in their Tenants who holding Leases from Deans and Chapters are sensible of their own happiness as enjoying six parts of seven in pure gain and therefore have petitioned the House to continue their Antient Landlords Moreover such Cities wherein Cathedrals stand if Maritime being very poor in Trade are enriched by the hospitality of the Clergy and the frequent resort of Strangers unto them Then he shewed that divers of low degree but generous Spirits would labour by qualifying themselves by Industry and Vertue to attain a share of Cathedral endowments as the common possession of the Realm c. He trusted their Honours would account it reasonable that the Clergy had in some sort a better maintenance than in neighbouring reformed Churches and not with Jeroboam's Priests to be the basest of the people Then he instanced in some famous forreign Protestants who had found relief by being installed Prebendaries in our Cathedral and Collegiate Churches as Dr. Saravia preferred by Queen Elizabeth Dr. Casaubon Father and Son by King James Dr. Primrose Mr. Vossius in the reign of King Charles and Dr. Peter Du-Moulin And to destroy Deans and Chapters would highly gratifie Rome for Sanders himself seemeth to complain that Queen Elizabeth had left Provosts Deans Canons and Prebendaries in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches because he foresaw such Foundations would conduce to the stability of Religion He went forward to shew how such Lands paid greater sums to the Exchequer for First-fruits tenths and subsidies according to the proportion than any other Estates and Corporations in the Kingdom He implored to find the antient and honourable Justice of the House unto his Brethren who were not charged much less convicted of any Scandalous faults justly for the same to forfeit their estates At last he set before them the Honour of God to whose worship and service such Fabricks and Lands were dedicated and barred all alienations with which he said is termenda vox curses and imprecations He minded them of the censures of Korah and his Complices pronounced hallowed because pretended to do God service therewith He added that of Solomon Prov. 20.25 It is a snare to a man that devoureth that which is holy He added also that smart question of St. Paul Thou that abhorrest idols dost thou commit Sacriledge and concluded that on the ruines of the rewards of Learning no structure can be raised but ignorance and upon the Chaos of ignorance nothing can be built but Profaneness and Confusion This speech was generally well-resented and wrought much on the House for the present In the afternoon Dr. Cornelius Burgesse made a vehement Invective against Deans and Chapters c. He aggravated the debauchedness of Singing men not onely useless but hurtful by their Vicious conversation Yet he concluded with the utter unlawfulness to convert such endowments to any private person's profit Then was a Bill brought up from the Commons to the Lords against Bishops and Clergy-men and it was Voted I. That they should have no Votes in Parliament II. That they should not be in the Commission of the Peace nor be Judges in Temporal Courts III. Nor sit in the Star-chamber nor be Privy Counsellors The last branches of this Bill passed by general consent not above two dissenting But the first branch was Voted by the Lords in the negative But at last it was wholly cast out The Archbishop advised the drawing of a Petition to both Houses of Parliament in the name of the University of Oxford not onely for the preservation of Episcopal Government but of those Foundations as being both the encouragements and rewards of Learning In which petition having spoken in few words of the Antiquity and Succession of Bishops from the Apostles themselves they insist more at large upon such suggestions as might best justifie and endear the cause of Cathedral Churches The like petition came from Cambridge as much concern'd in this common cause as Oxon. At a solemn Fast not long after the Temporal Lords took precedence of the Bishops contrary to the custom of their Predecessors in all times foregoing which being observed by the Lord Spencer Is this said he a day of humiliation wherein we shew so great a pride in taking place of those to whom it was allowed by all our Ancestors The Bill against the High-commission Court was the third time read in the House of Lords and passed which some days after was confirmed by his Majesty The Bishop of Lincoln brought up a Bill to regulate Bishops and their jurisdiction This Bill was but once read in the House and no great matter made thereof The Bishops that were impeached for making Canons craved time till Michaelmas Term. This was vehemently opposed by some Lords and two questions were put I. Whether the Bishops should fit still in the House though without voting to which themselves consented whilst the circumstance of time for their answer was in debate II. What time they should have for their answer The first of these was carried for them by one present voice and four Proxies and for the second time was allowed them till the tenth of November and Councel was permitted unto them Bishop Warner of Rochester is chosen by joynt consent to solicit the cause sparing neither care nor cost therein Mr. Chute drew up a Demurrer in their behalf that their offence in making Canons could not amount to a Praemunire and now the cause sunck in silence But the main matter was that the Bishops were denied all medling even in the Commission of preparatory examinations concerning the Earl of Strafford Causa sanguinis and they as men of mercy not to deal in the condemning of any person The Bishops against the perswasions of the Lord Kimbolton and the Earl of Essex resolved to keep possession of their Votes till a prevalent power outed them thereof No day passed wherein some petition was not presented to the Parliament against the Bishops who durst not come to the Parliament by Land for fear of the Apprentices who were gathered together in great numbers to Westminster The Bishops therefore intended to come to Parliament by water in Barges but as they thought to come to Land they were so pelted with Stones and frighted at the sight of such a company of them that they were rowed back and went away to their places The next day twelve of the Bishops repaired to Jerusalem Chamber in the Dean's lodgings and drew up a Protestation directed thus To the King 's most excellent Majesty and the Lords and Peers now assembled in Parliament This Instrument they delivered to Bishop Williams now Archbishop of York who at the next opportunity presented it to his Majesty who wholly remitted the matter to the Parliament The next morning a Privy Counsellor brought this Protestation into the House and the twelve subscribers are impeached of High Treason and Voted to be committed to the Tower save that Bishop Morton of Durham and Bishop Hall of Norwich found some favour so that
they alone were sent to the custody of the Black Rod. Now was the Bill against the Bishops sitting in Parliament brought up into the House of the Lords and the matter agitated so eagerly on both sides The Lord Viscount Newark afterwards Earl of Kingston made two notable speeches in the House in defence of Episcopacy which confirmed those of the Episcopal party making the Lords very zealous in Bishops behalf There were in the House many other defenders of Episcopacy as William Lord Marquis of Hartford the Earl of South-hampton the Earl of Bristol and the Lord Digby his Son and that learned Lord William Earl of Bath and many other Lords voted for them About this time died Richard Mountague Bishop of Norwich and Doctor Joseph Hall succeeded him in his See Doctor John Prideaux Regius Professor in Oxford was made Bishop of Worcester Doctor Thomas Winniff Dean of St. Pauls was made Bishop of Lincoln Doctor Ralph Brownrigg made Bishop of Exeter Doctor Henry King made Bishop of Chichester Doctor John Westfield made Bishop of Bristol he died not long after These were as likely persons to have kept up Episcopacy if God's providence had so appointed as any could have been culled out of England The Bill was again brought in against Bishops Votes in Parliament and it was clearly carried in the Negative that Bishops never more should Vote as Peers in Parliament The King was very unwilling to consent to it but at last with much importunity he signed the Bill as he was in St. Augustines in Canterbury passing with the Queen towards Dover then undertaking her voyage into the Low Countries Ten of the eleven Bishops formerly subscribing their Protestation to the Parliament were after some moneths durance upon good bale given released These now at liberty severally disposed themselves Some went home to their own Diocess as the Bishops of Norwich Oxford c. The Bishop of Durham continued in London Some withdrew themselves into the King's quarters as Archbishop Williams c. Bishop Wren within few moneths after he was discharged from the Tower was seized on by a party of Souldiers at his house at Downham and brought back again to the Tower where he continued till the end of the year 1659. As for the Archbishop of Canterbury as he first took possession of that fatal lodging before any of the rest came to him so he continued there after their dismission without hope of finding his passage out of it by any other door than the door of death which as he did not look for before it came so when it came he did not fear it saith Doctor Heylin On October 23. in the year foregoing the House of Peers sequestred his Jurisdiction from him conferring it on Sir Nathanael Brent and others of his under-officers and ordered That He should bestow none of the Benefices within his Gift without acquainting them with the name and quality of the party whom he intended to prefer leaving to them the approbation if they saw cause for it And on October 15. 1642. for so long he remained without further disturbance it was resolved upon the Question That the Fines Rents and Profits of Archbishops and Bishops should be Sequestred for the use and service of the Common-wealth On the ninth of November following the Archbishops house at Lambeth was forcibly possessed by a party of Souldiers to keep it for the Publick service and seventy eight pounds of his Rents as forcibly taken from some of his Officers by an order under the hands of some of the Lords But upon his petition shortly after Heylin Hist of Archbish Laud. he had an order for securing of his Books and Goods Another order-came to bar him from any conference with any of the other prisoners or speaking with any other but in the presence of the Warder who was appointed to attend him and from having the liberty of the Tower or from sending any of his servants into the City but on occasion of providing victuals and other necessaries The Souldiers brake open the doors of his Chappel in Lambeth house and began to spoil the Organs there but their Captain put a stop to their fury On December 21. his saddle-horse was seized on by order from some members in the House of Common and on the 23. Dr. Leighton who had before been sentenced in the Star-chamber for his libellous Pamphlets came with an order from that House to dispossess the Souldiers of their quarters there and turn his House into a Prison his Wood and Coals seized on without any permission to make any use of them for himself In the beginning of May the windows in his Chappel were defaced and the steps torn up his Books and Goods seized on by Leighton and some others And on the sixteenth of the same moneth he was served with an order of both Houses debarring him from bestowing any of his Benefices which either were or should be vacant for the time to come And on the thirty first an order was directed unto Prynne and others to seize on all his Letters and Papers to be perused by such as should be Authorized to that end and purpose The entertaining of many petitions by the Houses of Parliament visibly tending to the abolition of Episcopal government made it appear most necessary in the eyes of those who wisht well to it to hasten the publishing of such petitions as had been presented to the King in behalf thereof and by his Majesty had been ordered to be published accordingly Among which none did plead the cause with greater fervency than that which was tendred in the name of the Gentry and Clergy of the Diocess of Canterbury To which petition there subscribed no fewer than twenty four Knights and Baronets Esquires and Gentlemen of note above three hundred Divines one hundred and eight Freeholders and Subsidy men eight hundred Many petitions of like nature came from other Counties where the people were at any liberty to speak their own sence All which with some of those which had led the way unto the rest were published by order from his Majesty bearing date May 20. 1642. under the Title of A collection of the petitions of divers Countries c. Which petitions being drawn together besides many which were presented after this Collection amounted to nineteen in all that is to say two from the County of Chester two from Cornwall one from the University of Oxford and another from the University of Cambridge one from the Heads of Colledges and Halls This from the Diocess of Canterbury another from the Diocess of Exeter one from the six Counties of North-wales and one a piece from the Counties of Nottingham Hereford Huntington Somerset Rutland Stafford Kent Oxford and Lancaster These petitions came from thousands of the most eminent subjects of the Realm But nothwithstanding the importunity of the Petitioners on the one side and the moderation of the King's answer on the other the prevailing party in both Houses
had long since resolved upon the Question which afterwards they declared by their publick Votes for on the eleventh of September the Vote passed in the House of Commons for abolishing Bishops Deans and Chapters celebrated by the Citizens with Bells and Bonfires the Lords not coming in till the end of January when it past there also The War now begins to open The Parliament had their Guards already and the affront which Hotham had put upon the King at Hull prompted the York-shire Gentlemen to become a guard to his Person Both Houses presently Vote this to be a levying War against the Parliament for whose defence not onely the Trained bands of London must be in a readiness and the Good people of the Countrey required to put themselves into a posture of Armes but Regiments of Horse and Foot are listed a General appointed great sums of money raised Hereupon the King hastens from York to Nottingham where he sets up his Standard inviting all his good Subjects to repair unto him for defence of their King the Laws and Religion of their Countrey And marching with great Forces he was encountred at Edge-hill by the Parliaments Forces where five thousand men on both sides were slain on the place among which was the King's General Yet the King kept the field and made his way open forced Banbury Castle and entred triumphantly into Oxford with an hundred and twenty Colours taken in the Fight The King resolves on his advance towards London and goes forward as far as Brainford out of which he beats two of their best Regiments takes five hundred prisoners and sinks their Ordnance But understanding that the Earl of Essex joyning with the London-Auxiliaries lay in way before him at Turnham-Green near Chiswick he retreated toward Oxford where he receives Propositions of Peace from the Houses of Parliament Among which I find this for one That his Majesty would be pleased to give his Royal Assent for taking away superstitious Innovations and to the Bill for the utter abolishing and taking away all Archbishops Bishops their Chancellors Commissaries Deans Subdeans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons Deacons Canons and Prebandaries and all Chantors Chancellors Treasurers Sub-treasurers Succentors and Sacrists and all Vicars Choral and Choristers old Vicars or new Vicars of any Cathedral or Collegiate Church and all other their under-officers out of the Church of England To the Bill against scandalous Ministers To the Bill against pluralities And to the Bill for consultation to be had with Godly Religious and Learned Divines That his Majesty would be pleased to pass such other Bills for setling of Church-government as upon consultation with the Assembly of the said Divines shall be resolved on by both Houses of Parliament and by them to be presented to his Majesty Which Proposition with the rest being presented to him on Candlemas-day he referred to the following Treaty to be held at Oxford but the Commissioners were so tyed to their Instructions that nothing could be yielded by them Heylin Hist of Archbishop Laud. But the Parliament had now entred on the Rents and profits of all the Episcopal Sees and Capitular Bodies which were within the power of their Armies and sequestred the Benefices of many under the common notion of scandalous Ministers who if they had transgressed the Laws of the Realm by the same Laws were to have been proceeded against that so being legally deprived the vacant Churches might be left to be filled by the Patrons with more deserving Incumbents But this consisted not with the present design Most of the silenced Lecturers and Ministers which within ten years past had left the Kingdom for Inconformity were put into these sequestred Benefices with which his Majesty being made acquainted he presently signified his dislike of it by his Royal Proclamation bearing date May 15. 1643. In which he complains That divers of the Pious and Learned Clergy were forced from their Cures and Habitations or otherwise silenced c. for no other reason but because contrary to the Laws of the Land and their own Consciences they would not pray against Him and his Assistants or refused to publish any Illegal orders for fomenting the War raised against him but conformed themselves according to the Book of Comon-Prayers and preached God's Word according to the purity thereof without any mixture of Sedition Next That many Factious and Schismatical persons were intruded into them to sow Sedition and seduce his good Subjects from their Obedience contrary to the Word of God and the Laws of the Land amp c. And thereupon he straitly commandeth all his good Subjects to pay their Tythes to the several and respective Incumbents or their Assignes without guile or fraud notwithstanding any Sequestration pretended Orders or Ordinances whatsoever from one or both Houses of Parliament c. Requiring all Church-wardens and Sides-men to be assistant in gathering and receiving their Tythes Rents and Profits and to resist all such persons as much as in them lay which were intruded into any of the Benefices or Cures aforesaid But this rather served to declare his Majesties piety than to stop the course of those proceedings Then an infamous Pamphlet is dispersed Licensed by John White Chair-man of the Committee for Religion called The Committee for plundred Ministers under the Title of The first Century of Scandalous and Malignant Priests c. Their Commissioners were no sooner returned from Oxford but they called an Assembly of Divines by their own Authority who met at Westminster in King Henry the Seventh his Chappel These were of four several natures First Men of Episcopal perswasion as the most Reverend James Vsher Archbishop of Armagh Doctor Ralph Brownrigg Bishop of Exeter Doctor Westfield Bishop of Bristol Doctor Daniel Featly Doctor Richard Holdsworth c. Secondly Such who in their judgements favoured the Presbyterian Discipline c. among whom we take special notice of these Doctor Hoyle Divinity Professor in Ireland Cambridge Dr. William Gouge in Black-friers Dr. Peter Smith Mr. Oliver Bowles Mr. Thomas Gataker Mr. Henry Scudder Mr. Anthony Tuckney Mr. Stephen Marshall Mr. John Arrow-Smith Mr. Herbert Palmer Mr. Thomas Thorowgood Mr. Thomas Hill Mr. Nathanael Hodges Mr. John Gibbon Mr. Timothy Young Mr. Richard Vines Mr. Thomas Coleman Mr. Matthew Newcomen Mr. Jeremiah Whitaker Mr. John Lightfoot c. Oxford Dr. William Twisse Dr. Cornelius Burgesse Dr. Edmond Stanton Mr. John White of Dorchester Mr. Harris of Hanwel Mr. Edward Reynolds Mr. John Maynard Mr. Charles Herle Mr. Corbert of Merton Colledge Mr. Conant Mr. Francis Cheynel Mr. Obadiah Sedgewick Mr. Cartar Senior Mr. Cartar Junior Mr. Joseph Caryl Mr. Strickland Mr. Thomas Baily c. Thirdly Some who formerly disliking Conformity removed themselves beyond the Seas now returned home at the beginning of this Parliament These afterward proved dissenting Brethren to some transactions in the Assembly as Thomas Goodwin Philip Nye Sidrach Symson Jeremiah Burronghes William Bridge Fourthly Some Members of the Lords and Commons were
William Twisse their Prolocutor died and Mr. Charles Herle Fellow of Exeter-colledge succeeded him in his place The Assembly met with many difficulties some complained that Mr. Selden that Great Antiquary advantaged by his skill in Antiquity and the Oriental Tongues studied rather to perplex than inform the Members thereof as appeared by the fourteen Queries he propounded whose intent was to give a check to the design of those who held Presbytery to be Jure Divino More trouble was caused to the Assembly by the opinions of the Erastians And divers Parliament men hearing their own power enlarged thereby made use of the Erastians for a check to such who pressed Conformity to the Scotch Kirk in all particulars Indeed the Major part of the Assembly endeavoured the setling the Scotch Government in all particulars and this was laboured by the Scotch Commissioners with all Industry and probable means to obtein the same But it could not be effected nor was it ever setled by Act of Parliament who kept the coercive power in their own hands so that the power of Excommunication was not intrusted with them but ultimately resolved into a Committee of eminent persons of Parliament On January 10. 1644. William Laud Lord Archbishop of Canterbury was beheaded on Tower-hill after he had been kept four years a prisoner in the Tower His charge was a constructive treason under several Heads reducible into two particulars I. For endeavouring of the subversion of the Laws of the Land II. And a like endeavour to overthrow the Protestant Religion His trial was at the Lords bar and Mr. William Prynne was his Prosecutor but notwithstanding all that could be said nothing that did amount to Treason could be proved against him But the Scots who were at that time very prevalent would not be satisfied unless he were put to death Heylin's Hist of the life of K. Charles 1. pag. 113. to manifest thereby their zeal against the Episcopal Hierarchy to usher in the Presbyterian Government at the approaching Treaty so that by an Ordinance of Lords and Commons he was adjudged guilty of High Treason though at the passing thereof in the House of Peers there were but seven present In pursuance of several messages from the King for a Treaty it was assented to by the Parliament and at Vxbridge Commissioners met for the King on one part and for the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland on the other Master Christopher Love waiting on the Parliaments Commissioners in a general Relation gave great offence to the Royalists in his Sermon shewing the impossibility of an agreement With the Commissioners on both sides certain Clergy-men were sent in their presence to debate the point of Church-government For the King Doctor Sheldon Doctor Steward Doctor Benjamin Laney Doctor Henry Hammond Doctor Henry Ferne. For the Parliament Master Stephen Marshal Master Richard Vines These when the Commissioners were at leasure from Civil affairs were called to a conference before them But this Treaty proved ineffectual The King complained of what came to pass the fruitless end of this Treaty that his Commissioners offered full-measured reasons and the other Commissioners have stuck rigidly to their demâ—nds c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 18 The Treaty at Vxbridge saith he gave the fairest hopes of an happy composure had others applyed themselves to it with the same moderation as he did he was confident the war had been ended To return to the Assembly the Monuments which they have left to posterity of their meeting are a new form of worship by the name of a Directory Articles of Religion drawn up by them and a double Catechism one the lesser the other the greater This Assembly dwindled away by degrees though never legally dissolved Many of them after the taking of Oxford returning to their own Cures and others living in London absented themselves as disliking the managing of matters Anno 1645. died Mr. John Dod a passive Non-conformist as Mr. Fuller calleth him a man much esteemed among men of his own perswasion one that loved not any one the worse for difference in judgement about Ceremonies but all the better for their unity of affections in grace and goodness He used to retrench some hot spirits when inveighing against Bishops telling them how God under that Government had given a marvellous encrease to the Gospel and that Godly men might comfortably comport therewith under which Learning and Religion had so manifest an Improvement He was an excellent Scholar and an exquisite Hebrician who with his Society and directions in one Vacation taught that Tongue unto Mr. John Gregory that rare Linguist and Chaplain of Christ-Church who survived him but one year Mr. Dod was buried at Fausly in Northampton-shire Saunderson's Hist of King Charles Now comes strange news Dr. Williams Archbishop of York is no less suddenly than strangely Metamorphosed from a zealous Royalist into an active Parliamentarian and desirous to make his peace with the Parliament he betakes himself to his house at Purin neer Aberconway in Wales put a garrison therein and fortified the same protesting against the King's party and disswading the County from paying Contribution to the King And wrote to Colonel Mitton of the Parliament's party to assist him against the Lord Byron who understanding of his Revolt had sent a party from Aber-conway to besiege him At length he lays siege to the Town and Castle of Aber-conway reduceth them to the Service of the Parliament much of the Town to his own possession Hereby he saved his estate from Sequestration But by his last complyance he lost his old friends at Oxford and in Lieu of them finding few new ones at London He expended much on the repair of Westminster Abby-church And when pressed by Archbishop Laud to a larger contribution to S. Paul's he answered he would not rob Peter to pay Paul The Library of Westminster was the effect of his bounty and so was a Chappel in Lincoln-Colledge in Oxford At S. John's in Cambridge he founded two fellowships built a fair Library and furnished it with Books To a grave Minister coming to him for Institution in a living be thus expressed himself I have saith he passed through many places of honour and trust both in Church and State more than any of my Order in England these seventy years before But were I but assured that by my preaching I had but converted one soul to God I should take therein more spiritual joy and comfort than in all the Honours and Offices which have been bestowed upon me He died on March 25. 1649. Now I will present the Reader with a list of the Principal Ordinances of the Lords and Commons which respected Church-matters and to make this History the more entire must go a little backward in time November 8. 1644. An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons in Parliament for the payment of Tythes by every person within the Realm of England and Wales December
kept in custody by the General 's command in the Queen's Court and Court of Wards These were removed to the King's-Head Inn near Charing-Cross and to the Swan Inn in the Strand under Guards of Souldiers The Army put forth a new Representative called The Agreement of the People The King is brought up to London arraigned before a select Committee for that purpose called An High Court of Justice indicted and upon his refusalâ— to own their Authority finally condemned Having received the sentence of death Dr. Juxon Bishop of London Preached privately before him at St. James's on the Sunday following his Text Romans 2.16 Next Tuesday being the day of his dissolution in the morning alone he received the Communion from the hands of the said Bishop At which time he read for the second Lesson the 27th chapter of St. Matthew containing the History of the death and passion of our Saviour Sermon ended the King heartily thanked the Bishop for selecting so seasonable and comfortable a portion of Scripture seeing all Humane hope and happiness is founded on the sufferings of our Saviour The Bishop answered He had done it meerly following the direction of the Church of England whose Rubrick appointeth that Chapter the second Morning-lesson for the thirtieth of January At ten of the Clock in the forenoon he is brought on Foot from St. James's Palace over the Park to Whitehall guarded with a Regiment of Foot-souldiers part before and the rest behind him with Colours flying and Drums beating his private Guard of Partizans about him and Doctor Juxon Bishop of London next to him on one side and Colonel Tomlinson on the other He bid them go faster saying That he now went before them to strive for an Heavenly Crowns with less sollicitude than he had oftentimes bid his Souldiers to fight for an earthly Diadem Then passeth he to the Scaffold where he defendeth his Innocency howbeit he acknowledgeth God's justice pardons his enemies takes pity on the Kingdom He shews the Souldiers how much they are out of the way and tells them They would never go right till they give God his due the King his due and the people their due You must said he give God his due by restoring his worship and Church rightly regulated which is now out of order according to his Word And a National Synod freely called freely debating among themselves must settle this when every Opinion is freely and clearly heard For the King said he that is my Successor Indeed I will not the Laws of the Land will clearly instruct you for that For the People I must tel you That their liberty and freedom consists in having Government under those Laws by which their Lives and Goods may be most their own It is not in having a share in the Government that pertains not to them A Sovereign and a Subject are two different things He prayed God they might take those courses that are best for the good of the Kingdom and their own Salvation Then having declared That he died a Christian according to the profession of the Church of England as the same was left him by his Father He said I have a good Cause and a gracious God and gave his George to the Bishop bidding him Remember to give it to the Prince Then said He I go from a Corruptible to an Incorruptible Crown where no disturbance can be but peace and joy for evermore Then lifting up his eyes and hands to Heaven having prayed secretly stooping down to the block he received the fatal stroak On the Wednesday sennight after his Corps embalmed and Coffined in Lead was delivered to the care of some of his Servants to be buried at Windsor That night they brought the Corps to Windsor The Vault being prepared a scarff of Lead was provided some two foot long and five inches broad therein to make an Inscription which was KING CHARLES 1648. The Plummer souldred it to the Coffin about the Breast of the Corpse Then was the Corpse brought to the Vault being born by the Souldiers of the Garrison Over it a black Velvet Herse-cloth the four Labels whereof the Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hertford the Earls of South-hampton and Lindsey did support The Bishop of London stood weeping by Then was it deposited in silence and sorrow in the vacant place in the Vault near to the Coffin as it was thought which contained the Corps of King Henry the Eighth the Herse-cloth being cast in after it about three of the Clock in the afternoon and the Lords that night though late returned to London Prince Charles eldest Son to King Charles the first by unquestionable right succeeded to the Crowns of England Scotland and Ireland in the eighteenth year of his age Proclamation and Coronation could not now have their due course The Ruling part of the House of Commons who usurped the Government with violence on the person of the late King immediately published an Act even against Kingly Government Yet this Inhibition did not deter many Loyal Subjects from doing their duty and on February 2. a Proclamation in the name of the Noblemen Judges Knights Lawyers Gentlemen Free-holders Merchants Citizens Yeomen Seamen and other Freemen of England did Proclaim Prince Charles King of England The Proclamation was Printed and scattered about the Streets of London The House of Peers continued yet sitting and in regard the Commissions of the Judges were determined by the death of the King they send to the Commons for a Conference about it and other matters relating to the setling of the Government But Monarchy and the House of Lords are declared useless by the Commons The Peers in general resent these indignities put upon them by a small part of the House of Commons they assert their own Priviledges and the Fundamental Laws of the Nation and disclaim and protest against all Acts Votes Orders or Ordinances of the said Members of the Commons House for erecting of new Courts of Justice to try or execute the King or any Peer or Subject of the Realm for altering the Government Laws Great Seal c. Hereupon the Army set a Guard upon the door of the House of Lords and in further prosecution of the late Votes of Commons against Monarchy An Act was passed by that House for the Exhaeredation of the Royal Line the Abolishment of Monarchy in this Kingdom and the setting up of a Common-wealth which they ordered to be published and Proclaimed in all parts of the Kingdom But Alderman Reinoldson then Lord Mayor of London refused to publish this Act in London and He with three of the Aldermen of his Judgment were sent prisoners to the Tower But on February 3. the King was Proclaimed at the Cross at Edinburgh In the beginning of March the Duke of Hamilton the Earls of Holland and Norwich the Lord Capel and Sir John Owen were tried and condemned by an High Court of Justice erected for that purpose of which the Duke of Hamilton the
King's Allegiance would not shake his magnanimous resolution nor his Peoples loyalty Pâ—ynne's History Book 3. ch 3. the Pope's Legats Pandulphus and Durance forged new devises to effect their designs by fraud and terror to which purpose they procured sundry Letters from divers Quarters to be brought unto him whilst he sate at dinner at Nottingham intending to set upon the Welch-men with a potent Army whom they had stirred up to rebel against him and invade England to divert him from his design all to this effect That there was a secret Plot laid to destroy him He marched to Chester where he met with new Letters to the like effect which caused him to dismiss his Army and design against the Welch-men Besides the Popish Priests set up one Peter an Hermite a counterfeit Prophet to terrifie the King and alienate the peoples hearts from him by his false Prophesies This counterfeit Sooth-sayer prophesied That King John should reign no longer than the Ascension-day within the year of our Lord 1213. which was the fourteenth from his Coronation and this he said he had by Revelation When the Ascension-day was come the King commanded his Regal Tent to be spread abroad in the open field passing that day with his noble Council and Men of Honour in the greatest solemnity that ever he did before solacing himself with musical Songs and Instruments most in sight of his trusty Friends This day being past in all prosperity and mirth the King commanded that Peter the Hermite that false Prophet should be drawn and hanged like a Traitor Now behold the misery of King John perplexed with the French King 's daily preparation to invade England assisted by many English male-contents and all the exil'd Bishops Hereupon he sunk on a sudden beneath himself to an act of unworthy submission and subjection to the Pope For on Ascension-Eve May 15. being in the Town of Dover standing as it were on tiptoes on the utmost edge brink and label of that Land which now he was about to surrender King John by an Instrument or Charter sealed and solemnly delivered in the presence of many Prelats and Nobles to Pandulphus the Pope's Legat granted to God and the Church of Rome the Apostles Peter and Paul and to Pope Innocent the Third and his Successors the whole Kingdom of England and Ireland Fuller's Church History Book 3. And took an Estate thereof back again yielding and paying yearly to the Church of Rome over and above the Peter-pence a thousand Marks Sterling viz. seven hundred for England and three hundred for Ireland In the passing hereof the King's Instrument to the Pope was sealed with a Seal of Gold and the Pope's to the King was sealed with a Seal of Lead This being done the King took the Crown off his Head and set it upon Pandulphus his Knees at whose feet he also laid his Scepter Robe Sword and Ring his Royal Ensigns as John de Serres relates and these words said he in hearing of all the great Lords of England Here I resign up the Crown and the Realm of England into the hands of Pope Innocentius the Third and put me wholly in his mercy and in his ordinance Then Pandulph received the Crown of King John and kept it five dayes in his hands and confirmed all things by his Charter Now the Pope's next design was how to take off and pacifie the French King from his intended Invasions and so sent the Archbishop and his Confederates into England there to insult over King John as they had done abroad Next year the Interdict was taken off the Kingdom and a general joy was over the Land The seventeenth of August following the exiled Bishops landed at Dover and were conducted in State to the King at Winchester the King 's extraordinary humbling to and begging pardon of them prostrating himself to the ground at their feet and their insolent carriage toward him is related by Matthew Paris The next day after their coming to Winchester the King issued out Writs to all the Sheriffs of England to enquire of their damages There were other Writs sent to the Kings Judges to proceed in the said Inquisition After this general compliance with them the King conceiving he had given them full content and setled all things in peace resolved to pass with an Army into Picardy whither the Nobles refused to follow him In the mean time the Archbishop Bishop Nobles meeting at St. Albans about the damages to be restored by the King to the Prelates during their exile fell to demand the confirmation of their Liberties granted by his Grandfather King Henry the first which the King condescended unto Soon after the Archbishop caused all the Bishops Abbots Priors Deans and Nobles of the Realm to meet together at London upon pretext of satisfying his and the exiled Bishops damages but in verity to engage in a new Rebellion against the Crown and confer it on Lewis the French King's Son as they did in the conclusion under pretence of demanding the confirming the Charter and Liberties granted by King Henry the first there produced by the Archbishop which the King had but newly ratified at St. Albans Pandulphus besides his former insolencies endeavoured to wrest out of the King's hand the power of imprisoning Clerks for Fellonies that so they might be at his own disposal and act any villanies with impunity King John being thus distressed sent a base and unchristian-like Ambassage to Admiralius Murmelius a Mahometan King of Morocco then very potent and possessing a great part of Spain offering him if he would send him succour to hold the Kingdom of England as a Vassal from him and to receive the Law of Mahomet saith Matthew Paris The Moor offended at his offer told the Ambassadours That he lately had read Paul's Epistles Modò inspexi lâ—brum in Graeco scriptum cujuâ—dam Graeci sapientis Christiani nomine Pauli cujus actus veroa mihi maximè complacent accepto Vnum tamen de ipso mihi displicet quod in lege sub quâ natus est non stetit sed ad alia taÌ„quam transfuga inconstans avolvit which for the matter liked him well save only that Paul had renounced that Faith wherein he was born and the Jewish profession Wherefore he slighted King John as one devoid both of piety and policy who would love his liberty and disclaim his Religion A strange tender if true But Mr. Prynne proveth it to be a most scandalous malitious forgery of this Monk of St. Albans against the King for sequestring that Abbey Philip King of France together with his Son Lewis and his Proctor and all the Nobles of France Anno 1216. with his own mouth protested against this Charter and resignation to Walo the Pope's own Legat when purposely sent to them by Pope Innocent to disswade them from invading England as being then St. Peter's Patrimony not only as null void in it self for several Reasons but of
of one John Wraw a lewd Priest These destroyed the Houses of the Lawyers they beheaded Sir John Cavendish the Lord Chief Justice of England and set his Head upon the Pillory in St. Edmunds-bury Then Henry Spencer the valiant â—ishop of Norwich gathered together a great number of Men Armed with which he set upon the Rebels discomfited them and took John Littester and their other Chieftaines whom he caused all to be Executed and by this means the Countrey was quieted Jack Straw John Kirkby Alane Tredder and John Sterling lost their Heads Wat Tyler was slain by William Walworth Lord Mayor of London These had to their Chaplain a wicked Priest called John Ball Stowes Chro. in Rich. 2. who counselled them to destroy all the Nobility and Clergy so that there should be no Bishop in England but one Archbishop which should be himself and that there should nor be above two Religious persons in one house and their possessions should be divided among the Lay-men for the which Doctrine they held him as a Prophet But he was executed at St. Albans William Wickham about this time finished his beautiful Colledge in Oxford called new Colledge which giveth the Armes of Wickham viz. two Cheverons betwixt three Roses each Cheveron alluding to two beams fastned together called couples in building to speak his skill in Architecture There is maintained therein a Warden seventy Fellows and Scholars ten Chaplains three Clerks one Organist sixteen Choristers besides Officers and Servants of the Foundation with other Students being in all one hundred thirty five Within few years after the same Bishop finished the Colledge at Winchester wherein he established one Warden ten Fellows two Schoolmasters and seventy Scholars with Officers and Servants which are all maintained at his charge out of which School he ordained should be chosen the best Scholars always to supply the vacant places of the Fellows of this Colledge Anno 1391. There was a Synod in England which because many were vexed for causes which could not be known at Rome ordained That the authority of the Pope of Rome should stretch no farther than to the Ocean Sea and that who so Appealed to Rome besides Excommunication should be punished with loss of all their goods and with perpetual imprisonment Then came the Parliament wherein was Enacted the Statute called the Statute of Praemunire The Statute of Praemunire which gave such a blow to the Church of Rome that it never recovered it self in this Land The Statute of Mortmain put the Pope into a sweat but this put him into a Fever That concerned him onely in the Abbies his darlings this touched him in his person About this time died that faithful Learned and aged Servant of God John de Trevisa born at Crocadon in Cornwal a Secular Priest and Vicar of Berkley painful in Translating the Old and New Testament into English with other great Books The History of William Swinderby Priest in the Diocess of Lincoln whereunto he was forced by the Friars the Process of John Tresnant Bishop of Hereford into whose Diocess he removed had against him in the cause of Heretical pravity as the Papists call it the Articles that were exhibited against him with his protestation and answer to the same The Process against William Swinderby with his answer and declaration to certain Conclusions the Bishop's sentence against him and his Appeal from the Bishop to the King with the causes thereof together with Swinderby's letter to the Parliament may be read at large in Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments of the Church Then were there Articles exhibited against Walter Brute of the Diocess of Hereford a Lay-man and Learned touching the cause of Heresie as they called it unto the Bishop of Hereford his examination and answer is also largely described by Mr. Fox Fox in Ric. 2. Then were there two Bulls sent out by Pope Boniface the ninth one against the Lollards another to King Richard the second Queen Anne Wife to King Richard at the same time had the Gospels in English with four Doctors upon the same King Richard wrote a notable Letter to the Pope wherein he sheweth That the election of the Pope was not as before comparing the Popes to the Souldiers that crucified Christ That Secular Princes are to bridle the outrages of the Pope and seemeth to Prophecy of the desolation of the Roman Pope King Richard was not long after deposed and barbarously murdered at Pomfret-castle In the time of the conspiracy against King Richard among all the Bishops onely Thomas Merks Bishop of Carlisle was for him For when the Lords in Parliament nor coâ—â—â—nt to depose King Richard were devising more mischief against him up steps the foresaid Bishop and thus expresseth himself There is no man here worthy to pass his sentence on so great a King as to whom they have obeyed as their lawful Prince full two and twenty years This is the part of Traitors Cut-throats and Thieves None is so wicked none so vile who though he be charged with a manifest crime we should think to condemn before we heard him And you do ye think it equal to pass sentence on a King anointed and Crowned giving him no leave to defend himself How unjust is this But let us consider the matter it self I say nay openly affirm that Henry Duke of Lancaster whom you are pleased to call your King hath most unjustly spoiled Richard as well his Sovereign as ours of his Kingdom More would he have spoken but the Lord Marshal enjoyned him silence and the other Bishops said he discovered having been a Monk more Covent-devotion than Court-discretion in dissenting from his Brethren yet at that time no punishment was imposed upon him But the next year 1400. when some discontented Lord 's arose against King Henry the fourth this Bishop was taken prisoner and judicially arraigned for high Treason for which he was condemned and sent to St. Albans The Pope gave unto him another Bishoprick in Samos a Greek Island But before his translation he died CENT XV. KIng Henry Trassel in vit Henrici IV. the fourth held a Parliament at Westminster during which Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury had convocated a Synod which was held in St. Paul s Church to whom the King sent the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland who declared to the Clergy That they were from the King to acquaint them that the King resolved to confirm all their Priviledges unto them and to joyn with them as they should desire him in the punishment of all Hereticks and opposites to their Religion received for which so doing he craved but their supplications to God for him and his posterity and prosperity of the Kingdom which was by all there present religiously promised In the second year of his Reign King Henry ordained That if any person should obtain from the Bishop of Rome any provision to be exempt from obedience Regular or Ordinary or to have any Office perpetual in
sent before Sir John Colvil Knight and Nicholas Rixton Clerk with letters to be given to them A letter also was sent unto the Pope wherein the King chargeth him with Perjury At Pisa there assembled a great number of Cardinals Archbishops Bishops and Mitred Prelates who elected a new Pope viz. Alexander the fifth a man trained up at Oxford rejectiâ—â— the two 〈◊〉 Schismatical Popes Gregory and Benedict Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury came with a Pompous train to Oxford His intent was Juridically to visit the University expecting to be solemnly met and sumptuously entertained according to his place and dignity But Richard Courtney the Chancellor of Oxford with Benedict Brent and John Birch the two Proctors denied the Archbishop entrance into the University under the notion of a Visitor The Archbishop angry at the affront fairly retreated re infecta to London King Henry at the joynt instances of both parties summoned them to Lambâ—th to hear and determine the Controversie where the King pronounced sentence on the Archbishop's side Afterward the King confirmed the same with the consent of the Lords and Commons in Parliament as in the Tower-Rolls doth plainly appear The King though courteous was not servile to the Pope and the Clergy terrified with the wavering doubtfulness of the King granted him a tenth every year for diverse years Fuller Church Hist of Brit. King Henry the fourth is not observed as all English Kings before and after him to have erected and endowed any one entire house of Religion as first or sole-founder thereof though a great Benefactor to the Abby of Leicester and Colledge of Fothringhay in Northamptonshire His picture is not so well known by his Head as his Hood which he weareth upon it in an odd fashion peculiar to himself He died Anno 1413. Henry the fifth his Son succeeded in the Kingdom An universal Synod of all the Bishops and Clergy was called at London where among other weighty matters it was determined That the day of St. George and also of St. Dunstan should be a double Feast in holy Church At the Petition of the Commons in Parliament to the King Rotul in Turri Lond. all Irish begging Priests called Chamberdakyns were ordered to depart the Realm by Michaelmas following upon pain of loss of goods and imprisonment during the King's pleasure In the beginning of this King's Reign arose Sir John Oldcastle Camd. Brit. in Kent who Married Joan de la Pole Baroness of Cobham the Lord whereof he became a Man saith one Regi propter probitatem charus acceptus in great favour with King Henry the fifth for his honesty and likewise renouned for his valour and great skill iâ—â—â—aâ—s of Armes who sent into the Diocesses of London Rochesâ—â— and Hereford some to publish the truth of the Gospel without the leave and License of the Ordinaries who were especially in their Sermons to confute the Doctrine of Transubsâ—anâ—iation the Popish â—â—crament of Penance Peregrinations worshipping of Images the Keys usurped by the Church of Rome At that time there resorted to the Synod in London twelve Inquisitors for Heresie whom they appointed at Oxford the year before to search out for Hereticks withall Wickliff's Books who brought two hundred forty six Conclusions which they had collected as Heresies out of the said Books The Names of the Inquisitors were these John Witnam a Master in New Colledge John Langdon Monk of Christ-church in Canterbury William Vfford Regent of the Carmalites Thomas Clayton Regent of the Dominicks Robert Gilbert Richard Enthisdale John Luck Richard Sindisham Richard Fleming Thomas Rotborn Robert Rouberry Richard Grafdale who all concluded that the chief favourers of Wickliff's Doctrine were to be first dealt against The Lord Cobham was complained of by the General Proctors to be the chief principal abettor of suspected Preachers contrary to the mind of the Ordinaries and to have assisted them by force of Armes The King sent for the Lord Cobham and when he was come he admonished him secretly to submit himself to his Mother the holy Church Unto whom he made this Answer You most Worthy Prince saith he I am always ready to obey forasmuch as I know you a Christian Prince and the Minister of God bearing the Sword to the punishment of evil doers and safeguard of them that do well Vnto you next unto my eternal God owe I most reverence and submit thereunto as I have done ever all that I have either of Nature or Fortune ready at all times to fulfill whatsoever You in the Lord command me But as touching the Pope and his Spiritualty I owe them neither Suit nor Service forasmuch as I know him by the Scriptures to be the Great Antichrist the Son of Perdition the open Adversary of God The King having heard this would talk no longer with him but utterly left him And the Archbishop resorting to the King he gave him authority to Cite him Examine and Punish him according to their Decrees The Archbishop Cited him to appear before him at the Castle of Leeds in Kent and because he appeared not he Excommunicated him Then the Lord Cobham wrote a draught of the Confession of his Faith and Sealed it with his own Hand in which he answered the four chiefest Articles that the Archbishop laid against him and that done he took the Copy with him and went therewith to the King who would not receive it but commanded it to be delivered to those who should be his Judges Then he desired in the King's presence that an hundred Knights and Esquires might be suffered to come as upon his Purgation which he knew would clear him of all Heresies Moreover he offered himself after the Law of Armes to fight for Life or Death with any man living Christian or Heathen in the quarrel of his Faith the King's Majesty and the Lords of his Council excepted and furthermore protested That he would obey all manner of Laws agreeable to the Word of God yet for all this the King suffered him to be summoned personally in his own Privy-chamber He appeared before the Archbishop sitting in the Chapter-house of Pauls Joh. Caepgrave lib. 2. de nobi lib. Henricis with Richard Clifford Bishop of London Henry Bullinbrook Bishop of Winchester He professed That the Pope was true Antichrist That he is his Head and that the Popish Bishops were his Members the Friars his Tayl. And as touching the other Points saith he they are Ordinances of the Church of Rome made against the Scriptures after it grew rich and the poison had dispersed it self therein and not before Another Annalist saith That he had openly said in Parliament that it would never be well in England till the Pope's power were banished beyond the Seas The Archbishop read a Bill of Condemnation against him after which Bill read the Lord Cobham said with a cheerful countenance Though you judge my Body which is but a wretched thing yet I am sure ye can do no harm to
all or most part to themselves The King grew Sick and weak in Bâ—â—y in which Estate Duke Dudley so prevailed upon him that he consented to a transposition of the Crown from his natural Sisters to the Children of the Dutchess of Suffolk His dying Prayer as is was taken from his mouth was in these words following Lord God deliver me out of the miseries of this wretched and sinful life and take me among thy chosen Howbeit not my will but thy will be done Lord I commit my Spirit to Thee O Lord thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with Thee yet for thy chosens sake send me life and health that I may truly serve Thee O my Lord God bless thy people and save thine inheritance O Lord God save thy chosen people of England O my Loâ—d God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and my people may truly praise thy Name for Jesus Christ his sake Thus endeth the Reign of that good King Edward the Sixth sufficiently remarkable for the progress of Reformation but so distracted unto Sides and Factions that in the end the King himself became a prey to the strongest party which saith Dr. Heylin could not otherwise be safe but in his destruction contrived on purpose as it was generally supposed to smooth the way to the advancement of the Lady Jane Gray newly married to Guilford Dudley fourth Son to Duke Dudley to the Royal Throne King Edward being dead the Princess Mary hearing of her Brothers death and knowing her own right writeth to the Lords of the Council â—nd challengeth them for their doing making her claim to the Crown To whom the Council writeth again as to a Subject requiring her to rest so contented The Lady Jane was on the same day that these Letters were dispatched brought by Water to the Tower attended by a Noble Train of both Sexes from Durham-house in the Strand where she had been entertained as part of Dudley's Family ever since her Marriage When she came into the presence of the two Dukes her Father and Father in Law it was signified to Her by the Duke of Northumberland that the King was dead and that he had declared her for his next Successor in the Crown After a pithy speech the poor Lady found her self in a great perplexity But being wearied at last with their importunities and overcome by the entreaties of her Husband whom she dearly loved she submitted unto that necessity which she could not vanquish Hereupon the two Dukes with all the rest of the Lords of the Council swore Allegiance to heâ— And on the same day about five a Clock in the afternoon they solemnly caused her to be Proclaimed Queen of England France and Ireland c. in many of the principal Streets of London and after by degrees in most of the chief Cities Towns and places of greatest concourse In which Proclamation it was signified That by the Letters Patents of the late King Edward the Lady Jane Gray eldest Daughter to the Dutchess of Suffolk had been declared to be his true and lawful Successor to the Crown of England the same to be enjoyed after her decease by the heirs of her Body c. Which Proclamation though it was published in the City with all due solemnities and that the concourse of the people was great yet their acclamations were few The next day the Lords were advertised that many persons of quality were drawn together at Kenning-hall Castle in Norfolk to offer their service and assistance to the Princess Mary as the Earl of Bath Sir Thomas Wharton Son of the Lord Wharton Sir John Mordant Son of the Lord Mordant Sir William Drury Sir John Shelton Sir Henry Beddingfield Sir Henry Jerningham Sir John Sulierd Mr. Richard Higham of Lincolns-Inne It was advertised also that the Earl of Sussex and his Son were coming towards her with their Forces Therefore they perswade Duke Dudley to take the conduct of some Forces that might scatter those small companies before they grew unto an Head Swelled with vain-glory he suffered himself to be entreated to an action of such fame and merit as that which they presented to him So the Duke with the Marquess of Northampton the Lord Gray and divers others of note on July 14. 1553. set forward with eighth thousand Foot and two thousand Horse The Duke's March was slow In the mean time Edward Hastings the Earl of Huntingdon's Brother having an Army of four thousand Foot committed to him by the Duke of Northumberland left his party and went to the Lady Mary And six great â—hips which lay before Yarmouth to intercept her if she should attempt to fly now at the perswasion of Mr Jerningham came to her aid Upon news hereof the Lords themselves assembled at Baynards Castle first the Earl of Arundel then the Earl of Pembrook fell to Invectives against Northumberland and then all the Lords consenting with them they called for the Lord Mayor and in London Proclaimed the Lady Mary Queen She was also Proclaimed by divers other Lords and Knights in divers other Counties which the Duke being then at Bury hearing of he returneth to Cambridge and there himself Proclaimeth the Lady Mary Queen but the next morning he was arrested by Henry Fitz-Alan Earl of Arundel by Order from Queen Mary Together with the Duke his three Sons John Ambrose and Henry the Earl of Huntingdon Sir Andrew Dudley the two Gates Sir Thomas Palmer and Doctor Sands were committed to the Tower and the next day the Marquess of Northampton the Lord Robert Dudley and Sir Robert Corbet Before which time the Duke of Suffolk entring his Daughter the Lady Janes Chamber told her she must now put off her Royal robes which she willingly did Doctor Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London was also sent to the Tower on July 27. Sir Roger Cholmley Chief Justice of the King's Bench and Sir Edward Mountague Chief Justice of the Common Pleas the Duke of Suffolk were sent also to the Tower Sir John Cheek on the morrow after bringing up the Reer But the Duke of Suffolk Father to the Lady Jane was released within three days after The Duke of Northumberland together with John Earl of Warwick his eldest Son and William Marquess of Northampton were brought to their Trial on August 8. before Thomas Duke of Norfolk then sitting as Lord High Steward in Westminster Hall they all confessed the Indictment and received Judgment in the usual form The like Judgement passed on the morrow after on Sir John Gates Sir Henry Gates Sir Andrew Dudley and Sir Thomas Palmer The Duke was on August 22. beheaded and professed himself a Papist at his death whose Recantation the Papists published abroad with great rejoycing with him died also Sir John Gates and Sir Thomas Palmer which Palmer confessed the Faith he learned in the Gospel and lamented that he had not lived more as became the Gospel The Queen had dissolved her Camp at
Farmingham consisting of fourteen thousand men and prepared for her journey toward London Being met on the way by the Princess Elizabeth her Sister attended with a thousand Horse she entred London on the third of August Taking possession of the Tower she was first welcommed thither by Thomas the old Duke of Norfolk Anne Dutchess of Sommerset Edward Lord Courtney eldest Son to the late Marquess of Exceter and Dr. Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester all which she lifted from the ground called them her Prisoners gratiously kissing them and restoring them shortly after to their former liberty Taking the Great Seal from Dr. Goodrick Bishop of Ely within two days after she gave it for the present to Sir Nicholas Hare whom she made Master of the Rolls and afterwards committed it together with the Title of Lord Chancellor to the said Bishop of Winchester then actually restored to that See Having performed the obsequies of her Brother on the ninth and tenth she removes her Court to Whitehal on September she passeth thence to the Tower by Water attended by her Sister and a great Train of Noble Ladies and made her return through the principal Streets of the same City on the last of the same moneth in a most stately manner and the next day proceeded in like pomp to the Abbey-Church at Westminster where she was met by the Silver Crosses Dr. P. Heylins History of Queen Mary and eighty Singing-men all in rich Coaps so sudden a recruit was made of these sacred Vestments among whom went the new Dean of Westminster Dr. Weston and diverse Chaplains of her own each of them bearing in their hand some ensign or other After them marched ten Bishops which were all as remained of her perswasion with their Miters rich Coaps and Crosier-staves The Sermon was preached by Doctor Day whom she had restored to the See of Chichester The solemnity of the Coronation was performed by the Bishop of Winchester the new Lord Chancellor Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury being then committed to the Tower Till this time none was more dear to her than her Sister the Lady Elizabeth but after her Coronation she estranged her self from her She preferred Henry Ratcliff Earl of Sussex to the society of the Garter which honour she conferred on his Son Thomas after his decease and to be covered in her presence at all times and places according to the custom of the Grandees in the Realm of Spain She also advanced the Earl of Arundel to the Office of Lord Steward She made Sir Edward Hastings Master of the Horse and Knight of the Carter and afterwards Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold and Lord Hastings of Loughborough She honoured Sir John Williams with the Title of Lord Williams of Thame She preferred Sir Henry Jerningham to be Captain of her Guard and afterwards Sir Thomas Tresham was created Lord Prior of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem She preferred her old Servants Hopton her old Chaplain to the See of Norwich Rochester to be Comptroller of her Houshold Inglefield to be Master of the Wards and Walgrave to be Master of the Wardrobe Sir John Gage a zealous Papist was made Lord Chamberlain of her Houshold when she came first to the Tower Bishop Bonner was discharged of the Marshalsey and Bishop Tunstal from the King's Bench within two days after Bonner is restored to his See of London and Tunstal to Durham and an Act of Parliament procured for the restoring of the Church of Durham to all its Lands and Jurisdictions of which it stood divested by the late Act of Dissolution made in the last year of the deceased King Coverdale was displaced from the See of Exeter Scory from that of Chichester and Hooper from the Commendatory of the See of Worcester to which Sees Voisy Day and Heath were again restored The like course also followed for the depriving of all Deans Dignitaries and Parochial Ministers who had succeeded into any of those preferments during the Reign of the two last Kings Doctor Cox was on August 5. brought to the Marshalsey and spoiled of his Deaneries of Christ-church and Westminster to make room for Doctor Richard Marshal in the one and Doctor Hugh Weston in the other Peter Martyr coming from Oxford to London where for a time he was commanded to keep his House but was soon after suffered to return into his own Countrey A Letter was sent at the same time to the Mayor of Coventry to set at liberty Hugh Simons if he would recant his Sermon or else to stay him A little before Mr. Bradford Mr. Vernon and Mr. Beacon Preachers were committed to the Tower A Letter was sent to the Sheriffs of Buckingham and Bedford for the apprehending Mr. Fisher Parson of Amersham Another Letter was sent to the Bishop of Norwich not to suffer any to Preach or Expound openly the Scriptures without special License from the Queen Mr. John Rogers Preacher was confined to his own house Hooper and Coverdale being cited to appear before the Lords of the Council did appear Hooper was committed to the Fleet and Coverdale commanded to attend the pleasure of the Lords Fisher of Amersham and Hugh Sanders Vicar of St. Michaels in Coventry appeared also before the Council Hugh Latimer appeared also and was committed to the Tower Doctor Bourn Archdeacon of London Preaching at Pauls Cross in favour of Bishop Bonner there present at the Sermon inveighed against some proceedings in the time of the late King Edward which so incensed the people that a great tumult arose upon it some pelting with Stones others crying aloud Pull him down and one who could never be known flinging a Dagger at his Head which after was found sticking in a post of the Pulpit The Preacher with difficulty was secured in a School adjoyning By reason of which tumult the Lords of the Council with the Lord Mayor and Aldermen took order that every Housholder should cause their Children and Apprentices to keep their own Parish-churches upon Holidays order was taken for preventing the like Tumult on the Sunday following A Sermon was Preached at the Cross by Doctor Watson who afterwards was Bishop of Lincoln for whose security many Lords of the Council were there present and Jerningham Captain of the Guard with two hundred of his Yeomen standing round about the Pulpit with their Halberts Then care was taken that nothing should be Preached in private Churches contrary to the Doctrine which was and should be Taught at the Cross by them which were appointed to it It was further ordered that every Alderman in his Ward should send for the Curates of every Church within their Liberties and warn them not onely to forbear Preaching themselves but also not to suffer any other to Preach or make any open reading of Scripture in their Churches unless the said Preachers were severally Licensed by the Queen For eight weeks after the Proclaiming of Mary Queen Protestantism and Popery were together set on foot the former
whereby he was to be discharged of the Attainder which had passed upon him Anno 1539. restored in Blood and rendred Capable of all those Rights and Priviledges of which he had stood possessed in this Kingdom This Bill was quickly passed into an Act and on Novemb. 24. the Cardinal came first to London Then it was concluded by both Houses of Parliament that a petition should be made in the name of the Kingdom wherein should be declared how sorry they were that they had withdrawn their obedience from the Apostolick See and consenting to the Statutes made against it promising to endeavour hereafter that the said Lawes and Statutes should be repealed beseeching the King and Queen to intercede with his Holiness for their Absolution Then the Cardinal having read his Authority given him from the Pope they all kneeled upon their knees and imploring the mercy of God received Absolution for themselves and the rest of the Kingdom Which Absolution was pronounced in these words Our Lord Jesus Christ which with his most pretious blood hath redeemed us from all our sins c. and whom the Father hath appointed Head over all his Church absolve you And we by Apostolick Authority given unto us by the most holy Lord Pope Julius the third His Vicegerent here on earth do absolve and deliver you and every of you with the whole Realm and the Dominions thereof from all heresie and schism and from every judgement censure and pain for that cause incurred And also we do restore you again unto the unity of Our Mother the Holy Church In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Which words of His being seconded with a loud Amen by such as were present he concluded the dayes work with a solemn Procession to the Chappel for rendring thanks to God Then did the Cardinal dispence with much irregularity in several persons confirming the Institution of Clergy-men in their Benefices legitimating the Chiâ—dren of forbidden Marriages ratifying the processes and sentences in matters Ecclesiastical and his dispensations were confirmed by Acts of Parliament Then was Anthony Brown Viscount Montacute Thursby Bishop of Ely and Sir Edward Carn sent on a gratulatory Embassie to Pope Paul IV. to tender England's thanks for the favours conferr'd thereon The Convocation that then was held knew that the Cardinal was to be entreated not to insist upon the restoring of Church-lands rather to confirm the Lords and Gentry in their present possessions And to that end a Petition is presented to both their Majesties Heylin Hist of Q. Mary that they would be pleased to intercede with the Cardinal concerning it Which Petition was offered to the Legate in the name of the whole Convocation by the Lord Chancellor the Prolocutor and six others of the Lower House Concerning which the Legate was not ignorant that a Message had been sent to the Pope in the name of the Parliament to desire a confirmation of the Sale of all the Lands belonging to Abbies Chanteries c. or otherwise to let him know that nothing could be granted on his behalf And it is likely they received some fair promises to that effect in regard that on New-years day next following the Act for restoring the Pope's Supremacy was passed in both Houses of Parliament The whole matter being transacted to the content of all parties the poor Protestants excepted only on January 25. there was a solemn procession throughout London to praise God for their Conversion to the Catholick Church wherein were ninety Crosses an hundred and Sixty Priests and Clerks each of them attired in his Cope and after them eight Bishops in their Pontificalibus followed by Bonner carrying the Popish Pix under a Canopy and attended by the Lord Mayor and Companies in their several Liveries Which Procession being ended they all returned to S. Paul's Church where the King and Cardinal together with all the rest heard Mass and the next day the Parliament and Convocation were dissolved The English Ambassadours came to Rome on the first day of the Papacy of Pope Paul IV. and in the first consistory after his Inauguration they were brought before him who granted the pardon desired and lovingly embraced the Ambassadours and as an over plus the Pope conferred the Title of King 's of Ireland on their Majesties In his private discourses with the Ambassadours he said that the Church-goods ought to be wholly restored saying also that his Authority was not such as to profane things dedicated unto God He also told them that the Peter-pence ought to be paid as soon as might be and that according to the custom he would send a collector for that purpose He closed his discourse with this that they could not hope that S. Peter would open to them the Gates of Heaven as long as they usurped his goods on earth A rumour was spread of the Queen's being with Child and that she was quick and thereupon Letters were sent from the Lords of the Council to Bonner Bishop of London that prayers and thanksgivings should be made in all Churches The Parliament also while it was sitting passed an Act desiring the King that if the Queen should fail he would be pleased to take upon him the Education of the Child Set forms of prayer were also made for her safe delivery Great preparations were also made of all things necessary against the time of her delivery And upon a sudden rumour of her being delivered the Bells were rung and Bonfires made in most parts of London But it proved in fine that the Queen neither was with Childe for the present nor had any hopes of being so for the time to come A Gun was shot at one Doctor Pendleton as He Preached at Paul's Cross June 10. 1554 the pellet whereof went very neer him but the Gunner was not to be heard of Upon which the Queen published a Proclamation prohibiting the shooting with hand-guns and the bearing of weapons A little before this some had caused a Cat to be hanged upon the Gallows near the Cross in Cheapside with her head shorn the likeness of a vestment cast upon her and her two feet tyed together holding between them a piece of Paper in form of a Wafer tending to the disgrace of the Popish Religion Then were some Antient Statutes revived that were made in the time of King Richard the second Henry the fourth and Henry the fifth for the severe punishment of obstinate Hereticks even to death it self and an Act was passed for that purpose Hereupon followed that Inquisition for Blood which raged in London and more or less was exercised in most parts of the Kingdom Mr. John Rogers a Learned man and a great companion of that Tyndal by whom the Bible was translated into English in the time of King Henry after whose Martyrdom he retired to Wittenberg in the Dukedome of Saxony where he abode till King Edward's coming to the Crown and was by Bishop Ridley presented to the Lecture of
lodging in the Charter-house where she staid some dayes till all things in the Tower might be fitted for her reception Attended by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen with a stately Train of Lords and Ladies she entreth by Cripple-gate into the City passeth along the Wall till she came to Bishops-gate where all the Companies of the City in their several Liveries waited her coming in their proper and distinct ranks reaching from thence until the further end of Mark-lane where she was entertained with a peal of great Ordinance from the Tower At her entrance into which place she rendred her most humble thanks to Almighty God for the great and wondrous change of her condition in bringing her from being a prisoner in that place to be the Ruler of her people and now to take possession of it as a Royal Palace Here she emained till December the fifth then next following and from thence removed by water to Sommerset-house In each remove she found such infinite throngs of people which flocked from all parts to see her both by land and water and testified their publick joy by such loud acclamations as much rejoyced her heart to hear and could not but express it in her words and countenance As she passed through London the Bible was presented to her at the little Conduit in Cheapside which she received with both her hands and kissing it laid it to her breast saying That the same had ever been her delight and should be the rule by which she meant to frame her Government She was crowned by Owen Oglethorp Bishop of Carlisle Camden's Hist of Q. Elizab. on January the fourteenth for that the Archbishop of York and the rest of the Bishops refused to perform that office suspecting her Religion who had been first bred in the Protestants Religion and also for that she had very lately forbidden the Bishop in saying Mass to lift up the Host to be adored and permitted the Liâ—any with the Epistle and Gospel to be read in the vulgar tongue For the first six weeks things stood in their former state without the least alteration She being now twenty five years of age and taught by Experience and Adversity had gathered wisdom above age the proof whereof she gave in chusing her Counsellors which were as follow Nicholas Heath Archbishop of York William Pawlet Marquess of Winchester Lord Treasurer Henry Fitz-Alan Earl of Arundel Francis Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury Edward Stanley Earl of Darby William Herbert Earl of Pembrook Edward Lord Clinton Lord Admiral of the Sea William Lord Howard of Effingham Lord Chamberlain Sir Thomas Cheiney Sir William Peter Sir John Mason Sir Richard Sackvill Nicholas Wotton Dean of Canterbury All these were Papists and of Queen Maries Council To these she joyned of her own William Par Marquess of Northampton Francis Russel Earl of Bedford Edward Rogers Ambrose Cave Francis Knollys William Cecil who had been Secretary to King Edward the Sixth and soon after Nicholas Bacon whom she made Lord Keeper of the Great Seal All these were of the Protestants Religion and had been in no place under Queen Mary Proclamations came forth that Preachers should abstain from questions controverted in Religion Then care was taken for sending new Commissions unto such Ambassadors as resided in the Courts of several Princes both to acquaint them with the change and to assure those Princes of the Queen's desire to maintain all former leagues between them and the Crown of England To her Agent in the Court of Spain it was given in charge to represent to the King the dear remembrance which she kept of those many Humanities received from him in the time of her Troubles Instructions are sent also to Sir Edward Karn the late Queen's Agent with the Pope and now confirmed by her in the same employment to make the Pope acquainted with the death of Queen Mary and her succession to the Crown not without some desire that all good Offices might be reciprocally exchanged between them But the Pope answered Heylin Hist of Q. Elizab. An. Reg. 1. That the Kingdom of England was held in Fee of the Apostolick See That she could not succeed being Illegitimate That He could not contradict the declaration of Clement the Seventh and Paul the Third That it was a great boldness to assume the Name and Government of it without him yet being desirous to shew a Fatherly affection if she would renounce her pretensions and refer her self wholly to his free disposition He will do whatsoever may be done with the Honour of the Apostolick See The new Queen having performed this office of Civility to him as she did to others expected no answer nor took much thought of it when she heard it Many who were imprisoned for Religion she restored to liberty at her first coming to the Crown which occasioned Rainsford a Gentleman of the Court to make a sute to her in the behalf of Matthew Mark Luke and John who had been long imprisoned in a Latin Translation that they also might walk abroad as formerly in the English Tongue To whom she made answer That he should first endeavour to know the minds of the prisoners who perhaps desired no such liberty as he demanded King Philip fearing least he should lose the strength and title of the Kingdom of England and that the Kingdom of England Scotland and Ireland would by Mary Queen of Scots be annexed unto France dealt seriously with Queen Elizabeth about a Marriage to be contracted with her promising to procure a special dispensation from the Bishop of Rome The Queen weighing in her mind the unlawfulness of such a Marriage puts off King Philip by little and little with a modest answer but indeed out of scruple of Conscience And now she thought nothing more pleasing to God than that Religion should be forthwith be altered Thereupon the care of correcting the Liturgy was committed to Doctor Matthew Parker Bill May Grindal Whitehead and Pilkinton Learned and moderate Divines and to Sir Thomas Smith Knight the matter being imparted to no man but the Marquess of Northampton the Earl of Bedford Sir John Grey of Pyrgo and Sir William Cecil A Parliament was summoned to begin on January 25. which opened with an Eloquent and Learned Sermon Preached by Dr. Cox In the House of Commons there were some furious Spirits who eagerly opposed all propositions which seemed to tend unto the prejudice of the Church of Rome Of which number none so violent as Scory Doctor of the Laws and a Great Instrument of Bonner's Butcheries in Queen Mary's Reign who being questioned for the cruelty of his Executions declared himself to be sorry for nothing more That instead of lopping off some few boughes and branches he did not lay his Ax to the Root of the Tree Yet passed He unpunished for the present though Divine Vengeance brought him in the end to his just reward In this Parliament passed an Act for recognizing the Queen's just Title to the
Crown but without any Act for the validity of her Mother's Marriage on which her Title most depended There passed an Act also for restoring the Tenths and first Fruits to the Crown first setled thereon in the time of King Henry the Eighth and afterwards given back by Queen Mary to the Pope They passed an Act also for the dissolution of all such Monasteries Convents and Religious Orders as had been Founded and established by Queen Mary By vertue of which Act Queen Elizabeth was repossessed of all those Lands which had been granted by her Sister to the Monks of Westminster and Shen the Knights Hospitallers the Nuns of Sion together with the Mansion houses re-edified for the Observants of Greenwich and the Black-friers in Smithfield In passing the Act of the Supremacy there was some trouble it seemed to be a thing even abhorrent in Nature and Polity that a Woman should be declared to be the Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England But the Queen declined the Title of Head and assumed the name of Governor of the Church of England This Act having easily passed the House of Commons found none of the Temporal Lords in the House of Lords to oppose it save onely the Earl of Shrewsbury and Anthony Brown Viscount Montacute As for the Bishops there were but fourteen and the Abbot of Westminster then alive of whom four being absent the rest could not make any considerable opposition In the Convocation of the Clergy there passed certain Articles of Religion which they tendered to the Parliament which were these I. That in the Sacrament of the Altar by the vertue of Christ assisting after the word is duly pronounced by the Priest the natural Body of Christ conceived by the Virgin Mary is really present under the Species of Bread and Wine also his natural Blood II. That after the Consecration there remains not the substance of Bread and Wine nor any other substance save the substance of God and Man III. That the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is offered a propitiatory Sacrifice for the quick and dead IV. That the supreme power of feeding and governing the Militant Church of Christ and of confirming their Brethren is given to Peter the Apostle and to his lawful Successors in the See Apostolick as unto the Vicars of Christ. V. That the Authority to handle and define such things which belong to Faith the Sacraments and Discipline Ecclesiastical hath hitherto ever belonged and onely ought to belong unto the Pastors of the Church whom the Holy Spirit hath placed in the Church of God and not unto Lay-men This Remonstrance exhibited by the lower house of Convocation to the Bishops was according to their Requests presented by Edmond Bonner Bishop of London to the Lord Keeper of the Broad-seal of England in the Parliament Both Universities did concur to the truth of the foresaid Articles the last onely excepted This Declaration of the Popish Clergy hastened the disputation appointed on the last of March in the Church of Westminster wherein these Questions were debated I. Whether Service and Sacraments ought to be celebrated in the vulgar Tongue II. Whether the Church hath not power to alter Ceremonies III. Whether the Mass be a propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead Popish Disputants White Bishop of Winchester Watson Bishop of Lincoln Baynes Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield Scot Bishop of CHESTER Protestant Disputants John Scory late Bishop of Chichester David Whitehead Robert Horn. Edmond Gwest Edwyn Sandys John Elmer Edmond Grindal John Juel Moderators Nicholas Heath Archbishop of York Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seal Besides the Disputants there were present many of the Lords of the Queens Council with other of the Nobility as also many of the lower House of Parliament For the manner of their conference it was agreed it should be performed in writing and that the Bishops should deliver their Reasons in writing first Many differences arose between them so that the conference broke off and nothing was determined The Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester thought meet that the Queen and the Authors of this defection from the Church of Rome should be Excommunicated who for this cause were imprisoned Then a Peace being made was Proclaimed over all England betwixt the Queen of England the King of France the Daulphin and the Queen of Scots The Parliament being dissolved by Authority of the same the Liturgy was forthwith brought into the Churches in the Vulgar Tongue the Oath of Supremacy offered to the Popish Bishops and others of the Ecclesiastical profession which most of them had sworn unto in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth All the Bishops refused except Anthony Bishop of Landaff As many as refused were turned out of their Livings Dignities Bishopricks In the Sees of the Prelates removed were placed Protestant Bishops Matthew Parker was made Archbishop of Canterbury who was Consecrated by three that formerly had been Bishops namely William Barlow of Bath and Wells John Scory of Chichester and Miles Coverdale of Exeter And being Consecrated himself he afterward Consecrated Edmond Grindal Bishop of London Richard Cox Bishop of Ely Edwyn Sandys Bishop of Worcester Rowland Merick Bishop of Bangor Thomas Young Bishop of St. David's Nicholas Bullingham Bishop of Lincoln John Juel Bishop of Salisbury Richard Davis Bishop of St. Asaph Edward Guest Bishop of Rochester Gilbert Barkley Bishop of Bath and Wells Thomas Bentham Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield William Alley Bishop of Exeter John Parkhurst Bishop of Norwich Robert Horn Bishop of Winchester Richard Cheiney Bishop of Glocester Edmond Scambler Bishop of Peterborough William Barlow Bishop of Chichester John Scory Bishop of Hereford Thomas Young Archbishop of York James Pilkinton Bishop of Durham John Best Bishop of Carlile and William Dounham Bishop of Chester Nicholas Health Archbishop of York lived privately many years in his Mannor of Chobham in Surrey never restrained to any one place and died in great favour with the Queen who bestowed many gratious visits upon him during his retirement Tonstal of Durham spent the remainder of his time with Archbishop Parker by whom he was kindly entertained and honourably buried The like civility was afforded to Thurlby Bishop of Ely in the same house and unto Bourn of Wells by the Dean of Exon in which two houses they both died about ten years after White though at first imprisoned for his faults after some cooling himself in the Tower of London was suffered to enjoy his liberty and to retire himself to what friend he pleased Which favour was vouchsafed unto Turbervil also who being a Gentleman by extraction wanted not friends to give him good entertainment Watson of Lincoln after a short restraint spent the remainder of his time with the Bishops of Rochester and Ely till having practised against the State he was shut up in the Castle of VVisbich where at last he died Oglethorp died soon after his deprivation of an Apoplexy
Lent the Embring weeks and Rogation severely kept not now by vertue of the Statute as in the time of King Edward but as appointed by the Church in her publick Calendar before the Book of Common-Prayer The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper celebrated in a Reverend manner the Table seated in the place of the Altar In the Court the Liturgy was officiated every day both Morning and Evening not onely in the publick Chappel but the private Closet celebrated in the Chappel with Organs and other Musical Instruments and the most excellent voices both of men and children that could be got in all the Kingdom The Gentlemen and Children in their Surplices and the Priests in Copes as oft as they attended the Divine Service at the Altar The Altar furnished with rich Plate two fair gilt Candlesticks with Tapers in them and a Massy Crucifix in midst thereof Which last remained there for some years The antient Ceremonies customably observed by the Knights of the Garter in their Adoration toward the Altar were by this Queen retained as formerly in her Father's time The solemn Sermons Preached upon each Wednesday Friday and Lords-day in the time of Lent Preached by the choycest of the Clergy she devoutly heard attired in black according to the custom of her Predecessors The Bishoprick of Carlile was first profered to Bernard Gilpin Fuller Church History of Britain Rector of Houghton in the North but Mr. Gilpin refused the offer not that he had any disaffection to the Office but because he had so much kinred about Carlile at whom He must either connive in many things not without hurt to himself or else deny them not without offence to them It was afterward given to Dr. John Best as was shewed before As for Miles Coverdale formerly Bishop of Exeter he hever returned to his See but remained a private Minister to the day of his death Such of the Scots as desired a Reformation of Religion taking advantage by the Queen's abscence and want of power in the Queen Regent to suppress their practices had put themselves into a Body Headed by some of the Nobility they take unto themselves the name of the Congregation managing their own Affairs apart from the rest of the Kingdom They petition the Queen Regent and the Lords of the Council that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper might be administred in both kinds That divine Offices might be celebrated in the vulgar Tongue and that they might have the choice of their own Ministers The chief of the party well backed by the common people put themselves into Perth the news whereof occasioneth Mr. Knox to leave Geneva and joyn himself to the Lords of the Congregation At Perth he Preacheth against Images Idolatry and other Superstitions of the Church of Rome so bitterly that the people in a popular fury deface all the Images in that Church and presently demolish all Religious Houses in that City Those of Couper hearing of it forthwith destroyed all Images and pulled down the Altars in that Church also The like was done after his Preaching at Craile and St. Andrews in those places They burnt down the rich Monastery of Scone and ruined that of Cambuskenneth demolished all the Altars Images and Covents of Religious persons in Sterling Lithgow Glascough Edenburgh which last they possess and put up their own Preachers into all the Pulpits of that City not suffering the Queen Regent to have the use of one Church onely for her own devotions They alse deprive the Queen Regent of all place and power in the publick Government But she gathering Forces recovereth Edenborough and the chief key of all that Kingdom garisoned by the French In their extremity Maitland and Melvin being dispatched to the Court of England imploring aid from Queen Elizabeth And an Army is sent into Scotland of six thousand Foot and three thousand Horse commanded by the Lord Gray Some Ships were also sent to block up the haven and hinder all Relief which might come by Sea to the Town of Leith At length after divers Articles signed and confirmed for both Kingdoms the French take their leave of Scotland and the English Army was disbanded at Berwick As the Congregation was by the Queen put upon a present confidence of going vigorously on in their Reformation so it concern'd them to proceed so carefully in pursuance of it as might comply with the dependance which they had upon her First Therefore they bound themselves by their subscription to embrace the Liturgy with all the Rites of the Church of England which for a time remained the onely form of Worship for the Kirk of Scotland In the next place They cause a Parliament to be called in the moneth of August for the Boroughs there appeared the accustomed number but of the Lords Spiritual no more than six Bishops of thirteen with thirteen Abbots and Priors and the Temporal Lords to the number of ten Earls and as many Barons Three Acts were passed to the advantage of the Reformation The first was for the abolishing the Pope's Jurisdiction and Authority within the Realm The second for annulling all Statutes made in former times for maintenance of Idolatry and Superstition The third for the punishing the Sayers and Hearers of the Mass To this Parliament also some of the Ministers presented a Confession of the Faith and Doctrine to be believed and professed by the Protestants of the Kirk of Scotland which being put to the Vote was opposed but by three of the Temporal Lords The Popish Prelates were silent in it which being observed by the Earl Marshal he broke out into these words Seeing saith He that my Lords the Bishops who by their Learning can and for the zeal they should have to the Truth ought as I suppose to gainsay any thing repugnant to it say nothing against the Confession we have heard I cannot think but that it is the very Truth of God and that the contrary of it is false Doctrine The Queen was now as active in advancing the Reformed Religion in Ireland as she had been in either of the other Kingdoms A Parliament is therefore held on January 12. where past an Act restoring to the Crown the ancient Jurisdiction over all Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Persons By which Statute were established both the Oath of Supremacy and the High Commission as before in England There past also an Act for the Uniformity of Common-Prayer Heylin's Hist of Q. Elizab. c. with a permission for saying the same in Latin in those Churches where the Minister had not the knowledge of the English Tongue The people by that Statute are required under several penalties to frequent their Churches and to be frequent at the reading the English Liturgy which they understand as little as the Mass by which means the Irish were kept in ignorance as to the Doctrines and Devotions of the Church of England There also past another Statute for restoring to the Crown the first-fruits and twenty
St. John's-colledge in Oxford Tutor to Philip Earl of Arundel eldest Son to Thomas Duke of Norfolk Afterwards he went over beyond Sea and became Divinity Professor in the Colledge of Rhemes and died there Now as touching the Controversie of Church-government the Ministers of Kent having been called to subscribe to certain Articles propounded to them by the Archbishop of Canterbury seâ—d their Petition to the Privy Council Subscribed thus Your Honours daily and faithful Orators the Ministers of Kent which are suspended from the execution of their Ministry The Lords of the Council sent this Petition with another Bill of complaint exhibited unto them against Edmond Freak Bishop of Norwich unto the Archbishop of Canterbury What his Answer was thereunto may be seen at large in Fuller's Church History Doctor John Whitgift was now Archbishop of Canterbury Anno 1583. who wrote a Letter to the Lord Treasurer complaining of Mr. Beal Clerk of the Council who brought these Letters to him his insolent carriage towards him Now that the Presbyterian party were befriended at the Council-board who endeavoured to mittigate the Archbishop's proceeding against them appeareth also from the Privy Counsellors Letter to the Archbishop in favour of the Non-conformists Signed W. Burleigh G. Shrewsbury A Warwick R. Leicester C. Howard J. Croft Ch. Hatton Fr. Walsingham But albeit Sir Chr. Hatton subscribed among the Privy Counsellors for moderation to Non-conformists yet that he was a great countenancer of Whitgift's proceedings against them appeareth in an immediate Address of the Archbishop unto him As for the Lord Burghleigh he was neither so rigid as to have Conformity prest to the height nor so remiss as to leave Ministers at their own liberty He would argue the case both in Dâ—scourse and Letters with the Archbishop and one Letter he wrote to the Archbishop for some Indulgence to the Ministers Mr. Travers seems to have an hand in all this who being the Lord Burghleigh's Chaplain by him much respected and highly affected to the Geneva Discipline was made the mouth of the Ministers to mediate to his Lord in their behalf But the Archbishop's unmoveableness appeared by his Letter sent to the Lord Treasurer at some passages whereof he took exception and sends a smart Letter to the Archbishop That which concerneth the Non-conformists therein is this I deny nothing that your Grace thinketh meet to proceed in with those whom you call factious and therefore there is no controversie between you and me expressed in your Letter the controversie is passed in your Graces Letter in silence and so I do satisfie Your Grace promised me to deal I say only with such as violated Order and to charge them therewith which I allow well of But your Grace not charging them with such faults seeketh by examination to urge them to accuse themselves and then I think you will punish them I think your Grace's proceeding is I will not say rigorous or captious but I think it is scant charitable c. If I had known the fault of Brown I might be blamed for writing for him but when by examination only it is to sift him with twenty four Articles I have cause to pity the poor man Your Grace's as friendly as any W. Burghleigh The Archbishop writes a calm Letter in answer to the Lord Treasurer's Letter sending him enclosed therein certain Reasons to justifie the manner of his proceedings praying his Lordship not to be carried away either from the cause or from the Archbishop himself upon unjust surmises and clamours lest he be the occasion of that confusion which hereafter he would be sorry for Professing that in these things he desired no further defence neither of his Lordship nor of any other than Justice and Law would yield unto him Sir Francis Walsingham was a good Friend to Non-conformists he wrote a Letter to the Archbishop to qualifie him for a Semi-Non-conformist one Mr. Leverwood Grindal being sensible of the Queens displeasure had desired to resign his place and confine himself to a yearly Pension This place was proffered to Whitgift but he in the presence of the Queen refused it yet what he would not snatch suddenly fell into his hands by Grindal's death who out of his contempt of the world left not much wealth behind him That little he had as it was well gotten was well bestowed in pious uses in Oxford and Cambridge with the building and endowing of a School at St. Bees in Cumberland where he was born yea he may be held as a Benefactor to this Nation by bringing in Tamarix first over into England that Plant being very excellent in mollifying the hardness of the Spleen Now Robert Brown a Cambridge-man and young Student in Divinity of whom the Separatists in those dayes and long after were called Brownists born in Rutland-shire of an ancient Family near allied to the Lord Treasurer Cecil began with one Richard Harison a Schoolmaster to vent their Opinions They set forth Books in Zealand whither they travelled Brown returning home disperseth these Books all over England But their Books were suppressed by the Queens Authority confuted by Learned men and two of his followers were executed one after another at St. Edmonds-bury Brown coming to Norwich there infected both Dutch and English for which he was confined The Lord Treasurer writes a Letter to the Bishop of Norwich in his behalf Brown being thus brought up to London was wrought to some tolerable compliance and being discharged by the Archbishop was by the Lord Treasurer sent home to his Father Anthony Brown at Tolethorp in Rutland Esquire But it seems Brown's errors were so inlaid in him no conference with Divines could convince him to the contrary whose incorrigibleness made his own Father weary of his company He and Harison inveighed against Bishops Ecclesiastical Courts Ceremonies Ordination of Ministers fancying here on earth a platform of a perfect Church Doctor Fulk learnedly proveth that the Brownists were in effect the same with the ancient Donatists Nicholas Saunders more truly Slanders died this year 1583. being starved to death among the Bogs and Mountains in Ireland Near the same time one John Lewis was burnt at Norwich for denying the Godhead of Christ and holding other detestable Heresies At this time the Jesuites set forth many slaunderous libels against her Majesty one of their principal Pamphlets was a Treatise of Schism William Carter the Stationer was executed at Tyburn for publishing it Soon after five Seminaries John Fen George Haddock John Munden John Nutter and Tho. Hemmerford were hanged bowelled and quartered for Treason at Tyburn and many others about the same time executed in other places Yet at the same time the Queen by one Act of Grace pardoned seventy Priests some of them actually condemned to die all legally deserving death Among these were 1. Gasper Haywood Son to that eminent Epigrammatist the first Jesuite that ever set foot in England 2. James Bosgrave 3. John Hart a zealous disputant 4. Edward
wall in which a loose stone was put he should give in and receive forth Letters the which by Messengers purposely laid by the way came ever to Walsingham's hands who broke them open copied them out and by the cunning of Thomas Philips found out the meaning of the private Cyphers and by the Art of Arthur Gregory sealed them up again so neatly that no man could have imagined them to be opened and ever sent them to the parties to whom the superscription directed them In like manner were the former Letters from the Queen of Scots to Babington intercepted as also other Letters written at the same time to Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador Charles Paget the Lord Paget the Archbishop of Glasco and Francis Englefied Then Ballard was apprehended Babington seeks to escape and is taken The Queen of Scots hath her Closets broken open and her Boxes searched Fourteen of the Conspirators were Arraigned Condemned of High-treason and executed Afterwards in the Star-chamber sentence was pronounced against the Queen of Scots And in a Parliament presently following the Lords petition the Queen that the sentence passed against her may presently be promulged The King of Scots and the King of France sollicit for her life But when this would not prevail L' Aubespine the French Ambassador thinks no way so effectual for saving the Queen of Scots life as to take away the life of Queen Elizabeth The plot was discovered And at length the Sentence against the Queen of Scots was put in execution and she ended her doleful life at Fothringhay Castle She was buried in the Quire of Peterborough and Doctor Wickham Bishop of Lincoln Preached her Funeral-sermon Some twenty yaars after King James caused her Corps to be solemnly removed from Peterborough to Westminster where in the South-side of the Chappel of King Henry the Seventh he erected a stately Monument to her Memory The Earl of Leicester having raised great offence is called home again into England by the Queen giveth over his Government and the free Administation of his Government is left to the States Now Conformity was pressed to the height Fuller Church Hist in An. 1587. The power of the High Commission began to extend far and penalties to fall heavy on offenders whereupon the favourers of Non-conformists much opposed it in their Printed Books some questioning the Court as not warranted by Law others taxing their proceedings as exceeding their Commission But the most general exception against the High Commission was this That proceeding Ex Officio mero by way of enquiry against such whom they suspected they tendred unto them an Oath which was conceived unjust that in cases criminal a party should be forced to discover what might be penal to himself The lawfulness of which Oath was learnedly canvassed with arguments on both sides Because many did question the Legality and Authority of the High Commission Archbishop Whitgift so contrived the matter that the most sturdy Non-conformists especially if they had any visible Estates were brought into the Star-chamber the power whereof was above dispute where some of them besides imprisonment had very heavy fines imposed on them And because most of the Queens Council were present at the Censures this took off the odium from the Archbishop This year died Mr. John Fox the Industrious compiler of the Acts and Monuments of the Church and was buried at St. Giles near Cripplegate in London It is said he foretold the destruction of the Invincible so called Spanish Armado in the year 1588. which came so to pass though he survived not to see the performance of his own prediction Camd Brit. in Kent About this time Mr. William Lambert finished his Hospital at Greenwich founded and endowed by him for poor people He was the first Protestant who erected a charitable house of that nature saith Camden But King Edward the Sixth founded Christ-church and St. Thomas Hospital Now the sticklers against the Hierarchy appeared more vigorous though for a time they had concealed themselves The Parliament now sitting at Westminster the House of Commons presented to the Lords a petition complaining how many Parishes especially in the North of England and Wales were destitute of Preachers and no care taken to supply them Sixteen were the particulars whereof the six first were against in sufficient Ministers Of all the particulars the House fell most fiercely on the debate of pluralities and Non-residents The Arch-bishop pleads for Non-residency in divers cases He affirmed whatever was pretended to the contrary that England then flourished with able Ministers more than ever before yea had more than all Christendom besides The Lord Grey rejoyned to this Assertion saying That England had more able Ministers than all the Churches in Christendom was onely to be attributed to God who now opened the hearts of many to see into the truth and that the Schools were better observed The Lord Treasurer seemed to moderate betwixt them Matters flying thus high the Archbishop with the rest of the Clergy Petition the Queen To the Petition were annexed a Catalogue of those inconveniences to the State present State to come Cathedral Churches Universities to her Majesty to Religion in case pluralities were taken away Nothing was effected in relation to this matter but things left in statu quo prius at the dissolution of this Parliament This year died Richard Barnes Bishop of Durham In the year 1588. when there was a Treaty of Peace between England and Spain out cometh their Invincible Navy and Army perfectly appointed for both Elements Land and Water to Sayl and March compleat in all Warlike Equipage but that great Fleet was wonderfully defeated by the English and dissipated by stormy Winds and many of the Spaniards were Barbarously butchered by the Irish For the happy success of this action Queen Elizabeth appointed Prayers and Thanksgivings over all the Churches in England and she with a great Train of the Nobility came into St. Pauls Church where the Banners taken from the Enemy were placed in view and there in most humble manner gave thanks to Almighty God the giver of all Victory About this time many Papists were committed to custody in Wisbych Castle At this time many Libels flew abroad thus named 1. The Epitome 2. The Demonstration of Discipline 3. The Supplication 4. Diotrephes 5. The Minerals 6. Have ye any work for the Cooper 7. More work for the Cooper 8. Martin Senior Mar-prelate 9. Martin Junior Mar-prelate The main drift of these Pamphlets was to defame the English Prelates scoffing at them for their Garb Gate Apparel Vanities of their Youth natural Defects and personal Infirmities It is strange how secretly they were Printed how speedily Dispersed how generally Bought how greedily Read how firmly Believed especially of the Common sort Some precise men of that side thought these jeering pens well employed but these Books were disclaimed by the more descreet and devoutsort of men And how highly the State distasted these Books will
Fistula Gondomar hereupon meditates revenge and tells King James That his charity abused his Judgment in conceiving Spalato a true Convert who still in heart remained a Roman Catholick The Ambassador writes to the King of Spain He to Pope Gregory the Fifteenth that Spalato might be pardoned and preferred in the Church of Rome which was easily obtained Letters are sent from Rome to Count Gondomar written by the Cardinal Millin to impart them to Spalato informing him of his pardon at Rome and that upon his return the Pope would prefer him to the Bishoprick of Salerno in Naples worth twelve thousands pounds by the year and also that a Cardinal's Hat should be bestowed upon him And if Spalato with his hand subscribed to this Letter would renounce what formerly he had Printed an Apostolical Breve with pardon should solemnly be sent him to Bruxels Spalato embraceth the motion recanteth his Opinions largely subscribes solemnly and thanketh the Pope affectionately for his favour Gondomar carrieth his subscription to King James who is glad to behold the Hypocrite unmasked Now died Toby Mathew Archbishop of York presently posts Spalato to Theobalds becomes an Earnest Petitioner to the King for the vacant Archbishoprick and is as flatly denied Spalato offended at this repulse requests his Majesty by his Letter to grant him his good leave to depart the Kingdom Five days after the Bishops of London and Durham with the Dean of Westminster by his Majestie 's direction repaired to Spalato propounding unto Him sixteen Queries all arising out of his own Letter and requiring him to give the explanation of five of the most material under his hand for his Majestie 's greater satisfaction which he did accordingly yet not so clearly but that it occasioned a second meeting wherein more interrogatories were propounded unto him to all which he gave his answers He pretended many reasons for his return In pursuance of which his desire he wrote a second Letter to King James At length Spalato appears before the Archbishop of Canterbury the Bishops of Lincoln London Durham Winchester at Lambeth where the Archbishop of Canterbury in a long Latin Speech recapitulated the many misdemeanors of Spalato principally insisting on his changing of Religion as appeared by his purpose of returning to Rome and that contrary to the Laws of this Realm he had held correspondency with the Pope without the privity of the King's Majesty To which charge when Spalato had made a shuffling excuse rather than a just defence the Archbishop in his Majestie 's name commanded him to depart the Kingdom within twenty days and never to return again To this he promised obedience protesting he would ever justifie the Church of England for Orthodox in Fundamentals even in the presence of the Pope or whomsoever though with the loss of his life However he was loth to depart and secretly deals with his Friends in the English Court that his Majesty would permit him to stay But in vain and therefore within the time appointed he went over in the fame Ship with Count Swartenzburgh the Emperor's Ambassador rerurning hence into Flanders Being come to Bruxels he recants his Religion and rails bitterly on the English Church Here he stayed six moneths for the Pope's Breve which at last was utterly denied him Now he desperately adventures to Rome barely presuming on promises and the Friendship of Pope Gregory the Fifteenth then Pope formerly his Colleague and Chamber-fellow He lived at Rome not loved and died unlamented He was clapt into prison his study seized on wherein many papers were found speaking Heresie enough his Adversaries being admitted sole Interpreters thereof He died some moneths after and after his death his Excommunicated Corps were put to publick shame and solemnly proceeded against in the Inquisition for relapsing into Heresie since his return to Rome Fuller Church Hist Ad. Ar. 1622. Several Articles of Heresie are charged upon him and he found convict thereof is condemned to have his body burnt by the publick Executioner in the Field of Flora which was performed accordingly The Spanish Match was now the Discourse general but at last it brake off Heaven forbidding the Banes saith Mr. Fuller even at the third and last asking thereof King James falls off and for a condition of the Marriage demands the Restitution of the Palatinate The Prince returns from Spain Then was there a conference entertained between Dr. White and Dr. Featly Protestants Father Fisher and Father White Jesuites Now hapned the fatal Vespers at Black-friers in London Father Drury a Jesuite of excellent Morals Preached there in a great upper-room next to the House of the French Ambassador where three hundred persons were assembled His Text Matth. 18.32 O thou ungratious servant I forgave thee all the debt because thou desiredst me shouldst not Thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant In application whereof he bitterly inveighed against the Protestants About the middle of his Sermon and the day declining on a sudden the Floor fell down where they were assembled many were killed more bruised all frightted Ninety five persons were slain among whom Mr. Drury Mr. Rodiat Priests with the Lady Webb were of the chiefest note Twenty of the poorer sort were buried hard by in one Grave and the rest bestowed by-their friends in several places of Sepulture Yet notwithstanding this sad Accident The Letter may be read at large in Rushworth's Collect. and Fuller Church History the Papists were very insolent towards all true English men the rather because it was generally reported That his Majesty intended a Toleration of Religion which made the Archbishop of Canterbury in a serious Letter to present the King with his apprehensions beseeching the King to consider Lest by this Toleration and discountenancing of the true profession of the Gospel wherewith God hath blessed us and this Kingdom hath so long flourished under it God's heavy wrâ—th be not drawn upon this Kingdom c. What effect this Letter took is unknown sure it is all mens mouths were filled with a discourse of a Toleration for or against it yea the Pulpits are loud against Toleration Now because the peoples mouths were open and some Preachers were two busie the King gave directions for the regulation of the Ministry in his Letters directed to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury for many shallow Preachers handled the profound points of Predestination c. Sermons were turned into Satyrs against Papists and Non-conformists The King revived the primitive and profitable order of Catechizing in the after-noon Various censures were passed on the King's Letters But these Instructions from his Majesty were not pressed with equal rigour in all places Both the Palatinates were now lost the Vpper seized on by the Emperor the Nether by the King of Spain the City of Heidelberg taken and plundered and the inestimable Library of Books therein carried over the Alpes on Mules backs to Rome Now those Books are placed in the Pope's Vatican The Duke
Earl of Holland and the Lord Capel were executed March 9. but the Earl of Norwich and Sir John Owen were pardoned The Commons set forth a Declaration to justifie their proceedings They promise the establishment of a firm and safe Peace the advancement of the true Protestant Religion the liberal maintenance of a godly Ministry c. They pass an Act for propagating the Gospel in Ireland March 8. April 10. 1649. An Act was passed by the Commons for the sale of Deans and Chapters Lands and for the abolishing of Deans Deans and Chapters Canons Prebends c. and Tithes of or belonging to any Cathedral or Collegiate Church in England and Wales but it was provided That this should not extend to the Colledge of St. Mary in Winchester nor to the Colledge of Eaton nor to any of the Mannors Lands Tenements and Hereditaments to them belonging June 2. 1649 An Act was passed for the better maintenance of Preaching Ministers and School-masters out of the Lands of Deans and Chapters throughout England and Wales in such places where maintenance is wanting and for other good uses to the advancement of true Religion Piety and Learning And the Commissioners of the Great-Seal of England issued forth Commissions under the Great Seal into all the Counties of England and Wales to such persons as by the Parliament were nominated giving them power by the Oathes of good and lawful men c. to find out the true value of all Parsonages and Vicarages presentative and all other Ecclesiastical Livings with care of Souls within such Cities and Counties and to certifie into the Chancery what each of them were really worth per Annum the names of the Incumbents Proprietors and Possessors thereof and of such as receive the profits who supplies the Cure what he hath for his Sallary how many Chappels are belonging to one Parish and how situate and fit to be united and how the Churches and Chappels are supplied by Preaching Ministers that so a course be taken for the providing both for Preaching and maintenance where the same should be found to be needful About this time some Dissenters in the Army called Levellers drew together five thousand Horse and Foot at Burford Colonel Reinolds fell in upon them with a greater Body than they had and routed them taking nine hundred Horse and four hundred Foot prisoners whereof one Thomson and two more principal Leaders were immediately shot to death who died resolutely Cornet Den an Army-preacher Flageilum or the life and death of O. C. p. 83. expressing his grief and sorrow was reprieved at the Instant of execution which their Fellows beheld from the leads of the Church The Rest by Cromwells mediation were all pardoned and sent home to their own houses This proved the utter suppression of that faction and rendred the Army entirely at his Command so that they presently submitted to the lot which Regiments should be sent to Ireland then almost reduced to the King's obedience by the Marquess of Ormond Cromwell was ordained Commander in chief of the Forces appointed for Ireland and tituladoed with the style of Lord Governour of Ireland while the Lord Fairfax was left here to attend the Parliament He with a potent Army landed at Dublin The Marquess of Ormond had besieged Dublin but the siege was raised by Colonel Michael Jones Governour of Dublin with the utter defeat of the Marquesses Army And the siege of London-derry was raised by Sir Charles Coot sallying out of the Town Cromwel takes Drogheda by Storm and puts all in it to the Sword After this in less than a year most of the Cities and Towns in Ireland were taken and that whole Kingdom in a manner subdued to the power of the Common-Wealth of England and the Marquess of Ormond and all that oppose their Authority withdrew themselves But a little before Colonel Rich received a Brush from my Lord Broghil in the County of Cork where the Bishop of Rosse being taken was hanged July 19. 1649. An Act was passed by the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England for the promoting and propagating the Gospel of Christ in New England And a general Collection was made in and through all the Counties Cities Towns and Parishes of England and Wales as the foundation for so pious an undertaking c. King Charles the Second being now at Jersey part of the English Fleet was sent to attacque that Island which put the King upon a speedy remove from thence into France where he resided till the time appointed for the Treaty at Breda which drew near and then he repaired thither The Committee of the Estates of Scotland having concluded with the King at Breda all correspondence with the English was by Proclamation forbidden and all manner of provision stopped from being carryed into England though the Juncto at Westminster had used all Artifices to keep the Scots from closing with the King 1650. During the Treaty at Breda the Marquess of Montrosse landed in the Isles of Orkney with fifteen hundred Armes and five hundred German Souldiers and after he had gathered more strength he was defeated by Colonal Straughan taken and brought to Edinburgh where he is brought to his Trial condemned and executed The rigorous prosecution of the Marquess of Montrosse in that violent manner was chiefly from the instigation of the Kirk by which long before he had been Excommunicated Concerning which he spake to the people in this manner upon the Scaffold What I did in this Kingdom was in obedience to the most just Commands of my Sovereign for his defence in the day of his distress against those that rose up against him I fear God and honour the King according to the Commandments of God and the Law of Nature and Nations c. It is objected against me by many even good people that I am under the censure of the Church this is not my fault since it is onely for doing my duty by obeying my Prince's most just Commands for Religion his Person and Authority yet am I sorry they did Excommunicate me and in that which is according to God's Laws without wronging my Conscience or Allegiance I desire to be relaxed If they will not I appeal to God who is the Righteous Judge of the World and who must and will I hope be my Judge and Saviour The King was much troubled at the Scots severity against this Noble Marquess After this the King lands in Scotland and is Proclaimed King at Edinburgh Cross But his Majesty had not been long among the Scots but they began according to their usual manner of Kirk Authority and Discipline to obtrude upon the King such curbing conditions as but ill-suited with Regal dignity Then the Common-wealth of England sent an Army against Scotland and Cromwel is made General of the Parliament's Forces instead of Lord Fairfax and about the end of June he marched towards Berwick in order to his advance into Scotland The Scots raise an Army
also taken from him and given to a sure Confider and one Major Wildman a great Leveller was taken at Marleborough enditing and drawing Declarations against the Protector so the danger from the Army was soon suppressed About the same time a Book was published called Killing no Murther wherein it was urged That it was most lawful just necessary and honourable to kill the Protector and this printed with the name of one Allen a disbanded Leveller but so politely written that it intimated a more exact and curious hand that framed it Whosoever was the Author it scared Cromwel almost out of his Wits This made him most suspitiously fearful so that he began to dread every person or strange face he saw which he would anxiously and intently view for an Assassinate that Book perpetually running in his mind It is said it was his constant custom to shift and change his Lodging to which he passed through twenty several Locks and out of which he had four or five wayes to avoid pursuit June iwenty six 1657. Then followed the Protector 's Instalment in a more solemn manner in Westminster-hall than before and the Speaker of the Parliament Sir Thomas Widdrington in the name of the Parliament presented to him a Robe of Purple-velvet a Bible Sword and a Scepter and having made a Speech thereupon the Speaker took the Bible and gave the Protector his Oath Mr. Manton Minister then of Covent-Garden made a Prayer wherein he recommended the Protector Parliament Council the Forces by Sea and Land Government and People of the three Nations to the protection of God Which being ended the Heraulds by Trumpets proclaimed Cromwell Protector of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging requiring all persons to yield him due obedience Then were the attempts of the Royal Party in behalf of his Majesty betrayed and discovered to the Protector and Sir Henry Slingsby Doctor Huet Minister of St. Gregories by Pauls in London Mr. Mordant and others are imprisoned and brought to trial before an High Court of Justice set up under the Presidentship of Commissioner Lisle Sir Henry and the Doctor were the two first that were brought to trial and both of them sentenced to die as Traitors the first upon the bare testimony of those three men who had so treacherously circumvented him which in vain he pleaded the other as a Mute disowning the Authority of the Court and thereupon denying to plead On the eighth of June 1658. they were beheaded on Tower-hill Afterwards on July the seventh Colonel Edward Ashton and John Bettley were hanged and quartered the first in Tower-street the other in Cheapside Cromwell was now again adorned with another success and triumph by the defeat of the Spanish Army and surrender of Dunkirk into his hands Lockart his Kinsman and General of the English Forces being made Governor thereof In August 1658. the Protector was taken sick at Hampton-court having not been well in mind some time before troubled with the last distracted words of his beloved Daughter Cleypole who died on the sixth day of August which went near to his heart After a weeks time his Disease began to shew very desperate symptomes wherefore he was removed to White-hall where his Chaplains kept Fasts for his recovery but having declared his Son Richard his Successor he died on Friday September the third at three of the Clock in the Afternoon The deceased Protector 's Will concerning his Successor being imparted to the Council and chief Officers of the Army they all consent to the election of his Son Richard and the President and whole Council went at once to congratulate him and to condole his Fathers death Then was he proclaimed by the City of London and chief Officers of the Army After the Proclamation the Lord Mayor presented his Sword to him which he presently returned and after some Ceremonies passed the Council and many Officers of the State and of the Army being present Nathanael Fiennes one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal administred an Oath unto him A Gentleman was sent into Ireland who was chief Governor of that Kingdom to acquaint Henry Cromwell with the present posture of Affairs in England and Mr. Thomas Clarges was sent into Scotland to General Monk to see how he stood affected to Richard's advancement Then Addresses were made to the Protector from all parts of the Nation and the Army of Scotland submit to what was was done in England Addresses were also made to the young Protector from all the Regiments of the Army in England Scotland and Ireland and other parts After the pompous solemnity of the Funerals of the late Protector the new Protector summoned a Parliament to meet at Westminster on January twenty seven he endeavours to new model his Council but the Army grows jealous of him and censure him and the factious part of the Army had many seditious meetings and he is perswaded to resign the command of the Army to Fleetwood which he refuseth The General Council of Officers as they called themselves met in Fleetwood's House where they acted with as much formality as if they had been the supreme Legislators of the three Kingdoms At length things came to this issue the young Protector was forced to sign a Commission to Commissioner Fiennes for the dissolving of the Parliament and a Proclamation came forth in the Protector 's name to publish the dissolution of the Parliament Soon after whilst many of the Superiour Officers of the Army met at Wallingford-house in further consideration of a Module of Government Supplem to Sir Rich. Baker's Hist the inferiour Officers being the most numerous assembled in the Chappel at St. Jame's having Doctor Owen and other Independent Ministers to assist at their Devotion and at last declared their forwardness to restore the latter part of the long Parliament and to restore Lambert and the rest of the Officers to their Commands who had been displaced by Oliver Cromwel for disaffection to him Several Colonels were removed from their Regiments and others put in their rooms as likewise Governours of Towns and other Officers Lambert being thus brought again into the Army recovereth much of his former power Then a Declaration of the Officers of the Army was drawn up which invited the Members of the long Parliament who had sate till April the twentieth 1653. to return to the exercise and discharge of their trust They accept of the Invitation and take their places in the House General Monk seems to consent to what was done in England They publish their Intentions by Declaration viz. That they are resolved by God's assistance to endeavour to secure and establish the property and Liberties of the people without a single Person Kingship or House of Peers and shall vigorously endeavour the carrying on of Reformation so much desired to the end there may be a godly and faithful Magistracy and Ministry upheld and maintained in the Nations c. The Officers of the Army
or persons restrained from coming to any City Town Corporate Borough c. or for any other person or persons as shall not first take and subscribe the said Oath and as shall not frequent Divine Service established by the Laws of this Kingdom and carry him or her self reverently decently and orderly there to teach any publick or private School or take any Boarders or Tablers that are taught or instructed by him or her self or any other upon pain for every such offence to forfeit the sum of forty pounds to be recovered and distributed as aforesaid The offender also to be committed for six moneths to prison by two Justices of the Peace of the respective County without Bayl or Mainprize unless upon or before such commitment he shall before the said Justices of the Peace swear and subscribe the aforesaid Oath and Declaration An Act was also passed for uniting Churches in Cities and Towns Corporate which was judged necessary by reason of the great ruine of many Churches and Parishes in the late ill times and otherwise The Parishes to remain distinct as to all Rates Taxes Parochial rights charges and duties and all other Priviledges Liberties and respects whatsoever notwithstanding any such union to be made by vertue hereof It was Enacted That the Patrons of such Churches and Chappels so united shall present by turns onely to that Church which shall remain and be presentative from time to time c. Provided That Parishes having an hundred pounds maintenance per Annum may not be united Incumbents of such united Parishes must be Graduates in some University Owners of Impropriations may bestow and annex maintenance to the Churches where they lye and settle it in trust for the benefit of the said Parsonage or Vicarage without any license of Mortmain It was further Enacted That if the setled maintenance of such Parsonage Vicarage Churches and Chappels so united c. shall not amount to the full sum of one hundred pounds per Annum clear and above all charges and reprizes that then it shall be lawful for the Parson Vicar and Incumbent of the same and his Successors to take receive and purchase to him and his Successors Lands Tenements Rents Tithes or other Hereditaments without any license of Mortmain any Law or Statute to the contrary notwithstanding This year 1665. was a great Plague in London and in the Suburbs thereof of which there died above an hundred thousand persons Anno 1666. On September 2d a Great â—ire arose in London which consumed a great part of the City whereby her beauty was defaced and her glory stained yea the Houses of God themselves became a heap of ruines and a sad spectacle of desolation The Citizens had not been long returned to their Houses which the late devouring Plague had driven them from but now the fire swalloweth up all their habitations and they that had so lately escaped the grave do now see the City it self as it were buried in it's own ruines In October 1667. a Judicature was erected for determination of differences touching Houses burned or demolished by reason of the late fire which hapned in London An Act was passed for Re-building the City of London And that the said Citizens and their Successors for all the time to come may retain the memorial of so sad a desolation and reflect seriously upon their manifold iniquities which are the unhappy causes of such Judgments It was Enacted That the second of September unless the same happen to be the Lord's day and it so then the next day following be yearly for ever hereafter observed as a day of publick Fasting and Humiliation within the said City and Liberties thereof to implore the mercies of Almighty God upon the said City to make devout Prayer and Supplication unto him to divert the like calamity for the time to come And the better to preserve the memory of this dreadful visitation It was further Enacted That a Column or Pillar of Brass or Stone be erected on or as near unto the place where the said Fire so unhappily began as conveniently may be in perpetual remembrance thereof with such Inscription thereon as hereafter by the Mayor and Court of Aldermen be directed It was also further Enacted That the Parish-churches to be Re-builded within the said City of London in lieu of those which were demolished by the late fire should not exceed the number of thirty nine to be set out and appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of London for the time being It was also Provided That the Sites and Materials of such Churches as by this Bill are not to be rebuilt together with the Church-yards belonging to such Churches shall be and are hereby vested in the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London for the time being to the end so much of the said ground as shall not upon the re-building of the said City be laid into the Streets be sold and disposed of by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen or the Major part of them with the consent of the said Archbishop and Bishop of London for the time being and the money raised by such sale shall be by the said Mayor and Aldermen or the major part of them with the consent of the said Archbishop and Bishop disposed of and employed for and towards the rebuilding of such Parish-Churches as by this Act are intended to be rebuilt and for no other use or purpose whatsoever Provided always That any thing in this Act contained shall not extend or be taken to vest or settle the Church of St. Pauls and St. Faiths or any part thereof or the Church of St. Gregory by St. Pauls or any of them or the Church-yards to any of them belonging or appertaining in the Mayor Aldermen and Commons of the City of London or any of them any thing in this Act notwithstanding An additional Act was also made for the rebuilding the City of London uniting of Parishes and rebuilding of the Cathedral and Parochial Churches within the said City An Imposition was charged upon every Tun or Chaldron of Coales and it was provided That three fourth parts of all the moneys which from and after the first day of May 1670. and before the 24th day of June 1677. shall be raised or payable upon the receipt of the said imposition of two shillings for every Chaldron or Tun of Coals or in case of concealment thereof shall be employed and disposed for and towards the rebuilding erecting or repairing of the said Parish-Churches respectively according to such order and direction as by the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Bishop and Lord Mayor of London for the time being or any two of them shall be given in that behalf and the same shall from time to time be issued out and paid accordingly unto such person and persons as they or any two of them shall by Warrant under their hands and seals for that purpose
unto the King that there were many Robberies and Rapes and Murthers to the number of an hundred committed within the Realm by Church-men Thomas Becket Doctor of Canon-law was by the King made Lord Chancellor of England Four years after upon the Death of Theobald Becket was made by the King Archbishop of Canterbury Anno 1160. Thirty Teachers come from Germany into England and taught the right use of Baptism and the Lord's Supper c. and were put to Death Then John of Sarum and others taught that the Roman Church was the Whore of Babylon Some were burnt with an hot Iron at Oxford that dissented from the Roman Church The King Commanded that Justice should be executed upon all Men alike in his Courts but Thomas Becket would have the Clergy so offending judged in the Ecclesiastical Court and by Men of their own Coat This Incensed the King against him To retrench these enormities of the Clergy the King called a Parliament at Clarendon near Sarisbury to confirm the Antient Laws and Customs to which Becket with the rest of the Bishops consented and subscribed them but afterwards recanting his own Act renounced the same The same year the King required to have punishment of some misdoings among the Clergy The Archbishop would not permit and when he saw in his judgement the Liberties of the Church trodden under Foot he without the King's knowledge took Ship and intended toward Rome but by a contrary Wind he was brought back Then he was called to account for his Receipts that came to his hand while he was High-Chancellor He appealeth to the See of Rome and under pain of Excommunication forbad both Bishops and Nobles to give Sentence against him seeing he was both their Father and their Judge Nevertheless they without his consent gave Sentence against him Then he seeing himself forsaken of all the other Bishops lifted the Cross which he held in his Hand aloft and went away from the Court and the next day got him over into Flanders and so to the Pope Matthew Paris hath many Letters betwixt the Pope and this King and the King of France and sundry Bishops of France and England for reconciliation betwixt the King and the Archbishop who abode seven years in exile Thomas Becket quarrelled with Roger Archbishop of York for presuming to Crown Henry the King's Son made joint-King in the Life of his Father a priviledge which Becket claimed as proper to him alone He solemnly resigned his Archbishoprick to the Pope as troubled in Conscience that he had formerly took it as illegally from the King and the Pope again restored it to him whereby all scruples in his mind were fully satisfied But afterward by the Mediation of the French King Becket had leave given him to return into England howsoever the King still retained his Temporals in his Hand on weighty considerations namely to shew their distinct Nature from the Spirituals of the Archbishoprick to which alone they Pope could restore him Thomas returning into England Excommunicateth all the Bishops which had been at the Coronation of the young King The King sent and required him to absolve them seeing what was done to them was done for his Cause but Thomas refuseth The next year after he Excommunicated solemnly the Lord Sackvill appointed by the King Vicar of the Church at Canterbury because he did derogate from the rights of the Church to please the King He also Excommunicated one Robert Brook for cutting off an Horses tail that carried Victuals to the Archbishops House The King being then in Normandy grieved very sore before his Servants at the insolent cariage of Thomas Becket This moved Sir Richard Breton Sir Hugh Morvil Sir William Tracey Sir Reginald Fitz-Vrse to return into England and coming to Canterbury they found the Archbishop in Cathedral Church at three a Clock in the After-noon and calling him Traytor to the King they slew him and dashed his Brains upon the floor His last words when he died were I commend my self and God's Cause unto God and to the blessed Mary and to the Saints Patrons of this Church and to St. Denis Here see the lightness of the People for the same Men that detested the pride of that Thomas began to Worship him after his Death Thus they sang of Thomas Becket Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit By the Blood of Thomas which for Thee he did spend Make us O Christ to climb whither Thomas did ascend Multitudes of People flocked to Canterbury yearly especially on his Jubile or each fifty years after his enshrining an hundred thousand of English and Forreigners repaired thither The Revenues of peoples Offerings amounted to more than six hundred pounds a year Before Becket's Death the Cathedral in Canterbury was called Christ-Church it was afterward called the Church of St. Thomas though since by the demolishing of Becket's shrine the Church hath recovered it's Antient name King Henry protested himself innocent from the Death of Thomas Becket yet was he willing to undergo such a penance as the Pope would impose The Pope made him buy his Absolution at a dear rate He enjoyned him to suffer Appeals from England to Rome to quit his Rights and Claim to the Investitures to keep two hundred Men of Armes in pay for the Holy War of which pay the Popes Assignes were to be the Receivers and that in England they should celebrate the Feast of that glorious Martyr St. Thomas of Canterbury The words of the Bull are these We strictly charge you that you solemnly Celebrate every year the Birth-day of the glorious Martyr Thomas sometime Archbishop of Canterbury that is the day of his passion and that by devout Prayers to him you endeavour to merit the remission of your sins To make the satisfaction compleat King Henry passeth from Normandy into England stayeth at Canterbury strippeth himself naked and is whipped by diverse Monks of whom some gave him five lashes some three Concerning which penance Machiavel speaks thus in the first Book of the Hostory of Florence These things were accepted by Henry Le quali cose furono da Enrico accettare et sotto-Messe si à quel giudicio un tanto Reche hoggi un huomo privato si vergognarebbe sottomersi c. Tanto le cose che paiono sono piu da discosto che d'appresse temute and so great a King submitted himself to that judgement to which a private man in our dayes would be ashamed to submit himself Then he exclaimeth So much things that have some shew are more dreaded afar off than near hand Which he saith Because at the same time the Citizens of Rome expelled the Pope out of the City with disgrace scorning his Excommunication This was done in the year of our Lord 1170. as appeareth by these Verses Anno Milleno Centeno Septuageno Anglorum primas corruit ense Thomas In the year 1179. Lewis King of France
who had entertained Thomas at Sens passed over into England to Worship him and made his Devotions to his Relicks Then Richard Prior of Dover who divided Kent into three Archdeaconries was made Archbishop of Canterbury Fabian saith Fabian in Henry 2. He was a man of evil living and wasted the goods of the Church inordinately A Synod was called at Westminster the Pope's Legat being present thereat where was a great Contention between the two Archbishops of Canterbury and York for Precedency words begat blowes and the Archbishop of Canterbury's party pulled York from his Seat to the ground and tore his Casule Chimer and Rochet from his Back and put the Legat in such fear that he ran away The next day after York Appealeth to Rome Here the Pope interposed and to end old divisions made a new distinction Entitling Canterbury Primate of all England and York Primate of England King Henry died at Chinon in Normandy and was buried with very great Solemnity in the Nunnery of Font-Everard in the same Countrey a Religious House of his own Foundation and Endowment At that time were many Married Priests in Britain His Son Richard the first sirnamed Coeur de Lyon succeeded him and on September 3. was crowned at Westminster of Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury Then this King ordained the City of London to be ruled by two Bailiffs The two first Bailiffs were Henry Chornhil and Richard Fitz-River In the time of the Coronation of the King multitudes of the Jews in this Land were destroyed The King in part of satisfaction for his trespass against his Father for Queen Elianor and his Sons had sided with the King of France against him agreed with Philip the French King to take upon them the recovery of the Holy Land Fabian Chron. King Richard gave over the Castles of Barwick and Roxburgh to the Scottish King for the sum of ten thousand pounds He passed away the Earldom of Northumberland unto Hugh Pudsey Bishop of Durham for a great sum of Money for term of life scoffing that he had made a young Earl of an old Bishop Besides by the commandment of Pope Clement the third a tenth was exacted of the whole Realm Fox Acts and Monuments The King set over the Realm as principal in his absence the Bishop of Ely his Chancellor and the Bishop of Durham whom he ordained to be Chief Justice of England Ely to have custody of the Tower with the oversight of all other parts of the Land on this side Humber and Durham to have charge over all other his Dominions beyond Humber The Pope also made William Bishop of Ely his Legate through all England and Scotland As for Men and Souldiers the Prelates Friars and other Preachers had stirred up innumerable by their manifold exhortations the Archbishop of Canterbury having travelled through Wales in Person for that purpose in Pulpits and private Conferences Then King Richard with some of our English Nobility who adventured their Persons in the Holy War crossed the Seas into France to Philip King thereof After some necessary stayes having passed the River Rhene at Lions they parted company Philip marching over the Alpes into Italy and King Richard to the Sea-side at Marsilia there to meet with his Navy King Richard's Fleet of Ships being not come he embarked himself in twenty hired Galleys and ten great Busses a kind of Shipping then peculiar to the Mediterranean Seas and set Sayl toward Messana in Sicily the Rendezvouz of both the Kings and their Armies In which passage King Richard lying at Anchor on occasion in the mouth of the River Tiber not far from Rome Octavianus the Bishop of Hostia repaired unto him desiring him in the Pope's name that he would visit his Holiness which the King denied to do alleadging that the Pope and his Officers had taken 700 Marks for Consecration of the Bishop of Mains 1500 Marks for the Legative power of William Bishop of Ely but of the Archbishop of Burdeaux an infinite sum of Money whereupon he refused to see Rome King Richard studying to fit himself for the great attempt he had in hand called before him his Archbishops and Bishops that accompanied him into a Chappel at the House where he was lodged where he made a penitent confession of his sins humbly Praying to God for Mercy and them as his subordinate Ministers for Absolution and God saith R. Hoveden respected him with the eyes of Mercy so that from thence-forth he feared God eschewing evil and doing good King Richard sent for Joachim Abbot of Calabria a Man of great Learning and Understanding in the Scriptures who at his coming he heard expounding the Apocalypse of St. John touching the afflictions of the Church and the state of Antichrist which saith he was then born and in the City of Rome of whom the Apostle said He should exalt himself above all that is called God Afterwards at the siege of Acres or Ptolemais in Palestine Radulphus de alta ripa Archdeacon of Colchester ended his Life there also died Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury and Hubert Walter Bishop of Sarisbury afterward Archbishop of Canterbury was a most active Commander there besides many more of the eminent Clergy engaged in that service William Bishop of Ely playd Rex in the King's absence abusing the Royal Authority committed to him Acres was delivered to the King 's of England and France who divided the spoil of that City betwixt them King Richard after this and many other notable Atchievements in Palestine at his return from thence was taken Prisoner by Leopald Duke of Austria and detained by him with hard and Unprince-like usage whil'st the English Clergy endeavoured the utmost for his enlargement His fine was an hundred and fifty thousand Marks to be paid part to the Duke of Austria part to Henry VI. Emperor of Germany Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury with much diligence perfected the work and on his ransom paid King Richard returned into England Hubert Walter Archbishop of Canterbury had almost finished a fair Covent for Monks at Lambeth began by Baldwin his Predecessor but upon the petitions of the Monks of Canterbury to the Pope contrary to the King 's and Archbishop's desire the Covent at Lambeth was utterly demolished As this Richard was the first of the English Kings who bare Armes on his Seals so was he the first who carried in his shield Three Lions Passant born ever after for the Regal Armes of England This King 's daily exercise after his return was to rise early and not to depart from the Church till Divine Service were finished Moreover he bountifully relieved every day much Poor both in his Court and Towns about and restored Gold and Silver to such Churches from which to pay his ransom they had been taken away The Bishop of Beavois being also an Earl of the Royal Blood and the eleventh Peer of France valiantly fighting against John the King's Brother was taken Armed at all points and bravely