the word of Christ one example we have in this verse Bellarmine saith c. page 57. Ob. 3. Christ saith unto me is given all power therefore Antichrists imp Pererius saith the Pope hath power over Infidels And a little after Answ 2. all power is given to Christ therefore to the Pope is a blasphemous and Antichristian consequence displaying the Pope to his colours to be the Where in making himselfe or suffering himselfe to be made equall with Christ is obliterated Would not any Protestant admire such passages as these should be expurged to gratifie the Pope The Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Arch-bishops and Bishops and the rest of the Clergy of Ireland in Convocation holden at Dublin in the yeere of our Lord 1615. for the avoyding of diversities of opinions and the establishing of consent touching true Religion reprinted at London 1629. Artic. 78. 80. determined thus against the Pope THE power which the Bishop of Rome now challengeth to be the supreame head of the Universall Church of Christ and to be above all Emperours Kings and Princes is an usurped power contrary to the Scriptures and Word of God and contrary to the example of the Primitive Church and therefore is for just causes taken away and abolished within the Kings Majesties Realmes and Dominions The Bishop of Rome is so farre from being the Supreame Head of the Universall Church of Christ that his works and doctrine doe plainly discover him to be that Man of sin foretold in the holy Scriptures whom the Lord skall consume with the spirit of his mouth and abolish with the brightnesse of his comming These Articles were so displeasing to the Arch-bishop together with some others against Arminians that in the yeere 1634. this whole book of Articles was revoked suppressed by Parliament in Ireland through his procurement then which strange act there could not be a more apparent undermining of the Protestant Religion In the yeer 1634. there were at the speciall request of the Queen of Bohemia Letters Patents granted to Master Rulie a Palatinate Minister for a collection throughout 〈…〉 of the poore Ministers of the Palatinate in which Patent there was this notable â— clause inserted relating to their Religion and sufferings Whose cases are the more to be deplored for that this extremity is fallen 〈◊〉 them for their 〈…〉 constancy to the true Religion which we together with them doe professe and 〈◊〉 we are all bound in conscience to maintaine to the utmost of our powers whereas these relations and godly persons being involved amongst many others their couâ—trymen in 〈◊〉 common calamity might have enjoyed their estates and fortunes if with other back-sliders in the times of tryall they would have submitted themselves to the ANTICHRISTIAN YOKE and have renounced or dissembled the profession of the true Religion The very same formall words were used in former Patents of collections for them in King James his Reign and in the Patent dated the 29. of Jan. in the third yeere of King Charles his Reign by which this Patent was drawn The Arch-bishop perusing this Patent brought to him by Master Rulie after it had passed the Seale grew extreamly cholerick at it rated Master Ruly who pleaded ignorance of the customes of England and that the Patent was drawne by the Kings Atturney according to former presidents without any directions from himselfe who was a meer stranger chid him very sharply threatned to suppresse the whole collection detained the Patent under seale and carrying it the next day to the Court complained of it to the King checked the Lord Keeper and Secretary Cooke for letting such a clause passe in the Patent who justified themselves by former presidents by which they were guided and by his violence wholly cancelled the Patent after it was sealed then caused a new Patent to be drawne wherein this former clause was omitted the King telling the Lord Keeper that the Arch-bishop would have it altered and therefore it must be done which thereupon was done occordingly Now the cause of all this stirre and anger of his Grace-ship against this clause was onely because it stiled those of the Palatinate professors of the true Religion c. and tacitely censured the Pope as Antichrist in this latter clause Where as these religious and godly persons might have enjoyed their estates and fortunes if with other back-sliders in the times of tryall they would have submitted themselves to the Antichristian Yoke and renounced or dissembled the profession of the true Religion As was punctually attested upon oath by Master Wakerly and Master Hartlib Of which more fully hereafter Now that all the forementioned purgations of passages against the Pope and his being Antichrist proceeded originally from the Archbi himselfe without any other motive but his own inherent affection to his Holinesse and the Roman party we shall most apparently evidence to all the world by a Letter of his to Dr. Hall the Bishop of Exeter signed with his owne hand and Bishop Hal's answer thereunto the Originals of which Letters Master Prynne seized in his Study at Lambeth and attested at the Lords Barre where they were both acknowledged and read in these ensuing tearmes My very good Lord I Have received your Lordships Letters of Decemb. 6. 23. and with them the copy of your Book and in them a paper of short propositions which you think and so doe I is fitter for the attestation of divers hands then the book it selfe These propsitions shall be well weighed against the time of Convocation which I conceive will be a fit time to take other Bishops attestation without further noyse or trouble For your book I first thanke you very heartily for your paines and next more then heartily were it possible for your noble and free submission of it not onely to many eyes and judgements but also in the maine to be ordered and after that prest or supprest as it shall be thought fit here Which care or conscience would men use which set out books we should not have so much froth and vanity in the world as now 't is full of But whereas you writ First that the Booke grew into greater length under your pen them you expected I cannot be sorry for that since that which you have added concerning Parker Anti-Tilenus and Vedelius seems to me very necessary Secondly that you are pleased to subject the work to me and to interpret it that you meant not personally to me because I could not have time for other great occasions to revise it but by way of desputation These are to let you know that were my occasions greater then they are I would not suffer a book of that Argument and in these times to passe without my owne particular View And therefore my Lord these may tell you that both my Chaplaines have read over your book and that since them I have read it over my selfe very carefully every line of it and I have now put it into
Clerks Sermons page 237. after the word wickednesse these words are blotted out Becket did 't is in his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for sinne I fetch his name from Hebrew because I have read his father was a Jew he sinned against his Country and his King betrayed both to the Pope and dyed though not directly yet deservedly In Master Wards Comentary upon Matthew fol. 178. the last line but two this is gelded out Where a Papist prayes to any Saint in Heaven for sometimes they pray to those who in all probability are in hell as Thomas Becket Hildebrand and divers cheating Impostors Doctor Featlies Clavis Mystica page 604. Postremum genus eorum est qui oves Christi pascunt sed cibo insalubri quo magis inficiuntur quam reficiuntur Christi oves agnique eorum dico qui floribus fructibus Paradisi aut noxias herb as admiscent aut flores Adonidis adspergunt cujusmodi sunt ista dogmata Vires liberi arbitrij ab Adami lapsu ad bonum spirituale fract as debilitat as non penitus profligatas amissas labem originis nemini unquam fraudi fuisse unumquemque enim suum scelus luere Gratiam novo foedere promissam omnibus expositam esse nec cuiquam unquam defuisse nisi qui ei defuerit imputatam Christi justiciam absque inhaerente non plus prodesse quam inducium candidum Aethiopi superinductum fiduciam salutis propria a praesumptione parum aut nihil differre Genevates Presbyterianos infestiores Ecclesiae hostes quam Pontificios Calvinum in commentariis foede Hallucinari non unquam ut ipsorum verbis utar Judainare in multis Arrianizare quid hoc sibi vult calumniae nunquid Calvinus ejusque discipuli qui in Arrianos non stilum modo sed gladium strinxere nuper evaserunt Arriani quam praepostere a Bellarminus Pontificiorum Corypheus hanc notam a quibusdam imperitis ipsisque adeo Papistis Calvino inustam eluit qui religionis reformatae vindices audire volunt banc ei notam inurunt Doctor Iones his Comentary on the Hebrewes in the written copy page 150. As for the calling of Luther Calvin Beza and of the Ministers of the Gospell it is watrantable by the Word we can shew our letters of Orders from Jesus Christ the great Bishop of our soules 16. Passages deleted concerning Bishops IN Doctor Clarks Sermons page 173. the Licenser hath put out these words Why may I not adde a Bishop too let another take his Bishopricke sayes Saint Peter in the Acts and meanes it of Iudas Idem page 398. after Amasiah these words Arch-bishop of that Province are blotted out Doctor Iones his Comentary on the Hebrewes in the written Copy page 138. It may be Bishops and Arch-bishops have little feeling of the burden poore Ministers in the Country are faine to sustaine 17. Passages expunged against the Blindnesse Superstition Idolatrous Pompous worship and Adoration of Papists prophane persons Popish Saints Reliques IN Master Wards Comentary on Matthew page 35. 36. written copy this passage is evpunged What blindnesse are we subject unto without Christ There is a double blindnesse which men are subject and incident unto to wit First the blindnesse of Superstition which is apparently seen in the Papists who first teach us to worship Demoniacks or damned soules in hell or traitors as Thomas Recket and impious Gregory the seventh called Heldibrand And secondly teacheth us to worship Chimeâ—â—es fictious and things that never were in rerum natura Thus they teach us to worship Saint Christopher Sanit George Saint Katherine and many hundreds more which cannot be proved to have been or at least not Saints but some of them grand impostors Thirdly they teach us to worship vile and base things as peeces of rotten wood making then beleeve they were peeces of Christs Crosse and old thred-bare garments for some sacred Vestments although the Priests themselves knew them to be otherwise yea the Eucharisticall wafer-cakes although they have been consecrated flightly the Priest thinking of some other thing else and not intending the consecration thereof which according to their owne doctrine is not then transubstantiated and therfore is palpable idolatry to fal down to a bare piece of bread Fourthly they teach us to place Religion in outward things as in the observation of dayes meats apparrell and the like Col. 2. 17. 18. None of all which things we are taught to doe in the Word of God and therefore we had need beware of this blindnesse of superstition Secondly there is a blindnesse of prophanenesse which is twofold to wit either Pura negationis or Pravae dispositionis i. e. either naturall or affected ignorance First there is in us a naturall ignorance we by nature not knowing those things which concerne the glory of God or our owne salvation and this blindnesse is in all even in the elect untill they be enlightned by the Spirit of God Secondly there is an affected ignorance when men refuse the meanes of knowledge like those deafe Adders that stop their eares against the voyce of the charmer charme he never so wisely Now this blindnesse of heart is also in every man by nature for as naturally we know not our duty towards God so naturally we desire not the knowledge thereof but are backward and negligent in the use of those meanes which God hath appointed for the curing of this blindnesse And this Ibidem page 365. Because our Saviour doth acknowledge the powring of this precious oyntment upon him to be a good work it may therefore be demanded if the Papists doe not well who worship the Lord in great cost and pomp First Christ praysed the precious oyntment not as an ordinary worship which should alwayes afterwards he imitated but onely as a singular ministery of his funerall ver 12. shee did it for my buriall But Christ now is ascended into Heaven and is no more to be buried and therefore this fact of Maries will he no ground for the Popish pompom worship Secondly the Popish pompous worship is full of superstition and idolatry but in this anointing there was none and therefore it will not support their pomp Thirdly when Christ departed from the world to Heaven he left behind him in his stead the poore commanding us to honour him by our bounty toward them and therefore if we would bestow our liberality aright we should enrich or refresh with our substance the poore members of Christ for he doth accept of that which is done unto them as done unto himselfe Heb. 13. 16. 18. Passages deleted against Superstitious Popish Ceremonies and the abolition of them IN Master Wards Comentary upon Matthew page 212. this clause is obliteraned Adde nothing unto the Word of God neither first the chaffe of Superstition with the Papists neither secondly Machiavillianisme and unwarrantable policy with some statists neither thirdly new opinions Secondly indeed if any ceremony which our Church useth should be
Canterburies Doome OR THE FIRST PART OF A COMPLEAT HISTORY OF The Commitment Charge Tryall Condemnation Execution of WILLIAM LAVD Late Arch-Bishop of CANTERBURY Containing the severall Orders Articles Proceedings in PARLIAMENT against him from his first Accusation therein till his Tryall Together with the Various Evidences and Proofs produced against him at the LORDS Bar in justification of the first branch of the COMMONS Charge against him to wit His Trayterous Endeavours to Alter and Subvert Gods True Religion by Law established among us to introduce and set up Popish Superstition and Idolatry in liew thereof by insensible Degrees and to Reconcile the Church of England to the Church of Rome by sundry Jesuiticall Pollices Practises with his severall Answers to those Evidences Proofs and the COMMONS Reply thereunto Wherein this Arch-Prelates manifold Trayterous Artifices to Usher in Popery by Degrees are cleerly detected and the Ecclesiasticall History of our Church-affaires during his Pontificall Domination faithfully presented to the publike View of the World By WILLIAM PRYNNE of Lincolns Inne Esquire Specially deputed to this publike Service by the House of Commons Order Dated 4 Martii 1644. PSAL. 7. 14 15 16. Behold he travelleth with Iniquity and hath conceived Mischiefe and brought forth Falshood He made a pit and digged it and is fallen into the Pit that he digged His Mischiefe shall return upon his own Head and his Violent dealing shall come down upon his own Pate PSAL. 9. 16. The Lord is known by the Judgement which he executeth the Wicked is snared in the worke of his own hands LONDON Printed by John Macock for Michael Spark senior at the sign of the Blue Bible in Green Arbour 1646. Die Martis 4 Martii 1644. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament that Master Prynne be desired to Print and publish all the Proceedings concerning the Archbishop of Canterburies Triall with the approbation of the Committee that managed the Evidence at the said Tryall And Master Prynne hath power to View and send for Writings Papers Orders and Records and to take Coppies thereof as he sees cause H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. TO The Right Honourable the Lords and Commons In PARLIAMENT Assembled YOUR HONOURS earnest desires expressed in the premised Order inevitably engaging me to compile and publish to the World A compleat History of the famous Tryall of the late decapitated Archbishop of Canterbury I have without other motives in Obedience thereunto with as much Expedition as my many other distracting Occasions and the Vastnesse of the Work would permit finished the First Part thereof which I here humbly tender to Your Honourable Patronage and Acceptance comprising The severall Orders Articles and Parliamentary Proceedings against him from his Originall Impeachment till his Triall together with the Commons Various Evidence his severall Answers to it and their Replies upon them in maintenance of the First Generall Branch of their Charge of High Treason against him to wit His Trayterous Endeavours to alter subvert Gods true Religion by Law established among us to introduce Popish Superstition and Idolatry in liew thereof and to reconcile the Church of England to the Church of Rome by sundry Jesuiticall Stratagems The guilt of which black Execrable Charge wherein he most of all protested and endeavoured to clear his pretended Innocency both during his Triall at the Bar and at his Death on the Scaffold as that which did most nearly concern him in his function as an Arch-Prelate and in his Religion as a Protestant was so abundantly evidenced so firmly fixed upon his White Rochet by a various multiplicity of unavoydable proofs impregnable Demonstrations which all his Sophistry Oratory Subtilty Protestations could no wayes enervate or evade that it will stick fast upon him for Eternity maugre all his own verball Apologies during his life or the Malignant Panegyricks the scandalous Relations of any Anti-parliamentall or Prelaticall Sycophants since his death Who in open affront of Your most memorable Exemplary Justice upon this Arch-Traytor the very Sourse and Compendium of all our late miseries have proclaimed him to Posterity in their late lying Legends of his death A most Glorious Martyr as the Papists did his most Trayterous Predecessor Becket and already canonized him for A SAINT perchance because beheaded on Saint Williams day the Popish Archbishop of Bourges in France as great a disturber in his time of that Kingdomes publike peace and course of Justice yea as grand an Incendiary of the bloody Wars against the Albigenses French Protestants as this Archbishop was of our Kingdoms tranquility its publike Justice and stirrer up of the War against the Scots yet for all this enrolled in the Red Calender of Romish Saints There have lately come unto my hands two Oxford Pamphlets the one intituled A true Relation of the Death of the most Reverend Father in God William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury upon Tower hill January 10. 1644. First Printed at Oxford and since at Bristol Anno 1644. Which begins thus On Fryday Jan. 10. THE REBELS MARTYRED the most Reverend Father in God William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury upon Tower hill after they had kept him prisoner above four years And then relating his speech and Prayer on the Scaffold it concludes in these words Thus dyed the KINGS and the CHURCHES MARTYR a man of such Integrity Learning Devotion and Courage as had he lived in the Primitive times they would have given him another name whom though the cheated multitude were taught to misconceive for these honoured him yet impartiall posterity will know how to value him when they hear the Rebels sentenced him the very same houre that they voted down the Liturgy of the Church of England whose innocency cryes to heaven for Vengeance upon the heads of these destroyers who pile MURTHER upon Murther to fortifie their Covenant that upon this generation may come all the RIGHTEOUS BLOOD from him whose blood was first shed to the pulling down this great Pillar of our Church which if you consider is THE MOST GROUNDLES MALITIOUS SOLEMNE STUDIED MURTHER THAT EVER WAS COMMITTED IN THIS WRETCHED ISLAND The later Pamphlet Imprinted at Oxford of the same Subject dated as the former inscribed A briefe Relation of the Death and Sufferings of the most Reverend and Renouned Prelate the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury with a more perfect Coppy of his Speech and other passages â—n the Scaffold than hath been hitherto Imprinted thus blazons this Arch-traytors Innocency merits sufferings He that had so long lived a Confesser a Popish Confessor if he please to the Duke of Buckingham and others could not but think it release of misery to be made a MARTYR He ascended the Scaffold with so brave a courage such a cheerfull countenance as if he had mounted rather to behold a Triumph than to be made a Sacrifice and came not there to dye but to be translated and to say truth it was no Scaffold but a Throne a
goods of the People and for abolishing the whole discipline and government of our Kirke by generall and provinciall Assemblies Presbyteries and Kirke Sessions which was setled by Law and in continuall practise since the time of Reformation that Canterburie was Master of this Worke is manifest By a Book of Canons sent to him written upon the one side only with the other side blank for corrections additions and putting all in better Order at his pleasure which accordingly was done as may appeare by interlinings marginalls and filling up of the blanke page with directions sent to our Prelates and that it was don by no other than Canterbury is evident by his Magisteriall way of prescribing and by a new copy of these Canons all written with Saint Androis owne hand precisely to a Letter according to the former castigations sent backe for procuring the Kings warrant unto it which accordingly was obtained but with an addition of some other Canons and a Paper of some other corrections According to which the Booke of Canons thus composed was published in Print the inspection of the Bookes Instructions and his Letters of joy for the successe of the worke and of others Letters of the Prelate of London and the Lord Sterling to the same purpose all which we are ready to exhibite will put the mater out of all debate Besides this generall there be some things more speciall worthy to be adverted unto for discovering his Spirit 1. The fourth Canon of Cap. 8. Forasmuch as no Reformation in Doctrine or Discipline can be made perfect at once in any Church therefore it shall and may be lawfull for the Church of Scotland at any time to make remonstrance to his Majesty or his successours c. Because this Canon holdeth the doore open to more Innovations he writeth to the Prelate of Rosse his privy Agent in all this Worke of his great gladnesse that this Canon did stand behinde the Curtaine and his great desire that this Canon may be Printed fully as one that was to be most usefull Secondly The title prefixed to these Canons by our Prelates Canons agreed upon to be proponed to the severall Synods of the Kirke of Scotland is thus changed by Canterbury Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall c. ordained to be observed by the Clergy He will not have Canons come from the Authority of Synods but from the power of Prelates or from the Kings Prerogative Thirdly the formidable Canon Cap. 1. 3. threatning no lesse than Excommunication against all such persons whosoever shall open their mouthes against any of these Bookes proceeded not from our Prelates nor is to be found in the Copy sent from them but is a thunder-bolt forged in Canterburies owne fire Our Prelates in divers places witnesse their dislike of Papists A Minister shall be deposed if he be found negligent to convert Papists Chap. 18. 15. The adoration of the Bread is a superstition to be condemned Cap. 6. 6. They call the absolute necessity of Baptisme an errour of Popery Cap. 6. 2. But in Canterburies Edition the name of Papists and Popery is not so much as mentioned 5. Our Prelates have not the boldnesse to trouble us in their Canons with Altars Fonts Chancels reading of a long Liturgy before Sermon c. But Canterbury is punctuall and peremptory in all these Although the words of the tenth Canon Chap. 3. be faire yet the wicked intentions of Canterbury and Rosse may be seene in the poynt of justification of a sinner before God by comparing the Canon as it came from the Prelates and as it was returned from Canterbury and Printed our Prelates say thus Jt is manifest that the superstition of former ages hath turned into a great prophanenesse and that people are growne cold for the most part in doing any good thinking there is no place to good workes because they are excluded from justification Therefore shall all Ministere as their Text giveth occasion urge the necessity of good workes as they would be saved and remember that they are Via Regni the way to the Kingdome of Heaven though not causa regnandi how be it they be not the cause of Salvation Here Rosse giveth his judgment that he would have this Canon simply commanding good workes to be Preached and no mention made what place they have or have not in justification Vpon this motion so agreeable to Canterburies mind the Canon is set downe as it standeth without the distinction of Via Regni or causa Regnandi or any word sounding that way urging only the necessity of good workes 7. By comparing Canterburie 9. Cap. 18. As it was sent in writing from our Prelates and as it is Printed at Canterburies command may be also manifest that he went about to establish Auricular confession and Popish Absolution 8. Our Prelates were not acquainted with Canons for afflicting of Arbritrary penalties But in Canterburies Booke wheresoever there is no penalty expresly set downe it is provided that it shall be arbitrary as the ordinary shall thinke fittest By these and many other the like it is apparent that tyranicall power he went about to establish in the hands of our Prelates over the worship and the soules and goods of men overturning from the foundation the whole order of our Kirke what seeds of Popery he did sow in our Kirke and how large an entry hee did make for the grossest novations afterward which hath beene a maine cause of all their combustion The third and great novation was the Booke of Common Prayer Administration of the Sacraments and other parts of Divine service brought in without warrant from our Kirke to be universally received as the onely forme of divine Service under all highest paines both civill and Ecclesiasticall which is found by our nationall assembly besides the Popish freme and formes in divine worship to containe many Popish errors and ceremonies and the seeds of manifold and grosse superstitions and Idolatries and to be repugnant to the Doctrine Discipline and order of our reformation to the confession of Faith constitutions of generall Assemblies and Acts of Parliament establishing the true Religion that this also was Canterburies worke we make manifest By the memories and instruction sent unto him from our Prelates wherein they gave a speciall account of the diligence they had used to doe all which herein they were enjoyned by the approbation of the Service Booke sent to them and of all the marginall correction wherein it varieth from the English Booke shewing their desire to have some few things changed in it which notwithstanding was not granted This we finde written by Saint Androis owne hand and subscribed by him and nine other of our Prelates By Canterburies owne Letters witnesses of his joy when the Booke was ready for the Presse of his prayers that God would speed the worke of the hope to see that service set up in Scotland of his diligence to send for the Printer and directing him to
proof of the fifth and sixth Originall and ninth Additionall Articles and in the Answers and replyes upon them The third part touching Religion contained in the 7 8 9 10 11 12 Originall and 6 and 7 Additionall Articles was carried on and managed by Iohn Wilde Serjeant at Law of the Commons House for 4 whole dayes to wit May 20 27. Iune 6. 11. and then by reason of Mr. Serjeants sicknesse and infirmity pursued by Master Nicholas 5 intire dayes more viz. Iune 17. 20 27. Iuly 20 24. The fourth and last part of the evidence in proof of the 14 Originall and 1 and 10 Additionall Articles was given in by Master Nicholas on the 29 of Iuly and concluded the same day So as the very evidence it self which was excellently well pressed by these learned Gentlemen took up seventeen whole days morning and evening besides 12 dayes attendance more whereon other pressing publike affaires enforced the Lords to adjorn the tryall when both the Committee of Commons were ready with their witnesses and the Arch-bishop present with his Councell ready to receive his charge After all the evidence answers and replyes thereto fully given the Arch-bishop had liberty granted to make a Recapitulation of his whol defence before the Lords which accordingly performed on the second of September 1644. To which Samuel Brown Esquire a member of the House of Commons replyed on the 11 of September summing up the principall parts of the evidence given against him at the Lords Bar. On the 11 of Octob. 1644. the Arch-Bishops Councell were heard at the Lords Bar on this point of Law to which they were formerly directed to speak Whether in all or any of the Articles charged against him there were any Treason contained Which Mr. Iohn Hern onely argued as the mouth of the rest of his Councell Soon after the Commons having drawn an Ordnance of Attainder of high Treason against the Archbishop upon the Evidence given in against him on the second of Novemb. following the Arch-bishop after its second reading was brought to the Commons Bar where Mr. Sam. Brown in his presence summed up the evidence given in against him before the Lords to which the Archbishop by order gave his answer Vivâ voce at the Commons Bar Nov. 11th whereunto Mr Brown replyed the 13th of the same Novemb. after which the very same day the Ordinance for his attainder of High Treason passed the Commons House without any dissenting voyce but one and that not upon the matter of his charge High Treason of which all Voted him guilty but manner of proceeding onely This Ordinance being transmitted to the House of Peeres because some of the Lords were not present at all the evidence given in against him during his long Tryall thereupon Decemb. 4. 1644. they Ordered That all Books Writings Docquets and evidences concerning the Arch-bishop of Canterbury his tryall before the Lords in Parliament should be brought in to the Clerk of the Parliament by 9 of the Clock in the morning on Saturday next which being done accordingly the Lords among themselves seriously re-examined all the heads and principall parts of the evidence formerly urged against him at the Bar debating weighing and then voting each particular as they went after this most serious review their Lordships upon most mature deliberation voted him guilty of all the Articles and matters of fact charged against him and also that of High Treason to notwithstanding the argument of the Archbishops Councel upon a conference with the House of Commons which satisfied them in the point of Law Whereupon they passed the Ordinance for his Attainder of high Treason by vertue whereof he was soon after executed whereof more fully in its due place Thus you have the summe of the Lords and Commons most deliberate fair moderate just though tedious proceedings against this Arch-Traytor not to be presidented in any preceding Age nor fit to be imitated for the future in regard of length and expence of time against which calumny and malice it selfe can take no just exceptions on his behalfe the rather because himselfe would have tried condemned executed above an hundred Paritans in halfe the time wherein he was but trying without the least mercy or moderation had they beene brought before his Tribunall for farre more pettie Treasons then those of which hee was attainted and voted guilty upon most full and pregnant evidence Having given the world this briefe account of the fairenes and deliberatenesse of his Tryall so long delayed partly by his own neglect in not pleading to his Articles of impeachment and not once petitioning to be brought to Tryall during all the time of his restraine partly by his owne forementioned Petitions to the Lords for longer time when the Commons pressed to expedite his hearing partly by the death of Mr John Pym and some other Members of the Commons House who were trusted to prepare and mannage the evidence against him part whereof miscarryed by their decease but principally by reason of the great intervening urgent affaires distractions and bloody Wars in the Kingdomes of Ireland and England occasioned by his Majesties deserting the Parliament and this Arch-Prelates plots to set up Popery not through any neglect or default in the Lords or Commons We shall next endeavour to yeeld you a full satisfactory true account of the proceedings and evidence given in against him at his Tryall which will really render him the Archest Traytor the most pestilent Malefactor in all kindes of Villany Tyranny Oppression Mischiefe that was ever arraigned condemned in any Parliament Pierce Gravestons Archbishop Arundles Cardinall Wolses Empsons Dudlies and the Earle of Straffords Treasons Conspiracies Oppressions and grand Misdemeanours layd together being far inferiour to his both in he inousnesse multiplicity and variety as shall be undeniably demonstrated to all the world by substantiall proofes On Thursday the 12. of March 1643. the day designed for the comencement of this great Tryall about three of the Clocke in the afternoon the Arch-bishop was brought Prisoner by the Lieutenant of the Tower of London and Usher of the blacke Rod to the Bar in the Lords House where after he had kneeled down on his knees for a litle space the Lord Gray of Warke then Speaker of that honourable House commanded him to rise up which done the Committee of the House of Commons appointed to mannage the evidence at his Tryall demanded that the severall Articles of their Impeachment against him might be read whereupon one of the Clerkes of the Lords House read both the Originall and Additionall Articles fore-mentioned and after that his Answer Plea and Demurrer to them All which being read the Archbishop then desired the Lords that the House of Commons might give in all their Charge and Evidence to all the Articles against him together before he should be put to give his Answer to any particular Charge because he was ancient his memory very short and the Articles Generall and that he might
pursue him from Lamb crosse the Thames to the Kings own Royall Chapell at White-Hall where upon his comming to be Dâ—â—e of his Majesties Chapell and after that Archb. of Canterbury he introduced bowing to the Altar himselfe there constantly practising this Ceremony at his ingresse egresse a Lane being made for him to see the Altar and do his Reverence to it and at all his approaches towards or to the Altar which bowing and Veneration his Majesties Chaplaines were there likewise enjoyned by him to practise and by his means in Passion week in the years 1636. 1637. c. a rich large Crucifix imbroydered with Gold Silver in a faire peece of Arras was hung up in his Majesties Chappell over the Altar to the great scandall and offence of many For proofe whereof so experimentally known to most of the Lords and Courtiers who were eye-witnesses of and disliked it Sir Henry Mildmay Knight a Member of the House of Commons and Master of the Jouell House was produced who deposed as followeth That before the Archbishop came to be Deane of his Majesties Chappell there was little or no bowing at all used by any to or towards the Altar except only at St. George his Peast when the Knights of the Gartor going up to offer at it made a civill kinde of obeysance towards it not out of any religious respect but at a 〈◊〉 Ceremony anciently used by them only at this solemnity and by those of the Garter 〈◊〉 But after hee came to be Deane of the Chappell he constantly used bowing to the 〈◊〉 at his ingresse egresse and approaches to the Altar causing his owne and His Masties Chaplaines to doe the like That after he become Deane of the Chappell for two three yeares togegether or more there was in Passim worke a peece of Arras with a 〈◊〉 embroidered Crucifixe the full length of a man hanged over the Altar on 〈…〉 Chappell at White-Hall which was never done before in his memory nor in the memory of any Courtier that he could heare of which Crucifixe he believed was never therâ— used since King H. the 8. his Reigne till of late That this grosse notorious Innovation â—ave great scandull and generall offence to many well-affected Courtiers who spake muâ—â— against it and to himselfe in particular who openly complained of it to the King and spâ—ke to the Archbishop himselfe about it yet it continued there sundry Passion weekes And to manifest the truth hereof more clearely to all the world the very Crucifixe it selfe was by speciall order sent for and brought into the Lords House by the â—erjeant of the Vestry at White-Hall who likewise attested the hanging of it up â—ver the Altar in His Majesties Chappell in the Passion Weekes It was very large rich naked scandalous offensive never used since the Reformation but onely in tiâ—es of Popery yet this most scandalous Idoll did this Arch-Prelate cause to be thaâ— hanged up in His Majesties Chappell as a patterne of imitation for all others well nowing the ancient Proverbe to bean experimentall truth Regis ad exemplum 〈◊〉 componitur orbis c. When he hath thus introduced these Romish Innovations into hs Majesties Chappel then the Altar Crucifix other Innovations in his Royal Chaâ—â—el must be made the Canon whereby to regulate all Cathedrall and Parochiall Churches and so declared publikely in print by himselfe his Confederates both in an Order made at the Councell Table concerning the placing of the Table in Saint Gregonies Church Altarwise 3. Novemberis 1633. by this Archbishops owne procurement published by Doctor Heylen his Greature in his Câ—ale from the Altar page 62. and Antidotum Lincolniense cap. 2. page 62 63. by Peter Heylyn in his Coale p. 27. Antidotum Lincolni cap. 2. p. 29. to 67. his Moderate answer to Henry Burton p. 57. 176. by Christopher Dewe in his answer to Mr. Henry Burton cap 20. p. 191. the New Canons 1640. can 7. Now what a capital transcendent offence this was in this Arch-Prelate principally intrusted with the care of Religion contrary to his trust and dutie to introduce these scandalous Innovations into His Majesties owne Royall Chappell will appeare by these particulare First that hereby he made the world believe His Majesty was a publike countenancer of these Popish Innovations and 〈◊〉 making him a Royall open Patron of them as much as in him lay contrary to his owne printed Declarations to all his loyall Subjects before the 39. Articles and after the dissolution of the Parliament Anno 16â—8 Wherein he professed he would neuer 〈…〉 in the least degree to Popery or superstition Secondly That he hereby give just occasion both to Protestants and Papists at home and in forraigne parts openly to report and believe that wee were now relapsing to those ancient Romish superstitions Idolatries corruptions we had formerly spired one 3ly That hereby he endeavoured to corrupt his Majesty his Nobles Courtiers Chaplaine and by consequence all his dominions in their Religion Fourthly That by this meanes he perverted seduced many thousands of His Majesties subjects who from this patterne fell to a studious practise of bowing to Altars â—â—erecting Altari 〈◊〉 in most Chappell 's Churches by degrees Fifthly That hereby hee scandalited discouraged grieved the well affected Protestants both at home and abroad encouraged hardned Papists in their superstitions and gave them great hopes of a speedy alteration of religion 〈◊〉 they seconded with al their power and pollicy Sixthly That by this practise he ingendred great discontents 〈…〉 misunderstanding 〈◊〉 â—is Majestie and his subjects which could never yet be cordially reconciled since that time but have grown wider every day almost to the utter ruine of our three whole kingdomes To the former evidence this further memorable testimony was subjoyned by way of corroboration and aggravation Mistres Charnock a Gentlewoman of good quality and her Daughter joyntly deposed before the Lords that on Maundy Thursday about 6. yeares since they being at Whitehall with some other of their friends whereof one was a Papist went into the Kings Chapell there to see it where they saw an Altar with Tapers other Furniture on it a Crucifix over it whiles they were in the Chappell Dr. Browne of Saint Faiths Church under Paules then a Deane one of the King's Chaplaines with his Curate came together into the Chappell and bowed three severall times almost to the ground to the Altar and Crucifix as they all conceived and then kneeled down on their knees before them A little after there came two Semenary Priests into the Chappell and bowed downe very low three severall times to the Altar and Crucifix over it as they apprehended just in the very same manner as Dr. Browne and his Curate did and then kneeled downe before the Altar and Crucifix for a little space as they had done At which strange sight Mistresse Charnocke very much admiring said to those in her company J never thought to
beseech you take into your Religious consideration and vouchsafe me such a favourable resolution as the meritts of the cause requireth It is so that Doctor Robert Weston sometimes one of the Lords Justices for the Government of Ireland and Lord Chancellor of the same Realme Grandfather to my deceased Wife and great Vncle to the now Lord Treasurer of England whose memory yet lives by being stiled the good Lord Chancellor of Ireland was buried in the upper end of the Chancell in Saint Patrickes Church whose Daughter Sir Iefferey Fenton maried he having beene principall Secretary of State to Queene Elizabeth and King Iames for many yeares and lived and died in great honour whose onely Daughter I tooke to Wife and hee was buryed in the same grave My Wife drawing towards her end made her last request unto me that her Grandfather her Father and her selfe might be buried together and that I would be at the charge to erect some Monument in memoriall of them all Whereupon in accomplishment of her dying desire who was the Mother of my fifteene Children I propounded unto the Lord Archbishop of Dublin and to the Deane and Chapter of Saint Patricks to purchase a place where I might erect a Tombe over them And they assigned me the ground under an Arch to make a Seller or Vault in to receive dead bodies and three foote of the Chancell adjoyning to the Grave where the Lord Chancellor and Sir Iefferey Fenton had beene buried for which I payd them a Fyne with Rent and other reservations towards the reparation of the Church and by their unanimous consent have a Deed in due forme of Law perfected under their Chapter Seale and so being by generall consent legally interested therein I made a Vault of hewed stone under ground with conveighances therein to free the Church from the waters with which floods and great raynes it was before often anoyed withall and where there was then but an earthen flower at the upper end of the Chancell which was often overflowne I raysed the same three steps higher making the Staires of hewen stone and paving the same through out of the same whereon the Communion Table now stands very dry and gracefully In that Seller I have placed the Corps of my Wives Grandfather her Father and her selfe with a Daughter of mine since deceased that was married to the Lord Digbie and over the Vault I have caused a Tombe of foure storyes to be erected which reacheth two and thirtie foot from the ground which hath cost me a thousand pounds at the least and is the greatest ornament and beautie to that Church that ever was placed therein that being seated under an Arch that in former time was only a passage into the Saint Mary Chappell at the East end of which Chappell the high Altar stood and when that Chappell which hath two other wayes into it the one on the right hand the other on the left fell into ruine that Arch wherein the Tombe is placed to keepe the winde and weather out of the Chancell was made up with slight timber and lathes and plaistred with Clay white lymed over whereon the Commandements were lately written It is three yeares since this my worke was finished and neither during the time of the worke nor since till now of late did I ever heare of any mouth opened against it but many in commendations of it as a great beautie and ornament to that Chancell neither doth it take away or hide any of the lights of the Chancell for they are all above this Fabricke Neither is there any remembrance nor can the oldest man living say that there ever was any Altar placed neere this passage Yet of late it hath pleased my honourable Lord the Lord Deputy to command me to give Your Grace satisfaction herein or else to declare that the Tombe must be defaced which to have done would bee the greatest dishonour and affliction that could bee layed upon me And the more for that before I heard any thing of Your Graces distant thereof I had in the presence of the Lord Prymate given order to the Deane at my ovvne charges for a stately Skrene to be erected within the Quire and upon the pavement raised by my selfe upon which the tenne Commandements are to bee engraven to the great beautifying of Gods House Vpon that notice from the Lord Deputy I made suite to the Lord Prymate and the Lord Archbishop of Dublin to view the place which they vouchsafed together with the Deane and Chapter to doe And doe humbly offer to your Grace their opinions herein which I beseech Your pious consideration of and that you will be pleased to returne me such an answer as may encourage me to proceed herein and in other like building and charitable workes wherein I spend a great part of my estate and time as all that know me and my actions â—an testifie The great God of Heaven blesse Your Grace with a long and happie life in this world and everlasting glory in the world to come vvhich is and ever shall be the prayer of Your Graces most humble and faithfull Servant R. Caâ—he Dublin 20. Febr. 1633. May is please Your Grace VNderstanding from the Earle of Corke that Your Grace hath intimated unto the Right Honourable the Lord Deputie your offence taken against a Tombe lately built by his Lordship in the quire of Saint Patrikes Church neere this Citie of Dublin being informed that it should be situate in the place where the High-Altar anciently stood and that it should darken the East Window of the Quire upon his Lordships earnest request unto mee I have made bold to declare unto your Grace my knowledge thereabouts which is that the place where the Tombe is erected is a spatious Arch which in former times as I conceive served for a passage into the Marie Chappell adjoyning at the East end vvhereof the High Altar stood This Arch was closed up and plastered to keepe the winde as I imagine out of the Quire Saint Marie Chapell being somevvhat decaied upon the plaistering the Declalogue was fairely painted these vvere done before my promotion to this See or comming into this Kingdome The windovves which were of old somevvhat high over the Arch are no way darkened by his Lordships monument but remaine as they were formerly and the monument is so wrought and contrived what in the Arch and the Wall that vvith the grate before it it doth not much diminish the length of the Quire The Earle hath raised that end of the Quire three-steppes higher then it vvas and hath paved it with faire hevven stones being formerly a floore of earth many times upon a fresh drovvned vvith water where novv the Communion Table iâ— placed vvith more decency then in former times And his Lordship is in hand to set up a faire skrine of timber somewhat distant from the monument so that it may take in some other monuments heretofore erected on either side in the which
said Miles Burkitt in contempt of his said Ordinary doth come forth out of the said rayles and doth administer the Sacrament to many that will not come up to the said rayles Hocque fuit est verum c. Item we Article and object that you the said Miles Burkite did consent procure and abet Paul Gardner one of the Churchwardens of Pateshall in the County of Northampton aforesaid to remove and carry down forth of the rayles the Communion Table into the body of the Chancell and there did minister the holy Sacrament on Easterday last past and other times notwithstanding the Articles of your Diocesan to the contrary Hocque fuit est verum c. Upon which Articles this good Minister was for a long time vexed in the High-commission and almost ruined From Ministers thus persecuted for opposing these Innovations of rayling in Communion Tables Altarwise and administring the Sacrament at the Rayles we shall proceed to Church-wardens severally prosecuted excommunicated and undone for not rayling in Communion Tables only or removing them out of the rayles We shall begin with the Churchwardens of Beckington in the County of Somerset whose case by the testimonies of Mr. John Ash a Member of the House of Commons and Lord of that Parish of M. William Long and M. George Long who solicited the cause in the Churchwardens behalfe was manifested to be thus The Communion Table in the Parish-church of Beckington had for 70 years and more stood in the midst of the Chancell enclosed with a very decent Wainscot-border and a dore with seats for the Communicants to receive in round about it In the year 1633. D. Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wels a great creature of Canterburies appointed certaine Commissioners to view the Churches within his Diocesse certifie to him the defects thereof who viewing the Church of Beckington certified among other things that there was not a decent Communion Table in it neither was it placed under the East window nor railed in otherwise then with a Border about it where the communicants kneel at the holy Communion and that there were seats above the Communion Table To which Certificate the Churchwardens and Sidemen of Beckington were ordered by the Bishop to return an answer under their hands before Ascension-day 1634. which they did accordingly After which the Churchwardens were enjoyned by the Bishop by word of mouth to remove and rayle in their Communion Table Altarwise against the East end of the Chancel which they refusing to doe conceiving it to be against the Rubrick Q. Elizabeths Injunctions and the 82 Canon thereupon Iames Wheeler Iohn Fry Churchwardens were on the 9 of June 1635. cited into the Bishops Court at Wels before William Hunt the Bishops Surrogate and D. Duck his Chancelour for that the Communion Table in the Chancell of Beckington was not placed under the East window of the Chancel nor rayled in otherwise then with a Border about it and that there were seats above the said Table who admonished them to repaire the said defects and to place the Lords Table against the East wall of the Chancell with the ends of it North and South as it stood in the Cathedrall Church at Wels with a rayle about it and to certifie that they had done all this by the 6 of October following At which day they were excommunicated in open Court by the Bishop himself for refusing to remove and rayle in the Table and pull down the said seats Whereupon the Churchwardens appealed to the Arches for relief where after much waiting and solicitation they procured from Sir Iohn Lambe Dean of the Arches a Letter to the Bishop to absolve them for a time which he did only for 27 dayes admonishing them to submit to what he had formerly enjoyned them for not doing whereof he excommunicated them againe in open Court on the 12 of January following Hereupon the Churchwardens appealed to the Arches the second time and petitioned the Archbishop for reliefe to which Petition this Certificat under the hands of about one hundred of the Parishioners was annexed To the most Reverend Father in God and Right Honourable William by Gods providence Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan ever all England We the Inhabitants and parishioners of Beckington in the County of Somerset do humbly certifie that the Communion Table of our Church of Beckington hath and doth stand in the midst of the Chancel being the most convenientest place time out of minde and beyond the remembrance of any of our parishioners now living And that near threescore years since the pavement of the said Chancel upon which the Communion Table standeth was new made and in the new making thereof raised about a foot above the rest of the ground of the said Chancell and then also compassed about with a fair Wainscot border in which there is only one Wainscot door to come into the said Table which door is kept fast and none doth enter in thereat but the Minister and such as he doth require which said Communion Table doth at the day of the date hereof stand so conveniently and decently as aforesaid And we the said parishioners with an unanimous consent do humbly pray That it may so continue freed from all Innovation And so do humbly take our leaves dated this 19 day of December Anno Dom 1635. But notwithstanding this Petition and Certificate the Archbishop refused to admit of their Appeal threatned them with the High-commission and to lay their Solicitour by the heels commanding them to submit to and obey their Diocaesan who sent up all the proceedings in this cause to the Archbishop with severall reasons why this Table should be removed found in the Archbishops study by Mr. Prynne endorsed with his own hand Whereupon they were enforced to petition the King himself for reliefe informing his Majesty That the Communion Table had continued as then it stood by the approbation of all the Archbishops Bishops of that Diocesse during the reignes of Queen Elizabeth King James and even eleven years in his Majesties reigne as appeared by a Certificate under the hands of almost an hundred of the parishioners hands annexed to the Petition desiring the Table might not be removed but the Archbishop by his power hindred them from receiving any relief from his Majesty upon what grounds and reasons this Letter of the Bishop of Bath and Wels to Sir Iohn Lambe will best discover Good Master Deane According to my promise in my Letter to you the last week I have now sent unto you a copy of all my proceedings in the cause concerning the Chancel of the Parish-church of Beckington and the placing of the Communion Table therein together with my reasons for the same which I hope will give you full satisfaction in this businesse I have sent likewise a copy to my Lords Grace of Canterbury not that I think it worthy of his reading or that he hath leisure to peruse it
but that it may lye by him that when you speak with his Grace about this among other businesses his Grace may have recourse to my papers if he think fit There are in my Diocesse 469 Churches and Chappels or thereabout and the Communion Tables are placed already in above 140 of them as the Communion Table is placed in our Cathedrall Church here I have begun and proceeded herein in a perswasive way some parishes were no sooner spoken to but they obeyed other Parishes refused at the first but they were quickly satisfied and then submitted only the Churchwardens of Beckington being encouraged and back'd by divers of the parish not so well affected to the government and rites of the Church as they should be are become obstinate and will have the Chancell ordered and the Communion Table there placed as the parishioners shall think fit who also bear the charges of these Churchwardens as they have confessed unto me which was the cause why they hasted so speedily to London and stayed so long there about this businesse If these men have their wils the example will do a great deal of harme for then many of the Parishes which have already conformed themselves to the Cathedrall will fall back and other Parishes will never come on to this conformity who are now at a stand to see what will be done in the Chancell of Beckington I know your judgement and affection to the Church concurres with mine and therefore I am assured you will do nothing herein but that which shall be for the good of the Church and preservation of authority in all things just and lawfull I pray If D. Duck desire to read the coppy of the proceedings and reasons which I have sent you let him borrow it of you for it is fit my Chancelour should be acquainted with these things whose counsell and assistance must be used therein And so with remembrance of my true love and best wishes to you I commend you to the grace of God and rest Your very affectionate and faithfull friend Guil. Bath and Wels. Wels 2 Ian. 1635. Hereupon the poor Churchwardens being destitute of all relief continued excommunicated about a whole year after which they were taken and imprisoned in the common Gaole a long time upon a Capias Excommunicatum from whence at last they were released by the Bishop upon this ensuing submission and pennance worse then any imprisonment A true Copy of the Pennance that Iames Wheeler and Iohn Frye were enjoyned unto by my Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels examined by those whose names are underwritten Thomas Iles Iohn Bailly George Long William Webb Whereas the right reverend Father in God William by Gods permission Lord Bishop of Bathe and Wels hath heretofore lawfully required and commanded James Wheeler and John Frye late Churchwardens of the Parish-church of Beckington within the Dioces of Bathe and Wels aforesaid to remove the Communion Table in the Chancell of their said parish-Church and to place it close under the East wall of the said Chancell in the same manner and forme as the Communion Table standeth in the Cathedrall Church in Wells aforesaid and to remoue the seats placed above the said Table And likewise whereas they the said James Wheeler and John Frye contemned and wilfully disobeyed the command of the said Reverend Father and have in most contemptuous manner stood excommunicated for their said contempt for the space of one whole yeare now last past or there abouts not regarding nor fearing the dreadfull Censure of the Church And have likewise some dayes last past stood aggravated and have been signified unto the Kings most excellent Majesty for the apprehending their bodies and committing them to the Common-gaole of the County of Somerset the rather to compell them to their due obedience to the lawfull command of the Church now upon the earnest request and submission of the said Wheeler and Fry the said Reverend Father hath absolved them from the said sentences and enjoyned unto them that upon Sunday the 25 day of Iune in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred thirty seven they in their usuall apparell shall stand first in the middle Ally in the Parish-church of Beckington aforesaid and there immediately after the reading of the Gospell shall openly and penitently with an audible voice make this acknowledgement following repeating the same after the Minister viz. We James Wheeler and John Fry do here before this Congregation assembled acknowledge and confesse that we have grievously offended the Divine Majesty of Almighty God and the lawes Ecelesiasticall of this Realme of England in that we have in contemptuous manner refused to remove the Communion Table in the Chancell of the Parish-church of Beckington and to place it close under the East wall of the said Chancell in the same manner and forme as the Communion Table standeth in the Cathedrall Church in Wels and to remove the seats placed above the said Table being thereunto lawfully and judicially monished and warned by the right reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels. And in that for our contempts and disobediences in not performing the said lawfull command of the said reverend Father we have suffered our selves to be lawfully excommunicated and so to stand for the space of one whole yeare last past or thereabouts not fearing nor regarding the dreadfull censure of the Church And in like or rather more contemptuous manner have suffered our selves to be lawfully aggravated and signified according to the laudable laws â— statutes of this Realm thereby in a legall manner to compell us to our due obedience to the lawfull command of the Church And we do hereby protest that we are right heartily sorry for the same and we do faithfully promise never from henceforth to offend in the like againe but to demeane our selves as shall become good Christians and dutifull subjects and we doe ask God forgivenesse for this our sinne and offence and you all here present for our evill example And we doe desire you all to pray for us and with us to Almighty God that it may please him of his infinite goodnesse to forgive us of this our offence And then humbly and penitently kneeling downe must devoutly rehearse the Lords Prayer and they must certifie hereof at Wels in writing subscribed to these presents under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens of Beckington aforesaid on Tuesday the 27 day of Iune aforesaid together with this Schedule And the like pennance is to be performed by the within named James Wheeler and John Fry for the same offence in the Parish-church of Froom-felwood within the Dioces aforesaid before the Pulpit or Ministers seat there in manner and forme prescribed on Sunday the 2 day of Iuly Anno predict And certificate must be made of the due performance thereof as abovesaid under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens there upon Tuesday the fourth day of Iuly aforesaid
living speaking Image of God and Christ for preaching against dead false unlawfull Images and representations of them according to our Homilies and the established Doctrine of our Church Moreover it was then fully proved at the Lords Bar by the oathes of Doctor Featly and Master Bourne that the Arch-bishop was so mad upon Images Pictures and their worship That Doctor Featly having Printed by license 70. Sormons of his preached upon severall occasions in one whereof he had cited a passage against worshipping Images out of the Homily against the Perill of Idolatry in refutation of the Papists the Arch-bishop sending for the Doctor commanded him to carry his said Sermons to Doctor Bray his Chaplaine to peruse before they were published least there should beany offensive passages vented in them which he doing accordingly the said Doctor purged out of the 788. page thereof this ensuing clause therein cited out of the very Homely against the perill of Idolatry as scandalous and heterodox causing the whole sheet to be new Printed which expunction was openly read at the Bar by Doctor Featly himself in these following words And howsoever some of late mince the matter and beare us in hand that the framing drawing carving melting gilding erecting clothing and censing bowing down and praying before Images and Pictures is but the excrescencie of Romish devotion and no proper fruit of Idolatry and superstition yet they who laid the first stone in the happy Reformation of our Church of England and penned the Homilies appointed by Authority to be read in all Churches condemne these practises of the Romane Church as no lesse idolatrous than the like of the Heathen The full proof of that which in the beginning in the first part of this Treatise was touched is here to be made good and performed to wit that our Images and the Idols of the Gentiles be all one as well in the things themselves as also in that our Images have been before be now and ever will be worshipped in like forme and manner as the Idols of the Gentiles were so long as they be suffered in Churches and Temples whereupon it followeth that our Images in Churches have been he and ever will be no other but abominable Idols And every of these parts shall be proved in order as hereafter followeth And first that our Images and the Idols of the Gentiles are all one concerning themselves it is most evident the matter of them being gold silver or other mettle stone wood clay or plaister as were the Idols of the Gentiles and so being either melten or cast either carved graven hewer or otherwise formed and fashioned after the similitude or likenesse of man or woman they be dead and dumb works of mens hands having mouthes and speak not eyes and see not hands and feel not feet and go not and so as well in form as matter be altogether like the Idols of the Gentiles insomuch that all the titles that be given to the Idols in the Scripture may be verified of our Images Wherefore no doubt but the like curses which are mentioned in Scriptures will light upon the makers and worshippers of them both Secondly that they have been be worshipped in our time in like forme and manner as were the Idols of the Gentiles is now to be proved and for that idolatry standeth chiefly in the minde which shall in this part first be proved that our Image-maintainers have had and have the same opinion and judgement of Saints whose Images they have made and worshipped as the Gentile idolaters had of their Gods And afterwards it shall be declared that our Image-maintainers and worshippers have used and use the same outward rites and manner of honouring and worshipping their Images as the Gentiles did use before their Idols and that therefore they commit idolatry as well inwardly as outwardly as did the wicked Gentile idolaters By these two evidences of the Archbishops persecuting Master Workman for using the very words and expressions of our established Homilies against Images and his Chaplaines purging out of Doctor Featlies printed authorized Sermons this passage of our Homilies against the worshipping of Images no doubt by his direction it is most apparent that his designes and intentions were to subvert the established doctrine of our Church against the setting up and adoration of Images and to defile our Churches againe not only with these Romish Idols and Paganish inventions but to make us all Idolaters in worshipping and adoring them as the Popish or Gentile Idolaters did their Idol-gods To put this out of question we shall only adde one irrefragable evidence more concerning Images and Pictures We have proved formerly that the Archbishop had in his own private Study a Book of Popish pictures of the Life Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Virgin Mary printed by Boetius à Bolswert in forein parts Anno 1623. These very Pictures were all licensed by the Archbishops own Chaplain Doctor Bray printed by his own printer and Kinsman Badger in the year 1638. for one Peake a Stationer now in armes against the Parliament and publickly sold and bound up in Bibles as was testified by Mr. Walley Clerk of Stationers Hall and Michael Sparke Senior Master Willingham likewise attested upon oath concerning these Pictures and Crucifixes put into the Bibles that Captain Peak at Holborne Cundit Bookseller who printed these pictures for Bibles did affirme that he printed them with the good liking and by the speciall direction of the Archbishop and his Chaplaine Dr. Bray which Dr. Bray as he said carried him divers times to the Archbishop to shew him the prints thereof as they were cut and finished who liked them all well and gave his consent for the binding them up in Bibles saying That the Bibles wherein these pictures were bound up they should be called THE BISHOP OF CANTERBVRIES BIBLES stiling them after his own name so much did he owne this fact not the Bibles and Book of God who abhorres such Images and further deposed That he found two Bibles bound up with these Pictures in them the one among Secretary Windebanks the other among Sir John Lambes and Dr. Ducks chiefe papers and treasure two of the Archbishops bosome friends and favourites who highly esteemed them both of which Bibles seized by Mr. Willingham and richly bound up with these pictures in them were then produced and shewed to the Lords Master Walley further deposed that these pictures bound up in Bibles giving great offence and scandall to many well affected people himselfe with some other Stationers repaired to Lambeth to the Archbishop and complained against these pictures and the binding of them up in Bibles demanding his Graces direction therein whether they should seize such Bibles with pictures which gave offence or suffer them to be sold To which the Archbishop answered That they might doe well not to lay them out publickly upon their stals to be sold as yet lest they
To these two Prelates might be added M. William Tyndal a learned Martyr his Obedience of a Christian man p. 136. 152. William Wraughton his Hunting and rescuing of the Romish Fox Iohn Bale Bishop of Osyris in Ireland in his Image of both Churches Thomas Beacon a Prebend of Canterbury in his Reliques of Rome M. Calfhill in his book against Marshal f. 61 92. 93. M. Fox his Acts and monuments Edit 1610. p. 210. 414. with sundry other of our learned Writers who expresly censure the Consecration of Churches and Church-yards as superstitious Iewish Popish Antichristian ridiculous stiling them rather a conjuration then a consecration invented only by and reserved to Bishops for lucre sake alone And the Homily for repairing and keeping clean Churches pag. 78 79. resolves thus The Church or Temple is counted and called holy yet not of it selfe but because Gods people resorting thereunto are holy and exercise themselves in holy and heavenly things Not because it is hallowed by a Bishop of which the Homilies make no mention From these Authorities they concluded the Arch-bishops consecration of Churches especially of this but newly repaired to be both Popish and Superstitious by the received Doctrine Writers of our Church and Statutes of our Realm which abandon and condemne the same Yet notwithstanding this Arch-Bishop was so zealously bent upon it that he rested not in the consecration of Creed-Church but proceeded further to consecrate Saint Giles Church in the fields where the case stood thus The Church of Saint Giles being in decay was re-edified and part of it new built and finished in Bishop Mountaines time Divine Service Preaching and Administration of the Sacraments after its repaire having been used therein for 3. or 4. yeares space together without any exceptions After which Bishop Laud being advanced to the Bishoprick of London by a solemn processe under his Episcopall seal interdicted this Church and suspended Divine Service Sermons and Sacraments in it for 2. or 3. weeks together so as the Church doores were shut up even on Lords Dayes and the Parishoners forced to repair to other Churches onely because the Church had not been re-consecrated after its reparation some of the Parish opposed the consecration of it in respect of the charge and Fees but at last they were inforced by the Bishop to submit else they must have no Divine Service Sermons nor Sacraments in it after all their costs bestowed thereon Whereupon the Bishop the very next Lords Day after he had consecrated Creed Church repaired to Saint Giles Church and there consecrated it in the self-same manner with the self-same gestures bowings prayers ceremonies as he consecrated Creed Church After which he likewise consecrated the Church-yard and a peece of ground which was bought and added to it for consecration whereof the Parish paid ten pound fees to the Bishop himself to wit 5 l. for consecrating the Church and 5 l. for hallowing the Churchyard besides fees to his Officers and a Dinner which cost the Parish near 30 l. more all which was attested upon oath by Master Hope and some others and likewise proved by the Archbishops own Diary wherein he registred this speciall memoriall of this Consecration with his owne hand Sunday January 20. 1630. I consecrated the Church of S. Gyles in the Fields Upon which evidence the Committee of the Commons made these Observations First That this Church was used three or four years together in B. Mountains time after its repair without any new Consecration and thought holy enough by him but this Popish Prelate after all this space was of another judgement and must needs suspend and re-consecrate it contrary to the very Canon law and the resolution of the fore-cited Canonists Secondly that he and his Officers extorted unreasonable excessive fees from the Parish besides their costly Dinner for this pious work on the Lords day himself taking no lesse then 10 l. fees for consecrating the Church and Churchyard which is direct Symonie by the Canon Law and extortion by the Commonlaw there being no fees due by either law for such a Consecration Thirdly that this Prelate was so wilfull and superstitious in this Innovation that God must lose his publick worship in this Church and the whole Parish the use of it for the benefit of their soules for two or three whole weeks during its interdiction rather then this Prelate not enjoy his popish ends exorbitant fees for the re-consecration of it After this Iuly 17. 1632. he consecrated another Church in Middlesex in the same manner as he had done the former two of which he makes this speciall Memento in his own Diary Iuly 17. 1632. I consecrated the Church at Stanmore Magna in Middlesex built by Sir John Wolstenham As this Arch-prelate was thus superstitiously and popishly active in consecrating Churches so likewise in consecrating Chappels for which these instances were produced The first Chappel he consecrated was a Chappel built by himselfe at Aberguilla in Wales whiles he was Bishop of S. Davids dedicated by him to S. John Baptist concerning which he registers this passage in his own Diary August 28. 1625. Dies erat Solis consecravi Capellam sine Oratorium propriis sumptibus extructum in demo me a communiter vocata Aberguille-House Nomen indidi Capella S. Joh. Baptistae in gratam memoriam Collegii S. Joh. Baptistae Oxon cujus primo socius dein Praeses fui Et hoc consultò feci Intervenit autem aliud non mali ominis spero it seems he then little dreamed of his own beheading or that the decollation of the Baptist to whose memory he dedicated this Chappel could be any ill Omen of his own decapilation afterwards de quo nunquam cogitavi hoc fuit Die Sabbati vesperi immediatè praecedente consecrationem celebrandam dum procibus eram intentus nescio quà m violenter in mientem me am irruit adesse diem DECOLLATIONIS S. JOHANNIS BAPTISTAE Finitis precibus fasta consului reperio diem illum in diem Lunae 29 scilicet Augusti non in diem Solis incidere Optassem diem ipsum sed gavisus sum me CONSECRATIONEM SOLENNEM peracturum VIGILIA SALTEM ILLIVS DIEI Nam illa die Serenissimus Rex Jacobus causam meam circâ electionem in Presidentem Collegii S. Joh. Baptistae Oxon per tres integras horas ad minimum audivit me è manu inimicorum potentum justissimè liberavit No doubt to preserve him to aâ—ar other doome and censure Mr. Prynne deposed that he found in the Archbishops Study this paper indorsed and corrected with his own hand concerning the consecration of this his Chappell The form of the Act where a Bishop consecrates a Chappell of his own Dedication In Dei nomine Amen Cum Nos Gulielmus permissione divina Menevensis Episcopus pia ac religiosa devotione ducti hanc Capellam sive Oratorium intra aedes nostras communiter vocatas Aberguilli-house infra Parochiam de Aberguillye in
conteine The Coppy of an Answer unto a certaine Letter wherein the Answerer purgeth himselfe and others from Pelagius Errors and from the Error of Free-will or Justification of Workes wherewith he seemed to bee charged by the said Letter And further hee sheweth wherein he differeth in judgment from certaine English Writers and Preachers whom hee chargeth with teaching false doctrine under the name of Predestination This Treatise writes he was published about the second or third yeare of Queene Elizabeth by a Protestant Divine who florished both in the time of King Edward and Queene Elizabeth and in the time of Queene Mary for his Conscience endured voluntary exil but he names not the Author in particular nor produceth any warrant for this Encomium of him The residue of the Booke are some mistaken perverted fragments called out of Bishop Hoopers Preface upon the Commandements and Father Latymers Sermons concerning which Booke Master Prynne gave in this evidence upon his Oath That it was the greatest affront and imposture ever offered to or put upon the Church of England in any age deserving the highest Censure of the first discovery whereof God made him the only Instrument For as soone as this Book was printed one Coppy of it was brought him by a Friend who informed him that it was licensed by Master Martin the Bishops Arminian Chaplaine that the Bishop himselfe had given order the Booke should not be published till he had presented one of them to the King and gained his Royall approbation thereunto That a day or two after the Booke was published by the Bishops direction One Copy whereof comming to the late learned Sir Humfrey Linds hands he was very much troubled thereat upon its perusall whereupon hee repaired to Master Prynne at Lincolnes-Iaue with the Booke desiring him to take some paines to give a speedy answer to it being as he averred a most dangerous Book making more for the spreading and justifying of Arminianisme then any Booke formerly published To which Master Prynne replyed that he had no leisure and lesse encouragement to answer it being then just before vexed in the High Commission for his Perpetuity and other of his Bookes written against Arminians Wherefore Sir Humfrey himselfe who had more leisure friends and abilities then himselfe might doe well to returne an answer to it Who thereupon replyed to Master Prynne that none was so fit to answer it as himselfe who had perused more ancient English Writers and was better versed in them then any man he knew Whereunto Master Prynne rejoyned That he conceaved there was no need at all for himselfe or any man else to answer this booke for that there were two answers to it already in print To which Sir Humfrey replyed it was impossible for that this Book came forth but that morning unto which Mr. Pryn answered that the greatest part and maine substance of this Narration was answered Verbatim in two printed Books long before either of them was born and to give him fall satisfaction therein hee shewed him two printed answers thereunto and discovered the whole Imposture to him in that manner as he related it at the Lords Barre First he produced to him now to the Lords the Originall printed Copy of the foresaid answer made unto a certaine Letter c. which had all the symptoms of an unlicensed Pamphlet there being neither Authors nor Printers name nor place where nor yeare when it was printed to be found in the Title or any other part of the Book nor the least mention where or by whom it was to be sold Therefore it was doubtlesse printed by stealth in a Corner and not by any publike allowance its entry not being extant in the Stationers-Hall Next he produced two ancient answers in print to this pernicious Pamphlet The first of them written by Iohn Veron a very learned man Chaplaine to Queene Elizabeth and Divinity Lecturer in the Cathedrall of Pauls in the beginning of her Raigne to whom he Dedicated his answer to this Pamphlet Imprinted at London by John Tysdale by publike authority In which answer intituled An Apologie or Defence of the Doctrine of Predestination set fort by the Queens Highnesse her most humble and obedient servant John Veron and Dedicated to her Majestie wee have the name of the namelesse Author of this Arminian Pamphlet the occasion of compiling it and the quality of the Author expressed to the full together with a compleat answer therunto The Authors name is therein averred to be one Champeneyes f. 20. 31. 37. 40. 41. 42. His condition and quality is therein thus expressed f. 16. But in this I comfort my selfe that his tongue is known to be no slander For the like did hee most proudly attempt in your most Gratious Brother good King Edward the sixths dayes AGAINST ALL THE GODLY PREACHERS OF THAT TIME calling them marked Monsters of Anti-Christ and men voyd of the Spirit of God for none be they never so Godly never so earnest and faithfull labourers in the Lords Vineyard have the Spirit of God or doe know the efficacy of it but he only as many godly persons be able to testifie to his face that he did therefore and for MANT OTHER ABOMINABLE ERRORS which he then stoutly maintained BEARE AT THAT TIME A FAGGOT AT PAVLS CROSSE Father Coverdale making then the Sermon there Belike fearing now the like punishment and that he should be compelled to revoke his Pelagian-like opinion hee durst not for all his proud boast set his owne name to his rayling and venemous bookes nor yet suffer them to be sold openly or publikly in the Booke-binders shops but cowardously suppressing both his owne name and the name of the unwise and foolish Printer got the whole Impression into his hands that so he might in hugger-mugger send them unto his privie friends abroad whom be like he suspected to be of his Affinity and damnable opinion How be it this could not be wrought so privily but that within a while some of his bookes came into my hands whereby shortly after the Printer was knowne and brought to his Answer whom this stout Champion of Pelagius hath left in the bryars and least he himselfe should be faine to shew a reason of his Doctrine doth keepe himselfe out of the way still and dares not once shew his face If he be able to maintaine his Doctrine against my booke to let him come forth and play the man I am ready at all times to yeeld unto the truth and unto the sincere teachers thereof After this f. 20. he stiles Champenyes The blinde guide of the freewill men f. 37. Champenyes a very Pelagian and consequently a ranke Papist p. 40. hee suffereth the Divell by such Sectaries as Champenyes is to sow his lyes abroad c. And f. 41. Champenyes is the Standard-bearer of the freewill men What an abominable Imposture was it then for this new Pamphleter to stile him A Protestant Divine who flourished
therefore some publike censure ought to passe upon them the Books thus seized to be openly burnt else they would in a few monthes be sold openly againe to corrupt the people and no satisfaction at all given for this foule offence to the Church of England which Archbishop Abbot confessed to be true and said he would take some Order in it but by this Bishops power there was nothing more done against the Licenser Compiler or Booke which soone after was as publikely sold as if it had neverbeene called in to the perverting of many in their judgments who knew not of this grand Imposture now publikly discovered at the Lords Barre by all the forementioned books themselves there produced and the testimony of Master Prynne upon Oath seconded by the Stationers booke of entries and the testimonies of Master Sparke and Master Walley Doctor Martin for this good service was presently after by this Bishop advanced to a great living and likewise to the headship of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge instead of other punishment Master Prynne for his paines in derecting this fraudulent dealing of the Bishop and his Chaplaine by way of revenge was soone after by this Bishops meanes imprisoned in the Tower and most severely censured in the Starre-Chamber for his Booke called Histrianastix though Licensed by Authority in which he made some mention of this imposture concealed from the most so fatall was it in those times for any man out of Conscience or publike ends to oppose the Bishops Arminian designes such a Stirrop to mount up to preferments to advance them After this the Archbishops Chaplaine Doctor Haywood on the 26. of August 1634 licensed Booke intituled Collectiones Theologica writ by Thomas Chune and Dedicated to the Archbishop of Canterbury himselfe in which hee justified the Arminian Errors and the Church of Rome to be a true Church whereof there were two Impressions in one yeare yet neither the Author nor Booke once questioned though publikely complained of by Doctor Bastwicke at his Censure in the High-Commission where the Archb. openly justified it In the yeares 1636. and 1639. the Arminian Errors were defended by Bishop Mountague in print in his Pars. 1. 2. Originum Ecclesiasticarum Gods Love to mankinde and by sundry others without controle On the contrary Doctor Twisse his Booke in answer of Arminius though writ in Latine was refused License by the Bishop and his Arminian Chaplaines Bray and Baker and his answers to Doctor Jackson and the Arminian Pamphlet intituled Gods love to Mankind suppressed some Lectures of Bish Davenant and Sermons of Doctor Clerke against the Arminians were likewise stopped at the Presse and not suffered to be printed with their other Lectures and Sermons What Bookes against Mountague and the Arminians were called in suppressed and the Authors Printers Dispersers of them severely prosecuted in the High-Commission in the Yeares 1628. and 1629 Wee have already evidenced Only wee shall informe you or one or two Presidents more of later date Doctor George Downham Bishop of Derry in Ireland publishing a Booke in that Kingdome against the Arminians and the Totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints from Grace about the Yeare 1630. Some of them comming over into England Bishop Laud caused a strict Letter to be written in his Majesties name to Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury for the calling in and suppressing it within the Realme of England where it was accordingly seized on and another Letter to Doctor Vsher Archbishop of Armagh for the suppressing and seizing thereof in the Realme of Ireland Which was manifested by the Docket Booke in the signet Office where entreyes of those Letters are made in Aug. 1631. and by this Letter of Bishop Vsher to Bishop Laud found in his study at Lambheth indorsed with his owne hand and arrested by Master Prynne which fully discovers that hee was the sole or principall occasion of his Majestices Letters for calling in this Booke which hee seconded with his owne Letter to Bishop Vsher for that purpose who returned this answer to him My most honoured Lord THe 8th of October I received your Letters of the 22. of August c. The last part of your Lordships Letter concerneth the Bishop of Derryes Book for the calling in whereof the 15th day of October I received His Majesties Letters dated at Woodstocke the 24. of August whereupon I presently sent out warrants and caused all the Bookes that were left unsent into England to be seized upon What did passe heretofore in the Presse at Dublin I had no eye unto because it was out of my province and the care J supposed did more properly belong unto my brother of Dublin But seeing His Majestic hath been pleased to impose that charge upon me I will God willing take order that nothing hereafter shall be published contrary unto His Majesties sacred direction It seemeth Your Lordship did conceive that my Lord of Derryes booke came out since the Historie of Gotteschalchus whereas it was published above halfe a yeare before whereby it came to passe that all the Coppies almost both in Ireland and England were dispersed before the Prohibition came forth The matter is not new as Your Lordship hath rightly observed but was long since preached in Saint Pauls Church when Doctor Bancroft was your Lordships Predecessour in that See at which time the Treatise of Perseverance was to have beene published with Doctor Downams Lectures upon the 15th Psalme at as the very end of that Booke is partly intimated And in the History of Gotteschalchus Your Lordship may see your owne observation fully verefied that after Prelates had written against Prelates and Synods against Synods these things could have no end untill both sides became weary of contending But sure I am I have made Your Lordship weary longere this and therefore it is high time now to end Therefore craving pardon for that prolixitie I humbly take leave and rest Your Honours faithfull Servant Iace Armachanus Droghe da Novemb. 8. 1631. By this Letter it is apparent that this Prelate whiles Bishop of London exercised a kind of Patriarchicall Jurisdiction for suppressing all Orthodox Bookes against the Arminians both in England and Ireland and that his commands in this kinde were punctually executed by those Archbishops in both Kingdomes who should have most stoutly opposed his Arminian Innovations About the Palsgraves first comming into Engl. An. 1635. there was a Book printed intituled the Palsgraves Religion containing the sum of the Religion professed in the Palatinate Churches translated out of a printed Latine Coppy which Archbishop Laud caused to bee strictly called in and suppressed only because it glanced at the Arminian Errors and bowing at the Name of JESUS as not warranted by Phil. 29. 10. which was proved by the testimonies of Master Prynne Michaell Sparke Senior and others What policies besides the forementioned Royall Declaration and Proclamation this Arch-Prelate contrived and practised to suppresse all preaching against Armianisme in the
Vniversities and elsewhere wee shall next discover and make good by evidences under his owne hand In the yeare 1629. soone after the dissolution of the Parliament Bishop Laud presents to His Majestie a Paper written with his owne hand the originall whereof was seized on in his Study at Lambeth by Master Prynne and produced at the Barre thus intituled by him Considerations for the better settling of the Church Government whereof the third consideration was this That His Majestie would be Graciously pleased to command the Lords the Bishops that they give charge in their Trieniall Visitations and at other times both by themselves and by the Arch-Deacons that the Declaration for setling the Questions in difference bee strictly observed And that His Majestie would bee Gratiously pleased once in halfe a yeare to call for an account of all or so many of these as in Wisedome shall thinke fit These considerations were immediately after published sent to every Archbishop and Bishops to be strictly put in execution as his Majesties own Instructions when as in truth they were no other but the Bishops contrived by him alone as the originall Coppie written and another Coppie corrected afterwards with his owne hand together with the Bishop of Bristolls Letter to him dated Febr. 9. 1629. to resolve some Queries touching these Instructions concerning the Lecturers in Bristoll infallibly manifest So that His Majesty was here the Bishops meere Instrument to promote his Arminian and popish designes These Instructions were published in most Diocesse by the Bishops but more solemnly in London-Diocesse by this Bishop who summoning all the Ministers and Lecturers about the City of London to London house made a solemn Oration to them wherein he pressed the necessity of these Instructions of his Majesty for the good of the Church and their chearefull obedience to them and withall sent letters to every Archdeacon in his Diocesse to publish them to all the Clergy and to give an exact account to him how they were observed at the end of their severall Visitations especially the third Instruction For keeping the Kings Declaration that so differences and questions may cease inserted into these Letters with his owne hand as appeared by the Originall Copy found in his Study Soone after this Mr. Mady the Lecturer at Christ-Church in London delivering this Doctrine in a Sermon there That Election was not Vniversall and Common but speciall and peculiar belonging to some And That the Principall and efficient cause of Election was the will and Love of God and not any merit or foreseene faith or workes of man which he manifested by some Scriptures Fathers this Bishop upon information hereof convented him before him for this Orthodox Doctrine the 10. of March 1630. for that contrary to the Kings Proclamation he had treated of Predestination and the forementioned points Whereupon the Bishop by an Act of Court found among his other Papers by Mr. Prynne prohibited him to Preach any more within his Diocesse and admonished him to obey this his Lordships Order And Doctor Cornelius Burges about the same time for using only this Passage in a Sermon on Col. 2. 7. Jf your Minister preach Popery or ARMINIANISME you may change your dwellings and not trouble the Peace and Order of the Church was convented before the Bishop enforced to deliver in the Copy of his Sermon and much molested and Mr. White with sundry others suspended for lightly touching upon some points relating to Arminianisme though agreeable to the Scriptures and 17. Article of our Church As he thus proceeded in his Diocesse so he was farre more violent in this kind in our Vniversities especially in Oxford where he was Chauncellor of which we shall give you these few instances One Mr. Thomas Hill of Hart-hall in Oxford on the 24. of May 1631. Preaching at Saint Maryes Church there on James 1. 16. let fall these Passages in his Sermon And here were my time and learning parallel to my Zeale what a tempting doth present it selfe to shew how rashly that I say not cruelly our Pelagian Votaries have handled the Decrees and Statutes of the King of Heaven But they are to be mischieved into honour but no matter how which tempts them to disrelish sound Doctrine on no other ground then did David because the Lords doe not favour it 1. Sam. 29. 6. Scriptures they use worse then the Turkes do Christians at Tunis enslave it to the vassallage of the foulest error and according to their most current garbe employ it to defend Popery or as bad PELAGIANISME c. Popish Darts whet a freshon a Dutch Grinston have peirced deep and without speedy succor will prove mortall I am perswaded these late transmarine Tâ—nets had not beene so iolly and briefe among us nor the opposite truth so Diametrally condemned by many had they first made proofe of these points in their owne retired and serious contemplations For these slight glances against the Arminians the Copy whereof was sent up to Bishop Laud seised among his Papers and endorsed with his hand by his procurement Mr. Hill was conuented before the Vice-Chancellor heads of Houses and enforced to make a publike submissive Recantation upon his knees in a full Convocation held the 16. of Iuly 1631. recorded in the Vniversity Register f. 35. to this effect I Thomas Hill doe freely and sincerely acknowledge before this Venerable Assembly of Convocation that in a Sermon lately by me Preached in Saint Maries I did let fall divers scandalous speeches partly in opposition to his Majesties Jnjunctions by odious justling together of certaine factions in the Church and imputing Pelagianisme and Popery to the one side Partly in disparagement of the present Government of State and Church by making foule and erronious Opinions the rediest way now adayes to preferment c. All which passages in my Sermon I confesse to have given just offence to the Vniversitie and to deserve the sharpest of Censures Wherefore with all humble submission I beseech the whole Vniversitie represented in this Venerable House to passe by this my woefull error undiscreet and misguided zeale And doe faithfully promise hence forward to abstaine from all such scandalous aspertions and intimations as tending only to the disparagment of our Church and the distraction and detrement of the Vniversity And this my submission I humbly crave may be accepted which I do here make willingly and from my heart with true sorrow for what is past Thomas Hill Upon this submission and Recantation the Arminian faction in Oxford grew very bold and having the both Chauncellor and Vice-Chauncellor of their party vented their errors publikly both in the Pulpit Schooles without any publique check whereupon one Mr. Thomas Forde of Magdalen Hall Mr. Giles Thorne of Bailioll Colledge and Mr. Giles Hodges of Exeter Colledge moved with a pious zeale and indignation against their insolences in Iune and Iuly 1631. in their Sermons at Sr. Maryes used
printed in Latine and then reprinted in English was called in and suppressed by this Archbishops order because it over-boldly refuted some points of Popery and Arminianisme as was Attested by the Oathes of Master Pryune and Michaell Sparke Senior Master Walley Clerke of Stationers Hall and Master Downes deposed that after the Decree for printing was made there were divers old Bookes against Popery formerly Licenced as the Booke of Martyres Bishop Jewells Workes some parts of Doctor Willets Workes and others which the Archbishops and Bishop of Londons Chaplaines refused to new License where upon they repaired to Sir Iohn Bramston then Lord chiefe Justice and desired leave from him that good Bookes formerly licenced and printed might be reprinted without new Licence else they should be undone for want of Bookes seeing they could not procure these Chaplaines to License any good Bookes whether old or new Who answered them that he could do nothing in it but they must go and attend the Archbishop who had the chiefe hand in making this Decree Mr. John Vicars Schoole-Master of Christ-Church soone after this Decree repaired to Doctor Baker the Archbishops great Creature House-hold Chaplaine to the Bishop of London for a New license of his History of the Gunpouder Treason formerly printed by License which he had since enlarged with some pertinent Additions But Doctor Baker absolutely refused to Licence it Master Vicars admiring at it demanded of him the reason why he would not license a Booke of such a subject as this against the Gun-pouder Treason an act so odious and detestable who answered him that we were not so angry with the Papists now as we were about 20. yeares since and that there was no need of any such Bookes as these to exasperate them there being now an endeavour to winne them to us by fairenesse and mildnesse By these with sundry other instances of this kinde which we pretermit we conceive it is most apparent that one principall end of the Archbishops usurping the power of Licensing Bookes and publishing this Decree concerning the restraint of reprinting any Old Licensed books against Popery and the grossest errors in it was that Popery might againe creep in among us by degrees without the least opposition or impeachment Secondly As he and his instruments prohibited the reprinting of old Orthodox Bookes so they refused to Licence sundry new ones especially against Popery and Arminianisme suppressing them when printed by Licence of others This was evidenced by the forecited Remonstrance of the Commons in Parliament Anno 1628 by the forementioned Bookes against the Arminians suppressed and called in by this Archbishops means and by these ensuing Depositions Master Prynne deposed that in the Yeare 1627. Doctor Cosen 's published a Booke intituled A Collection of private Devotions Or the houres of Prayer fraught with Popery and Popish Superstitions which gave great offence whereupon at the importunity of diverse well'-affected persons he Writ a Refutation thereof intituled A Briefe Survey and Censure of Master Cosens his Cosening Devotions which by this Bishops meanes and his Confederates was refused License at London House but afterwards licenced at Lambeth House by Doctor Featly and printed sitting the Parliament in the Yeare 1628. for writing which Booke only against Doctor Cosens his Popery hee was immediately after the Parliament ended questioned in the High-Commission by this Bishops procurement and thence delivered by a Prohibition to the Bishops great griefe Master Henry Burton deposed That he writ a Book against Cosens his Devotions which was called in by the Bishops meanes after which he compiled and published another Booke intituled The Bayting of the Popes Bull licensed by Doctor Goade for which hee was called before the Councell Table by this Archbishops instigation who was then present spake much against the Booke and called it a Libell although penned and written only against the Pope and his seditious dangerous Bull. That he printed by lycence a Book called A Plea to an Appeale in refutation of diverse Popish and Arminian Errors broached by Mountague in his Appello Casarem which Book though licensed was yet called in and suppressed by this Bishops procurement After which he writ another Booke against Popery Intituled The pouring out of the 7. Vialls for which hee was called into the High Commission Court by the Bishop and the Booke suppressed That hee likewise writ another Booke called Babell no Bethell wherin he proved the Church of Rome no true visible Church for which book this Prelate being then Bishop of London sent for him by a Pursevant committed him immediately to prison in the Fleet contrary to the Petition of Right then newly passed refusing to accept any bayle which he tendred suspended him from his living prosecuted him in the High Commission and suppressed the Book Michaell Sparke Senior deposed That himselfe together with William Iones Nathantell Butter Mr. Bowler and others were committed to prison and vexed severall times in the High Commission by this Archbishops means only for printing Bookes against the Papists and Arminians that the Bishop and his Chaplaines refused to License diverse Bookes against Popery tendred to them and purged sundry others of the chiefe Passages against Popery as we shal prove anon in so much that the Stationers and Printers generally complained that they could get no good Orthodox Bookes but only Popish and Superstitious ones licensed so as they were like to bee undone for want of trading and that this was the generall complaint of the whole Company which other Stationers likewise affirmed Particularly the Bishop though he pretended much friendship to Sir Humfrey Linde that learned Knight the Author of Via Tuta and Via Deuia which were answered by a Jesuite in a scurrilous rayling manner yet he absolutely refused to license his elaborate Reply thereunto Intituled A Case for the Spectacles upon no other pretence but that Sir Humfrey was a Lay-man but in verity because hee was unwilling to have him vindicate himselfe and the truth against a rayling Jesuite of which Injustice Sir Humfrey oft complained to Mr. Pryn Dr. Featly and others of his friends Yet his Chaplaine could license Chunaeus his Collectiones Theologicae Dedicated to the Archbishop himselfe though compiled by a Layman of much instriot parts and learning to Sir Humfrey in justification of Popery A minianisme and the Church of Rome Thirdly He with his Chaplaines Agents by his instigation or command compiled Authorized imprinted published diverse Bookes Treatises Sermons in defence of Popish Errors Superstitious Ceremonies practises almost to the totall corruption and subversion of our Religion Of which we shall give you a briefe Catalogue and then proceed to the Popish Passages errors broached justified authorized in and propagated by them The BOOKES are these The Archbishops own SPEECH in Star-Chamber Printed at Lond. An 1637. The Book of Common Prayer for the use of the Church of Scotland printed at Edinburgh 1637. Richard Mountague his New Gagge for an old Goose London
at the Communion and in the Visitation of the sicke and in the second part in the Homily of Repentance As therefore in generall I doe acknowledge in the words of the aforesaid Homily that it is most evident and plaine that this Auricular Confession hath not his warrant of Gods Word that therefore being not led with the conscience thereof if we with feare and trembling and with a tru contrite heart use that kind of confession which God doth command in his word namely an unfeighned confession unto Almighty God himselfe then doubtlesse as he is faithfull and true hee will forgive us our sinnes and make us cleane from all our wickednesse so in the case of a troubled or doubtfull conscience I do conforme my opinion unto the direction of our Church which in her Liturgie doth exhort and require those whose Consciences are troubled with any weighty matter to a speciall confession so that they who cannot quiet their owne Consciences are to repaire to their owne or some other discreet and learned Minister of Gods word to open to them their griefe that so they may receive such ghostly Counsell advise and comsort as their consciences may be relieved and by the ministery of Gods word they may receive comfort and the benefit of absolution to the quieting of their Conscience and the avoyding of all scruple and doubtfullnesse But it is against true Christian liberty that any man should be bound to the numbring of his Sinnes as it hath beene used heretofore in times of Ignorance and blindnesse This I do acknowledge to be the Doctrine of the Church of England concerning Confession and to it I do ex animo subscribe and am heartily sory for what ever I have de-livered to the contrary Mr. Adams being backedby the Popish Heads refused to make this Recantation though just and faire professing he was not conscious to himselfe of any thing he had said in his Sermon contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England Whereupon at a full meeting of the Doctors it was put to the Vote Whether this Recantation should be enjoyned him or no Dr. Ward Dr. Bambridge Dr. Bacheroft Dr. Love Dr. Holdsworth and the Vicechancellor voted he should make this Recantation but Dr. Collins Dr. Smith Dr. Cumber Dr. Cosin Dr. Lany Dr. Martin Dr. Sterne and Dr. EDEN Voted that hee should not make it justifying even the use and necessity of Confession to a Priest necessitate medij to obtaine absolution and affirming that they would not Vote Master Adams had delivered any thing contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in this point of Confession and thereupon acquitted him But the Vice-chancellor adjourning the businesse till another day when 12. Doctors only were present and Dr. Smith Dr. Cumber Dr. Martin and Dr. Eden who formerly acquited him absent by the helpe of Dr. Paske his voyce with much opposition voted that Mr. Adams should make the forementioned Recantation to which hee and those who Voted with him subscribed their hands Dr. Cosin Dr. Lany Dr. Beale Dr. Sterne and one more subscribed likewise their dissents thereunto When this was done all was done and Mr. Adams without making any submission or Recantation at all was dismissed and so encouraged that he resolved to maintain this his opinion in his Act questions The whole proceedings in this businesse together with the Copy of Mr. Adams his Sermon and the Recantation forementioned were sent up to London by Dr. Cosin and found by Mr. Prynne in the Archbishops Study endorsed with his owne hand thus Received Mach 16. 1637. Doctor Cosins his Letter about the proceedings of Brownrig Vicechancellor of Cambridge against Mr. Adams for his Sermon about Confession Ianuary 25. 1637. c. Who instead of censuring concurred with Dr. Cosins and the other Popish Doctors in protecting and justifying Mr. Adams in his grosse Popish Doctrines of Auricular Confession and Absolution which he endeavoured with all his might to introduce And no wonder for in his owne Diary he writ this memoriall with his owne hand June 15. 1622 I became CONFESSOR to the Lord of Buckingham and Iune 16. being Trinity Sunday he received the Sacrament at Greenwitch And all Courtiers know that hee was since for many yeares not only a privy Councellor but Confessor to his Majesty at least Commonly so reputed which made him so earnest to bring all others under the yoak of Confession since he had brought these Grandees under it Yea so farre had this Popish Tenet of the necessity of Confession and absolution by Priests prevailed among us by these authorized Bookes and Sermons generally preached for them that Bishop Mountague in his Printed Visitation Articles for the Diocesse of Norwich Anno 1638. made it a crime presentable in Ministers not to presse the Doctrine and practise of it upon the people at least-wise in the holy time of Lent as appeares by this memorable Article of his Tit. 7. Artic. 4. Doth the Minister especially exhort the Parishoners TO MAKE CONFESSJON OF THEIR SINNES TO HIMSELFE or some other learned grave and discreet Minister ESPECIALLY IN LENT against the holy time of Easter that they may receive comfort and ABSOLVTION so to become worthy receivers of such holy misteries How farre the Archbishops Agents and Emissaries urged exercised Popish Auricular Confession not only in England but Jreland too we shall instance but in one memorable example The Archbishop in his Paper of Remembrances to the Lord Deputie of Ireland when he first went over thither a Copy whereof Master Prynne met with in his Study made this speciall request to him in behalfe of one Mr. Croxton a young Minister and Creature of his I heartily pray your Lordship to take notice of one Mr. Croxton whom J send over with your letters to my Lord Mount Norris I hope he will prove so honest and so able a man as may do good service in those parts if God blesse him with life And I doubt not but as it shall fall in your way Your Lordship will bestow some preferment upon him for his maintenance for which I shall thanke you This Croxton arriving in Ireland the Lord Deputy upon this recommendation of the Archbishop received him with all due respect and promoted him to severall Ecclesiasticall preferments there as appeares by his Letters of thankes to the Archbishop wherein he gives him the Popes Titles Holinesse and most holy Father as if he were a Pope This Croxton being thus advanced to promote the Archbishops designes at Easter in the Yeare 1638. caused all his Parishioners to come up to the High-Altar at Goran where hee was Incumbent and there Sacramentally to make their Confessions to him which the Protestants in those parts deemed a most strang and scandalous act declaming much against it Yet this audacious Popel in knowing how acceptable this Popish Innovation was to the Archbishop the more to ingratiate himselfe in his favour in a vaunting manner certified His Grace by a
be said unto every particular member of hers in the Communion The Body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was given for thee c. if any one of them were absolutely reprobated 1. c. from all eternity unconditionally decreed to bee damned in Hell fire everlastingly The Booke intituled Gods love to mankind and Doctor Jack sons Divine Essence and Attributes part 1. are professedly written to justifie universall Grace and Redemption 23. That the Personall succession of Bishops is a true note of the Church and necessary That Peters Chaire was at Rome and he sate Bishop there and that it is the honour and happinesse of our Church that this Archbishop of Cant. that now is with our other Bishops and Ministers can derive them personall succession and Ordination from the Sea and Popes of Rome Dr. Pocklingtons Sunday no Sabbath P. 2. Ouâ— Diocesan can derive himselfe the successor of an Apostle it is Saint Austins resolution Successio Episcoporum ab ipsa sede Petri is that which among other things by him named keepes us in gremio Ecclesiae and Subjects us to our Bishops Jurisdiction Page 47. Their vanity may appeare that against all Antiquity make fooles beleeve Saint Peter was never at Rome making the succession of Bishops and truth of the Latin Churches as questionable as the Centurists orders Page 48. Reckon up your Priests who succeded one another after Saint Peter in his Chaire if you will bee esteemed Members of the Church Hereby we may by Gods mercy make good the truth of our Church For wee are able lineally to set downe the succession of our Bishops from Saint Peter to Saint Gregory and from him to our first Archbishop Saint Austin our English Apostle as Bishop Goodwin calls him downeward to his Grace NOW that sits in his Chaire Primate of all England and Metropolitan Which hee thus seconds in his Altare Christianum Page 45. Saint Peters Chaire in Rome succession of Bishops in the Church of England c. Page 47. Though saith Saint Austin you slanderously call the Chaire in other Churches Cathedram Pestilentiâ—ae what cause hath the Church of Rome giuen you to say so of it In qua Petrus sedet et in quâ hodie Anastasius sedet The very note whereby Heritickes were knowne from Catholikes was that Catholikes could shew their Churches and the very Chaires in them wherein there was not only a morrall succession in purity of Faith and manners but a locall succession of Bishops continued even from the Apostles times which Heretickes could not shew and therefore were hereby convinced to bee such and so put to shame and confounded Page 48. Hee recons up those that had succeded the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the Church of Rome Page 49. Novatian is neither Bishop nor Member of the Church saith Saint Cyprian because hee cannot prove his succession according to Apostolicall Tradition If in all this time there were no materiall Churches then there could be no materiall Chaire wherein their Bishops were enthronized and if no Chaire then no reall Inthronization then no personall succession from the Apostles whereby the right faith was derived from God the Father to his Son nor from the Sonne to his Apostles nor from the Apostles to succeding Bishops Those that deprive us of the benefit of this Apostolicall Tradition pluck one speciall staffe out of our hands whereby we stay our selves from falling from the true Catholicke Church and beat all Heretickes out of our Communion Miserable were we if hee that NOW sitteth Arch Bishop of CANTERBVRY could not derive his succession from Saint Augustine St. Augustine from Saint Gregory Saint Gregory from Saint Peter for hee that remembreth whom he succeeds will doubtlesse endeavour and pray to be heire to their vertues as well as possessor to their places What a comfort is this to his Grace and to all those that receive consecration from him and to all those that they shall ordaine Page 51. Tell us when and from whence you come and what you make your selves to do in the Church that are no Sons of the Church We can with Saint Iraeneus point you to the time of your comming in You Cartwright and your brood came in as most Sabbatarians did under Archbishop Whitgift and your Ames and Brightman with your Laodiceans came in under Archbishop Bancroft and you Vicars and our Cotton with his fugitives came in or rather went out under Archbishop Abbot Page 144. I shall begin with my selfe I had my Ordination from Bishop Dove he had his Consecration from Archbishop Whitgift and the Archbishop his from the undoubted successours of Saint Peter Doctor Heylin his Moderat Answer to Mr. Burton Page 72. Write If you have any other Pedegree as perhaps you have from Wickliffe Hus the Albigâ—enses and the rest which you use to boast of keepe it to your selfe non tali auxilio the Church of England hath not need of so poore a shift Page 68. The next thing that offends you and you clamour as if that they claime a visible and perpetuall succession down from St. Peter to Pope Gregory from him by Austin the Monk first Archbishop of Cant. unto his Grace now being and sic de caeteris That Gregory sent Austin into England to convert the Saxons and made him first Archbishop of the English is generally delivered by all our writers Finally that my Lord the Archbishop that now is is lineally descended in a most faire and constant tenor of succession you shall easily finde if you consult the learned labours of Master Francis Mason de Ministerio Anglicano The Papists would extreamely thank you and think you borne into the World for their speciall comfort could you but tell him how to disprove that lineall succession of our Prelates which is there laid dowe By Mountague his Gagge page 49. The Church hath ever beene visibe In England especially how can this fellow impute invisibility to us who claime and prove a succession 25. That Sunday is no Sabbath nor of divine institution that the strict sanctification of it is Iewish superstitious and Rabbinicall That May-games Wakes Revells Dancing Interludes with other sports and pastimes are not only lawfull but convenient and necessary thereon not to be restrained but incouraged and the Kings Declaration to that purpose most pious and Religious That two houres only of it viz. The time of publik service and sermons are to be kept holy and that the residue may be spent in Recreations or ordinary workes of our calling That the Lords day Sabbath was never heard of in the world till Dr. Bounds daies That the Sabbath is not morrall THis is the subject matter of many whole late printed Books against the morallity and strict observation of the Lords-day Sabbath wee shall instance only in some few beginning with Doctor Pocklington in his Sunday no Sabbath where thus he most scandalously and prophanely writes page 6. What shall wee think then of Knox and Whittingham and their
fellowes that in their letter to Calvin depart from the constitution Ordinance and practice of the Apostles and Apostolicke men and call not this day the Lords day or Sunday but with the piety of Jeroboam make such a day of it as they have devised in their owne hearts to serve their owne turne and Anabaptising of it after the minde of some Iew hired to be the God Father therefore call it the Sabbath page 7. This name Sabbath is not a bare name or like a spot in their foreheades to know Labans sheep from Iacobs but indeed it is a Mistery of Iniquity intended against the Church c. page 13. But what doe I speake de integro die of a whole day do but that in keeping the Lords day which the Widdow did in her Almes that gave two mites sic tu duas horas so give the Lord two houres this if you do not beware you lose not integroru mannorum labores the Labours of many whole yeares Page 20. Others also for the Plots sake must uphold the name of Sabbath that stalking behinde it they may shoot against the services appointed for the Lords day Hence it is that some for want of witte too much adore the Sabbath as an Image dropt downe from Iupiter and cry before it as they did before the Golden Calfe This is an holy day unto the Lord whereas it is indeed the great Diana of the Ephesians as they use it whereby the mindes of their Proselites are so perplexed and bewitched that they cannot resolve whether the sinne be greater to bowle shoote or dance on their Sabbath then to commit Murder or the Father to cut the throat of his owne child All which doubts would soon be resolved by plucking of the Vizard of the Sabbath from the face of the Lords day which doth as well and truly become it as the Crowne of Thorns did the Lord himselfe This was plotted to expose him to damnable dirision and that was plotted to impose on it detestable superstition yet to die for it they will call it a Sabbath presuming in their zealous ignorance of guiltfull zeale to be thought to speake the Scripture phrase when indeed the Dregs of Ashdod flow from their Mouthes p. 21. With us the Sabbath is Saturday and no day else no ancient Father nay no learned man Heathen or Christian took it otherwise from the beginning of the world till the beginning of their Schisme in 1554. page 22. Many that see so little benefit will be suckt out of the constitutions of the Apostles practise and tradition of holy Church Doctrine of Godly and learned Fathers that they have got themselves heapes of Teachers that to serve their owne turnes will call and keepe the Lords day as a Sabbath and so prophane it with such outcries that the voyce of truth will become silent but with Moses liberavi animam meam Doctor Peter Heylin in his History of the Sabbath dedicated to his Majesty and printed by the Archbishops speciall approbation is every way as prophane and bitter against the morality and strict observation of the Lords-day Sabbath as Pocklinton we shall instance but in a Passage or two The first is in his Epistle to the Reader before the second Booke of his History in these termes And this part we have called the History of the Sabbath too although the institution of the Lords day and entertainment of the same in all times and ages since that Institution be the chiefe thing whereof it treateth for being it is said by some that the Lords Day succeeded by the Lords appointment into the place and rights of the Jewish Sabbath this booke was wholly to be spent in the search therof whether in all or any Ages of the Church either such doctrine had beene preached or such practise pressed upon the Consciences of Gods people And search indeed we did with all care and diligence to see if we could finde a Sabbath in any evidence of Scripture or writing of the holy Fathers or edicts of Emperours or decrees of Councells or finally in any of the publike Acts and Monuments of the Christian Church but after severall searches made upon the Alias and the Pluries wee still returne Non est inventus and thereupon resolve in the Poets language Et quod non invenit usquam esse putet nusquam that which is no where to be found may very strongly bee concluded not to be at all Buxdorfius in the eleventh Chapter of his Synagoga Judaica out of Antonius Margarita tells of the Jewes Quod die Sabbatino praeter animam consuetam praediti sunt alia that on the Sabbath day they are perswaded that they have an extraordinary soule infused into them which doth enlarge their hearts and rouse up their spirits Ut Sabbatum multo honorabilius peragere possint that they may celebrate the Sabbath with the greater honour And though this Sabbatharie soule may by a Pythagoricall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme to have transimigrated from the Jewes into the bodyes of some Christians in these latter dayes yet I am able to give my selfe good hopes that by presenting to their view the constant practise of Gods Church in al times before and the consent of all Gods Churches at this present they may be dispossesed thereof without great difficulties It is but anima superflua as Buxdorfius calls it and may bee better spared then kept because superfluous To which wee shall annex these passages in the eight Chapter of this his second Booke Sect. 7. pag. 249. c. Thus upon search made and full examination of all parties wee finde no Lords Day-Sabbath in the Booke of Homilies no nor in any writings of particular men in more then thirty three yeares after the Homilies were published Then reciting Doctor Bounds opinion in his book of the Sabbath pag. 211. All lawfull pleasures and honest Recreations as Shooting Fencing Bowling which are permitted on other dayes were on this day to bee forborne No man to speake or talke of pleasures or any worldly matter he saith Most Magisterially determined more like a Iewish Rabbi then a Christian Doctor Yet Romish and Rabbinicall though this doctrine were it carried a faire face and shew of Piety at least in the opinion of the Common people c. Sect. 8. p. 255. 256. We may perceive by this that their intent from the beginning was to cry downe the Holy Dayes as superstitious Popish Ordinances that their new found Sabbath being placed alone and Sabbath now it must be called might become more eminent Nor were the other though more private effects thereof of lesse dangerous nature the people being so insnared with these new devices and pressed with rigour more then Jewish that certainly they are in as bad a condition as were the Israelites of old when they were captivated and kept under by the Scribes and Pharises Some I have knowne for in this point I will say nothing without good assurance who in a furious
thing for a man to glory or be proud of his shame as all those doe who are proud of their apparell it being but a covering of their shame which vaile they had never used nor needed if they had not sinned Thirdly they are here faulty who accustome themselves to worldly pleasures pastimes and delights as Dives did Luke 16. for this is a strong cord of vanity Isa 5. 18. and many have been ensnared with lawfull things whom the devill could never captivate or draw unto grosse and enormious sinnes c. In Doctor Clarks Sermons page 403. this clause is deleted Their Councell will not inform Kings for Kings have their Confessors they will say that office fitteth them the Courtiers dare not it may prejudice their preferment Nay Courtiers are rather corrupters of Kings they make the King a Saint an Angell a God these flatterers Constantine cals sorices Palatij the vermine of the Court and what is adulatio but adaulatio saith the Etymologist to be a flatterer that is to be a Courtier c. 24. Passages deleted That all things are decreed and nothing uncertaine to God IN M. Wards Comentary on Matth. p. 10. writ cop this is deleted Obj. Gods decrees are sure therefore all means are vain Ans 1. If we must never use the means but in those things where there is no decree then we must never use the means at all for all things are decreed and there is nothing uncertaine unto God 25. Passages deleted concerning Election that it is not of foreseen workes or faith but onely from Gods free grace That there is no Vniversall Election c. IN Doctor Clarks seventh Sermon page 63. after these words But of Gods vouchsafeing the Licenser hath expunged these words following Not ex praevisione but ex dilectione not by foreseeing ought in us but by foreknowing us in Christ peace here againe proud Papist and thrust not upon God thy works to obtaine this peace it is sent to men of good will not of good works this peace c. A whole Sermon of his touching election of free grace not of works or foreseen faith on Rom. 9. was rejected by the Licenser and not suffered to be printed with his other Sermons In Master Wards Comentary on Matthew 25. 14 15. printed book fol. 326. this passage is deleted by the Licenser Bellarmine objects this place to prove that Election or Predestination unto life eternall is from a foresight of good works because the Text saith That the Lord gave unicuique secundum propriam virtutem five facultatem to every one according to his owne ability First this place proves not the poynt for these talents which are given to every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to his owne ability doe not signifie life eternall and the reasons hereof are plaine namely first because these talents were distributed and communicated to all the servants both to good and bad profitable and unprofitable which cannot be affirmed of life eternall Secondly because these servants were to give an account of these talents disbursed unto them which cannot without great absurdity be affirmed of life eternall Thirdly because a reward was given to these servants who had well imployed their talents after their rendring an account of the imployment thereof but no reward is to be hoped for or expected after life eternall and therefore this place proves nothing for salvation from a foresight of works c. Secondly Maldonate thinks these words according to every mans ability to be added onely for the making up and perfecting of the Parable not having any signification in the Parable nor any thing intended thereby now if Maldodates exposition of this place be true then Bellarmines argument is falsly founded hereupon Thirdly by Talents temporall graces may be meant which God communicates both to good and bad wicked and righteous and thus not onely Saint Paul had an externall vocation unto the faith but also Simon Magus not onely Peter was called to the Apostleship but also Judas Iscariot and hence Fricius expounds this place Haec Parabola de Talent is docet dona mortalibus a Deo concessa c. i. e. This Parable teacheth us that the gifts which are given by God unto men if they be be carefully imployed and exercised then they will encrease and be confirmed in them but if they be neglected they will be lost and utterly extirpated whence Saint Paul exhorts Timothy to stirre up and exercise the gifts of God in him and therefore from hence salvation from a forefihgt of works cannot be proved Fourthly Janesenius by these Talents understands those gifts which are called gratiae gratis datae and not those which are called gratiae gratum facientes and therefore if he say true Bellarmines argument is grounded upon a false foundation Fifthly Ferus expounds these words thus Unicuique secundam propriam virtutem neque enim omnia omnibus conveniunt c. to every one according to his proper faculty because all things are not fit for all men the body hath many members and every member his severall office now if all were an eye then where should the hand or the foot be thus he and his meaning is that God distributes not his Talents i. e. spirituall gifts to all in the same measure but in a divers and different according to their faculty and ability which is divers and not in all the same neither is this faculty or ability from those in whom it is but from him who distributes the Talents unto them and therefore nothing can be concluded from hence for a foresight of works If any Reader would see a more full exposition of this verse then let him read Doctor Mayer who is large upon it page 291. 292. 293. if he would see a more full answer to the Objection then I referre him to Doctor Sharp Curs Theolog. de Praedest page 28. obj 15. Ibidem written copy fol. 354. on Matth. 25. 34. this clause is expunged Bellarmine objects this place to prove that both election and reprobation is from a foresight of works arguing thus God at the day of judgement will no otherwise determine of those things which then shall be then as he ha◠decreed from all eternity because his decree is immutable James 1. 17. Isa 43. 13. 46. 10. But at the last judgement in the execution of Gods decree he will say come ye faithfull Therefore from eternity God hath decreed i. e. elected and reprobated for these things First the proposition is true concerning the matter and subject of Gods decree because the decree is immutable but not concerning the forme because there was one forme of the decree and there shall be another of the execution thereof Secondly if the meaning of the proposition be that God will change nothing in the decree but as he hath decreed all and every thing so according to that decree shall the execution of every thing be then the proposition is true
but so understood the argument concludes nothing viz. against us this onely thence following therefore as he hath decreed from all eternity to save for faith and to damne for unbeliefe so shall the execution of the decree be which is true but concernes not the Question in controversie Thirdly is followes not Christ will say come ye faithfull c. come for faiths sake as for the meritorious or impulsive cause for faith is the onely instrumentall cause and he intimates the impulsive cause when he saith Benedictos patris ye blessed of my Father where is shewne that their salvation did proceed from the free savour of God because God the Father of his free grace hath loved them in Christ Fourthly if the Kingdome of God be an inheritance then it comes or fals unto us because we are the sonnes of God by a free adoption But it is called an inheritance for he saith here Hereditatis jure possidete possesse this Kingdome by right of inheritence Therefore it fals not unto us for our works sake but because we are the adopted children of God in Christ Ibid page 358. on Matth. 25. 39. this sentence is purged out It is questioned between us and the Papists whether election or predestination on to life eternall be from Gods free grace or a foresight of mans good works and faith First it is agreed upon betwixt us and them that there are some elected and predestinated and this is cleere from Mat. 20. 16. 22. 14. 24. 31. Rom. 8. 30. Ephes 1. 4. And Secondly it is agreed betwixt us also that those who are elected and predestinated are elected to an eternall Kingdome as is plaine from Luke 12. 32. And Thirdly it is agreed upon betwixt us that those who are elected unto life eternall shall infallibly and certainly be saved and this is proved from Mat. 24. 22. 24. John 6. 29. 10. 21. Rom. 8. 24. 11. 29. This was assented unto by the best esteemed Divines in the Councell of Trent and thought to be catholike because it was consonant to the opinion both of Thomas Scotus and the most School-writers and also to the doctrine of Saint Paul and Catharinus himselfe could not deny it reade the History of the Councell of Trent lib. 2. page 211. 212. Yea Bellarmine himselfe doth affirme as much plainly De grat lib. arbit lib. 2. cap. 10. which is worth observing because elsewhere he contradicts himselfe teaching that the elect may fall from faith and salvation and utterly and eternally lose both Fourthly the Papists affirme that faith and works foreseen were the impulsive and moving cause of the decree of election unto life everlasting Fifthly we say that the impulsive and moving cause of the decree of election is only the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and good will and free grace of God and this we confirme from these places Luke 12. 32. Iohn 15. 16. Rom. 11. 5. Ephes 1. 6 c. Ibid. page 305. on Matth. 20. 8. Every man received a penny c. The Rhemists upon Rom. 9. 2. alleage these words to prove That Predestination and Election is from a foresight of works they argue thus the Master saith call the labourers and give them their reward therefore God from all eternity hath ordained to give the kingdome of Heaven to those whom he foresaw should bring forth good fruits and works First our Rhemists doe not prove the position controverted between us and them for the Question is not Whether God have ordained to give Heaven to those whom he foresaw should bring forth good works for this we doubt not of because the Scripture plainly declareth it Rom. 2. 6. 10. 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. but the Question is this Whether this foresight of good workes were the cause of predestination and election for this we deny and this if they would doe any thing they should prove Secondly this place speaks not of predestination but of the execution of predestination Now it followes not works goe before the execution of predestination therefore before predestination it selfe Now that our Saviour speaks here of the execution of predestination is plaine from the very words for first it is said that some of the Labourers were hired in the morning and some at other houres and then afterwards when it was night the Lord of the Vineyard said to his Steward Call the Workmen Now this can no way be understood of predestination which was long before the first houre of the day Thirdly this place sheweth that good workes are the way to Heaven wherein we must walk but not that the decree of life hath respect to good works for good works goe before the possession of Heaven but not before the decree and ordination Fourthly Saint Ambrose out of this place frameth a strong contrary argument proving thereby that election is altogether of grace without any respect to works see before 2 Answ to Obj. 1. fol. 258. a. the last line c. Ibidem page 302. this is deleted Fourthly the Papists are faulty here who affirme that the decree of salvation came from the foresight of works and so they make them primus Motor Ibidem in the written copy fol. 245. Although we know not the reason why the Lord doth it but more particularly first we must acknowledge the Lord to be just in the election of the godly now the order of election is laid downe Rom. 8. 29 30. Ephes 1. 11. from whence and some other places the order may be expressed thus to wit First God decreed to make Christ the head of his Church Ephes 1. 22. then secondly he ordained and decreed that there should be a Church and here first he decreed to create man secondly to permit him to fall and thirdly to repaire and recover some from their fall and fourthly to endow them with grace and saving faith Secondly we must acknowledge the Lord to be just in the reprobation of the wicked Because the dissention of Divines is great in this point I will speak sparingly thereof and only lay downe the order of it as I conceive it to be and so leave it First God decreed to create man and secondly God foresaw that although man were created pure and immaculate yet if he were left unto himselfe he would fall and thirdly God leaves man unto himselfe and permits him to fall and fourthly determines to offer the meanes of rising againe namely Christ and mercy in him which he foresaw would be flighted and by many not received then fifthly for this contempt he justly reprobates them Ibidem fol. 319. 320. on Matth. 22. 14. It is affirmed by some that there is a universall election against which we urge this plaine place Many are called but few chosen which place sheweth that although the externall meanes of salvation be offered to many yet not all of them but some onely are elected and chosen unto life Huberus hereunto answers that there is first a general
namely First an earnest desire to heare as Act. 13. 42. like one who having beene deafe desires the sense of hearing Secondly a renewed understanding when we heare as Mary did who pondered in her mind that which shee heard and this understanding of what we heare is so necessary that Chrysostome tels us that the Deacon prayed for the Catechumenoi that they might understand what they heard Thirdly a trembling and fearfull heart because we have offended our God and so long neglected to serve him and thereby have caused him to separate himselfe from us Fourthly joy and delight in the Word Act. 8. 38 39. 13. 48. Fifthly when the Word penetrates deep into the heart making therein deep furrowes Sixthly when we lay up what we hear as a treasure hoarding it up against the time of need Matth. 13. 52. never departing from the Word without some profit thereby and Seventhly meditating continually upon the Word of God Psal 119. 2. 3. Certainly if these things he in us in truth we may then assure our selves that Christ hath begun to cure the deafnesse of our soules 35. Passages purged out against Gods Hardning and Obduration of men THese clauses are expunged in Master Ward 's Comentary on Matthew 11. ver 25. 26. Quest 2. Whom doth the Lord thus blind or harden Answ First he blinded or hardened Pharaoh Exod. 7. and why first because he persecuted and oppressed the godly Exod. 5. and Secondly because he condemned and despised the Lord and his Message Exod. 5. 2. and Thirdly because he drove away and banisht Moses the Messenger of the Lord from him Exod. 10. 28. And secondly he hardened and blinded those who sought salvation by the Law and not by faith in Christ Rom. 9. 32. And thirdly those who defile themselves by wallowing in the filthy puddle of iuiquity Isa 59. 7. 9. Rom. 1. 24. 25. And fourthly those who are drowned in sleep and overvvhelmed in security Rom. 11. 8. And fifthly those vvho still retaine the vaile over their hearts and abide in vvilfull and affected ignorance 2 cor 3. 14. And therefore if vve desire that the Lord should discover the hidden mysteries of the Gospell unto us and not hide them from us then we must take heed of these things to wit First vve must take heed of persecuting or oppressing of the children of God and Secondly of concernning or despising either God or his Word and Thirdly of banishing or putting away from us his Ministers and Messengers and Fourthly of seeking salvation by vvorks and Fifthly of sinne security presumption and ignorance c. Ibidem vvritten copy page 214. The Lord is active in reprobates two manner of vvayes namely first Praedestinando by determining and appointing of them unto a just doeth but this is remote from our present purpose Secondly Obdurando c. And a little after before Quest 6. This last is most proper to our present purpose and institution for if it be demanded How doth the Lord blind the mind or harden the heart I answer by not giving a blessing unto his Word or not co-operating therewith or not enabling men to apprehend and conceive or understand the Gospell and the truths therein contained 36. Passages blotted out against Holy-dayes dedicated to Saints IN Master Wards Comentary on Matthew written copy page 358. this sentence is expunged The Papists hold that Holy-dayes may be dedicated unto Saints for their honour and worship as Christpromised this charitable work of Mary Magdalen wrought upon him should be recorded and remembred whereby say they we learne that the good works of Saints may be recorded to the Honour of Saints in the Church whereof arise their commemorations and Holy-dayes Rhemist annot Matth. 25. sect 1. First the good works of Saints may be remembred to the honour of God without their Holy-dayes and commemorations Christ instituted no holy-day of Mary Magdalen neither commanded any image of her fact to be made but onely a memory of her in the preaching of the Gospell Secondly we grant that christian solemnities may be kept as things indifferent which the Church may retaine or abrogate as it shall seem best for edification if they â—e not observed of necessity as a part of Gods worship neither consecrated to the honour of Saints seeing all divine worship is wholly to be reserved to God and not to be given to any other For times and seasons the Scripture saith the Lord hath put them only in his owne power therefore he only is to have the honour of them Thirdly what honour is due unto Saints Saint Augustine sheweth Colimus Martyres eo cultu dilectionis societatis que in hac vitacoluntur sancti homines Dei we doe honour Martyrs-with the service of love and fellowship as the holy men are honoured in this life but it is not lawfull to consecrate dayes and times to holy men living therefore neither to Saints departed for one and the same honour is due to them both c. 37. Clauses obliterated That we are Justified onely by Faith in Christ not by Workes That Justification may be lost and that Workes merit not IN Doctor Clarks Sermons page 282. l. 41. after that in Christ should be onely that in Christ onely we are justified but onely is blotted out c. Ibid. page 419. l. 29. after verse 8. should follow this excellent passage which was expunged by the Licenser Surely faith justifieth faith ONLY works have no doing in the worke in justification Rome cannot prove it non si se ruperit if shee disputes till Dooms-day but that sola fides is not solitaria faith never is alone true saving faith love is fast linkt unto her but in that act of Justification shee intermeddles not le ts faith work it alone Love is concomitant not co-operant faine would Rome wrest at least but this from us that works doe save if not justifie yet save needs will shee have them necessary to salvation we yeeld them not that neither some Lutherans doe but with that distinction as we may yeeld it too necessitate praesentiae not efficienciae works are where salvation is but they are not cause of salvation they are in salvando but have not vim salvandi all that are saved must have them but not any are saved by them c. Ibid. page 419. l. 3. after our conversation should follow these words as we doe out of the act of our Justification c. viz. exclude works Ibid. page 443. l. 10. after these words a farre off this clause is deleted Justification by works Saint James is flat for that ex operibus justificatur homo As for the distinction of declarative it was but some Calvmist that invented it c. Ibidem page 570. l. 15. these lines are expunged The other part of the spirit's exposition of the blessednesse of the dead is the reward of their faith for that is meant by these words and their works follow them Works as often elsewhere put by figure for
Bellarmine lib. 4. de justif cap. 5. argues thus The Scripture calleth the works of the righteous absolutely good works as in this verse that they seeing your good works But if all the good works of the righteous be mixed with mortall sâ—nne then they are rather to be called evill then good works This he proves from another viz. ex Areopagâ—a quarto de divinis nominibus Quia maluâ— dicatur opus absolte nisi integre fic bonum because except a work be perfectly good it is absolutely called evill First this phrase works are absolutely called good is Amphibola and doubtfull sometimes signifying the works which are good simple and sometimes those which are good in part Secondly works are called good either first indefinitely as they are commanded in and by the law or secondly peculiarly as they are performed by some singular persons as it is one thing to desire vertue in generall and another the vertue of Alcihiades or Socrates as it is one thing to commend learning in generall another the learning of Plato or Cicero so it is one thing to speak of good works in generall another of the good works of Peter John or Paul Thirdly these things premised we grant that works are absolutely called good taken indefinitely and as they are commanded yea this verse proves it which speaks not of works done by any particular person but of those which men ought to doe there is none of sound judgement can deny or doubt but that we are so debters unto the Law that we ought not onely to begin but also to perfect that which the Law prescribes as perfectly good and in all the parts thereof absolute but he were of unsound judgement that hence would conclude because it is our duty to doe it therefore we doe it for Saint Paul confesseth that he doth not onely the good which he ought but which he would doe Thus I say if we consider the works as they are enjoyned it is true that they may be called absolutely good but if we understand particularly the works of this or that man then we deny that ever the Scripture cals them absolutely good neither doth the Cardinall prove this because as was said before this place speaks not of what is done but of what ought to be done Chamier Tâ—n 3. fol. 360. 1. 2. 3. de Imperfect Op. lib. 11. cap. 23. Fourthly our work which we doe are called good in Scripture Non secundum perfectam justitiam sed hanc quae bumanae fragilitati competit Hier. Dialog 1. Contr. Pelag. not according to perfect righteousnesse but as it is agreeable to our humane frailty or they are good in part though not perfectly Becanus yet urgeth this place for the proofe of this opinion of perfection of works disputing thus The Apostles are commanded so to shine before men that they may see their good works and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven But how shall men see their good works if they all be damnable or how shall their heavenly Father be glorified if all they doe be contaminated and defiled with sinne Answ We must distinguish between humane and divine judgement men see mens works as they are outwardly and can goe no further they onely perceive what is obvious to their senses and can neither see the heart nor know whether that which is done be done according to all the circumstances that are required thereunto Now true righteousnesse is proper unto the heart and it is the circumstances that make the work more or lesser good or bad and therefore although men see the good works of the righteous which outwardly they shew forth and glorifie God for them yet it followes not hence therefore those works are in Gods sight perfectly good c. Ibidem fol. 185. this is crossed out The morall law was a bond of salvation unto Adam Rom. 2. 13. and of death Gal. 3. 10. but is now abrogated by Christ in regard of the conditions we being now justified onely by faith Ibidem on Matth. 12. ver 27. written copy page 251. this discourse is obliterated By thy words thou shalt bo justified Quest What is the matter or materiall cause of our justification Answ First some say that the onely act of mans heart in beleeving is the matter of it Secondly some say that partly faith and partly Christs obedience is the matter of our righteousnesse Thirdly some say that the works of the law done by man are the matter of our righteousnesse Now all these three opinions are sufficiently refuted by Master Forb's of Justification cap. 22. page 77. to whom I referre the Reader Fourthly we say that onely Christ in his obedience is the whole matter of our righteousnesse and that nothing in Heaven or in earth in man or without man is the matter of mans righteousnesse before God except onely Christ this being amply handled and proved by Forbes cap. 23. 24. and his book being in English and easie to be had I referre the Reader thereunto c. Ibidem written copy page 68. this is crossed out by the Licenser Thirdly the Lord having converted and regenerated us we are onely able to bring forth good works for non precedunt justificandum sed sequentur justificatum Aug. good works march not before as causes of our justification but follow as fruits or signs of our sanctification c. And page 336. Answ 1. They good works are the way and meanes unto this Kingdome but I doe not give or grant this and that First because that which is but onely a meanes is not at all a sufficient cause and Secondly because if we should grant this then the Papists would have what they desired for they say that good works are necessary to salvation Non modo necessitate presentiae sed necessitate efficienciae Bellarm. de Justific lib. 4. cap. 1. The way which leads to London is indeed a meanes of comming to London but not the efficient cause Neque enim facit sed patitur ut quis veniat Londinum for when a man comes thereunto the way doth nothing but onely suffers and therefore â—he way thereunto is more rightly called causa sine qua non Parens s fol. 848. b. c. In Doctor Jones his Comentary on the Hebrewes page 58. these clauses are purged out By grace you are saved not by works any kind of way let us not part stakes with the Lord and give halfe to our selves and halfe to the Lord as the Papists doe Page 208. Our best works are defiled with sinne saith the copy too often defiled saith the Licenser c. Page 247. Our praying preaching hearing of Sermons and best works are unprofitable to bring us to the Kingdome of Heaven they may be seales of our election but no causes of our salvation Page 253. The old Covenant depended on working doe this and live the new requireth nothing but faith c. Page 339. Here we may behold what reckoning is to be made of the works of the
unregerate though they seeme never so glorious to the eyes of the world God sets not a straw by them no more then he did by the sacrifices of the Pagans nor their works be not meritorious because they proceed from an heart void of faith yet they affirme them to be good works and such as please God truly they be as pleasing to him as the sacrifice of Caine was they are no better then fine glistering sinnes they want faith therefore they cannot please God nothing that we doe without faith hath any acceptance with God It is said of the ancient Israelites that the Word profited them not because it was not mingled with faith nor sacrifice in the time of the Law nothing was good unlesse there were salt in it so no work is good if it be not seasoned with faith therefore let us entreat the Lord to give us a true faith in Christ that so our spirituall sacrifices may be accepted of him And page 410. though the blind Papists will not see it but we affirme that our best works are defiled with sinne our preaching our praying our giving of almes hearing of Sermons yea martyrdome which is the most glorious work of all may have some contagion of sinne in it our bearing of sicknesse may have some infirmities we may curse God in it as Job's Wife perswaded him to doe and if God should mark what is done amisse who could stand But here is his goodnesse he saw a lye in the work of Rahab yet he commends it for a good work he seeth imperfections in all that we doe yet he passeth them over and because we be in Christ he accepteth of that we doe as a child may faile in doing his fathers errand he may faile in some circumstances yet because the substance of it is done the father praiseth him so will our heavenly father us well done thou good and faithfull servant therefore let this encourage us to well doing c. And page 101. We are not to seek salvation by the observation of the Law as Papists doe 38. A Passage expunged against the Churches Infallibility IN Master Ward 's Comentary on Matthew page 294. this is deleted Object The Doctrine of the Church is in all things infallible Answ First this was a personall promise made onely to the Apostles and so cannot be extended to all the Church if we will speak according to the words properly according to their immediate sense 39. Passages deleted against the Impositions Tyranny and Dissimulation of Kings see Arbitrary power c. page 289. IN Doctor Clarks Sermons page 224. instead of legall imposts the Licenser hath put peaceable imposts Ibid page 225. instead of Subjects are not Tributaries the Licenser hath altered it to good subjects need not to be Tributaries c. And instead of not that in Samuel he puts if not that in Samuel Ibidem after jus Regis the Licenser hath blotted out these words A plea abused to corrupt good Kings Ibidem Not Samuel's Tollet is made If not Samuel's Tellet Ibidem page 336. l. 4. these words at all are added by the Licenser and these that follow Or if you will not lawfull in a compulsory way but in a consultory it wils due respect and discretion The Author wrote thus Kings are uncontrolable who will say saith Job to a King thou art wicked that shewes that it is not safe to censure them not 't is not lawfull men may doe that they dare not doe c. And page 452. after unto another this is expunged It was a King a most Christian King that taught his sonne happily all the Latine that he had Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare he cannot reigne that cannot faigne c. In Master Wards Comentary on Matthew page 145. written copy this sentence â—s expunged Subjects are not actively to obey Kings when they command what God forbids in his Word 40. Passages deleted that the Law of God is possible to be fulfilled by men as the Papists hold and That men are damned for Originall sinne as well as Actuall IN Master Ward 's Comentary on Matth. 11. 5. page 227. this is obliterated How is the fulfilling of the Law impossible Answ First negatively not because the works therein contained in their owne nature transcend the power of the mind or body or Organs for man in Paradise had strength enough to obey the whole Law and the Saints in Heaven doe perfectly fulfill it Secondly affirmatively the Law is impossible for man to fulfill First the judgement of the mind is so depraved that we know not how to doe any spirituall or morall work aright so as we ought to doe it and Secondly because the affections are so corrupted that we are not able to governe them or to curb or restraine the malice and depravation of them Quest 2. Why are so many or any damned perpetually Answ Not onely for their actuall sinnes but even also for their originall corruptions and depravation of nature Ephes 2. 1 2. for sinners shall be beaten with stripes and with more stripes Luke 12. 47. c. that is First they shall have plura verbera more stripes and more grievous torments in hell for their actuall sinnes But Secondly they shall also have verbera stripes eternall condemnation and torments though not equall with the former who never committed actuall sinne but onely dyed in their naturall estate their originall corruption not being washed away by or in the blood of Christ Observ Secondly by grace in Christ we are enabled to walk in the wayes of God and to work his work for Christ doth give unto all those whom he cals power in some measure to obey him for he gives not onely velle power to will and desire but also posse power to doe that which he commands Phil. 2. 13. Quest 3. How doth this appeare for none seem and that especially to themselves more weak then the children of God Answ It most evidently appeares by these particulars viz. First because we are called unto the glory of God Phil. 2. 15. c. and to hold forth the Lamp of a pure life Mat. 5. 16. and therefore certainly those whom God cals shall from him receive grace and power to performe good works Secondly because Religion is the path-way to Heaven and therefore undoubtedly those whom the Lord cals unto that inheritance he will enable in some measure to walke in the wayes of Religion and to giue unto him religious worship read Deut. 5. 33. Josh 22. 5. Mat. 3. 8. 10. 7. 20. Luke 11. 28. Rom. 2. 7. Gal. 5. 16. Thirdly because Christ unto those whom he cals gives the holy comforter even a bright shining light whereby we are assured of the love of God which love of his worketh a threefold effect in us namely First it makes us love the Lord againe and to returne love for love and although we cannot love him in that measure and degree that he loveth us his love
but very poore faine to fetch instance from hell Dives prayed for his brethren Bellarmine's reason worthy a Cardinals hat Happily In Master Wards Comentary on Matthew page 82. this is gelded out When a Papist prayeth to any Saint in heaven for sometimes they pray to those who in all probability are in hell as Thomas Becket Hildebrand and divers cheating impostors Ibip page 164. 161. 168. 169. this is deleted Let those therefore who call upon the name of the Lord depart from all iniquity and let them labour to abound in all vertues both morall and theologicall that so our profession may be praised both of prophane and civill men Thirdly the Papists have Rimes which must be said over three or four times every day certainly with a little paines a man might make a good Parret a good Papist for he might be taught all this therefore they were forced to cry much and long The Papists say prayer is a Meritorious work as hath been elsewhere shewed Against which we urge this place thus we must not pray as the heathen did for they thought to be heard for the merit of their long prayers therefore it becommeth not Christians to pray with any opinion to be heard Answ 2. Spirituall graces are to be demanded before temporall good Thirdly we have no true right unto temporall things nor proper interest in them nor any true warrant to beg them untill we be converted and therefore temporall things are not first to be desired Our Saviour teacheth onely those to pray for temporall blessings that can call God father as we see in the preface of the Lords Prayer which we cannot doe aright untill we be converted Ibidem page 341. this is deleted Object It is controverted betwixt us and the Papists concerning the formes of Churches and Bellarmine affirmes that they should be built East and West that so when we pray therein our faces might be turned towards the East and for the proose hereof he produceth this place Ab oriente venturus ereditur ad judicium It is beleeved that Christ will come unto judgement from the East therefore we ought to pray towards the East Answ First creditur it is beleeved saith he namely by those who can beleeve what they list though never so absurd c. See page 299. 60. Passages obliterated concerning Predestination Gods Decree and Reprobation See Election page 303. IN Master Ward 's Comentary on Mathew in the writen copy fol. 172. this clause is expunged How is the Kingdome of God attained unto First the foundation of it is the eternall love of God Secondly from this love proceedes the Decree of Predestination Thirdly from this Decree followes Redemption wrought by Christ Fourthly thence followes the Promises of the Gospell applying Christ to our hearts Fistly and lastly followes Faith which apprehends both the Promises and Christ What reason can there be that God should prepare vessels unto dishonor How can God create men to destroy them I Answer Neither is reason dumbe here but can speake something in Gods behalfe viz. First we for our food kill Sheep Oxen Birds and Fowle who never wronged vs yea for this end we fat and cram them although we did not create them How much more then may God destroy a creature which he hath made and for his glory passe by a man who hath infinitely offended him Secondly Artificers often make peeces of worke and breake them againe for the praise of their skill and Art why then may not the Lord doe so Obj. God gave nothing unto man but a being therefore it was unjust to doe more unto him then to take away his being God who created man of nothing or of earth might justly have reduced him againe to his first matter but not make him worse then he was now to be damned is much worse then not to be I answer Artificers and Craftsmen make vessels for their owne service yea even to serue for base offices and that for a long time yea even for ever if they and their vessels could endure for ever And therefore why should we dispute against God Saint Paul durst not doe it Rom. 9. 13. c. What reason is there that God should condemne us for Adams fault Reason answers That for treason against the King the Father is beheaded and the children disinherited yea because old Wolves and Foxes endanger and injure us therefore we kill the young ones that never harmed us because they are of a ravenous nature also and will doe hurt if they live why then should we plead against God c. See more of this Sect. 25. concerning Election In Doctor Clerk's Sermons page 91. l. 12. after these words Saint Ambrose doth warrant it should follow this large discourse of Predestination which the Licenser hath totally expunged I will not be peremptory in so perplex a Question as is Predestination I will say as I conceive it and submit me to your censure In the great Councell in Heaven why name I heaven heaven was not yet God meaning to make manifest both his justice and his grace to the world which he purposed to create in time for the glory of them both out of the whole masse of man selected some and refused the rest whom his mercy pretermitted those his justice predessigned unto damnation but whom his love elected those his grace ordained to finall salvation The Tragick Poet could say God whom he loveth he saveth what then his grace fore-purposeth his power in time effecteth and his wisdome manages and marshalleth all the meanes salvation onely is the end intended by his grace but the meanes are many that might come between Grace hath a golden chaine of many links salvation the last but so fastened to his fellows that it cannot fail adoption redemption regeneration vocation justification sanctification adoption to the right and title of Gods sonnes redemption from death regeneration by baptisme vocation by the Gospell iustification by faith sanctification by the spirit all these Paul hath omitted and named but the last both as the most comfortable and to which all the rest doe purposely tend Damnation is the doome decreed to the reprobate Gods justice sentenceth them but how and in what order I list not to discourse for offending of weak consciences For the execution of which sentence there was ordained death and hell and satan and the evill day death to attend them hell to enjoy them satan to torment them and the evill day to judge and deliver them The Elect also doe deserve that doome Gods curse is justly incurred by their sinne but Gods goodnesse travelled with good which decreed they should be saved Aske me not the Question why God Almighty dealt not equally with all It is already answered God is just as well as gracious Had he saved all where then were his justice had he damned all where then were his grace Reply not in thy reason that God had he so pleased might have been both just and gracious
parte intererit salutem Cum vacante â—uper sede Episcopi Cicestren per mortem naturalem vltimi Episcopi ejusdem ad humilem petitionem Decani Capituli Ecclesiae nostrae Cathedralis Cicestr per Literas Nostras petendi licentiam concesserimus alium sibi eligendum in Episcopum pastorem sedis pradicti iidem Decanus Capitulum vigore obtentu licentiae nostrae perdilectum nobis in Christo Richardum Mountague sacrae Theologia Baccalaurum sibi et Ecclesia praedicta elegerunt in Episcopum pastorem prout per literas suas sigillo corum communi sigillatas Nobis inde direstas plenius liquet apparet Nos electionem illam acceptantes eidem electioni Regium nostrum assensum adhibuimus pariter et faverem et hoc vobis tenore praesentium significamus Rogantes ac in side et dilectione quibus Nobis tenemini firmiter precipiendo mandautes quatenus vos eundum Richardum Mountague in Episcopum et pastorem Ecclesiae Cathedralis nostrae Cicestren pradictae fie vt praefertur electum electionemque praedict confirmare et cundem Episcopum et pastorem Ecelesiae Cathedralis predictae consecrare ceteraque omnia et singula peragere quae vestro in hac parte incumbunt officio pastorali juxta formam statutorum et legum Regni nostri Angliae in hac parte editâ— et provis velitis cum diligentia favere effectu In cujus rei c. This conteineth your Majesties Royall Assent for Richard Mountague Batchelar in Divinity to be Bishop of Chichester voyde by the death of the last Incumbent By order of the Lord Bishop of London After this he so far honoured him as to be present at his consecration Witnesse this passage in his Diary penned with his own-hand August 23. 24. 1628. Saturday Saint Bartholmeus Eve the Duke of Buckingham slain at Portsmouth by one Lieutenant Felton about 9. in the morning the Newes of his death came to Croydon where it found my selfe and the Bishops of Winchester Ely and Carlisle at the consecration of Bishop Mountague for Chichester with my Lords Grace In the year 1638. upon the Translation of Bishop Wren to Ely this Archbishop preferred him to the See of Norwich witnesse Bishop Mountagues Letter to the Archbishop thus endorsed with his own hand Rec. Martii 29. 1638. Bishop of Ghichesters submission of his Bookes to me c. Found in his Study at Lambeth and attested by Master Prynne May it please your Grace By Mr Bray I sent your Grace another part of my Altar Relations as my between-times of sicknesse would give me leave to transcribe the rest as I can dispatch it I will send after with Gods helpe In the last there is much of the Churches sacrifice faithfully related out of Antiquity not positively by me asserted I am but a Narrator and so the lesse offensive Howsoever I give your Grace Power to dispose of what I write as will fit the Church and State For we are I know of the same Religion drive to the same end though not the same way So much I related to Master Bray and Mr Deane of Christ-Church The remaynes of my Ague are worse then the Ague it selfe so that I cannot waite upon your Grace as I would Yesterday I took a Purgation which I hope will doe me good but hath much weakened mee and Phisitians in expelling the remaynes and restoring health unto the castle of strength say they must tuto pede movere I cannot learn that my Lord of Norwich is yet fully translated till when I suppose there is no issuing of my Conge D'esleer I must humbly intreat your Grace that you would be pleased to informe me when and what I should doe in both which I am so ignorant God make me profitable to his Church to which I can bring nothing but honesty and Industry which I will promise and to your Grace thankefullnesse for your long-continued extraordinary Favours in which vote I rest Your Graces poor Servant and Brother Rich. Cicist For the most Reverend my Lord of Canterbury his Grace this By this Letter it is most apparent First that Bishop Mountague made the Archbishop acquainted with his Bookes before he printed them and submitted them to his censure and how full of Popery they are you have already heard Yea after they were printed he presented him with printed Coppies of them curiously bound up and guilded produced and read formerly at the Lords Barre Secondly That Canterbury and he were of the same religion and did drive at the same end and what was that but the erecting of Altars the introducing of Popery and reconciling us to Rome as this Letter and the foregoing evidence manifest Thirdly That his promotions were by the Archbishops long-continued extraordinary favours for which he returnes him thankes in this Letter And no wonder was it that Bishop Mountague was his speciall Favourite for if we beleeve the Pamphlet intituled The Popes Nuncio p. 11. 14. 16. first published in Italian by the Venetian Embassadour this great confident of the Archbishop was very intimate with Panzain the Popes first Legate frequently visited him and very passionately desired a Reconciliation of us and the Church of Rome Yea Godfrey Goodman Bishop of Glocester in his Letter to the Archbishop whiles they were both prisoners in the Tower dated August 30. 1642. the originall whereof was seised on by M. Prynne writes That at that instant when he dissented from the New Canons by Bishop Mountagues encouragement An. 1640. he could have proved how that in his person he did visit and held correspondency with the Popes Agent and received his Letters in behalfe of his Sonne who was then travelling to Rome who by his Letters he had extraordinary entertainment there This Bishop Mountague would ascribe to the favour and credit which he had gotten by his writings If so it seemes they were very well approved of at Rome And this is not onely probable but reall as appeares by an originall Letter under Bishop Mountagues own hand to Secretary Windebanke dated from Aldingburne Jan. 26. wherein he desires this Popish Secretary to give his son leave to goe to Rome in his travell which he is desireous to do and I writes he AM DESIROVS HE SHOVLD desiring him to acquaint his GRACE therewith and remember his duty to him His Graces advancement then of such an Arminian and Romish Prelate so intimate with the Popes Legate and much favoured at Rome must certainly favour of a Romish designe to corrupt our Church subvert our Religion set up Popery and reduce us back to Rome Doctor Roger Manwaring Vicar of Saint Giles in the fields a man very Popishly affected and intimate with Papists who abounded in his Parish upon a complaint and Impeachment of the Commons in Parliament for two Sermons preached before his Majestie the third year of his reigne in Justification of the Lawfulnesse of the Kings imposing Loues and Taxes on his People without consent
in Parliament to the subversion of the Property and Liberty of the Subjects which Sermons were preached and printed by this Archbishops speciall solicitation was on the 14. of June 1628. censured by the Lords in Parliament and thereby perpetually disabled from all future Ecclesiasticall preferments in our Church Of this censure the Archbishop took speciall Notice inserting it into his Diary adding that himself was complained of by the house of Commons June 12. for warranting Doctor Manwarings Sermons to the Presse Yet no sooner was this Parliament ended but in high affront of their publike censure in Iuly following by this Prelates assistance Doctor Manwaring as was proved by the Docquet Booke was presented unto the Rectory of Stamford Rivers in the County of Essex voyd by the promotion of Richard Mountague to the Bishopricke of Chichester he who had right thereto was put by and a dispensation granted to Doctor Manwaring to hold it with the Rectory of St. Giles which made this Doctor in the superscription of a Letter of his to this Archbishop when London about the Commission of Fees in London Churches Jan. 28. 1631 indorsed with the Bishops own hand and found in his study to stile him My singular good Lord And so he proved for soon after as was proved by the Docquet Booke in May 1633. the Deanery of Worcester was granted to this Doctor and the grant signified to the signet office by the Bishop of London Laud who procured him this preferment What service Manwaring did in that Church in setting up a Marble Altar introducing Copes with other Popish Innovations and what Account he gave thereof to the Archbishop his Patriot you may formerly read p. 81. under both their hands which was such a Meritorious Work that in few dayes after the Archbishop procured a Conge d'eslier for him to the Bishopricke of St. Davids in Wales which was signed by the Archbishop himselfe as appeares by the Docquet Booke in the signet office produced at the Lords Bar among the entries of December 1635. After which himselfe consecrated him Bishop of that See as was proved by his own Diary wherein he entred this Memento with his owne hand Feb. 28. 1635. I consecrated Doctor Roger Manwaring Bishop of Saint Davids So that this paire of malignant active Popish Prelates Mountague and Manwaring received all their Ecclesiasticall preferments after the proceedings against them in severall Parliaments by his procurement in highest affront of their Authority and Censures who obtained likewise a Royall Pardon procured for them entred in the Docquet Booke Jan. 1628. Both drawne according to his Majesties pardons of Grace granted to his subjects at his Coronation with some particulars for the pardoning of all Errours heretofore committed severally by them either in speaking writing or printing whereby they might be hereafter questioned But to proceed to others August 1628. we finde in the Docquet Booke a Conge d'sliere and Royall Assent by order from the Bishop of London for Doctor Mawe a known Arminian to be Bishop of Bath and Wells and the like in the same Moneth for Doctor Richard Corbet a professed Arminian and one well-affected to Popery to be Bishop of Oxford by order from this Bishop who afterwards promoted him to Norwich In November 1628 A Conge d'slier by his order too was directed to the Deane and Chapter of Yorke to elect Samuell Harsnet then Bishop of Norwich a professed notorious Arminian well inclined to Popery to the Archbishopricke of York Mart. 25. 1632. we find a Conge D'eslire to the Dean and Chapter of Christ-Church to Elect Doctor John Bancroft Bishop of Oxford and in June following a Warrant for the restitution of the temporalities of this Bishoprick to him both subscribed signified by the Bishop of London and what a corrupt unpreaching Popish Prelate Bancroft was is known to all the University of Oxford In Octob. 1632. We find these four severall Conge D'eslires all procured by order of this Prelate then Bishop of London One to the Dean and Chapter of Winchester to Elect Walter Curle Bishop of Bath and Wells to be Bishop of Winchester Alike to the Deane and Chapter of Coventry and Lichfield to Elect Robert Wright Bishop of Bristol to be Bishop of that See Alike to the Deane and Chapter of Peterborough to Elect Doctor Augustine Linsell an Arch-Arminian and very Popish and Superstitious as was attested by Mr. Peter Smart upon Oath and the Author of most of the Innovations in Durham Cathedrall who joyned therin with Doctor Cosins Bishop of that See Alike to Elect Doctor Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wells Now how active all these Prelates were to set up Altars introduce all Popish Ceremonies suppresse Lectures silence Ministers promote the Book of sports advance Arminianisme and Popery hath beene already manifested in the premises And we find that Doctor Lindsell was afterwards translated to the Bishoprick of Hereford Jan. 1633. and this Bishop of Winchester made the Kings chiefe Almoigner in Iune 1637. by Order of this Archbishop In Octob. 1635. we meet with in the Docquet Book a Conge D'eslire and Letter to the Dean and Chapter of Norwich to Elect Mathew Wren Bishop of Norwich both signified by this Archbishop of Canterbury and the like for his translation to Ely March 17. 1637. by Order from this Archbishop Now what an Arminian and Popish Innovator this Prelate was in all particulars the Popish furniture of whose Chappell with Basons Candlesticks Corporalls Altar-cloths A Chalice with a crosse upon it and other Popish Trinkets as appears by his own Book of Accounts costing him 159. l. 4. shil 1. d. and how great a persecutor silencer supresser of Godly Ministers people the world experimentally knows and the premises demonstrate We could instance in sundry English Welsh Bishops more of the same strain who were all advanced by his order means as namely Bi Neal made Archbishop of York by him an Arch promoter of Arminians Popish Clergy men and all Popish Innovations Dr Iuckeson first made Bishop of Hereford afterward of London and Lord Treasurer by this Archbishop A man though of a milde temper yet as Superstitious as Popish as most of the former and his Visitation Articles especially the last enforcing the New Cannons and Etcetera Oath as Superstitious and Vile as any Doctor Duppa Bishop of Chichester a known Arminian and very Superstitious Doctor Skinner Bishop of Bristoll and after of Oxford a man tainted with Arminianisme and very much addicted to Popish Superstitions Innovations with sundry others but these shall suffice Onely we cannot pretermit a notable Letter of Dr. Iohn Towers to Sir Iohn Lamb to be a Mediator to his Grace to confer the Bishopricke of Peterborough upon him which Letter intimates that all Bishopricks and Ecclesiasticall Preferments were then in his disposall Worthy SIR I Intended onely my hearty Thankes to you in this Letter for what I read in your last Letter to my Lord Bishop concerning my selfe and your true Love
as followeth My most honoured Lord I Humbly thanke your Grace for very many Demonstrations of your Love to me and particularly for your last favourable mediation to his Majesty in my behalfe for a Prebend in Windsor The conveniency of that preferment if my Soveraign Master please to confer it on me I shall value much more then the profit But how ever resolve not to prescribe to your Grace much lesse to his Majestie or with immodesty or importunity to presse you I blesse God for what I have and hope he will give me the grace to rest well contented with my present condition what soever it is In the means while my Lord the Obligations which I have to you are such as I can never satisfy but with my prayers which shall be constant that your Grace may long live with honour and comfort to serve God his Majesty and this Church which daily feeles the benefit of your wisdome and goodnesse c. Your Graces in all humility Chr. Potter Octob. 6. 1633. Queenes Colledge In April 1635. We find in the Docques Book a Presentation of Dr Richard Bayly generally reputed an Arminian and Popishly affected to the Deanery of Sarum by Order from this Archbishop In October 1638. Dr Thomas Jackeson a professed Arminian as Doctor Daniel Featly his fellow-Collegian attested was made Dean of Peterborough by the order and procurement of this Archbishop By his meanes Bishop Wren was made Dean of his Majestics Chappell And to conclude with one notable instance more instead of all others October 16. 1640. the Deanery of Peterborough was granted to Doctor John Cosin by signification and order from this Archbishop who promoted him to this dignity by his own confession thâ—â— written with his own hand attested by M. Prynne I presented four of his Majesties Chaplaines in ordinary to his Majestie for the Deanery of Peterborough His Majesty pitched upon Doctor Cosia in regard his meanes lying in the Bishoprick of Durham was in the Scots hands and nothing left to maintain him his wife and children but a poor Headship worth 40. l. per anuum And out of the same consideration and no other did I put his name with the rest to his Majesty What an Arch-Promoter of Popish Doctrines Ceremonies Innovations this Dr Cosin was appeares by the premises and Master Peter 〈◊〉 testimony of him upon Oath and what a recall intimate friend this Arch bishop was to him what a Patriâ—t and Protector of him against al Prosecutions might be evidenced by sundry Letters passing between them over tedious to recite the Originals whereof found in the Archbishops Study we have ready to produce For Clergy men infected with Arminianisme Popery and devoted to Popish Ceremonies 〈◊〉 by him to be Chaplaines in ordinary to his Majesty the Prince his Highnesse to corrupt their Persons Courts in the Theory and Practise of Religion we shall instance only in these ensuing Dr Richard Bayly Deane of 〈◊〉 Dr Thomas Turner Dr William Heywood Dr Richard Marsh Dr William Hutchinson all formerly his own Chaplaines as appears by a list of his Chaplaines since he was Bishop written with his own hands Dr Peter Heylin Dr William Brough Dr William Lewes Dr Thomas Laurence Dr Samuel Baker Dr Richard 〈◊〉 Dr Iohn Cosin Dr Walter Raleigh Dr William Watts Dr Benjamin Layney Dr Thomas Bletchenden Dr William Beal Dr Iames Browne advanced to be Deane of Hereford by his means of whose Popish Practises we formerly gave evidence Dr Andrew Clare Dr Christopher Dow Dr Lushington and Dr John Pocklington How much many of these were addicted to Arminianisme Popery and all Popish Ceremonies hath been formerly attested upon other occasions that the rest of them were of the selfe same strain is so notoriously known in the Court our Universities the places where they live to your Lordships and the Archbishop himself that it needes no other proofe That these were made his Majesties and the Princes Chaplaines by this Archbishops procurement who usurped upon the Lord High Chamberlaines office to nominate Chaplaines in ordinary to his Majestie which stone of his Predecessors did since the Reformation was attested by Mr Oldisworth a Member of the Commons House who deposed That upon his knowledge for 25. years space it did belong to the Lord Chamberlaines office to nominate and appoint the Kings Chaplains in ordinary and so it continued all the old LordWill Earle of Pembrookes Chamberlainship And this the difference of the Warrants proves For where the Kings Warrant runnes These are to signifie his Majesties pleasure there the King is to be consulted with before the place is granted as in the Warrant and case of the Bedchamber-men But where the Warrant is These are to Will and require you to admit such a one as in the case of the Kings Chaplains there the Lord Chamberlaine doth all by his owne authority without consulting with the King That since the present Earle of Pembrooke was Lord Chamberlain the Archbishop took upon him to recommend all Chaplaines to the King and many of them were his own Chaplaines first which the Earl of Pembrooke himselfe seconded Mr Oldisworth likewise delivered in a list of the Kings and Princes Chaplaines in ordinary as they stood Feb. 12. 1640. produced at the Barre Two of these Chaplaines to wit Doctor William Heywood and Doctor Samuel Baker with his owne Arminian Chaplaines Doctor Edward Martyn Doctor William Bray and Doctor Thomas Weekes whom he openly denyed to be his Chaplaine before the Lords till Mr Prynne proved the contrary by a list of his Chaplaines under his owne hand affixed to the end of his Written Diary were the Licensers of all the forementioned Arminian and Popish Bookes published in our Realme and the Purgatory Doctors who obliterated all the fore-cited Passages against Popery Arminianisme Popes Jesuites Papists out of our orthodox Writers Others of them were Authours of sundry Arminian licentious Popish Impressions As Doctor Heylin Doctor Laurence Doctor Cosin Doctor Watts Doctor Dowe and Doctor Pocklington Whose Bookes were some of them written others of them printed by the Archbishops command some of them with others without the Authours privity Amongst these we shall instance onely in Doctor Pocklingtons Bookes the most Popish Impious and profane of any other Who though lately dead before this Triall yet speakes loud enough to this purpose in his Petition to the House of Peeres before his censure here remaining upon the File of Petitions A Copy whereof we have here subjoyned compared with the Originall by which you may clearly discerne by whose command his Popish Impressions were Printed and Published even by this Archbishops who perused them before they were printed To the right Honourable the Lords spirituall and temporall now Assembled in the High Court of PARLIAMENT The humble Petition of John Pocklington Doctor in Divinity and Rector of Yevelden in the County of Bedford Most humbly sheweth THat he is right hearty sorry for doing or bringing any thing
better maintenance of Ministers and Preachers where there was most need that they bought them with their own moneyes and the monyes of their friends and disposed the revenues thereof to none nor placed any Minister in any Church but such as they took more then ordinary care should be throughly examined by the Ordinary of the place for his Sufficiency and full Conformity by law required And therefore hee besought him earnestly that he would not use his power to hinder and destroy so good a work but rather to cherish and further it And if he disliked either the Persons who managed it or the course they took in ordering the same they would appoint such other meet persons and rules for the regulating and carrying on of that pious worke as he should think fit But notwithstanding this and all other Arguments he could use and earnestly presse him withall the Bishop with much passion expresly declared his resolution to break the neck of this good worke that it should not proceed Whereupon an Information was exhibited against the Feoffees by his procurement in the Eschequer Chamber in the Kings name by Mr Noy the Kings Attorny Generall and sentence given against them for seising all the Impropriations they had purchased and monyes received by them into the Kings hands whereby this good worke was destroy'd the profits diverted to other uses as appears by the Docquet Book ultimo Decembris 1638. and Sir William Whitmores Petition to the Archbishop Novemb. 13. 1633. found in his study and deboyst scandalous unworthy Ministers such as had been formerly turned out by other BPS put in to them wheras they maintained sundry godly Ministers and six Lecturers at S. Antholins with the profits of the Impropriations purchased After which Mr White attested there was another Information put by the Kings Attorny into the Exchequer criminally against these Feoffees as grand Delinquents and that by this Archbishops direction as was manifested by a Note produced by Mr Prynne under Secretary Windebanks own hand to this effect IT is his Majesties pleasure that the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace the Lord Keeper the Lord Archbishop of Yorks Grace the Lord Treasurer the Lord Privy Seal the Earl Marshall the Lord Cottington Mr Secretary Cook and my self calling to us Mr Atturny Generall shall consider whether the Feoffees which have been questioned in the Exchequer for the Feofment of Impropriations shall be proceeded against Criminally and if so then whether in the Court of Exchequer or in Star-chamber Dated at Whitehall 17. of January 1633. Fran. Windebanke Mr Thomas Foxly a reverend Divine deposed upon Oath Viva Voce That about Eight years since William Laud now Archbishop of Canterbury did put down his Lecture on Fridayes at Saint Martins in the fields for fear as he pretended least those that came thereunto should infect the Kings Queenes and such Noble mens houses as were in that Parish with the Plague though there then dyed very few in and about London of that disease the Plague not being then in that Parish when his sayd Lecture was suppressed though God brought it into the Parish the very next weeke after its suppression by means whereof this deponent was deprived of his present livelyhood After which he being brought before the said Bishop for divers frivilous matters whiles he was Bishop of London and cleared of them because there was no colour of Crime against him The said Bishop charged him for intermedling with the businesse of buying in Impropriations and thereby endeavouring as he expressed by putting his fingers to his Girdle and shaking of it to bring the Bishops under the Feoffees Girdles for Impropriations and when this deponent answered him that this could not be since the Ministers on which they bestowed the said Impropriations were sent to the respective Bishops of every Diocesse to be approved by them he answered that if he had known this deponent to be so busie in this matter of redeeming Impropriations he should not have so easily gotten off before as he did And he farther deposed that about nineteen Moneths before this present Parliament he having a Chamber in London and study in Canewood neer Highgate was rifled by Pursevants and taken and kept Prisoner for two Dayes and two Nights space by vertue of a generall warrant to search for Popish Books and suspected Persons and bidden to choose whether he would be brought before the now Archbishop or Sir John Lambe whereupon he bid the Pursevant carry him whither he would who carryed him to Sir John Lambe who told him he must put in Bond to appear the next Thursday at the High Commission which he did accordingly on which Thursday morning by meanes of Dr Bray he obtaining speech which the said Archbishop desired him to grant him one weekes time to consider whether he might take the oath Ex officio or not which he hardly granting the said Archbishop said He had almost forgotten him but by way of threatning said he remembred him about the businesse of the Feoffees to which the deponent replyed That he was encouraged therein by Bishops and Privy Councellors who sometimes conceived it to be a very good worke to redeem Impropriations and so he was desired to appear the Thursday following But the very next Lords day another Pursevant was sent to this deponent who bringing him to the Councell Chamber door and there attending about halfe an Hour a warrant under the said Archbishops hand and five others was delivered to the said Pursevant to carry him to the Gate house where he was kept close Prisoner in a Chamber not four yards square for the space of twenty months not having the allowance of pen and Inke to Petition that he might know whom or wherein he had offended that so he might repent through God gives leave yea calls upon the greatest sinners to Petition to him and at three Months end he growing very sick by reason of his close Imprisonment and for want of one to cut his Haire which he used to wear short for his health fell very sick his wife thereupon Petitioned time after time to have access to him being at the very point of death as his keeper informed her but could neither by her selfe nor any other friends procure accesse unto him untill such time as Sir Mathew Lister was appointed by the Privy Coucell to come unto him to see in what ill case he was upon whose certificate and fifty shillings paid Sir William Beâ—cher and his man so soon as it could be procured from Friends she had a warrant to come and bring one Phisitian and Chirurgian unto him to let him blood and permission to repair unto him during his sicknesse but no longer In which strict close Imprisonment by the said Archbishops procurement he continued till about a Moneths space after this present Parliament began and then upon a Petition of his wives to the House of Commons he was released without bayl and his said
authorized by his Chaplain Dr Bray presented to and accepted by himselfe when published as appears by two faire gilded printed copies thereof with his Archiepiscopall Armes engraven on the Covers found in his study by Mr Pryune printed An. 1640. since these Propositions of Bishop Hall were sent him resolving that there can be not only no Church but no Ministers at all without Bishops to ordain them in these terms Non est Sacerdotium nisi in Ecclesia non est Ecclesia sine Sacerdotio Illud autem intelligo per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Episcopalem ordinariam Neque euim admittenda consneus extraordinariam aliquam sen vocationem seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nisi miraculosam Oportet omnino miraculis agant suam confirment functionem signo aliquo qui non ab Episcopis derivata ab Apostolis per successionem institutione in Ecclesiam inducuntur sed velorti à sese vel nescio unde intrusi sese ingeruâ—t Nâ—m quod pretendunt ordinariam vocationem retinendam adhibendam eique adherescondum nisi in casu necessitatis absurdum est suppositione innititur impossibilitatis Neque enim talis casus an t extitit aliquando aut contingere potest nisi fallat not Dominus qui promisit Porta inferorum non pravalebunt Ecce sum vobiscum ad consummationem mundi By which Position the forraigne Protestant Churches are resolved concluded to be no Churches their Ministers no Ministers their Sacraments no Sacraments their Ordinances no Ordinances of Christ which perchance made Mr John Dury ordained in one of those Churches to be re-ordained a Minister here by the Bishop of Exeter Dr Hall before he was admitted to his Benefice as appeares by their severall Original Letters found in the Archbishops study And then what are they but meere Pagan Conventicles farre worse then Papists and the Church of Rome We shall only adde to this that whereas Bishop Hall in his Treatise of Episcopacy pag. 18. excused the forraign Protestant Churches from being unchurched by these Positions only in this regard that the reason why they renounced Bishops was meerly out of necessity because their Bishops would not suffer them to enjoy the Gospel Adding pag. 19. That it is very considerable whether the condition they were in doth absolutely warrant such a proceeding which is somewhat too hard a censure of them yet the Archbishop in his forecited Letter to Bishop Hall taxeth him for this his overmuch lenity towards them in these termes You are a little more favourable to the forraigne Churches and their Authors then our cause will beare and yet in the very same Letter he mislikes and blames this Bishop for his overmuch sharpnesse towards the Pope in his second Book for bestowing the Title of Antichrist upon him wherewith he was so highly offended that out of a zeal to his Holinesse he presently complaines to the King himselfe of this indignity offered to the Pope and procures a speciall Mandate from his Majesty to Bishop Hall to qualifie his expressions in this particular with his owne pen which he did accordingly Notwithstanding the Generall confessions of all forraign Protestant Churches The authorized Impressions of all their eminentest Writers Our own Homâ—lies Writers of all sorts and the very Act of Parliament for the Confirmation of the Subsidies granted by the Clergy 3. Iac. penned by all the Prelates and Clergy of England in full Convocation give the Pope this Title and stile the Iesuites and their Adberents THE UNSHAMEFACT BROOD OF ANTICHRIST This his indulgence therefore to the Pope Priests and Church of Rome and professed emnity against the forraigne Reformed Churches in unchurching them in making their Ministers no Ministers at all and them no Christians nor Christian Assemblies discovers his very Intrals and inward bent of his soule to Popery to the Church of Rome yea his inveterate hatred to these Protestant Churches and their Religion too The next thing wee shall fully evidence 2. Though this Archbishop was so zealous an Advocate for the Church of Rome as both in his publick Speeches Writings to maintaine That her Religion is the same with ours as we have formerly proved yet he could by no meanes endure that the Religion of the forraign Protestant Churches and Ours should be termed one and the same Whereupon he presumed to countermand alter and purge his Majesties Letters Patents under the Great Seale for a Collection for the poore distressed Ministers of the Palatinate Ann. 1634. because it termed their Religion The true Religion which we together with them professe to maintain This wee shall make good by two substantiall witnesses and the printed Letters Patents themselves The witnesses are Mr Wakerly then Secretary to Mr Secretary Cook and Mr Hartlib who deposed at the Lords Barre upon Oath That in the yeare 1634. the Queen of Bohemia sent over one Mr Ruly a Palatinate Minister into England with Letters of recommendation to the Archbishop to desire his mediation and assistance to the King to grant Letters Patents under the great seale for a generall Collection towards the reliefe of the exiled Ministers of the Palatinate and their families who were then in great distresse which Letter Mr Ruly presenting to the Archbishop among whose Papers Mr Prynne found the very Originall after the reading thereof the Archbishop promised out of respect to the Queen of Bohemia who writ to him with her own hand to move the King in it which he did and then informed him that it was the Kings pleasure there should be Letters Patents drawn for a generall collection for those Ministers as was desired Wherupon Mr Ruly requested the Archbishop in regard he was a stranger and knew not our proceedings to give him some directions how to get the Letters Patents drawn and sealed who answered that he needed no instructions herein for it was a thing of usuall course and willed him to repaire to the Officers of the King his Secretaries and Attorney generall who would draw and procure them to be sealed Whereupon he repaired to Mr Wakerly who went with him to the other Officers and procured Letters Patents to be drawn according to former Presidents both in King James and King Charles reignes and namely verbatim according to Letters Patents for a like Collection dated 29 Ian. 3. Caroli which being drawn engrossed and passed the Great Seal of England without any scruple the Lord Keeper both reading and approving the same before the sealing Mr Ruly carried the Patent over to Lambeth to desire the Archbishops assistance for the printing dispersing and promoting therof where meeting with Mr Dell his Secretary he acquainted him with his businesse and shewed him the Patent who casting his eye thereon took some exceptions thereat because it made our and their Religion to be both one saying Are your Church and Religion and ours one which done he carried the Patent to the Archbishop who after he had perused it calling for Mr Ruly demanded
Preacher shall bring any other Minister to preach for him in time of his sicknesse absence or other necessary employment but such as for whose Conformity to the Church and Government here he will be answerable 7. That if any Minister being a Subject of the Kings in the Low-Countreys or any other place beyond the Seas shall in any other Auditory as well as before the Regiments or the Merchants preach or publish or in any other way by publike Speech Writing or Printing divulge any thing derogatory to the Doctrine or Discipline established in the Church of England or otherwise prejudiciall to the Temporall State and Government His Majesties Agent there shall use the best meanes he can to discover him or them so offending and having found them shall presently certifie the State here that so they may be recalled by Privy Seale to answer it And if they then refuse to come that the Law in that case passe upon them 8. That no man shall be chosen or sent over by the Merchants here either to Delf or any other place of their residence beyond the Seas whensoever any such place or places shall become voyd but such a man as is conformable to the Church of England both in Doctrine and Discipline and such as will be carefull to see that they which are under his Governments shall observe all such Church Duties as are expressed and required in any the former Articles And that some of the chiefe Merchant-Adventurers here be sent for to the Board and be made acquainted with this Article And farther that at every time and times that they send a new Deputy Governour to any place of their Residence they present the said Deputy to the Lords and give them assurance of his fitnesse and sufficiency for that Charge At which time the said Deputy may have such Directions given him by their Lordships as the present times and occasions require And that there be like care taken for other good Officers there as for the Deputy Governour himselfe 9. That whensoever the Merchant-Adventurers shall become suitors to His Majesty to renew or confirme their Patent as in most Kings times it is usuall so to doe that then there be a Clause inserted into their Patent to binde them to the observance of all or so much of these Instructions as shall bee thought fit by his Majesty and the Lords 10. That the present Agent as also all others that shall succeed in that employment have these Instructions given them in Charge and that once a yeare they be required to give the Board an Account what the Proceed of the businesse is That so His Majesties Subjects aswell abroad as at home may be kept in orderly obedience to the Honour of His Majesties Government and the better uniting of the hearts of his People to God His Majesty and one to another In which will consist the strength as well as the Honour of the Kingdom 11. I conceive it no way fit that the Ministers which are His Majesties Subjects in Holland should have any Classicall Meetings allowed them as it seemes they pretend some grant since the yeare 1622. especially that they be not suffered to assume power of Ordination for then it will be a perpetuall Seminary to breed and transplant men ill-affected to the Government into this Kingdom It is to be observed that the French and High Germane Congregations in the Low-Countreys doe all observe the Liturgy of their own Mother Churches only the English observe neither their owne nor any other uniformity Concerning the second that is the French and Dutch Churches as they now stand in many parts of this Kingdom I as humbly represent first the Danger then the probable Remedy For the Dangers I humbly submit but conceive as followeth 1. It was Honour and Piety in this State when at the first way was given for those Churches both in London and some other parts of this Kingdome Because at that time there was persecution upon them in their owne Countreys And the Peace with which God then blessed this Kingdom was their safety 2. I conceive it was never the meaning and purpose of this State then or at any other time that they living and continuing here marrying and having wives and children and many of them plentifull fortunes and Lands And their children and childrens children being now Natives and his Majesties borne Subjects should live like an absolute divided Body from the Church of England established which must needs work upon their affections and alienate them from the State or at least make them ready for any Innovation that may sort better with their humour 3. It is likewise considerable what an entire and divided body they keep themselves For few or none of them marry with any of us but only one with another Upon which it must needs follow that as they encrease and multiply they which are now a Church within a Church will in time grow to be a kinde of another Common-wealth within this and so ready for that which I hold not fit to expresse any farther 4. It is likewise of great consequence that these men living with their entire Families divided from the present Government of Church and Common-wealth are many and have got their Residence and settlement in all or most of the Haven Townes especially such as lie fittest for France and the Low-Countreys And were occasion offered God knowes what advantage they may take to themselves or make for others 5. Their Example is of ill consequence in Church affaires especially to the Subject of England For many are confirmed in their stubborne wayes of disobedience to the Church-Government seeing them so freely suffered in this great and populous City 6. Last of all I think it very just not to suffer French or Dutch Church differing from us in Discipline to be otherwise or longer tolerated in any part of this Realme then the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England shall among the Subjects of this Crowne be tolerated in those severall parts beyond the Seas whither they have cause to resort and abide For the Remedies likewise I humbly submit but conceive they may be these 1. I think it fit their Number in all places of this Kingdome bee made knowne as fully as may be that your Lordships may the better judge both of them and the way to reduce them into one Body with this Kingdome in which they are borne Subjects 2. I conceive the best way to know their Number is by a Command from the State it selfe and to have it avowedly taken in all places where they reside with a Certificat either presently or when your Lordships shall think fit which are the men of Credit and Wealth among them And this may be done really for their good and so sweetned as that they may apprehend it for a benefit as indeed it is 3. It is fit if they will continue as a divided Body from both State and Church that they be used as
under his owne hand-writing that Doctor Abbot and the whole University in the yeer 1615. reputed and accounted him a Papist a Papist indeed at leastwise partly Romish and partly English or a mongrell and a compound of a Papist and Protestant one ready upon all occasions to step over to the Papists A Papist in the Doctrine of freewill justificaiian by works inherent righteousnesse concupiscence no sinne after Baptisme certainly of salvation and the Doctrine of the Sacrament and that the papists beyond the seas could say he was WHOLLY THEIRS and the Recusants at home make their brags of him This his temper was the cause of Doctor Hals Letter to W. L. William Laud as is generally conceived long since printed Anno 1608. in the third Decad of his Epistles Epist 5. page 55. for which his works were lately threatned to be called in or this Leter expunged out of them wherein he thus expostulates with him for his unsetlednesse and newtrality in Religion and inclining to the popish party I would I knew where to find you then I could tell how to take a direct ayme whereas now I must rove and conjecture to day YOU ARE IN THE TENTS OF THE ROMANISTS to morrow in ours the next day betweene both against both Our adversaries think you ours WEE THEIRS Your conscience finds you with both and neither I flatter you not this of yours is the worst of all tempers how long will you walk in this indifferency resolve one way and know at last what you doe hold that you should cast off either your wings or your teeth and loathing this Batlike nature be either a bird or a beast c. We shall conclude this part of our Evidence with the deposition of Francis Harris a converted Priest examined upon oath before the Lords who being in the Parliaments Army could not possibly be procured viva voce of which oath was made and thereupon his deposition was read as followeth The Examination of FRANCIS HARRIS of Christ-Church London taken Jan. 9. 1643. before the Lords Committee appointed to take the Examinations in the Cause of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury THis Deponent saith that he being at Paris in France about 24. yeers since meeting with one Ireland who had formerly bin one of the chief School-Masters of Westmin School and then a Priest and discoursing familiarly with this Deponent the said Ireland told him that the now Arch bishop of Canterbury and he were intimate friends and that he had discovered unto him when they were in the University together that the said Arch-bishops resolution was to leave the Kingdome and to reconcile himselfe to the Church of Rome and that he knew him to be a Papist in his heart and wondred why he staid so long behind saying that perchance honores mutant mores And this Deponent further saith That one Leander a Benedictine Fryar and Doctor of the Chaire at Doway by the common report of Papists and Priests both abroad and in England was very familiar with the said Arch-bishop and came over on purpose into England where this Deponent since saw him to negotiate with the said Arch-bishop about matters of Religion to make a reconciliation between the Church of Rome and England And this Deponent was bred up a Roman Catholike and a scholler and a secular Priest and upon better advice reconciling himselfe to the Church of England did often solicite and petition the said Archbi for some mean imployment in the Ministery as having done very good service in discovering Priests and Jesuits to the Messengers appointed to apprehend them but the Archbishop never gave hau any encouragement or countenance This Examination taken before Us Kent Lincolne Francis Harris That he hath been reputed a Papist in heart opinion and practise ever since he left the University is so notoriously knowne to all that we shall produce no witnesses many having been publikely censured and privately questioned by his power for calling and reporting him such a one and many publike papers being pasted up and scattered about the City and Court from time to time proclaiming him such a one of vvhich we have at least a dozen found among his owne and Secretary Windebankes writings and that our English popish priests and Roman Catholikes as well as Protestants beasted of him to be theirs vve have many instances vvhich vve could produce did vve need such evidence and the testimony of tvvo Priests to boot But vve shall rather informe and prove to your Lordships vvhat repute the papists had of him in foraigne parts yea even in Rome it selfe since himselfe hath chalked â—â— out the vvay and furnished us vvith this kind of proofe by procuring Sir Henry Mildmay a Member of the House of Commons very unseasonably and unhappily to testifie for him in this kind vvhat a hard opinion they had of him and hovv much he vvas hated in Rome by the Jesuits and others more then any man breathing the manner of enforcing vvhose testimony is very remarkable The Arch-bishop some fevv dayes before his tryall petitioned the House of Commons that Sir Henry Mildmay of the Jewell House one of their Members might be examined in his behalfe as a speciall witnesse for him how much he was hated and spoken against above all men at Rome for opposing the Popes and Papists designes in England Which being granted the Arch-bishop moved tvvo or three times very unseasonably that Sir Henry might be called to give in his testimony in this kind vvho being then out of Tovvn and not appearing the Committee of Commons who managed the Evidence promised to send for and cause him to appeare the next day at the Lords Bar vvhich he did to wit on June 11. 1644. Whereupon the Archbishop desired him to acquaint the Lords Whether he had not been of late yeers at Rome and what opinion they held of himself there Whether Sir Henry upon his return from thence dining with him at Lambeth did not tell him of his own accord he was the most odiousman of any at Rome and therefore certainely the furthest of any from setting up popery and endeavouring to reconcile us to Rome Whereupon Sir Henry said My Lords it is true J was some few yeers since at Rome not upon any message or designe at all but being somewhat infirme in body J was advised by my physicians to travell for a time into forraign parts to recover my health Wherupon J first travailed into France from thence into Italy and being there to satisfie my owne curiosity and recover my health J travelled to Rome During my abode there J was very inquisitive to know what opinion they had of us in England and of the great men there especially of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and I observed there were some there that were against the Arch-bishop and spake ill of him others that spake very well of him and so much I informed him at Lambeth upon my returne from thence but I deny that ever I
told him he was the most odious man at Rome of any or of any that had sate in that Sea The Arch-bishop then averred that he used these speeches to him at dinner at Lambeth at a time when Auditor Phillips was there who demanded of Sir Henry whether he saw the Pope when he was at Rome and what manner of man he was Who replied that he saw him in his Garden out of a window riding a great horse in a morning and that he was very like the Auditor Sir Henry confessed this discourse with the Auditor but absolutely denied he ever said he was the most odious man at Rome of any c. and desired him to prove it Wherupon the Archbishop asked of his Secretary Dell whether he did not heare Sir Henry tell him so much at dinner Who answered that he did not heare him say so but that his Grace told him after dinner that he said so which Sir Henry peremptorily denied After which Sir Henry being demanded by Master Serjeant Wild who they were that spake against the Arch-bishop who for him and what he conceived to be the cause why some spake thus against him others in his behalf He answered that there were two factions in Rome one of the Jesuits some of these disliked the Arch-bishop and spake against him because they conceived he aimed at too great an Ecclesiasticall power in these Kingdomes for himself The other was of the Secular Priests who all spake very well of him and commended him because he carried himselfe in such sort in the government of our Church as to draw it neerer unto the Church of Rome and shewed himselfe favourable to their party Whereupon the Arch-bishop said that Sir Henry never told him this before Who answered it was true and the reason was because he never demanded of him any such Question but now he was demanded the Question upon his Oath and therefore he must speak the truth At which passage most of the Auditory smiled and the Committee of Commons who managed the Evidence thanked the Arch-bishop for this good testimony on his behalfe desiring him to furnish them with some more such witnesses Adding that seeing Sir Henry was but a single witnesse in this case and so perhaps the Arch-bishop would evade his testimony though produced by himselfe and since he had given them this occasion to examine what opinion the Priests and Jesuits had of him at Rome they therefore humbly desired that they might now produce the testimonies of some other Gentlemen of note who had been at Rome as well as S. Hen. could give as good or better an account of his credit there as he had done Whereupon they poduced Captain Authony Mildmay brother to Sir Henry to testifie his knowledge in this particular who deposed at the Bar upon oath That he was at Rome at the time when Con the Popes Nuncio was to come over into Eng. as Nuncio who then enquired of him concerning the infirmities and age of Arch-bishop Abbot and thereupon said Bishop Laud who is to succeed him will be more favourable to us then he hath been That there were two great factions in Rome one of the Jesuits another of the Secular Priests that the Jesuits faction did not like the Archb. because he usurped too much Ecclesiasticall power to himself and endeavoured to make himselfe a Patriarke over all his Majesties Kingdomes but the Secular Priests and their faction loved and spake very well of him because they said they knew him to be their friend and that he had a designe to bring the Popish Religion into England That Father Fitton and Father John told him that there was a designe to reconcile England to the Church of Rome that Bishop Laud was the chiefe instrument in it that other English Bishops did joyne with him in the designe and that he should find that there should be none preferred in the Court but such as were Papists or affected to popery That Father Fitton being the generall agent for the Secular Priests had extraordinary good intelligence from England and that Master Walter Mountague when he was at Rome lay at his house that Father John was the generall agent at Rome for the Benedictines and that Father Talbot a Jesuit had told him as much as these two had done concerning Bishop Laud who yet spake somewhat ill of him because said he he intends to make himselfe a Patriark of all the Kings Dominions out of his pride which he said would eclipse the Popes authority and therefore he said he was condemned at Rome by their party the Jesuits for this particular although otherwise he was a great favourer of their Religion This testimony even from Rome it selfe is very full and punctuall to our purpose that there was no difference at all between the Secular Priests and the Archbishop nor yet between the Jesuits and him but only this that he out of his ambition would like his Predecessor Anselme be Papa alterius orbis the Pope or Patriark of our other world and of the Kings Dominions which the titles of Sanctitatis Vestrae Sanctissime Pater attributed to him by the University of Oxford and Master Croxton made them jealous of which the Jesuits could not well brook at Rome But to make this more cleer we shall adde one witnesse more who hath been often times at Rome and spent divers yeers among papists in foraigne parts and that is one Master Thomas Challoner a Gentleman of quality who thereupon being sworn gave in this following testimony viva voce upon oath which he set downe under his owne hand MY LORDS TOuching the Arch-bishop of Canterbury I can say little in particular but in generall thus First that for these fourteen or fifteen yeers last past it hath been my fortune divers and sundry times to be in France Flanders Holland and Italy where very often happening into the company of Lawyers priests and men of the long Robe I found them alwayes very forward in their discourse of England and of the great hopes they had to see it suddenly reduced to the catholike faith that they had many great parsons in England who were secretly of their religion and in particular the Arch-bishop whom they avowed to be wholly theirs a good Roman Catholike a politike propagator of the Roman faith by minutes and degrees wherein he used great subtilty and craft which they called wisdom and that both he and others would openly declare themselves so to be in time convenient beseeching God the blessed Virgin to prosper his designes And this is so notorious as I beleeve no man of any experience in foraigne parts who hath had an eare to hear or a tongue and heart to speak the truth but hath heard the same often re-iterated and will attest it Yet upon what foundation these opinions should be built I am not precisely able to determine Secondly that eleven or twelve yeers since I being at Bruxels in Brabant
That he had been the impeacher and disturber of due and direct correction of Errours and Heresies by reason whereof they crept more abroad and tooke greater place being highly to the danger and perill of the whole body and good Christian people of this Realme All which this Archbishop is guilty in an higher measure in respect of Popery Priests and Jesuits then ever this Cardinall was in regard of the Lutheran Sect and Opinions Fifthly it is evident that the Archbishop had a hand in assisting the Papists Priests and Jesuits in the dispersing of their popish Books to seduce his Majesties Subjects contrary to an expresse Statut whereas he used all possible diligence to suppresse the printing dispersing importing Orthodox Books and those he stiled Puritannicall both at home and beyond the Seas Finally the Archbishop complyed with the Papists Priests Jesuits in concealing their very treasonable plots and conspiracies against the King Kingdome Church and all professors of the Protestant Religion we shall instance but in two particulars The first is in the case of Mistresse Anne Hussey who deposed at the Lords Barre to this effect That William O Conner an Irish Priest servant to the Queen Mother soon after Easter in the yeer 1640. among other discourses told her at the house of one Master Hill neer the Strand in Westminster That there were many private houses about London wherein they used to have Masse said that there were 7000. men in private pay ready to ayde the Catholicks and to cut the Protestants throats that should resist them After which he comming to her in great haste at Mistresse Pinocks house about the end of July 1640. told her That he was then in great haste for he had Letters from the Queen Mother to be delivered to three Embassadours the Spanish the Venetian the French to send to the Pope to know from himselfe or his Legat when to begin the subduing of the Protestants that the Queen his Lady was no foole and that if the King joyned with the Protestants they would cut him off if not by the sword yet by some other way that if no other hand would doe it his hand should kill the King and that he would kill an Heretick at any time for the advancement of the Mother Church of Rome swearing by Saint Francis and Saint Dominick that he would doe it All which he spake to her in Irish she counterfeiting her selfe to be a Roman Catholick desirous to become a Nunne He likewise confessed That he had been a servant long to the Queen Mother and imployed by her in businesse to all the Princes of CHRISTENDOME Whereupon she according to her duty and alleagiance complained of this Priest revealing this discomse and treason of his to the Lords of the Privy Counsell attesting her information upon oath and producing a Letter of this Priests to her under his owne hand with some other witnesses to confirme her testimony in point of circumstance of time place and this Priests resort unto her But the Archbishop of Canterbury to discourage and take her off from this discovery reviled and gave her many ill words and threats told her she was mad and that she was hired by the Londoners to make this accusation demanding how she durst be so bold as to utter or discover ought which had any the least reflection upon the Queen Mother threatning to have her punished and caused her to be committed to one of the Sheriffes of Londons house whereas the other Lords gave her good words and committed the Priest to the Gate-house and so the businesse was smothered without further prosecution till she revived it this Parliament in the Commons House who released her of her restraint We shall close all with the most desperate plot of Cardinall Barbarino the Popes Nuncio the society of the English and Scottish Jesuits with their confederates to subvert the Protestant Religion usher in Popery raise a Warre between England and Scotland subvert the government both of Church and State yea to poyson the King himselfe if he crossed this designe and then to seize and traine up the Prince in the Popish 〈◊〉 This plot being discovered at first only in generally by a chief Actor in it sent from Rome to Andreas ab Habernfield Sir Wil. Boswell by them by Letters from the Hague to the Archbishop he conceiving it to be a plot only of the Puritanes to destroy the King and himself too revealed it to the King and prosecuted the further discovery with all earnestnesse as appeares by sundry Originall Lettâ—ers concerning it seized and attested by Master Prynne produced at the Barre But no sooner received he the large particular discovery of it which fastned the treason onely upon Cardinall Barbarino the Popes Nuncio the Jesuits with their confederates Sir Toby Matthew Sir Kenelme Digby Sir John Winter Endimion Porter Secretary Windebanke Master Walter Mountague the Countesse of Arundel and others but he presently smothered it yea though he received the full discovery of it but on the 14. of October 1640. not many dayes before the beginning of this present Parliament yet he he never revealed it to both or either Houses of Parliament or any members thereof for the preservation of our Religion Church State King thereby and the executing condigne punishment on these Arch-traitos and Conspirators then present in London and Westminster nor yet so much as disclosed it when Sir Toby Matthew Sir John Winter and others were questioned in the Commons House about the Popish Parliament kept in London and the levying of moneys against the Scots among the Papists nor when Secretary Windebank was questioned for releasing Priests and Jesuits against Law and the negotiation of the Popes Nuncio debated in the Commons House but concealed these papers from the Parliaments knowledge till Master Prynne unexpectedly seized them in the Archbishops Cabinet in the Tower of London From all which particulars we conceive we have abundantly manifested most substantially proved his correspondency confederacy with the Pope and his instruments of all sorts in their most desperate treasons to extirpate our Religion introduce popery reconcile reduce the Church of England to the Church of Rome and most satisfactorily justified the first Branch of our charge of high treason against him in every particular wherupon we most humbly pray in the name of the Commons of England the Judgment of an Arch-traitor to be given against him as one who hath declared himself a professed Traitor not only to our Laws Liberties Parliament Kingdoms but to our very Religion Church souls the highest treason of all others especially in a Clergyman an Archbishop of Canterbury who is by title office Primate and Metropolitan of all England yea Confessor chiefe Curate and Ecclesiasticall Vicegerent to the King himselfe who entrusted him wholly if not solely with the care of our Religion which he hath most perfidiously undermined betrayed sundry wayes as all the premises demonstrate The Archbishops
any already cited which are punctuall St. Augustine de verbo Domini secundum Ioannem Serm. 42 saith Christus quotidie pascit Mensa ipsius est illa IN MEDIO constituta Yea Durandus Rationale Divinorum l. 1. c. 2. num 15. writes thus By the Altar out heart is signified which is in the Middest of the body as the Altar is in the middest of the Church And lib. 5. he gives this reason why the Priest turneth himselfe about at the Altar to wit to fullfill this Scripture IN MEDIO ECCLESIAE aperui os meum Gentianus Hervetus Genebrard describing the manner of the Greek Church at this day expresseth it thus In Graecorum Templis unum tantum est Altare idque IN MEDIO CHORO aut Presbyterio From these and the forecited authorities both forraigne and our owne Domesticke Divines of chiefest note resolve expresly That the Lords Tables and Altars in the primitive times till privat Masses were lately introduced stood in the middest of the Quire Church People who came round about them not at the East end of the Quire as of late they were placed This is in terminis affirmed by Hospinian De Origine Altarium c. 6. p. 135. by learned Phillip de Marâ—ix Tableau des Differens part 5. c. 6. p. 307. by the incomperable Lord Mornay De Missa l. 2. c. 1. p. 177. by eminent Peter Du Moulin in his Nauvante du Papisme Contr. 11. c. 17. 18. p. 1022 1026. and sundry other forraigne Protestants with whom our owne Divines accord we shall â—ite some few of their words very briefly In the yeare 1533 There was a short Treatise concerning the Lords Supper written as is supposed by our learned Martyr Mr. William Tyndall printed with his workes cum privilegio p. 476. 477. wherein he prescribes that the Bread and Wine should be set before the People IN THE FACE OF THE CHVRCH upon the Lords Table and that the Congregation should sit ROVND ABOVT IT according to the pure use of the Sacrament in the Apostles times Learned Martin Bucer sometimes Regins Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of Cambridge in King Edward the 6. his Raigne in his Censure of our English Liturgie writes thus Jt appeares by the formes of the most ancient Temples and Writings of the Fathers that the Clergy stood in the MIDDEST of the TEMPLES which were for the most part round and out of that place did so administer the Sacrament to the People that they might plainly heare and understand the things there recited by them Eminent Bishop Jewell one of Queen Elizabeths Visitors in the first yeare of her Raigne when the Jnjunctions were made who had a principall hand in abolishing our Altars and placing Communion Tables as they formerly stood in his Authorised workes enjoyned to bee had and read in every Church affirmes and proves at large in sundry places by pregnant Authorities and reasons That the Holy Table and Altar in and among the primitive Christians and Fathers was not made of stone but wood and stood Not at the end of the Quire but in the Middest of the Church among the People who came round about it that it ought to be so placed producing the Authorities of Eusebius Augustine Durand the Councell of Constantinople and others to prove it Doctor Gervase Babington Bishop of Worcester in his comfortable Notes upon Exodus c. 22. 27. p. 275 in his folio workes writes and proves expresly That the Apostles and Primitive Fathers and Christians had no Altars but Communion Tables only made not of Stone but boards and removeable SET IN THE MIDDEST OF THE PEOPLE AND NOT PLACED AGAINST A WALL Our laborious Dr. William Fulke in his Answer of a true Christian to a counterfeit Catholike London 1577. Article 15. p. 55. 56. in his Confutation of the Rhemish Testament Notes on 1 Cor. 11. Sect. 18. on Hebr. 13. Sect. 6. and in his Defence against Gregory Martin c. 17. affirmes in direct words that the Altar and Lords Table anciently stood In the middest of the Quire or Church so at the Ministers Deacons and people might Stand round about it and not against a Wall as your Popish Altars now stand as is easiy to prove and hath often times bin proved and it seemes you confesse as much But so they cannot stand about your Altars except some of them stand on the top of the Wall or in the Window and Mr. Cartwright in his Notes on the Rhemish Testament on the 1 Cor. 11. Sect. 18. writes That in the premitive Church the Lords Table was situated IN THE MIDDEST OF THE CHVRCH AND PEOPLE not against a Wall Dr. Andrew Willet in his Synopsis Papismi the 9th Generall controversie Quest 6. Error 53. p 496. expostulates thus with the Papists for placing their Altars at the end of the Quire contrary to Antiquity Why bring they not their Altars down to the BODY OF THE CHVRCH we see no reason why the Communion Table may not be set In the body of the Church as well as in the Chancell if the place be more convenient and fit to receive the Communicants Learned Bishop Morton in his Institution of the Sacrament Edit 2. London 1635. l. 6. c. 5 Sect. 15. p. 462 writes That the Table of the Lord anciently stood in the middest of the Chancell So that they might Compasse it round which he proves by Eusebius Dionysius Areopagita Chrysostome Athanasins Augustin Lindan and Dr. Fulke yea Dr. Williams late Bishop of Lincolne now of Yorke in his Holy Table Name and thing asserts and proves the same at large for which this Arch-Pre ate fell foule upon him in the latter end of his Speech in Star-chamber If then all these Testimonies may be credited before the Archbishops bare affirmation neither Altars nor Lords Tables anciently stood Altarwise North South against the East end of the Quire in our own or other Churches as he falsely avers they did 3ly We shall evidence this by Presidents abroad at home For forraiegn Presidents In the famous Church of Tyre which surpassed all others in Phaeniciâ— for its splendor built in the time of Constantine the Great the Altar was placed in the MIDDEST as Eusebius Ecclesia Hist. l. 10. c. 4. records in expresse termes Altarique denique tanquam Sancto Sanctorum IN MEDIO SANCTV ARII SITO c. It is storied by Socrates Scolasticus Ecclesiast Hist l. 5. c. 22 and Nicephorus Ecclesiast Hist l. 12. c. 34. That in the great Church of Antioch in Syria the Altar stood not to the East but towards the west part of the Church Sacra Ara non ad Orientem sed ad Occidentem versus collata fuerat And so not Altarwise as this Archbishop pretend Wâ—llafridus Strabus de Râ—bus Ecclesiastis l. 4. c. 19. records That in the Temples only built to God or clensed from the filthinesse of Idols the Altars were placed towards divers climates according to the conveniency of
upon the Lord Keepers and Master of the Wards Rights of presenting to the Kings livings with my preferment of divers Arminians and persons popishly affected to Prebendaries and Benefices of best value as Doctor Heylin Doctor Weekes Doctor Baker Doctor Bray Doctor Heywood and others To this I answer First that I encroached not upon either of their rights True it is there being a difference between the Lord Keeper Coventry and the Lord Cottington Master of the Court of Wards about the presentation towards livings in the Kings gift I took occasion thereupon to informe his Majesty that till the controversie were decided between them he might doe well to dispose of these livings himselfe for the encouragement and reward of such young Schollers that went to Sea as Chaplaines in his Ships who had nothing to live on after their returne from Sea till they went forth againe which motion the King approving of very well committed the disposing of these livings accordingly to my charge without my desire or suit Secondly I disposed of livings to divers good and orthodox men as to Doctor Jackson of Canterbury and others as well as to the persons objected who were not all preferred by me for Doctor Heylin was promoted to his livings by the Earle of Danby Doctor Baker and Doctor Weekes were preferred by the Bishop of London To which was replyed First that most of the living belonging to the Lord Keeper and Master of the Wards were bestowed by him of which both of them oft complained therefore he encroached upon both which none of his Predecessors did For those belonging to the Mastership of the Wards he confesseth he disposed of them by the Kings appointment but that it was upon the pretended occasion without his seeking or desire though occasioned onely his motion we know not how to credit his bare word without better evidence who hath had the impudency to deny his owne hand-writing very often since his Tryal and afterwards been enforced to confesse it Secondly his collation of Livings upon orthodox good men are so few that he names but one Doctor Jackson of Canterbury and that when he had so farre prevailed upon his weaknesse by a new Cathedrall Statute and Oath as to induce him to Bow to the Altar c. as frequently as other Prebends which he hath deposed to his great shame and re-greet since this one Swallow therefore will prove no Spring no proofe of his ordinary preferring orthodox godly men to livings which he commonly bestowed on the most rotten Arminians and popish Clergy-men he could cull out Thirdly the Docquet Booke is expresse that Doctor Heylin was promoted to his livings and Prebendary by himselfe not by the Earle that Doctor Baker and Weekes too were preferred by him not by the Bishop of London and Weekes being his owne Chaplaine and Baker made a Prebend of Canterbury where no man durst interpose but he no doubt they were both preferred by him as the DOCQUET witnesseth on Record against his impudent Deniall without other proofe or truth The fixt Objection is that I usurped to me the conferring of most Bishopricks and Ecclesiasticall preferments in Ireland I answer first that I preferred none there but at the request of the Primate of Armagh and others of that Kingdome who first recommended them to me by their Letters Secondly that I was a meanes at their request to recover the Patrimony of the Churches in that Kingdome which had been long defrauded of it to restore Impropriations and increase the Revenues of Bishopricks and Church-livings there for the encouragement of Learning and better maintenance of Preaching in which regard they were desirous I should be acquainted with the persons they thought meet to have recommended to them This appears by the substance of most of the Letters that passed between the Lord Primate and other Bishops of Ireland and me To which was replied First that we instanced in his bestowing Bishopricks Deaneries and other Church-preferments in Ireland onely to demonstrate the Papall usurpation and Patriarchicall Jurisdiction he there encroached even whiles he was Bishop of London and to evidence his power in disposing of all Ecclesiastical preferments then at home since he disposed of these in Ireland where he had no Episcopall or Archiepiscopall Jurisdiction Secondly that most of those he there preferred were never recommended from thence though some of them perchance were Thirdly that although the recovery of the usurped depopulated Patrimony of that Church in Ireland was a commendable worke if done in a Legall way yet to recover it per fas nefas as he did it by the meere arbitrary power of the Lord Deputy Councell Table there by oppressing ruining dispossessing men of what they had lawfully purchased against their wils without any consideration or legall proceeding was a most unjust and wicked act Fourthly justly to recover and get in Impropriations to maintaine Preaching was a very good worke had this beene his end but certainly this was but a meere pretence for would he thinke you set up sincere Preaching in Ireland who suppressed it all he could in England Would he who subverted the Feoffees for purchasing in Impropriations to the Church to support Preaching and Preaching Ministers in England recover and get in Impropriations to the Church in Ireland to support Preaching and Preaching Ministers there No verily He did it onely to maintain the Pompe Power Pride State of the Prelates and Clergy there as he did in England not to maintain or set up godly Preaching Ministers which he both here and there suppressed all he could The fourteenth thing objected against me is my prosecution and severe proceedings against godly Ministers for Preaching against Arminianisme Popery and its dangerous increase among us as namely against Master Samuel Ward Master Chauncy and Master Bernard To this I answer first that these persons Censures were the Act of the whole High-Commission which is but one body aggregate for whose Act no one particular man is liable to be questioned but the whole Court not mine alone as an Act of Parliament is the Act of both Houses not of any particular Member who gave my voyce alwayes last or last but one and so could not sway the Court with my opinion not knowne to the Court till I delivered it after all had declared theirs Secondly that the Act of Parliament which lately abolished the Star-chamber and High-Commission hath no retrospect to nullifie the Sentences given in them but admits them good and valid in Law not subjecting the Judges who gave them to any punishment Thirdly their Sentences appeared to me to be just upon just grounds and admit the Sentences or Proceedings unjust yet it is but a misdemenour in others of the Commissioners that gave them therefore no Treason in me Fourthly the Passages and Sermons for which they were Sentenced were partly Schismaticall against the laudable Ceremonies of the Church and the Kings Declaration partly Seditious