentary Libels of that notorious impudent Libeller and Lyat L. Col. Lilburn who still persevers in his trespasses to the dishonour and scandall of publike justice All which considered I suppose Your Honours and others will easily beleeve I wanted no diligence but leisure onely for the speedier accomplishment of this work wherein notwithstanding I have not been negligent witnesse my publication of the Breviate of the Archbishops life and of A necessary Introduction of his Tryall amounting to a large Volume sufficient to assoyle me from the least imputation of idlenesse or negligence in this very subject Fourthly Adde hereunto the voluminousnesse of this First Part of the Archbishops Tryal onely with the variety of the matter charges therein conteined the trouble I had in digesting the Labour in compiling writing reveiwing fitting it for and Correcting Revising it at the Presse with the coldnesse of this last winters Vacation when neither pen nor Presse could worke for sundry weekes together and compare this with the former reasons and the Printers slacknesse which hath delayed it very much and then I doubt not but your Honours and all others will rather wonder how I could possibly compleat this Voluminous Part so speedily then question or quarrell with me why it comes forth so slowly it being work enough to have swallowed up all my time since the Order had I had no other imployments to divert me To the second demand I must returne this Answer First that I published this History thus in parcells for want of time to compleat and print it all together in due season Secondly that the long expectation of this Tryall and mens calling for it every day induced me to satisfie their longing appetites with these First-fruits of it concerning Religion the thing most looked most inquired after both at home and abroad till the full crop be ripened for the harvest which will require some warmer moneths to concoct it ere it can attain to maturity Thirdly The great Charge of the Stationer in Printing this first Part the voluminousnesse and price whereof hath I fear out-swelled most Chapments purses in these Indegent times with the serious consideration of the incertainty of my life and future opportunity in these dayes of War and mortality to finish the remainder of this Worke which God willing I intend to compleat and publish with all convenient speed have induced me rather to gratifie your Honours and the World with these First fruits for the present then to hazard the depriving you of it or the whole History if deferred till all were compleated Having answered these demands I shall now crave liberty and your Noble Patience to raise some profitable Observations from the Subject matter of this History not unworthy your Honours saddest thoughts If you consider the meane obscure Parentage of this Arch-Prelate his grand Preferments the great mischiefes he did in Church State and his Execution after all it may suggest these profitable contemplations to your minds First That God by his power and all-disposing providence can raise up Persons of the lowest place or Parentage to the highest Pinacles of worldly Honour according to that in the 1 Sam. 2. 8. and Psal 118. 7 8. He raiseth up the Poor out of the dust and lifteth up the Beggar from the dunghill to set them among the Princes and make them inherite the Throne of glory 2. That God can make the most vile and despicable persons in the world grand Pests or Punishments to whole Kingdomes Nations when he pleaseth Dan. 11. 21 22. 1 Kings 11. 26. c. 12. 2. c. c. 13. 14. even as he made Frogs Lice Caterpillers the vilest creatures a very sore plague to King Pharaoh and the whole Kingdome of Egypt Exod. c. 7. 8. and 9. 3. That persons sodainly advanced from the lowest degree of men to the highest pitch of honour proove commonly the most insolent violent domineering imperious tyrannicall and mischievous of all such preferments being unable to weld or mannage the greatnesse of their fortune See Mat. 24. 48. to the end 2 Chro. 10. 8. to 16. Eccles 10. 1. 6 7. Psal 73. 6. to 13. Iob. 21. 7. to 20. Fourthly That grand preferments without great grace to mannage improve them to Gods glory and the common good are greater judgements than blessings and for the most part the immediate occasions of mens greatest ruin by their evill Councells or ill managing of their greatnesse to the publike prejudice Ps 73. 3. to 21. Iob 21. 7. c. Psal 37. 1. 2. Ester c. 3. to 8. Fifthly That mischievous Councellours and wicked Instruments in Church State though never so great in power or Favour with their Princes for a season seldome escape condigne exemplary punishment at the last and that no greatnesse whatsoever is able finally to protect mischevous Grandees from the hand of publike justice Ester 7. 1 Kings 2. 28. to 35. Let all great ones then seriously consider this and remember Canterbury lest they dye and fall like him If we again observe his Preferments Actions Proceedings and miserable end as a Clergy man we may raise these profitable observations from this History of his Tryall which all Prelates Clergy men may do well to consider is oft as they thinke of Canterbury First that when Clergy men cast aside or neglect their callings and turne meer Statesmen they commonly prove the very worst and most oppressive Persons of all others Matth. 5. 13. 2. Thess 2. 3. Secondly That one over potent Prelate backed with a Kings Royall power and favour is able to unsetleReligion where it is best established and embroyle ruine the most flourishing Churches Kingdomes in few yeares space 2 Thess 2. 4. 9 10 11 12. Revel 13. 2. to 18. Thirdly That there are no such desperate underminers persecutors suppressors of Gods true Religion Saints people as over potent wicked
that valiant Noble Knight Sir Charles Coote which for Poor dying Irelands sake to corroborate the late admirable discoveries from thence by the Popish Archbishop of Tuams Papers and others surprised by this Sir Charles I dare not conceal I SIR Charles Coote do hereby testifie that being at Oxford the last Summer as one of the Agents for the Protestants of Ireland and finding the Irish Popish Agents then to be very prevalent there and the Archbishop of Armagh to be often present at the Debates concerning the businesse of Ireland and conceiving him to have some power with his Majesty I addressed my selfe to the said Archbishop and besought him that he would interpose his power with his Majesty in the behalfe of the Protestants for if the Irish Agents obtained their desires the Protestants in Ireland were destroyed and Popery would be introduced to which the Arch-Bishop replyed That was the intention which he knew better then I did and said WE MUST SUBMIT Dated this 14. of Aprill 1645. CHARLES COOTE A very strange speech of a Saint-seeming Protestant Arch-Prelate What must we submit to the destruction of the Protestants in Ireland and the introduction of Popery there and not once oppose it and will such an Arch-Prelate as he refuse to use his utmost interest in the Kings favour to withstand it when desired If this be the Doctrine of the zealous Lord Primate of Ireland that we must submit to the introducing of Popery there the projected design of the Primate and Metropolitan of all England and Ireland too the better to accomplish it in England as we have here and elswhere manifested the God of heaven for ever deliver us from such an hypocriticall false Archiepiscopall generation of Vipers whose heads and hopes of succession in both Kingdomes we trust Your Honours have for ever cut off in the decapitation of this Archbishop of Canterbury the very worst of al his Trayterous Predecessors their crimes being all concentred in him whose famous Triall Judgement Execution shall eternize Your memorable Justice to posterity and deter all other ambitious pragmaticall Clergy men from treading in his fatall foot-steps the sign of the Arch-bishops head when seriously beheld being as good a Memento for wicked Prelates Councellors to scare them from his trayterous practises as the sight of a corrupt Judges skin in Herodotus nayled to the Tribunall was to his successors to deter them from bribery and injustice If I have done any acceptable service for Your Honourable Assembly and the Church of God in pubilshing these first Fruits of my Obedience to Your just Desires the favourable Acceptance of what I have already composed with much difficulty and lesse exactnesse then I desired will be an incouragement to me if God send life and leisure to present Your Honours in due season with the remainder of this History In the mean time I shall become a dayly Orator to the Throne of Grace to make and continue Your Honourable Houses and Committees a mountain of holinesse an habitation of Justice to execute the Justice of the Lord to do Justice to the afflicted and needy in ridding them out of the hands of the wicked and to distribute equall speedy judgement to all oppressed ones who complain unto and on all Delinquents justly convicted before Your Honours without any respect of persons or byasse of interest or affections according to the old inflexible rules of Law and Justice that so no person whatsoever may have any occasion to take up the Prophets complaint against You as some have causlesly done That Judgement is turned away backward justice standeth a far off and equity cannot enter there is no judgement in their goings We looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a cry Moreover we saw under the sun the place of judgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousnesse that iniquity was there It was full of Judgement righteousnesse lodged in it heretofore but now murderers and oppressers Is there no Balm in Gilead is there no Physitian there why then is not the health of the daughter of our people recovered But that al such fals clamours being wholly silenced by Your care and justice our whole Nation may unanimously trumpet forth these worthy prayses of your Houses Committees that Justice and Judgment are the Habitation of Your Throne as they are of Gods and that like good King David you all do execute justice and judgment to all the people judging them with just judgment without wresting perverting justice or respect of persons and that which is altogether just do you follow Which will be Your Honours brightest Crown of glory our Kingdomes greatest security our peoples most desireable Felicity yea is and shall be the Vote the Prayer of Your Honours most devoted Servant WILLIAM PRYNNE Lincolns Inne Aprill 20 1646. To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader that experimentall Observation of the naturall Historian Quo majus est animal tanto diutius formatur in utero c. Singulos gignunt Elephanti Acanthis auis minima duodenas Ocyssime pariunt qui plurimos gignunt may be a satisfactory Apology for the Slownesse the Singlenesse of this long-expected Birth Elephants are much longer forming ripening in the Wombe then Mice and Cathedrall Histories as well as Churches require more time to finish them then Pettie Relations We read John 2. 20. that the later Temple of Ierusalem was 46. yeares in building yet this large folio Edifice hath been compiled compleated within the compasse of so many Weekes notwithstanding my many other dayly interruptions Avocations publike and private in so much that none can justly tax me with Sloathfulnesse or Negligence in this publike Service the toylesomnesse whereof hath deterred all others from undertaking it and devolved it wholly upon me who in regard of my few Vacant Minutes for such a vast Vndertaking must humbly crave thy pardon for all Defects Errataes Oversights either in the penning or printing In this part of the Archbishops Tryall thou maiest clearly discerne not onely his Popish Spirit together with his Activity and Jesuiticall Practises to undermine our established Religion introduce Popery among us by degrees and reduce us back to our ancient Vassallage to Rome but likewise read over a true Ecclesiasticall History of our Church during all the time of his domination and from the result of all I shall desire thee like the industrious sagacious Bee which extracts hony out of poysonous Herbs to collect some profitable Meditations for thy spirituall advantage Some whereof I have already hinted in the Epistle Dedicatory and shall here but lightly touch First here thou mayest see that of the Psalmist so experimentally verified that thou mayest take up his very words Ps 37. 35 36 38. I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green bay tree Yet he passed away and loe he was not yea I sought
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
hath wickedly and traiterously advised His Majestie that he might at his owne will and pleasure leavie and take money of his Subjects without their consent in Parliament and this hee affirmed was warrantable by the Law of God 2. Hee hath for the better accomplishment of that his traiterous designe advised and procured Sermons and other discourses to be preached printed and published in which the Authoritie of Parliaments and the force of the Lawes of this Kingdome have beene denyed and absolute and unlimited power over the persons and estates of His Majesties subjects maintained and defended not onely in the King but in himselfe and other Bishops against the Law And he hath beene a great protector savourer and promoter of the publishers of such false and pernicious opinions 3. Hee hath by Letters Messages Threats and promises and by diverse other wayes to Judges and other Ministers of justice interrupted and perverted and at other times by meanes aforesaid hath endeavoured to interrupt and pervert the course of Justice in His Majesties Courts at Westminster and other Courts to the subversion of the Lawes of this Kingdome whereby sundry of His Majesties Subjects have been stopt in their just suits deprived of their lawfull righte and subjected to his tyrannicall will to their ruine and destruction 4. That the said Archbishop hath traiterously and corruptly told ustice to those who have had causes depending before him by colour of his Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction as Archbishop High Commissioner Referree or otherwise and hath taken unlawfull gifts and bribes of His Majesties Subjects and hath as much as in him lies endeavoured to corrupt the other Courts of justice by advising and procuring His Majestie to sell places of Judicature and other Offices contrary to the Laws and Statutes in that behalfe 5. He hath traiterously caused a booke of Canons to be composed and published without any lawfull warrant and authoritie in that behalfe in which pretended Canons many matters are contained contrary to the Kings Prerogative to the fundamentall Lawes and Statutes of this Realme to the right of Parliament to the propriety and libertie of the Subject and matters tending to sedition and of dangerous consequence and to the establishment of a past unlawfull and presumptuous power in himselfe and his successors many of which Canons by the practise of the said Archbishop were surreptitiously passed in the late Convocation without due consideration and debate others by feare and compulsion were subscribed by the Prelates and Clerkes there assembled which had never beene voted and passed in the Convocation as they ought to have beene And the said Archbishop hath contrived and endeavoured to assure and confirme the unlawfull and exorbitant power which he hath usurped and exercised over His Majesties Subjects by a wicked and ungodly oath in one of the said pretended Canons injoyned to be taken by all the Clergie and many of the Laitie of this Kingdome 6. He hath trayterously assumed to himselfe a papall and tyrannicall power both in Ecclesiasticall and Temporall matters over his Majesties Subjects in this Realme of England and in other places to the disherison of the Crowne dishonour of His Majestie and derogation of his supreme authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters And the said Archbishop claimes the Kings Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction as incident to his Episcopall Office and Archiepiscopall in this Kingdome and doth deny the same to bee derived from the Crowne of England which he hath accordingly exercised to the high contempt of his Royall Majestie and to the destruction of divers of the Kings liege people in their persons and estates 7. That he hath traiterously indeavoured to alter and subvert Gods true Religion by Law established in this Realme and in stead thereof to set up Popish superstition and Idolatrie And to that end hath declared and maintained in Speeches and printed books diverse popish doctrines and opinions contrary to the Articles of Religion established by Law Hee hath urged and injoyned diverse popish and superstitious Ceremonies without any warrant of Law and hath cruelly persecuted those who have opposed the same by corporall punishments and Imprisonments and most unjustly vexed others who refused to conforme thereunto by Ecclesiasticall censures of Excommunication Suspension Deprivation and Degradation contrary to the Lawes of this Kingdome 8. That for the better advancing of his traiterous purpose and designe he did abuse the great power and trust His Majestie reposed in him and did intrude upon the places of diverse great Officers and upon the right of other His Majesties Subjects whereby he did procure to himselfe the nomination of sundry persons to Ecclesiasticall Dignities Promotions and benefices belonging to His Majestie and divers of the Nobilitie Clergie and others and hath taken upon him the commendation of Chaplaines to the King by which meanes he hath preferred to His Majesties service and to other great promotions in the Church such as have been Popishly affected or otherwise unsound and corrupt both in doctrine and manners 9. Hee hath for the same trayterous and wicked intent chosen and imployed such men to be his owne Domesticall Chaplaines whom he knew to be notoriously disaffected to the reformed Religion grosly addicted to popish superstition and erroneous and unsound both in judgement and practise and to them or some of them hath he committed the Licensing of Bookes to be printed by which meanes divers false and superstitious bookes have beene published to the great scandall of Religion and to the seducing of many His Majesties Subjects 10. Hee hath traiterously and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome and for the effecting thereof hath consorted and confederated with diverse Popish Priests and Jesuites and hath kept secret intelligence with the Pope of Rome and by himselfe his Agents and instruments treated with such as have from thence received authoritie and instruction hee hath permitted and countenanced a Popish Hierarchie or Ecclesiasticall government to bee established in this Kingdome by all which trayterous and malicious practises this Church and Kingdome hath beene exceedingly indangered and like to fall under the Tyrannie of the Roman See 11. He in his owne person and his Suffragans Visitors Surrogates Chancellors and other Officers by his command have caused divers learned pious and Orthodox Ministers of Gods Word to be silenced suspended deprived degraded excommunicated and otherwise grieved without any just and lawfull cause and by diverse other meanes he hath hindered the preaching of Gods Word caused divers of His Majesties loyall Subjects to forsake the Kingdome and increased and cherished Ignorance and profanenesse amongst the people that so hee might the better facilitate the way to the effecting of his owne wicked and traiterous designe of altering and corrupting the true religion here established 12. He hath traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord betwixt the Church of England and other reformed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Jmmunities which
sacred function of the Ministry which was ordained for instruction of mens soules in the wayes of God should be so abused that the Ministers are become the Trumpets of Sedition the promoters and defenders of violence and oppression 3. In the third Article my Lords you have the Judges who under his Majesty are the dispersers and distributers of Justice frequently corrupted by feare and solicitation you have the course of Justice in the execution of it shamefully obstructed And if a wilfull Act of in justice in a Iudge be so high a crime in the estimate of the Law as to deserve death under what burthen of guilt doth this man lye who hath been the cause of great numbers of such voluntary and wilfull acts of injustice 4. In the fourth Article hee will be found in his owne person to have sold justice in Causes depending before him And by his wicked councell endeavouring to make his Majesty a Merchant of the same commodity only with this difference that the King by taking money for places of judicature should sell it in grosse whereas the Archbishop sold it by retaile 5. In the fift Article there appeares a power usurped of making Canons of laying obligations on the Subjects in the nature of Law and this power abused to the making of such Canons as are in the matter of them very pernitious being directly contrary to the prerogative of the King and the liberty of the people In the manner of pressing of them may be found fraud and shuffling in the conclusion violence and constraint men being forced by terrour and threatning to subscribe to all which power thus wickedly gotten they labour to establish by perjury injoyning such an Oath for the maintenance of it as can neither be taken nor kept with a good conscience 6. In the sixth Article you have the King robbed of his Supremacy you have a Papall power exercised over his Majesties Subjects in their consciences and in their persons You have Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction claimed by an Incident right which the Law declares to proceed from the Crowne And herein your Lordships may observe that those who labour in civill matters to set up the King above the Lawes of the Kingdome doe yet in Ecclesiasticall matters endeavour to set up themselves above the King This was first procured by the Arch-bishop to be extrajudicially declared by the Judges and then to be published in a Proclamation In doing whereof he hath made the Kings Throne but a footstoole for his owne and their pride 7. You have my Lords in the seventh Article Religion undermined and subverted you have Popery cherished and defended you have this seconded with power and violence by severe punishment upon those which have opposed this mischievous intention and by the subtile and eager prosecution of these men hath the power of Ecclesiasticall Commissioners of the Starre-Chamber and Councell Table beene often made subservient to his wicked designe My Lords 8. You may observe in the eighth Article great care taken to get into his owne hand the power of nominating to Ecclesiasticall Livings and promotions you have as much mischeivous as much wicked care taken in the disposing of these preferments to the hinderance and corruption of Religion And by this meanes my Lords the Kings sacred Majestie instead of Sermons fit for spirituall instructours hath often had invectives against his people incouragement to injustice or to the overthrow of the Lawes Such Chaplaines have beene brought into his service as have as much as may be laboured to corrupt his owne houshold and beene eminent examples of corruption to others which hath so farre prevailed as that it hath exceedingly tainted the Vniversities and beene generally disperst to all the chiefe Cities the greatest Townes and Auditories of the Kingdome The grievous effects whereof is most manifest to the Commons House there being diverse hundred complaints there depending in the House against scandalous Ministers and yet I believe the hundred part of them is not yet brought in 9. The ninth Article sets out the like care to have Chaplaines of his owne that might bee promoters of this wicked and trayterous designe Men of corrupt judgments of corrupt practice extreamely addicted to superstition and to such mens cares hath been committed the Licencing of Bookes to the Presse by meanes whereof many have beene published that are full of falshood of scandals such as have beene more worthy to be burnt by the hand of the Hangman in Smithfield as I thinke one of them was than to be admitted to come into the hands of the Kings people 10. In the tenth Article it will appeare how he having made these approaches to Popery comes now to close and joyne more neerely with it he confederates with Priests and Jesuites He by his instruments negotiates with the Pope at Rome and hath correspondence with them that he authorized from Rome here He hath permitted a Roman Hierachie to be set up in this Kingdome And though he hath bin so carefull that a poore man could not goe to the neighbour Parish to heare a Sermon when he had none at home could not have a Sermon repeated nor prayer used in his own Family but he was a fit subject for the High Commission Court yet the other hath beene done in all parts of the Realme and no notice taken of it by any Ecclesiasticall Judges or Courts My Lords 11. You may perceive preaching suppressed in the eleventh divers godly and Orthodox Ministers oppressed in their persons and Estates you have the Kings loyall subjects banished out of the Kingdome not as Elimelecke to seeke for bread in forraigne Countries by reason of the great scarcity which was in Jsrael but travelling abroad for the bread of life because they could not have it at home by reason of the spirituall Famine of Gods Word caused by this man and his partakers And by this meanes you have had the trade the Manufactury the industry of many thousands of his Majesties subjects carried out of the Land It is a miserable abuse of the spirituall Keyes to shut up the doores of heaven and to open the gates of Hell to let in prophanenesse ignorance superstition and errour I shall neede say no more These things are evident and abundantly knowne to all 12. In the twelfth Article my Lords you have a division endeavoured betweene this and the forraine reformed Churches The Church of Christ is one body and the Members of Christ have a mutuall relation as members of the same body Vnity with Gods true Church every where is not only the beauty but the strength of Religion of which beauty and strength he hath sought to deprive this Church by his manifold attempts to breake this union To which purpose hee hath suppressed the priviledges granted to the Dutch and French Churches He hath denyed them to be of the same Faith and Religion with us and many other wayes hath he declared his malice to those Churches 13. In the thirteenth Article
these men from it And that it may appear unto Your Lordships how many and of what condition the persons are which by Gods blessing upon my labours I have setled in the true Protestant Religion established in England I shall briefely name some of them though I cannot do it in order of time as I converted them Henry Berkinstead of Trinity Colledge Oxon seduced by a Jesuite and brought to London The Lords and others conceiving him to be Berchinhead the Author of all the Libellous Popish Oxford Aulicusses against the Parliament at the naming of him smiled which the Archbishop perceiving said My Lords I mean not Berchinhead the Author of Oxford Aulicus but another Two Daughters of Sir Richard Lechford in Surry sent towards a NVNNERIE Two Schollers of Saint Johns Colledge Cambridge Toppin and Ashton who had got the French Ambassadors passe and after this I allowed means to Toppin and then procured him a fellowship in Saint Johns And he is at this present as hopefull a young man as any of his time and a Divine Sir William Webbe my kinsman and two of his Daughters And his son I took from him and his Father being utterly decayed I bred him at my own charge and he is a very good Protestant A Gentleman brought to me by Master Chesford his Majesties servant but I cannot recall his name The Lord Mayo of Ireland brought to me also by Master Chesford The Right Honourable the Lord. Duke of Buckingham almost quite gone between the Lady his Mother and Sister The Lady Marquesse Hamilton was setled by my direction and shee dyed very religiously and a Protestant Master Digby who was a Priest Master James a Gentleman brought to mee by a Minister in Buckinghamshire as I remember Doctor Heart the Civilian my neighbours sonne at Fulham Master Christopher Seaburne a Gentleman of an ancient family in Herefordshire The Right Honourable the Countesse of Buckingham Sir William Spencer of Parnton Master Shillingworth The sonnes and heires of Master Winchcombe and Master Wollescott whom I sent with their friends liking to Wadham Colledge Oxford and received a Certificate Anno 1638. of their continuing in conformity to the Church of England Nor did ever any one of these named relapse againe but only the Countesse of Buckingham and Sir William Spencer it being only in Gods power not mine to preserve them from relapse And now let any Clergy man of England come forth and give a better accompt of his zeale to the Church This speech being ended all were commanded to withdraw In the withdrawing Master Hugh Peters who stood near the Archbishop demanded of him whether he was not ashamed to make such a bold challenge in so honourable an Auditory as he had made in the close of his Speech In bidding any Clergy man of the Church of England to come forth and give a better account of his zeal to the Church and conversion of Papists to our Religion then he had done Adding that himself the unworthiest of many hundred Ministers in England was there ready to answer his challenge and to produce a Catalogue not of 22. but of above 120. Papists which he through Gods blessing had converted to our Religion and brought home to God besides making them other manner of Converts then any in his recited Bead-Rol who were made neither good Protestants nor good Christians by him Adding that he and many other Ministers in England were able to produce hundreds of reall Converts to Christ for every of his pretended ones some wherof by his own confession soon turned Apostates and the rest but litle better At which speech of his the Archbishop seemed much offended and some of his friends there present taxing Master Peters as an unmannerly sawcy fellow for using such language to him in this his afflicted condition desired him to trouble his Grace no further with such rude discourse whereupon they parted without more words If we survey this Oration of the Arch-bishop with an impartiall eye we may discover abundance of shamelesse Impudency and Pharisaicall selfe-justification beyond all bounds of Modesty or Verity broached in it so apparently contradicted by his manifold unjust oppressive violent actions and Popish Innovations of all sorts visible to the eyes of all men and so diametrally refuted by the subsequent evidence produced against him during his seventeen dayes tryall that had not his brow been made of brasse and his face of Adamant he could not have justified so many grosse untruths of him selfe before such an honourable publike Auditory and the supreame Judicatory of the Realme with so much shamelesse impudency as hee did But t is the common practise of obdurate sinners and cauterized Delinquents Fortem animum praestant rebus quas turpitèr audent Like the adulterous woman Pro. 30. 20. Who eateth and wipeth her mouth and saith I HAVE DONE NO WICKEDNES This Evening the Lords Ordered the Arch-bishop to appear at their Bar the next morning by 9 of the Clocke at which time they would proceed in his Tryall Whereupon all departing for that time appeared the next day at the appointed houre in the Lords House where the Commons entring upon their evidence proved the Articles in their Order I shall present you with the summe and severall branches of his charge and then prosecute them in the ensuing method The Generall Charge against the Archbishop with the severall branches thereof THe Charge against this Arch-Malefactor consisting of many various particular Crimes of high nature is reducible to one generall head to wit High Treason against the King and Kingdome thus expressed in the 1. Originall and 2. Additionall Articles That he hath Trayterously endeavoured to subvert the fundamentall Lawes and Government of the Kingdome of England and instead thereof to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyranicall Government This Generall is distributed into foure Speciall branches in the Articles of his Impeachment under which all the particular Capitall Offences and grand Misdemenours given in evidence against him at his Tryall are comprehensible 1. His Trayterous endeavours and practises to alter and subvert Gods true Religion by Law established in this Realme and instead thereof to set up Popish Superstition and Idolatry and reconcile us to the Church of Rome the particulars whereof are specified in the 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Originall and 6. 7. 8. 9. Additionall Articles 2. His Trayterous usurpation of a Papall and Tyranicall power in the Church of England in all Ecclesiasticall affaires in prejudice and derogation of his Majesties Royall Prerogative and the Subjects liberties comprised in the sixt originall Article 3. His Trayterous attempts and endeavours to subvert the fundamentall temporall Lawes Government and Liberties of the Realme and Subjects of England and instead thereof to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyranicall Government against the Law and Subjects liberties expressed in the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 13 Originall and 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 10. Additionall Articles 4. His Trayterous
to tell him what harme this example might doe and how much hereby the secret Papists would be stirred up to rejoyce hoping for that which they have long looked for now to be neere at hand Was there no man had any sparke of Elias spirit to speake a word in Gods behalfe O lamenrable times in which we live that these things are swallowed downe by your Preachers in silence I forbeare to say much till I bee certified from you the truth of all matters I hope it is not so for I cannot thinke your Prebends would be so fainte hearted having also the Law of the Land on their side that it ought not to stand there where the Altar stood as to shrink at the first wetting without any pressing Speedily send me word I pray you and so with my hearty commendations I end Your loving Friend Iohn White Winchcombe 12th of Feb. 1616. A Copy of this Letter which this Archbishop stiled a Lible was soone after found in the Pulpit of Saint Michaels Church and sent up to the Deanes own hands who made much stir at Gloucester and the Court about it as appeares by these three Letters sound in his Study by Master Prynne and endorsed with his owne hand The first is a Letter sent by two of the Prehends to the Now Archbishop when he was Deane of Glocester upon this occasion Right Worshipfull OUr dutifull love remembred Wee have heard somewhat within these two or three dayes and this day more certainly of a certaine Libell or scandalous writing found in the Pulpit of Saint Michaells within the Citie of Gloucester upon the 14th of this instant Februarie about seaven of the Clocke in the morning when the Parish Clarke there did lay the Pulpit Cloth for Master Prior who was then to preach this scandalous writing was taken up by John Wells Curate there and by Thomas Smith the Clarke and by them read and by their meanes divulged so that all in the Citie well neare doe new speake of it The effect of the writing was as we learne a dislike for the Removing of the Communion Table within our Cathedrall Church affirming untruly that it tended to the animating of the Papists that it savoured of superstition that it was translated from a Communion Table to an High Altar and that Worship and obeysance were made unto it The Libeller marveileth that it is suffered as now it standeth and that there is not one Elias amongst us to reforme it Master John Jones one of our Aldermen and Justice of Peace hath examined some of them and they answer that they are advised by their Counsell not to confesse the effect of that Libell if they give not this day a better answer hee saith his purpose is to binds them ever to answer before the Judges at the next Assizes Master Jones his opinion is that it is very fit that there bee a Commission speedily procured from His Majesties High Commissioners for the examining of this matter and directed to some of the Clergie here and to sence Justies of Peace here provided alwayes that there be none such in that Commission of what degree or dignitie so ever they be that favour that schismaticall faction of the Puritans But now we learne that this Libell was presently delivered by the Curate or Clark unto our now Master Sub-Deane and therefore we assure our selves you are enformed of it by him and Master Robinson 5. or 6. dayes before this day If there be not a speedy course taken for the supressing of this their malicious and scandalous dealing it will in short time breed no small inconvenience within this plâ—â—â— c. Assuredly these zealous people are our Precisians the number whereof is great in this place Thus being bold to manifest unto you our love and dutie as we take it in this behalfe We humbly take our leave with our prayers unto God for Your health and welfare and rest Your Worships assuredly at Command Henry Aisgill Elias Wrench Gloucester Febr 21. 1616. The second is a Letter writ by him on this occasion to the Bishop of Glocester to this effect My Lord MY love and service remembered unto your Lordship when I came to doe my duty to his Majesty at Christmas it seemed by the speech he uttered to me that some body had done the poore Church of Glocester no very good office For his Majesty was graciously pleased to tell me He was informed that there was scarce ever a Church in England so ill govern'd and so much out of order And withall required me in generall to reforme and set in order what I there found amisse Hereupon at my being at Glocester I acquainted the Chapter with that which his Majesty had said to me and required at my hands And tooke as good order as in so short a space I could both for repaire of some parts of the edifice of the Church and for redresse of other things amisse Among the rest not rashly and of my selfe but by a Chapter Act I removed the Communion Table from the middle of the Quier to the upper end the place appointed to it both by the Injunctions of this Church and by the practise of all the Kings Majesties Chappell 's and all other Cathedrall Churches in the Kingdome which I have seene This Act since my comming thence as I am by letters informed is very much traduced by some in the City and a libell against it layd in the Pulpit of St. Michaells where Master Subdeane preaches to the great scandall of the Church and the Lawes established Good my Lord let me desire this favour in enquity at your Lordships hands that these things may be ordered and that your Lordship will joyne to reforme such tongues and penns as know not how to submit to any Law but their owne I must upon this of force have his gracious Majesty acquainted both with the thing it selfe and the entertainment which it hath found among turbulent Spirits And I presume his Majesty will be well pleased to heare that your Lordship as in other things so in this is carefull to preserve order and peace after it in the Church Thus not doubting but your Lordship will be carefull to rectifie what is amisse I for this time being full of my businesse for Scotland humbly take my leave and shall ever rest Your Lordships in all love and service WILLIAM LAVD Saint Iohns Feb. 27. 1616. The third was a letter writ by him to the Bishop of Lincolne Dr. Neale his great Patron then at Court MY humble duty and service remembered unto your Lordship c. When I was at London at Christmas to doe my duty unto his Majesty he was pleased very graciously to tell me that the Church of Glocester as his Majesty had been informed was more or as much out of order as any Church in England and to require me to order such things as I there found amisse upon this admonition of his gratious Majesty
John Finch who gave it such a purgation without calling M. Burton to it or suffering his Counsell to defend it whom Sir John Finch threatned with pulling his Gowne over his head and putting him from the Barre as was never heard of in any Age expunging no lesse then 64 whole sheets containing his justification and defence out of it as scandalous leaving only some three lines in the beginning of it and two in the end amounting to a generall not guilty when as he confessed and justified all he was charged with And because Mr. Burton would not acknowledge this purged answer directly contrary to that he put in upon oath and answer to Interrogatories grounded on it quite contrary to his answer as they had altered it whereby he must of necessity have been perjured therefore he was likewise taken pro confesso and censured for a contempt in not answering though he had an answer in Court What the scandalous matter contained in and expunged out of his answer by the Judges was is very observable truly it was no other then the very Oathes of Supremacy Allegiance prescribed by severall Acts of Parliament engaging the Defendants and others who had taken them against popery and popish Innovations his Majesties Declarations before the 39 Articles and to all his loving Subjects printed Anno 1628. prohibiting all back-sliding to Popery or any Innovations or alterations in the Religion by law established among us The Petition of Right and his Majesties Answer thereunto for preservation of the Subjects rights and liberties extending as wel to secure them against these illegal popish Innovations which the Bishops by an Arbitrary power would obtrude upon them and their consciences by Suspensions Excommunications Fines Imprisonments and other vexatious courses as to the liberty of their persons and estates of which they were deprived for opposing their Innovations the statute of 3 Iac. c. 1. intituled An Act for a publick thanksgiving to Almighty God every year on the 5 of November for the great deliverance of the King Kingdome State and Parliament from the horrid Gunpowder Treason on which day Mr. Burton preached these two Sermons against the severall Popish Innovations and Doctrines mentioned in it lately brought into the Church by the Archbishop and his confederates for which he was questioned in the Star-chamber The statute of 3 Jac. cap. 4. intituled An Act for the better discovering and repressing of Popish Recusants The statute of 1 Eliz. cap. 2. intituled An Act for the uniformity of Common Prayer and administration of the Sacraments which excludes all new Ceremonies and Innovations in Gods service introduced by the Bishops not comprized in the Book of Common prayer with an enumeration of those severall Innovations in point of doctrine and ceremonies as setting up Altars instead of Communion Tables removing Lords Tables from their ancient stations and rayling them in Altarwise against the wall bowing downe to them reading second Service at them licensing printing Popish and Arminian Books altering and purging the Books for the Gunpowder Treason for the publick Fast Coronation and Book of Common prayer c. with other particulars specified at large in his printed Sermons All this was totally expunged as scandalous out of Mr. Burtons Answer for feare the proof thereof should have made the Bishops scandalous Eighthly these Defendants when they perceived they should not have liberty to defend themselves nor to prove or justifie the Archbishops and his Confederates popish Innovations by their Answers exhibited a crosse Bill against them under their hands which they offered to make good at their uttermost perils Mr. Prynne tendring the same both to the Lord Keeper and in open Court defiring it might be admitted being both for their own just defence the honour of his Majesty and preservation of our Religion and that a Court of publick justice which ought to be as open for as against them yet this their Bill was twice refused without cause and delivered over to Mr. Attourney Generall to draw up a Charge against the defendants out of it if possible and to question them for their lives for exhibiting it Ninthly at the hearing the Archbishop and Bishop of London though chiefe prosecutions of this cause in which they were specially concerned professed enemies to the Defendants and challenged in open Court by Mr. Prynne as unfit to sit Judges there in their own cause contrary to all law and presidents were yet admitted to sit in Court as Judges where the Archbishop himself in a tedious Oration of two houres long larger then ever any Sermon he preached in the Pulpit professedly justified all the forementioned Innovations wherewith he was charged as Setting up Altars rayling in Communion Tables Altar-wise reading second-Service at them bowing downe towards them as the Monks and Popish Fryers did of old because there 't is Hoc est corpus meum c. standing up at Glory be to the Father bowing at the Name of Iesus altering and purging the Books for the Gunpowder Treason and the publick Fast in favour of Papists the licensing of Popish and Arminian Books charged against him c. And yet reviled condemned these Defendants as Libellers and thanked the Lords for their justice against them for falsely objecting these very Innovations to him which himself in his Speech confessed himself guilty of justified in open Court and after that in print to all the World dedicating this his Speech to his Majesty and making him the Patron of all these Innovations contrary to his own royall Protestations Tenthly these Defendants for opposing those very popish Innovations which himself thus publickly confessed defended being deprived of their proofe and just defence by taking them all pro confesso for a pretended contempt in not answering the Information which they would not permit them to put in their Answers to as you heard before were without any proof or testimony at all produced to prove them guilty of ought objected against them fined 5000 li. a peece unto his Majesty adjudged to stand in the Pillory at Westminster and there to lose their Eares which was accordingly executed Mr. Burton was after deprived of his Living degraded from his Ministery Mr. Prynne stigmatized on both cheeks though nothing at all was charged against him and all of them deprived the liberty of pen inke and paper and before their wounds were healed they were sent away close prisoners to the 3 remote Castles of Lanceston Lancaster and Carnarvan and there shut up close prisoners neither Wife nor Childe nor Brother nor any other but their Keepers having any accesse unto them and soone after by extraordinary Letters from the Councell Table to which the Archbishops hand was first sent close prisoners by Sea in the Winter-season to the hazzard of their lives into the Islands of Sylly Garnesey and Iarsey and there mued up close prisoners without pen inke paper or allowance of necessaries their friends being prohibited al accesse unto them D. Bastwicks M.
the parties lay there buried And is it not then a far greater madnesse superstition and ridiculous frenzie for this domineering Arch-Prelate to deem these two Chappels prophane places unfit to administer the Sacraments and celebrate divine Service in because never yet consecrated by a Bishop not onely after three but almost three-score yeares use and practise of divine Service Sermons Sacraments in them When as neither his predecessors Whitgift Bancroft and Abbot men very ceremonious and two of them much addicted to superstition ever so much as moved any such question concerning the necessity of their consecration Especially since there is no such Canon Law to enforce the consecration of them now as was to justifie the re-hallowing of S. Maries Church in Queen Maries time which the Popish Canon Law then approved in the case of Bucer and Fagius We read in the Ecclesiasticall Constitutions of Otho the Popes Legat made in an English Synode in the Raigne of King Henry the third that even in those dark times of Popery there were not only divers Parish Churches but some Cathedrals in England which were used as such for many yeares yet never consecrated by a Bishop as appears by these words of the Constitution it self Multas invenimus Ecclesias aliquas Cathedrales quae licet fuer unt ab antiquo constructae nondum tamen sunt sanctificationis Oleo consecrate Whereupon this Popish Legat for his own lucher Enjoyned all Churches then built or to be built to be consecrated within two years space under pain of interdiction from having Masse said in them unlesse some reasonable cause were shewed to the contrary By colour of which Popish constitution this Prelate it seems urged the consecration of these ancient Chappels there being no other shaddow of reason Canon or authority for it After this Archbishop had thus procured a power to himself to visit the Vniversity of Cambridge Matthew Wren Bishop of Ely Decemb. 1. 1639. Sent him up an account signed with his own hand of some things amisse within his Diocesse and that University which he left to his Graces consideration to amend which account was seized by Master Prynne in his study at Lambeth and thus indorsed with the Arch-bishops own hand My Lord of Elyes Account 1639. In which there were these two Passages concerning consecration of Chappels The first concerning a Chappell in Sir John Cuts house in the town of Childerley which Chappell the Knight said was consecrated by Bishop Heton producing an Instrument under seal purporting that on such a day at Childersly Bishop Heton did consecrate a Chappell by saying Service there himselfe and having a Sermon this was all the Solemnity of its Consecration I questioning the whole matter have required him to waiteupon your Grace to see whether that consecration must be allowed of The second concerning some Chappels in Colledges never yet consecrated which is thus expressed in this Account It was presented unto me That in the Colledges of Emanuel Sidney and Corpus Christi there have been Roomes built within the memory of man which are used for common Chappels wherein they have dayly prayers and do Preach there without any faculty or license granted unto them so to do And wherein also they ordinarily celebrate the holy Communion The said places never having been consecrated thereunto Ma. Elie. The Scottish troubles it seems prevented his consecration of these Chappels which were sufficiently hallowed before by the Divine Duties exercised in them The last Chappell we finde consecrated was that in Covent Garden which was hallowed or rather prophaned with all Popish Ceremonies expressed in the Roman Pontificall and far more than were used at Creed-Church The Arch-bishop having thus far advanced his Popish designes in consecrating Churches Chappels and Church-yards proceeded one step further even to set up the exploded Annuall Baccanalian feasts of Dedication whereon Churches were hallowed prescribed at first onely by the Decrees of Pope Felix Pope Gregory recorded by Gratian De Consecratione Distinct 1. who Decreed thus Solennitates Ecclesiarum dedicationem per singulos annos solemniter sunt celebrandae Those Feasts of Dedication turned by the people into meer Bacchanals were exceedingly declaimed against as necessary to be suppressed by Nicholaus de Clemangiis in his Tract De Novis Celebritatibus non instituendis suppressed by the Injunctions of King Henry the S. An. 1536. As the occasion of much idlenesse excesse riot and pernicious to the Souls of men Whereupon they were all of them restrained to the first Sunday in the moneth of October not to be kept on any other day and afterwards totally abolished by the statute of 5. and 6. E. 6. c. 3. Of holy-dayes Which being revived again by degrees with their Baccanalian disorders in sundry places of this Realm under the names of Wakes or Revels and suppressed by some Judges in their Circuits and Justices of Peace in Sessions this Arch-bishop in the year of our Lord 1633. by a Declaration compiled by himselfe but published in his Majesties Name intituled The Kings Majesties Declaration concerning Lawfull Sports to be used revived and enjoyned the Observation of these Wakes and Feasts of Dedication never formerly established by any Christian Prince together with the use of divers Sports and pastimes on the Lords own Sacred day after Divine Service ended to the great Dishonour of God of his Majesty of our Religion the disturbance of the Civill Government encrease of all Licensiousnesse prophanenesse impiety and great griefe of all godly peoples Souls This Book he enjoyned all Ministers to read and publish openly in the Church in time of Divine Service though not commanded by the King and those who out of conscience refused to read it in this kinde were by his means suspended excommunicated prosecuted in the High-Commission Sequestred from their Livings yea many of them enforced to desert their Cures and depart the Kingdome this book being made a snare onely to entrap or suppresse most of the painfull godly preaching Ministers throughout the Realm who were all more or lesse prosecuted about it Yet such was this Arch-Prelates unparallel'd impiety transcending all examples in former Ages that he not onely caused his Instruments Edmond Reeve Dr. Heylyn Christopher Dowe and others to defend the Lawfulnesse and usefulnesse of this prophane licentious Declaration but also to justifie the persecution silencing suspending depriving of those Godly Ministers who out of Conscience refused to publish it in sundry Printed Books authorized by him and his Chaplaines for the Presse Quis talia fando temperet à Lachrymis at leastwise can refrain from the heaviest censures against this prophane Arch-bishop That this Declaration since ordered to be publikely burnt by the common hangman by Order of both Houses of Parliament was Printed published by the Archbishops procurement and upon what Occasion was thus attested upon Oath by Master Edward Richardson and Master Prynne Sir Thomas Richardson Lord chiefe Justice
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
the lower world The alone faire the alone lovely P. 32. Glorious Empresse Pag. 21. White spotlesse Soule illuminated with Revelations by the divine Object of her chast vowes Pag. 150. Womans dearest Mistresse Pag. 197. Our sweetest Lady P. 158. In all things the very figure and resemblance of Sanctity it selfe P. 148. 149. he thus approves of Nunneries and prayers on Beads to the Virgin before her Image with Christ in her Armes You who have lived spirituall Amourists whose spirits have triumphed over the flesh on whose cheekes solitude prayers fasts and austerity have left an amiable pale you who ply your sacred Arithmeticke and have thoughts cold and cleare as the Christall Beads you pray by you who have voud Virginitie mentall and corporall you shall not only have ingresse here but welcome Approach with comfort and kneele downe before the Grand Immaculate Abbesse of your Snowy Nunneries and present the all-saving Babe in her Armes with due veneration Never thinke more of the Faecunditie of Wedlocke since you see here that God himselfe is the fruit of Virginity P. 153 154. He thus commends the burning of Tapers and saying Masses on Candlemasse day in honour of the Virgin Mary This day is called Candlemasse as much to say the day of lights on which while Masse was singing very many Tapers were burning in the Church Innocentius thus propounds and solves the Question What is the reason that on this day we use so many lights in the Church The cause of this institution is twofold The first is that a heathenish custom may bee converted into a Christian Right or Ordinance and that which was performed by superstitious Idolaters in honour of Ceres and Proserpina may be turned into the praise and glory of the Virgin Mary The second is that they who by Grace are purified by this Ceremony may be admonished to imitate those prudent Virgins who as the Evangelicall parable testifieth came not without their Tapers lighted to the Nuptialls of Christ their Spouse Pag. 209. There is the Picture of her fabulous assumption into heaven cut in Brasse after the popish forme with men and women devoutly kneeling and praying to her and these verses written under the same What Honour could to this GREAT QVEENE be done More then be taken up to Heaven high And there have God for Father Spouse and Sonne The Angels wayte the world stand wondring by After which hee spends many pages to prove the Verity or probability at least of her Assumption into Heaven Soule and Body which saith he by many of the Fathers all of the Romish Church and some of the Reformd is held for an undoubted truth when as indeed it is a meere Popish ridiculous false Legend And to prove this hee makes her to be borne without sinne Pag. 212. Dammianus argues That as conceiving without sinne shee brought forth her sonne without paine a curse laid on all other women so might it well be that she who was without sin might overcome death the reward of it P. 119. 120. hee writes That the Virgin is not to bee considered as a meere Woman but as a Type or Idaea of an accomplisht piety Adding They erre not so much in my judgment in the adoring extreame as some too severe maintaines of the former doe in the neglecting They are so farre from praising her themselves that they most unjustly deprive her of the praise given her by others They reject all testimonies of her worth as Haile Mary full of Grace c. They abhor to heare her called Domina c. Concluding this point in these termes pag. 223. Of one thing I will assure them till they are GOOD MARIANS they shall never be good Christians while they derogate from the dignity of the Mother they cannot truely honour the Son pag. 228. 229. Erasmus stiles her His SAVIORESSE which he cites with approbation p. 230. to 237. He proceeds thus in her prayses All parts of the world have produced admirers of her worth Syria hath brought forth Ephâ—aim Antiochia Saint Chrysostome Capadocia Saint Basill and Saint Nazianzen Constantinople Germanus and Proclus Dalmatia Saint Hierome Germany Rupertus Albertus and Agrippa England Beda France Bernard Spaine Alphonsus Italy Aquinas and Bonaventure Africke Saint Cyprian and Saint Austine Greece Dionisius Areopagita c. To these succeede famous Christian Poets ancient and moderne who have written Pannegrricks upon her as Beda Gregorius Nazianzenus Innocentius Pontifex Actius Sanazarius Adam de Sancto Victore Alcimus Aâ—tus Antonius Muretus Aurelius Prudentius Baptista Mantuanus Clandiarus Franciscus Petrarcha Godfridus Viterbiensis Hieronymus Vide Paulinus D. Philippus Menzelins Rudolphus Agricola Sedulius Venantius Fortunatus To these I add many Emperours Princes and Princesses and a world of devoute great ones who have beene her prosessed admirers as Constantine the Great Charles the Great Pulcheria Augusta Henry the second Emperor Alphonsus the Chast in SPAINE Edwardus in Hungaria Bolislaus in Polonia Venceslaus in Bohemia All which are Canonized for Saints and have erected and dedicated Temples to her memory Neither have the Princes of this our Ile bin defective in doing her all possible honour and in consecrating Chappell 's and Tempells to her memorie Fredericke the third Emperour made the contemplation of her almost his onely foode Stephanus King of Hungarie called his Kingdome the Marian Family In this glorious Family whole Kingdoms and Common-Wealths have enrolled themselves My Arithmeticke wil not serve me to number all those who have registred their names in the Sodalitie of the Rosary of this our Blessed Lady the Originall of which is derived from the battaile of Naupactun gained by Iohn of Austria and the Christians which Victory was attributed to her intercession with her sonne The Colonian Sodallity first Instituted had out of Lovaine 4000. of Brabant 30000. out of Gueldria 4000. out of Holland and Zeland 7000. c. Many holy Orders also are of this Sodallity as the Benedictines the Franciscans and Carthusians and many others If all these Testimonies and examples of great worthy people will not move us to honour her we shal be judged both unworthy of this life and ignorant of that better to come For shame let not us alone deny her that honour and praise with all the world allowes her Pag. 247. Hee Invocates her saying O pardon Gracious Princesse my weake indeavours to sum up thy value c. And Pag. 248. Thou deservest a quire of Queenes here and another of Angells in Heaven to sing thy praise c. And I confesse my sweetest Lady Page 249. To give thee an estimation answerable to thy merit is a thing impossible I must therfore be content to do by thee as the Ancient Heathen did by the Images of the gods when by reason of their height they could not place the Crowns on their heads they humbly laid them at their feet In his Epistle to his Feminine Reader speaking of the Virgin Mary This is she who was on earth a
and prejudice of Religion grew conscious to himself that this passage if un-expunged might one day rise up in judgement against him and be applied to himselfe in after times wherefore out of a provident foresight he thought it a poynt of wisdome to expunge it But since divine providence hath brought it to publike light we conceive it will be a very good president to direct your Lordships judgement in the sentence of this Haman this Arch-Malefactor against our State and Religion The the third expunged clause was this And whereas there is not onely a law of God but even of man against Sabbath-breaking which concernes the fourth Commandement and divers against Popery which trencheth upon the first and second Commandement c. let not the other which concernes the Sabbath seem to have been consented to onely upon the importunity of a few Precise persons but never intended for execution least God set such a Memorandum upon them and you who will not be carefull of the Memento set upon that Commandement that whoso heareth of it both his eares shall tingle as stories tell us he hath done upon both Prince and People in France Denmarke yea and here in England offending in that kind Let not all the other Statutes tending towards the first and second Commandement seem meer engines of state to draw reward for toleration dispensation and connivancy least God connive not at nor dispence with such intolerable dissimulation least he make the gaine gotten by this dividing of Adoration between him and Idols to be like that of Solomens in that case which was recompenced with the losse and dividing of his Kingdome betwixt his sonne and astranger 1 Reg. 11 and 12. Chapters But ob farre be that from the State of this Iland and from you to be instruments in it And in the Margin this Note affixed to the word stories was quite purged out Greg. Turonensis Magdeburg cent 12. c. 6. at London 1583 c. in which places meaner persons working greater sporting Kings fighting battatles on the Sabbath dayes are all reported to be overthrowne and destroyed with fearfull judgements These being the onely pious Orthodox passages in all this Sermon against popery Papists Sabbath-breaking and ill Counsellours were quite crossed out with this Bishops owne hand who altered and added many things in it for the worse and all to this very purpose that the people might not take notice of any designe in forraigne parts to extirpate the Protestant Religion or to tolerate set up Popery or suspend the Lawes against it or Papists Priests and Sabbath-breakers at home whereof these Clauses gave them notice which this Doctor as had as he was foresaw world produce that devision in our Kingdom which we now experimentally suffer under threatning uttter desolation to us all these purgations in one Sermon were made by polupragmaticall Prelat before he had any legall power to license Books for the Presse 〈…〉 â—econdly we shall proceed to some higher attempts after he had gained such 〈…〉 of them even upon the publike Records of our Church 〈…〉 of 3. Jacobi ch 1. intituled An Act for a publike Thanksgiving 〈…〉 every yeere on the fifth day of November ordaineth this day to be had perpetuall remembrance that all ages to come might yeeld prayses to God for our deliverance from the most inhumane cruell and barbarous Gunpowder-plot of the Papests and hate in memory this joyfull day of deliverance Hereupon there was a speciall booke of Prayers and Thanksgiving compiled and enjoyned by authority to be used on this day in one of the prayers whereof there was this clause Root out the Babylonish and Antichristian Sect which say of Ierusalem downe with it downe with it even to the ground and to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles Magistrates of the Land with judgement and justice to cut off these workers of iniquity whose Religion is Rebellion whose Faith is Faction whose practice is murdering of soules and bodies and to root them out of the confines of this Kingdome c. This clause continued in all these publike books without the least exception or alteration from the yeere of our Lord 1606. till 1635. and then this Arch-bishop conceiving this passage to lay an imputation and seandall First upon the profession of Romish Priests Jesuits and blood-thirsty papists by stiling them a Babylonish and Antichrian sect Secondly upon their Romish Religion whose religion is rebellion whose faith is faction Thirdly upon their Rebellious and traiterous practises in stiling them these workers of iniquity whose practice is murdering of soules and bodies Fourthly upon their persons as unfit to be tolerated in the Realm and meet to be rooted out of the confines of this Kingdom by the King Nobles and Magistrates a clause altogether inconsistent with our toleration of and his reconciliation of us our religion with them and Rome then actually intended endeavoured by this Arch-prelat and his Confederates he thereupon in the yeere 1635. caused this Book to be re-printed and altered the forementioned clauses in this ensuing forme only to gratifie the Jesuits Priests popish Recusants and take off these just charges against them and their Religion both for the time past and future by turning the edge of this prayer upon the Puritanes on whom the Papists would have fathered this their horrid treason had it taken effect Root out that Babylonish and Antichristian sect of them which say of Ierusalem c. And to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the Land with justice and judgement to cut off those working of iniquity who turne Religion into Rebellion and faith into Faction c. Master Henry Burton in his Sermons on the fifth of November 1636. intituled For God and the King p. 130. to 142. informed the people of this most grosse alteration and charged the Arch bishop to be the Author of it aggravating his offence to the full Master Prynne doing the like in his Epistle Dedicatory to his Quench-Cole For this good service among others they were brought into the Star-chamber by the Archbishops instigation who in his Speech in that Court at their consure published by speciall command First of all confessed that he made this alteration Secondly justified the making of it because it gave offence and scandall to the Papists which ever ought to be avoyded as much as may be adding that it laid an imputation on their Religion as if it were rebell on spending sundry pages in justification of this alteration as most fitting and necessary averring that our religion and the Papists was all one and rendring three reasons why this change was made Thirdly he addes by way of justification excuse that though he made this alteration yet he did it by his Majesties command p. 33. 34. His Majesty expresly commanded me to make the Alterations and see then printed and here are both the Books with his
it seems for he doubted of hell of the resurrection and of God surely Gregory the IX was none he called Christ an Imposter Yet the Pope pretends Christ's name titles himself by him will be Christ's Vicar beare Christ's name above all men affect Christs titles above all men his attribute of Holinesse Men on earth Saints in Heaven are but called holy Peter is no more his Predecessor sanctus Petrus Christ's Mother is no more sancta Maria holy Peter holy Mary God's selfe rests in it too every person holy Father sayes Christ John 17. The sonne sanctus Dei God's holy one Mark 1. the Spirit the holy Ghost The Pope likes not this positive degree he will be stiled Sanctissimus the most holy 't is not likely that iniquity is in this man this most holy man Lutherans and Calvinists charge him with much both his person and his doctrine but they are lyars hereticks all Sacriledge and Symony Incest and Adultery setting of Subjects against Soveraignes King against King Murther and Massacre infinite iniquities sic that holy Father Pope should doe such things they are not Calvin's calumnies nor Luther's lyes but confest by their owne Writers nor doe Popes thus in person onely that craves some pardon But 't is their Doctrine too their Churches Doctrine That a Priest of Jesuit may forsweare deny his parents defraud his friend betray his country kill his King fie that holy Mother Church should teach such things This theame some may say sits not this place neither the Pope is not here c. In his Sermon upon Quadragessima page 122. line 10. page 124. line 37. the Licenser hath quite expunged these following lines How then is the Popedome in the Devils gift if Kingdomes be not Satan gives it and it is a kind of Kingdome Regnum sacerdotale a priestly Kingdome The Pope a Melchesedeck King and Priest wears a Crowne beares a sword both Regallities three Crownes multa diademata Christ does Revel 19. and he is his Vicar two swords Ecce duo gladij hic Popes are Kings betters Cardinals Kings Peers is the Pope the Devils creature and not Kings But the Popedome is not Satans gift neither Aeneas Sylvius himselfe sometimes a Pope writes that one got the Popedome fraude diabolica we beleeve it moe then one Silvester the Nccromancer Boniface 7. Gregory 7. all fraude diabolica by devillish machinations that does not prove the Devill made them or construe it if you will by the Devils meanes it will not serve so neither so Kings come often to their Crownes by devillish meanes and yet God gives them God may be the author of an act whereof Satan may be in the meanes God gave his Sonne to death for us yet the Devill had his hand in it John sayes the Devill put in Iudas heart to betray Christ God destroyes Ahaz but the Devill was his meanes a lying spirit in the mouth of all the Prophets God would afflict Iob the Devill was his instrument 't is plaine in the story For the poynt as I would not belye so I would not rob the Devill of his right the Popedome is of God but the Papacy is of Satan To be a Prince and Bishop yea I will yeeld him highest Bishop too God gives him that but his universall Prelacy and presumption over Princes the Devill gives him that his power is from God but his pride is from the Devill Satan is yet more frank The Pope Patrissall playes satan some here craves not prostraction onely least happily you say that 's but civill reverence and yet saving his reverence 't is more then the greatest Monarch craves in all our Westerne Kingdome I say he craves not prostraction onely but adoration too Worship divine worship what else meant the cry of the Cicilian Ambassadours prostrate before him Tu tollis peccati mundi misereri nostri O thou that takest away the sinnes of the world have mercy upon us c. Ibid. page 172. line 4. this is deleted by the Licenser Was not Iudas an Apostle Origen sayes he was the Gospell sayes he was among the twelve Apostles not Disciples onely but Apostles Saint Matthew reckons him here is then a place put for the Papists which they never yet observed for their Apostolicall Traditions here is Traditio Apostolica indeed Here I observe it not what doe they else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trechery their occupation Treason the Pope's trade best they leave it 't is Iudas act and brings a sort of them to Iudas end it will strangle the Papacy it selfe at length In his second Sermon upon severall occasions page 293. l. 10. the Licenser deletes And there 's a man in Rome the Pope will be as God the Sonne for he is his Vicar Ibid. page 495. l. 22. Gods Peere that 's little will be his superior will be worshipt Paul sayes above all that is called God Who is that even the Pope c. This Monster c. Let every soule be subject to the higher Powers Paul bids be the Clergy exempt they are not bound to the Lay barre Thou shalt not make an Image nor bow downe to it thou shalt doe both Gods lawes are strait the Pope will dispence with them break thy Oath marry thy wives sister thine owne sister thine Aunt keep a Concubine be a Catamite or Sodomite kill a King though a catholike the Pope will absolve thee Hold we the Pope arrogant in the title of Christs Vicar he is more his power it seems is above Christs Page 296. bids God a Bishop be the husband unius of one Wife the Popes bids nullius marry not at all forbids the Cup at the Communion of the Lord though Christ have ordained it Scripture Gods Word sayes Sylu Perer hath none authority but from the Pope I must end the Pope is Omnipotent Gods Attribute yet one cals this Pope so He can doe all things yea he is all things Gods peculiar too so he is Gods Peere behold the man is become like one of us Idem page 301. There 's a people in Affricke curse the Sunne because it fireth them there 's a Pope to curse the Starres Mars Venus Iupiter and Mercury because he lost at dice gamesters here curse Cards and Dice bite them teare them that 's all at most banne one another tame Protestants and base spirited learne of holy Father Pope to curse the Heavens and God why wrong I our brave spirits as hereticall as the Pope was not Christ God his passions wounds nayles blood and death yea heart and soule black mouthed blasphemy what dares it not doe against Heaven in execrable Oathes The Law c. page 338. The Popes Mint can coyne words too to his Forge nothing comes amisse in its Scriptures Fathers Counsels yea if it needs be hee in a word writes too In spite of all Gramarians if the Pope say but. Fiatur page 344. Balaak of Spaine heires Balaam of Rome to curse Israel his brothers
of perfection not forbidding all swearing but rather wishing that men could so live in faith love and truth that there might be no use of an oath Answ first this is false because Christs words are not perswasory but prohibitory expresly forbidding swearing 23. Passages expunged against Popish evill Councellours and the vices of Princes Courts IN Master Wards Comentary upon Matthew page 78 written copy these clauses are deleted A foole faith Solomon breedeth farres among friends but a Man of wisdome appea seth strife The first we see verified in Rehoboams young Councellours who made a breach and irreconcilable rent between the King and his people 1 King 12. and the second in good Abigail 1 Sam. 25. 18. and in the woman of Tekoah 2 Sam. 14. Sowers of discord are found in the Church or in the Kingdome in Kingdomes viz. First those that long for nothing but warre blaming a peaceable government and quiet State and are never well but whiles they are fishing in troubled waters Secondly those that instigate others to warre as the Cardinals and Jesuits upon every occasion doe whisper in the eates of Princes to make warre upon their neighbours when they perceive any advantage may be had thereby Thirdly those that make themselves mercenary for the nourishing of slaughters Ibidem on Mat. 11. 7. 8. â— this whole discourse is expunged What went you out to see c. as these words what went you out to see a reed shaken with the wind may be referred by way of reproofe unto the people so also these they that weare soft clothing are in Kings houses doth our Saviour then simply tax the pomp and glory of Princes Courts First certainly there is pompe and cost and bravery in Princes Courts which is not unlawfull and that both because it serves to the beauty glory and ornament of the place and also because the vulgar sort are kept thereby the better in obedience and feare Secondly yet our Saviour seems ex consequenti to reprove and condemne the life of Courtiers or the court-life went you out to see a man clothed in soft rayment behold they that weare soft cloathing are in Kings houses as if he would say a religious life and a court-life are not alike for although the pomp bravery and delights of Kings Courts be not immediately evill in themselves yet they lesse suit and agree with Religion Whence we may note That a soft dainty delicate and court-like life hinders many from true Religion or from being truly religious it being the nature of pleasure to draw the mind along with it What things are ordinary in a court-life In Kings Courts these vices are most frequent and familiar namely first pride it is ordinary with Courtiers to look high to despise others to over-prize themselves and with Simon Magus to think themselves some great ones Acts 8. 2. Now Religion teacheth men to be humble and lowly and to give place one unto another and to strive one to come after another and not as many Courtiers frequently doe who strive quarrell justle and fight about the wals and precedency Rom. 12. 10. 46. Secondly avarice for they which have many things want many and they who spend much want much and according to the Proverb rob Peter to pay Paul i. e. extort from others to expend upon themselves Now Religion teacheth men to give almes and to be liberall but Kings Courts although they teach not yet at least practice rapire oppression and griping of those under them Thirdly pleasure and delight as we see in Dives Luke 16. and hence men become more effeminate unconstant and unable to suffer any afflictions injuries wrongs or the like whereas Religion teacheth men to suffer and to want and to be content in all estates Phil. 1. 27. 29. 4. 10. James 4. 7. c. yea the court-life being full of pomp and pleasure makes men more unable to resist or withstand the temptations of Satan the allurement of the world or the suggestions of their owne corrupt nature and more proue and ready to yeeld unto them Christ the second Adam was tempted in the Wildernesse but could not be conquered but the first being assaulted in Paradise a place of pleasure was easily overcome Fourthly idlenesse Courtiers for the most part are given to eating drinking sleeping and gaming yea like the Israelites spend the most part of their lives in these Exod. 32. 6. but Religion teaches us to labour and take paines yea to earne our bread with the sweat of our browes Gen. 3. and how can he labour in Religion who will not labour nor take paines in some worldly employment Fifthly flattery Aio Aio Courtiers can fawne and sooth yea jurare in verba Magistri sweare what their Lords say Now Religion â—acheth men to be couragious and bold yea not to flatter but rather to reprove offenders to their face as Christ saith goe and tell Herod that Fox and John boldly reproved him for Herodias his brothers wife and the King being angry with him for this and casting him into prison yea afterwards beheading him the Courtiers willingly permitting it Who are here to be blamed Those who are deceived with the delights of a court-life for it is not what it seems to be but rather is like to a painted reed or a beautifull raine-bow as appeares thus First court-favour and felicity last not long for it is as slippery as an Ele as fading as a flower as brittle as glasse and like grasse upon the house top which quickly withers Secondly court-felicity and delights are evill corrupting the manners for first some observe that there are but few truly good in Kings Courts and secondly if they be good at first yet at last they are corrupted as we see in Tyberius Cal-gula Commodus Aula vel malos invenit vel facit the Court finds some bad and so leaves them the Court finds some good but makes them bad and therefore who would praise that barne or field that changeth the wheat into tares or that cask that changeth the Wine into vinegar or that vessell which changeth the Oyle into Lees Secondly they are to blame who delight in proud apparell and fantasticall fashions for first it was never a thing of any good report in Solomon gorgeous attire is not reproved but yet we see that his bravery prosperity and court-delights did so eneruate and weaken his mind and cause him so farre to decline that many have questioned whether ever he were renewed by repentance or not Secondly proud and gorgeous attire is alwayes taxed and blamed in Scripture read Isa 3. 1 Tim. 2. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 3. Yea thirdly the bravery and fashions of the Court are noxious and hurtfull unto the Country who is too ready to imitate it herein And fourthly it is a foolish thing for a man to seeke praise by his apparrell he being in his richest robes no better then the Crowe who braved it in borrowed plumes yea it is a wicked
into his said Church without the direction of his Reverend Diccesan and dares not goe about in any sort to justifie his doings But waving all manner of defence hee most humbly casteth down himselfe at your Lordships Feet beseeching you for Christs sake to look upon him with the eye of mercy who with a most penitent and sorrowfull heart confesseth his mis-doing in the Premises c. And whereas your Petitioner is charged to have set forth and published two Bookes wherein he defends not only Innovations in Religion but divers Popish Wicked and Antichristian points and casteth reproach upon our English Martyrs in Mr Foxes Callender and magnifieth Popish Canonized Saints for true Martyrs Hee doth most humbly give your Lordships to understand That order was given for their Printing and setting forth without your Petitioners procurement motion or knowledge who composed them for his own private satisfaction and to be the better satisfied was willing to have them presented to the consideration of the Reverend Governours of our Church to receive their Opinion and Judgement about them And for the Contents of the said Bookes If any Popish Wicked or Antichristian points be in them Hee is ready and most desirous from his heart utterly and openly to abandon and abjure them But hopeth that because the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace did see and read all or a great part of them as his Chaplain Dr Bray could your Petitioner and did without any suite of your Petitioner give order and allowance for their Publishing That no such detestable points are conteined in the said Bookes and for our English Martyrs in Mr Fox his Calender There is no mention or any word or syllable in either of those Writings about them Wherefore again and again he casteth down himselfe before this most Honourable Assembly and beseecheth you who upon earth represent the God of mercy to shew mercy to him who is altogether innocent in moving to have the said Beekes Published And it truely penitent for what he hath done without his Diccesans Directions and most humbly beseecheth his Lordship now present to admit his Submission and to be a meanes to obteine the favour of this most Honourable House and to procure his freedome and dismission who voweth by Gods grace to be ever hereafter so carefull of all his words and actions that neither the Church nor any Member thereof shall take any offence or displeasure at him Vera Copia And your Petitioner shall ever pray for the happi successe of this present Parliament John Pocklington Now what a Capitall Crime and transcendent misdemeanour it is for this Arch-Prelate to place such Arminian Popish Prelates and Chaplaines in ordinary about his Majestie the young Prince more infectious then Cardinall Wolsies breath to King Henry the 8. when infected with the great Pox to seduce poyson them as much as in them lay with Arminian and Popish Errours Superstitions Ceremonies and in and by them their whole kingdomes and Nationall Churches and that not onely by transient verball Sermons which infect only the eares of the Auditors for the present but by pestilent printed Treatises which corrupt the eyes judgement of the Readers and universally seduce both the present and future generations more then any publike verball Sermons though never so pernicious to the Auditors for the present let all wise men judge For his promoting of Arminians of persons addicted to Popish Ceremonies Errours Innovations to Offices and Headships in our Universities to poyson those fountaines of Piety and Learning we shall instance in these few Particulars During the time of his Chancellorship in the University of Oxford from April 1630. till Anno 1641. it is observable that he nominated only five Vice-Chancellors to governe the University under him namely Dr Smith Warden of Wadham Colledge Doctor Brian Duppa Deane of Christ-Church whose further promotions he procured Doctor Pinke Warden of New-Colledge Doctor Bayly President of Saint Iohn Baptist Colledge Doctor Frewen President of Mary Magdalen Colledge Dr Christopher Potter Provost of Queenes Colledge as the University Register undenyably proves and all Oxford Schollers can attest all deeply tainted with Arminianisme great Promoters of all Popish Innovations Superstitions Ceremonies in that University as we have formerly manifested Besides he promoted Doctor Thomas Iackeson a professed Arminian to the President-ship of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford and afterwards to the Vicaridge of Witney as appeares by the Docquet Booke to omit his advancement of Doctor Laurence and other such like Popish Doctors there What heades of Houses hee promored in the University of Cambridge and what professed Arminians and Well-wishers to Popery they were you have already heard in part we shall onely repeate the names of some of them Doctor Brookes Doctor Beal Doctor Martin Doctor Cosin Doctor Layny Doctor Sterne men very infamous both for Arminian and Popish Errors And not content to corrupt our English Academies he promoted Master Chapple the Archest and most notorious Arminian in the University of Cambridge who leavened all his Pupels and many hopefull Schollers with Arminianisme as Mr Walker and others witnessed to the Provost-ship and Government of the Colledge and Vniversity of Dublin in Ireland as appears by sundry originall Letters thence endorsed with his own hand and himselfe must needs acknowledge whom he brought into that place with an high hand where he did much hurt by venting his Arminian druggs and maintained Justification by Workes Exemption of the Clergy from the Secular power and was very active in the Synod there in suppressing the Articles of Ireland against Papists and Arminians as was Doctor Bramhall too his grand Arminian Popish Instrument there as was attested upon Oath by Dr Hoyle a Member of the Assembly and Divinity Reader in that University His advancements of Persons tainted with Arminianisme Popery and Popish Superstitions to Benefices Prebendaries and other Ecclesiasticall preferments are almost numberlesse as wee finde by the Docquet Bookes all or most of the Ecclesiasticall Preferments belonging to the Crowne being disposed of by him alone of latter times not by the Lord Keeper and Master of the Wardes as formerly upon whose Presentations he encroached We shall instance in some few of many In September 10. 1628. Doctor Augustine Lindsey by order from this Bishop and a Letter by him procured from the King in his behalfe to the President and Chapter of Litchfield was promoted to a dignity in that Church as appeares by the Docquet Booke Mr George Walker the Minister attested upon Oath that this Lindsy whom the Archbishop afterwards made a Bishop was reputed one of the chiefe heads of the Arminian faction and that Dr Bastwick writing against the Arminians bowing at the name of Jesus was sent to him by this Archbishop to be instructed and refuted as the ablest of that party Mr Peter Smart a Reverend Divine deposed That this Doctor was an Arch-arminian to his knowledge with whom he had
and there discoursing with an English Gentleman who had been an ancient traveller touching the then late rooting out of sundry English able and orthodox Ministers for not complying with the Bishops in divers new idolatrous ceremonies this Gentleman assured me that he had often heard of strange reports of matters likely to befall England both from English and Irish papists which he gave no heed unto supposing them to speake rather as they would have it then as it was in verity But now that he had heard so much from me he did much suspect that there was some plot in hand to change the Religion in Eng. wherof he would diligently enquire assuring me that he had as good means to know it as any man of our Nation that lived on that side of the Seas At our next meeting he told me that he had dived into the plot That ere long we must all of necessity be papists in Eng. that the best wits both in Eng. and on that side of the Seas were interested therein That it was so politickly laid that he did not see how in the judgment of man it could possibly be prevented That the Archb. and some other Bishops were of the plot and that the rest of the Bishops and Clergy partly for feare of losing what they had partly for hopes of geting more would undoubtedly comply That the refusers if they could not be corrupted were to be turned out of their livings banished imprisoned or forced to live in obscurity That it was to be done by gradations to bring in this point of Popery in one quarter of a yeer and the rest in another and if not direct popery yet so neer thereunto as the common people themselves would slide into it unawares that nothing but the King of Sweden's prosperity did hinder the sudden effecting of it Lastly that if we resisted not we should be cheated and cozened of our Religion and if we resisted we should be compelled thereto perforce I replied that I thought the Papists in England were not of any considerable number to effect their ends by force and that they were also dis-armed He told me the Papists were more in number and better armed then I conceived them to be many going now to Church who would then declare themselves papists besides a world of Newters who for hopes of preferment would be easily drawne to their party that they vvere all united and besides armed with authority He affirming that for many yeers vve had vvholly been governed by Papists most men in highest authority being either vvholly so or at least as serviceable unto them for private ends as if they vvere so indeed I replied that if we should be compelled to defend our Religion by force their authority would not be regarded He told me the Irish vvould be brought in I answered that I had spent some yeers in Ireland and knew them to want both courage and meanes to effect so great a businesse so that unlesse they were backed by the King of Spaine in a better manner then I conceived he was able at that time to doe they durst not undertake it He told me they should have a better back and more encouragement then the King of Spaine could give them and that both France and Spain should assist therein I replied that I thought France and Spaine were likely to disagree and therefore unfit for such a businesse He told me that since J vvould needs have it the greatest introducers of popery should be the Protestants themselves Whereat vvhen J vvondred as seeming to me a paradox he told me that the vvar should be so disguised under false notions and pretences as the Protestants should ignorantly become the Jesuits servants and by the effusion of their ovvne blood set up popery by force Thirdly that being in Rome seven or eight yeers since one Father John of the Order of Saint Benet was very tnquisitive of me to knovv vvho bestovved the livings in England and vvhether the Arch bishop did not doe it I answered that the livings were in the donation of such as had the Advousons of them whether it were the King Arch bishops Bishops Deanes and Chapters Colledges Corporations Noble men Gentlemen or others He asked me if the Arch-bishop did not bestow the Kings livings I said no but the Lord Keeper if they were under such a value if above the King himselfe He seemed very much agrieved that the Arch-bishop did not bestow them and told me that he did not despaire of seeing England to be very suddenly Catholike And though be were by reason of his Order tyed more strictly to the Pope then others were yet he was carefull to have both Kings and Kingdomes priviledges preserved and more particularly that the Benefices in England might not be bestowed upon Italians as formerly but that the Arch-bishop should have the ordering thereof All this I have oft related some yeers since to divers persons of quality for which I incurred some trouble by the Jesuits and this Arch-bishops meanes This Testimony is so home and punctuall that we shall adde no more thereto it informs us of a long since plotted and actuated confederacy between this Archbishop and other English Prelats and the Popes Instruments at Rome and in other forraigne parts to introduce popery and reduce us back to Rome It chalks out to us the manner and method of their proceedings in all particulars and the politick contrivances of all sorts to effect their intended designe all which we have by wofull experience seen punctually acted pursued accordingly to this very moment in which pursuit this Archbishop hath been the Archinstrument since then we visibly behold these reports of theirs verefied to the view of all the world we must no longer look upon them is empty rumours or discourses but as reall Evidences beyond all exceptions The second groundwork we shall lay and prove is this That there hath been for many yeers last past a dangerous damnable Plot and serious endeavour of the Pope and his Instruments to reduce and reconcile the Church of England to the Church and Sea of Rome and that this Arch-bishop was privy to and had notice of it This Plot was first laid about the yeer 1617. when the Spanish Match was set on foot and King Charles then Prince of Wales fent into Spaine of purpose to reconcile him and in him our Kingdomes to the Church of Rome the prime end the Pope and Catholikes intended in that Match and Treaty as appeares by the severall Articles passages and proceedings in it well knowne to this Prelate by the Popes Letter to the Prince whiles in Spaine to reconcile him to Rome and make him a dutifull Sonne of that Church by the Popes Letter to his Nuncio the Bishop of Conchen when the Prince was in Spaine to endeavour his conversion to their Church upon this occasion by a Jesuits Oration to induce his Highnesse to that Religion and by the
Master Pryme IF you heare Fa. Francis his Booke or person touched let them know that we understand assuredly that it proceeds from the Jesuits most likely also by this last Letter of Mr. Midleton to the Archbishop who imploy others in it as they did against Father Leanded till it cost him his life and if that upon their informations they proceed against such persons who THOUGH IN ALL THINGS CATHOLIKE yet are more discrect and temperate and not intermedling in matters of State THE KING WILL BE MUCH OFFENDED Thus much for this Book of Sancta Clara and the Author of it The fifth Evidence we shall pitch upon to prove a designe to reconcile and reduce us back to Rome is the Popes and his Agents promises tenders of Cardinals Caps and Places to some prime English men and to this Archbishop himselfe in particular the end whereof could be no other but to enthrall us againe to the superstitious jurisdiction of the Papall See The first proffer we find of a Cardinals Cap made to any English Prelat since the Reformation was to this Archbishop who thus records the time and manner thereof with his owne hand in his Diary Aug. 4. 1633. Sunday news came to Court of the Lord Archbishop of Canterburies death and the King RESOLVED PRESENTLY to give it me which he did Aug. 6. That very morning at Greenwich there came one to me seriously and THAT AVOWED ABILITY TO PERFORME IT AND OFFERED ME TO BE A CARDINALL I went presently to the King and acquainted him both with the thing and person It is very considerable that Master Anthony Mildmay deposed that Con the Popes Nuncio told him at Rome before Archbishop Abbots death that Bishop Laud should succeed him and that he would be more favourable to the Catholikes then Abbot By which it appeares that Bishop Laud was long before Abbots death designed to the place if not at the solicitation yet at least by the approbation of the Roman party No sooner comes newes to Court of Archbishop Abbots death but the King presently resolves that Bishop Laud should succeed him and no sooner is this known at Court but that very morning as himselfe records he is thus seriously offered to be a Cardinall by one who avowed ability to performe it and that at Greenwich in the Kings own Court. Who it was that made this offer were worth the discovery but this mystery he couceales The Plot against the King discovered to him by Habernfield informes us That Con the Popes Nuncio had a command to offer A CARDINALS CAP TO THE ARCHBISHOP in the name of the Pope of Rome and that he should allure him also with greater promises but this first offer was before Con's arrivall here Were the person an English Subject of what rank soever this proffer of his to to revive this popish dignity of a Cardinall among us and to receive it from the Popes exploded forraigue power which drew Cardinall Woolsey into a Premunire if not under the guilt of high Treason though this honour was procured him not only by King Henry the 8th his assent but solicitation deserved the severest exemplary punishment especially since it tended to engage the Primate and Metropolitan of all England most obliged by his place and office against all Popish power offices superstitious doctrines to submit unto them and become the Popes sworne vassall If the Popes owne Nuncio Panzani which is probable or any other forraigne Agent the affront had been so great both to the Archbishops person place had he been cordial to our Church our Religion being both a Privy Counsellour the Kings grand favorite and he who steard our Churches helm to the honour of our Church Religion of the King himselfe and his Royall Court that it could not patiently be put up or pretermitted without some eminent satisfaction But be the person one or other certaine it is he was never once questioned or molested by the Archbishop for this proffer who took it so well at the parties hands or rejected it so coldly that on the 17. day of the same Moneth he had a second serious offer made to him of the selfe-same dignity most probably by the same person which himselfe thus Registreth in his Diary Aug. 17. 1633. Saturday I had A SERIOUS OFFER MADE ME AGAIN TO BE A CARDINALL I was then from Court but so soon as I came thither which was August 21 I acquainted his Majesty with it But my answer againe was that somewhat dwelt within me which would not suffer that till Rome were other then it is What it was that dwelt within him which made him not absolutely but for the present only to refuse this offer till Rome was other then it is we may learn from Sir Hen. Mildmay's Mr. Anth. Mildmay's Mr. Challoner's depositions forementioned and his owne Reply to Fisher pag. 171. to wit an ambitious Papall spirit he would like his worthy Predecessor Saint Anselme so he stiles him be both in Title and Jurisdiction Papa alterius Orbis Pope of our British world and Vniversall Patriarch of all the Churches within his Majesties Realmes and Dominions which Rome as it then was and the Jesuiticall party there as these witnesses have deposed distiked and would not suffer and for this cause onely he refused this dignity which would have more enthralled him to the Popes and Romes jurisdiction not to their Religion then his ambitious spirit could well brook This double serious proffer of a Romish Cardinalship to the Archbishop is an infallible Argument First that the Pope and his Conclave at Rome had an extraordinary good opinion of his favour his good affection to Popery and their Antichristian Church else they would not have profered him such a dignity incompatible to any Protestant English Prelat Secondly that they deemed him the aptest activest Instrument to reconcile and re-unite us to Rome of all other in respect of his favour at Court power with the King and inclination to Popery as Sir Henry Mildmay Master Anthony Mildmay Master Challoner have attested therefore they would honour him with a Cardinals Hat to the end that as his Predecessor Cardinall Poole Archbishop of Canterbury the last English Cardinall of any of our Prelats reconciled our revolted Kingdom to Rome in Queen Maries dayes as appeareth at large by the Statute of 1. 2. Phil. Mary ch 8. So he invested with the same Papall dignity and fitting in the self-same See might once more as easily reduce us to the bosome of the Roman Church in the dayes of this Queen Mary as Popish as the former as he did then As this Archbishop so Master Walter Mountague not long after had good hopes given him at Rome to be made a Cardinal as the Archbishop himself was informed by Mr. Middleton's forecited Letter which dignity he should have lately received thence had he not been imprisoned if Sir Kenelme Digbies Letter may be credited to help on this work
in mother part of my Diocesse farther off every Parish hath his Priest and some two or three apiece and so their Masse-houses also in some places Masse is said in the Churches Fryars there are in divers places who goe about though not in their habit and by their imporâ—â—â—ate begging empoverish the people Who indeed are generally very poore as from that cause so from their paying double Tithes to their owne Clergy and ours from the dâ—â—th of Corne and the death of their Cattle these late yeers which the 〈◊〉 to their souldiers and their agents and which they forget not to reckon among other causes the appression of the Court Ecclesiastiasticall which in very truth any Lord I cannot excuse and doe seek to reforme For our owne there are some seven or eight Ministers in each Diocesse of good sufficiency and which is no small cause of the continuance of the people in popery still English which have not the tongue of the people nor can performe any divine offices or converse with them and which hold many of them two three foure or more Vicarages apiece even the Clerkships themselves are in like manner conferred upon the English and sometimes two or three or more upon one man and ordinarily bought and sold or let to farme c. His Majesty is now with the greatest part of this Country as to their hearts consciences King but at the Popes discretion c. Your Lordships most obliged servant in Christ Jesu WILL. KILMORE and ARDREN Kilmore the 1. of April 1630. His second Letter to the Lord Deputy of Ireland about the maintainance of the Army and the Cavan Petition which he sent inclosed in an other Letter to the Archbishop is somewhat more full and observable wherein there is this memorable passage concerning the encrease and insolencies of the Papists in Ireland which Letter he received thence Decemb. 4. 1633. Right Honourable my good Lord c. IN the midst of these thoughts I have been advertised from an honourable friend in England that I am accused to his Majesty to have opposed his service and that my hand with two other Bishops onely was to a writing touching the monies to be levyed on the Papists here for maintainance of the men of warre c. Indeed if I should have had such ad intention this had been not only to oppose the service of his Majesty but to expose with the publike peace mine own neck to the sâ—eans of the Romish Cut-throats I that know that in this Kingdome of his Majesty the Pope hath another Kingdome farre greater in number and as I have heretofore signified to the Lords Justices and Counsell which is also since justified by themselves in print constantly guided and directed by the Order of the new Congregation de propaganda side lately erected at Rome transmitted by the meanes of the Popes Nuncioes residing at Bruxels or Paris that the Pope hath here a Clergie if I may guesse by my owne Diocesse double in number to us the heads whereof are by corporall Oath bound to him to maintaine him and his Regalities contra omnem hominem and to execute his Mandates to the utmost of their forces which accordingly they doe stiling themselves in print Ego N. Dei c. Apostolicae Sedis gratia Episcopus Fermien Ossorien c. I that know there is in this Kingdome for the moulding of the people to the Popes obedience a rabble of irregular Regulars commonly younger Brothers of good houses who are growne to that insolency aâ— to advance themselves to be Members of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy in better ranke then Priests in so much as the censure of the Sorbon is faine to be implored to curbe them which yet is called in againe so tender is the Pope of his owne Creatures I that know that his Holinesse hath erected a new Vniversity at Dublin to confrant his Majesties Colledge there and to brâ—ed up the youth of this Kingdome to his devotion of which Vniversity one Paul Harris the Author of that infamous Libell which was put forth in print against the Lord Armaths Wansted Sermon stileth himselfe in print to be Deane I that know and have given advertisement to the State that these Regulars dare erect new Fryeries in the Country since the dissolving of those in the Citys that they have brought the people to such a sottish senselesnesse as they care not to learne the Commandements as God himselfe spake and writ them but they flock in great members to the preaching of new superstitious and detestable doctrines such as their owne Priests are ashamed of and at these they levy collections three four five six pound at a Sermon Shortly I that know that these Regulars and this Clergie have at a generall meeting like to a Synod as themselves stile it holden at Drogheda decreed that it is not lawfull to take the Oath of Alleagiance and if they be constant to their own doctrine doe account his Majesty in their hearts to be King but at the Popes discretion In this estate of this Kingdome to think the bridle of the Army may be taken away it should be the thought not of a brain-sick but brainlesse man c. The day of our deliverance from the popish Powder-plot Your Lordships in all duty WILLIAM KILMORE By these two Letters it is most apparent that this Arch-Prelat was from time to time acquainted with the extraordinary encrease and insufferable insolencies of the Papists in Ireland as likewise of their popish Arch-bishops and Bishops audacious proceedings in that Kingdome which he was more fully informed of by two printed papers sent to him by Archbishop Vsher the one in Latin the other in English found in his Study endorsed thus with his Secretary Dels hand May 3. 1632. Protestations of the Secular Priests in Ireland against Thomas Flemming Arch-bishop of Dublin one whereof was read at the Lords Barre To all the most Illustrious Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland but more particularly to those of the Province of Dublin their honourable Lords David Bishop of Ossory John of Fernes Rosse of Kildare and Matthew Vicar Apostolicall of Lagblem MOST Illustrious Lords and Reverend Bishops the Priests of Dublin make their complaint before you that the most Illustrious Arch-bishop of Dublin Thomas Flemming of the Order of Saint Francis without alleaging my cause against them onely for his will and at his pleasure useth to exile and banish Priests out of his Diocesse and they protest that in so doing he exerciseth a tyranny over the Clergie contrary to the Canons of holy Church and the Lawes and Statutes of this Kingdome Most Illustrious Lords and Reverend Fathers in Christ the aforesaid Priests doe make their complaints that the same most Illustrious Arch-bishop of Dublin Thomas Flemming of the Order of Saint Francis though humbly sought unto and desired doth refuse to doe them justice in their causes neither yet will be permit the Clergie to follow their
giving the Archbishop a Certificate of their number and quality but he never received any order from him to apprehend any of them nor saw any fruit or reformation thereof That he having a speciall Warrant from the said Archbishop and others of the high Commission to apprehend one Peter Wilford a Priest condemned since the Parliament and now in Newgate and apprehending him by vertue thereof he brought him before this Archbishop to his Chamber in White-hall who sent this Deponent word by Sir John Lamb that he would not meddle with him and the said Wilford having a Protection from Secretary Windebank which he shewed the Deponent was thereupon discharged by the said Archbishops direction signified by Sir John Lamb. Elizabeth Gray of Saint Margarets Westminster Widow deposed That her late husband John Gray being a Messenger to the Lords of the Counsell and having a Warrant from them to apprehend Jesuits and Seminary Priests the said Gray by vertue of that Warrant apprehended one Fisher alias Persey a grand Jesuit and acquainted Master Secretary Cook therewith whereupon he was committed prisoner to the Gate-house there to remaine untill he should put in security to depart the Realme and never to returne againe Soon after which the said Gray and one John Cooke as the Deponent was often informed by them meeting the said Fisher walking in the streets apprehended him whereupon he shewed a Warrant of Secretary Windebanks requiring that no Messenger should apprehend the said Fisher nor search the house or houses where he should frequent upon which Gray discharged him and repairing to Secretary Cook acquainted him with the said Jesuits protection who thereupon commanded Gray and Cook to repaire to this Archbishop of Canterbury and acquaint him with the premises who thereupon went to Lambeth and desired Master Dell the Archbishops Secretary to acquaint the Archbishop therewith as from Master Secretary Cook and to grant them a Warrant to apprehend the said Fisher To which Master Dell replied That he was an idle fellow and bade him move the whole Board for it For his Lord would grant no such Warrant Whereupon Gray replied Lord have mercy upon is all I see how the game goes now I hope to see better days For which words the said Gray was sent for the next day before the Counsell upon the complaint of the said Archbishop and committed prisoner to the Fleet for the same Whereupon this Deponent exhibited many Petitions to the said Archbishop and the whole Board for her said husbands release to which she could get no answer and one day she presenting a Petition to the said Archbishop in the stone Gallery at Whitehall for her Husbands enlargement he looking upon the same and seeing the said Grayes name therein flung it away in an angry manner saying he would have nothing to doe with a Priest-catching knave By meanes whereof her said Husband continued a prisoner in the Fleet for two and twenty weeks and could not be released as Master Read Secretary Windebanks Secretary told this Deponent till such time as he should give Bond and Baile never to apprehend Priests and Jesuits more The next day she going to Secretary Windebank for her Husbands release Master Read his Secretary demanded where his said Bond and Baile was To which she answered That some Gentlemen in the Fleet said That in requiring such Bond and Baile they incurred a Premunire To which the said Master Read replied That the said Gentlemen and the Deponent deserved to be sent to Newgate for these speeches And Secretary Windebank himselfe taking exception at the said speeches gave Order after the said Gray had his Discharge That he should stay in prison till every penny of his Fees were paid That a little before this her said Husbands trouble upon his apprehending of a Priest or Jesuit from whom he took good store of Books to the value of an hundred pounds the said Archbishop commended it for a good piece of service and willed him to bring the said Books to his House at Lambeth and he would well recompence him But he receiving and keeping the Books never gave him any recompence John Goldsmith deposed that about four yeers since he being in the High-Commission Court at Lambeth the Archbishop before the Court sate called all the Messengers of the Court to him and charged them to take heed that they kept not company with one Gray A PRIEST-CATCHER against whom Secretary Windebank had made a complaint at the Counsell Table for discovering Priests and told them that if he heard that any of them had any more to doe with him he would not onely LAY THEM BY THE HEELS BUT LIKEWISE PULL THEIR COATS OFF FROM THEIR BACKS AND TURNE THEM OUT OF THEIR PLACES And he further deposed that he did complaine and indite a Papist for saying THAT OUR RELIGION WAS SPURD OUT OF KING HENRY THE EIGTH HIS CODâ—IECE whereupon the Papist prosecuted him in the High Commission for a defamation John Cook of Rederosse-street London deposed That John Gray a Messenger had a Warrant from the Lords of the Counsell Table for the apprehending of Priests and Jesuits And that the said Gray and this Deponent by vertue thereof did apprehend one Father Fisher alias Piersey a grand Jesuit and brought him before Master Secretary Cooke who wished us to bring him before the Counsell Table the next sitting which we did accordingly in Anno 1634. And after his Examination there the Archbishop of Canterbury and Secretary Cooke went to the King to know his pleasure what should be done with him Who returning to the Board the Archbishop delivered the Kings pleasure to this effect Master Fisher kneele downe upon your knees every morning and every evening and pray for the King for granting you your life And to be short Master Fisher his Majesties pleasure is that you shall be forthwith banished this Kingdome and all at her his Majesties Dominions and you shall remaine prisoner in the Gate-house untill you put in good security before the Kings Attourney Sir John Banks never to returne again Whereunto Fisher replyed If he had a hundred lives be would come hither againe or elsewhere if his Superiour so commanded him and utterly refused to put in any security Whereupon the Board sent him to the Gate-house there to remaine untill he should put in such security as aforesaid Whereupon about four moneths after the said Gray and the Deponent met the said Fisher in Holborn and demanding of him the reason of his going abroad he replied We were Rogues what was that to us and shewed us a Warrant under the hand of Secretary Windebank for his enlargement Whereupon Gray and this Deponent went to Lambeth to the Archbishop of Canterbury and endeavoured to acquaint him by Master Dell his Secretary that Fisher had a Warrant from Master Secretary Windebank for his liberty and desired to know the Archbishops pleasure therein But Master Dell made answer That his Lord would not meddle with
Wars it is most probable this advice proceeded originally from him and his interest in this popish Bishop Before we make any speciall application of the preceding testimonies and evidence we shall only manifest what a most pernicious seducing dangerous Priest and Jesuit this Sir Toby Matthew with whom the Archbishop so familiarly conversed was at that very time Andreas ab Habernfiela's Discovery of the Plot of Treason against the King sent from Sir William Boswel to the Archbishop himself gives this true Character of him Sir Toby Matthew a Priest and Jesuit of the Order of Politicians a most vigilant man one of the primest heads to whom a bed was never so deare that he would rest his head thereon refreshing his body with sleep in a chaire for an hour or two spareth his mach inations neither day nor night a man principally noxious and the very plague of the King and Kingdome of England a most impudent man who flies to all Banquets and Feasts called or uncalled never quiet alwayes in action and perpetuall motion thrusting himself into all meetings of Superiours urgeth conferences familiarly that be may fish out the minds of men whatever he observeth thence that may bring any commodity or discommodity to the part of the Conspirators he communicates to the Popes Legat the more secret things he himselfe writes to the Pope or to Cardinal Barbarino In fine he adjoynes himselfe to any Company no word can be spoken that he will not lay hold on and accommodate to his party In the meane time what he hath fished out he reduceth into a Catalogue and in the Summer carries it to the generall Consistory of the Jesuits Politicks which secretly meets together in the Province of Wales where he is an acceptable Guest There Counsels are secretly hammered which are most meete for the convulsion of the Ecclesiasticke and Politicke State of both Kingdomes Yea this most sedulous promoter of the Popes designes for his dexterity experience and sedulity in mannaging his Holinesse affaires in England was in such extraordinary favour with the Pope that by a Speciall Bull he committed his last Nuncio Count Rossetti being but yong to his tutelage and direction as to his Angle Gardian hoping that his Nuncio assisted by his Counsels would produce no small fruits to the Catholicke Church IN A SHORT TIME SPACE and through the help of the female Amazons there RESTORE THE AUTHORITY OF THE SEE APOSTOLICK IN THE KINGDOM OF ENGLAND which by oceasion of one woman Queen ELIZABETH was there suppressed The Copy whereof found among Secretary Windebankes papers being very materiall was read at the Bar In which Bull the Pope himselfe gives him this Title A sufficient evidence that Sir Toby was both a Jesuit and Priest too Dilecto Filio TOBIAE MATHEO Societat Jesu Sacerdoti Urbanus Papa 8. DIlecte Fili salutem Apostolicam benedictionem Ardens animarum zelus quo jam a toi annis in vinea Domini laborando strenuum te militem exhibuisti promeretur ut tuae virtuti debitam laudem reddamus Sane magnâ cum exultatione audivimus labores quos sustines ut sedis Apostolicae amplitudinem augeas quo ca ritatis zelo omnibus omnia fias ut omnes lucrifacius Decet certè te viram Apostolicum magni Apostoli exemplo doctum ut Judeis fias tanquam Judeus iis qui sunt sine lege tanquam sis finè lege dummodo Sedis Apostolicae dignitatem promoveas Ideo cum in magnam Brittanniam mittere statuerimus dilectum filium Comitem Rosseti nostrum Sedis Apostolice cum potestate Legati a latere Nuntium Juvinem zelo Dei accensum Apostolicae soliciuudini nostrae satisfactum credidimus si eum tuae curae committeremus Jussimus igitur ut tibi iâ—mmunicet Instructiones sibi datus a dilecto filio Nepote nostro Francisco Sanctae Reverendis Ecclesiae Card. Barbarino subscriptas teque ab eo quo pro sede Apostolica zelo ardes rogamus in quantum opus est tibl mandamus ut praedictum filium Nuntium nostrum in omnibus dirigas moneas instruas lapsus errores ejus qui per juventutem facilè accidere possunt corrigas ut sedis Apostolicae decor inviolatus permaneat ut denique in omnibus ei te Angelum custodem prebeas Magnam certè spem concepimus predictum filium Nuntium tuis consiliiâ— adjutum non parvos in Ecclesia Catholica fructus producturum Labora igitur dilecte fili opus fac Evangelistae Ministerium tuum imple Catholicos zelo Dei accende ipsos comforta sed praecipue Amazones ill as quae ut a dilecto filio Georgio Conneo audivimus die ae nocte strenuè decertaut pro dignitate sedis Apostolicoe Non diffidimus de Domino neque de potentia ejus quia sicut occasione unius faeminae authoritas sedis Apostolicae in Regno Angliae suppressa fuit sic nunc per tot Haeroicas faeminas illas imitantes quae à Galileo sequebantur Dominum societatem ejus assidiue sequentes BREVI in codem Regno restituenda sit Adhortare igitur illas ut opus aggressum viriliter prosequantur de sede Apostolica quae devoti Feminii sexus peculiarem curam gerit bene mereri pergant Rogamus patrem Domini nostri Jesu Christi ut tibi spiritum sanctum suum mittat qui te in omnibus per omnia custodiat Apostolicam nostramque benedictionem dilecte fili iterum atqúe iterum tibi impartimur Datum Romae apud S. Petrum sub annulo Piscatoris pridie idus Maii. By all these premised Testimonies and Evidences it is most fully proved as farre as is possible for us to goe unlesse we had the very Popish Priests and Jesuites themselves here personally present to be examined who would be very unwilling to discover any thing against their Arch-Patriot upon Oath First that this Archbishop held familiarity and correspondency with sundry notorious Priests and Jesuites forementioned imployed as Agents by the Papists to reduce and reconcile us unto Rome who were oft-times seene at Lambeth-house neer his Study and publikely boasted of their recourse to and favour with him Secondly that Sir Toby Matthew the most dangerous seducing Priest and Jesuite of all others was most intimately familiar with him and oft-times seen with him both in his Coach his Barge his Garden his House and a frequent Guesse at his Table and Saint Giles a most pernicious Priest maintained by him in the University of Oxford to seduce the Doctors and Students there to Popery Thirdly that he was very coldin the prosecution of Priests and Jesuites and if at any time he imprisoned them for a shew to gull the vulgar people it was onely in the Clinke or New Prison not Newgate or any County Goale where they were protected secured against all Legall prosecutions had the best Lodgings a common Steward Cooke Table
That he had been the impeacher and disturber of due and direct correction of Errours and Heresies by reason whereof they crept more abroad and tooke greater place being highly to the danger and perill of the whole body and good Christian people of this Realme All which this Archbishop is guilty in an higher measure in respect of Popery Priests and Jesuits then ever this Cardinall was in regard of the Lutheran Sect and Opinions Fifthly it is evident that the Archbishop had a hand in assisting the Papists Priests and Jesuits in the dispersing of their popish Books to seduce his Majesties Subjects contrary to an expresse Statut whereas he used all possible diligence to suppresse the printing dispersing importing Orthodox Books and those he stiled Puritannicall both at home and beyond the Seas Finally the Archbishop complyed with the Papists Priests Jesuits in concealing their very treasonable plots and conspiracies against the King Kingdome Church and all professors of the Protestant Religion we shall instance but in two particulars The first is in the case of Mistresse Anne Hussey who deposed at the Lords Barre to this effect That William O Conner an Irish Priest servant to the Queen Mother soon after Easter in the yeer 1640. among other discourses told her at the house of one Master Hill neer the Strand in Westminster That there were many private houses about London wherein they used to have Masse said that there were 7000. men in private pay ready to ayde the Catholicks and to cut the Protestants throats that should resist them After which he comming to her in great haste at Mistresse Pinocks house about the end of July 1640. told her That he was then in great haste for he had Letters from the Queen Mother to be delivered to three Embassadours the Spanish the Venetian the French to send to the Pope to know from himselfe or his Legat when to begin the subduing of the Protestants that the Queen his Lady was no foole and that if the King joyned with the Protestants they would cut him off if not by the sword yet by some other way that if no other hand would doe it his hand should kill the King and that he would kill an Heretick at any time for the advancement of the Mother Church of Rome swearing by Saint Francis and Saint Dominick that he would doe it All which he spake to her in Irish she counterfeiting her selfe to be a Roman Catholick desirous to become a Nunne He likewise confessed That he had been a servant long to the Queen Mother and imployed by her in businesse to all the Princes of CHRISTENDOME Whereupon she according to her duty and alleagiance complained of this Priest revealing this discomse and treason of his to the Lords of the Privy Counsell attesting her information upon oath and producing a Letter of this Priests to her under his owne hand with some other witnesses to confirme her testimony in point of circumstance of time place and this Priests resort unto her But the Archbishop of Canterbury to discourage and take her off from this discovery reviled and gave her many ill words and threats told her she was mad and that she was hired by the Londoners to make this accusation demanding how she durst be so bold as to utter or discover ought which had any the least reflection upon the Queen Mother threatning to have her punished and caused her to be committed to one of the Sheriffes of Londons house whereas the other Lords gave her good words and committed the Priest to the Gate-house and so the businesse was smothered without further prosecution till she revived it this Parliament in the Commons House who released her of her restraint We shall close all with the most desperate plot of Cardinall Barbarino the Popes Nuncio the society of the English and Scottish Jesuits with their confederates to subvert the Protestant Religion usher in Popery raise a Warre between England and Scotland subvert the government both of Church and State yea to poyson the King himselfe if he crossed this designe and then to seize and traine up the Prince in the Popish 〈◊〉 This plot being discovered at first only in generally by a chief Actor in it sent from Rome to Andreas ab Habernfield Sir Wil. Boswell by them by Letters from the Hague to the Archbishop he conceiving it to be a plot only of the Puritanes to destroy the King and himself too revealed it to the King and prosecuted the further discovery with all earnestnesse as appeares by sundry Originall Lettâ—ers concerning it seized and attested by Master Prynne produced at the Barre But no sooner received he the large particular discovery of it which fastned the treason onely upon Cardinall Barbarino the Popes Nuncio the Jesuits with their confederates Sir Toby Matthew Sir Kenelme Digby Sir John Winter Endimion Porter Secretary Windebanke Master Walter Mountague the Countesse of Arundel and others but he presently smothered it yea though he received the full discovery of it but on the 14. of October 1640. not many dayes before the beginning of this present Parliament yet he he never revealed it to both or either Houses of Parliament or any members thereof for the preservation of our Religion Church State King thereby and the executing condigne punishment on these Arch-traitos and Conspirators then present in London and Westminster nor yet so much as disclosed it when Sir Toby Matthew Sir John Winter and others were questioned in the Commons House about the Popish Parliament kept in London and the levying of moneys against the Scots among the Papists nor when Secretary Windebank was questioned for releasing Priests and Jesuits against Law and the negotiation of the Popes Nuncio debated in the Commons House but concealed these papers from the Parliaments knowledge till Master Prynne unexpectedly seized them in the Archbishops Cabinet in the Tower of London From all which particulars we conceive we have abundantly manifested most substantially proved his correspondency confederacy with the Pope and his instruments of all sorts in their most desperate treasons to extirpate our Religion introduce popery reconcile reduce the Church of England to the Church of Rome and most satisfactorily justified the first Branch of our charge of high treason against him in every particular wherupon we most humbly pray in the name of the Commons of England the Judgment of an Arch-traitor to be given against him as one who hath declared himself a professed Traitor not only to our Laws Liberties Parliament Kingdoms but to our very Religion Church souls the highest treason of all others especially in a Clergyman an Archbishop of Canterbury who is by title office Primate and Metropolitan of all England yea Confessor chiefe Curate and Ecclesiasticall Vicegerent to the King himselfe who entrusted him wholly if not solely with the care of our Religion which he hath most perfidiously undermined betrayed sundry wayes as all the premises demonstrate The Archbishops
of the Lord Therefore for him to introduce such an Idolatrous Superstitious worship as this into the Kings own Chappel contrary to the Word of God and Law of the Land under pretext of Gods worship to corrupt the King and his whole Court in their worship and Religion and alienate his good Subjects affections from him will prove little lesse then Treason in the highest degree As for his pretended Speech we have already refuted it And for the Homily it hath neither word nor syllable to warrant it but some thing against it since as it condemns prophanes on the one hand so it censures all superstition on the other between which this Prelate would have no medium as this his prayer imports Secondly That the Archbishop was chief Superintendent of his Majesties Chappel as Primate and Metropolitan of all England The King and Queen where ever they live in England being his immediate Parishoners and the whole Kingdom but his Parish though devided into several Bishopricks as hath been resolved by all the Nobles in King Henry the first his raign as our Historians and his own Predecessour Archbishop Parker record Therefore Bishop Wren being only Dean of the Kings Chappel the Archbishops creature and brought into that office by him durst not have set up this gaudy Crucifix there in the passion week in his presence without his approbation and direction by which he tacitly confesseth it was done That it gave publique scandal to many well-affected Courtiers and others Sir Henry Mildmay deposed and particularly to himself who complained of it to the King and the Archbishop too who if his heart had been right and fervent to our Religion would have been most scandalized offended at this unusual scandalous sight and never have permitted it successiively two yeers together nor justified it so peremptorily as now he did And whereas he objects that had Sir Henry been thus scandalized with the Crucifix it self he would have been as much offended with the old there constantly hanging as with the new We Answer That the old was hardly visible and scarce observed by any but this so grosse so great so gaudy and notorious that every man in the Chappel took special notice thereof as if it had been some new blasing Star And if the old were so visible all the yeer long what need the hanging up of this new one onely in the passion and Easter weeks which was never used in the memory of man before In fine the third Part of the Homily against the peril of Idolatry resolves that the most rich costly gaudy Images and Crucifixes are more dangerous and scandalous then others not so stately therefore Sir Henry might well be scandalized with it more then with the old one not so costly Thirdly he gives no Answer to that which is one main charge from this Innovation in the royal Chappel to make it the patern the Canon to regulate all Cathedral and Parish Churches by His silence herein bewrayes his guilt Fourthly Dr. Browns and those Seminaries adorations of this Crucifix and the Altar were but the meer scandalous fruits of his own exemplary Innovations before and erections of them there and their speeches occasioned by his actions Therefore the guilt of them must rest heaviest on himself not them It is his own oft iterated position That he who gives the occasion of a Schism ought to be repuâ—ed the Schismatick not he that separates upon the occasion given And Tertullian in his Book De Idolatria resolves That the makers of Idols are the greatest Idolaters because none would or could worship them were they not first made that they might be worshipped His own hanging of up this Crucifix and bowing towards the Altar and it was the cause that Dr. Brown and these Seminary Priests adored and bowed towards them in the self some manner as himself there used Therefore the crime the scandal of it must rest most on himself His pretence that this might be done and spoken by the Priest to gain Proselytes by discountenancing our external worship is a very strange improbable whimsey since our Bishops our Doctors imitation of their Popish worshipping Crucifixes Altars was more likely ten thousand to one to gain them Proselytes then any discountenancing whatsoever thereof by them could be yea it had been a monstrous contradiction and folly in them to discountenance that very thing themselves practised and endeavoured to draw others to Therefore the whole weight of this heavy charge concerning his Majesties Chappel rests intirely upon him in each particular without the least diminution Thirdly from White-hall they pursued me to the Kings Coronation at Westminster Abbey where they charge me 1. With compiling the Form of this Coronation 2. That the unction was in forma crucis 3. That the old Crucifix inter regalia was set upon the Altar 4. That divers of the Prayers in it and this manner of anointing were taken verbatim out of the Roman Pontifical 5. That after the Coronation I solemnly offered the Regalia at the Altar in the Kings name Ans To which I shall give this Answer 1. That the Form of the Kings Coronation was made and agreed on by the whole Committee according to a former Book I had of my Predecessor and I was but a Minister to the Committee in what I did 2. That the anointing in Form of a Crosse was made by my Predecessor not by me who supplied only the place of the Dean of Westminster 3. That I was commanded to bring this old Crucifix being inter regalia and to place it on the Altar 4. That admit the Prayer objected be taken out of the Roman Pontifical yet if it be good as it is there is no hurt we know the story of the cock in the fable dum vertit stercorarium offendit gommam And a Pearl is never the worse if raked out of a dunghil 5. I was to offer the regalia at the Altar by my place and the Book of Common Prayer approves of offerings To which was Replied 1. That it appears by his own Diary that he had the chief hand in compiling this Form and that it was collected corrected by himself though other Bishops were joyned in consultation with him 2. That though the Unction were made by his Predecessor which he makes not appear yet it was principally by his direction and himself makes special mention of it That it was in medum Crucis in the Margent of his Book 3. That he makes no command appear from any Supream Authority for his placing the old Crucifix on the Altar neither doth he alleadge who it was that gave him any such command Therefore it must be interpreted his own voluntary act 4. That the Prayer it self is not very good savouring of Papal pride in the Clergy and it is no such precious Pearl as that he needed to rake such a dunghil of Popish superstitions as the Roman Pontifical is to finde it out to adorn his
called in and publickly burnt was no thanks to him or his Chaplain but to Master Prynnes crosse Bill against him and his Chaplaine in Star-Chamber for licensing it As for the Proclamation for calling it in it was but a meere device to abuse the King Kingdome to justifie or excuse his peccant Chaplain and himselfe by a most false relation of the carriage of the businesse Besides if his Chaplain was innocent Why then doth he pretend he punished him by turning him out of his service If guilty Why doth he justifie him to the King and Kingdome by this Proclamation But indeed this pretended punishment was but a meere pretence for he punished him onely with a good Living to wit Saint Giles in the Fields sending him from Lambeth thither to infect that Parish with his Popish Leprosie or to please the Papists Priests Jesuits of which there were more residing in that Parish alone then in all the Parishes about London For Christs Epistle to a Devout Soule that it was licensed by Doctor Weekes at London-house the self-same day that Sales was at Lambeth is true but yet it is as true that Doctor Weeks was this Archbishops owne Chaplaine and the Bishop of London his meer creature Servant yea it appears there was a strong confederacy between the Chaplaines of Lambeth and London-house in licensing both these Popish Books for the same Stationer the self-same day to propagate and license Popery with a witnesse even just at that very season which makes it more remarkable when Master Prynne Master Burton and Doctor Bastwicke were prosecuted by their good Lord and Master Canterbury in the Star-chamber for opposing their Popish Innovations Impositions Doctrins and just when the gaudy Crucifix was erected by him at White-hall in the Kings owne Chappell in Passion week they then thinking all cock-sure on their side That this Epistle was suppressed we may thank not the Archbishop but Master Prynn's Crosse-bill who but a few weeks after was ill requited with a bloody barbarous censure for his paines and sent away hence close prisoner first into North-Wales then into Jersey where none must have accesse unto him to prevent any more such oppositions discoveries of popish Bookes and Bils against them For Doctor Heylins Books complained of they were some of them purposely written by the Archbishops owne command as he hath confessed to wit that against Mr. Burton Antidotum Lincolnienses licensed by his own Chaplaines therefore they concerne him much For Doctor Pocklingtons Popish Impressions they were perused by himselfe yea published by his direction without the Doctors privity as his Petition manifests therefore his censure for writing them will be no excuse for his owne publishing or his Chaplaines authorizing them without the Doctors knowledge or desire For Bishop Mountagues Books they were all bound up most of them with his Armes very rightly gilt and presented to him by Mountague himselfe after that entertained by him in his Study justified by him in private conferences yea the later of them expresly submitted to his judgement dispose and licensed by his Chaplaines and yet are they nothing to him For the Epitome of the Lives of the Emperours it was licensed by his owne Chaplaine Doctor Weekes at London-house as the license and entry of it in the Stationers Hall which we have here ready to produce attests That he took no notice of it nor of what was in it was his owne voluntary negligence who could take notice of any the least pretended Puritannicall Anti-episcopall or Anti-Arminian passages in all new printed Books whatsoever yea of any harsh passages against the Pope Papists Jesuits and cause them to be suppressed expunged and the Authors of them sometimes to be deeply censured For the Popish Index Biblicus being printed here in London then publikely bound up with our Latin Bibles of Junius and Tremelius translation with which they as well accorded as Fire doth with Water or Popery with Protestanisme it concerned him most of any thing to take notice of and have most severely punished But this vigilant Argus against Protestanisme or any thing that trenched upon Episcopacy Popish Ceremonies Arminianisme or the High Commission was here as blind as a Beetle and could espye no Books at all though never so grosse that made for Popery and popish Innovations or else fell fast asleep when he should watch against these popish enemies who sowed their Tarts so fast among us For the objected popish passages out of these now Authorized Printed Authors himselfe must answer for them First because many of them were particularly complained against by Master Burton in his Sermon for God and the King by Master Prynne in his Crosse Bill which he read and by sundry printed Books which he could not but take notice of yet he neither suppressed the Books nor questioned the Authors Printers or dispersers of them Secōdly because never any such large crop or harvest of Popish Books and Tares appeared or sprung up in our English Church before his time since the beginning of Reformation it being the chiefe part of his place and Office as Archbishop of Canterbury to suppresse and extirpate whereas he authorized and propagated them all he could For the rejecting of Master Prynnes Crosse Bill in Star-chamber against him his Chaplaines and Confederates for Writing Licensing Publishing these Popish Books and Passages it was principally his owne Act who stopped it at the Lord Keepers was present when it was rejected in open Court where he sat as one of the most swaying Judges and endeavoured to have brought him in danger of his life onely for preferring it in a Legall manner whereas had he his Chaplaines Confederates been Innocent they would have Petitioned the Court it might have been received that so they might legally have cleared themselves if they could of that which now blessed be God we have fully proved before an Higher Tribunall for which this cause by Gods providence was reserved as the fittest Court both to heare and censure it For Master Croxtons Letter he was his owne creature specially recommended by him to the Lord Deputy Wentworth who preferred him for his sake and he that durst preferre such a Popish Priest in that Popish Kingdome who dared thus openly to put the Masse-Priests yea Jesuits badge of a Crosse in the Front of his Letter to him and acquaint him with this open practice of Auricular Confession must doubtlesse be no wel-wisher to our Religion and assured of the Archbishops readinesse to concur with him in the approbation of his courses else he durst not write thus to him As for that passage in his Speech in Star-chamber we have already proved that it necessarily implyes a Transubstantiation or corporall presence of Christ on the very Altar For there saith he not in and to the beleevers heart receiving him spiritually by faith t is Hoc est corpus meum c. and A greater reverence no doubt is due TO THE BODY then to the word of
seduce him to popery and reconcile our Churches and Kingdomes to Rome by this meanes contained in their mutuall Articles of Impeachment the Copies of which Letters and Articles were found in his owne Study by Master Prynne must needs concerne him since he could not be ignorant that the Pope and his Instruments would use their utmost diligence to seduce the Prince to their Religion when they had him thus sent and betrayed into their power for that very purpose and his Letter to Bishop Hall though written but of late long after that intended Match yet fully relates his privity to the most secret Instructions before it to gratifie and please the very Pope himselfe and prevent his Objections against the Match or King James For the French Match the Evidence proves he was both privy consenting and assisting to it even after he knew the danger of it in point of Religion both to the King and Kingdome by the proceedings and Articles in the Spanish Treaty being both the very same in substance whereas his intimacy power with the King Duke and quality of his place as he was a Bishop yea Confessor to one or both of them should have engaged him had he been a reall Protestant to have used his utmost endeavours to disswade the King and Duke from both these Popish Matches as most perilous destructive to our Religion the sad effects whereof we now visibly behold in our civill wars and read In Characters written with our owne blood For his intimacy with the Queen it favours of farre more then civility or duty and her extaordinary favours to him proceeded from no other cause but his compliance with her Majesty to introduce popery and reduce us back to Rome as appeares by his proceedings against Master Gellibrand in the High Commission for his Almanack wherin the popish Saints were expunged and our Martyrs inserted at her Majesties request by his prohibiting Ministers to pray and censuring them for praying for her conversion to our Religion which we have punctually proved and of Master Howe for praying to God to preserve the young Prince from being brought up in Popery of which there was great feare a harmlesse yea necessary prayer both in respect of the Queen Mother then too neer him and the Queen who by the Articles of the Match was to have a great hand in his Education till he was fourteen yeers of age as also in regard of the Popes Nuncioes the seducing Jesuits Priests and Capucines about the Queen Court Him and childrens naturall prouenesse unto errour Which prayers admit they had been an oversight yet proceeding from a godly Christian Zeale deserved onely a private admonition not open prosecution or High Commission censure but his making of them so publickly criminall and censuring those so severely for them of purpose to deterre all others from praying for the Queens conversion or against the Princes perversion is an undeniable argument of his good affection to Popery and attempts to reduce us thereunto For his extolling Queen Maries and depressing King Edwards and Queen Elizabeths dayes the words sufficiently declare it was as well in reference to the Religion then professed as to the Vniversity Statutes and the Preface it selfe is of his owne making as well as the Statutes as we shall more fully manifest in due place by his own letters Secondly to the particular instances the Commons made this reply First that their maine end in producing them was onely to demonstrate that the Pope and his Instruments had a reall Plot and designe to introduce Popery and reduce us back to Rome and that the Archbishop could not but know and take speciall notice thereof by all these particular Letters Papers Books found in his owne Study sent written to himselfe endorsed with his owne hand or recorded in his Diary which should have engaged him with greater vigilancy care animosity to have opposed them and their designes In which regard the three first of them with all the rest most neerly concerned him neither doth nor can he plead ignorance of them Secondly that though all these particulars prove not that he promoted confederated with them in their designes yet some of them directly prove it as his countenancing of Sancta Clara his Books his maintaining of Saint Giles a most dangerous seducing Popish Priest many yeers in the University of Oxford his opposing answering the Commons Remonstrance against the dangerous open encrease and practises of Papists in Ireland to set up Popery there and branding it as a scandalous untruth Thirdly for Habernfields plot we shall prove how it makes against him in due time and for Sancta Clara his Book of Reconciliation we have proved First that he knew of it and had both the Book and Author brought to him by his Favourite Doctor Linsey before it was printed this we have under his owne hand therefore it is monstrous impudency in him to deny it Secondly that this Book when printed was presented to reserved by him in his study and the Author with him there some three or four times afterwards Thirdly that it was printed and publickly sold here in Londō without controll Fourthly that his creatures both abroad and at home much applauded it Fiftly that Saint Giles was the Author of it a popish Priest whom himselfe sent to and maintained in the University of Oxford to pervert and seduce Schollers there That he had the Kings Warrant for it is no excuse and the Warrant being without date written with his owne hand and signed by the King to help at a dead list savours of meer fraud circumvention and will amount to an aggravation but no extenuation of his crime Fourthly the proffer of a Cardinalship twice unto him even at Court so soon as he was nominated Archbishop proves the good opinion that the popish party had of his inclination to their party and Religion his concealing the names of the parties that made him the offer which he will not disclose and his not prosecuting and complaining against them to bring them to publique justice prove that he deemed this proffer no injury nor disparagement if a poor Puritan did but write against Popery or Popish Innovations he presently prosecuted him in the High Commission or Star-chamber where he was sure to be fined imprisoned pillored stigmatized scourged banished but he that seriously tendred him a Cardinals Cap twice one after another escaped scot-free without so much as being once questioned for it As for his informing the King thereof it was not by way of complaint but advice and his answer to the King if true is no absolute rejection of the Dignity but rather an adjournment for the present his ambitious itching desire of being a Pope and Patriarch throughout his Majesties Dominions testified by Sir Henry and Master Anthony Mildmay with Master Challoner making him refuse the present offer not any detestation of Popery or reconciliation with Rome To the sixt was replied that it appeared by the Bishops Protestation in
Prince and Bishop of Conchen when in Spaine the Articles of the Duke of Buckingham against the Lord Digby and the Lord Digbies against him in full Parliament Anno 1626. To which they Object I was privy because I was Confessor to the Duke and his Cabinet Counsell at that time and because my Letter to Bishop Hall my owne Diary and Letters to and from the Duke whiles in Spaine with the Note in my Masse Booke discover and confirme it Secondly by the French Match with the Queen promoted purposely to usher in Popery and to reconcile us unto Rome to which they Object I was privy and assistant as my Letters to the Duke my intimacy and compliance with the Queen my inhibitng Ministers to pray and punishing them for praying for the Queens conversion my censuring of Master How for praying That the young Prince might not be brought up in Popery with my magnifying of Queen Maries dayes and depressing King Edwards and Queen Elizabeths demonstrate Secondly by sundry particular instances as First Ludovicus a Sancta Maria his Conclusiones Theologicae Secondly the Plot discovered to me by Haberufield Thirdly the Dedicating of Fastidius his Works to the King by Cardinall Barbarino Fourthly Sancta Clara his Deus Natura Gratia writ of purpose to reconcile us to Rome with which I was acquainted and maintained the Author of it Saint Giles a most dangerous seducing Priest in the University of Oxford Fifthly the proffers of Cardinalships to English men and twice to my selfe Sixthly the strange encrease and proceedings of Papists Priests Jesuits and the Popish Hierarchy in Ireland to which I was privy yet denied it and incensed the King against the Commons for complaining of it Seventhly the Popes sending of divers Nuncioes successively into England where they resided and were publickly entertained with our reciprocall sending and maintaining Agents at Rome to work a Reducement of us back to that Antichristian See To this I answer First that I was neither the Author nor Fomenter of the Spanish Match nor of the Kings Voyage into Spaine which was charged on the Duke and the Lord Dighy It is true my Lord Duke was pleased to enter into a neer familiarity with me and to make me his Confessor and that I writ Letters to him into Spaine and received Letters from him thence but this proves not that I was privy to that Plot as for the Popes Letters to the Prince and the Bishop of Conchen in Spaine to pervert him in his Religion they are nothing to me and my Letter to Bishop Hall was many yeers after that Match broken off Secondly there is no proofe of my furthering the Match with France or that the end of it was to reduce us back to Rome the respects and services I did for the Queen were no more then in civility and duty I ought to performe out of the duty I bare to the King my Master whose Consort and Wife she is her gracious favour towards me proceeded only from her owne gracious disposition not from my deserts or seeking and I had no reason to reject it because it would be a meanes for me to work the more effectually upon her Majesty For my giving Order in my Metropolitical Visitation to my Visitor to inhibit Ministers to pray for the Queens conversion or questioning any for praying for it I absolutely deny it and for Master How he was justly censured for his prayer it being scandalous to his Majesty in questioning his care of the Princes education in the true Religion and infusing jealousies into the peoples heads of his education in Popery and inclination to it As for my pretended magnifying of Queene Maries dayes and depressing of King Edwards and Queene Elizabeths in the Preface to the OXFORD STATUTES I answer that that Preface is none of mine nor proved to be so and if it were yet the words relate to the State and Statutes of the Vniversity of Oxford only in their dayes not of our Church and Religion Secondly to the particular Instances I answer that the first second and third of them concerne not me I was neither the cause nor author of nor privy to them nor could I hinder them and the second of them is a strong evidence for me For the fourth of them Sancta Clara his Book it was printed at Lyons not at London and Saint Giles was not the Author of it but another Fryar I had no hand in it nor was privy to it yet it was disliked by many of the Papists because it gave much advantage to our Church and Religion For his being at Oxford it was much against my will by the Kings speciall Warrant for which I have his hand and I maintained him not there but the King To the fifth the proffer of Cardinals Caps to others is nothing to me and for the offer of a Cardinalship to my selfe two severall times as I could not hinder the offers so I rejected them and acquainted the King both with the person and thing which is all I could doe expressing the cause of my refusall thereof to be That something dwelt within me that would not suffer that till Rome were other then it is as appeares by my owne Diary The strongest Evidence that can be to acquit me from any compliancy with Rome To the sixth I answer that the encrease and proceedings of the Papists in Ireland mentioned in the Objected Letters and Papers are nothing to me I was not the cause nor author thereof the Monasteries and Nuâ—meries mentioned in them were but poor little houses My answer to the CoÌ„mons Remonstrance was penned by the Kings speciall command as appears by the endorsment I knew not of these Irish papers nor of the encrease of popery there wheÌ„ I returned an answer to the Remonstr An. 1628. these Proclamations letters papers being dated since that time for the Deputies letters they are nothing to me I could not hinder the writing and directing of them to me and himselfe hath already been impeached condemned for his Actions for which I am not to answer To the seventh I say it was not in my power to hinder the Popes sending his Nuncioes hither which the King condiscended to upon the Queens earnest desire to accommodate and satisfie her Majesty in some things which concerned her in her Religion For the Agents sent and residing in Rome they were hers not mine sent thither by her Majesty without my privity and against my liking To this was replied First that the forementioned Evidence fully demonstrats that the Archbishop was both privy consenting assisting to the Spanish Match Voyage and to the very Instructions given to the Prince before he went into Spaine how he ought to satisfie the Pope about King James his proving him to be the Antichrist in his publique writings therefore the Popes Letter to the Prince and Bishop of Conehen to pervert the Prince in his Religion with the Dukes and Lord Digbies attempts there to