AN EXACT ACCOUNT Of the Whole PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE Right Reverend Father in GOD HENRY Lord Bishop of LONDON Before the Lord CHANCELLOR And the other Ecclesiastical Commissioners LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXXVIII THE KING' 's ECCLESIASTICAL Commission JAMES the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To the Most Reverend Father in God Our Right Trusty and Right Well-beloved Councellor William Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan And to Our Right Trusty and Right Well = beloved Councellor George Lord Jefferyes Lord Chancellor of England And to our Right Trusty and Right Well = beloved Cousin and Councellor Lawrence Earl of Rochester Lord High Treasurer of England And to Our Right Trusty and Right Well = beloved Cousin and Councellor Robert Earl of Sunderland President of Our Council and Our Principal Secretary of State. And to the Right Reverend Father in God Our Right Trusty and Well = beloved Councellor Nathanael Lord Bishop of Duresme And to the Right Reverend Father in God Our Right Trusty and Well = beloved Thomas Lord Bishop of Rochester And to Our Right Trusty and Well = beloved Councellor Sir Edward Herbert kt Lord Chief Iustice of the Pleas before Us to be holden Assigned Greeting We for divers good weighty and necessary Causes and Considerations Us hereunto especially moving of Our meer Motion and certain knowledge by force and virtue of our Supream Authority and Prerogative Royal do Assign Name and Authorize by these Our Letters-Patent under the Great Seal of England You the said Lord Arch = Bishop of Canterbury Lord Chancellour of England Lord High Treasurer of England Lord President of Our Council Lord Bishop of Duresme Lord Bishop of Rochester and Our Chief Iustice aforesaid or any Three or more of you whereof You the said Lord Chancellour to be one from time to time and at all times during Our pleasure to Exercise Use Occupy and Execute under Us all manner of jurisdictions priviledges preheminencies in any = wise touching or concerning any Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Iurisdictions within this Our Realm of England and Dominion of Wales to visit reform redress order correct and amend all such abuses offences contempts and enormities whatsoever which by the Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Laws of this our Realm can or may lawfully be reformed redressed corrected restrained or amended to the pleasure of Almighty God and increase of virtue and the conservation of the peace and unity of this Realm And we do hereby give and grant unto you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one thus by us named assigned authorised and appointed by force of our supream authority and prerogative Royal full power and authority from time to time and at all times during our pleasure under us to exercise use and execute all the premises according to the tenor and effect of these our Letters-Patents any matter or cause to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding And we do by these Presents give full power and authority unto you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one by all lawful ways or means from time to time hereafter during our pleasure to enquire of all offences contempts transgressions and misdemeanours done and committed and hereafter done and to be committed contrary to the Ecclesiastical Laws of this our Realm in any County City Borough or other place or places exempt or not exempted within this our Realm of England and Dominion of Wales and of all and every Offender or Offenders therein and them and every of them to order correct reform and punish by censure of the Church And also we do give and grant full power and authority unto you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one in like manner as is aforesaid from time to time and at all times during our pleasure to enquire of search out and call before you all and every Ecclesiastical person or persons of what degree or dignity soever as shall offend in any of the particulars before mentioned and them and every of them to correct and punish for such their misbehaviours and misdemeanours by suspending or depriving them from all promotions Ecclesiastical and from all functions in the Church and to inflict such other punishments or censures upon them according to the Ecclesiastical Laws of this Realm And further we do give full power authority unto you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one by virtue hereof and in like manner and form as is aforesaid to enquire hear determine and punish all Incest Adulteries Fornications Outrages Misbehaviours and disorders in Marriage and all other grievances great crimes or offences which are punishable or reformable by the Ecclesiastical Laws of this our Realm committed or done or hereafter to be committed or done in any place exempt or not exempt within this our Realm according to the tenor of the Ecclesiastical Laws in that behalf Granting you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one full power and authority to order and award such punishment to every such offender by censures of the Church or other lawful ways as is aforesaid and further we do give full power and authority unto you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one all and every Offender and Offenders in any of the premises and also all such as by you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one shall seem to be suspected persons in any of the premises and them to examine touching every or any of the premises which you shall object against them and to proceed against them and every of them as the nature and quality of the offence or suspition in that behalf shall require And also to call all such Witnesses or any other person or persons that can inform you concerning any of the premises as you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one and them and every of them to examine upon their corporal oaths for the better tryal and opening of the truth of the premises or any part thereof And if you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one shall find any person or persons whatsoever obstinate or disobedient in their appearance before you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one at your calling and commandment or else not in obeying or in not accomplishing your orders decrees and commandments or any thing touching
the premises or any part thereof or any other branch or clause contained in this Commission that then you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one shall have full power and authority to punish the same person and persons so offending by Excommunication Suspension Deprivation or other Censures Ecclesiastical and when any person shall be convented or prosecuted before you as aforesaid for any of the causes above expressed at the instance and suit of any person prosecuting the offence in that behalf that then you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one shall have full power and authority to award such costs and expences of the Suit as well to and against the party as shall preferr or prosecute the said offence as to and against any party or parties that shall be convented according as their Causes shall require and to you in Iustice shall be thought reasonable And further our will and pleasure is that you assume our well = beloved Subject William Bridgman Esquire one of the Clerks of our Council or his sufficient Deputy or Deputies in that behalf to be your Register whom we do by these presents depute to that effect for the Registring of all your Acts Decrees and Proceedings by virtue of this our Commission and that in like manner you or any Three or more of you whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one by your discretions shall appoint one or more Messenger or Messengers or other Officer or Officers necessary and convenient to attend upon you for any service in this behalf Our will and express commandment also is That there shall be two paper Books invented and made the one to remain with the said Register or his sufficient Deputy or Deputies the other with such person and in such places as you the said Commissioners or any Three or more of you whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one shall in your discretions think most fit and meet in both which Books shall be fairly entered all the Acts Decrees and Proceedings made or to be made by virtue of this our Commission And whereas our Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and divers Cathedral and Collegiate Churches Colledges Grammar Schools and other Ecclesiastical Incorporations have been erected founded and endowed by several of our Royal Progenitors Kings and Queens of this Realm and some others by their charity and bounty of some of their Subjects as well within our Universities as other parts and places the Ordinances Rules and Statutes whereof are either imbesled lost corrupted or altogether imperfect We do therefore give full power authority to you or any Five or more of you of whom we will you the forenamed the Lord Chancellour always to be one to cause and command in our Name all and singular the Ordinances Rules and Statutes of our said Universities and all and every Cathedral and Collegiate Churches Colledges Grammar Schools and other Ecclesiastical Incorporations together with their several Letters = Patents and other Writings touching or in any wise concerning their several Erections and Foundations to be brought and exhibited before you or any Five and more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one willing commanding and authorizing of you or any Five or more of you as aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one upon the exhibitting and upon diligent and deliberate view search and examination of the said Statutes Rules and Ordinances Letters-Patents and Writings as is aforesaid the same to correct amend and alter and also where no Statutes are extant in all or any of the aforesaid Cases to devise and set down such good Orders and Statutes as you or any Five or more of you whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one shall think meet and convenient to be by us confirmed ratified allowed and set forth for the better order and rule of the said Universities Cathedral and Collegiate Churches Colledges and Grammar Schools erections and foundations and the Possessions and Revenues of the same and as may best tend to the honour of Almighty God increase of Virtue Learning and Unity in the said places and the publick Weal and Tranquility of this our Realm Moreover our Will Pleasure and Commandment is that you our said Commissioners and every of you shall diligently and faithfully execute this our Commission and every part and branch thereof in manner and form aforesaid and according to the true meaning thereof notwithstanding any appellation provocation priviledge or exemption in that behalf to be had made pretended or alledged by any person or persons resident or dwelling in any place or places exempt or not exempt within this our Realm any Law Statutes Proclamations or Grants Priviledges or Ordinances which he or may seem contrary to the Premises notwithstanding And for the better credit and more manifest notice of your so doing in the Execution of this our Commission our pleasure and commandment is that to your Letters missive Processes Decrees Orders and Iudgments for or by you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid to be awarded sent forth had made decreed given or pronounced at such certain publick places as shall be appointed by you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid for the due Execution of this our Commission you or some Three or more of you as is aforesaid whereof you the said Lord Chancellour to be one shall cause to be put and fixed a Seal Ingraven with a Rose and Crown and the Letter J. and figure 2 before and the Letter R. after the same with a ring or circumference about the same Seal containing as followeth Sigillum Commissionariorum Regiae Majestatis ad Causas Ecclesiasticas Finally We will and command all and singular other our Ministers and Subjects in all and every place and places exempt and not exempt within our Realm of England and Dominion of Wales upon any knowledge or request from you or any Three or more of you as is aforesaid to them or any of them given or made to be aiding helping and assisting unto you and to your commandments in and for the due executing your Precepts Letters and other Processes requisite in and for the due Executing of this our Commission as they and every of them tender our pleasure and will answer the contrary at their utmost perils In Witness c. The KINGS's LETTER Dated Monday Iune the 14th 1686. Delivered at Fulham on Thursday being the 17th of the same Iune in the Afternoon by Mr. Atterbury the Messenger JAMES R RIGHT Reverend Father in God We greet you well Whereas We have been Inform'd and are fully Satisfi'd that Dr. John Sharp Rector of the Parish Church of St. Giles in the Fields in the County of Middlesex and in your Diocess notwithstanding Our late Letter to the most Reverend Fathers in God
the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and Our Directions concerning Preachers given at Our Court at Whitehall the 15 th of March 1685. in the Second Year of Our Reign yet he the said Dr. John Sharp in Contempt of the said Orders hath in some of the Sermons he hath since preached presum'd to make unbecoming Reflections and to utter such Expressions as were not fit or proper for him endeavouring thereby to beget in the Minds of his Hearers an Evil Opinion of Vs and Our Government by insinuating Fears and Iealousies to dispose them to Discontent and to lead them into Disobedience and Rebellion These are therefore to require and command you immediately upon Receipt hereof forthwith to Suspend him from further Preaching in any Parish Church or Chappel in your Diocess until he has given Vs Satisfaction and Our further Pleasure be known herein And for so doing this shall be your Warrant And so We bid you heartily Farewell Given at Our Court at Windsor the 14th Day of June 1686. in the Second Year of Our Reign By His Majesties Command Sunderland The Bishop of London's Answer Sent by Dr. Sharp to the Earl of Sunderland then at Hampton-Court upon Fryday Iune 18. who could have no Answer To the Right Honourable the Earl of Sunderland Lord President c. My Lord I Always have and shall count it my Duty to obey the King in whatever Commands He lays upon me that I can perform with a safe Conscience But in this I humbly conceive I am oblig'd to proceed according to Law and therefore it is impossible for me to comply because tho' His Majesty commands me only to execute His Pleasure yet in the Capacity I am to do it I must Act as a Iudge and your Lordship knows no Iudge Condemns any Man before he has Knowledge of the Cause and has Cited the Party However I sent to Mr. Dean and acquainted him with His Majesties Displeasure whom I find so ready to give all Reasonable Satisfaction that I have thought fit to make him the Bearer of this Answer from him that will never be unfaithful to the King nor otherwise than MY LORD Your Lordships most Humble Servant H. London On Sunday after Dr. Sharp carried a Petition to Windsor which was not admitted to be read Which is as follows To the King 's most Excellent Majesty The Humble Petition of Iohn Sharp Clerk Sheweth THat nothing is so afflictive to Your Petitioner as his Vnhappiness to have Incurred Your Majesties Displeasure which he is so sensible of that ever since Your Majesty was pleased to give notice of it he hath forborn all Publick Exercise of his Function and still continues so to do Your Petitioner can with great Sincerity affirm that ever since he hath been a Preacher he hath faithfully endeavour'd to do the best Service he could in his Place and Station as well to the late King Your Royal Brother as your Majesty both by Preaching and otherwise And so far he hath always been from venting any thing in the Pulpit tending to Schism or Faction or any way to the Disturbance of Your Majesties Government that he hath upon all occasions in his Sermons to the utmost of his Power set himself against all sorts of Doctrines and Principles that look that way And this he is so well assured of that he cannot but apprehend that his Sermons have been very much misrepresented to Your Majesty But if in any Sermon of his any Words or Expressions have unwarily slipt from him that have been capable of such Constructions as to give Your Majesty Cause of Offence as he solemnly professes he had no ill Intention in those Words or Expressions so he is very sorry for them and resolves for the future to be so careful in the Discharge of his Duty that Your Majesty shall have Reason to believe him to be Your most Faithful Subject And therefore he earnestly Prayeth that Your Majesty out of Your Royal Grace and Clemency would be pleas'd to lay aside the Displeasure You have conceiv'd against Your Humble Petitioner and restore him to that Favour which the rest of the Clergy enjoy under Your Majesties Gracious Government So shall Your Petitioner ever Pray c. THE Proceedings c. UPon Tuesday Aug. 3. the Commissioners opened their Commission and immediately seal'd a Citation to Atterbury the Messenger who upon Wednesday morning brought it to the Bishop of London at Fulham for him to appear before the Commissioners on Munday the 9 th of the same Month and left a Copy of it Which is as follows The CITATION By His Majesties Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes YOV and either of You are hereby required to Cite and Summon the Right Reverend Father in God Henry Lord Bishop of London to appear Personally before Vs in the Council-Chamber at Whitehall upon the 9th day of this Instant at ten of the Clock in the Morning to Answer to such Matters as on His Majesties behalf shall then and there be objected against him And of the due Execution hereof you are to certifie us at the day and time aforesaid Given under Our Seal the third day of August 1680. To Thomas Atterbury and Thomas Eddows or either of them Munday Aug. 9. 1686. At the Council Chamber at Whitehall The Ld. Chancellour The Ld. Treasurer The Ld. President The Ld. Bp. of Duresme The Ld. Bp. of Rochester The Ld. Ch. Iust. Herbert The Lord Bishop of London appeared and the Lord Chancellour spoke to him as follows Ld. Ch. My Lord you are not Ignorant I suppose of the King's Letter which was sent to the Clergy My Lord of Canterbury has Communicated to you You are here Charged not to have observ'd his Majesty's Commands in the Case of Dr. Sharp whom you were ordered to Suspend for going against the Orders of that Letter B. L. My Lord I am much surpriz'd at what your Lordship tells me and hope I have not disobeyed the King's Commands Your Lordship cannot believe I did this without Advice and if my Counsel have mis-led me I hope my own Ignorance of the Law will plead so far in my Favour as to render my Fault if any very Excusable L. Ch. My Lord you know Ignorantia Iuris non Excusat B. L. But if I have not offended willingly it may palliate at least L. Ch. My Lord we are not here to discourse but to Examine why you did not obey B. L. I humbly beg a Copy of the Commission and a Copy of my Charge L. Ch. Does your Lordship think my Lords are not very well satisfi'd upon what account they sit and that they have power to judge your Lordship A Copy is a thing never done should we grant you a Copy all that come before us would have the like for we must do equal Justice to all Besides it is to be had at every Coffee-House B. L. My Lord this is a New Commission I cannot tell how to inform my self whether any thing that relates