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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	john_n	sir_n	thomas_n	51,684	5	10.1747	5	true

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

warrant from the Kirke and containing beside the Popish forme thereof diverse Popish errours and Ceremonies and the s●eds of manifold grosse superstitions and Idolatry with a Booke of Canons without warrant or direction from the Generall Assembly establishing a Tyrannicall power over the Kirke in the person of Bishops and overthrowing the whole discipline and Acts of our Kirke And with the High-Commion erected without the consent of the Kirke subverting the jurisdiction and Ordinary Judicatories of this Kirke and giving to persons meerely Ecclesiasticall power of both swords and to persons meerely Civill the power of the keyes and Kirke censures A Second cause was the Articles of Perth viz. Observation of festivall dayes kneeling at the Communion Confirmation Administration of the Sacraments in private places which was brought in by a Civill Assembly and are contrary to the confession of Faith as it was meant and subscribed Anno 1580. And diverse times since to the order and constitution of this Kirke Thirdly the change of the government of the Kirke from the Assembly of the Kirke to the persons of some Kirkemen usurping the priority and power over their Brethren by the way and under the name of Episcopall government against the Confession of Faith 1580. Against the Order set downe in the booke of Policy and against the intentions and Constitutions of this Kirke from the beginning Fourthly the Civill places and power of Kirkemen their sitting and voycing in Parliament and their sitting on the Bench as Justices of Peace which according to the constituons of this Kirke are incompatible with their spirituall functions lifting them up above the Brethren in worldly Pompe tending to the hinderance of the Ministery Fifthly the keeping and authorizing of corrupt assemblies at Linlithgrow 1606. and 1608. and at Glascow 1610. at Aberdin 1616 at Saint Andrewes 1617. at Perth ●618 which are null and unlawfull as being called and constitu●e quite contrary to the Order and constitutions of this kirke received and practized ever since the reformation o● Religion and withall labouring to introduce Novation within this Ki●ke against the Order and Religion established A sixth cause is the want of the lawfull and free generall Assemblies rightly constitute of Pastors Doctors and Elders yearely or oftner pro re nata according to the liberty of this Kirke expressed in the Booke of Policy and acknowledged in the Act of Parliament 1592. After which his Majesties Commissioner having heard patiently and examined particularly and all objections to the contrary being answered to the full The whole Assembly with expresse consent of his Majesties Commissioner in one heart and voyce did declare that these and such other proceeding from the neglect and breach of the Nationall Covenant of this Kirke and kingdome made in Anno 1588. have beene indeed the true and maine Cause of all our evils and distractions And therefore ordaines according to the Constitutions of generall A●semblies of this Kirke and upon the grounds respective above specified That the foresaid Service Booke Bookes of Canon and Ord●nation and the High-Commission be still rejected That the Articles of Perth be no more practised That Episcopall government and the Civill places and power of Kirkemen be holden still as unlaw●ull in this Kirke That the above named pretended Assemblies at Linlithgrow 1606. and 1608. at Glascow 1610. at Aberdene 1616. at Saint Andrewes 1617 at Perth 1618. be hereafter accounted of as null and of none effect And that for preservation of Religion and preven●●ng of all such evils in time comming Generall Assemblies rightly Constitute as the perfit and competent Judge of all matters Ecclesiasticall hereafter be kept yearely and oftner as occasion and necessity shall require The necessity being first remonstrate to his Majesty by humble supplication as also of these occasionall Assemblies That Kirke Sessions Presbyteries and Synodall Assemblies be constitute and observed according to the Booke of Policy and Order o● this Kirke The Bishop of Dunkell his Recantation BE it knowne to all men me Master Alexander Lindsay Minister of Sinadois for so much as I by my missive Letter sent by me to the Generall Assembly of the Kirke of Scotland holden at Glascow the 21. of November last past did freely submit my selfe demit and lay downe at the foot of the Assembly my pretended Office of Episcopacy as pretended Bishop of Dunkell and by my Letter promised to subscribe what ample forme of Commission there anent the said Assembly should prescribe and now the said reverent Assembly hath found and declared the said office of Episcopacy as it hath beene te●med and used within the said Kirke of Scotland to be abjured by the comession of Faith 1580. and 1581 and 1590. And therefore hath decerner the said Office to be removed out of the said Kirke of Scotland as also seeing the said reverent Assembly hath decernet me according to my said Letter to subscribe a more ample forme of demission of the said pretended office in presence of Sir Iohn Montcrieff of that Ilke Knight Baronet Master Robert Murrey Minister at Methuen Master Iohn Roberton Minister at Perth Master Alexander Petrie Minister at Rinde and Thomas Durham Burgesse of Perth Commissioners appointed by them for that effect Therefore and for performance of my said Letter and in obedience to the Ordinance of the said reverent Assembly Wit ye me to have demitted quite claim'd and simpliciter overgeven like as I now in presence of the said Commissioners freely demits quite claimes and simpliciter overgists the ●oresaid pretended Office of Episcopacy of Dunkell with the whole Title stile name and dignity thereof power of Ordination Jurisdiction thereof voyce in Parliament and all usurpation of the same in time comming and faithfully promises and by these presents binds and obliges me never to exercise nor use the said pretended Office in the said kirke of Scotland nor no power of Ordination Jurisdiction voyce in Parliament neither any other power Ecclesiasticall belonging usurped and acclaimed to belong to the said pretended Office like as according to the Act of the said reverent Assembly I acknowledge the said Office of Episcopacy to be abjured in the foresaid confession of Faith and therefore most justly ought to be removed out of this said kirke of Scotland and the whole premises I heartily acknowledge as I will answer to God in testimony hereof I have subscribed these presents with my hand Like as for further security hereof I am content and consent that these presents be insert and Registrate in the generall Bookes of Assembly therein to remaine Ad futuram rei memoriam And to that effect constitute my lawfull procutors promittendo de rato In witnesse whereof written by Robert Readhench serviteur to Patricke Rosse Notaire in Perth I have subscribed the same with my hand as said is at Saint Andrewes the 24. of Ianuary 1639. before these witnesses Master Iohn Paterson Master Alexander Dundie Student in Perth and George

learning and therefore were forbidden as being b●th in regard of their owne authority against the supreme majestie and independency of the Crown of England And before this in King 〈◊〉 reigne in that great controversie in the Synod of Winchester touching the Castles of Newarke Sales●ury and the Vies the King denied utterly Censuram Canonum pati that is to have it determined by them● whether or no● the two Bishops Roger of Salisbury and Alexander of Lincolne might lawfully kepe their Castles that they had fortified But while the rest of the Bishops stood so much upon their Canons and even in the face of majestie profest a rebellion the King and the Lay subjects it seemes grew so exasperated against them that by publike command for the preservation of the Liberty of the Crowne and Laity they were forbidden to be of any more use in the Kingdome for so perhaps is that to be understood in Iohn of Chartres where he sayes that Tempore Regis Stephani a regno jussae sunt Leges Romanae quas in Brittanniam domus venerabilis Patris T●eobaldi Bri●tanniarum Primatis asciverat Ne quis etiam libros retineret edicto Regio prohibitum est The Canon Law made by Popes and Prelates being inconsistent with the Kings Supremacy and Subjects Liberty Stephen Berksteed the 14th Bishop of Chichester Anno. 1265. was excommunicated by O●tobon the Popes Legate for rebelling and taking part with the Barons against King Henry the third who thereupon repaired to Rome for absolution Iohn de Langhton the 16th Bishop of Chichister Anno. 1315. excommunicated Warren Earle of Kent for adultery whereupon the Earle came unto him with armed men making some shew to lay violent hands upon him unlesse he would absolve him The Bishops men perceiving it by their Masters command set upon them and put both the Earle and his men in prison whereupon ensued great combustions Thomas Rushocke the 20th Bishop of Chichester a lewde pernicious Prelate Anno. 1388. was driven away from the Court by the Barons as a Traytor for his ill Councells to Richard the second his Lands and goods confiscated he banished and deprived of his Bishoppricke by Act of Parliament himself had suffered as a Traytor but that his guiltinesse made him flie before he could be apprehended Adam Molins the 31. Bishop of that See falling at variance with Richard Duke of Yorke was slaine at Portsmouth by certaine Marriners Iune 9. 1449. Richard Sampson the 37th of Chichester Anno 21. Hen. 8. was committed to the T●●●●●r for relieving certaine Trayterous persons who denied the Kings Supremacy George Day the 21. Bishop of this See October 10. 1551. was deprived from his Bishoppricke for denying the Kings Supremacy and maintaining the Popes and other misdemeanours but was afterwards restored by Queene Mary at whose Coronation hee preached Iohn Christopherson the 40. Bishop of this Diocesse was deprived by Act of Parliament in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths happy reigne for denying her supremacy and refusing to take the oath of alegiance To passe by the subsequent Bishops of this See Richard Mountague the last Bishop thereof but one was the principall abetter and reviver of those late Arminian and Popish Doctrines Ceremonies Innovations which for sundry yeares have disquieted● both our Church and State and that not onely in his Booke intituled Appello Caesarem published in the yeare 1625. complained against in three severall Parliaments and called in by his Majesties speciall Proclamation as a Booke that opened the way to those Schismes and Divisions which have since ensued in our Church though for this very Booke● he was advanced to this See by the practise and confederacy of some swaying Prelates and in his Gagge but likewise in his Visitation Articles his Antidiatribae his Aparatus ad Historiam Eccles●asticam and other Workes as you may rea● more largely in Mr. Bayly his Canterburians se●fe-Conviction the last Edition which Bookes of his have given great scandall to our Church much advantage to our Popish Adversaries and much distracted● not onely our Church but State for which no doubt hee should have received his just demerits in the high Court of Parliament had not hee died suddenly out of feare being sent for to answer his old and new offences upon some fresh complaints to ease the Parliament and prevent a censure Of his successor in this See I neede say nothing hee is so well knowne wherefore I shall next visit Carlile Diocesse and give you but a touch of some speciall Acts of the Bishops of that See The Bishops of Carlile Walter Malclerke in the yeare 1223. was consecrated unto the Bishoppricke of Carlile which hee acknowledged to have obtained by evill and corrupt meanes and therefore resigned the same moved in conscience so to doe as hee alledged Iune 29. 1246. and tooke on him the habit of a Fryer Preacher at Oxford in which he continued till his death Being Treasurer of England under King Henry the third the King upon a sudden at the instigation of Peter Bishop of W●nchester not onely displaced him from that office but revoked certaine Grants made unto him heretofore charged him with the debt of 100. pound which hee acknowledged not For redresse of these wrongs as he tooke them he determined to travell to Rome but was stayed at the waters-side by the Kings Officers whom Roger Bishop of London excommunicated for the same and riding presently to Worceter where the Court lay renewed that Excommunication in the Kings presence● How he thrived with these businesses afterward I find not But likely enough it is that these troubles rather made him weary of the world than any such scruple induce him to leave his Bishoppricke Sylvester de Everdon the 5th Bishop of this See was elected in the yeare ●●46 but not consecrated till February 5th 1247. because he refused to accept of the election alledging his owne unworthinesse but at last upon better deliberation yeelded he was one of them that joyned with Boniface the Archbishop and Ethelma●re the Elect of Winchester in their request to the King that remembring his promise often made hereafter he would not impeach the Libertie of Elections by interposing his armed requests c. The King acknowledged hee had indeede offended that way and that especially quoth he in making meanes for you your selves that thererefore of all other should least find fault with it To this man particularly hee used these words I remember how I exalted thee Sylvester of Carlile unto a Bishoppricke having hankered a long time about the Chancery and being a petty Chaplaine to my Chaplaines preferring thee before many grave and reverend Divines c. His conclusion was that if they would give over their places which they had obtained by so undue meanes he would hereafter forbeare to commend any so unworthy This was the yeare 1253. The yeare following

either side even up with the said Table V. He in the same yeare 1636. enjoyned that every Minister after he had finished the reading of some part of the Morning Prayer at the Deske should goe out from the same to the holy Table set Altarwise as to a more holy place and there when no Communion was to be administred reade at the said Table a part of the Communion Service now commonly called the second Service whereby the consciences both of the Minister and people have beene not onely very much offended and grieved but also the Service it selfe was made very unprofitable to the people● who could not heare what was said or prayed in that place VI. That both he in his owne person his Chaplains and others of the Clergy as namely Master Iohn Novell Master William Guest Master Iohn Dunckon and others following his example did ever after the Table was so set Altarwise use and performe such so many and so frequent bowings and adorations before and towards the said Table as have beene dangerous examples to draw others to the like superstitious gestures and have given great scandall● and offence to the sound and sincere and well affected Christians VII Hee in the said yeare 1636 enjoyned all the people to come up to the Rayle to receive the holy Communion and there kneele and doe reverence before the holy Table placed Altarwise and gave directions to the Ministers not to administer the Communion to such people as should not so come up and do such reverence as aforesaid And that the Minister should within the Rayle deliver the Bread to such people onely as should so come up and kneele before the said Table as aforesaid This was to the offence of the consciences of many good people who for feare of Idolatry and Superstition durst not come to kneele at the ●aid Rayl before the Table so placed Altarwise and many people not comming up thither though presenting themselves upon their knees in the Chancell have not had the Communion delivered unto them and afterward for not receiving have bin excommunicated as namely Iohn Shyming Samuel Dunckon Peter Fisher Thomas Neuton Edward Bedwell Edmund Day Iohn Frowar and many others VIII He did in the said yeare 1636. enjoyn and command that there should be no Sermons on the Lords Days in the afternoone or on the weeke dayes at all without his Licence And also enjoyned that there should be no Catechising but onely such questions and answers● as are contained in the Booke of the Common prayer Not allowing the Ministers to expound or open the points of the same to the poople He and his under Officers affirming in publike places that such an exposition might be as ill as a Sermon And the more to hearten and confirme the people in prophaning the Lords Day He enjoyned the Ministers to read publikely in their Churches a Book published touching Sports on the Lords Day For not reading whereof some Ministers were by the command and directions of the said Bishop suspended viz. Master William Leigh Mr. Richard Proud Mr. Ionathan Burr Mr. Mathew Brumwrigg Mr. Mott and divers others some deprived Master Powell Mr. Richard Raymond Mr. Jeremy Borrowes and some otherwise troubled By all which knowledge was suppressed and ignorance and prophanenesse introduced in that Diocesse IX There having beene formerly two kinds of ringing of Bells and calling people to the Church in that Diocesse viz. one kinde when there were onely Prayers to be read and another kinde when there were both Prayers to be read and a Sermon preached whereby the people did apply themselves to the Service of God in those places where both Prayers and Preaching was to be He to hinder the people in their good desires of serving of God and edifying their soules did in the same yeare 1636. command and enjoyne that there should be no difference in ringing of Bells to Church when there was a Sermon and when there was none X. Whereas many godly Ministers for the preventing of the great sinne in the people of unworthy receiving the holy Communion of the Lords Supper● did use to Preach two or three dayes before every Communion a preparation Sermon to prepare and instruct the people in the right and worthy receiving of the Communion He the said Bishop did in the said yeare 1636. forbid Ministers to preach any such prepa●ation Sermon in that Diocesse as namely Master Devereux Master Swayn and other Ministers XI Whereas all Gods Ordinances are sanctified and made fruitfull by the blessing of God upon them by Prayer Hee endeavouring to suppresse the power and benefit of Prayer in the yeare 1636. enjoyned that no Minister should use any prayer before his Sermon but move the people to pray onely in the words of the fifty fifth Canon made Anno Dom. 1603. which Canon was not warranted by the Law And that no prayer should be used before or after the Sermon And he in his owne person having beene at the Sermon in the Towne of Ipswich when the Preacher did use or make any other prayer did sit upon his seat without using or giving any reverence of kneeling or otherwise thereby to discountenance such prayer And he in the said yeere 1636. enjoyned that no prayer should be made in the Pulpit for the sicke and that such as were prayed for in the reading Deske should be prayed for onely in the two Collects prescribed for the Visitation of the sicke in private houses XII He the more to alienate the peoples heart from hearing of Sermons in the said yeare 1636. commanded and enjoyned all Ministers to preach constantly in their Hood and Surplice a thing not used before in that Diocesse and much offensive to the people as a scandalous innovation And the Parishioners of Knattshall wanting a Surplice● he did by his Officers in the yeare 1637. injoyn the Churchwardens there that no prayers should be read in that Church till they had got a Surplice which they not getting for the space of two Lords dayes after had no prayers during that time there XIII That during the time of his being Bishop of Norwich which was about two yeares and foure moneths There were for not reading the Service at the Communion Table set● Altarwise for not reading the Booke of Sports● for using conceived prayers before and after Sermons and for not observing some other illegall innovations by him and his under-officers by and upon his directions and Injunctions sundry godly painefull Preaching Ministers that is to say Master William Powell Mr. Iohn Carter Mr. Pe●k● Mr. William Bridge Mr. William Greene Mr. Mott Mr. Richard Raymond Mr. Thomas Scot Mr. Greenehill Mr. Nicholas Beard Mr. Hudson Robert Kent Jeremy Burrow Mr. Thomas Allen and others to the number of fifty were excommunicated suspended or deprived and otherwise censured and silenced to the undoing of many of them their wives and children and they could not be absolved without giving promise to conforme to his directions editis

hereafter in a peculiar Treatise of our Prelates Schisms So he got a grant from the Pope to receive a Subsidie of all the Clergie of his Diocesse to wit foure pence out of every Mark to defray his Archie piscopall charges● under pretext of which by misinterpreting the Popes Bulls hee exacted from them a whole Tenth He endeavoured to exempt Clerkes from Temporall Jurisdiction and Courts in cases of Felony which being obtained divers Clerkes abused their Priviledges committed many hainous crimes so as the Bishops at the Kings and Nobles earnest request were enforced to make a strict Decree for their future punishment and restraint Besides he accompanyed Thomas Lile Bishop of Ely to the Barre where he was arraigned and found guilty of Murther yet admitted his appeale to purge himselfe before him as his Metropolitane after the Jury had found him guilty in affront of Law and Justice After which Ely breaking prison fled to Rome caused the Kings Judges to be Excommunicated together with their servants and their Lands to be Interdicted and such of them as dyed Excommunicated he caused to be unburied and to be digged out of their Graves in Church-yards and cast into Mires which caused great stirres in England At last this Arch-Bishop riding to Magfield fell into a Mire himselfe with his horse in which fall the horse striving to recover himselfe he was plunged over head and eares and drenched in the Myre and comming all wet into Magfield fell into a sleepe before his clothes were put off and so into a Palsey and there dyed A just punishment for his cruelty to the dead Corps o● those Excommunicate persons In his time there was a great mortalitie especially among Clergie-men 7● Bishops dying in one yeare Anno 1345. and 2. the next Simon Langham his next Successour was successively both Chancellour and Treasurer of England and in his time all publike Offices of the King and Kingdome were administred by Clergie●men for this Arch-Prelate was Chancellour Iohn Bishop of Bath Treasurer● David Wollor Priest Master of the Rolls William Wickham Arch-deacon of Lincolne Keeper of the Privie Seale Iohn Troy Priest Treasurer of Ireland Robert Caldwell Clerke Treasurer of the Kings House William Bug●rig Generall Receiver of the Dutchie of Lancaster William Asheby Chancellor of the Exchequer Iohn Newnham one of the Chamberlaines of the Exchequer and one of the Keepers of the Treasury and Kings Jewels and William de Mulso the other Iohn Ronceby Clerke of the Houshold and Surveyor and Comptroller of the Kings workes Roger Barnburgh and 7. more Clergy-men Clerkes of the Chancery● Richard Chesterfield the Kings under Treasurer Thomas Brantingham the Kings Treasurer in the parts of Guines Marke and Calice All which Clerkes abounded likewise with Ecclesiasticall Benefices and Dignities some of them possessing at least 20. Benefices and Dignities by the Popes owne license and having further liberty to retaine as many Livings as they could get This was in the yeare 1367. But not long after Anno 1371. upon a complaint of the Nobles in Parliament all Clergie-men were thrust out of Temporall Offices and Lay-men put into their places Holinshed out of Caxton saith that the King this yeare in Parliament demanded a subsidie of 50000. pound of the Laity and as much of the Clergie The temporall men soone agreed to that payment but the Clergie excused themselves with faire words and shi●ting answeres insomuch that the King tooke displeasure with them and deposed certaine spirituall men from their office of dignity as the Chancelour the Privy seale the Treasurer and such other in whose roomes he placed temporall men where as Ca●ton in truth saith that this subsidy was raised by the Clergie by good avisement out of their Lay Fee and that this their removall from Lay Offices was at the request and asking of the Lords in hatred of men of holy Church with which Walsingham accords This Arch-Prelate being very ambitious was without the Kings privity created by Pope Vrban Cardinall of S. Sixtus● with which newes the King being much offended seised on his Temporalties At which the Arch-Bishop nothing troubled did at last with much difficulty obtaine leave from the King to goe to Rome destitute of his Family and stript of all his Archiepiscopall Ensignes where he shortly after dyed William Witlesey who next enjoyed this See had some differences with the King about granting Subsidies At last he and the Clergie condescended to grant an Annuall Tenth upon condition that the King would free them from the intolerable yoak of the Popes oppr●●●ions But Wil. Courtney thē Bp o● Hereford after Arch-Bp of Cant. standing up stoutly in the midst o● the Synod sayd with a loud voyce That neither he nor the Clergies of his Diocesse would give any thing to the King be●ore the King had remedied those calamities under which the Clergie had long time suffered Whereupon the King sent Messengers to the Pope to Rome to take away Provisions Reservations and other Exactions wherewith the Clergie and people of England were grieved and put the Statute against Provisions in execution Simon Sudbury who next succeeded him about whose Election there was much debate was not long after his Instalment made Lord Chancellour of England and sundry other Clergie-men formerly put from the Administration of Temporall Offices and affaires by his example and meanes were restored to them againe those Lay-men who managed them being disgracefully thrust out thereupon Wakefeld Bishop of Worcester being made Lord High Treasurer This Arch-Bishop in the insurrection of Iacke Straw and Wat Tyler stirred up by Iohn Ball a seditious Priest was by this Vulgar rout who purposed to destroy all Bishops and Abbots proclaimed an enemie both to the King and people who were so incensed against him as their greatest enemie that apprehending him in the Tower of London where the King then was even whiles he was saying Masse they drew him out thence and with an Axe cut off his head like a Traytor The manner of which Execution is thus described by Wal●igham Godwin and others These Rebels in all haste came to the Tower where the Court then was requiring with great out-cries the Arch-Bishop The Arch-Bishop then Lord Chancellour having had some inkling thereof the day before had spent all that night in prayer and just when they called for him was saying of Masse in the Chappell of the Tower That ended and hearing of their comming Let us now goe saith he unto his men surely it is better to dye seeing to live it can be no pleasure With that in came these murthering Rebels crying Where is the Traytor Where is the Traytor He answered I am the Arch-Bishop whom I thinke you seeke but no Traytor With great violence then they drew him out of the Chappell and carried him to the Tower Hill● seeing there nothing but swords and weapons and hearing nothing but Kill kill away with the Traytor c. yet he was not so

subjects minding of his high goodnesse and great benignity so alwayes to impart the same unto them as justice being duly administred all rigour being excluded and the great and benevolent minds of his said subjects largely and many times approved towards his highnesse and specially in their Convocation and Synode now presently being in the Chapiter house of the Monastery of Westminster by correspondence of gratitude to them to be requi●ed of his meere motion benignity and liberality by authority of this his Parliament hath given and granted his liberall and free pardon to his said good and loving spirituall subjects and the said Ministers and to every of them to be had taken and enjoyed to and by them and every of them by vertue of this present Act in manner and forme ensuing that is to wit The Kings Highnesse of his said benignity and high liberality in consideration that the sad Archbishop Bishops and Clergie of the said Province of Canterbury in their said Convocation now being have given and granted to him a subsidie of one hundred thousand pounds of lawful●mony currant in this Realme to be levied and collected by the said Clergy at their proper costs and charges and to be paid in certaine forme specified in their said graunt thereof is fully and resolutely contended and pleased that it be ordained established and enacted by authority of this his said Parliament that the most Reverend Father in God William Archbishop of Canterbury Metropolitan and Primate of all England and all other Bishops and Suffragans Prelates c shall be by authority of this present pardon acquired pardoned released and discharged against his Highnesse his heires successours and executors and every of them of all and all manner offences contempts and trespasses committed or done against all and singular Statute and Statutes of Provisours Provisions and Premunire and every of them and of all forfeitures and titles that may grow to the Kings Highnesse by reason of any of the same Statutes and of all and singular trespasses wrongs deceits misdemeanours for●eitures penalties and profits summes of mony paines of death paines co●porall and pecuniar as generally of all other things causes quarrels suits judgements and exactions in this present Act hereafter no● excepted nor soreprised which may be or can be by his Highnesse in any wise or by any meanes pardoned before and to the ten●h day of the moneth of March in the 22. yeare of his most Noble Raigne to every of his said loving subjects Provided alway that this Act of free pardon shall not in any wise extend or be beneficiall to the Reverend Father in God Iohn Archbishop of Dublin now being in the Kings Dominions of Ireland nor shall in any wise extend to pardon discharge or acquit the Bishop Hereford Peter Ligham Iohn Baker Adam Travers Robert Cliffe Rouland Philips and Thomas Pelles Clerkes who it seemes were guilty of some notorious crimes against the King and therefore excepted out of this generall pardon But to returne againe to Warham This Archbishop persecuted and shed the blood of some of our Martyrs and caused the corpes of VVilliam Tracy Esq. for some orthodoxe passages in his Will to be taken out of the grave and burn● for an Hereticke by an Order made in Convocation sending a Commission to Doctor Parker Chancellour of Worcester to execute this wicked sentence who accomplished the same King Henry the eighth hearing his Subject to be taken ou● of the ground and burnt without his knowledge or due order of Law sent for the Chancellour laid this to his charge as an high offence who excused himselfe by this Archbishops command then newly dead but in conclusion it cost the Chancellour 300● to pu●chase his pardon and would have cost the Archbishop more had not his death prevented this danger In fine this Archbishop VVarham and Fisher B. of Rochester gave credit and countenance to the forged visions revelations of Elizabeth Barton afterwards condemned of high Treason for the same as ●●nding to the reproach perill and destruction of the Kings pers●n honou● fame and dignity and Thomas Laurence Register to the Archbishop it is likely by his Masters privity proceeded so farre as to write a booke of her counterfeit miracles revelations and holinesse for which she and her complyces were afterwards execu●ed as Tiburne as they had justly deserved being attainted of treason by Parliament among which cursed c●ue Richard Maister Priest Edward Bocking Doctor of Divinity and Henry Deering Munkes of Canterbury Henry Gold Bachelor of Divinity Thomas Laurence Register to the Archbishop o● Canterbury Warham and Hugh Ric. a Frier observant who seduced this silly girle to effect their owne and the Prelates designes the better thereby suffered death as Traytors by hanging drawing and quartering at Tiburne The act of their attainder treasons and execution is at large related by M. Hall in his Chronicle 25. H. 8. f. 218 221 222 223 224. to which I shall referre the Reader Thomas Cranmer next to him in succession was made Archbishop by King Henry the 8. much against his will for in his Discourse with D. Martyn a little before his Martyrdome being charged by him that he had aspired to the Archbishopricke of Canterbury he replyed I protest before you all there was never man came more unwillingly to a Bishopricke than I did to that insomuch that when King Henry did send for mee in Post that I should come over I prolonged my journey by seven weekes at the least ●hinking that ●ee would be forgetfull of mee in the meane time Hee comming to the See tooke the like Oath to the Pope as his predec●ss●●rs had done and therefore was deeply charged of perju●y by Martyn for renouncing and swearing against the Popes Supremacie afterward though he answered that the first oath was against the Lawes of God of the Realme the Kings Prerogative and made void by Parliament and so not binding After the nullifying of which oath partly by his meanes but principally by the Lord Cro●wels whom the King made his Vicegerent Generall in all Ecclesiasticall affaires and causes and superiour to the Archbishop of Canterbury in place and Ecclesiasticall power the Popes Supremacy and usurped jurisdiction was by severall Acts of Parliament quite abolished out of England as prejudiciall and directly opposite to the Kings Prerogative Royall King Henry dying the Archbishop swore to his will by which Queene Mary was to succeed to the Crowne as next heire in case King Edward died without issue King Edward seeing the obstinacie of Q●●en● Mary in matters of Religion what a pillar she was like to prove to the Church of Rome and persecutor of the true Professors of the Gospell ordaines by his last VVill that Queene Mary should be put by the Crowne and the Lady Jane succeed him as next Heire to which Testament all the Councell swore and the Archbishop too at last after much adoe Whereupon King Edward and Queene

the King with his determination The King thereupon seised into his hands the Bishops liberties appointed a new Chancellour new Justices and other officers of Durham Hee writ also to the Pope in favour of the Prior who delivering the Kings Letters himselfe the Pope adjudged him a sober and discreet man what ever the Bishop had reported of him and restored him to his place during the Bishops disgrace for this contempt the King tooke ●hree Mannors with the Church of Symondbury from the Bishopricke with divers Castles and Lands forfeited to him by Iohn Bayliol King of Scots and others The Bishop at last submitted himselfe and bought his peace Anno Dom. 1298. in the battell of Foukirke betweene the English and Scots this Bishop of Durham Anthony Beake led the second battell of the Englishmen con●isting of 39. standards who hasting forth to be the first that should give the on ●et when his men approached neere the enemies the Bishop commanded them to stay till the third battell which the King Edward the first led might approach But that valiant Knight the Lord Ralph Basset of Draiton said to him My Lord you may goe and say Masse which better becommeth you than to teach us what wee have to doe for wee will doe that which belongeth to the order and custome of warre About the yeare 1318. at the importunate suite of the Kings of England and France the Pope gave the Bishopricke of Du●ham unto one Lewes Beaumont a Frenchman borne and of the blood Royall there hee was lame of both his legges and so unlearned that hee could not read the Bulls and other instruments of his consecration When hee should have pronounced this word Metropoliticae not knowing what to make of it though hee had studied upon it and laboured his Lesson long before after a little pause Soyt pur dit saith he let it goe for read and so passed it over In like sort he stumbled at In aenigmate when hee had fumbled about it a while Par Saint Lewis quoth hee il n'est pas curtois qui ceste parolle ici escrit that is by Saint Lewes he is to blame that writ this word here Not without great cause therefore the Pope was somewhat strait laced in admitting him He obtained con●ecration so hardly as in foureteene yeares hee could scarce creepe o●t of debt Riding to Durham to be install'd there hee was robbed together with two Cardinals that were then in his company upon Wiglesden More neere Derlington The Captaines of this rour were named Gilbert Middleton and Walter Selby Not content to take all the treasure of the Cardinals the Bishop and their traine they carried the Bishop prisoner to Morpeth where they constrained him to pay a great ransome Gilbert Middleton was soone after taken at his owne Castle of Nitford carried to London and there drawne and hanged in the presence of the Cardinalls After this one Sir Iosceline Deinvill and his brother Robert came with a great company to divers of this B. of Durhams houses in the habits of Friers spoyled them leaving nothing but bare walls and did many other notable robberies● for which they divers of their company were soone after hanged at York This B. stood very stoutly in defence of the Liberties of his See recovered divers lands taken away from Anthony Beake his prede●essor and procured this sentence to be given in the behalfe of his Church quod Episc●pus Dunelmensi● debet habere forisfacturas guerrarum intra libertates sicut Rex extra that the Bishop of Durham is to have the forfeitures of warre in as ample sort within his owne Liberties as the King without I●mediately after this Bishops death in great hast but with no great good speed the Covent of Dur●am proceeded unto the Election of a new Bishop the old being yet scarcely buried and they made choise of one of their owne company a Monke of Durham This election the Arch-Bishop of Yorke confirmed yea the matter grew so forward as the same Arch-bishop was content to give him consecration also All this while the Kings good will was not sought no nor which was a greater oversight as the world then went the Popes neither The King therefore not onely refused to deliver possession of the Temporalties unto this elect but also laboured the Pope ex plenitudine potestatis to conferre the Bishopricke upon a Chaplaine of his named Richard de Bury the Deane of Wells Partly to pleasure the one that requested partly to displeasure the other for not requesting he did so and commanded the Bishop of Winchester to consecrate him which being performed at Chertsey soone after Christmasse the King presently invested him in the temporalties belonging to that See Now was the Monke a Bishop without a Bishopricke having no other home he was faine to returne to his Cloyster and there for very griefe as it is supposed within a few dayes after dyed This Richard dé Bury at what time Edward of Windsor Prince of Wales fled into France with his Mother was principall receiver of the Kings Revenewes in Gascoigne Their mony failing he ayded them secretly with a great summe of that he had received for the King It had almost cost him his life he was so narrowly pursued by some of the Kings friends that got understanding of it as hee was glad to hide himselfe in a steeple in Paris the space of seven dayes The Queene we know was then contriving an open rebellion and plotting a mischeivous treason against her husband King Edward the second whom she shortly after seised upon in an hostile manner and afterwards caused to be deprived and murthered so that this Prelates furnishing of her thus with the Kings owne monies to further this her designe was high Treason at the least Not to mention how the Pope upon King Edward the third his request consecrated Thomas Hatfield his Secretary Bishop of this See without any regard or examination of his worthinesse being a man altogether illiterate and that when some of the Cardinalls tooke exceptions against him saying that he was not onely a meere lay man but a fell●w of light behaviour and no way fit for that place how the Pope answered that if the King of England had requested him for an Asse at that time he would not have denyed him and thereupon made this A●se a Bishop Iohn Fordham Bishop of Durham Anno 1388. was by Parliament banished the Court as a pernicious instrument and corrupter of King Richard the second a Traytor a flatterer a whisperer a slanderer and wicked person Iohn Sherwood the 52 Bishop of Durham Solliciter of all King Edward the fourths causes in the Court of Rome fell off from his Masters Sonne King Edward the fifth to that bloody usurper Richard the third at whose Coronation this Bishop of Durham went on the one side of him and the Bishop of Bath on the other the Arch-bishop of Canterbury

Impeachment against him reported to the Commons House and now ready for a transmission to the Lords by perusall whereof you may in part discerne what a good Prelate and carefull Bishop he hath been or rather a Wolfe in a Bishops Rochet Articles of Accusation and impeachment by the Commons House of Parliament against William Pierce Doctor of Divinity and Bishop of Bath and Wells THat he hath by his owne arbitrary power against Law since he was Bishop of Bath and Wells being about ten yeares space of purpose to keep the people in ignorance and hinder the Salvation of their Soules which hee should promote in and about the yeares of our Lord 1633.1634.1635 and since suppressed all Lectures within his Diocesse both in Market Townes end elsewhere aswell those that the ministers kept in their severall C●res as others that were maintained by severall yearely stipends given by the Founders out of their piety and devotion for such good uses or by the volentary assistance of neighbour ministers some of which Lectures had continued for 50.40.30 and 20. yeares without interruption and were countenanced by his predecessors who used to preach at some of them in their turnes That insteade of incouraging he hath suspended excommunicated and otherwise vexed the sayd Lecturers glorying in his so doing and thanking God that he had not a Lecture left in his Diocesse the very name whereof he sayd hee disliked and affirmed unto Master Cunnant a minister who desired the continuance o● a Lecture that he would not leave one within his Diocesse the Bishop alleadging that though there was neede of preaching in the infancy of the Church in the Apostles time yet now there was no such need and thereupon required the said minister upon his Canonicall obedience not to preach and in like manner he dealt with many other Godly Ministers within his Diocesse And in particular hee suspended Master Devenish the Minister of Bridgewater for preaching a Lecture in his owne Church on the market day there which Lecture had continued from Queene Elizabeths time till then and refused to absolve him till he had promised never to preach it more upon which promise the said Bishop absolved him with this admonition of our Saviour most prophanely applyed Goe thy way sin no more l●st a worse thing happen to thee And not content to put downe Lectures in his owne Diocesse he hath endeavoured the suppression of them in others by conventing some ministers of his Dioces●e before him as namely one Master Cunnant and Mr. Strickla●d and threat●ing to suspend them for preaching their turnes at Lectures in other Diocesses neere them That in opposition to preaching and the Spirit●all good o● the peoples Soules he hath in and about the years aforesaid most impiously and against Law put downe all afternoone Sermons on ●he Lords day throughout his Diocesse and charged the Ministers both publikely in his visitations privatly no● to preach at all on the Lords day on the afternoon upon any occasion under paine of suspension after which charge he suspended one Mr. Cornish a Minister only for preaching a fun●rall Sermon on a Lords day Evening That divers godly Ministers of his Diocesse being restrained from preaching did thereupon take great paines to Catechis●● the people in the principles of Religion on the Lords day in the afternoone in larging themselves upon the questions and answers of the Catechisme in the Common prayer Booke for the peoples better instruction using some short prayers before or after that exercise of which the sayd Bishop having intelligence in and about the yeares aforesayd convented the sayd ministers before him reproving them sharpely for the same threatn●ng to punish them if they persisted in that way which he sayd was a Catechising Sermon-wise and AS BAD as if they preached charging them that they should aske no questions nor receive any other answeres from the people but such as were contained in the Catechisme in the Service booke which some not observing were convented thereupon before th● sayd Bish●p and punished as namely Master Barret Rector of Barmicke who was enjoyned penanc● for transgressing the Bishop● sayd order● and likewise Humphry Blake Church-warden of Bridg●water was enjoyned penance by the Bishop for not presenting Master Devenish Minister there for that he expounded upon the Church Catechisme on the Lords day in the afternoon● and made a short prayer before he began the same ● the Bishop alleaging that it was against his order and command as is above sayd That he hath in the yeares aforesayd both by precept and example most prophanely opposed the due sanctification of the Lords day by approving and allowing of prophane Wakes and Revels on that day contrary to the Lawes and Statu●es of this Realme for which purpose he Commanded afternoone-Service on the Lords day not to be long that so the people might not be hindred from their Recreations pressed and injoyned al the Ministers in his Diocesse in their proper persons to read the book of sports in their severall Parish Churches in the midst of divine Service at morning prayer on the Lords day contrary to the words and purport of the sayd booke which some ministers as Master H●mphry Chambers and Master Thomas refusing to doe he thereupon suspended them both from their office and Benefice and kept them excommunicated for divers yeares notwithstanding the sayd booke was by the Bishops Order published in their Churches by others he convented the minister of Beerecrockeham before him for having two Sermons on the sayd Parish Revell day alleaging that it was a hinderance to the sayd Revell and to the utterance of the Church Ale provided to be spent on that day He convented and punished one Master Thomas Elford a Minister for preaching at the Parish of Mountague upon the Revell day upon the Prophet Ioels exhortation mourning● charging him that not onely his Sermon but his very Text was● scandalous to the Revell and gave offe●ce to the meeting And for the same reason the sayd Bishop commanded the Church-warde●● of the Parish of Barecom●e to blo● out of the Church wall this Text of Scripture therein written taken out of Esay 58.13.14 If thou turne away thy ●oo● from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my Holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord Honourable and shal● honour him not doing thy owne wayes nor finding thine own pleas●re● nor speaking thine owne words then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord● and I will ●ause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth and feede th●e with the heritage of Jacob thy Father for the m●●th of the Lord hath spoken it And he likewise cau●ed this clause in Doctor Bisse his monument in that Church formerly Pastor there to be rased out He was an enemy to heeathenish Revels To conntenance which Revels the sayd Bishop in opposition ●o the orders of the Judges of Assi●e and Justices of

colour or fraud that I have formerly erred in this that I thought the government of the Church to be like the regiment of terrene Kingdomes expresly against the precept of Christ our Lord and that the Monarchy whereby the Church is governed did not rest in the person of Christ our Saviour alone as it doth in truth but likewise in the Ministers who yet are nothing else but vassalls and Clarks under Christ Et aequales inter se and equall among themselves c. Lastly I confesse that the Office of a Bishop as now it is used and claimed omni authoritate verbi Dei destituitur solo politico hominum commento fundatur is destitute 〈◊〉 all authority from Gods Word and founded onely upon the politicke device of men out of which the Primacy of the Pope or Antichrist hath sprung Et merito damnandum est and it is deservedly to be condemned because the assembly of the Presbytery who have the power of Iurisdiction and Inspection both in Visitations and in Ordinations performeth all these things with greater authority piety and zeale than any one Bishop whose care for the most part is intent not upon God or their function but the world which he principally ordereth Consider after what sort it hath beene usurped these 506. yeares last past with how great cruelty and tyranny they have exercised it and thou shalt finde that it hath beene the Principall Originall of suppressing the Word of God in every kingdome which will evidently appeare to any one who shall survey the Ecclesiasticall History This Arch-Prelate held correspondency with our English Bishops from whom asking leave of the generall Assembly to goe into England about his Civill affaires onely as he pretented he received his consecration to this Arch-bishopricke in a secret manner Anno. 1589. and then returned into Scotland where he durst nor exercise his Archiepiscopall authority openly for a space King Iames after he was made Archbishop brought him from Saint Andrewes to Edenburgh that he might preach there openly in the great Church the King himselfe accompanying him with his Guard to secure him from the people brought him into the Church sending halfe of his Guard to convey the Bishop to the Pulpit doore which Master Iohn Cooper one of the ordinary Ministers of Edinburgh had prepossessed who standing up to say prayer and preach assoone as he perceived the King in his seate the King perceiving it sayd Master Iohn Cooper I will not have you preach this day I command you to goe downe out of the Pulpit and let the Bishop of Saint Andrewes come up and preach to me to the which the ordinary Minister replyed Please your Majesty this is the day appointed to me to preach and if it were your Majesties pleasure I would faine supply the place my selfe But the King replyed againe I will not heare you at this time I command you to goe downe and let Master Patricke Adamson come up and Preach this day and beside the King had remembred that he should not have stiled him a Bishop by reason there were so strait Acts against them Then Master John Cooper sayd I shall obey Sir and came downe from the Pulpit yet the rest of the Ministers that were there sitting with him at the entry of the Pulpit did not open the doore to the Bishop while the King commanded him and then so soone as the Bishop was entred into the Pulpit and began with low becke to doe reverence to the King and to other inferiour Magistrates the whole people rose out of their places with a great out-cry and lamentation and ranne out of the Church especially the women and when the Guard thought to have kept them in they ran over the Guard and Master Iohn Cooper going also out of the Church went to Mr. Robert Bruce his house the women all going with him and many men and there heard his Sermon which he should have Preached in the Church the fearefull noyse yet continuing in the Church many running out of the Church and some comming in againe to see whereto the matter would returne made the King to cry out and say What a devill ayles the people that they may not heare a man Preach but cry what he would cry for the space of a long time not any audience could be given so with what feare the Bishop Preacht that day and with how little audience they can best tell that considered the matter rightly alwayes the King set the Bishop in the midst of the Guard and so tooke him downe to the Abbey with him but so soone as he came to Saint Andrewes againe the Presbytery entred in Proces against him for taking upon him to be a Bishop which they proved by many reasons but chiefely for that the King called him so and albeit they had many hinderances and the King caused a great delay to be made devising meanes to save him from excommunication yet in the end he was excommunicated by the Provinciall Assembly albeit by the Kings earnest dealing his excommunication was not published in all Churches as it should have beene upon some promises which he made and yet never performed them This Arch-bishop by the instigation of our English Prelates writ and Preached in defence of Episcopacy as he afterwards confessed in the Synod of Fiffe where he retracted this his Doctrine as erronious and being put from his Bishopricke excommunicated and hated of the people who put him to the horne for his debts he fell into a great sicknesse called a Dogges appetite and wanting meate to satisfie his hunger he was in manner starved to death confessing in his sickenesse that his sentence of excommunication was justly pronounced and desired the Assembly to release him from it for Christs sake whereupon he was afterwards absolved after his forementioned recantation After this the very calling of Bishops having beene condemned and abjured in the Assembly at Dundy as unlawfull Anno. 1580. the Church of Scotland upon this Adamsons death continued free from the government and tyranny of Bishops till King Iames was possessed of the Crowne of England and some yeares after at which time some ambitious Scottish Ministers stealing secretly into England procured themselves to be consecrated Bishops by our English Prelates and by certaine insensible degrees by the helpe of our English Bishops by perjury forgery and other indirect meanes with much difficulty and opposition set up Episcopacy againe in the Church of Scotland to the great disturbance of that Church and State whereupon after the assembly at Glascow An. 1610. where Episcopacy was againe revived by admitting Ministers to have Vote in Parliament though with many a limitation which they afterwards frustrated and eluded by degrees one Gladstaine was ordained Arch-bishop of Saint Andrewes who is credibly reported to have made a solemne recantation at his death for his acceptance of such an unlawfull office which recantation was suppressed After him one Sprotswood succeeded a very vicious false and crafty

Boswell serviteur to the said Sir George Mont●rieff The Bishop of Orkneyes Recantation TO all and sundry whom it concernes to whose knowledge these presents shall come especially to the Reverent and Honorable Members of the future Assembly to be holden at Edenburgh the 12. day of August 1639. I Master George Gryame sometime pretended Bishop of Orkney being sorry and grieved at my heart that I should ever for my worldly respect imbraced the Order of Episcopacy the same having no warrant from the Word of God and being such an Order as hath had sensibly many fearefull and evill consequences in many parts of Christendome and particularly within the Kirke of Scotland as by dolefull and deplorable experience this day is manifest to have disclaimed like as I by the tenour hereof doe altogether disclaime and abjure all Episcopall power and Jurisdiction with the whole corruptions thereof condemned by lawfull Assemblies within the said Kirke of Scotland in regard the same is such an Order as is also abjured within the said Kirke by vertue of that Nationall Oath which was made in the yeare 1580 and 1581. Promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God that I shall never while I live directly nor undirectly exercise any such power within the Kirke neither yet shall I ever approve or allow the same not so much as in my private or publike discourse But on the contrary shall stand and adhere to all the Acts and Constitutions of the late Assembly holden at Glascow the 21. of November last by-past in Anno 1638 And shall concurre to the uttermost of my power sincerely and faithfully as occasion shall offer in executing the said Acts and in advancing the worke of Reformation within this Land to the glory of God the peace of the Country and the comfort and contentment of all good Christians as God shall be my helpe In testimony of the which premises I have subscribed these presents with my hand in Bricknes in Straines the second of February Anno Dom. 1639. Before these witnesses Master ●●●ter Stewart Minister at Sou● randsley Master Iames Cheynie Minister at Buckwall Master Robert Pee●sone Minister at Firs● and Master Patricke Gryame Minister a● Holme My Sonne Before I passe to the Irish Prelates I shall close up this of the Scottish Prelates with this merry story out of the Booke of Martyrs Not long after the burning of David Stratton and Master Gurlay in the dayes of David Beaton Bishop and Cardinall of Saint Andrewes and George Tre●chton Bishop of Dunkelden a Canon of Sain● Colmes Inche and Vicar of Delene called Deane Thomas Forret Preached every Sunday to his Parishioners out of the Epistle or Gospell as it fell for the time which then was a great novelty in Scotland to see any man Preach except a blacke Fryer or a gray Fryer and therefo●e ●he Fryers envyed him and accused him to the Bishop of Dunkelden in whose Diocesse he remained as an Heretique and one that shewed the mysteries of the Scriptu●es to ●he vulgar people in English to make the Clergy detestable in the sight of the people The Bishop of Dunkelden moved by the Fryers instigation called the said Deane T●omas and said to him My Joy Deane Thomas I love you well and ●herefore I must give you my counsell how you shall rule and guide your selfe To whom Thomas said I thanke your Lordship heartily Then the Bishop began his Counsell on this manner My Joy Deane Thomas I am enformed that you Preach ●he Epistle or Gospell every Sunday to your Parishioners and that you take not the Cow nor the uppermost cloath from your Parishioners which thing is very prejudiciall to the Church men and therefore my Joy Deane Thomas I would you tooke your Cow and your uppermost cloath as other Church men doe or else it is too much to Preach every Sunday for in so doing you may make the people thinke that we should Preach likewise But it is enough for you when you find any good Epistle or any good Gospel that setteth forth the Liberty of the holy Church to Preach that and let the rest be Thomas answered my Lord I thinke that none of my Parishioners will complaine that I take not the Cow nor the uppermost cloath but will gladly give me the same together with any other thing that they have and I will give and communicate with them any thing that I have and so my Lord we agree right well and there is no discord among us And where your Lordship saith It is too much to preach every Sunday indeede I thinke it is too little and also would wish that your lordship did the like Nay nay Dean Thomas saith my Lord let that be for we are not ordained to preach Then sayd Thomas where your Lordship biddeth me preach when I finde any good Epistle or any good Gospell truely my Lord I have read the New Testament and the old and all the Epistles and Gospells and among them all I could never finde any evill Epistle or any evill Gospell but if your Lordship will shew me the good Epistle and the good Gospell and the evill Epistle and the evill Gospell then I shall preach the good and omit the evill Then spake my Lord stoutly and sayd I thanke God that I never knew what the old and New Testament was and of these words rose a Proverbe which is common in Scotland ye are like the Bishop of Dunkelden● that knew neither new nor old Law therefore Deane Thomas I will know nothing but my Portuise and my Pontificall Goe your way and let be all these fantasies for if you persevere in thes● erronious opinions ye will repe●t it when you may not mend it● Thomas sayd I trust my cause be just in the presence of God and therefore I passe not much what doth follow thereupon and so my Lord and he departed at that time And soone after a Summons was directed from the Cardinall of Saint Andrewes and the sayd Bishop of Dunkelden upon the sayd Deane Thomas Forret upon two blacke Fryers called Fryer Iohn Kelow and another called Benarage and upon one Priest of Striveling called Duncane Sympson and one Gentleman called Robert Foster in Striveling with other three or foure with them of the towne of Striveling who at the day of their appearance after their summoning were condemned to the death without any place for recantation because as was alleadged they were Heresiarches or chiefe Heretiques and reachers of heresies and especially because many of them were at the bridall and marriage of a Priest who was Vicar of Twybody beside St●iveling and did eate flesh in Lent at the sayd Bridall and so they were all together burnt upon the Castle hill at Edenburgh where they that were first bound to the stake godly and marvellously did comfort them which came behind This Bishop of Dunkeld and David Beton Arch-bishop of Saint Andrewes were very great persecutors of the true professors of

Cassell was accused by Iohn Gese Bishop of Lismore and Waterford upon 30. Articles layd to his charge After all that he charged him that he made very much of the Irish and loved none of the English that he bestowed no benefice upon any English man and gave order likewise unto other Bishops that they should not conferre the least living tha● was ●pon them That he counterfeited the King of Englands seale and the Kings Letters Patents that he went about to make himselfe king of Mounster also that he tooke a Ring away from the Image of Saint Patricke which the Earle of Desmund had offered and bestowed it upon an Harlot of his beside many other enormities which he exhibited in writing And the Lords and Commons were much troubled betweene these twaine Now in the same Parliament there was debate betweene Adam Pay Bishop of Clon and another Prelate ●or that he sayd Adam went about to unite the others Church unto his but the other would not and so they were ●ent and referred unto the Court of Rome and this Parliament lasted 18. dayes Anno● 1532. Iohn Allen Arch-bishop of Dublin Chaplaine to Cardinal Wolsie and his Creature put the Earle of Kildare to great trouble wrongfully to take away his life and that out of affection to his Lord and Master the Cardinall This Arch-bishop Anno. 22. H. 8● was specially and by name excepted out of the Kings generall pardon of the Premunire and other offences granted to all the Clergie that yeare as appeares by the Act it sel●e 22. H. 8. c. 15. No doubt it was because the King tooke speciall notice of some great injuries and mis-demeanors by him committed which he meant to question him for After this meaning to sayle into England Anno. 1534. and that secretly lurking● as Tartajus Thomas Fitzgerald and others apprehended and haled him out of his Bed brought him naked in his ●hirt bare footed and bare headed to their Captaine whom when the Archbishop espied incontinently hee kneeled and with a pitifull countenance and lamentable voyce he besought him for the love of God not to remember former injuries but to weigh his present calamity and what malice so ever he bare his person yet to respect his calling and vocation in that his enemy was a Christian and he among Christians an Arch-bishop As he spake thus bequeathing his soule to God his body to his enemies merc● Thomas Stibon without compassion and withall inflamed wi●h desire of revenge turned his horse aside saying in Irish Away with the Churle meaning the Arch-bishop should be detained as Prisoner● But the Caitifes present mis●onstring his words murthered the Arch-bishop without further delay brained and hackt him in gobbets his blood withall crying to God for revenge the place ever since hath beene hedged and imbarred on every side ungrowne and unfrequented for the de●estation of the fact rough and ●igorous Justice deadly hatred of the Giraldins for his Masters Wolsies sake and his owne as he had much crossed and bridled them in their governments promoted their accusations and forged a Letter against them to their prejudice and danger as was likely was the cause of his ruine Anno. 1567. Marice a runne gate Priest going to Rome was consecrated Arch-bishop of Cashell by the Pope arriving in Ireland he made challenge to the same See which being denyed to him by the Arch-bishop placed there by the Queene the sayd supposed Bishop sudainely with an Irish scaine wounded the Bishop and put him in danger of his life Anno● 1579. The Lord chiefe Justice of Ireland upon suspition of Treason committed the Chauncellor of Liviricke to Prison for which he was indicted and found guilty and the Bishop likewise upon the same su●pition was committed Prisoner to his owne hou●e Anno. 1600. The Rebells of Mounster by their Agents a certaine Spaniard elect Arch-bishop of Dublin the Bishop of Clonfort the Bishop of Killaloe and Archer a Jesuite had obtained at leng●h with praying intreating and earnest beseeching at the King of Spaines hands that succour should be sent into Mounster to the Rebels under the conduct of Don Iohn D' Aquila upon assured hope conceived that all Mounster would shortly revolt and the titular Earle of Desmond and Floren● Mac-Carti joyne great aydes unto them but Sir George Carew the Lord President of Mounster had providently before intercepted them and sent them over into England Whereupon D' Aquila arrived at Kinsale in Mounster with two thousand Spaniards old Souldiers and certaine Irish Fugitives the last day of October and straight wayes having published a writing wherein he gloriously stiled himselfe with this Title Master Generall and Captaine of the Catholike King in the warre of God for holding and keeping the faith in Ireland endeavoureth to make the world beleeve that Queene Elizabeth by the definitive sentences of the Pope was deprived of her Kingdomes and her Subjects absolved and freed from their Oath of Allegiance and that he and his men were come to deliver them out of the Devills clawes and the English tyranny And verily with th● goodly pretence he drew a number of lewd and wicked persons to band and side with him through these Prelates meanes I have now given a short account of some of ●he Irish Prelates disloyall and seditious Actions in ●ormer ages which I shall close up with the accusations and proceedings against some of them within the limits of this last yeare On the fourth of March last the whole house of Commons in Ireland sent up these Articles of High Treason against Iohn Bramham Bishop of Derry and others to the Upper House of Parliament there which I finde Printed with Captaine Aud●ey Mermin his speech who presented them at the time of their transmission Articles of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in the Parliament Assembled against Sir Richard Bolton Knight Lord Chancellour of Ireland Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry and Sir Gerard Lowther Knight Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas and Sir George Ratcliffe Knight in maintenance of the accusation whereby they and every of them stand charged with High Treason FIrst that they the sayd Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry c. intending the destruction of the Common-wealth of this Realme have trayterously confederated and conspired together to subvert the fundamentall Laws and government of this Kingdome and in pursuance thereof they and every of them have trayterously contrived introduced and exercised an arbitrary and tyrannicall government against Law throughout this Kingdome by the countenance and assistance of T●omas Earle of Strafford then chiefe Governour of this Kingdome That they and every of them the sayd Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry c. have trayterously assumed to themselves and every of them regall power over the goods persons Lands and liberties of his Majesties subjects of this Realme and likewise have maliciously perfidiously and trayterously given declared pronounced and published many false unjust and erronious opinions Judgements Sen●ences and Decrees in extra

of conscience he who hath learned nothing is made the teacher of others and like sounding brasse and a ●inkling Cymball usurpes the office of Preaching when as he is an unprofitable ●tock and a dumbe Idoll This is it which Ecclesiastes deploringly complaines of I have seene saith he an evill under the Sunne a foole placed in high dignity and wise men sitting in low places An illiterate Bishop is a dumbe preacher It is a Prelates duty to instruct the people under him to render a people acceptable to God by opening the mystery of the Scriptures But at this day such as the people are such is the Priest as hi● darknes is so also is light Blush O Sidon at the Sea a Prela●e may blush and grieve to rule over people not to profit them to have taken upon him the office of a Teacher and to be mute in instructing the people It is the word of the lamenting Prophet My people is become a lost flock their Pastors have seduced them they are dumb● dogges not able to barke● They ought to drive the Wolves from the flocks but they themselves are wolves to their owne taking care neither of their owne nor theirs salvation they preci●itate the●selves with their flocks into the pit of eternall death Thus and much more he Not to mention Grostheads booke de Ignavia Praelatorum Or Halredus de Praelatorum moribus Nigellus Wireker de Abusu rerum Ecclesiae Gualther Mapes his Complaint against the Pr●l●tes Ad mal●s Pastores ad ●mpios Praelatos● Robert Baston de sacerdotum Luxuriis or ●ohn Purvey de obliquo cleri statu all declaiming against the Lordlinesse pompe pride wealth and v●●es of Prelates the most of which bookes the Prelates have suppressed their titles onely being left upon record Nor yet to mention the passages of Robert Holkot our famous Clerke In lib. Sapientiae lect 77.163 and lect 1. in Proverbia Solomonis to like purpose Richardus Armachanus Archbishop of Armagh flourishi●g in the beginning of Wicklif● time about the yeare of Christ 1350. De Questionibus Armenorum l. 11. ● 1. determines thus That neither the Dominion nor Ministry of temporall things belongs to Ecclesiasticall dignity but rather deminishes i● For the Lord prohibited the Dominion of temporall things to his Apostles and Disciples saying Possesse neither gold nor moneys in your purses Mat. 10.19 If thou wilt be perfect go● and sell all thou hast give to the poore Now it cannot bee of Ecclesiasticall dignity which the Head of the Church hath prohibited to his members or at least would not have them to po●sess●● Whence it appeares that the dominion or possession of temporall things doth in no wise essentially appertaine to Ecclesiasticall dignity but rather diminisheth it In the second Chapter he averres that these states and degrees of Patri●rch Archbishop Bishop c. were invented onely out of the devotion of men not instituted by Christ and his Apostles That no Prelate of the Church how great soever hath any greater degree of the power of order then a simple Priest In the fourth Chapter hee proves that the power of confirmation and imposition of hands that the Holy Ghost may be given thereby appertains to the jurisdiction of th● Presbytery Which he manifesteth by Acts 7. 14. 1 Tim. 4. and by the practice of the Primitive Church after the Apostles time In the fourth and fifth Chapters he demonstrates That Priests are called Bishops by the Apostle Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3. Titus 1. and Acts 20.28 Et quod ordine succedant Apostolis and that they succeed the Apostles in order In the sixth Chapter he proves That all Priests and Bishops are equall as to the power of Order And in the fourth Chapter he punctually determines That there is no distinction found in the Evangelicall or Apostolicall Scriptures betweene Bishops and simple Priests called Presbyters Whence it follow●s Quod in omnibus est una potestas aequalis ex ordin● that in all of them there is one and equall power by reason of Order And that for ought he can find the Apostle Paul doth not in any of his Epistles distinguish between the Order of Presbyters that is of Apostles and Bishops That every one who hath the cure of others is a Bishop Which the name of a Bishop importeth and manifesteth For a Bishop is nothing else but a superintendent or watchman From whence it is evident● that besides the power of Order hee hath nothing but a Cure Our famous English Apostle John VVicklife as Master Fox oft stiles him delivers the selfesame doctrine of the Identity of Presbyters and Bishops Dialogorum l. 4. c. 14. De Sacramento ordinis f. 124 125. Some men saith he multiply the character in Orders But I consider whether their foundation or fruit be in the Scripture But one thing I confidently averre That in the Primitive Church and in Pauls time two Orders sufficed The Presbyter and the Deacon Likewise I say that in Pauls time a Presbyter and Bishop suit idem was the same This appeares by the first of Timothy chap 3. and T●tus chap. 1. And herein that profound Divine Hierome justifies the same as appeares Distinct. 74. Cap. Olim. For then was not invented that distinction of Pope and Cardinalls Patriarchs and Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons Officials and Deanes with other Officers and private Religions of which there is neither number nor Order Concerning the contentions about these things that every one of these is an Order and that in the reception thereof the grace of God and a character is imprinted with other difficulties which ours babble about it seeme● good to me to be silent because they neither establish nor prove what they affirme But out of the faith of Scripture it seeme●h to me to suffice if there be Presbyters and Deacons keeping the sta●e and office which Christ hath imposed on them Because it seemes certaine that Caesarian Pride invented these other degrees and Orders For if they had been necessary to the Church Christ and his Apostles had not been silent in the expression of them and description of their office as those blaspheme who magnifie the Popes Laws above Christ. But a Catholicke ought to receive the office of these Clergy-men out of the Scriptures authority out of the Epistles to Timothy and Titus Neither ought he under paine of sinne to admit these new Caesarian inventions Thomas Waldensis Wickliffes professed Antagonist Tom. 1. l. 3. Artic. 3. c. 29.30.31 32. Tom. 2. c. 117 118. and Tom. 3. c. 60.61 62 63. brings in Wickliff● proving by many arguments That Bishops and Presbyters are all one and the same by divine institution and Gods Law That the Ordination of Presbyters belongs not onely to Bishops sed etiam ad simplic●m Sacerdotem But even to a meere Priest as well as to them That one ordained a Minister by a meere Priest alone ought not to doubt of his Priesthood or to seeke

purely ●hat they see no contrary ensample in thee to whatsoever tho● teachest them in Christ that tho● put no stumbling blocke before them to make them ●aile while they be yet young and weake in the faith But that thou abstaine as Paul teacheth 1 Thes. 5. Ab omni specie mala from all t●at might seeme evill or whereof a man might ●urmise amisse and that thou so love them that whatsoever gift of God in them is thou thinke the same theirs and their food and for their sakes given unto thee as the ●ruth is and that all their infirmit●es be thine and that thou feele them and that with all thy power to helpe to amend them and cease not to cry to God for them neither day nor night and that thou let nothing be found in thee that any man may rebuke but whatsoever thou teachest them that be thou and that thou be not a Wolfe in a Lambes skin as our Holy Father the Pope is which commeth unto us in a name of hypocrisie and in the Title of cursed Cham o● Ham calling himselfe Serv●s servo●um the Servant of all ●ervants and is yet found tyrannus ●yrannorum of all tyrants the most cruell This is to receive young Children in Christs name and to receive young Children in Christs name is to beare rule in the Kingdome of Christ. Thu● ye see that Christs Kingdome is altogether spirituall and the bearing of rule in it is cleare contrary unto the bearing of rule temporally Wherefore none that be●reth rul● in it may have any temp●rall jurisdiction or minister any temporall Office that requireth violence to compell withall Thus and ●arre more Mr. Tyndall All whose passages are very remarkable and worthy serious consideration Iohn Fri●h our learned English Martyr in his Answere to the Prefac● of Mr. Moores Book pag. 116 writes thus of Bishops an● their great possessions This Canker then began to spread in the Congregation and did full sore annoy the body insomuch that within foure hundred yeares there were very many Sects scattered in every coast Notwithstanding there were faithfull Fathers that diligently subdued them with the sword of Gods Word But surely since Silvester received such possessions hath the Canker so crept in the Church that it hath almost left never a sound member And as Cistercensis writeth in the eighth booke that day that hee received revenues was a voyce heard in the ayre crying over the Court which sayd This day is venome shed into the Church of God Before that time there was no Bishop greedy to take a Cure For it is no honour and profit as it is now but onely a carefull charge which was like to cost him his life at one time or other And therefore no man would take it but he that bare such a love and zeale to God and his ●locke that hee could be content to shed his blood for them But after that it was made so honourable and profitable they that were worst both in learning and living most laboured for it For they that were vertuous would not entangle themselves with the vaine pride of this world and weare three Crownes of gold where Christ did weare one of thorne And in conclusion it came so farre● that whosoever would give most money for it or best could flatter the Prince which he knew well all good men to abhorre had the preheminence and got the best Bishopricke and then instead of Gods Word they published their owne Commandements and made Lawes to have all under them and made men beleeve they could not erre whatsoever they did or sayd and even as in the Roomes stead of Moses Aaron Eliazer Iosue Caleb and other Faithful folk came Herod Annas Caiphas Pilate and Iudas which put Christ to death● So now in the stead of Christ Peter Paul Iames and Iohn and the faithfull followers of Christ we have the Pope Cardinalls Arch-Bishops Bishops and proud Prelates with their Proctors● the malicious Ministers of their Master the Devill which notwithstanding transform●● themselves into a likenesse as though they were the Ministers of righteousnesse whose end shall bee according to their workes So that the body is cankered long agone and now are left but certaine small members which God of his puissant power hath rese●ved uncorrupted● and because they see that they cannot be cankered as their owne ●lesh is for pure anger they bu●●e them● lest if they continued there might seeme some deformity in their owne cankered carkasses by the comparing of these whole members to their scabbed body Our godly Martyr D. Barnes in his Articles pag. 210 211 212 213. writes thus of Bishops I will never beleeve nor yet I can never beleeve that one man may be by the Law of God a Bishop of two or three Cities yea of an whole Country for it is contrary to Saint Paul which saith I have left thee behind to set in every City a Bishop And if you find in one place of Scripture that they be called Episcopi you shall find in divers other places that they be called Presbyteri I was brought before my Lord Cardinall into his Gallery and there he read all my Articles till he came to this and there he stopped and said that this touched him and therefore he asked mee if I thought it wrong that one Bishop should have so many Citties underneath him unto whom I answered that I could no farther goe than to Saint Pauls text which set in every City a Bishop Then asked hee mee if I thought it now unright seeing the Ordinance of the Church that one Bishop should have so many Cities I answered that I knew none Ordinance of the Church as concerning this thing but Saint Pauls saying onely neverthelesse I did see a contrary custome and practice in the world but I know not the Originall thereof Then said hee that in the Apostles ●ime there were divers Citie● some seven miles some sixe mile● long and over them was there set but one Bishop and of their Suburbes also So likewise now ● bishop hath but one City to his Cathedrall Church and the country about is as Suburbs unto it Mee thought this was farre fetched but I durst not deny it because it was great Authority and of so holy a Father and of so great a Divine But this date I say tha● his Hollinesse could never prove it by Scripture nor yet by any authority of Doctors not yet by any practice of the Apostles and yet it must be tr●e because a pillar of the Church hath spoken it● But let us see what the Doctors say to my Article Athanasius doth declare this text of the Apostle I have left thee behind c. Hee would not commit unto one Bishop a whole Isle but hee did enjoyne th●t every City● should have his proper Pastor supposing that by this meanes they should more diligently oversee

day f. 284. But it is a thing to be lamented that the Prelates and other spirituall persons will not attend upon their Offices they will not be amongst their flockes but rather will run hither and thither here and there where they are not called and in the meane season leave them at adventure of whom they take their living yea and furthermore some will rather be Clerkes of Kitchins or take other offices upon them besides that which they have already but with what conscience these same doe so I cannot tell I feare they shall not be able to make answe●e at the last day for their follies as concerning that matter for this office is such a heavie and mighty office that it requireth a whole man yea and let every Curate or Parson keepe his Cure to w●ich God hath appointed him and let him doe the ●est that he can yet I tell you he cannot chuse but the Devill will have some for he sleepeth not he goeth about day night to seek whom he may devoure Therfor● it is neede for every Godly Minister to abide by his sheepe seeing that the Wolfe is so neere and to keepe them and wit●stand the Wolfe Indeed there be some ministers here in England which doe no good at al and therefore it were better for them to leave their benefices and give roome unto others Finally in his Sermon Preached before the Convocation Iune 9. in the 28. of Henry 8. he thus speaketh to the Clergie of England and Lordly Prelates touching the utilitie of their Councels and assemblies for the Churches good The end of your Convocation shall shew what ye have done the fruite that shall come of your consultation shal shew what generation ye be of For what have ye done hitherto I pray you these 7. yeares more What have ye engendred What have yee brought ●orth What fruite is come of your long and great assembly what one thing that the people of England hath beene the better of an haire Or you your selves either accepted before God or better discharged toward the people committed unto your cure Or that the people is better learned and taught now then they were in time past to whether of these ought we to attribute it to your industry or to the providence of God and the foreseeing of the Kings Grace Ought we to thanke you or the Kings highnesse whether stirred other first you the King that ye might preach or he you by his Letters that ye should preach oftner Is it unknowne thinke you how both ye and your Curates were in manner by violence enforced to let bookes to be made not by you but by prophane and lay persons to let them I say be sold abroad and read for the instruction of the people I am bold with you but I speake Latine and not English to the Clergie no● to the Laity I speake to you being pre●ent and not behind your backes God is my witnesse I speake whatsoever is spoken of the good will that I beare you God is my witnesse which knoweth my heart and compelle●h me to say that I say Now I pray you in God his name what did you so great Fathers so many so long a season so oft assembled together what went you about what would ye have brought to passe two things taken away the one that ye which I heard burned a dead man the other that ye which I le●t went about to burne one being alive Him because he did I cannot tell how in his Testament withstand your profit in other points as I have heard a very good man reported to ●e of an honest life while he lived full of good workes both good to the Clergie and also to the Laity this other which truely never hurt any of you ye would have ●aked in the Coales because he would not subs●ribe to cer●aine Articles that tooke away the Supremacie of the King Take away these two Noble Acts and there is nothing else left that ye went about that I know saving that I now remember that somewhat ye attempted against Erasmus albeit as yet nothing is come to light Ye have oft sit in consultation but what have ye done ye have had many things in deliberation but what one put forth whereby either Christ is more glorified or else Christs people made more holy I appeale to your owne conscience How chanceth this How came this thus Because there were no Children of light no Children of God among you which setting the world at nought would studie to illustrate the glory of God and thereby shew themselves Children of light So this godly Martyr who hath sundry such like passage in his Sermons In the Conference Anno. 1555. betweene our Religious Martyr Iohn Bradford and Doctor Harpesfield Arch Deacon of London Master Bradford complaines that the Pillars of the Church were persecuters of the Church and tells him you shall no●●●nde in all the Scripture this your essentiall part of succession of Bishops whereupon Harpesfield sayd Tell me were not the Apostles Bishops To which Bradford replyed No except you will make a new definition of a Bishop that is give him no certaine place Harpesfield Indeede the Apostles Office was not the Bishops office for it was universall but yet Christ instituted Bishops in his Church as Paul saith he hath given Pastors Prophets c. So that I trow it be proved by the Scriptures the succession of Bishops to be an essentiall point Brad. The Ministry of Gods Word and Ministers be an essentiall point But to translate this to the Bishops and their succession is a plaine subtilty And therefore that it may be plaine I will aske you a question Tell me WHETHER THAT THE SCRIPTVRE KNEW ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEENE BISHOPS AND MINISTERS which ye called Priests Harps No. So that by the joynt confession of Papists and Protestants in Queene Maries time Bishops and Ministers by the Scripture are both one Brad. Well then goe on forwards and let us see what ye shall get now by the succession of Bishops that is of Ministers which can be understood of such Bishops as minister not but Lord it Lord Bishops than are none of Christs institution nor of the Apostles succession Master Fox his Acts and Monuments of our Martyrs Lond. 1610. p. 1796. I finde this Dialogue betweene Dr. Iohn Baker Collins his Chaplaine and Edmund Allin a Martyr Baker I heard say that you spake against Priests and Bishops Allin I speake for them for now they have so much living and especially Bishops Arch-deacons and Deanes that they neither can nor will teach Gods Word If they had a hundred pounds a peece then would they apply their study now they cannot for other affaires Collins who will then set his children to schoole Allin Where there is now one set to schoole for that end there would be 40. because that one Bishops living divided into 30. or 40 parts would finde so many as well learned men

Wickliffe and his Scholars afterwards Husse and Hussites last of all Luther Calvin Brentius Bullinger Musculus and other who might be rec●koned particularly in great number sith as here with us both Bishops and the Queenes pro●essors of Divinity in our Universities and other learned men doe consent therein so in ●orraigne Nations all whom I have read treating of this matter and many more no doubt whom I have not read The si●ting examining of the Trent Councell hath beene undertaken by onely two which I have seene the one a Divine the other a Lawyer Kemnisius and Gentilletus they both condemne the contrary doctrine thereunto as a Trent errour the one by Scriptures and Fathers the others by the Canon Law But what doe I further speake of severall persons It is the common judgement of the reformed Churches of Helvetia Savoy France Scotland Germany Hungary Po●on the Low Countries and our owne witnesse the Harmony of Confessions Wherefore si●h Doctor Bancroft I assure my selfe will not say that all these have approved that as sound and Christian Doctrine which by the generall consent of the whole Church in a most flourishing time was condemned for Heresie I hope he will acknowledge that he was overseene in that he avouched the Superiority which Bishops have among us over the Clergie to be of Gods owne Ordinance Thus Doctor Rainold● of whom you may reade more to this purpose in his Conference with Hart Aug. 1584. London 1609. p. 12● 123.185.218.4●1.540.541 I could recite many more of our owne writers and records to the same effect but because I have published A Catalogue of them and of such Testimonies in all ages as plainely evidence Bishops and Presbyters to be both one and the same in Iurisdiction O●●●ce Dignity Order and Degree by Divine Law and Institution and their Disparity to be a meere humane Ordinance long after the Apostles times c. and because I have at large manifested this tr●th in my Vnbishoping of Timothy and Titus and in my Breviate of the Prelates intolerable Vsurpations both upon the Kings Prerogative Royall and the Subjects Liberties I shall for brevity sake referre you to them and proceede to answere some principall Objections in defence and maintenance of Episcopacy and then cast Anchor CHAP. IX Comprising an Answer to the Principall Objections alleadged by the Prelates in defence of the Divine pretended Institution and for the continuance of their Episcopacy in our Church HAving thus given you a taste what our owne Authors ancient and Mode●ne Protestants and Papists Martyrs and Prelates have formerly written touching the pretended Divine Jurisdiction the Treasons Conspiracies Seditions Antimonarchicall practises Lordlinesse secular imployments courtship and great Temporall possessions of our prelates I shall onely Answere two A●guments or rather bare Allegation● now principally insisted on for the maintenance of Episcopall Superiority by a Divine right with three more Objections for the continuance of Episcopacy still in our Church and so conclude The first Allegation for Episcopacies Divine institution is taken ●rom the Angel of the Church of Ephesus whom B●shop Hall Bishop Vsher and others will ne●d●s have ●o be a Bishop Superiour in Authority and Jurisdiction to other Ministers because he writes onely in the singular number to the Angel not to the Angels of that Church which say ●hey implies a Sup●riority of one speciall Minister in that Church to whom this Epistle is principally directed over the other Presbyters not once mentioned in this Epistle To which I answere First that ●his word Angel is but a metaphoricall Title proper onely to the heavenly Spirits in strictnesse of speech and in a large sense as it signifies a Messenger or Servant it may as aptly deno●e a Minister or Presbyter as a Bishop The Ti●le therefore of it selfe as it is used by S. Iohn makes nothing ●or Episcopacy since ordinary Presbyters are in Scripture sometimes stiled Angels but Bishops distinct ●rom Presbyters are never so named there Secondly our Bishops themselves if not the whole Church of England with our late famous King Iames in the Contents annexed by them to the Bibles of the last Translation now onely used permitted in our Churches in expresse Termes expound the Angels of ●he 7. Churches to be the Ministers of them the Contents of the second Chap. of the Revelation running thus What is commanded to be written to the ANGELS that is The Ministers of the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thiatyra c. had these Angels beene such as you now call Bishops you would have rendred the Contents thus What is written to the Angels that is to the Bishops of Ephesus c. But since you expound Angels thus to be the Ministers of these Churches who in vulgar appellation and acception are distinct from Bishops and as you hold inferiour to them you must now either renounce your owne and our Churches exposition or your Episcopacy For if the Angels of these Churches be the most eminent persons and rulers in them as you argue and these as the Contents testifie be not Bishops but Minister● it followes infallibly that Ordinary Ministers and Presbyters are superiour to Bishops not Bishops to them And that these Angels were the Ministers of these Chur●hes is evident by the expresse resolution of our owne learned Iames Pilkington late Bishop of Durham in his Exposition upon the Prophet Aggeus cap. 1. v. 13. London 1562. where he writes thus That more worshipfull names are given to the Preaching Minister than to any sort of men This name Angell is given to the Preachers for the heavenly comfort that they bring to man from God whose Messengers they be In the Revel of S. Iohn he writes to the 7. Angels ● to the 7. Ministers not Bishops of the 7. Congregations or Churches in Asia By this Bishops resolution then and by Pope Gregory the firsts too these seven Angels are seven Preaching Ministers not Lordly Non-Preaching Prelates And Master Fox in his Meditations on Apoc. c. 2 p. 27.28 concurres with them averri●g That by the seven Angels is meant either the Ministers of the seven Churches or the Churches themselves which exposition is as ancient as Aretas Primasius and Ambrosius Ansbertus who in their Commentaries on Apocalypsis write thus Septem stellae Angeli sunt septem Ecclesiarum Nec putandum est quod hoc loco Angeli singuli singulis deputentur hominibus quod incongrue ab aliquibus aestimatur sed potius Angeli Eccles. hic intelligendi sunt rectores populi qui singulis Ecclesiis praesidentes verbum vitae cunctis annunciant Nam Angeli nomen nuncius interpretatum dicitur Et Angelo Ecclesiae Ephesi scribe Darivo hic casu Angelo posuit non genitivo Ac si diceret Scribe Angelo huic Ecclesiae ut non tam Angelum Ecclesiam separatim videatur dixisse quam quis Angelus exponere

dutifull Answer of an Arch Prelate to his Prince * See Holinsh p. 313 Ann● 1305 * See Mat. West An. ● 305. p. 452 453. An. 1306. p. 457. * Pag. 316 293. * Antiq. Eccl●s Bri● p. 219 220● 229. * M. 19. E. 3. Fitz. Iurisdicti●n 28. 19 WALTER RAYNOLDS Fox Acts ●nd Monuments p. 342. A●t Ec●l●s p. 226.227 Godwins Gatal p. 129.130 Walsingham Hist. Angl. p. 98.99 101 103 104 105. Speed hist. l. 9. c. 11. p. 667 677 679 680 681 685. H●lin p. 335. * A dutifull speech of a Prelate * The presumptuous d●meanour of Pre●ate● * Hanging was too good for him and his complices * See Holins●ed p. 338 339 340 341. Antiq Eccl●s Brit. p. 236. to 258. God●in p. 132. to 137. Walsing p. 136. ●s 147. Fox Acts Monuments p. 349 350 409. 20 JOHN STRATFORD Spe●d● hist. l. 9. c. 12. Sect. 64 65● p. 69● Fox● Acts and Monum●nts p. 350. * Antiq. Eccels Brit. p. 239. H●linsh p. 361. † I wish our present s●cular Prelates would observe this † An insolent act of a Trayterly Prelate * Ant. Eccles. ●rit p. 241. to 255. Walsing p. 138. ●s 144. Fox Acts and Monuments p. 339 350 351. * Not● this proud in●olent Answere * So his present Successour and our other Prelates argued in Dr. Bast●●ckes c●se * Fox Acts and Monuments p. 409. Edit 1610● 21 SIMON ISLIP * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 26● ●6● Fox Acts and Monu●●●●● p. Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. ●68 〈◊〉 274. 22 SIMON LANGHAM * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 275. to 282. Walsing Hist. Angl. Ann. 1371. p. 181. Et Ypodigma Neust●●● p. 132. * See Holins●●d p. 406. Caxton 7. part An. 46. Ed. 3. 23 WILLIAM WITLESEY * See Antiq. Eccles. ●rit p. 282. 24 SIMON SUDBURY * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 283. to 205. * Walsing Hist. Angl. An. 1381. p. 261 262 263. Ypodigma Neust. p. 139. Godwins Cat. of Bi●hops p. 102.103 Graft●n p. 336. 25 WILLIAM COURTNEY * Ant. Eccles. Br●t p. 282.284 † Antiqu. Ec●l Brit. p. 296 to 300 c. Holin p. 475 476. * Ant. Eccl. Brit. p. 299 300● * Therfore they sit there only by their Tenure as Barons not as Bishops * Fox Acts and Monuments p. 404 c. See Walsing Hist. Ang. p. 300 to 330. Holinsh●d p. 482 c. * See Master Full●rs Argument p. 8 9. * Note here the Prelates forgery of an Act of Parliament Note here the injustice treachery and bloody practises of the Prelates * Thomas Walsin ●ist Aug p. 348 Anti. E●cl● Brit. p. 300. † Anti. Eccle. Bri. p. 303 to 311. Godwin p. 152 c Fox Acts Monuments p. 533● Grafton p. 390 391 Holin p. 488. c. to 514. Polychronicon l. ult c 8. Walsingham hist. An●● p 397 to 403. 26 THOMAS ARVNDEL * See Fabian par 7 p. 351. * Fox Acts and Monuments p. 474. to 540. * See I●annes de Aton Constit. Prov. f. 104. † Tho. Gascon in Dict. Theol. Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 311. Fox Acts and Monuments p. 276. the old Edition Godwin p. 110. Holinsh●d p. ●24 It was spoken like a Prelate * Thomas Walsing Hist. Aug. An. 1414.414.415 Holin●●●d p. 526. Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 282. p. 308. Speed p. 775. Walsingham Yp●dig N●ustr p. 166. He spake like ● Lord. * Tho. Waldens●● Hist. A●g ●410 p. 422. Ypodig Neu●● p. 174. H●lin p. 536. Fabian Ann. 1410. part 7. p. 386 387. 27 HENRY CHICH●LY * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 312.315 God●ins Catal. p. 159. Walsingh Hist. Aug. p. 432. * Antiq. Eccl●s Brit. p. 317. to 322. where the ●opes B●ll and ●he Arch-Bi●hops Lettersare ●t large recited * Antiq. Eccl●s Brit. p. 322. † Lindwood Pr●vinc Const. 3. Tit. de Clericis conjugatis p. 94.95 * 37. H. 8. cap. 17. intituled A● Act that Doctor● of Civill Law being married may exercise Eccl●siasticall Iurisdiction * Meaning our Engli●h Prelates * Note this * To wit under Henry Chich●ly fore-cited * Not● this * Where then is ●ur Bishops pretend●d Superiority and Jurisdiction by Divine right● * Not th● Bishops Not by Bishops To wit by speciall Pate●t which Bishop●●hen had and none have ●o● See Bishop Halls 3. late ●ookes of Episcopacy * See the Breviate of the Prelates intolerable Usurpations both upon the Kings Prerogative Royall and the Subjects Liber●ies * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 323. and Li●dwood his Epistle Dedicatory before his Institutions † Fabian part 7. p. 390.139 Hall An. 2. H 5. f 35.36 c● Holins● p. 54● 547 c. 583. * Antiq. Eccl●s Brit. p. 325. to 330. 28 JOHN STAFFORD * St●ph●n ●ardi●●r his Letter from the Fleete to the Lord Protector Oct. 14. Fox Acts and Monuments p. 741. in the old Edition quite omitted i● the ne● * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 330.331 29 JOHN KEMP Antiq. Ec●les Brit. p. 334. to 339. 30 THOMAS BOURGCHIER * H●lin p. 717. to 722. Hall in Edw. the 5. ● 8. to 14. Speed p. 90● to 912. * Holinsh. p. 725. to 728. Speed p. 918.919 * Holinsh. p. 733.734 Hall f. 25.26 † Pag. 114. 31 JOHN MORTON * Hall f. 30. to 40. H●linshed p. 735. to 760. Spe●d p. 931.932 to 946. Antiq Eccles. Brit p. 339. to 344. Godwin in his life * Speed p. 960. See Hall Holin●●●d Polyd●r● Virgill Stow and Bacon in the life of Henry the seventh * Antiq. Eccles. Bri● p. 342.343.344 Godwin p. 117. * Antiq. Eccles. Bri● p. 342.343.344 Godwin p. 117. * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 341.342 * Halls Chron. An. 15. H. 7 f. 50.51 Holin●●●d p. 78● * See Stam●ord his Plees of the Crowne l. 2. c. 41. to 51. * 4. H. 7. c. 13. 32 HENRY DEANE * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 345.346.347.348 Godwin p. 118.119 Are not such then like to prove faithfull Counsellours of State to Princes Are not such then like to prove faithfull Counsellours of State to Princes * Limina or Lumina * Therefore their owne Kings if the Pope adjudge them such * Mauritiu● de Alzedo de Praecellen●ia Epis● dignitatis l. 1. sect 8. Fo● Acts and Monuments p. 961. Halls Chronicle A●● 24. H● 8. f. 205.206 D. Burnes his Suppli●ation to King Henry the 8. p. ●85 to 201. * Dr. Barnes ibid. * See 25. H. 8. c. 20.28 Hen. 8. c. 10.35 Hen. 8● c. 1. * 28. H. 8. c. 10. See 35. H. 8. c. 1. to the like cl●use and Oath * The Bishops naturall Pedegree * As our Bishops in imitation of him pretend their Episcopacy to have (m) In his workes p. 195. to 205. (n) In vi lib. 2. T it de jurej●●and● c. Ego Episc●pus * The same may be sayd of the Oath of Canonicall obedience to Bishops The holy workes of Bishops (o) In Pr●●● 6. ● Quoniam in ●●rbo Papa (p) 1 Pet. 5.2.3 Bishop Fisher answered that he was sworne to the Pope and and therefore would not sweare to the Kings supremacy (q) 1

540. ●ohn Trevaur * Wals. Hist. Angl. Anno 1399. 1404. p. 398.399.412.413 Ypodig Neustriae Anno. 1404. p. 164. Godwin Edit 2● pag. 554. Speed Hist. pag. 758.763 Holinsh. p. 503.504.505.506.507.508 * Holinshed pag. 508. 1 Giso * Godwin Edit pag. 360 361. * Math. Paris pag. 217. Matth. West Anno 1208. Godwi● Edit 2. pag. 107.366 2 Joceline * Anno 1208. pag. 86 87. 3 Robert Stillington * Speeds Hist. pag. 933. H●lls Chron. 2. R. 3. fol. 25. Godwin Edit 2. pag. 377 378. * Balaeus de vitis Pontificum Leo 10. Godwin Edit 2. pag. 381 382. 4 Hadrian de Castello 5 William Barlow 6 Guilbert Bourne Godwins Catalogue pag. 311. Martins History pag. 452 c. 7 William Pierce * Among these he hath suppressed the Ancient weekely Lecture at the City of Bath whither many Nobles other strangers resort especially in the spring and fall who by reason of their sicknesse both desire and neede preaching for the consolation and instruction of their soules of which now they are there de●titute to their great discomfort * Joh. 5.14 I dare say no Commentator whatsoever ever made so ill an application of this Text. † It appeares by Act. 20.20.31 Act. 2.46 c. 3. 4● 5. Luk. 21.37.38 Joh. 8.22.19.47 2 Tim. 4.2 by Basil. Magnus Hexaemeron Hom. 2.7.8.9 Hom. in Psal. 114. by S. Chrysost. Hom. 10.22 and 34. in Gen. ad Pop. Antioch Hom. 19.13 5. De sacerdotio l. 6. Hom. de Lazaro by Augustine Concio 2 in Psal. 68. Tract 16.18 21. in Joan. and other Fathers that Christ his Apostles and the Fathers preached every day and forenoone and afternoone on the Lords day● how dare then this Prelate thus to affront their practise * O Prophane impiety and injustice to punish Ministers for preaching Catechising and doing that which God injoynes them * An Impiety prophanenesse which no age can patterne many Ministers have beene suspended and censured for shortning the Service that they might preach the longer and yet they are commanded to curtall it by this Bishop that the people might have more time to play in Gods owne day * A pious Episcopall reason fitter for an Alewife than a Bishop an Athest than a Prelate * O blasphemy why was not the Revell rather scandalous to the text * O the desperate impie●y and prophanenesse of this Bishop who might as well obliterate this Scripture out of the Bible as out of the Church Wall * This speech he borrowed from Canterbury who might doe well to prove that God Almighty sits actually on the Lords Table that as well when there is no Communion there as when there is *. O monstrous superstition Sacriledge and impiety to deprive the people of the Sacrament because the Table stood not after his new fancy No age I am certaine yeelds such a president † It seemes his Lordship delighted more in piping than preaching and will have men goe merrily dancing not mourning to heaven * Bishop Hall labours to excuse it in his Answer to the Vindication p. 14.15 as if the Bishop meant it only in a lesse evill construction as referring to the Northerne rise of that quarrell not to our prosecution when as it is most clear● by the words and ●ircumstances that he meant quite contrary * Which some of the County conceive hee hath pursed up or discharged his owne share in this contribution therewith See 31. H. 8. c. 8.34 and 35. H. 8. c. 7. Godwins Catalogue p. 403. to 413. Godwin Cat. p. 411 412● Robert Wright Cooke Robert Skinner * See a Looking glasse for all Lordly Prelates p. 23 24. † Of wch●o shed any on●●rum or drop he holds is damnable and Sacrilegious See the Bistoll mens Petition to the Parliament against him where much more is expressed John Chambers Godw. Cat. Edit 2. pag. 499. * Godw. ibid. David Poole William P●erce● Lyndsey John Godwin Cat. Edit 2. pag. 495 496. See Fox Acts and Monuments vol. 3. p. 649. to 663. Godfry Goodman Lords-day * 1 Ed. 3. c. 1. Holins p. 328.338 to 340. Walsingham Hist. Angl. p. 91.92.95.106 Speed p. 674. * Eccles. 8 11. * De consider ad Eugenium lib. 4. St. GERMAN * Poly●h●●● l. 5. c. 1. Ribaden●ira l●s fl●urs des vie● des Saints part 2 p. 71.72 Vincentii speculum hist. l. 20. c. 11. Ant●ni●i chron Tit. 11. c. 18. sect 3. f. 51. b. See part 1. before p. 224. * See his supplication to King Henry the 8. p. 190. ODO Bishop of Bayeux * W●llie●mus Malmesb. De Gestis Regum Angl. l. 4. p 120 121. Holinsherd p. 17 18 Henry Huntindon Hist. l. 7. p 372 373 c. * Roger●● de H●veden Annal. pars posterior p. 768. to 778.795 Holinshed p. 150 151. Neubrig hist. l. 5. c. 22. Antiqu. ●ccles Bri. p. 140. Mat. Westm. An. 1196 p. 71. The Bishop of Beau●●is●aken ●aken Prisoner● Walter Archbishop of Rhoan Normandy interdicted by the Ar●hbishop of R●ven An Reg. 8. Hoveden Annal. pars posterio ● 765 76● Matthew Paris An. 1196. p. 175. Matthew Westm An. 1196. p. 70 71. * Fabian● Chron. part 7. p. 353 354. c. 239. Polychron l. 7. c. 24. Matth●w Paris Hist. Ang. p. 137 Hoved. fol. 358. Speeds H●●t p. 52● sect 88. a Holinshed his History of Scotland p. 183. b Scot. chron l. 3 c. 8. c De Gestis Scot. l. 2. c. 3. d De Brit. Eccle. primordiis p. 800 Concil p. 342. Holyrood house builded Liberality in King David toward the Church reproved The Church enriched and the Crowne impoverished The saying of King Iames the first A sore Saint Iohn Major 60000. pound in Lands given to the Church Superfluous possessions of the Church f Will. Harinson descrip Eng. l. 2. c. 2. p. 140. g Walsi●gham hist. Angl. p. 28. Annals of Ireland in Master Cambden p. 160 161. * Hist. Anglic p. 31 32 33 34 36 Wimundus Bishop of the Iles * Hist. l. 1. c. 23 24. * Holinshed Hist. of Scot. p. 196. Adam Bishop of Cathnes slaine by the people of ●hat Country Adam Bishop of Cathnes Streight execution The Stony-hill The Earle of Cathnes looseth his Lands King Alexander commended of the Pop●● * Holinsh. History of Scotland p. 291. Will. Elfing●tone Bishop of Aberdin● Gawin Bishop of Dunkeld * Holish History of Scotland p. 307. * Martyns History p. 552. Bishop of Rosse * Iohn Scot. Roger de Hoveden Annalium pars posterior p. 597 ●98 599● 614 to 617 621.646 to 649. * H●●ed●n Annalium pars posteri●● p. 6512 714. H●veden ibid. p. 714. Robert de Bruse * Math. Westm. An. 1306. p. 456 c. * H●linshed Hist. of Scot. p. 271.276 277 279. Iames K●●edie Graham * Francis Thi● his continuation of H●linsheds history of Scotland p. 454 455 * H●linsh History of Scotland London 1585. p. 282. Mr. Cambdens Scotia p. 32 33. Thin ibidem * H●lin History of Scotland p. 282 283. Le●●●us