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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56127	The antipathie of the English lordly prelacie, both to regall monarchy, and civill unity: or, An historicall collection of the severall execrable treasons, conspiracies, rebellions, seditions, state-schismes, contumacies, oppressions, & anti-monarchicall practices, of our English, Brittish, French, Scottish, & Irish lordly prelates, against our kings, kingdomes, laws, liberties; and of the severall warres, and civill dissentions occasioned by them in, or against our realm, in former and latter ages Together with the judgement of our owne ancient writers, & most judicious authors, touching the pretended divine jurisdiction, the calling, lordlinesse, temporalities, wealth, secular imployments, trayterous practises, unprofitablenesse, and mischievousnesse of lordly prelates, both to King, state, Church; with an answer to the chiefe objections made for the divinity, or continuance of their lordly function. The first part. By William Prynne, late (and now againe) an utter-barester of Lincolnes Inne.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1641 (1641)	Wing P3891A; Wing P3891_vol1; Wing P4074_vol2_CANCELLED; ESTC R18576	670,992	826

unto him● went before him bareheaded to Christ Church from which Church he was attended by the Duke in like ●ort as he was thither ward The Cheere at dinner was as great as for money it might be made with severall Verses Pageants Theaters Sceans and Player-like representations in natu●e o● a Puppet-play made in puffe-past or March-pane before every Course de●cribed more largely by Matthew Parker fitter for a Maske than a Bishops Consecration and savoring of more than Asian Luxurie as this his Suc●essor confesseth Be●ore the first Messe the Duke himselfe came riding into the Hall upon a great Horse bare headed with his white staffe in his han●● and when the first dish was set on the Table made obey ●an●●●●●y bowing his body to the Arch-bishop Such Vassals did ●ho●e proud Popes of Canterbury make the very greatest Nobles as thus to become their Servants and waite upon their Roche●s In this Arch-Bishops time there fell out great contestations and s●ites at Rome betweene him and the Bishops of Winchester London Lincolne Exeter and other his Suffragans touching the Iurisdictions of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury which cost much money After this he and Cardinall Wolsi● who by his power Legatine invaded and swallowed up all the Jurisdiction Rightes of the other Pr●●a●es and of the See of Canterbury had divers contests and bickerings Anno 1512. This Arch-Prelate by an Oration in Parliament against the French King raised up a bloody warre betweene England and France towards which two fifteenes were granted by the temporalty and two tenths by the Clergie after which Anno. 152● When the Commons were assembled in the nether house they began to Commune of their grie●es wherewith the Spiritualty had before time grievously oppressed them both contrary to the Law of the Realme and contrary to all right and in speciall they were sore moved with sixe great causes The first for the excessive fines which the Ordinaries tooke for Probate of Testaments insomuch that Sir Henry Guildford Knight of the Garter and Controller of the Kings house declared in the open Parliament on his fidelity that he and others being Executors to sir William Crompton Knight payed for the Probate of his Will to the Cardinall and the Bishop of Canterbury a thousand Markes sterling After this Declaration where shewed so many extortions done by Ordinaries for Probates of Wills that it were too much to rehearse The second was the great polling and extreame exaction which the Spirituall men used in taking of Corps Presents or Mortuaries For the Children of the desunct should all dye for hunger and goe a begging rather than they would of Charity give to them the seely Cow which the dead man ought if hee had but onely one such was the Charity then The third cause was that Priests being Surveiors Stewards and Officers to Bishops Abbots and other Spirituall heads● had and occupied Farmes Granges and Grasing in every Country so that the poore Husband men could have nothing but of them and yet for that they should pay deerely The fourth cause was that Abbats Priors and Spirituall men kept Tan-houses and bought and fold Wooll Cloath and all manner of Merchandize as other Temporall Merchants did The fifth cause was because that Spirituall Persons promoted to great benefices and having their Livings of their Flocke were lying in the Court in Lords houses and tooke all of the parishioners and nothing spent on them at all so that for lacke of Residence both the poore of the Parish lacked refreshing and universally all the Parishioners lacked Preaching and true● Instruction of Gods Word to the great perrill of their Soules The sixth cause was to see one Priest little learned to have ten or twelve Benefices and to be resident upon none and to know many well learned Scholars in the Universities which were able to preach and teach to have neither Benefice nor exhibition These things before this time might in no wise be touched nor yet talked off by any man except hee would be made an Hereticke or lose all that he had For the Bishops were Chancellors and had all the rule about the King so that no man durst once presume to attempt any thing contrary to their profit or commodity But now when God had illuminated the eyes of the King and that their subtile doings were once espied then men began charitably to desire a Reformation and so at this Parliament men began to shew their grudges Whereupon the Burgesses of the Parliament appointed ●uch as were learned in the Law being of the Commons house to draw one Bill of the Probates of Testaments another for Mortuaries and the third for Non-residence Pluralities and taking of farme● by spirituall men The learned men tooke much paines and first set forth the Bill of Mortuaries which passed the Commons house and was sent up to the Lords To this Bill the Spirituall Lords made a faire face saying that surely Priests and Curats tooke more than they should and therefore it were well done to take some reasonable order thus they spake because it touched them little But within two dayes after was sent up the Bill concerning Probate of Testaments at the which the Arch-bishop of Canterbury in especiall and all other Bishops in generall both frowned and gra●nted for that touched their profit Insomuch as D. Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester said openly in the Parliament Chamber these words My Lords you see dayly what Bills come hither from the Commons house and all is to the destruction of the Church For Gods sake see what a Realme the Kingdome of Bohemia was and when the Church went downe then fell the glory of the Kingdome now with the Commons is nothing but downe with the Church and all this me seemeth is for lacke of faith onely When these words were reported to the Commons of the nether House that the Bishop should say that all their doings were for lacke of faith they tooke the matter grievously for they imagined that the Bishop esteemed them as Heretickes and so by his slanderous words would have perswaded the Temporall Lords to have restrained their consent from the sayd two Bills which they before had passed Wherefore the Commons after long debate determined to send the Speaker of the Parliament to the Kings highnesse with a grievous complaint against the Bishop of Rochester and so on a day when the King was at leasure Thomas Audley speaker for the Commons and thirty of the chiefe of the Commons House came to the Kings presence in his Palace at Westminster which before was called Yorke-place and there very eloquently declared What a dishonour to the King and the Realme it was to say that they which were elected for the wisest men of all the Shires Cities and Boroughs within the Realme of England should be declared in so Noble and open a presence to lack faith which was equivalent to say that they were infidels and no Christians as

Privilegium meretur amittere qui abutitur potestate Now whereas some Object that if the Bishops were put out of the Upper House of Parliament the Clergie could not grant subsidies to the King I answere it is a most grosse mistake for the Clergie ever grant their subsidies in the Convocation not in the Lords house and if the Major part of the Clerkes in Convocation grant subsidies without the Bishops and then send their Bill by which they grant them to the Commons and Lords House to be confirmed as they usually doe if the Commons and Temporall Lords without the Bishops passe it this with the Kings Royall assent will binde all the Clergie and Bishops too So as their presence and votes in Parliament is no wayes necessary for the granting of Subsidies Wherefore they may be thence excluded without any prejudice to the King or Subject if not with great benefit unto both For the third clause of the Objection that the removall of them will breede a great confusion in the Common and Statute Law I answere first that the same Objection might have beene made for the continuance of the Pope and Popery yea against the severall Statutes for Creating estate Tayles levying of Fines Vses Devises Ioyntures and the like which bred greater alterations in the Common and former Statute Lawes than the removing of Bishops can doe Secondly that one Act of Parliament ●nabling certaine Commissioners to execute all those Legall Acts which Bishops usually did will prevent all this pretended confusion so that this part of the Objection is scarce worthy answere For the fourth clause that the King by his Coronation Oath is sworne to preserve to the Bishops and their Churches all their Canonicall priviledges and to protect and defend to his power the Bishops and Churches under his government I answere First that this Oath was at first cunningly devised and imposed on our Kings by our Bishops themselves out of a policy to engage our Princes to maintaine them in their usurped authority possessions and Jurisdictions which had no foundation in the Scripture and to captivate our Kings to their pleasures as the Popes by such a kind of Oath enthralled the Emperours to their Vassallage Secondly that this Oath was first invented by Popish Prelates and meant onely of them and their Popish Church and Priviledges and so cannot properly extend to our Prelates if Protestants Thirdly this Oath doth no way engage the King to defend and maintaine our Bishops if the Parliament see good cause to extirpate them For as the King and Judges who are obliged by their Oathes to maintaine and execute all the Lawes of the Realme are not bound by their Oath to continue former inconvenient Lawes from alteration or repeale or to execute them when repealed for then all ill Lawes should be unalterable and irrepealeable So the King by this his Oath is no wayes obleiged to defend protect and preserve the Bishops if there be good cause in point of piety and policy to suppresse them especially when any of them prove delinquents For as Bishops and other Subjects by their misdemeanours may put themselves out of the Kings Protection and forfeite both their goods lives and estates notwithstanding this Coronation Oath So by the same reason when Bishops and Bishoprickes by their misdemeanours prove intolerable grievances both to Church and State as now they have done they have thereby deprived themselves of the Kings Protection and de●ence specified in this Oath● and thereupon may be justly suppressed by the King and State without the least violation of this most solemne Oath as Abbots Monkes and Sanctuaries were Having thus removed all the principall Objections for the continuance of our Lordly Prelates I shall in the last place answere one Evasion whereby our present Lord Bishops thinke to shift off this Antipathy from themselves as having no relation at all to them They say that those Prelates whose Treasons Rebellions Seditions Oppressions and Antimonarchicall practises I have here collected were Popish Bishops Limbes of that body whose head they all abjure the fault of their wickednesse was in the Popery not in the Episcopacy in the men not the calling and so utterly unconcerneth them and haveth no reflection at all on them who are generally taxed for being excessive royalists and siding too much with the King and Court To this I answere first that most of all the premised rebellious disloyall seditious extravagant actions of our Bishops have proceeded from them onely as Lordly not Popish Prelates and issued from their Episcopacy not their Popery their Prelaticall functions not personall corruptions as the Histories themselves sufficiently demonstrate Secondly I answer that some of the recited Bishops were no Papists but Protestants who were no limbes of that body of Rome whose head our Bishops say they have abjured therefore it is evident that their Episcopall function not their Religion was the ground both of their disloyalties and extravagancies Thirdly I suppose our Prelates will not renounce Arch-Bishop Laud Bishop Wren Peirce Mountague and other of their fellow Bishops yet alive or lately dead as Popish Prelates and members of the Church of Rome as some account them yet their impious seditious oppressive prophane not trayterly Actions equall or exceede many of our Popish Arch-Bishops and Bishops as he that will but compare them may easily discerne It is not then the leaven of Popery but of the Lordly Prelacy it selfe which infected our Bishops and made them so treacherous and impious in all ages It is true indeed that Popery some of whose positions are treasonable and seditious and dependency upon the Pope hath made some of our Bishops more disloyall and Rebellious than otherwise they would have beene as is evident by the first proceeding of Stephen Langhton and his confederates against King Iohn but yet afterward when the Pope sided with King Iohn and Henry the third against Langton and the other Bishops who stirred up the Barons Warres these Bishops continued as trayterous and rebellious to these Kings as ever they were before whiles they adhered to the Pope and the Pope to them therefore their Hierarchy the cause of all these stirs not their Popery was the ground worke of their Treachery and enormities Now because our present Prelates boast so much of their loyalty to his Majestie whose absolute Civill Royall prerogative they have lately overmuch courted and endeavored to extend beyond due limits to the impeachment of the Lawes and Subjects hereditary liberties not out of any zeale to his Majesties service but onely to advance their owne Episcopall power and Jurisdiction and to usurpe a more than Royall or Papall authority over all his Majesties Subjects for the present and over himselfe at last I shall make bold to present them with some particular instances whereby I shall demonstrate that all or most of our present Lordly Bishops have beene more seditious contumacious disloyall and injurious to his

done for them before when the Commons in this Parliament required that all such Lands and revenues which sometime belonged to the Crowne and had beene given away by the King or by his predecessors King Edward or King Richard should be restored againe to the Kings use unto which request the Arch-Bishop and other the Prela●es would in no wise consent Thus by this Arch-Bishop Arundel that Petition of the Commons the ●pirituall Temporalities came to naught Afterwards in an other Parliament Anno 1410. the Commons of the ●ower House exhibited a Bill to the King and Lords of the Upper House containing in effect as followeth To the most excellent Lord our King and to all the Nobles in this present Parliament assembled your faithfull Commons doe ●umbly signifie that our Soveraigne Lord the King might have of the Temporall possess●ons Lands and Tenements which are lewdly spent consumed and wasted by the Bishops Abbots and Priors within this Realme so much in value as would suffice to finde and sustaine an 150. Earles 1500. Knights 6200. Esquires and 100. Hospitals more than now be which is more largely and particularly related in Fabian The King as some write mis-liked the motion and therefore commanded that from thenceforth they should not presume to study about any such matters Another thing the Commons then sued to have granted to them but could not obtaine That Clerkes convict should no● thenceforth bee delivered to Bishops Prisons Moreover they demanded to have the Stat●te either revoked or qualified which had beene enacted without their consent in the Second yeare of this Kings raigne against such as were reputed to be Heretickes or Lollards But the King seemed so highly to favour the Clergie that the Commons were answered plainely that they should not come by their purpose but rather that the said statute should be made more rigorous and sharpe for the punishment of such persons and all this by meanes of this bloodly Arch-Bishop Arundel of whom we have heard sufficient Henry Chichely being elected Arch Bishop by the Monks of Canterbury with the Kings consent immedia●ly after Arundels death hee refused to accept of this their Legall election and against the expresse Statutes of the Realme touching Provisions and Premuni●es accepted of the See onely by Colla●ion from Pope Iohn the 23. in affront both of the King and those Lawes which the Pope endeavored in vaine to get repealed and therefore opposed in point of practise all that he might reserving by a Decree of the Councell of Constance all vacancie to his own dispo●all bestowing all the Bishoprickes of England as soon as they were voyd at his own pleasure by the Arch-Bishops connivence in affront of the Lawes and the Kings royall Edicts This Arch-Prelate published throughout his Province Pope Martins Bulls for the extirpation of the Wicklevists and Hussites by force of armes and promised the same Indulgences to those who should take up the Crossado and warre against them as those enjoyed who went to the holy Land to fight against the Sarecens For which good service the same yeare Anno 1429. he received the Title of the Cardinall Presbyter of S. Eusebius●rom ●rom Pope Martin the 5. who also created him his Legate here in England without the Kings privity and contrary to Law But to colour the businesse lest he should seeme to receive that power Legatine without the Kings permission and Licence against the Lawes and Customes of the Realme one Richard Condray was made the Kings procurer that hee might appeale to the next generall Councell from all injuries grievances and prejudices offered or to be offered by the Pope or Court of Rome to the King and the Kingdome There●ore as soon as it was known that the Arch-Bishop had received this Legatin power without the Kings privity or licence Condray made this appeale to Humfrey Duke of Gloster Lord Protector and others o● the Kings privie Councell in writing In which he expressed that no Legate of the Sea Apostolicke ought to come into the Kingdome of the King of England or other his Lands or Dominions but at the vocation petition requisition or intreaty o● the King of England for the time being the Roman Pontifex tolerating and consenting thereto as well tacitely as expresly in which appeale notwithstanding if the sayd Arch Bishop not as a Legate but as a Cardinall would say open or propound any thing from the Pope to the King it might be lawfull for him to doe it In which the King would so farre assi●t as he migh● doe it by the Lawes and Priviledges of his royall Crowne and of his famous Kingdome of England The appeale being read the Arch-Bishop in the presence of the Prelates and Nobles there present confessed and protested That it was not nor is nor should be his intention by his entring into England nor by any things done or to be done by him spoken or to be spoken for to exercise the Legatine power which hee had undertaken without the Kings permission or to derogate in any thing from the rights priviledges liberties or customes of the King or Kingdome or t● contradict ●hem but to preserve defend maintaine and roborate all and every of them By this device he deluded both the King Counsell and Lawes how well hee kept this his protestation his subsequent Acts will evidence For immediately after hee made a Synodicall Constitution That no married man or Lay man should exercise any Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction or be Iudge or Register in any Ecclesiasticall Court in causes of correction of the soule under paine of incurring the greater excommunication ipso facto if they offered to intermeddle in any of the premises cont●a●y to the Councels prohibition which further makes voyd all citations processe and Acts whatsoever had and made by Laymen in the Cases aforesayd and suspends all Ordinaries from the exercise of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and ingresse into the Church who should grant any married or Lay man power to exercise any Ecclesiasticall Office or authority under them What the true intent of this Arch-Prelates Constitution was and how farre this Decree intrenched upon the Kings Prerogative Royall appeares by the Statute of 37. H. 8. c. 17. made purposely to repeale this Constitution which I shall here insert In most humble wise shew and declare unto your highnesse your most faithfull humble and obedient Subjects the Lords Spirituall and Temporall aud the Commons of this present Parliament assembled that whereas your Majesty is and hath alwayes justly beene by the Word of God supreame head in Earth of the Church of England and hath full power and authority to correct punish and represse all manner of Heresies errours vices abuses Idolatries hypocrisies and Superstitions● springen and growing within the same and to exercise all manner of Iurisdictions commonly called Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction Neverthelesse the Arch-Bishop of Rome and his adherents minding utterly as much as in him lay to abolish ob●cure

ill as Turkes or Sarazens so that what paine or study soever they tooke for the Common wealth or what Acts or Lawes soever they made or stablished should be taken as Lawes made by Painims and Hea●hen People and not worthy to be kept by Christian men Wherefore he most humbly beso●ght the Kings Highnesse to call the sayd Bishop before him and to cause him to speake more discreetly of such a number as was in the Commons-house The King was not well contented with the saying of the Bishop yet he gently answered the Speaker that he would send for the Bishop and send them word what answere he made and so they departed againe After this the King sent for the Archbishop of Canterbury and sixe other Bishops and for the Bishop of Rochester also and there declared to him the grudge of the Commons to the which the Bishop answe●ed that he meant the doings of the Bohemians was for lacke of Faith and not the doings of them that were in the Commons House Which saying was confirmed by the Bishops being present who had him in great reputation and so by that onely saying the King accepted his excuse and thereof sent word to the Commons by Sir VVilliam-Fitz-VVilliams Knight Treasurer of his Household which blind excuse pleased the Commons nothing at all After divers assemblies were kept betweene certaine of the Lords and certaine of the Commons for the Bills of Probates of Testaments and the Mortuaries the Temporalty layd to the Spiritualty their owne Lawes and Constitutions and the Spiritualty sore defended them by prescription and usage to whom this answer was made by a Gentleman of Grayes-Inne The usage hath ever beene of theeves to Rob on Shooters-hill Ergo is it Lawfull With this answere the Spiritual men were sore offended because their doings were called robberies But the Temporall men stood still by their sayings insomuch that the said Gentleman said to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury that both the exaction of Probates of Testaments and the taking of Mortuaries as they were used were open Robbery and theft After long disputation the Temporall Lords began to leane to the Commons but for all that the Bills remained unconcluded for a while The King like a good and discreete Prince not long after ayded them for the redresse of their griefes against the Spiritualty and caused two new Bills to be made indifferently both for the Probates of Testaments and Mortuaries which Bills were so reasonable that the Spirituall Lords assented to them all though they were sore against their minds and in especiall the Probates of Testaments sore displeased the Bishops and the Mortuaries sore displ●ased● the Parsons and Vicars After these acts thus agreed the Commons made another Act for Pluralities of benefices Non-Residence buying selling and taking of Farmes by Spirituall Persons which Act so displeased the Spiritually that the Priests railed on the Commons of the Common house and called them Heretickes and Schismatickes ●or the which divers Priests were punished This Act was sore deba●ed above in the Parliament Chamber and the Lords Spirituall would in no wise consent Wherefore the King perceiving the grudge of his Commons c●used ●i●ht Lords and eight of his Commons to mee●e in the S●a●●●h●●●er a● an after-noone and there was sore debating of the cause insomuch that the Temporall Lords of the Upper house which were there ●ooke part with the Commons against the Spirituall Lords and by force of reason caused them to assent to the ●ill with a little qualifying Which Bill the● next day was wholly agreed to in the Lords house to the great rejoycing● of the Lay people and to the great displeasure of the Spirituall persons● Immediately after this not onely Cardinall VVol●e himselfe but the Arch-bishop and whole Cle●gi● of ●●gland were brought into a Pr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this Parliamen● the Cardinall for accepting of a power Legati●e from th● Pope contrary to the Lawes of the Realme and the 〈◊〉 of the Cl●●●i● for consenting and submitted thereunto and holding a Synode by vertue of i● to avoid this danger and purchase a pardon the Clergie of the Province of Canterbury pro●fered to give the King one h●ndred thousand pounds and the Clergie of the Province of Yorke 18000 ●ounds more but the King would not accept of this summe unlesse they would declare him in the Act by which they granted him this subsidie to be supreame head of the Church of England here on earth next under Christ but proceeded to take the forfeiture of the Premunire against them This put the Prelates the Popes sworne vassals to a great Dilemma for either they must plainly renounce the Popes usurped supremacie or the Kings mercy and fall under the lash of a Premunire whereby all their Bishoprickes goods livings were for●eited to his Majestie and their lives and liberties at his devotion Loath were the Bishops to forsake their old Lord the Pope whose servants they had beene so long and therefore they used all delayes and adjournments to spin out the time and delude the King but hee would not be mocked by them At last therefore they agreed upon this recognition Wee acknowledge the Kings Majestie to be the singular Protector the supreame Lord and likewise supreame head of the Church and Clergie of England so farre forth as it is lawfull for him to be by the Lawes of Christ. But the King much offended with this ambiguous dubious and equivocating acknowledgement which in truth was no concession of what he demanded required them to make a full and plaine acknowledgement of his supremacie in direct and positive termes without ambiguity or shifts or else to denie and conclude against it and incur●e the penalty of the Premunire Being thus put to it the Archbishop and Bishops hereupon made many adjournments of the Convocation and at last put it over from Aprill to the fifth of October to ●hunne the rocke on which they were like to split themselves or their holy Father the Pope in which space the Archbishop died At last they agreed to give the King the Title he desired and inserted it into a publike instrument Whereupon the King at last granted them a generall pardon in Parliament which begins thus The King our Soveraigne Lord calling to his blessed and most gracious remembrance that his good and loving sub●ects the most Reverend Father in God the Archbishop of Can●erbury and other Bishops Suffragans Prelates and other spirituall persons of the Province of the Archbishopricke of Canterbury of this his Realme of England and the Ministers under-written which have exercised practised or executed in spirituall Courts and other jurisdictions within the said Province have fallen and incurred into divers dangers of his Lawes by things done perpetrated and committed contrary to the order of his Lawes and sp●●ially contrary to the forme of the Statutes of Provisours Provisions and Premunire and his Highnesse having alway a tender eye with mercy pitty and compassion ●owards his spirituall

that are full of falshood of scandals such as have beene more worthy to be burnt by the hand of the Hangman in Smit●field as I thinke one of them was than to be admitted to come into the hands of the Kings people 10. In the tenth Article it will appeare how he having made these aproaches to Popery comes now to close and joyne more neerely with it he confederates with Priests and Jesuites He by his instruments negotiates with the Pope at Rome and hath correspondence with th●m that ●e authorized from Rome here He hath permitted a Romane Hierarchie to be set up in this Kin●dome And though he hath beene so care●ull that a poore man could not goe to the neighbour Parish to heare a Sermon when he had none at home could not have a Sermon repeated nor Prayer used in his owne Family but hee was a ●it subject for the High Commission Court yet the other hath beene done in all parts of the Realme and no notice taken of it by any Ecclesiasticall Judges or Courts My Lords 11. You may perceive Preaching suppressed in the eleventh divers godly and Orthodox Ministers oppressed in their persons and Estates you have the Kings loyall subjects banished out of the Kingdome not as ●lime●ecke to seeke for bread in forraine Countries by reason of the great scarcity which was in Israel but travelling abroad for the bread of life because they could not have i● at home by reason of the spirituall ●amine of Gods Word caused by this man and his partakers And by this meanes you have had the trade the Manufactury the industry of many thousands of his Majesties subjects carried out of the Land It is a miserable abuse of the spirituall Keyes to shut up the doores of heaven and to open the gates of hell to let in prophanenesse ignorance superstition and errour I shall neede say no more These things are evident and abundantly knowne to all 12. In the twelfth Article my Lords you have a division endeavoured betweene this and the forraine reformed Chur-Churches The Church of Christ is one body and the Members of Christ have a mutuall relation as members of the same body Unity with Gods true Church every where is not onely the beauty but the strength of Religion of which beauty and strength he hath sought to deprive this Church by his manifold attempts to breake this union To which purpose hee hath suppressed the priviledges granted to the Dutch and French Churches He hath denyed them to be of the same Faith and Religion with us and many other wayes hath he declared his malice to those Churches 13. In the thirteenth Article as he hath sought to make an Ecclesiasticall division or religious difference betweene us forraine Nations so he hath sought to make a Civill diffeence betweene us and his Majesties subjects of the Kingdome of S●otland And this he hath promoted by many innovations there prest by himselfe and his owne authority when they were uncapable of such altera●ions He advised his Majesty to use violence He hath made private and publicke Collections towards the maintenance of the warre which he might justly call his owne wa●re And with an impudent boldnesse hath struck Tallies in the Exchequer for divers summes of money procured by himselfe Pro defensione Regni when by his Counsels the King was drawne to undertake not a Defensive but an Offnsive Warre 14. He hath lastly thought to secure himselfe and his party by seeking to undermine Parliaments and thereby hath laboured to bereave this Kingdome of the Legisla●ive power which can onely be used in Parliaments and that we should be left a Kingdome without that which indeede makes and constitutes a Kingdome and is the onely Meane to preserve and restore it from distempers and decayes He hath hereby endeavoured to bereave us of the highest Judicatory such a Judicatory as is necessary and essentiall to our government Some Cases of Treason and others concerning the Prerogative of the Crowne and liberty of the People It is the supreame Judicatory to which all difficult Cases resort from other Courts He hath sought to deprive the Ki●g of the Love and Counsell of his People of that assistance which he might have from them and likewise to deprive the People of that reliefe of grievance● which they most humbly ●xpect from his Majesty My Lords The Parliament is the Cabbinet wherein the chiefest Jewels both of the Crown Kingdome are deposited The great Prerogative of the King and the liberty of the People are most effectually exercised and maintained by Parliaments Here my Lords you cannot passe by this occasion of great thankes to God and his Majesty for passing the Bill whereby the frequent course of Parliaments is established which I assure my selfe he will by experience finde to be a strong foundation both of his honour and of his Crowne This is all my Lords I have to say to the particulars of the Charge The Commons desire your Lordships that they may have the same way of Examination that they had in the Case of the Earle of Strafford That is to examine members of all kindes of your Lordships House and their owne and others as they shall see cavse And those Examinations to be kept secret and private that they may with more advantage be made use of when the matter comes to tryall They have declared that they reserve to themselves the power of making Additionall Articles by which they intend to reduce his Charge to be mor● particular and certaine in respect of the severall times occasion and other circumstances of the Offences therein Charged And that your Lordships would bee pleased to put this Cause in such a quicke way of proceeding that these great and dangerous Crimes together with the offendors may be brought to a just Judgement To these Articles of the Commons house I might here annex those of the Scottish Commissioners against this Arch-Prelate but I reserve them to a fitter place and shall onely for a Corollary add Mr. Grymstons Printed speech in Parliament against this Arch-Bishop to Mr. Pymmes pretermitting all others of this Nature for brevitie sake Mr. Grymstones Speech in Parliament upon the accusation and impeachment of VVILLIAM LAVD Archbishop of Canterbury of High Treason Mr Speaker THere hath beene presented to ●he House a most faithfull and exact report of the conference we had with the Lords yesterday together with the opinion of the Committees that were imployed in that service That they conceived it fit the Arch-bishop of Canterbury should be sequestred I must second ●he motion and with the favour of the House I shall be bold to offer my reasons why I conceive it more necessary we should proceede a little further than the desire of a bare sequestration onely Mr. Speaker long introductions are not sutabl● to weighty businesse we are fallen upon the great man the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury looke upon him as he is in his Highnesse and hee is the s●ye of

Private men their Episcopacy making none of them to preach or write more than otherwise they would have done but lesse as experience manifests So that their Bishoprickes made them not to doe more good but rather hindred them to doe so much good as they would have done had they still continued private Ministers onely For the second that they are one of the greatest States of the Land setled by many Acts of Parliament and necessary members of the Parliament which cannot well be held without them I answere first that our Lord Abbots and Priors might and did pleade this as well as Bishops yet this was held no Plea at all no not in times of Popery and shall we allow it now in times of clearer light Secondly the wohle body of Popery it selfe together with the Pope his Popish Clergie Orders and Ceremonies were all setled among us by sundry Acts of Parliament and the Statutes of Magna Charta c. 1. with all other Acts of Parliament since enacting that holy Church or the Church of England Bishops and Churchmen shall enjoy● all their ●ranchises Rights Liberties Priviledges c● are meant onely of our Popish Prelates Abbots Priors Monks Nunnes Masse-Priests and of exemption from secular Jurisdiction Sanctuaries with other Anti-Monarchicall priviledges granted to them by Kings Popes or Parliaments in times of Popery shall then our Popish Recusants or any other argue thence therefore it is fit that Popery with all Popish orders Bishops Sanctuaries and exemptions should be now revived and perpetuated among us because established by so many Lawes If this be no argument for the continuance of Popery or Popish Prelates who were principally established by these objected Lawes then certainely it can be no good Plea for the continuance of such of our Prelates who are true Protestants whom most of these Acts never established nor intended to continue Thirdly It is a rule in Philosophy and Law Eodem modo quo quid constituitur dissolvitur Since therefore our Lordly Bishops were first erected and constituted such Bishops and States of the Land by Acts of Parliament onely not by any divine institution which prohibits them all such secular Lordly Soveraignty and dominion as I have largely manifested in the premises They may lawfully without any injury or inconvenience by an Act of Parliament be unbishopped unlorded againe and thrust out of our Church as well as the Pope Abbots Priors Monkes and Masse-Priests were upon the reformation of Religion both at home and in forraine parts As for our Prelates necessity of sitting in Parliament I answer First that though they have beene anciently admitted to ●it in Parliament yet there is no necessity of their sitting there seeing it hath beene long since resolved and Bishop Iuell with Bishop Bilson confesse and prove at large that a Parliament may be and some Parliaments have beene kept without Bishops as I have formerly demonstrated Secondly many ●imes all some or a great part of our Bishops have beene secluded the Parliament and yet this hath beene no impeachment to the proceedings there In the Parliament 〈◊〉 Saint Edmonds-bury Anno 1296. all the Bishops were brought in a Premunire and secluded the House In King Edward the sixt his time Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester and Bonner Bishop of London were sequestred and kept out of the House In the first yeare of Q●eene Mary all the Married Protestant Bishops and in the first of Queene Elizabeth many of the Popish Prelates were secluded and thrust out of the Parliament yea many Parliaments have beene held when one or both the Arch-Bishoprickes with many other Bi●hoprickes have beene voyd and no Proxies admitted to supply their places All which proves that there is no necessity of their Session there and that all of them may be excluded thence at all times as well as all of them at sotimes and most of them at others Thirdly our Bishops sit not in the Parliament Bishops● but as they a●e Barons and hold by Barony as is cleere both by our Histories Law Bookes and their owne confessions Now most of them at this day are no Barons nor hold of the King by Barony therefore they have no legall Right to sit there being no Peers of the Realme nor yet to be tryed by their Peers in case of Treason or Felony but onely by an Ordinary Jury as hath been adjudged in our Law Bookes practised in point of experience Fourthly Abbots and Priors who were spirituall Lords of Parliament as well as Bishops and more than treble in number to them have beene long since suppressed and cast out of the house without any prejudice Therefore Bishops by the same reason may be suppressed and put out of Parliament without any inconvenience being sewer in number ●han they Fifthly In cases of Felony and Treason the Bishops by their owne Lawes and practise neither are nor ought to be present in the House nor to give any vote at all but onely the Temporall Lords And in cases of Lands and possessions or in passing of Lawes for the Civill Government of the Realme they have no judiciary nor Legislative power at all as Bishop Bilson and others forecited prove at large therefore their Session in Parliament is not necessary nor expedient by way of vote Sixthly the Temporall Lords and Prelates make but one house and if all the Bishops be dead or absent or if present if all the Temporall Lords vote one way and the Bishops the lesser number another the vote is good Therefore their presence and votes in Parliament are nor simply necessary and may be spared withou● any mischiefe or inconvenience Seventhly if reason might determine this con●roversie I suppose every man will grant that it is farre more necessary reasonable and expedient that the Judges Sergeants and Kings Councell learned in the Lawes of the Realme and best able to descide all legall controversies and to make good Lawes to redresse all mischiefes should have votes in Parliament than Bishops yet we know they have no votes at all by way of descition because no Barons nor Peers of the Realm but onely by way of direction and advice when their Judgements are demanded Why then our Bishops especially those who are no Barons as few or none of them are should not now be ranked in equipage with the Judges and have no other but a directive not voting descitive or Legislative voyce in Parliament I thinke no reason can be given and indeede many thinke there is little reason why they should have any votes at all since ancient that I say not present experience manifests that they crosse or oppose all or most good Bills and motions for the advancement of religion and reformation of Ecclesiasticall abuses and for the most part vote with the Popish Lords or worser side against the better and so by Pope Gregory his owne rule approved by Bishop Iewel ought to lose their priviledge of voting Quia

matter hath beene wondrous craftily conveyed for at the beginning the Bishops were not sworne so straitely unto the Pope as now For I doe reade in the ●ime of Gregory the third which w●s in the yeare of our Lord 759. how their oath was no more but to sweare for to keepe the faith of our Holy Church and to abide in the unity of the same and not to consent for any man● pleasure to the contrary to promise also to seeke the profits of the Church of Rome And if any Bishops did live against the old Statutes of Holy Fathers with him they should have no conversation but rather forbid it if they could or else truely to shew the Pope of it This Oath continued a great many of yeares till that a mortall hatred sprang betweene the Emperour and the Pope for confirming of Bishops then as many Bishops as were confirmed by the Pope did sweare the Oath that I have first written For this Oath that Gregory maketh mention of was not sufficient● because that by it the Bishops were not bound to betray their Princes not to revela●e their Counsailes to the Pope The which thing the Pope must needes know or else he could not bring to passe his purpose that is to say he could not be Lord over the world and cause Emperours and Kings to fetch their confirmations of him and to kneele downe and kisse his feete The which when he had brought to passe he proceeded further adding more things to the Bishops Oath● to the maintaining of his worldly honour and dignity as it shall afterward appeare But first we will examine this Oath how it standeth with Gods Word and with the true obedience to our Prince I pray you tell me out of what Scripture or else out of what example of our Master Christ and his Holy Apostles you have taken this doctrine to learne to sweare to S. Peter or else to the Church of Rome or else to the Pope What neede you to sweare to S. Peter ye can neither doe him good by your fidelity no● yet hurt by your falshood Oathes be taken that he that the Oath is made unto might be sure of the true helpe and su●cour of him that sweareth against all men that could hurt him Now S. Peter hath none enemies and though he had yet is not he afraid of them neither can you helpe him nor deliver him if he had neede But the verity is that good S. Peter must here stand in the fore-front to make men afrayd with and to make men beleeve that you are his friends but God knoweth that you neither favour his person learning nor living For if S. Peters person were here with his net on his necke I thinke you would bid him walke begger if you called him not Hereticke Why doe you not swe●re to follow his living and to preach and teach his Doctrine but that maketh nothing for your purpose Therefore you sweare all onely ●o Saint Peters name But wherein will you be faithfull to Saint Peter to maintaine his worldly honours dignities or riches you know well he saith that he hath forsaken all these things for Christs sake and for these things I thinke he will require none Oath of you Wherefore if you will needes be faithfull and sworne unto S. Peter it must be in maintaining and in defending spirituall things as preaching of Christs Gospell purely and sincerely ministring truely after the institution of our Master Christ the blessed Sacraments of holy Church and in vertuous living giving example to the Holy Church of Christ. But now if this be your Oath truely you are perjured and worthy to weare Papers for you doe reckon your selves too high and too honourable to goe about such simple things as these be And therefore you have applyed your selves to other greater matters as to Christening of Bells to hallowing of Churches to blessing of Candles to consecrating of Holy Oyle to hallowing of Chalices vestments and A●tars and to giving 40. dayes of pardon to them that receive your blessings in the streete and to some that visite Holy Saints and such like great matters which pertaine nothing to your Oath Wherefore I doe reckon that after the true forme of your Oath we have but few Bishops but that be perjured or abjured call it what you will both against God against S. Peter and against their Prince It followeth And to the Holy Church of Rome What needeth this what good can you doe to the Church of Rome or what profit is it to her that you sweare thinke you that ●he will compell you by your Oath to be true to her then must she needes sue you of perjury if you breake your Oath But marke how the Church of Rome is set in your Oath as the better person before the Pope wherefore it must needes follow that the Pope is under the Church and lesse than the Church and no head of the Church except you will make him a third person ye● neither pertaineth to S. Peter nor yet to holy Church but is a thing of himselfe and as your Law saith neither God nor man but middle betweene them both that is as much to say after my learning as the Devill himselfe But what meaneth it that you sweare onely to the Holy Church of Rome will you be traytors to the Holy Church of Constantinople or else to the Holy Church of England Or doe you thinke other Churches not holy tell us what you meane for it seemeth a marveilous thing and also a speciall thing that you make such an Oath all onely to the Holy Church of Rome naming none other Church Why are you not rather sworne to keep and to feede to nourish and to be true to your owne Church of the which you have taken cure and charge As S. Peter commandeth you See that you feede Christs flocke which is among you For of these you have taken your name living and dignity you are called Bishop of Winchester of London and of Lincolne and of these you are Fed but these be forgotten in your Oath and these you little regard but to maintaine the Holy Church of Rome that giveth you never a penny but robbeth all other Churches you must be ●●raitely sworne And why Antichrist must have a cloake for his Treason For now if he be a Traytor he is to be excused Why for he is sworne to it But shall I tell you what I doe take out of it The truth is that you sweare to betray to kill and slay all members of all other Churches saving those that live after the whoredome and mischief that is used in Rome For if you should be bound to seeke out in Rome Christened men and those that doe live after the living of the holy Church I thinke you should finde but few yea and unto those you would thinke scorne to be sworne Ergo it must follow that you are sworne to the worst sort of Rome and that

then men of warre yea I am sure that many of their Mothers would have beene ashamed of so nice and wanton array Howbeit they went not to make warres but peace for ever and a day longer But to speake of the pompous apparells of my Lord himselfe and of his Chaplaines it passeth the Twelve Apostles I dare sweare that if Peter and Paul had seene them suddenly and at a blush they would have been harder in beliefe that they or any such should bee their successours then Thomas Didimus was to beleeve that Christ was risen againe from death When all was concluded betweene the king of France and ours that Thomas Wolsie had devised and when the Prelates of both parties had cast their penny-worths against all chances and devised remedies for all mischiefes then the right Reverend Father in God Thomas Cardinall and Legate would goe see the young Emperour newly chosen to the roome and have a certaine secret communication with some of his Prelates also And gat him to Bridges in Flanders where hee was received with great solemnitie as might belong to so great a pillar of Christs Church and was saluted at the entring into the Towne of a merry Fellow which said Salve Rex Regis tuì atque Regni sui Hayle both King of thy King and of his Realme And though there were never so great strife betweene the Emperour and the French king yet my Lord Cardinall jugled him favour of them both and finally brought the Emperour to Cales to the kings Grace where was great triumph and great love and amitie shewed on both parties insomuch that a certaine man marvelling at it asked the old Bishop of Durham How it might be that we were so great with the Emperor so shortly upon so strong and everlasting a peace made betweene us and the French men the Emperour and the king of France being so mortall enemies My Lord answered That it might be well enough if hee wist all but there was a certaine secret said hee whereof all men knew not yea verily they have had secrets this 800. yeares which though all the Lay-men have felt them yet few have spied them save a few Judases which for lucre have beene confederate with them to betray their owne kings and all other Then were wee indifferent and stood still and the Emperour and the French king wrastled together and Ferdinandus the Emperours Brother wan Millaine of the Frenchmen and the Emperour Turnay our great Conquest which yet after so great cost in buil●●●● a Castle we delivered up againe unto the Frenchmen in earnest and hope o a marriage betweene the Dolphine and our Princesse After that ●●e Emperour would into Spaine and came through England where hee was received with great honour and with all that pertaineth to love and amitie The Kings Grace lent him Monie and promised him more and the Emperour should tarry a certaine time and marry our Princesse not that the Card●nall intended that thou maist be sure for it was not profitable for their Kingdome but his minde was to dally with the Emperour and to keepe him without a wife insomuch as hee was young and lustie hee might have beene nozeled and entangled with Whores which is their nurturing of Kings and made so effeminate and beastly that hee should never have beene able to lift up his heart to any goodnesse or vertue that Cardinalls and Bishops might have administred his Dominions in the meane time unto our Holy Fathers profit The King of France hearing the favour that was shewed unto the Emperour sent immediately a Defiance unto our King not without our Cardinals and Bishops counsell thou mayst well witt For Frenchmen are not so foolish to have done it so unadvisedly and so rashly seeing they had too many in their tops already Then our King spake many great words that he would drive the French King out of his Realm or else the French King should drive him out of his But had he added as the Legate Pandulph taught King Io●n with the Popes License his words had sounded much better For there can no vow stand in effect except the Holy Father confirmed it Wee sent out our Souldiers two Summers against the French men unto whose chiefe Captaines the Cardinall had appointed how farre they should goe and what they should doe and therefore the French king was nothing a●raid but brought all his power against the Emperour in other places and so hee was ever betrayed And thus the Cardinall was the Empero●rs Friend openly and the French Kings secretly For at the meeting with the French King beside Ca●es hee utterly betrayed the Emperour yet for no love that h●e had to France but to help the Pope and to have beene Pope happily and to save their Kingdome which treason though all the World smelled it y●●● brake not out openly to the eye till the ●●●ge of 〈◊〉 And the Cardinall lent the Emperour much money openly and gave the French King more secretly Hee plaid with both hands to serve their secret that all men know not as the Bish. of Durham said But whatsoever the Frenchmen did they had ever the worse notwithstanding the secret working of our holy Prelates on their side Finally unto the siege of Pavia came the French king personally with 60. thousand men of warre of which 12. thousand were horse-men and with monie enough And the Emperours host was under 20. thousand of which were but 3. thousand Horse-men with no money at all For hee trusted unto the Pope for aide of men and unto our Cardinall for Money But the Pope kept backe his men till the French-men had given them a field and our Cardinall kept backe his money for the same purpose And thus was the silly Emperour betrayed as all his predecessours have beene this 8. hundred yeares Howbeit there bee that say that the Emperours Souldiers so threatned Stace the kings Graces Embassadour that he was faine to make chevisance with Merchants for money in the kings name to pay the Souldiers withall Wherefore the Cardinall tooke from him all his promotions and played the Tormentor with him when he came home because hee presumed to doe one jot more then was in his Commission But howsoever it was the Emperours men in tarrying for helpe had spent all their Victualls Whereupon Burbon the chiefe Captaine of the Emperour said unto his under Captaines Yee see helpe commeth not and that our victuals are spent wherefore there is no remedy but to fight though wee bee unequally matched If wee winne wee shall finde meate enough if wee lose wee shall lose no more then wee must lose with hunger though we fight not And so they concluded to set upon the French-men by night The King of France and his Lords supposing that the Moon would sooner have fallen out of the skie then that the Emperours host durst have fought with them were somewhat negligent and went the same night a mumming that Burbon set upon them The

cause that the light of the world who had baptized the Lord was quite extinguished even she her selfe afterwards as Nicephorus records when she once passed over a river congealed with Ice the Ice breaking fell into the water up to the necke and little after her head was congealed with frost and cold and afterwards cut off not with a sword but with Ice and then made a deadly dance upon the Ice Knowest thou not what St. Ambrose saith for her sake One saith he may dance but the daughter of an adulteresse but shee who is chast let her learne her daughters Prayers not Dances Of Dances I will onely speake one word and for this cause principally that I understand how dancing seemes not a true evill to some and I know that at Lovan there are publike Schooles where the Art of dancing is taught But I verily if adultery and fornication be evill cannot see how it is not evill for men to dance with women since it most of all provokes thereunto Heare holy Iob I have made saith he a covenant with mine eyes that I would not so much as thinke of a mayde and shalt thou goe and dance with a maide and provoke thy selfe to lust by dancing and yet no danger hang over thy head To what end then doth the Wise man give this admonition Keepe not company with a woman that is a dancer least happily thou perish in her allurements but because if chaffe can come to the fire and not be burnt than a young man may dance with women and not burne● What holy men St. Anthony St. Hilar●on dwelt in the wildernesse they perpetually gave themselves to fastings and prayers and yet scarce def●●ded themselves from the spirit of fornicatio●● and from evill de●ires and thoughts and wilt thou ●dde ●o the heat of youth● the heat of drinking and then goe and laugh and sing and dance with beautifull maydens and shall I suspect no harme Who of all you shall dwell with everlasting burning If you cannot now abstaine from drunkennesse from dancing from toyes● how shall ye be able to endure those living flames● and most bitter gnashing of teeth But concerning the madnesse of dancing heare yee what the ancients as well prophane as sacred have left written Marcus Tulli●s did so detest the filthinesse of Dances that in the defence of Muraena he said No sober man almost danceth unlesse perchance he be besides himselfe and extreme dancing is the Companion of many delights And in another place he objecteth dancing to Antonius as a most dishonest crime Blush therefore O Christian blush thou art overcome by an Ethnicke and without doubt thou shalt be condemned in judgement by an Ethneike He by the light of Nature onely without the light of faith could teach that dancing was not the practice of any but either of drunkards or mad men and thou the Sonne of Cod illuminated with a celestiall light with whom such vanities ought not so much as to be named art most mad in the very most famous and most sacred solemnities Let us relinquish prophane Authors and come to Christians Tell thou us O most blessed Ambrose thou most reverend old man the light of the Christian Church what thinkest thou of dances and morrisses Worthily saith he from thence we proceed to the injury of the Diuinity for what modestie can be there where they dance shreeke and make a noyse together Tell thou us also O blessed Hierom what thou deemest of dancing Moreover saith he in his Booke against Heluidius where the Tymbrils sound the Pipes make a noise the Harpe chatters the Cymballs strike together what feare of God can there be Let us passe over into the East and let us also advise with two of the Greeke Fathers Tell thou us O great Chrysostome the ornament of Greece tell thou us I pray thee thy opinion of banquets and dances Heare saith he in the 49 Homily upon Matthew heare these things O men who follow magnificent feasts full of drunkennesse heare I say and tremble at the gulfe of the devill where wanton dancing is there the devill is certainely present For God hath not given us our legges to dance but that we should walke modestly not that we should impudently skippe like Camels But if the body be polluted by dancing impudently how much more may the soule be thought to be defiled The devill danceth in these dances with these men are deceived by the ministers of the Devill Last of all heare with what words St. Basil the great a most holy man and most learned deplores this madnesse in his Oration against drunkards Men saith he and women together entring into Common dances having delivered their soules to the drunken devill wound one another with the prickes of unchast affections profuse laughter is practised and filthy songs meretritious habits inviting unto petulancie are there used Laughest and delighest thou thy selfe with an arrogant delight when as thou oughtest to power out teares and sighes for what is past Singest thou whorish Songs casting away the Psalmes Hyranes thou hast learned Dost thou stirre thy feete and caper furiously and dance unhappily when as thou oughtest to bend thy knees to prayer Thus great Basil. Now if the holy Fathers have spoken these things of dances in genarall how I pray had they exclaimed if they had knowne them to have beene used in the very Festivals of Christs Nativitie But let us leave men and heare what the Lord himselfe who cannot erre what the holy Ghost and the Spirit of Truth saith by the Prophet Esay the Harpe saith hee and the Violl the Taber and pipe and wine are in your Feasts but ye regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands Ah wretched miserable persons the Lord hath done an admirable worke in these dayes The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth A mayd hath brought forth a Sonne God hath come unto men a new starre hath appeared the heavens are made mellifluous the Angels have left those blessed mansions that they might behold the little one who is given to us and ye onely for whom these things are done busied in wickednesse buried in sleepe and wine regard not the worke of the Lord and consider not the operations of his hands What therefore shall be done unto you Heare the sentence of your Judge Therefore saith he Hell hath inlarged its ●oule and hath opened its mouth without all bounds Peradadventure ye are ignorant how great a sacriledge it is to prophane dayes consecrated to God Why I beseech you doe we not every where use Churches Chalices and Priestly vestments what are these walls more than others What are Priests Garments more than others As to their matter nothing at all But therefore it is a wickednesse therefore a sacriledge therefore a most horrible villany to convert them

King in his owne Cathedrall Church and ransomed for 200. hawkes after this dying he was buried not in the Church-yard but in the market place of Shrewsbury by his owne appointment Richard the 10. Bishop of Bangor excommunicated David ap Lhewelin Prince of Wales for that contrary to his O●th he took his Brother Gryffith prisoner who was content upon the Bishops word to goe to his Brother and when he saw that course would not reforme him he never lin complaining first to the King of England then to the Pope that he so incensed them as the one excommunicated him the other made warre upon him untill he delivered his said Brother into the Kings hands who caused him to be kept in the Tower of London till he endeavoring there to escape by misfortune brake his necke The Prince hereupon so wasted the Bishopricke that in the yeare 1248. this Bishop and the Bishop of Saint Asaph were forced to beg their bread Whereupon this Bishop came to the Abbot of Saint Albanes desiring that the Bosome of Mercy might be opened unto his poverty and he abiding there untill his Bishopricke wasted and spoiled with continuall warre should recover some better estate might together with his Chaplaine there breath and rest themselves from those calamities wherewith they had beene long afflicted in like sort as heretofore the Bishop of Hereford had done who was honorably entertained there almost the space of twenty yeares Richard Young the 22. Bishop of Bangor for some contempt and disobedience against the King and confederating as is likely with that Rebell Owen Glendor was imprisoned two or three yeares till the Pope Anno 1404. translated him to Rochester by his Bull. Lewis the 23. Bishop of Bangor Anno. 1408. joyned with the Earle of Northumberland the Lord Bardolfe and others in open Rebellion against King Henry the fourth The Earle was slaine in battell in the field the Lord Bardolfe mortally wounded and their heads set upon London Bridge The Bishop was likewise taken prisoner in the battell but obtained pardon from the King because he had no Armes upon him when he was taken though the incendiary of the other two and as great a Traytor as they but the Abbot of Hayles was hanged because hee had borne Armes in that Rebellion So happy are Traytorly and Rebellious Bishops as to scape scot free in their Treasons and Rebellions when all other sorts of men have execution done upon them Arthur Bulkly Bishop of Bangor and Iohn Lewis Vicar of Llain-geynwina were attainted in a Praemunire at the prosecution of William Whorewood the Kings Attorney for suing for the right of Patronage and Tithes of the said Church and for severall summes of money due on bond for Tithes in this Bishops Ecclesiasticall Court which had no cognisance of them being temporall and belonging only to the Kings Civill Courts to the derogation of the imperiall Jurisdiction of the King and his Crowne and subversion of the Lawes and Statutes of the Realme And hereupon judgement was given against them according to the Statute This Bishop sold away five faire Bells out of the Steeple of his Cathedrall Church which ma●d the Musicke there Should I rip up the scandalous lives and Actions of some of the late Pilates of this See one of whom published The Practise of Piety which some say he never writ though neither he nor any of his successors did ever much practice it in their lives or should I recite the vile complaints of late against one of them in 2 or 3 late Parliaments I should be over tedious and pollute my paper with such beastly actions as would cause chast eyes to blush and turne their aspect from them Wherefore I shall passe them over in silence he being gone to answer them before the supreame tribunall informing you only that he imposed Armies upon his Clergy and provided an Armory for them to be kept in within his Cathedrall at Bango● And so I post on to Assaph Diocesse Saint Assaph IOhn Trevaur Bishop of Saint Assaph pronounced the sentence for deposing King Richard the second in which instrument he is first named as appeares by this ensuing Copy of it In the Name of God Amen We Iohn Bishop of Saint Assaph chosen and deputed speciall Commissaries by the three states of this present Parliament representing the whole body of the Realme for all such matters● by the said estates to us committed Wee understanding and considering the manifold crimes hurts and harmes done by Richard King of England and misgovernance of the same by a long time to the great decay of the said Land and utter ruine of the same shortly to have beene had not the speciall grace of our God thereto put the sooner remedy And also further more adverting that the said King Richard by acknowledging his owne insufficiency hath of his owne meere volunta●y and free will renounced and given over the rule and governance of this Land with all rights and h●nours unto the same belonging and utterly for his merits hath judged himselfe not unworthily to be deposed of all Kingly Majesty and Estate Royall We the Premisses well considering by good and diligent deliberation by the power name and authority to us as aforesaid committed pronounce decer●e and declare the same King Richard before this to have beene and so to be unprofitable u●a●le unsuffi●ient and unwor●hy of the Rule and Government of the foresaid Realmes and Lor●ships and of all rights and other the appurtenances thereto belonging And f●r the same causes wee de●rive him of all Kingly dignity and worsh●p and of all Kingly worship in himselfe And we depose him by our sentence definitive forbidding expresly to all Archbishops and Bishops and all other Prelates Dukes Marquesses Earles Barons and Knights and all other men of the foresaid Kingdome and Lordships Subjects and Leiges whatsoever they be that none of them from this day forward to the foresaid Richard as King and Lord of the foresaid Realmes and Lordships be neither obedient nor attendant Immediatly as this sentence was in this wise passed and that by reason thereof the Realme stood voyd without head or governour for the same The Duke of Lancaster rising from the place where before hee sate and standing where all the house might behold him laid claime to the Crowne to which the Lords assented After which the Archbishop of Canterbury Arundel having notice of the minds of the Lords stood up and asked of the Commons if they would assent to the Lords which in their minds thought the claime of the Duke made to be rightfull and necessary for the wealth of the Realme and them all Whereto the Commons with one voyce cryed Yea yea yea After which answer the said Archbishop going to the Duke and kneeling downe before him on his knees addressed to him all his purpose in a few words which ended he rose and taking the Duke by the right hand

Cardinall ordered all things appointed every Officer and growing into credit did in like sort at other times dispose of the Common wealth and Bishoprickes as seemed best liking unto him Whereupon the Earle of Leneux taking part with the English opposed himselfe against the Cardinall whereby ensued sharpe wars the Cardinall still supporting and counselling the Governour Which troubles somewhat abated when the Earle of Leneux went into England The Cardinall led the Governour to Saint Andrewes to the end if it were possible to binde the Governour more firmely to him During the time they were there the Cardinall caused in the Lent season all the Bishops and Prelates of the Realme to assemble at Saint Andrewes where a learned man named Master George Wisc●art that had beene in the Schooles of Germany was accused of Heresie which he had as was alledged against him publikely Preached and privately taught in Dundee Brechin and divers other parts of Scotland since his returne home This matter was so urged against him that he was convict and burnt there in the Towne of Saint Andrewes during the time of that convention or assembly When these things were thus done the Cardinall although he greatly trusted to his riches yet because he was not ignorant what were the mindes of men and what speeches the Common people had of him determined to increase his power with new devices Wherefore he goeth into Angus and marryeth his eldest Daughter as saith Buc●anan to the Earle of Crawfords Sonne Which marriage was solemnized with great preparation almost answerable to Kingly magnificence During which time the Cardinall understanding by his Spies that the English did prepare to invade the Scottish borders on the Sea and specially did threaten those of Fife therewith returned to Saint Andrewes and appointed a day to the Nobility and such as dwelled about the Sea Coasts to assemble together to provide in common for the defence thereof and to prepare remedy for that hastened evill for the easier and better performance whereof he had determined together with the Lords of that Country to have sayled himselfe about the Coasts and to have defended such places as were most convenient Amongst others that came unto him there was a noble young Gentleman called Norman Lesle Sonne to the Earle of Rothseie This man after that he had many times imployed his valiant and faithfull diligence in the behalfe of the Cardinall grew to some contention with the said Cardinall for a private cause which for a time did estrange both their mindes the one from the other this same contention did Norman being thereto induced with many faire promises afterwards let fall But certaine monthes afterward when he returned to demand the performance of such liberall promises they began to grow from common speech to bra●lings and from thence to bitter ta●nts and reproaches not fit to be used by any of them both Whereupon they departed with the grieved mindes of every of them for the Cardinall being intrea●ed more unreverently than he would or looked for and the other threatning that being ove●taken by deceite he would revenge it they bo●h returned discontented to their owne people Whereupon Norman declaring to his partakers the intollerable arrogancy of the Cardinall they easily agreed all to conspire his death● wherefore to the end that the same might bee lesse suspected they departed in sunder afterward This No●man accompanied onely with five of his owne traine entred the towne of Saint Andrewes and went into his acc●stomed Inne and lodging trusting that by such a small traine hee might cunningly dissemble the determination of the Cardinalls death but there were in that towne ten of those which had consented to his conspiracy which closed in secret corners som● in one place and some in another did onely expect the signe which was to be given un●o them to execute this devise with which small company this Norman fea●ed not to adventure the death of the Cardinall in the same towne furnished in every place with the servants and friends of the Cardinall Whereupon the 13. of May the Cardinall being within his Castle of Saint Andrewes certaine of his owne friends as hee tooke them that is to say the sayd Norman Lord Kirkandie● the young Lord of Grange and Kirkmichell with sixteene chosen men entred the Castle very secretly in the morning tooke the Porter and all the Cardinalls Servants thrusting them out of the place by a Posterne gate and that done passing to his Chamber where he lay in bed as he got up and was opening his Chamber doore they slue him and seized upon the Artillery and Munition where with that Fortresse was plentifully furnished and likewise with rich hangings houshold-stuffe of all sorts Apparell Copes Jewels Ornaments of Churches great store of gold and silver plate besides no small quantity of treasure in ready coyne Sir Iames Leirmouth Provost of Saint Andrewes assembled all the people of that Towne for the rescue of the Cardinall after he had heard that the Conspirators were entred the Ca●●le but they shewed the dead body of the Cardinall over the walls as a spectacle to the people and so they made no further attempt sith they saw no meanes how to remedy or revenge the matter at that present The cause that moved the Conspirators thus to kill the Cardinall was thought to be partly in revenge of the burning of Mr. George Wischart ●●aring to be served with the same sawce and in the end to bee made to drinke of the same Cup. Partly it was thought they attempted it through counsell of some great men of the Realme that had conceived some deadly hatred against him His body after he was slaine was buried in the Castle in a dung-hill The governour considering that his deere Coze● the Cardinall was thus made away assembled the great Lords of the Realme● by whose advice he called a Parliament and ●orfeited them who had slaine the Cardinall and kept the Castle of Saint Andrewes And withall he beseiged those that murthered him in the sayd Castle three moneths space but it was so strongly furnished with all manner of Artillery and Munition by the Cardinall in his life time that they within cared little for all the inforcements that their Adversaries without could enforce against them After his death the Governour Anno. 1546. promoted Iohn Hamilton the Abbot of Parslew his Brother to the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewe● and gave the Abby of Arbroth granted before to Iames Beton the slaine Cardinals Kinsman to George Dowglasse bastard sonne to the Earle of Angus which things were afterwards occasions of great troubles in the Realme To appease which Anno 1550. the Queene by the advice of her Counsell to stop all occasion of publicke dissention ended the controversies moved about the Archbishoprickes of Saint Andrewes and Glascow and the Bishoprickes of Dunkeld and Brechine by bestowing them upon Noblemens children and upon such persons as worthily deserved them This Arch-bishop 1543. comming out of France

passed through England and having other learned men in his company did visite the King of England of whom hee was most honourably and courteously received from whence going into Scotland he was made Treas●rer which Office hee kept as long as his Brother was Governour whom he did further in all good Counsells at home and save and defend in the war●es abroade Anno 1598. In Iuly August and March there was an assembly of the Prelates and Clergie of Scotland held at Edenburgh in which certaine men and women of Edenburgh were accused of Heresie and burned at the towne crosse with ●aggots on their backes whereupon great tumults were raysed there for appeasing whereof the Lord Seton was made Governour of the Towne In this Councell of all the Prelates and Clergie of Scotland the Temporalty proponed divers Articles of re●ormation as to have the Prayers and administration of the Sacrament in the Scottish tongue the Election of Bishops and all beneficed men to passe by the voyces of the Temporall Lords and people and Parishes c. All which the Bishops refused to grant where through there arose shortly af●er great troubles in Scotland For they perswading the Queene Regent to sommon Master Iohn Knox and others to appeare before them at Striveling for lacke of appearance they were denounced Rebels and put to the home Whereupon they and the Burgesses of Perth with others pulled downe the Images and Altars in all Churches and suppressed the houses of Priors and other Religious places and Abbies both in Perth S. Andrewes Edenburgh and other places whereupon the Queene-Regent with the Arch-bishops of Saint Andrewes and Glascow the Bishops of Dulkenden Dublane with many other chiefe of the Clergie came to Perth and raised an Army against the Reformers who thereupon gathered an Army to resist them which being ready to mee●e on Couper More in battle by the labour of some Noble men the battle was stayed and Articles of agreement drawne betweene the Regent and the Lords of the reformed Religion the contents whereof you may reade in Les●e Buchanan and Holinshed Anno 1559. A Parliament was holden and a disputation appointed betweene the Protestant Divines and Popish Prelates at what time the Roman Prelates behaved themselves so well that they were commanded not to depart the Towne but to be present at the Sermons of the Ministers In the winter the Lords of the Counsell gave faculties of Benefices to divers of their friends who put forth the Prelates and received the fruites The Earle of Argile disposed Dunkeld and Dublane The Earle of Arran had the ordering of the Bishoprickes of Saint Andrewes and divers Abbies the like was used by other Noblemen through all parts of the Kingdome In the same yeare being the 17. of Queene Mary he was with the Queene beseiged in Leith Anno 1560. superintendents serving for the election of other Ministers were chosen at Edenburgh whereof Iohn Spursword was one chosen by the suffrage of all the people Anno 1562. this Arch-bishop of Saint Andrewes because after an Edict made thereof hee did no● abstaine from hearing and saying Masse was commit●ed prisoner to Edenburgh Castle This Arch-Bishop still following the Queenes part he with others meeteth her in the yeare of Christ 1566. at Muskleburow and so attendeth on her who no● long after in the yeare of Christ 1571. being about the fourth yeare of Iames the sixth was taken in the Castle of Dunbritaine and sent Prisoner into Sterling where being examined by the Regent Matthew Earle of Lenox about the mur●her of Henry King of Scot● sonne to the sayd Matthew he was there drawne hanged and quartered● being the first Arch-bishop that I have yet heard of writes Thin that suffered so ignominous a death the manner whereof Holinshed and Chytraeus doth thus more largely relate The Regent comming to Striveling caused the Arch-bishop of S. Andrewes to be examined upon certaine Articles as well ●ouching the murther of the la●e King Henry as also for the death of the Earle of Murrey the late Regent at what time there came in a Priest without compulsion of any and before the Regent declared that one Iohn Hamilton being in extreame sicknesse under confession told him that the Bishop did send him with three others to the murther of the King and as touching the murther of the Earle of Murrey the Bishops flat answere was He might have letted it if he would Therewith the people that heard him cryed Away with him hang him And so for these and other offences for the which he had been foresalted before that time he was now executed on a Gibbet set up in the Market place of Striveling Patricke Adamson alias Constance next succeeded in the Archbishopricke of Saint Andrewes in his time Anno 1573. there was a Parliament in Edenburgh wherein divers were made and Articles agreed upon touching Religion and against Popery ●he third whereof was That none of the adversaries and enemies of Gods truth shall enjoy the patrimony of the Kirke Afterwards Anno. 1578. the question touching the Bishops power was disputed in many assemblies and a● length Anno. 1580. in an Assembly holden at Du●die their office was found to be unlawfull not grounded on Gods Word but introduced by the folly and corruptions of mens inventions and thereupon una voce condemned and abjured Anno 1581. and 1582. there were many contentions betweene the Prelates and Presbyters of Scotland touching the Jurisdiction of Bishops which the assembly condemned and the setling and confirming of Religion to the great disturbance of the Realme which I pretermit for brevity sake The next yeare 1583. the Presbytery as they had many times done before did excommunicate their Metropolitane the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes and the rest of the Bishops also because they would not in all their actions support and confirme the Doctrine which the Presbytery had established and maintaine the use of their Episcopacy which they had ordered to be simply abjured and relinquished as an office to which they were not called by God which Excommunication the Presbytery did the more boldly pronounce because they were supported by the assistance of Master Lindseie a great enemy to this Patrick Adamson Bishop of Saint Andrews But the King in the beginning did assist him against them and the Arch-bishop did in like sort thunder an Excomunication against them which division writes Thin not being meete to be in the Clergie who ought to be as the Apostles were Of one heart and of one minde will in the end as Christ saith bring that Realme to confusion for Omne regnum in se divisum desolabitur At last this Bishop excommunicated by the Assembly at Edenburgh was enforced to renounce his Archiepiscopall jurisdiction and to make this publike recantation which quite subverts the pretended Ius Divinum of the Prelacy in the Synod of Fiffe Aprill the 8. 1591. I confesse with a sincere minde without

est nefas it is the highest impiety to preferre any other Businesse before this care or for any cause whatsoever to hinder them so as their ministeries be lesse ●ully adhibited to their Churches Moses was most amply endued with the spirit of God and excelled with incredible wisedome and he altogether burned with a most ardent study of planting and preserving the true religion yet seeing hee ought to governe the whole Common-wealth of I●rael hee by Gods command set Aaron his brother with his sonnes over matters of religion that they might WHOLY bestow themselves in them The Maccabees truly joyned the Civill administration to the Ecclesiasticall but with what successe their histories testifie wherefore it is to be wished that Bishops according to Gods Law religionibu● solis vacent procurandis should onely addict themselves to matters of Religion and lay aside all other businesses from them though beneficiall to mankind and leave them to those who should wholly bestow themselves on them being chosen thereto by God There is no office that requires more study and care ●han the procuration of soules Satan knowing this very well hath brought to passe that Bishops and chiefe Ecclesiasticall Prelates should be sent for by Kings Emperours unto their Courts to manage publike affaires both of warre and pe●ce Hence these mischiefes have ensued first a neglect of the whole sacred ministry the corruption of doctrine the destruction of discipline After as soone as Prelates began to usurpe the place of Lords they challenged their luxury pomp to themselves to which end since the wealth of Princ●s was requisite that which they ought to bestow out of their Ecclesiasticall revenues upon the faithfull Ministers of Churches upon Schooles upon the poore of Christ all these things being taken from them by horrible sacriledge they spent them upon riot and princely pompe And when as the goods of the Church were not sufficient to maintaine this luxury and pompe they flattered away and begged and by various frauds tooke from Kings goodly rich po●sessions and great Lordships by which accessions their luxury and pride was thenceforth not onely fostered and sustained but likewise infinitely increased which afterwards so farre prevailed that the spoyles of single Churches would not suffice each of them but they brought the matter to this passe that one at this day may fleece or spoyle three or foure Bishoprickes Abbies and other Prelacies and such a multitude of parish Churches as is horrible to name for they say there is one lately dead in this Kingdome who fleaed above 20. Parishes So Bucer who held Bishops Ministers to be all one and that the power of ordination resting originally in Christ derivatively in the whole Church and ministerially onely in Bishops and Presbyters as servants to the Church belonged as well to Presbyters as to Bishops with whom Peter Martyr his fellow Regius professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford fully concur●es in his Commonplaces printed at London cum privilegio Ann. 1576. Class 4. Loc. 1. Sect. 23. p. 849. to which I shall referre you for brevity sake To these I might adde The image of both Pastors written by Huldricke Zwinglius translated into English by Iohn Veron dedicated to the Duke of Somerset Lord Protector and Printed at London Cum privilegio An. 1550. Wherein he proves the parity and identity of Bishops and Presbyters condemnes the Lordly and sec●lar dominion Wealth Pompe Pride Tyranny Nonpreach and rare preaching of Prelates and manifests Lord Bishops as then they stood and now to be false Pastors and meer papall and antichristian officers not warranted by Gods word but because Zwinglius was a forraigner I shall passe it by without transcribing any passage thereof Mr. Iohn Hooper both a Bishop and martyr of our Church a great opposer of Ceremonies Episcopall Rochets and Vestments in which hee would not b● consecrated writes thus of the secular imployments wealth and calling of Bishops For the space of 400. yeares after Christ the Bishops applyed all their wit only to their owne vocation to the glory of God and the honour of the Realmes they dwelt in though they had not so much upon their heads as our Bishops have yet had they more within their heads as the Scripture and Histories testifie For they applyed all the wit they had unto the vocation and ministry of the Church whereunto they were called But our Bishops have so much wit that they can rule and serve as they say in both States in the Church and also in the Civill policie when one of them is more then any man is able to satisfie let him doe alwayes his best diligence If hee be so necessary for the Court that in Civill causes he cannot be spared let him use that vocation and spare the other It is not possible hee should doe both well It is a great oversight in Princes thus to charge them with two burthens the Primitive Church had no such Bishops as wee they had such Bishops as did preach many godly Sermons in lesse time than our Bishops horses be a bridling Their house was a Schoole or treasure house of Gods Ministers if it be so now let every man judge The Magistrates that suffer the abuse of these goods be culpable of the ●ault if the fourth part of the Bishopricke remained to the Bishop it were sufficient the third part to Schoolemasters the second to poore and souldiers were better bestowed If any be offended with me for this my saying he loveth not his owne soules health nor Gods Laws nor mans out of which I am alwayes ready to prove the thing I have said to be true Further I speake of love not of hatred And in his Apologie hee saith It is both against Gods Laws mans that Bishops and clergie men should be judges over any subjects within this Realme for it is no part of their office they can do no more but preach Gods Word and minister Gods Sacraments and excommunicate such as God● Lawes do pronounce to be excommunicated who would put a sword into a madmans hand And in his exposition on Psal. 23.1580 f. 40. Although Bishops saith hee in the raigne of Constantine the Great obtained that among Bishops some should be called Archbishops and Metropolitans c. Yet this preheminencie was at the pleasure discretion of Princes not alwaies tyed to one sor● of Prelates as the impiety of our time beleeveth as we may see in the Councell of Calcedon Africke So that it is manifest that this Superior preheminency is not of Divine but of humane right instituted out of civill policie So Hooper The Booke of ordination of Ministers and Consecraation of Bishops compiled by the Bishops in King Edwards dayes ratified by two Acts of Parliament and subscribed to by all our Ministers hath this notable passage and charge against the Lordlinesse and secular imployments of Prelates and Ministers

this too much both to be Traytors to your King and also to faine God to be displeased with your King for punishing of Treason Finally to make him a Saint and also that God had done miracles to the defending of his Treason How is it possible to invent a more pestilent Doctrine than this is Here is Gods Ruler despised and hereby is open Treason maintained Thinke you that God will shew miracles to fortifie these things But no doubt the Proverbe is true Such lippes such Lettuce such Saints such miracles Fifthly in persisting most peremptorily in Treasons Rebellions contests and Conspiracies against their Princes without yeelding or intermission till they had obtained their demaunds and desires of them insteed of craving pardon of them all which the premises evidence to the full in Anselme Becket Langton Stafford and others Sixthly in enforcing their Soveraignes against whom they conspired rebelled and practised divers horrid Treasons and Contumacies to submit nay seeke to them for pardon and to undergoe such sharpe censures such ●orbid infamous harsh punishments covenants and conditions as are inconsistent with Monarchy honour Soveraignty as in the case of Henry the se●cond King Iohn and others In these sixe respects our Lordly Bishops have transcended all other Traytors Rebels Conspirators and Seditious persons whatsoever as also in Censuring Loyalty for Heresie true Subjects to their Princes for Heretickes and Canonizing High Treason Rebellion against Emperours Kings Princes for Orthodox faith notorious Traytors and Rebels for good Christians and true beleevers as appeares in the Case of Hildebrand and his Hellish crew of Bishops who branded Henry the Emperour and those who sided with him for Heretickes and their Loyalty for Heresie in the Case of Henry the second and King Iohn in their difference with Anselme Becket and Langhton In imitation of whom our present Prelates now slander those who oppugne a●d withstand their encroachments upon the Kings prerogative Royall with odious termes of Puritans Novellers Seditious persons Schismatickes Rebels and brand Loyalty and true allegiance to the King with the termes of Faction Schisme Sedition Novelty and Rebellion You have seene now a large Anatomy of our Lordly Prelates desperate Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Contumacies Warres disloyall oppressive practises in all ages against our Kings Kingdomes Lawes Liberties which duly pondered we may easily conclude there is little cause any longer to tolerate them in our Church or State but great ground eternally to extirpate them out of both It is storyed of the people of Biscany in Spaine That they have such a naturall enmity against Bishops that they will admit no Bishops to come among them and that when Fe●dinand the Catholicke came in Progresse into Biscany accompanyed with the Bishop of Pampilone the people rose up in Armes drove backe the Bishop out of their Coast and gathering up all the dust they thought he or his Mule had trod on threw it into the Sea with curses and imprecations I dare not say that our people should rise up in Armes like these Biscaners and drive out our Bishops God forbid any such Tumultuous or Seditious practise but this I dare confidently averre that his Majestie and our High Court of Parliament have farre greater reason to drive and extirpate them out of our Realme and Church even with curses and execrations and to subvert their Sees in an orderly just and legall way than these Biscaners had to repulse this Bishop who entered thus into their Country onely to accompany Ferdinand in his progresse not to play the Lord Bishop among them I shall close up all with the words of Musculus a Learned forraigne Protestant Divine who after he had largely proved by Scriptures and Fathers That Bishops and Presbyters by Divine right are both one and of equall authority and that the difference betweene them was onely a humane institution to prevent Schismes concludes thus Whether o● no this Counsell hath profited the Church of God whereby such Bishops who should be greater than Presbyters were introduced rather our of Custome that I may use the words of Hierome than out of the truth of the Lords institution is better declared in after ages than when this custome was first brought in to which we owe all that insolency opulency and tyranny of Princely and Lordly Bishops imo omnem corruptionem Ecclesiarum Christi yea all the corruption of the Churches of Christ which if Hierome should now perceive without doubt he would acknowledge this not to be the Counsell of the Holy-Ghost to take away Schismes as was pretended but of the Devill himselfe to waste and destroy the ancient Offices of feeding the Lords ●locke by which it comes to passe that the Church hath not true Pastors Doctors Elders and Bi●hops but Idle bellies and magnificent Princes under the vizors of these names who not onely neglect to feede the people of the Lord in proper person with wholesome and Apostolicall doctrine but also by most wicked violence take speciall care that no man else may doe it This verily was done by the Counsell of Satan that the Church in stead of Bishops should have powerfull Lords and P●inces elected for the greatest part out of the Order of the Nobles and Princes of the world as they are in Germany who under-propped with their owne and their kindreds power may domineer over the flocke of Christ at their pleas●re And with the complaint of the Emperour Lewis the fourth and the German Princes against the Italian and German Lordly Prelates which I may justly accomodate to ours Flamines isti Babyloniae soli regnare cupiunt ferre parem n●n possunt non desistent donec omnia pedibus suis conculcaverint atque in Templo Dei s●deant ext●llanturque supra omne id quod colitur Sub Pontificis titulo pastoris pelle lupum saevissimum nisi caeci sumus sentimus Cum nostri servi sint ipsi dominari contra jus gentium adversus leges auspicia Oracula divina Dominos sibi servire volunt Caesarem Italia Roma Christum terris exclusere illi coelum quidem permittunt inferos atque terras sibi asseruere Bernard Epist. 158. Quid spirituali gladio quid censurae Ecclesiasticae quid Christianae legi Disciplinae quid denique divino timori relinquitur si metu potentiae secularis nullus mu●ire jam audeat contra insolentiam Praelatorum FINIS Kind Reader I shall desire thee to recti●ie these Presse-Errours which in my absence in the Country hapned in many Copies in some Pages of the first and Second Part besides those forementioned after the Table of Chapters In the first Part. PAge 8. l. 6. departing p. 10. l. 5. their this p. 11. l. 28. largely lately● p. 16. l. 1. del● as p. 24. l. 2. we ●e p. 25. l. 3. marred l 29. Kings p. 53. l. 40. dele th● p. 62. l. 13. and the p. 63. l. 30. still stile p● 64. l. 16. be he p 70. l. 3. his