rotten Corps of learned Martin Bucer Paulus Fagius Peter Martyrs wise to be digged out of their graves and burnt to ashes for Heretiques yea the common talke was that he purposed to have taken up King Henry the 8. his body at Windsor and to have burnt it yea and King Edward the 6. his Corps too as many thought I cannot here omit what his immediate sucâ—essor Matthew Parker records of him that this Cardinall being out of hope to get the Crowne of England to himselfe to which he aspired endeavoured to transferre all his right therein to King Philip leâ—t Queene Mary dying without issue Queene Elizabeth who differed from him and the Papists in matters of Religion whose life he and they had layd in waite for keeping her in long and strict imprisonment should of right injoy it to which purpose they very secretly entred into most wicked consultations concerning this matter to this effect that Mary not onely by the Common Law should be proclaimed Queene but likewise a conquerour of the Kingdome by right of warre so as by this pretext shee might change all publike and private rights and interests and give the Kingdome to whom soever she pleased But this counâ—ell though liked of at first yet because it was doubtfull and dangerous was not long approved of Wherefore rejecting it they thought it best and most expedient for the establishment of the Popes affaires that the Lady Elizabeth should be either dispatched out of the way or married to some Noble Spaniard But God providing for her and our safety dissipated all these wicked consultations and brought them to nothing And Cardinall Poole perswading Queene Mary to joyne with King Philip her husband in a warre against the French King with whom Pope Paul the fourth had confederated against the Emperour seeking to betray the Kingdome oâ— Naples to him the Pope was â—arre exasperated hereby against the Cardinall that he revoked his power Legatine imprisoned Cardinall Moron Protector of the English at Rome and Pooles speciall friend cited Poole to appeare at Rome as suspected of Heresie and created William Peter a Franciscan to be his Legate in his place The Queene hereupon intercedes for the Cardinall who having intelligence of this matter refused to have his silver Crosse the badge of his authority carried beâ—ore him till by the intercession oâ— Ormanet the Popes Dâ—tary here in England and the Queenes mediation he was at last restored to his Office In 〈◊〉 the flames of persecution consumed 5. Bishops 2â— Divines 8. Gentlemen 84. Artificers 100. Husbandmen Servants and Labourers 26. Wives 20. Widowes 9. Virgins aâ— Boyes and 2. Infants To close up all concerning him in Holmsheds words A Trayter he lived and a Traytor he dyed the same day on which Queene Mary expired the Tydings of whose deparâ—ure strucke him quite dead being sicke before of a quartane Feaver Illud autem saith his Successour ad aternam â—mmanitatis Pontificiae memoriam infamiamque contra Polum valebit quod eo Legato ac accelerante integerrimus Doctissimusque Archiepiscopus Craâ—nerus igne crematus est quod Archiepiscopo praeterea quod legimus accidit nemini sew or none of them having zeale enough to make them Martyrs pluresque in illâ— sue legationis triennio ferro staâ—maque crudeliter mactaâ—â— sunâ— quâ—m in â—uiusquam regis eorum qui post Lucium huic insulae imperabant longissimo regno Ita Cranmerum Martyrenâ— Polum tyramâ—um â—antuaria celebrat hic plumbo depressus ille cineribus atque flamma ad coelos elatus est Matthew Parker his immediate successor though a man of better temper a learned Antiquary a frequent Preacher of Gods Word not onely in his Cathedrall at Canterbury but in sundry Parish Churches was yet over-Pontificall and Princely in his buildings feasts houshold-stuffe and apparell if not an overâ—stiffe maintainer of his Jurisdiction and Ecclesiasticall Courts which grew so odious among the people that they offered violence to the Ministers and Promoters of those Courts Anno. 1566. â—eating and vexing them with clamors and out-cryes as they went along the streetes which insolency the Queene by her opportunâ— severity repressed Two yeares afâ—er Annoâ— 1568. Câ—lemâ—n Burton Hallingham Benson and others making profession of the purer Religion more zealously than was knowne before would allow of nothing but what was taken out of the Scriptnres and out of a desire of reformation not onely openly questioned but condemned the received Discipline of the Church of England with the Church Liturgie and the very calling oâ— Bishop as favouring too much of the Popish Religion protesting in the Pulpits that it was an impious thing to hold any thing Common with the Church of Rome using all diligence to have the Church of England reformed in every point according to the Rule of the Church of Geneva These the Queene by this Arch-Bishops instigation commanded to be layd by the heeles yet it is almost incredible how upon a sudden their followers increased every where knowne by the envious name of Puritanes through a kinde of obstinate perversenesse of their owne stopping their eares against all advise so Martyn though I think rather out of solide judgement and the inconveniences they saw and found in the Lordly Prelacie in thosâ— best times which â—saith hee might seeme to be helped forward also by the sloathfull connivency of the Bishops some of whom then misliked their owne calling and government and could have beene content with its dissolution and change to a better and the secret favour of some Noble men at Court whom Martyn slaunders to have gaped after the goods of the Church when as they rather did it out of the mischiefes and dislike of the Prelaticall government In his time the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland the Lord Dacres and othersâ— Anno 1569. being pressed forward by one Nicholas Martin a Romish Priest senâ— from the Bishop of Rome to pronounce Queene Elizabeth an Hereticke and therefore to have lost all Dominion and Soveraignty raised a Rebellion in the North to set up Popery and restore the Romish Religion the 5. wounds of Christ being painted in their Banners Murrey then Regent of Scotland informed the Queene that the Bishop of Rosse then in England was the Author of that Rebellionâ— whereupon he was committed to the Bishop of London and remained his prisoner And the same yeare Pope Pius the fifth by his Bull excommunicated and deprived Queene Elizabeth from her Crowne and absolved all her Nobles Subjects and people of the Realme from their Oath of allegiance or any other duty to her which Bull Iohn Felton setting up at the Bishop of Londons Palace gate was executed for his paines yet I read of no reâ—utation of it made by this Archprelate Edmund Grindall next enjoying this See a grave and pious man and a fugitive in Queene Maries raigne stood highly in Queene Elizabethsâ—avour â—avour for a long time till by
got him to Edenburgh and assisted with many Lords kept the Queene and her husband out of that Towne whereby great dissention and part-taking was raised amongst the Nobility of the Realme But as I gather peace being made betweene them he was againe made Chancellor After this in the yeare of Christ 1515. he commeth with the Earle of Arrane who submitteth himselfe to the Governour Shortly following the Governour gave to this Archbishop of Glascow the Abbey of Arbroth assigning to the Earle of Murrey a large pension out of the same which Bishop being thus in favour with the Governour was in the yeare of Christ 1517. in May when the Governour went into France appointed amongst others to have the Rule of the Realme untill his returne Two yeares after which the Nobility being divided about the quarrell of the Earle of Angus and Arrane this Bishop in the yeare of Christ 1519. being then also Chancellor with other Noblemen of the Realme kept the Towne of Glascow but after that this Chancellour who would not come to Edenburgh the King of England and of France their Embassadors came to Sterling where a peace was proclaimed amongst the Nobility But what can long continue in one stay or what peace will be long embraced amongst ambitious mindes sith in the yeare following being the yeare of Christ 1â—20 the Noblemen â—ell againe to factions For when divers of the Peeres were come to Edenburgh to aide the Earle of Angus against the Earle of Arrane this Chancellor remaining then in the Towne they pursued the Earle and Chancellour so hotly that they were both constrained to forsake the Towne and to fly through the North locke about the thirteenth day of Aprill But as the events of quarrels be doubtfull now up now downe so this Archbishop not long aâ—ter this disgrace recovered breath and in November following did accompany the Regent come out of France to Edenburgh where was a Parliament holden to summon the Earle of Angus to appeare but he refusing it was agreed that the Earle should passe into England there to remaine The Bishop thus having the better of his enemies Andrew Forman Bishop of Saint Andrewes dyed in the yeare 1522 being about the ninth yeare of Iames the first by occasion whereof this Chancellor Iames Beton Bishop of Glascow was advanced to that See and â—urther made Abbot of Dumfermling Upon which new honour in the yeare of Christ 1524. He was appointed one of the Governours of the Realme by Parliament but he not possessing this honour any long time the Earle of Angus who had gotten the King into his usurped government and denyed the delivery of the King being sent for by this Bishop and the other Nobility sent to the Chancellor for the greaâ— Seale which was delivered to the Messengers upon which this Bishop not forgetting the same hastened the sentence of divorce sued before him between the Queen and the Earle of Angus Whereof the Earle to revenge the same did with the King in the yeare of Christ 1526. seeke for the Queene and the Bishop of Saint Andrewes but because they were kept secretly in their friends houses so that they could not be heard of He spoyled the Abbey of Dumfermling and the Castle of Saint Andrewes taking away all that the Archbishop had Notwithstanding which the Archbishop keeping in favour with the old Queene and the young King did in the yeare of Christ 1529 and in the sixteenth yeare oâ— James the fifth Christen James the Kingâ— Sonne boâ—ne at Saint Andrewes and not long after surrendred his Soule to God Anno 1542. Immediately after the death of James the fifâ—h of Scotland David Beton Cardinall and Archbishop of Saint Andrewes the speciall Minister and factor of the French causes to the advancement and continuance thâ—reof â—orged a Will of the late King departed in which amongst other things he established himselfe chiefe Regent The Protestants to whom this Cardinall was ever a cruell enemy and sharpâ— scourge espyed forth his unjust dealing in this behalfe and thereupon set the Earle of Arran against him who by the helpe of his owne and â—heir friends he removed the Cardinall and his adherents from their usurped roome and Authority and therewith was the said Earle proclaymed Protector and Governour of the Realme The next yeare at a Convention of the Lords at Edenburgh this Archbishop was put in ward in the Castle of Dalkish lest he should goe about to perswade the Nobility not to consent to the Governours desires and the King of Englands match propounded to the Scottish Queene Which match of Prince Edward with Queene Mary of Scotland though concluded on by a Parliament in Scotland this Archâ—ishop Beton hindred fâ—aring lest Scotland should change the Church Orders and reforme Religion as England had begun to doe Whereupon ensued divers Commotions in Scotland and a bloody Warâ—e King Henry the eighth sending an Army into Scotland upon this breach and occasion on the one side and the Pope and French King sending aide to this Cardinall Archbishop and his faction on the other side After this this Archbishop he was removed to his owne Castle of Saint Andrewes with Warders about him to see him safely kept Anno 1â—44 The Patriarch of Hierusalem arriving in Scotland he was honorably received by this Cardinall Arch Prelate and the Bishops of Scotland into the City of Glascow during whose abode there great contentions arose betweene this Arch Prelate and the Archbishop of Glascow who should in that City be of greatest authority and honour Which in the end came to this issue that both families fell together by the â—ares which of them should goe before with his Crosse borne upright For the Cardinall Archbishop of Saint Andrewes and Primate of the Kingdome did affirme that the Archbishop of Glascow should not have his Crosse borne in his owne Church so long as he was present Which the servants of the Archbishop of Glascow tooke so in disdaine that they plucked downe the Cardinals Crosse and threw it to the ground Whereupon the Governour understanding the whole matter and that it was now come from words to swords made haste to appease the factious commotion and caused the Patriarch therewith to be brought to Edenburgh accompanyed with the Clergy and so appeased the controversie That done the Patriarch the Popes Legate comming to Rome procured the â—egantine power to be granted to the Cardinall which he long enjoyed not For being greatly envyed by reason of these honours and some grievous facts by meanes whereof there fell continuall dissentions betweene the Nobility which ended not till this Cardinall was slaine who corrupting his Keepers whiles he was imprisoned in Saint Andrewes Castle he found meanes to escape thence and in the yeare 1543. he came to the Coronation of the young Queene and shortly after perswaded the Earle of Arrane the Governour to leave the part of â—he King of England and wholly to become French At the Coronation the
themselves Adrianus the fourth a Bishop of Rome was wont to say Wee succeed not Peter in teaching but Romulus in murthering And in the Canon of â—he Apostles it is decreed That the Bishop that teacheth not his flocke shâ—uld be deposed To which purpose they alleage Saint Augustine A Bishops office iâ— a name of labour not a name of honour that hee which coveteth the place of preeminence and hath not a desire to do good may know hee is not a Bishop Thus saith Origen Thus saith Chrysostome thus say divers others of the old Fathers whom it were long and needlesse to rehearse There be many Priests and few Priests saith Chrysostome Many that beare the name but few that be Priests indeed Thus the Harvest is great and plentious but the Labourers are but few The labourers are but few but the destroyers and wasters are exceeding many Yea such as should be the harvest men most of all destroy the corne I will not here report that I am well able that your eyes have seene and that many of you have felt the state of our time hath beene such Saint Bernard saw it in his time and therefore saith All are â—riends and all are enemies all are helpers and all are adversaries and hinderers Againe Alas alas O Lord God they are the chiefest in persecuting thee that seeme to love the highest roomes and to beare rule in thy Church he cites their Latin which I omiâ— And in his Defence of the Apologie â—f the Church of England part 6. c. 9. Div. 3. p. 667 568. hee writes thus of Bishops intanglement in worldly affaires and bravery in apparell Our Princes never tooke upon them the office of Bishops but your Bishops have taken upon them the office of Princes Of your Bishops it is written in your owne Councels Behold there is now in a manner no worldly affaire but Priests and Bishops have it in hand Such Bishops be they of whom Saint Chrysostome writeth thus They that neither beleeve nor feare the judgement of God abusing their Ecclesiasticall dignity in secular sort turne the same into secular dignity Such Bishops they be of whom Saint Hierome saith thus They themselves be to themselves both Laymen and Bishops too And againe They worship the Lord and Melchom both together thinking that they may serve both the World and the Lord and satisfie two masters at once God Mammon who fighting under Christ bend themselves to worldly affaires and offer up one image Both to God and Cesar. And therefore Cardinall Cuâ—amâ—â— saith Hereof groweth a great deformity that Bishops are bent only to worldly cares Marke these words M. Harding hee saith Your Bishops are bent onely to worldly cares If yee will beleeve none of these yet your Popes owne Legates in your late Chapter at Trident speaking of your Priestlike apparell say thus Our Priests differ nothing from Laymen saving only in apparel nay indeed they differ not so much from them as in apparell Yee say your Bishops be gay and gallant attended and guarded with Princelike routs both behind and before And therefore yee make no small account specially in respect of our estate which you call beggerly In such disdaine the Heathen sometimes said That Christ was the beggerliest and poorest of all the Gods that were in heaven Howbeit our Bishoprickes saving that certaine of your Fathers have shamefully spoyled them are now even as they were beforeâ— Certainly the poorest Bishopricke in England as it is reported is better in revenues than three of your Popes Italian Bishoprickes in the Kingdome of Naples Howbeit the Gospell of Christ standeth not by riches but by truth in comparison of the one wee make small reckoning of the other Neverthelesse the wise and godly have evermore sound fault with the Ecclesiasticall bravery of your Roman Clergy Saint Bernard saith Therehence commeth their whorelike finenesse their players weed their Princely apparell therehence commeth their gold in their bridles in their Saddles and in their spurres Againe hee saith They goe trimly and finely in their colours as if a spouse should come from her chamber if thou shouldst suddenly see one of them jetting a farre off wouldst thou not rather thinke it were a spouse than the keeper of the spouse Laurentius Valla although bitterly yet not unpleasantly thus expresseth your Lordly bravey I thinke if the Devill in the ayre have any games among them to make sport withall they are most busily occupied in counterfeiting the apparell and tire and pride and riot of Priests and have greatest pastime Pope Bonefacius the 8. in a great Iubilee and in a solemne procession went apparelled in the Empeâ—ours Robes and had the Crowne Imperiall on his head and the sword of majestie borne before him as an Emperour This spirituall jolity M. Harding liketh you well Notwithstanding Saint Bernard saith These be pastures for Devils not for sheepe no doubt even thus did Peter Euen such pastime plaid Saint Paul Yee tell us further though they teach not though they say noâ— though they do not though they live not as becommeth Bishops nor as becommeth a Christian man yet be they Bishops notwithstanding Hereat wee will not greatly strive for so the Wolfe if hee once get a sheep-hooke and a cloke may be a shepheard and a blind man if hee get once into the watch-tower may be a spie But miserable are the poore sheepe that so are fed miserable is that poore Castle that so is watched Saint Augustine saith A Bishops office is a name of labour and not of honour that who so loveth to rule and not to profit may understand himseâ—fe to be no Bishop Againe hee saith of such a one Hee ought rather to be called a shamelesse dogge than a Bâ—shop As for that yee say Your Bishops be duly ordinated and consecrated Saint Augustine replieth Touching the outward consecration of a Bishop many give it to wolves and be wolves themselves Saint Bernard speaking of your Priests and Bishops saith In their apparell they are Souldiers in their gaines they are Priests and Bishops But in effect and in deed they are neither of both for neither do they fight in the field as do Souldiers nor do they preach as Priests and Bishops Of whether order therefore be they Whereas they would be of both Orders they forsake both and confound both Saint Paul saith every man shall rise againe in his owne order but in what order shall these rise whether forasmuch as they have sinned without order shall they perish without order I feare me they shall be ordered none otherwhere but whereas is no Order but disorder and horror everlasting Againe in his Defence of the Apologie of the Church of England Par. 6. chap. 2. Divis. 1. he writes thus concerning Bishops voting and authority in Parliament in settling matters in Religion Where yee would seeme to say that the
Parliament holden in the first yeare of the Queenes Majesties Raigne was no Parliament for that your Bishops refused wilfully to agree unto the godly Lawes there concluded yee seeme therein to bewray in your selfe some want of skill the wise and learned could soone have told you that in the Parliaments of England matters have evermore used to passe not of necessity by the speciall consent of the Archbishops and Bishops as if without them no Statute might lawfully be enacted but onely by the more part of the voyces yea altâ—ough all the Archbishops and Bishops were never so earnestly bent against it And Statutes so passing in Parliament onely by the voyces of the Lords temporall without the consent and agreement of the Lords Spiriâ—uall have neverthelesse alwayes bin confirmed and ratified by the reall assent of the Prince have bin enacted published under the names of the Lords spirituall Temporall Read the Statutes of King Edward the first There shall yee finde that in a Parliament solemnly hoâ—tlen by him at S. Edmundbury the Archbishops and Bishops were quite shut forth and yet the Parliament held on and good and wholsome lawes were there enacted the departing or absâ—nce or malice of the Lords Spirituall notwithstanding In the records thereof it is written thus The King keeping the Parliament wiâ—h his Barons the Clergy that is to say the Archbishops and Bishops being shut forth it was enacted c. Likewise In provisione de Martona in the time of King Henry the third Whereas matter was moved of Bastardy touching the Legitimation of Bastards borne before Marriage The Statute past wholly with the Lords Temporall whether the Lords Spirituall would or no yea and that contrary to the expresse Decrees and Canons of the Church of Rome The like hereof as I am informed may be found Rich. 2. An. 11. c. 3. Howbeit in these cases I must confesse I walke somewhat without my compasse Touching the judgement hereof I reâ—erre my selfe wholly unto the Learned Further whereas yee call the Doctrine of Christ that now by Gods great mercy and to your great griefe is universally and freely preached a Parliament Religion and a Parliament Gospell for such sobriety becommeth you well and may stand you in stead when learning fayleth yee might have remembred that Christ himselfe at the beginning waâ— universally received and honoured through this Realm by assent of Parliament and further that without Parliament your Pope himselfe was never received no not in the late time of Queene Maâ—y Yea and even then his holinesse was clogged with Parliament conditions that whatsoever had beene determined in Parliament and was not repealed were it never so contrary to his will and Canons should remaine still inviolable and stand in force Otherwise his holinesse had gone home againe Such M. Harding is the authority of a Parliament Verily if Parliaments of Realmes be no Parliaments then will your Pope be no Pope Therefore as you now call the truth of God that wee professe a Parliament Religion and a Parliament Gospell even so with like sobriety and gravity of speech yee might have said Our Fathers in old times had a Parliamenâ— Christ. And your late Fathers and Brethren had of late in the time of Queene Mary a Parliament Faith a Parliament Masse a Parliament Pope Neither is it so strange a matter to see Ecclesiasticall causes debated in Parliament Read â—he Lawes of K. Inas K. Elfred K. Edward K. Ethelstane K. Edmund K. Edgar K. Canute and yee shall find that our godly fore-fathers the Princes and Peeres of this Realme never vouchsafed to intrâ—at of matters of Peace or Warre or otherwise touching the Common State before all controversieâ— of Religion and causes Eâ—clesiasticall had beene concluded King Canutâ— in his Parliament holden at Winchester upon Christmas day after sundry Lawes and Orders made touching the Faith the keeping of Hâ—ly-dayes Publikâ— prayers learning of the Lords Prayer receiving of the Communion thrice in the yeare the manner and â—orme of Baptisme Fasting and other like matters of Religion in the end thereof saith thus Iam sequitur institutio Legum Secularium Now followeth an order of Temporall Lawes In a Parliament holden by King William the Conquerour it is written thus Rex quia Vicarius Summi Regis est ad hoc constituitur ut Regnum populum Domini super omnia sanctam Ecclesiam regat defendat c. The King for as much as hee is the Vicar of the Highest King is thererefore appointed to this purpose that hee should rule and defend the Kingdome and people of the Lord and above all things the holy Church c. Hereby it appeareth that Kings and Princes are specially and of purpose appointed by God not onely to defend but also to Governe and Rule the Holy Church Thus farre Bishop Iewell who here clearly affirmes that Parliaments may be kept and matters of Religion there determined without Bishops Neither is this any strange doctrine for not onely Mâ— Richard Crompton in his Iurisdiction of Courts fol. 19 20. who cites this passage of Bishop Iewell is of the same opinion but in the famous case of Doctor Standish in the 7. yeare of King Henry the eight at a meeting at Blacke Fryers before the King himselfe the whole Temporall Councell and a Committee of both Houses of Parliament it was resolved by all the Judges That our Lord the King may very well hold his Parliament by himselfe his Temporall Lords and by his Commons altogether without the Spirituall Lords for the spiriâ—uall Lords have no place in the Parliament Chamber of reason of their spirituality but only by reason of their Temporall possessions or Baronies And if this be not sufficient evidenceâ— Bishop Latimer in his fourth Sermon of the Plough p. 19 20. complaines against Bishops placing in being Lords of the Parliament makes this one chiefe cause that they be unpreaching Prelates lazie loyterers and idle Ministers Yea Thomas Bilson Bishop of Winchester a great Patriot of Episcopacie resolves and proves as much in his Booke intituled The true difference betweene Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion part 3. p. 540 541 542. If her Majesâ—y receivâ—d and â—stablished nothing but the truth of Christ in her Paâ—liament in vaine do you barke against God and the Magistrate for lacke of competent Courts Ecclesiasticall Judges and legall meanes to debate and decide matters of Religion Whâ—n God commandeth all humane barres and Lawes do cease If they joyne with God they may be used if they impugne the truth they must be despised And yet in our case the Scepter united and adjoyned it selfe to the word of God and therefore if Princes may command for truth in their owne dominions as I have largely proved they may why should not the Prince having the full consent of her Nobles and Commons restore and settle the truth of God within her Realme Phil. Lay men may not pronounce of
very necessary nor usefull in the Church for after the death of Paulinus the first Bishop of Yorke that See continued voyd of a Bishop 30. yeares So after the translation of Mellitus to Canterbury Anno. 617. that See continued voyd neere 40 yeares and how these and other Bishoprickes have continued voyd in severall ages 2.3.4.6.10.15.20 and 30. yeares together without any prejudice I have elsewhere manifested more at large If then our Bishoprickes may want Bishops for so many yeares space without any inconvenience to our Church when as no Parish Church by our Common and the Canon Lawes ought to be voyd above sixe moneths at most I presume by the selfe-same reason our Church may well subsist without for all future times especially now when there are so many complaints and petitions against them and so many Bishoprickes voyde of Prelates already Finally in those primitive times Bishops were not so great but that some of them were subject unto Presbyters For our venerable Beda informes us of an Island in Ireland which in those dayes had an Abbot Presbyter for its governour to whose jurisdiction the whole Province Et etiam Episcopi sunt subjecti and even Bishops themselves were subject according to the example of the first Teacher thereof who was no Bishop but a Presbyter and a Monke So the Abbot of Glastonbury exempt from all Episcopall Jurisdiction had a kinde of superiority above the Bishop of Bath and Wells which Bishop by the Charter of King Ina was bound with his Clerkes at Wells every yeare Ipsam matrem suam Glastoniensem Ecclesiam feria secunda post ascensionem Domini cum Litania recognoscere to doe his homage to his mother Church of Glastonbury with a Letany quod si superbia inflatus distulerit and if he refused to doe it out of pride then hee was to forfeite two houses which this King gave him And in the Excerptions of Egbert Archbishop of Yorke Anno. 750. I finde these Canons of the fourth Councell of Carthage revived here among us as Ecclesiasticall Lawes That Bishops and Presbyters should have Hospitiolum a little Cottage not a Lordly Palace neare the Church That the Bishop in the Church by the consent of the Presbyters should set somewhat above them but within the house Collegam Presbyterorum se esse cognoscat should know himselfe to be the Colleague or Companion of the Presbyters That a Bishop should not ordaine Clerkes without a Councell of his Presbyters That a Bishop should heare no mans cause without the presence of his Clerkes except the cause of confession because a decree cannot be firme which shall not seeme to have the consent of many All which considered it is evident that our Bishops in those dayes had no Lordly Jurisdiction over other Ministers no such sole power of Ordination and judicature as our present Lord Bishops now claime and exercise as their peculiar right Therefore their Antiquity and Episcopacy can be no warrant at all for the lawfulnesse or continuance of our Lordly Prelacy Thirdly admit our Bishops as ancient as King Lucius dayes or there abouts yet this is no good Plea for their continuance First because our Abbots Priors Monkes could make as good if not a better prescription for themselves as our Lordly Prelates who can alleadge nothing for their continuance but what these either did or might have done when they were suppressed For first our Monkes Abbots Priors and their Abbeyes were every way as ancient if not elder then our Lordly Bishops and Bishoprickes the Monkes and Abbey of Glastonbury deriving their pedegree from Ioseph of Aramathea which Church and Abbey our writers call Prima Ecclesia fons Origo totius Religionis c. the first Church the fountaine and Originall of all our Religion And many other of our other Abbies as that of Winchester S. Albans Westminster with others being ancienter than all or most of our Bishoprickes Secondly Most of them were confirmed by more Acts of Parliament Bulls of Popes and Charters of our Kings endowed with greater priviledges than any of our Bishoprickes whatsoever as is evident by the Charters Bulls and exemptions granted to Glastonbury Saint Albans Berry Redding Westminster Saint Augustine of Canterbury Abingdon and Wâ—â—â—â—â—â—ster Thirdly many of our Abbots and Priors sometimes above an hundred were mitred had Episcopall Iurisdiction and sate in Parliament as Barons and Peers of the Realme as well as Bishops yet notwithstanding they were all suppressed by Acts of Parliament even in time of Popery though double in number to our Bishops therefore our Bishops and Bishoprickes being now found by long experience not onely unprofitable but pernitious to our Kings and State as here I have manifested and to our Church our Religion as our Booke of Martyrs largely demonstrates may lawfully be extirpated notwithstanding this Plea of Antiquity as well as they Fourthly the Bishops in other reformed Churches could and did plead as large Antiquity and prescription for their continuance as our Prelates doe yet that could not secure them from dissolution but these Churches wholly suppressed them therefore it is no good Plea for us to continue our Prelates yea in my weake judgement it is an argument not for but against our Bishops continuance that they have beene tolerated so long since evils and grievances as our Lordly Prelates have ever beene to our Church and Kingdome are so much the more speedily and carefully to be suppressed by how much the more inveterate and lasting they have beene In a word the government of our Church by a Presbytery hath beene more ancient more profitable and lesse prejudiciall to our State Kings Church than the Government of our Lordly Prelacy therefore it is most reasonable that it should be revived reestablished and the Prelacy suppressed All which I hope may suffice in Answere to the first part of this grand objection which hath stumbled many To the second branch of it touching the danger and inconvenience of this change in suppressing Episcopacy I answer First that there can bee no danger or inconvenience at all therein because the people generally most earnestly desire pray for expect it and have preferred many Petitions to the High Court of Parliament to effect it Secondly because all things are now prepared for this alteration the wickednesse misdemeanors prophanenesse superstition oppression of our present Prelates with the great troubles and combustions they have raised in our Church our State to their intolerable charge and molestation deserve and call for this alteration the present constitution of our Church State people yea our correspondency with Scotland with other reformed Churches requires it the divisions and distractions in our Church which in many wise mens apprehensions cannot be reconciled nor any unity or uniformity in Gods worship established among us without it call for it Episcopacy being now growne such a roote of bitternesse and wall of partition as there is
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 Temporalties 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 Beware of false Prophets which come unto you in sheepes cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves you shall know them by their fruits Mat. 7.15 16 LONDON Printed by Authority for Michael Sparke senior An. 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE HIGH COVRT OF PARLIAMENT NOW Through Gods sweete Providence MOST HAPPILY ASSEMBLED Right Honourable Senators IT is a received principle in Law that there are no Accessories in Treason whence to conceale a Notorious Traytor is really to be one The consideration of the Capitalnesse of such a Concealement in these proditorious times and the discharge of my bounden Duty to my Soveraigne Lord the King this Church and Kingdome of which I am a true though unworthy member and to this Honourable Court to whose impartiall Iustice next under God I owe the fruition of my present Liberty my Native Soyle and Quondam Profession of the Law hath induced me by way of Gratitude to present your Honours with this large Discovery not of one or two but of an whole Tribe and succession of notaâ—le Arch-Traytors Rebels Conspirators and desâ—erate Enemies to our Kings Kingdomes Lawes Liberties to say nothing of our Church and Religion masked under the innocent disguise of an Episcopall whiâ—e Rotchet and the specious much abused Title of The Church which our Prelates have monopolized to themselves the better to palliate their mischievous designes and boulster out their vilâ—anies when as if we beleeve either our learned Martyr Master William Tyndall or Bishop Bilson himselfe The Church is neâ—eâ— taken in the new nor old Testament for the Bishops or Priests alone but generally for the whole Congregation of the faithfull and oft times for the people alone without the Priest or Minister which is worthy your observation and will utterly subvert one principall Pillar of our Prelates suppoâ—t I could not but conjecture that this Antipathy would be very distastfull to our Lordly Prelates the Malefactors whose long-concealed Treasons Conspiracies seditious practises it lays open to your publick view and justice so that I can expect nothing but such extreame Malignity opposition and Calumnies from them and their confederates as might in some sort have deterred me from divulging it Yet wheÌ„ I considered that the detectioÌ„ of grosse Traytors Conspirators hath bin ever reputed not only an inoffensive but acceptable and meritorious service both to Kings and States in al other persons and that I have no cause to doubt but that it will receive the selfe-same benigne interpretation in me especially from your Honours by some of whose earnâ—st desires and â—peciall approbations I committed these Historicall Colections to the Presse I could not but with all alacrity proceede on in this service for the Common good to the which I have beene the more incouraged by a Divine Providence For being a Prisoner in the Tower of London stript of my Profession and all other imployments by some Prelates undemerited malice considering with my selfe how I might there passe my solitary houres in the usefullest manner for the publicke benefit of this Church and Kingdome it pleased God among other subjects to pitch my thoughts upon a Collection of the severall Treasons Rebellions Warres Seditions and Anti-monarchicall Practises of Lordly Prelats of all Countries and ages especially of our owne English Bishops which I found scattered in Histories wherupon taking my hint from the Title of a now-non-extant Booke written by one Thomas Gybson a Physitian in King Edward the 6. his dayes stiled Proditiones Praelatorum a Conquestu seene by our laborious Iohn Bale and mentioned in his Centuries which booke it seemes the Prelates since suppressed I gathered with no facil labour the most of those Materials I here present unto your Honours and Marshalled them into distinct files with an intention to make them publick so soone as a seasonable opportunity should present it selfe But the Arch Prelate of Canterbury not long after persecuting me afresh in the Starchamâ—er without any just occasion procured me there not onely to bee most inhumanely censured but likewise to be sent thence close prisoner first to Carnarvan then to Mount-Orguile Castle in the Isle of Iersie and there cloystred up so narrowly that I could neither have the use of pen inke paper writings nor Bookes to benefit my selfe or others and withall searching both my Chamber and friends houses sundry times by his Pursevants seized on all my bookes and Papers he could meete with But these Collections escaping his clutches fell into the hands of another persecuted Gentleman who without my privity carried them beyond the Seas where they were preserved till after my late returne from Exile by the justice of this Honourable House and not many moneths since when I gave them over as lost were unexpectedly returned to my hands in safety whiles the businesse of Episcopacy was in agitation before your Eminencies which speciall Providence put me in minde of that speech of Mordeâ—ay to Ester Who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdome for such a time as this and made me strongly apprehend that God had restored me to Liberty and these Collections to my hands for such a time as this which blessed be our good God we now live to see wherein our domineering Prelates lewde practises and Conspiracies against our Religion Lawes Liberties Lives Soules and Estates are not onely detected but questioned and some of the Potentest and pestilentest of them charged with no lesse than High Treason and other most grosse Misdemeanors in and by your Honorable Assembly which have rendred them so generally detestable to the whole Kingdome that divers Petitions have beene presented to your Honours both by Ministers and People out of many entire Countries for their utter extirpation which long efflagitated difficult worke which your Honours have now set upon I conceive the publishing of this Antipathy will much facilitate and advance being thus specially preserved and reserved by Gods Providence for such a time as this The principall motives which originally induced me to undertake this worke were the very same which have now perswaded me to
to preach it being too meane an office for them unlesse it be sometimes at the Court or at some such solemne meeting to gaine either more honour or preferment thereby or for some such private ends not out of any great zeale of converting soules to God Since then our Bishops thus neglect nay hate condemne suppresse and persecute the good worke of Preaching wherein their office principally consists it is most apparent that the onely thing they now so zealously write stickle for is only the temporall meanes honour not the Divine spiritual worke or office of Episcopacie since these thus avocate and hinder them from preaching I presume your excellent wisedomes will deem it necessary to strip them naked of these two obstacles which cause them thus to neglect their proper worke and duty Neither would I have your Honours or any else here misconceive mee as if I advised you to deprive Ministers of all Honour and Maintenance God forbid No my hearts desire and prayer to God and your Honours shall be that every painfull preaching Minister may have all due Honourable respect and such a competent allowance as the greatnesse of his paines and charge demerit But that Archbishops Bishops Deanes and others who have no particular flocks to feed either preach not at all or very seldome should have such temporall dignities offices and excessive revenues as make them either proud luxurious ambitious idle or negligent in preaching and to forget that good worke of a Bishops office which Saint Paul speakes of I humbly conceive is neither lawfull nor expedient but such an irregularity as will be thought fit to be redressed by your Honours not only in point of Policy but of piety too In a word when I seriously consider that Christ himselfe did frequently condemne and prohibit the ambitious desire of superiority and praeheminencie in his Apostâ—es That the Apostles themselves doe the like in â—heir Epistles to others That Saint Chrysostome clearely determines That whosoever desireth primacy in Earth shall find confusion in Heaven that now among Christs servants and ministers there may be no contest for primacy or superiority That Saint Bernard when he was offred to be made Bishop of Genoa and Millaine peremptorily refused this dignity saying upon that occasion Blush O proud dust and ashes God humbles himselfe dost thou exalt thy selfe God made himselfe inferiour to men thou desirimg to domineere preferrest thy selfe before thy maker Would to God when I thinke any such thing God would vouchsafe to rebuke mee as hee did his Apostle in times past Get thee behind mee Sathan thou savourest not the things that are of God as often as I desire to rule over men so oft I contend to goe before my God and then I savour not the things which are truly of God That the eminent Father Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo and almost 300. African Bishops more in the great schisme of the Donatists were content to lay downe all their Bishoprickes for the peace and unity of the Church thinking thereby not to lose them but to commit them more safely to Gods custody and used this most golden speech An vero Redemptor c. What verily did our Redeemer descend from Heaven into humane members that wee should be his members and shall we lest his very members should be rent in pieces with a cruell division feare to descend out of our chairs We are ordained Bishops for Christian people What therefore may profit Christian people for Christian peace that let us doe with our Bishoprickes What I am I am for thee if it profit thee I am not so if it hurt thee If wee be profitable servants why do wee envie the eternall gaines of our Lord for our temporall sublimities Our Episcopall dignity will be more fruitfull to us if being laid downe it shall more unite the flocke of Christ then disperse it if retained My brethren if wee mind the Lord thiâ— higher place is the watâ—h Tower of a vinâ—dresser not the Pinacle of a proud Person If when I will retaine my Bishopricke I disperse the flocke of Christ how is the dammage of the flocke the honour of the shepherd For with what face shall wee expect the honour promised by Christ in the world to come if our honour hinder Christian unity in this present world And finally that Bishops themselves did in their very Baptisme seriously vow and promise to God To forsake the Devill and all his workes the vaine pompe and glory of this world with all the covetous desires of the same so that they would not follow nor be led by them and that Saint Bernard hereupon gives this Item to them Simundum praedicas contemnendum contemne tu prius ad ipsum efficacius alios invitabis If thou preachest the World is to be contemned do thou contemne it first and then thou shalt more effectually invite others thereto I cannot but presume our Lordly Prelates if they have any sparkes of piety or humility in them will now at last for our Churches our Kingdomes future peace security and felicity lay downe their Bishoprickes at your Honours feete or else that your Eminences will enforce them thereunto it being more equall and expedient that a few Lord Bishops should meritoriously lose their pernitious honours than our King Church State Religion Lawes Liberties Peace be perpetually indangered and imbroyled by their continuance Now the great Moderator of the Universe who hath miraculously congregated preserved directed assisted your Honourable Assembly hitherto and and wrought wondrous things by your Indefatigable industries and most prudent consultations for the honour and safety of his Majesty and his Realmes the Reformation of our Church and State the Establishment of our undermined Religion Lawes and Liberties the pacification and prevention of our much feared Warres and Invasions the relieving of our grievously oppressed ones and the exemplary punishment of our Arch-oppressours to the inefâ—able joy of all true English Scottish Irish hearts and of true Christians continue his blessed assisting presence with his Almighty protection over you multiply all his saving graces in powre forth all his blessings spirituall temporall and eternall abundantly on you and Crowne all your religious Consultations with such a successefull issue that the present times and all succeeding ages may deservedly call your Honours the raisers up of the foundations of many generations the repairers of our breaches the restorers of pathes to dwell in and the Saviours next under God and our Soveraigne of our almost ruined Church and State So prayeth your Honours redeemed Captive and eternally devoted servant WILLIAM PRYNNE TO THE READER Courteous Reader BE pleased to take notice that my primitive intention was to have presented thee with this Historicall Antipathy intirely at the same instant without fractions But the slacknesse of the Printers the importunity of some speciall friends and some publike Negotiations in present agitation which
Mary getting the Crowne and putting by the Lady â—ane Cranmer who also aided the Duke of Northumberland with horse and men against the Queene was thereupon committed prisoner to the Tower and soone after condemned of high treason and that by an ordinary Iury for seeking thus to disinherit the Queen who pardoning all the rest that were guilty of this crime released likewise the Treason against him though shee excepted him out of her generall pardon and some other Bishops and accused him onely of heresie as those times deemed it for which hee was deprived degraded and burnt at last for a Martyr repenting of that Recantation which he had over-cowardly made before out of feare and humane frailty And here not to detract any thing from the due praise of this our glorious Martyr give mee leave onely to observe First that hee had a hand in the condemnation and execution of Lambert Frith and some other of our godly Marryrs before hee was thoroughly instructed in the points of our Religion Secondly that hee was the chiefe man in accomplishing the divorce betweene Henry the 8 and Queene Katharine which occasioned much trouble dissention warre and a furtherer of this Kings subsequent lustfull if lawfull marriages Thirdly that the Lincolne-shire rebels in the sixt Article of their grievances presented to King Henry the 8. complaine thus against this Archbishop and other Prelates That wee your true Subjects find them grieved that there be divers Bishops of England of your Graces late promotion that have subverted the faith of Christ as wee thinke which is the Archbishop of Canterbury the Bishop of Rochester the Bishop of Salisbury the Bishop of S. Daveyes and the Bishop of Develin And in speciall as we thinke the beginning of all the trouble of this Realme and the great exactions that hath beene taken of your poore Communalty have risen by the occasion of the Bishop of Lincolne by whose Officers and by other of the Lord Cromwells servants a great rumor and noyse is risen and the common voyce is that such jewels plate and other ornaments of our Parish Churches which wee occupy in the service and honour of God should be taken from us and spoyled in like manner and fashion as the houses of Religion have beene Adde to this Fourthly that though the Popes Supremacy were abolished in his time by sundry Acts of Parliament yet the Bishops of that age laboured underhand to support it what they might and were both willing to continue set it up againe as is cleare by â—1 Hâ— 8. c. 14. the two notable Statutes of 37. H. 8. c. 17. and 1. Ed. 6. c. 2. worthy consideration And likewise by M. Tindall in his obedience of a Christian man and practise of Popish Prelates by Rodoricke Mors his complaint to the Parliament c. 19 20 21. by VVilliam VVraghtons hunting and finding ouâ— of the Romish Fox among the English Bishops and his rescuing of the Fox by Henry Stalbridge his exhortatory Epistle D. Barnes his supplication to King Henry the 8. M. Fox and other Treatises written in those dayes even by Protestants which prove the Bishops of those times to be Traytors to the King close enemies to the Kings Prerogative and fast friends to the Popes unjust usâ—rpation as Bonner Stephen Gardener with other of them shewed themselves in Queene Maries daies By which it appeares that the Bishops in those times were generally disliked and complained against on all hands Fifthly that the bloody Statute of 31. H. 8. c. 14. called by some the sixe Articles by others the whip with sixe strings and by the most part the bloody statute was made and devised in this Archbishops time by the cruelty and policy of the Bishops especially of Stephen Gardener Bishop of VVinchester which Statute for the miserable and pernicious tyranny rigid execution of the same is worthy of no memory among Christian men but rather to be buried in perpetuall silence of oblivion as M. Fox determines Maâ—thew Parker indeed records that Cranmer opposed this Act at first then caused it to be moderated and at last to be repealed in King Edwards dayes but others seeme to imply that he gave consent thereto at first Sixtly that he is the onely Martyr of all the Archbishops of Canterbury none ever dying in defence of the Gospell of Christ but he alone the others making many Martyrs in all ages by their persecutions but never being any themselves Hence Matthew Parker his Successour writes thus Cranmerus fide integra non Pontificia censura in libro vitae scriptus coelestem hâ—â—reditatatem cum Christo consecutus est ut si in hominibus gloriari fas esset non ab Augustino Dunstano Elphego Anselmo Thoma Becket Edmundo reliqua pontificia â—urba sed ab hoc uno qui solus in Christi causa contra Antichristum Flammarum incredibili doloreâ— ad coelos sublaâ—us est Cantuariensis sedes nobilitata esse videatur Seventhly that as this Prelate at first was unwilling to be made a Bishop so he suffered Martyrdome onely after his deprivation and degradation from his Bishopricke not whilst hee was a Bishop Eightly that hee failed more in his Martyâ—dome by reason of his cowardly recantation than any of his fellow Martyrs and that through promises and hopes of life and restitution to his former dignity and Archbishopricke the chiefe motives inducing him to this shamefull recantation Ninthly that though he suffered Martyrdome for Religion only as a private Christian after he was put from his Bishoprick not whiles he continued Archbishop yet he was condemned as a Traytor for-high treason and that justly as he confessed whiles hee was an Archbishop for an Act done by him as an Archbishop and Counsellour of State for which he professed both his sorrow and repentance And this Archprelate and Bishop Ridley committed likewise for Treason were very importunate suitors to King Edward the 6. to tolerate the use of Masse in his Sister Maries familie pressing him with divers politicke reasons to condescend to this their importunate suite which the infant King not onely rejected with strong pious reasons but teares to these Bishops great reproach who thereupon said to M. Cheeke the Kings Tutor Ah M. Cheeke you may be glad all the dayes of your life that you may have such a Scholler for he hath more Divinâ—â—y in his little finger than all we have in all our bodies But to passe from this Martyr to Cardinall Poole his immediate successor This Archprelate though almost if not quite a Protestant in the point of justification was yet a notori-Traytor and so procliamed by King Henry the 8. who thereupon gave his Dâ—anery of Exeter to another and that noâ— without just cause for he refused to come out of Italy to the King his Soveraigne when he sent for him hee was sent twice by the Pope as his Legate both
that are full of falshood of scandals such as have beene more worthy to be burnt by the hand of the Hangman in Smitâ—field as I thinke one of them was than to be admitted to come into the hands of the Kings people 10. In the tenth Article it will appeare how he having made these aproaches to Popery comes now to close and joyne more neerely with it he confederates with Priests and Jesuites He by his instruments negotiates with the Pope at Rome and hath correspondence with thâ—m that â—e authorized from Rome here He hath permitted a Romane Hierarchie to be set up in this Kinâ—dome And though he hath beene so careâ—ull that a poore man could not goe to the neighbour Parish to heare a Sermon when he had none at home could not have a Sermon repeated nor Prayer used in his owne Family but hee was a â—it subject for the High Commission Court yet the other hath beene done in all parts of the Realme and no notice taken of it by any Ecclesiasticall Judges or Courts My Lords 11. You may perceive Preaching suppressed in the eleventh divers godly and Orthodox Ministers oppressed in their persons and Estates you have the Kings loyall subjects banished out of the Kingdome not as â—limeâ—ecke to seeke for bread in forraine Countries by reason of the great scarcity which was in Israel but travelling abroad for the bread of life because they could not have iâ— at home by reason of the spirituall â—amine of Gods Word caused by this man and his partakers And by this meanes you have had the trade the Manufactury the industry of many thousands of his Majesties subjects carried out of the Land It is a miserable abuse of the spirituall Keyes to shut up the doores of heaven and to open the gates of hell to let in prophanenesse ignorance superstition and errour I shall neede say no more These things are evident and abundantly knowne to all 12. In the twelfth Article my Lords you have a division endeavoured betweene this and the forraine reformed Chur-Churches The Church of Christ is one body and the Members of Christ have a mutuall relation as members of the same body Unity with Gods true Church every where is not onely the beauty but the strength of Religion of which beauty and strength he hath sought to deprive this Church by his manifold attempts to breake this union To which purpose hee hath suppressed the priviledges granted to the Dutch and French Churches He hath denyed them to be of the same Faith and Religion with us and many other wayes hath he declared his malice to those Churches 13. In the thirteenth Article as he hath sought to make an Ecclesiasticall division or religious difference betweene us forraine Nations so he hath sought to make a Civill diffeence betweene us and his Majesties subjects of the Kingdome of Sâ—otland And this he hath promoted by many innovations there prest by himselfe and his owne authority when they were uncapable of such alteraâ—ions He advised his Majesty to use violence He hath made private and publicke Collections towards the maintenance of the warre which he might justly call his owne waâ—re And with an impudent boldnesse hath struck Tallies in the Exchequer for divers summes of money procured by himselfe Pro defensione Regni when by his Counsels the King was drawne to undertake not a Defensive but an Offnsive Warre 14. He hath lastly thought to secure himselfe and his party by seeking to undermine Parliaments and thereby hath laboured to bereave this Kingdome of the Legislaâ—ive power which can onely be used in Parliaments and that we should be left a Kingdome without that which indeede makes and constitutes a Kingdome and is the onely Meane to preserve and restore it from distempers and decayes He hath hereby endeavoured to bereave us of the highest Judicatory such a Judicatory as is necessary and essentiall to our government Some Cases of Treason and others concerning the Prerogative of the Crowne and liberty of the People It is the supreame Judicatory to which all difficult Cases resort from other Courts He hath sought to deprive the Kiâ—g of the Love and Counsell of his People of that assistance which he might have from them and likewise to deprive the People of that reliefe of grievanceâ— which they most humbly â—xpect from his Majesty My Lords The Parliament is the Cabbinet wherein the chiefest Jewels both of the Crown Kingdome are deposited The great Prerogative of the King and the liberty of the People are most effectually exercised and maintained by Parliaments Here my Lords you cannot passe by this occasion of great thankes to God and his Majesty for passing the Bill whereby the frequent course of Parliaments is established which I assure my selfe he will by experience finde to be a strong foundation both of his honour and of his Crowne This is all my Lords I have to say to the particulars of the Charge The Commons desire your Lordships that they may have the same way of Examination that they had in the Case of the Earle of Strafford That is to examine members of all kindes of your Lordships House and their owne and others as they shall see cavse And those Examinations to be kept secret and private that they may with more advantage be made use of when the matter comes to tryall They have declared that they reserve to themselves the power of making Additionall Articles by which they intend to reduce his Charge to be morâ— particular and certaine in respect of the severall times occasion and other circumstances of the Offences therein Charged And that your Lordships would bee pleased to put this Cause in such a quicke way of proceeding that these great and dangerous Crimes together with the offendors may be brought to a just Judgement To these Articles of the Commons house I might here annex those of the Scottish Commissioners against this Arch-Prelate but I reserve them to a fitter place and shall onely for a Corollary add Mr. Grymstons Printed speech in Parliament against this Arch-Bishop to Mr. Pymmes pretermitting all others of this Nature for brevitie sake Mr. Grymstones Speech in Parliament upon the accusation and impeachment of VVILLIAM LAVD Archbishop of Canterbury of High Treason Mr Speaker THere hath beene presented to â—he House a most faithfull and exact report of the conference we had with the Lords yesterday together with the opinion of the Committees that were imployed in that service That they conceived it fit the Arch-bishop of Canterbury should be sequestred I must second â—he motion and with the favour of the House I shall be bold to offer my reasons why I conceive it more necessary we should proceede a little further than the desire of a bare sequestration onely Mr. Speaker long introductions are not sutablâ— to weighty businesse we are fallen upon the great man the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury looke upon him as he is in his Highnesse and hee is the sâ—ye of
all pestiâ—ent filth that hath infected the State and government of the Church and Common-wealth looke upon him in his dependancies and he is the man the onely man that hath raised and advanced all those that together with himselfe have beene the Authors and causers of all the ruines miseries and calamities we now groane under Who is it but he onely that hath brought the Earle of Strafford to all his great places and imployments a fit instrument and spirit to act and execute all his wicked and bloody designes in thesâ— Kingdomes Who is it but he onely that brought in Secretary Windeâ—anke into the place of Secretary and trust the very Broker and Pâ—nder to the Whore of Babylon Who is it Mr. Speaker but he onely that hath advanced all Popish Bishops I shall name some of them Bishop Manwaring the Bishop of Bathe and Wells the Bishop of Oxford and Bishop Wren the least oâ— all but the most uncleane one These are men that should have sed Christs Flocke but they are the Wolves that devoured them the Sheepe should have fed upon the Mountaines but the Mountaines have eaten up the Sheepe It was the happinesse of the Church when the zeale of Gods house did eate up the Bishops glorious and brave Martyrs that went to the stake in defence of the Protestants religion but the zeale of these Bishops have beene to eate up and persecute the Church Who is it Mr. Speaker but the great Arch-Bishop of Canterbury that hath sit at the Helme to guide and steere them to all the managing of their Projects that have beene set on foote in this Kingdome these ten yeares last past and rather than he would stand out he hath most unworthily trucked and chaffered in the meanest of them As for instance that of Tobacco wherein thousands of poore people have beene stripped and turned out of their tradeâ— for which they have served as Apprentises we all know he was the Compounder and Contractor with them for the Licences putting them to pay Fines and Fee-Farme-rents to use their Trades Certainely Mr. Speaker he might have spent his time better and more for his grace in the Pulpit then thus sharking and taking in the Tobacco shop Mr. Speaker we all know what he hath beene charged withall here in this House Crimâ—s of a dangerous consequence and of transcendent nature no lesse than the subversion of the Government of this Kingdome and the alteration of the Protestant Religion and this not upon bare information onely but much of it comes before us already upon cleare and manifest poofes and there is scarce any businesse Grievances or Complaints come before us in this place wherein we doe not finde him intermingled and as it were twisted into it like a busie and angry Waspe his sting in the taile of everything We have this day heard the report of the Conference yesterday and in it the Accusations which the Scottish Natioâ— hath charged him withall And we doe all know he is guilty of the same if not more in this Kingdome Mr. Speaker he hath beene and is the common enemie to all goodnesse and good men and it is not safe that such a viper should be neere to his Majesties person to distill his poyson into his Sacred eares nor is it safe for the Common wealth that he should sit in so eminent a place of Government being thus accused we know what we did in the Earle of Strafâ—ords case This man is the corrupt Fountaine that hath inâ—ected all the streames and till the fountaine be purged we cannot expect to have any cleare Channels I shall be bold therefore to offer my opinion and if I erre it is the errour of my judgement and not my want of zeale and affection to the publicke good I conceive it most necessary and fit that we should now take up a Resolution to doe somewhat to strike whilst the Iron is hot And goe up to the Lords in the name of the Commons of this House and in the name of the Commons of England and to accuse him of High Treason and to desire their Lordships his person may be sequestred and that in convenient time they may bring up the Charge Which soone after was accordingly executed as you have already seene By these speeches Articles of High Treason against this Arch-Prelate it is apparent that his Treasons equall if not far exceed the Treasons of any of his Predecessors in the darkest mists of Popery and that he like his Predecessor Austin hath endeavored to rayse a bloody civill warre betweene England Ireland and Scotland onely for opposing his all-subduing Archiepiscopall Jurisdiction extended by him over all his Majesties three Kingdomes and for refusing to receive those Superstitious Romish Ceremonies and Innovations which he would have violently thrust upon them yea it is evident by these Articles that he is the primum mobile whence all our late warres tumults uproares and divisions proceededâ— and the spring whence all our insupportable grievances both in our Church and State have originally flowed And so by his owne late published maxime A schisme must needes be theirs whose the cause of it is and he makes the separation that gives the first just cause thereof the blame of all these late schismes warres and intolerable grievances whether Civill or Ecclesiasticall must rest intirely on his head who as he is like to leave no heires of his body lawâ—ully begotten to inherit his vertues so it is pity he should leave any successour behinde him in his See to perpetuate his and his Predecessors Treasons with other their Archiepiscopall vices It is his owne late resolution The condition of the Church were most miserable if it should be constrained to acknowledge a Wolfe manifestly raging for her shepheard and it is likewise his observation A man may become of a Pastor a Wolfe and since Iudas changed from an Apostle to a Devill Joh 6. It is no wonder to see others change from shepheards into Wolvesâ— I doubt the Church is not empty of such changlings at this day Whether himselfe and his forementioned Predecessors have not proved such Wolves and changlings by reason of the Venome of their Archiepiscoâ—all Chaire and whether the condition of our Church were not most miserable if she should be still constrained to acknowledge these Arch-Wolves of Canterbury manifestly raging to be her Shepheards and still to maintaine an interrupted succession of them to devoure the poore sheepe of Christ both soule and body and to be perpetuall pests Traytors and incendiaries to our Church and State as their Predecessours have ever beene I shall submit to those whom it most concernes who have now sufficient power and opportunity in their hands to redresse all incumbent and prevent all future mischiefes in this kinde I could now gladly wade out of this dangerous See of Canterbury wherein I have so long roved did not the Acts of some other ancient Prelates of it next successors to Augustine
of Woborne in Bedfordshire Adam Sudbury Abbot of Germany with Astbeed a Monke of that House the Abbot of Sawly in Lanâ—ashâ—re and the Prior of the same William Wâ—ld Prior of Birlingtoâ— the Parson of Padington 5. priests of Lincolnshire Doctor Markerell who stiled himselfe Captaine Cobler and Iohn Allen Priests the chiefe fire-brands in this Rebellion were hanged for Rebellion as they well deserved though they named their enterprise an holy blessed Pilgrimage and had certaine Banners in the field wherein was planted Christ hanging on the Crosse on the one side and a Chalice with a painted Cake in it on the other side For other Arch-Bishops since I finde not much concerning them onely I reade that Robert Holgate his next Successour was committed prisoner to the Tower in the first yeare of Queene Mary where he lay an yeare and halfe and that Edwin Sands another of his Successours was long impriâ—oned by Queene Mary he being Vice-chancellour of Cambridge when the Lady Iane was proclaimed Queeneâ— preached a Sermon upon that ocâ—â—sion which was like to cost him his life Samuel Harsnet the last Archbish. but one being made a Privie Councellour by our present Soverâ—igne King Charles was such a furious Hildebrand that like Davus in the Comedie he perturbed all things where ever he came insomuch that the Lords and Court growing wearie of him and his domineering outrage caused him to be sent from Court to his Arch-Bishopricke and there to keepe residence till he should be sent for Where having no other imployment hee falls by the eares with Doctor Howson Bishop of Durham whom he excommunicated for refusing to admit him to visit in his Diocesse as his Metropolitane he being a Count Palatine in his Bishopricke and withall falling to persecute the godly Ministers of his Diocesse he was smitten mortally with a dangerous disease whereof he died the very night before he resolved to suspend and silence some good men summoned to appeare before him the next morning This furious Arch-Prelate was such an enemie to the Lawes and Liberties of the subject that in the case of Mr. Walter Long censured in Star-chamber about 4. Caroli for comming up to the Parliament House whereof he was a member whilâ—s he was Sheriffe of Wiltshire contrary to his Oath as was pretended when as his Counsell produced divers ancient Records and Presidents touching the Priviledges of Parliaments and the members of it to exempt him from the Jurisdiction and sentence of that Court this Arch-Bishop checked his counsell for troubling them with Moth-Eaten Records saying That they sate there not to be guided by Presidents but to make Presidents and so proceeded to censure in the cause In a word I may conclud of himâ— as Saint Bernard long before did of one of his predecessors Nonne Eboracensis ipse est cui te praesâ—nte fratres tui restiterunt in faciem eo quod reprehensibilis erat sed speravit in multitudine divitiarum suarum praevaluâ—t in vanitate sua Certâ—m est tamen quod non intravit per ostium in ouile ovium sed ascendit aliunde Si Paston fuiâ—set diligendus erat si mercenarius tolerandus Nunc autem cavendus et repellendus utpote fur latro Richard Neale the last Arch-bishop of York before his comming to that See about the 13 yeare of King Iames not long after hee was created a Bishop was highly questioned in Parliment for seditious speeches against the Commons House for which he had suffered condigne punishment had he not beene an active instrument to dissolve that Parliament to avoid the censure of it Since that he had a hand in dissolving other Parliaments to the prejudice of the King and Kingdome In the Remonstrance of the Commons House of Parliament presented to King Charles our Soveraigne in the 3. yeare of his Raigne hee was by name complained against as one of the chiefe heads of the popish and Arminian Factions which disquietted both our Church and State and as a persecuter of good Ministers and suppressour of Lectures How many godly Ministers he prosecuted silenced suspended deprived both in the High Commission and all the Diocesse under his Jurisdiction whiles hee continued in favour at the Court is so well knowne to all that I need not relate it And his disfavour at Court as most conjecture was the cause of his unexpected Clemencie to the Ministers of the province of York some few years before his death He was the first advancer of William Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury of Doctor Cousins with sundry other Incendiaries and Innovators both in Church and State who were entertained by him for his Chaplainesâ— and then promoted by his meanesâ— to the ruine almost of our Religion and Kingdome He was a great enemy to Parliaments Prohibitions the Liberties of the Subject and Lawes of the Land Hee seldome or never preached himselfe and therefore could not endure frequent preaching in others Hee was a great furtherer of the Booke for sports on the Lords day and an enemy to puritie Puritans and the sincere practise of pietie Hee had a hand in ratifying the late Canons and Oath in affront of his Majesties Prerogative the Parliament Lawes and Liberties of the Subject And no doubt he had a finger in the late Scottish Warres and Combustions whereupon hee burnt all his Letters concerning Church and State-affaires as soone as he heard the Scots had entred into England for feare they should have beene surprized and his fellow-Prelates machinations against the Scots by their surprisall discovered He had a chiefe hand and influence in the unjust and bloudy sentences against Dr. Layton and Mr. Pryn in the Star-chamber against Mr. Smartâ— Dr. Bastwicke Mr. Huntly and sundry others in the High Comission in the vexatious and most exorbitant proceedings against Calvin Bruen Peter Lee Mr. Inch and sundry others of Chester for visiting M. Pryn in his passage through that Citie towards Castleâ— and by 2. Orders under the high Commission Seale of Yorke signed with his owne and other Commissioners hands bearing date the 10. Novem. and 4. Decem. 1637. commanded 5. Pictures of the Portraiture of M. Pryn to be defaced and then burnt at the high Crosse in Chester before the Maior Alderman and Citizensâ— out of an hatred to Mr. Prynnes person which no doubt hee would have burned to as well as his picture had it bin in his power This Arch-Prelate by the aide of his quondam Chaplain Canterbury incroached much on the liberties of the Lord Maior and Citizens of Yorke with whom he had many contests and procured a Mandate to the Lord Maior not to carry his sword before him within the Close and Cathedrall at Yorke though his Predecessours had ever used to do it from K. Richard the 2. his daies who gave them this priviledge by a Charter and yet the Deane and Prebends of Yorke in the meane have intruded themselves contrary to divers Charters into the civill Government
during these fifteene dayes he could not avoid by order of vrineâ— or otherwise any thing that he received whereby his body being miserably inflamed within who had inflamed so many good Martyrs before was brought to a wretched end And thereof no doubt as most like it is came the thrusting out of his tongue from his mouth so swolne and blacke with the inflammation of his body A Spectacle worthy to be noted and beholden of such bloody burning Persecutors When Doctor Dayâ— Bishop of Chichester came to him and began to comfort him with words of Gods Promise and with the free justification in the blood of Christ our Saviour repeating the Scriptures to him Winchester hearing that What my Lord quoth he will you open that gappe now Than farewell all together To me and such other in my case you may speake it but open this window to the people than farewell all together And thus this wretch died blaspheming He that list may read more of him in Iohn Bales Scriptorum Brit. cent 8. sect 88. p. 486. c. Iohn White his successor in that See was little better and would have defaced Queene Elizabeth gladly if hee durst in his Funerall Sermon of Queene Mary whom he immoderately extolled He to obtaine this Bishoppricke promised to give the Pope 1600. l. per annum for it during his life which grosse Symony the Pope disliking and threatning to punish him for it he was forced to pay much dearer ere he could obtaine it This Bishop and others being appointed to conferre with the Protestant Ministers in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth insteed of disputing he and Thomas Watson Bishop of Lincolne two malepate Prelates threatning to excommunicate the Queene were committed to prison and there detained and after that for refusing to take the oath of allegeance to the Queen he with thirteene Bishops more who denied to take the Oath of Supremacy which the greatest number of them had sworne unto formerly during the raigne of King Henry the eight were deprived of their Bishopprickes and others placed in their roome Iohn Bale in his Centuries gives this description of this Prelate Iohannes Whitus Wintoniensis schâ—lae olim Praeses nunc EIVS PESTILENTISSIMAE SEDIS Episcopus Antichristi Romani terrificus minister rostris unguibus in Angliae regno restituere conatur omnes ejus tyraâ—nides idolomanias faeditates omniâ— dogmata universa Principum illusor animarum carnifex duplex perjurus hypocrita ambitiosus que haereticus deum suum Mauzim mutum mortuum aridum idolum omnium perniciosissimum adversus Denm verum viuum sanctum erexit And Iohn Parkhust for his sake wrote this Disticke to England to take heede of all Prelates and not to trust them Anglia furcatis nimium ne fidito mitris Dic rogo num serus sum tibi praemonitor With this other Disticke upon the Bishop himselfe Candidus es certè nec candidus es Rogitas cur Nomine candidus es moribus at niger es I finde little recorded of any of the Bishops of this See since this dayes and what the Prelates of that See in our memories have beene as Bilson Mountague Andrewes Neale and Curle now living is sufficiently knowne For Bilson Andrewes and Neale we know they were great sticklersâ— for Episcopacy Lordly Prelacy the High Commission Inquisition and Ex Officio Oathes great enemies to Prohibitions and the Common Law and no good friends to Parliaments for Mountague and Neale they were the originall Authors and publishers of the Booke for Sports on the Dayâ— published in King Iames his name and dayes which occasioned must disorder then and more since and for the present Bishop Curle hee was the most violent enforcer of this Booke on the Cleargie of all other Bishops Peirce and Wren onely excepted and the first that ever suspended any Ministers for refusing parsonally to read it in their Churches he suspending no lesse than five eminent Ministers at St. Mary Overies in one day for refusing to publish it though not injoyned nor authorized by the King to do it whereupon other Bishops following his example and proceedings in this kinde both in their Consistories high Commissions and Visitations wherein they made it one Article of Inquiry upon oath for Churchwardens to present on whether their Minister had read to them the Declaration for Sports a suparlative and shamelesse prophanes not paraleld in any age since Adam till now Silenced Suspended persecuted excommunicated and drave out of the Realme many of our best and painfullest preaching Ministers and put both our Church and State into a miserable combustion and most sad perplexed condition making such breaches in both which will not be repaired again in many yeares O that men who professe themselves Fathers of the Church Pillers of Religion and Pastors of mens soules should be such Step-fathers to their owne Diocesse and Country such patrons of prophanesse and licenciousnesse and such desperate murtherers of poore peoples soules to vex persecute and stop their godly Ministers mouthes because they durst not out of consciens open them to seduce and spur them on to hell prophanes with a full currere I shall onely checke the impudency and shame the prophanenesse of these our monstrou Prelates with words of Cardinall Bellarmine no Puritan I am certaine touching the unlawfulnesse of Dancing and Pastimes upon Lords dayes in sundry Sermons I cannot verily good hearers saith he explicate by words with how great griefe of minde I behold in what a perverse and Diabolicall manner Holi-dayes are celebrated in this our age How farre pevish men have obscured and defiled their pious institution with their most corrupt manners may be understood by this that to strangers and those who are ignorant what manner of feasts these are from those things which they see every where to be done they may seeme to be not the feasts of God but the Festivals of the Devill and so the very Bacchanalia themselves Yea verily when I pray you are there more sinnes committed then on Holidayes When are there more sumptuous feasts kept When more lascivious songs heard When are bowling-allies Tavernes more frequented when are there more execrable kinds of Playes Fooleries and scurrilities When are there more Dances in most places to the sound of the Harpe and Lute then on these dayes But peradventure it is no evill or a small evill for men to dance with women Yea verily nothing is more pernicious If strawes can come to the fire and not be burnt than a young man may dance with women Alas what will dances and Galliards profit thee at the last when thou shalt have danced long what shalt thou gaine at lengthâ— but wearinesse of body and sicknesse of minde knowest thou not the danger of Dances How many thinkest thou have entred Virgins into dances and returned Harlots Knowest thou not what hapned to the daughter of Herodias who with her dances was the
of him thinking by this meanes they should so farre obleige Stephen to them as in all likelihood it must be a meanes not onely to continue but likewise much to encrease their swaying power greatnesse and authority As for the Oath they had taken this Bishop devised an excuse that King Henry after the time they had sworne to his daughter marrying her out of the Realme without her consent had therein discharged them of that Oath However this allegation might bleare the eyes of men it could not deceive God that out of his justice turned this device to the destruction of many and the infinite trouble of all them that had any finger in the same especially of this Bishop King Stephen in the beginning of his raigne to secure himselfe the better against forraine invasions as he thought granted license unto all that would to build Castles in any part of the Realme by vertue of which grant in a short time after there were erected no lesse than 1117. new Castles This Bishop hereupon cujus opera nunquam Episcopali a fuere writes Neubrigensis built a Castle at the Devises the goodliest stateliest building in all Europe with the Castles of Shirborne and Malmesbury and new walled and repaired the Castle of Salisbury Et quoniam hujusmodi extructio Episcopalem honestatem minus decere videbatur ad tollendam illius structionis invidiam quasi expiandam maculam totidem monasteria construens collegis religiosis implevit saith the same Neubrigensis These antidotes were of so small force as there wanted not many to buzze dayly into the Kings eares that these Castles no doubt were intended to entertaine the party of the Empresse his adversary and that it much behooved him to take them from the Bishop in whose hands to leave them was neither safe nor seemely Wherefore partly out of feare and jealousie of the Bishops fidelity and partly out of a desire of the Bishops wealth as some conjecture he summons a councell at Oxford whither all the Bishops and specially Roger of Salisbury are summoned Roger would faine excuse himselâ—e by his age and indisposition of body whereunto the King answered that he could by no meanes spare him nor want his advice whereon he meant principally to relye Whereupon the Bishop presuming on the Kings â—avour who had made one of his Nephewes Chancellour another Treasurer of England bestowed on himselfe the Burrough of Malmesbury saying sometimes Let this man beg while he will for a while I will grant him halfe the Kingdome rather than say him nay and sooner shall he be weary of craving than I of granting repaired to Oxford where there grew a fray betweene some of the Kings Officers and the Bishops men about lodgings wherein two of his men were slaine and divers wounded Hereupon his men and he fled as also his son Nephews but they were all persued and taken except the Bishop of Ely who fled to the Castle of the Devises which was very well manned and provided determining to hold it out against the King who presently repaired thither with all speed carrying his Prisoners along with him whom he caused to be very hardly used shutting up the one Bishop in an Oxestall the other in a filthy black roome more loathsome than the other At his first comming he summoned the Castle entending to prove all meanes to get in rather than let this occasion slip Trying therefore many practises when no other would take successe he caused a paire of gallowes to be set up and swore he would hang Roger the Bishop if the Castle were not presently yeelded up to him The Bishop of Ely continuing obstinate in his deniall though his Uncle of Salisbury had entreated him earnestly to yeeld the halter was now about the young mans necke and he ready to be executed when his Father humbly besought the king to accept his best endeavour for the effecting of his desire and to save his Sonnes life was content to sweare he would neither eate nor drinke before the Castle were delivered to the King Hereupon the execution of the Son was stayed but it cost the Father his Life For the Bishop of Ely his Nephew notwithstanding what entreaty would be made suffered his Uncle to â—ast three whole dayes before he would give overâ— by meanes whereof the Old Bishop partly for griefe partly by so long abstinence â—ell sicke of a quartaine Ague whereof he languished and at last dyed raving and taking on like a man distract of his wits certaine dayes before his departure which death and usage of his is by our Historians reputed a just judgement of God upon him for his perjury and Treason against Mawde in dis-inheriting her of the Crowne contrary to his Oath There was found in this Castle of his 4000. Markes of silver ready coyned besides gold plate jewels and household stuffe of inestimable price all which the King layd hands on The Bishops sonne was kept in Prison and dealt earnestly withall to renounce the Empresse against whom he had formerly sided and devote himselfe to the Kings party which he constantly refused and with long suite obtained at last that hee might be banished the Realme This Act of the King in seising the Bishops Castles was variously spoken of many Some sayd the Bishops were lawfully deprived of them because they had built them without any warrant from the Canons that they ought to be Evangelists of peace not Architects of Castles which might prove a refuge to Malefactors Hugh Arch-Bishop of Rhoan alleadged these things with more ample reasons and speeches being the Kings greatest advocate and maintaining his side with all his eloquence Others held the contrary with whom Henry Bishop of Winchester sided being the Popes Legate and the Kings owne Brother whom neither his brotherly alliance nor feare of danger compelled to exorbitate from the truth who alledged that if the Bishops had transgressed the rule of Justice in any thing that the judgement hereof belonged not to the King but to the Canons and that they ought not to be deprived of any possession without a publik Ecclesiasticall Councell That the King had done this not out of a zeale of rectitude but for his owne profit who rendred not the Castles to the Churches by whose cost and on whose lands they were built but contrarily gave them to lay men and that to such who had little Religion in them speaking these things privately and also publikely before the King and calling upon him to free and restore the Bishops he lost his labour no man listning to him Wherfore determining to try the vigour of the Canons he commanded the king â—his brother immediately to appeare before him at the Councell which he was about to celebrate at Winchester where most of the Bishops of England assembling the Cardinalls Commission for his power Legatineâ— from Pope Innocent being first read he made a speech in Latine wherein he complained of the unworthy apprehending of the Bishops of Salisbury
the King of France and after slew Thomas Becket and last of all thou forsakest the Protection of Christs Faith The King was mooved with these wordâ— and sayd unto the Patriarch Though all the men of the Land were one body and spake with one mouth they durst not speake â—o me such words No wonder said the Patriarch for they love thine and not thee That is to meane they love thy goods temporall and feare the losse of promotion but they love not thy soule And when he had so said he offered his head to the King saying Doe by me right as thou didst by Thomas Becket for I had rather be slaine of thee then of the Sarasens for thou art worse then any Sarasen and they follow a prey and not a man But the King kept his patience and said I may not wend out of my Land for my owne Sonnes will arise against me when I am absent No wonder said the Patriarch for of the devill they came and to the devill they shall and so departed from the King in great ire So rudely have Prelates dealt with the greatest Princes as thus both in words and deeds to revile and contemne them as if they were their slaves to be at their command though with the hazard of their lives Crownes and Kingdomes upon every humour I now passe on to the Scottish Prelates The Bishops of Scotlands acts in this kinde TO passe from Normandy to Scotland before I enter into a Relation of any of the Scotish Prelates actions I shall inform you what Holinshed writes of King Davids erection of Bishoprickes in Scotland and his endowing of them with large temporall possessions This Church in the originall plantation of the Gospell having beene governed onely by Presbyters and wanting Bishops for some hundred of yeares following herein the custome of the Primitive Church as Iohn Fordon Iohn Major Bishop Vsher and Spelman testifie David King of Scots erected foure Bishoprickes within this Realme Rosse Brochin Dunkeld and Dublaine indowing them with rich Rents faire Lands and sundry right commodious possessions Moreover he translated the Bishops See of Murthlake unto Aberden for sundry advised considerations augmenting it with certaine revenues as he thought expedient He was admonished as the report goeth in his sleepe that he should build an Abbey for a religious Order to live in together Whereupon he sent for workemen into France and Flanders and set them in hand to build this Abbey of Canons regular as he was admonished dedicating it in the honour of a Crosse whereunto he bare speciall devotion for that very strangely it slipped into his hands on a time as he was pursuing and following of a Hart in the Chase But enough of these Monkish devises Many prudent men blame greatly the unmeasurable liberality of King David which he used towards the Church in diminishing so hugely the revenues of the Crowne being the cause that many Noble Princes his Successors have come to their finall ends for that they have beene constrained through want of treasure to maintaine their royall estates to procure the fall of sundry great Houses to possesse their Lands and livings also to raise payments and exactions of the Common people to the utter impoverishment of the Realme And sometime they have beene constrained to invade England by warres as desperate men not caring what came of their lives Other whiles they have beene enforced to stampe naughty money to the great prejudice of the Common wealth All which mischiefes have followed since the time that the Church hath beene thus enriched and the Crowne impoverished Therefore King Iames the first when he came to King Davids Sepulcher at Dunfirmling he said that he was a sore Saint for the Crowne Meaning that he left the Church over-rich and the Crowne too poore For he tooke from the Crowne as Iohn Major writeth in his Chronicles 60000. pound Scotish of yearely revenues Wherewith he endowed those Abbyes But if King David had considered how to nourish true Religion he had neither endowed Churches with such riches nor built them with such royalty for the superfluous possessions of the Church as they are now used are not onely occasion to evill Prelates to live in most insolent pompe and corrupt life but an assured Net to draw gold and silver out of Realmes Thus Holinshed of the Bishops and Bishoprickes of Scotland in generall In a Convocation at Fairefax under King Gregory Anno 875. It was decreed by the Bishops of Scotland that Ordinaries and Bishops should have authority to order all men both publike and private yea Kings themselves as well for the keeping of Faith given as to constraine them to confirme the same and to punish such as should be found in the contrary This was a high straine of insolency and treachery against the Prerogative of the King and Nobles priviledges whom these Prelates endeavoured to enthrall to their Lordly pleasures and perchance it was in affront of King Davids Law who ordained Anno 860. but 15. yeares before that Priests should attend their Cures and not intermeddle with secular businesses or keepe Horses Haukes or Hounds A very good Law had it beene as well executed Anno 1294. the Scots conspiring together against their Soveraigne Lord and King Iohn Bailiol rose up in armes against him and inclosing him in a Castle they elected to themselves twelve Peeres after the manner of France whereof the foure first were Bishops by whose will and direction all the affaires of the Kingdome should be managed And this was done in despite to disgrace the King of England who set the said Iohn over them against their wils Whereupon the King of England brought an Army towards Scotland in Lent following to represse the rash arrogancy and presumption of the Scotsâ— against their owne Father and King and miserably wasted the Country over-running it quite and making both them and their King whom he tooke Prisoner to doe homage and sweare fealâ—y and give pledges to him as Walsingham reciâ—es more at large Among these Bishops it seemes that the Bishop of â—lascow was one of the chiefe opposites against the King of Scotland and England for Anno 1298. I finde this Bishop one of the chiefe Captaines of the Rebellious Scots and leading an Army in the field which being disbanded for feare of the English forces upon promise of pardon this Bishop Ne proditionis notam incurreret lest he should incurre the brand of treason rendred himselfe to Earle Warren sent into Scotland with an Army who committed him prisoner to the Castle of Rokâ—burrow for a Rebell where he was detained William of Neubery records Thaâ— David King of Scots was divinely chastised by one Wimundus an English man of obscure parents made Bishop of the Scottish Islands who waxing proud of his Bishopricke began to attempt great matters Not content with the dignity of his Episcopall Office he did now in
And as if this had not been sufficient he procured sixe Subsidies to be lifted of the Clergy under paine of deprivation to all that should refuse And which is yet worse and above which Malice it selfe cannot ascend by his meanes a Prayer is framed Printed and sent through all the Paroches of England to be said in all Churches in time of Divine Service next after the Prayer for the Queene and Royall Progeny against our Nation by name of Trayterous Subjects having cast off all obedience to our annoynted Soveraigne and comming in a rebellious manner to invade England that shame may cover our faces as Enemies to God and the King Whosoever shall impartially examine what hath proceeded from himselfe in these two Bookes of Canons and Common Prayer what Doctrine hath beene published and Printed these yeares by-past in England by his Disciples and Emissaries what grosse Popery in the most materiall points we have found and are ready to shew in the posthume writings of the Prelate of Edenburgh and Dumblane his owne creatures his neerest familiars and most willing instruments to advance his counsels and projects â—all perceive that his intentions were deepe and large against all the reformed Kirkes and Reformation of Religion which in his Majesties dominions wes panting and by this time had rendred up the Ghost if God had not in a wonderfull way of mercy prevented us And that if the Pope himselfe had beene in his place he could not have beene more Popish nor could he more zealously have negotiated for Rome against the Reformed Kirkes to reduce them to the Heresies in Doctrine the Superstitions and Idolatry in worship and the Tyranny in Government whâ—ch are in that See and for which the Reformed Kirkes did separate from it and come furth of Babell From him certainely hath issued all this deluge which almost haâ—h overturned all We are therefore confident that your Lordships will by your meanes deale effectually wiâ—h the Parliament that this great firebrand be presently removed from his Majesties presence and that he may be put to tryall and put to his deserved censure according to the Lawes of the Kingdome which fall be good service to God honour to the King and Parliament terrour to the wicked and comfort to all good men and to us in speciall who by his meanes principally have beene put to so many and grievous afflictions wherein we had perished if God had not beene with us We doe indeed confesse that the Prelates of England have beene of very different humours some of them of a more hot and others of them men of a more moderate temper some of them more and some of them lesse inclinable to Popery yet what knowne truth and constant experience hath made undenyable we must at this opportunity professe that from the first time of Reformation of the Kirke of Scotland not onely after the comming of King Iames of happy memory into England but before the Prelates of England have beene by all meanes uncessantly working the overthrow of our discipline and government And it hath come to passe of late that the Prelates of England having prevailed and brought us to subjection in the point of Governement and finding their long waited for opportunity and a rare congruity of many spirits and powers ready to cooperate for their ends have made a strong assault upon the whole externall worship and doctrine of our Kirke By which their doing they did not aime to make us conforme to England but to make Scotland first whose weakâ—nesse in râ—sisting they had before experienced in the Novations of government and of some poynts of Worship and thereafter England conforme to Rome even in these matters wherein England had separated from Rome ever since the time of Reformation And evill therefore which hath issued not so much from the personall disposition of the Prelates themselves as from the innate quality and nature of their office and Prelaticall Hierarchy which did bring furth the Pope in ancient times and never ceaseth till it bringeth furth Popish Doctrine and worship where it is once rooâ—ed and the Principles thereof fomented and constantly followed And from that antipathy and inconsistency of the two formes of Ecclesiasticall Government which they conceived and not without cause that one Island united also under one head and Monarch wes noâ— able to beare the one being the same in all the parts and powers which it wes in the times of Popery and now is in the Roman Church The other being the forme of Government received maintained and practised by all the Reformed Kirks wherein by their owne testimonies and confessions the Kirke of Scotland had amongst them no small eminency This also we represent to your Lordships most serious consideration that not onely the firebrands may be removed but that the fire may be provided against that there be no more combustion after this I shall close up all touching the Prelates of Scotland with the late Act of their generall Assembly at Edenburgh for their utter extirpation out of that Church and the Recantation and abjuration of two of their late Bishops to wit the Bishop of Dunkelden and of the Orcanies The Generall Act for abolishing of Episcopacy and all Innovationâ— lately intended in the Church of Scotland THe Kings Majesty having graciously declared that it is his Royall will and pleasure that all questions about Religion and matters Ecclesiasticall be determined by Assemblies of the Kirke having also by publique Proclamation indicted this frâ—e National Assembly for setling the present distraction of this Kirke and for establishing a perfect peace against such divisions and disorders as hath beene sore displeasing to his Majesty and grievous to all his good Subjects and now his Majesâ—ies Commissioner Iohn Earle of Traquaire instructed and authorized with a full Commission being present and sitting in this Assembly now fully conveened and orderly constitute in all the members thereof according to the Order of this Kirke having at large declared his Majesties good will to the reformed Religion and his Royall care and tender affection to this Kirke where his Majesty had both his birth and Baptisme his great displeasure at the manifold distractions and division of this Kirk and Kingdome and his desires to have all our wounds perfectly cured with a free and fatherly hand And although in the way approved by the Kirke tryall hath beene taken in former assemblies before from the Kirke Registers to our full satisfaction yet the Commissioners grace making particular enquiry from the members of the Assembly now solemnely conveened concerning the reall and true causes of so many and great evills at this time past had so fore troubled the peace of this Kirke and Kingdome it was presented to his Majesties Commissioner by this Assembly that beside many other the maine and most materiall causes was First the pressing of this Kirke by the Prelates with a Service Booke or Booke of Common Prayer without direction or
Prelates calling not to be divine and thereupon induced me to search into the bottome of it as farre as my poore abilities and leasure would permit till I found it to be so iâ—deed was the pravity of their actions and enormities of their lives In which if I have erred it is in following my Saviours infallible rule Matth. 7.15 to 20. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves ye shall know them by their â—ruits A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit neither can a corrupt trâ—e bring forth good fruit wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them Fifthly That it can neither be safe for King nor State to tolerate Lordly Prelates or to admit them to manage the chiefe Offices Councels and affaires of the Kingdome to which thâ—ir consultations and imployments for the most part have â—vâ—r proved pernicious as ancient and present experience abundantly testifie And that the readiest way to provide for our Kingdoms and Churches future security and tranquillity will be utterly to suppresse and remove them from all such offices and consultations Sixthly That those who have beene so perfidious and rebellious to our Kings and Kingdome will hardly prove faithfull and trusty in matters of Religion in which they have extraordinarily prevaricated in all ages and not a little of late yeares as is too manifest by sundry evidences and complaints in Parliament And here give me leave to recommend â—nâ— serious consideration to you how dangerous it is to intrust our Religion in the Prelates hands grounded upon these words of our famous Occham Who writing against the Popâ—s Monarchy alleadgeth this reason among others against it that there is greater danger of poysoning â—he people and whole Church by one supreame head then by many We know all the Bishops of England are to be consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being and are subject to him as Primate and Metropolitan of all Eâ—gland taking an Oath of Canonicall obedience to him so as they all in a manner depend on him Againe we know that no Minister can be ordained or admitted to Preach or instituted to any living as an Incumbent or Curate but by these Bishops who take upon them to visitâ— silence and suspend them at their pleasure yea and to dispose of most Patrons benefices to whom they please as we see by late wofull experience Suppose then which I trust shall never happen that any to whom the Crowne of England shall descend should be ill affected to our Religion if he should make choice of such an Archbishop and he of other inferiour Prelates sutable to his disaffectiâ—on who must ordaine all other Bishops Ministers and may suspend and silence them or deny to admit those that are Orthodox at his pleasure how easily might our Church and Religion by one over-potent Arch-bishop or Prelate backed by his Soveraigne be undermined suppressed and eradicated in a short space Whereas if this jurisdiction were devested from the Bishops which are but 26. and depend on one Arch-Prelate and setled in the Ministers which are many and more independent on the Prince then they our Religion would be farre more secure and the Ministers and people lesse subject to be infected with Romish Innovations which one Archbishop of Canterbury is now able sodainly to poyson our Church and people with Seventhly That these Bishops were the chiefe instruments to introduce advance and support the Popes Antichristian authority usurped jurisdiction and erronious doctrines among us and to revive them again when diminished or extinguished the Pope and popery still raigning among us till the Prelates attainted by King Henry the eight in a Praemunire were inforced sore against their wils to renounce the Popes authority to acknowledg him the supreame head on earth of our English Church and by speciall Letters patents and Acts of Parliament to confesse all their Episcopall jurisdiction to be derived not from God or the Pope but ONELY from by and under him their Soveraigne And I dare further averre for ratification of this Conclusion that the Prelates of Italy Germany France Spaine Hungary and Poland are the maine pillars which support the Popes Monarchy false Doctrines Ceremonies and Superstitions in those Countries and Kingdomes which would soone turne Protestants were but the Bishops suppressed and their great temporall revenues taken away the enjoyment of which Antichristian dignities and possessions engageth them to maintaine and uphold the Pope and popery against their consciences The truth of which will appeare by most of the transmarine reformed Churches who could never utterly abandon the Pope with his Doctrines and superstitions till they had extirpated their Lordly Bishops â— That as long as our Lordly Prelates continue there will not onely be a possibility but a probability of bringing in popery and the Pope againe among us since their Lordly Hierarchy is supported onely by popish Doctrines Canons Ceremonies and Principles which they are engaged to maintaine to preserve their tottering thrones from ruine How farre the Pope his Doctrines and Superstitions had of late in a little time serued themselves into our Church almost to the utter ruine of our Religion and of the Ministers and professors of it persecuted and driven out into forraine Countryes and that onely by the Bishops and their instruments machinations is so well knowne to all and so abundantly discovered to and by this present Parliament that I need not relate itâ— Onely this I dare say that if ever they get head and life among us againe as they did in Queene Maries dayes and that principally by the Prelates meanes it will be by our Lordly Bishops activity who if once totally suppressed both Pope and papists would utterly despaire of ever reducing England to their vassallage Eighthly That Bishops have done a world of mischiefe to our Kings and Kingdomes as appeares by all the premises but little or no good that I can read off And as for the diligent preaching of Gods word and publishing Christs true Religion the chiefe and almost onely duty of Bishops from Augustine the first Archbishop of Canterbury and first introducer of the Popes authority errours and superstitions among usâ— till Cranmers time which is above 800 yeares I thinke there was not one Archbishop guilty of it The like I may say of other Seas and I presume I may justifie that some two poor Country Curats or Lecturers in our dayes have converted more soules to God by their diligent zealous preaching then all the Archbâ—shops of Canterbury put together most of whom I read to have been Rebels Traytors State-officers persecutors of Religion but very few of them soule-converting Preachers Why then should â—hese Popes of another World as the Pope of Rome once stiled them be still tolerated when they have done so much mischiefe and so little good to our State and Church Ninthly That the endowing of the Prelates with great Temporall
est nefas it is the highest impiety to preferre any other Businesse before this care or for any cause whatsoever to hinder them so as their ministeries be lesse â—ully adhibited to their Churches Moses was most amply endued with the spirit of God and excelled with incredible wisedome and he altogether burned with a most ardent study of planting and preserving the true religion yet seeing hee ought to governe the whole Common-wealth of Iâ—rael hee by Gods command set Aaron his brother with his sonnes over matters of religion that they might WHOLY bestow themselves in them The Maccabees truly joyned the Civill administration to the Ecclesiasticall but with what successe their histories testifie wherefore it is to be wished that Bishops according to Gods Law religionibuâ— solis vacent procurandis should onely addict themselves to matters of Religion and lay aside all other businesses from them though beneficiall to mankind and leave them to those who should wholly bestow themselves on them being chosen thereto by God There is no office that requires more study and care â—han the procuration of soules Satan knowing this very well hath brought to passe that Bishops and chiefe Ecclesiasticall Prelates should be sent for by Kings Emperours unto their Courts to manage publike affaires both of warre and peâ—ce Hence these mischiefes have ensued first a neglect of the whole sacred ministry the corruption of doctrine the destruction of discipline After as soone as Prelates began to usurpe the place of Lords they challenged their luxury pomp to themselves to which end since the wealth of Princâ—s was requisite that which they ought to bestow out of their Ecclesiasticall revenues upon the faithfull Ministers of Churches upon Schooles upon the poore of Christ all these things being taken from them by horrible sacriledge they spent them upon riot and princely pompe And when as the goods of the Church were not sufficient to maintaine this luxury and pompe they flattered away and begged and by various frauds tooke from Kings goodly rich poâ—sessions and great Lordships by which accessions their luxury and pride was thenceforth not onely fostered and sustained but likewise infinitely increased which afterwards so farre prevailed that the spoyles of single Churches would not suffice each of them but they brought the matter to this passe that one at this day may fleece or spoyle three or foure Bishoprickes Abbies and other Prelacies and such a multitude of parish Churches as is horrible to name for they say there is one lately dead in this Kingdome who fleaed above 20. Parishes So Bucer who held Bishops Ministers to be all one and that the power of ordination resting originally in Christ derivatively in the whole Church and ministerially onely in Bishops and Presbyters as servants to the Church belonged as well to Presbyters as to Bishops with whom Peter Martyr his fellow Regius professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford fully concurâ—es in his Commonplaces printed at London cum privilegio Ann. 1576. Class 4. Loc. 1. Sect. 23. p. 849. to which I shall referre you for brevity sake To these I might adde The image of both Pastors written by Huldricke Zwinglius translated into English by Iohn Veron dedicated to the Duke of Somerset Lord Protector and Printed at London Cum privilegio An. 1550. Wherein he proves the parity and identity of Bishops and Presbyters condemnes the Lordly and secâ—lar dominion Wealth Pompe Pride Tyranny Nonpreach and rare preaching of Prelates and manifests Lord Bishops as then they stood and now to be false Pastors and meer papall and antichristian officers not warranted by Gods word but because Zwinglius was a forraigner I shall passe it by without transcribing any passage thereof Mr. Iohn Hooper both a Bishop and martyr of our Church a great opposer of Ceremonies Episcopall Rochets and Vestments in which hee would not bâ— consecrated writes thus of the secular imployments wealth and calling of Bishops For the space of 400. yeares after Christ the Bishops applyed all their wit only to their owne vocation to the glory of God and the honour of the Realmes they dwelt in though they had not so much upon their heads as our Bishops have yet had they more within their heads as the Scripture and Histories testifie For they applyed all the wit they had unto the vocation and ministry of the Church whereunto they were called But our Bishops have so much wit that they can rule and serve as they say in both States in the Church and also in the Civill policie when one of them is more then any man is able to satisfie let him doe alwayes his best diligence If hee be so necessary for the Court that in Civill causes he cannot be spared let him use that vocation and spare the other It is not possible hee should doe both well It is a great oversight in Princes thus to charge them with two burthens the Primitive Church had no such Bishops as wee they had such Bishops as did preach many godly Sermons in lesse time than our Bishops horses be a bridling Their house was a Schoole or treasure house of Gods Ministers if it be so now let every man judge The Magistrates that suffer the abuse of these goods be culpable of the â—ault if the fourth part of the Bishopricke remained to the Bishop it were sufficient the third part to Schoolemasters the second to poore and souldiers were better bestowed If any be offended with me for this my saying he loveth not his owne soules health nor Gods Laws nor mans out of which I am alwayes ready to prove the thing I have said to be true Further I speake of love not of hatred And in his Apologie hee saith It is both against Gods Laws mans that Bishops and clergie men should be judges over any subjects within this Realme for it is no part of their office they can do no more but preach Gods Word and minister Gods Sacraments and excommunicate such as Godâ— Lawes do pronounce to be excommunicated who would put a sword into a madmans hand And in his exposition on Psal. 23.1580 f. 40. Although Bishops saith hee in the raigne of Constantine the Great obtained that among Bishops some should be called Archbishops and Metropolitans c. Yet this preheminencie was at the pleasure discretion of Princes not alwaies tyed to one sorâ— of Prelates as the impiety of our time beleeveth as we may see in the Councell of Calcedon Africke So that it is manifest that this Superior preheminency is not of Divine but of humane right instituted out of civill policie So Hooper The Booke of ordination of Ministers and Consecraation of Bishops compiled by the Bishops in King Edwards dayes ratified by two Acts of Parliament and subscribed to by all our Ministers hath this notable passage and charge against the Lordlinesse and secular imployments of Prelates and Ministers
If hee had seene our Bishops that now bee hee would have said otherwise For now the Pope claimeth a power above all the powers in heaven and earth as it is written in the Councell of Lateran Againe â—rasmus in another place speaking hereof saith thus This holy man Saint Ierome saith plainly and freely and as hee thinketh that the Bishop of Rome is above other Bishops not by Bishoprickeâ— but onely by riches By riches onely M. Harding Erasmus saith the Pope is above other Bishops By riches onely hee saith not by right of Gods word not by vertue not by learning not by diligence in preaching but onely by riches Now it may please you to follow your owne rule and to lay the one saying to the other But Saint Ieromes words are plaine of themselves and have no need of other expositor Thus he writeth What doth a Bishop saving onely the ordering of Ministers but a Priest may do the same Neither may wee thinke that the Chuâ—ch of Rome is oneâ— and the Church of all the world beside is another France England Affrica Persia Levante India and all barbarous Nations worship one Christ and keepe one rule of the truth If wee seeke for Authority the whole world is greater than the City of Rome Wheresoever there be a Bishop be it at Euguâ—ium be it at Rome be it at Constantinople be it at Rhegium Be it at Alexandria be it at Tanais they are all of one worthinesse they are all of one Bishopricke The power of riches and the basenesse of poverty maketh not a Bishop either higher or lower for they are all the Apostles successors What bring you mee the custome of Rome being but one City Here M. Harding findeth great fault for that I have translated these words Of one Bishopricke and not as hee would have it Of one Priesthood God woâ— a very simple quarrell Let him take whether he liketh best if either other of these words shall serve his turne Erasmus saith Bishop Pâ—iest and Presbyter at that time were all tâ—ree all one But Mâ— Harding saith The Primates had Authority over other inâ—eriour Bishops I graunt they had so Howbeit they had it by agreement and custome but neither by Christ nor by Peter nor Paul nor by any right of Gods Word Saintâ— Ierome saith Let Bishops understand that they are above Priests rather of Custome than of any truth or right of Christs institution and that they ought to rule the Church altogether And againe Therefore a Priest and a Bishop are both one thing and before that by the inflaming of the Devill parts were taken in Religion and these words were uttered among the people I hold of Paul I hold of Apollo I hold of Peter the Churches were governed by the common advice of the Priests Saint Augustine saith The office of a Biâ—hop is above the office of a Priest not by the authority of the Scripâ—ures but after the names of honour which the custome of the Church hath now obtained So part 2. cap. 9. Divis. 1. p. 196 He brings in M. Harding the Papist writing thus Even so they which denyed the distinction of a Bishop and a Priest were condemned of heresie as we find in Saint Augustine in the Booke and Chapter aforesaid And in Epiphanius Lib. 3. cap. 75. In the Councell of Constance the same is to be found To whom he answers in the Margent Vntâ—uth for hereby both Saint Paul and Saint Ierome and other good men are condemned of Heresie And p. 202. He gives this further answer But what meant M. Harding here to come in with the difference betweene Priests and Bishops thinkes hee that Priests and Bishops hold onely by Tradition or is it so horrible an heresie as hee maketh it to say that by the Scriptures of God a Bishop and a Priest are all one or knoweth hee how farre and unto whom he reacheth the name of an Hereticke Verily Chrysostome saith Betweene a Bishop and a Priest in a manner there is no difference Saint Hierome saith somewhat in rougher sort I heare say there is one become so peevish that hee setteth Deacons before Priests that is to say before Bishops Whereas the Apostle plainly teacheth us that Priests and Bishops he all one Saint Augustine saith What is a Bishop but the first Priest that is to say the highest Priest So saith Saint Ambrose There is but one consâ—cration of a Priest and Bishop for both of them are Priests but the Bishop is the first In his Sermon upon Haggai 1 p. 176. he writes thus against the temporall possessions and secular Offices of Clergy men When Constantinus the Emperour endowed the Church with lands and possessions they say there was a voyce of Angels heard in the ayre saying This day poyson is powred into the Church If there were poyson powred into Church then I doubt there was nover Treacle powred into it since This wee see that from that time shee hath done worse and worse Augustine findeth fault with the multitude of Ceremonies and saith the Church in â—his time was in worse case by mans devises than was the Church of the Iewes Bernard said There is no part sound in the Clergie And againe They which chuse tâ—e first places in the Church are chiefest in persecuting Christ. And againe they be not Teachers but deceivers they are not feeders but beguilers they be not Prelates but Pilates Which hee thus further prosecutes in his Sermon on Matthew 9. p. 198. And what shall I speake of Bishops Their cloven Miter signifieth perfect knowledge of the new Testament and the old their Crosiers Staffe signifieth diligence in attending the flocke of Christ their purple Bootes and Sandals signifie that they should ever be booted and ready to goe abroad through thicke and thinne to teach the Gospell and thereto they applyed the words of the Prophet How beautifull are the feete of them which bring glad tydings of peace which bring glad tydings of good things But alas in what kind of things do they beare themselves for Bishops These mysticall titles and shewes are not enough to â—eâ—ch in the Lords Harvest they are garments more meete â—or Players than for good Labourers Saint Bernard writes thus to Eugenius the Bishop of Rome who sometime had beene his Scholler Thou which art the shepheard â—ettest up and downe shining in gold and gorgeously attired but what get thy sheepe If I durst speake it these things are not the fodder for Christs sheepe but for devils Whatsoever apparell they have upon them unlesse they will fall to worke Christ will not know them for labourers How then can the Bishop of Rome be taken for the chiefe Pastor of Christ which these 900. yeares hath not opened his mouth to feed the flocke These 900. yeares I say since Gregory the first of that name it can hardly be found that ever any Bishop of Rome was seene in a Pulpit One of
Faith Theo. But Laymen may choose what faith they will professe and Princes may dispose of their Kingdomes though Priests and Bishops would say nay Phi. Religion they may not dispose without a Councell Theo. Not if God command Phi. How shall they know what God commandeth unlesse they have a Councell Theo. This is childish wrangling I aske if God command whether the Prince shall refuse to obey till the Clergy confirme the same Phi. You may be sure a wise and sober Clergy will not dissent from Gods precepts Theo. What they will doe is out of our matter But in case they doe to which shall the Prince hearken to God or those that beare themselves for Priests Phi. In case they doe so you need not doubt but God must be regarded and not men Theo. And hath the Prince sufficient authority to put that in â—re which God commandeth though the Priests continue their wilfulnes Phi. There is no Councell nor consent of men good against God Theo. Hold you there Then when Châ—istian Princes are instructed and resolved by learned and faithfull teachers what God requireth at their hands what need they care for the backward disposition of such false Prophets as are turned from the truth and preach lyes Phi. In England when her Majesty came to the Crowne it was not so The Bishops that dissented were grave vertuous and honourable Pastors standing in defence of the Catholicke and ancient Faith of their Fathers Theo. You say so wee say no. Phi. Those be but words Theo. You say very right and therefore the more to blame you that in both your bookes doe play on that string with your Rhetoricall and Thrasonicall fluence and never enter any point or proofe that my profiâ— your Reader you presume your selves to have such apparent right and rule over the Faith over the Church over Christian Princes and Realmes that without your consent they shall neither conclude nor consult what religion they will professe Their acts shall be disorders their Lawes injuries their correction tyranny if you mislike them This dominion and jurisdiction over all Kingdomes and Countries if your holy Father and you may have for the speaking you were not wise if you would not claime it but before we beleeve you you must bring some better ground of your Title then such magnificall and majesticall florishes The Prince and the parliament you say had no power to determine or deliberate of those mattersâ— And why so you to wit Bishops did dissent May not the Prince command for truth within her Realme except your consents be first required and had May not her Highnesse serve Christ in making Lawes for Christ without your liking Claime you that interest and prerogative that without you nothing shall be done in matters of Religion by the Lawes of God or by the liberties of this Realme By the Lawes of the Land you have no such priviledge Parliaments have beene kept by the King and his Barons the Clergy wholly excluded yet their Acts and Statutes good And when the Bishops were present their voyces from the Conquest to this day were never negative By Gods Law you have nothing to do with making Lawes for Kingdomes and commonâ—wealths you may teach you may not command Perswasion is your part compulsion is the Princes If Princes imbrace the truth you must obey them If they pursue truth you must abide them By what authority then claime you this Dominion over Princes that their Lawes for Religion shall be void unlesse you consent Phi. They be no Judges of faith Theo. No more are you It is lawfull for any Christian to reject your doctrine if he perceive it to be false though you teach it in your Churches pronounce it in your Councels to be never so true Phi. That proveth not every private mans opinion to be true Theo. Not yet to be false the greater number is not ever a sure warrant for truth And Judges of faith though Princes be not yet are they maintainers establishers and upholders of faith with publike power and positive Lawes which is the point you now withstand Phil. That they may do when a Councell is precedent to guide them Theo. What Councellâ— had Asa the King of Judah when he commanded his peoplâ— to do according to the Law and the Commandment and made a covâ—nant that whosoever would not seeke the Lord God of Israel should be slaine Phi. He had Azariah the prophet Theo. One man is no Councell and he did but encourage and commend the King and that long after hee had established Religion in his Realme What councell had Ezechiah to lead him when he restored the true worship of God throughout his land and was faine to send for the Priests and Levites and to put them in mind of their duties What Councell had Iosiah when ten yeares after his comming to the Crowne he was forced to send for direction to Huldath the Prophetesse not finding a man in Iudah that did or could undertake the charge Phi. These were Kings of the Old Testament and they had the Law of God to guide them Theo. Then since Christian Princes have the same Scriptures which they had and also the Gospell of Christ and Apostolike writings to guide them which they had not why should they not in their Kingdomes retaine the same power which you see the Kings of Judah had and used to their immorâ—all praise and joy Phi. The Christian Emperours ever called Councells before they would attempt any thing in Ecclesiasticall matters Theo. What Councell had Constantine when with his Princely power he publikely received and settled Christian religion throughout the World twenty yeares before the Fathers met at Nice What councels had Iustinian for all those Ecclesiasticall constitutions and orders which hee decreedâ— and I have often repeated What Councels had Charles for the Church Lawes and Chapters which he proposed and enjoyned as well to the Pastors as to the people of his Empire Phi. They had instruction by some godly Bishops that were about them Theo. Conference with some Bishops such as they liked they might have but councells for these causes they had none In 480. years after Christian Religion was established by Christian Laws I mean from Constantine the first to Constantine the seventh there were very neere forty Christian Emperours whose Lawes and Acts for Ecclesiasticall affaires were infinite and yet in all that time they never called but sixe generall Councels and those for the Godhead of the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and for the two distinct natures and wills in Christ. All other points of Christian Doctrine and Discipline they received established and maintained without â—ecumenicall Councels upon the private instruction of such Bishops and clerkes as they favored or trusted Theodosius as I shewed before made his owne choyce what faith he would follow had no man nor meanes to direct him unto truth but
little hope of any unity peace or harmony in our Church if it continue Thirdly admit some petty inconveniences may arise by such an alteration and extirpation of Episcopacy yet these are nothing comparable for weight or number to those mischiefes which will certainely accrue by its continuance Since therefore of two evils the lesse is ever to be elected it will bee farre more expedient to our Church and State totally and finally to suppresse then to support our Lordly Prelacy And thus much for this Capitall Objection The second Allegation for the continuance of Episcopacy is this that if Bishops be taken away we shall have nothing but Sects Schismes and divisions in our Church and almost as many Religions as men To this I answere First that the tyranny Lordlinesse prophanenesse Superstition and Innovations of our Prelates both in Ceremones Doctrine Worship have beene the Originall Principall if not onely cause of all those Sects divisions and Separations lately sprung up in our Church for proofe of which I appeale onely to every mans conscience and experience it being a most knowne undubitable truth the removing therefore of our Bishops the cause of all our Schismes and devisions must needes be a meanes of future peace and unity not cause of Schismes or divisions in Religion as is vainely suggested Secondly Episcopacy it selfe is now a maine ground of Separation from our Church the great stumbling blocke which causeth many dayly to fall off from us and hinders others from closing with us all other grounds of Separation and division depending on or arising from Episcopacy And unlesse this be removed in my poore apprehension there can be no hopes at all of any reconciliation of those who are fallen off from us or keeping others from separation but the rent will still grow greater what ever course else be taken to effect a Union Therefore questionlesse the abolishing of Episcopacy cannot be a meanes of increasing Schismes or divisions but the best and readiest way to remedy and prevent them Thirdly Saint Ierome and others informe us that Episcopacy was first instituted to prevent and extirpate Schismes but it hath beene so farre from effecting this that it hath on the contrary occasioned all or most of those Schismes and divisions that ever happened in the Church of God since its first institution both at home and abroad as is evident by all Ecclesiasticall Histories by the severall Schismes of the Popes and other Prelates in forraigne parts of Canterbury Yorke and other Lordly Prelates at home which if God send life and opportunity I shall irrefragably manifest in a peculiar Treatise of that Subject if there be occasion It cannot be then but that their suppression should rather remedy than procure Sects and Schismes Fourthly in the reformed Churches of France and Geneva where there are no Bishops there are no Sects or Schismes at all or at least not so many as where there are Bishops And though im Germany and the Netherlands there bee many Sects yet this is not through want of Bishops but by reason of the connivance of the temporall Magistrates who permit them and wil neither suppresse them themselves nor suffer their Presbyteries to doe it out of I know not what State policy permitting all Religions and Sects Fifthly our Bishops ever since the Reformation and before have beene the greatest opposers and hinderers of the reformation of those abuses and fooleries the introducers and maintainers of those Ceremonies and Superstitions which have beene the grand occasions of Schismes and Separation How often have Pluralities Non-residence abuses of Excommunication Ex Officio Oathes and proceedings Visitation Fees and extortions abuses of Ecclesiasticall Courts and processes Selling of Orders of licenses to preach keepe Schoole and the like commutations of penance admission of prophane and scandalous persons to the Sacrament toleration of scandalous superstitious lasie non-preaching rare-preaching and insufficient Ministers Altars Images Tapers Cathedrall chaunting and musicke bowing at Altars and to the name Jesus with those Superfluous Ceremonies of the Crosse Ring Surplesse and kneeling at the Sacrament which scandalize many and may be better omitted than retained beene complained against from time to time in Parliament and elsewhere without any the least redresse or reformation and all by reason of our Prelates obstinacy who peremptorily maintaine and will not suffer them to be either amended or removed to the glory of God the honour of our Religion the satisfying of tender Consciences the peace of our Church and State and doe they not now in this present Parliament which threatens ruine to their Lordly chaires oppose with all their mightâ— the reformation of all or most of those corruptions which are the occasions of our Schismes and distractions Yea did they not in their late new Canons in affront of the whole Parliament and Kingdome not onely justifie but establish as much as in them lay and that for perpetuity all those Innovations extravagances and grievances which were chiefe occasions of our late unhappy divisions and of many thousands separations from our Church This being then an experimentall knowne â—ruth the removing of these incorrigible Prelates who will neither refoâ—me themselves nor suffer any abuses in our Church to be redressed must of necessity be the onely cure of our renâ—s and divisions for the present and the best meanes to prevent them for the future Sixthly I appeale to all indifferent men whether Schismes and diversities in matters of Religion may not be better prevented suppressed by good Lawes by godly Magistrates and Ministers specially authorized to suppresse them than by a company of corrupt Prelates and their Officers who for their owne private Lucre as experience manifests will bee content to tolerate and connive at any erronious doctrines Sects and Schismes especially Papists and Arminians the chiefe patriots and supporters of their Hierarchy but those who directly oppose their Prelacy and corruptions as â—hose they nickename Puritanes doe who shall be sure to smart and feele the Bishops severity to the uttermost how ever others scape If so then I hope there is no neede at all to continue our Lordly Prelates to suppresse these mischiefes which may be better reformed and suppressed by others than by our Bishops and their Officers I shall conclude this point with the words of learned Antonie Sadeel in his answere to Turrian the Jesuite who made the same objection for the defence and continuance of Bishops as our Prelates doe here I answere in few words That this superiour degree of Bishops is an ancienâ— but yet ONELY a humane Institution whereby the pious Ancients intended to prevent Schismes And although perchance considering those times this remedy was not unusefull yet experience hath taught us that these good Fathers while they desired to shunâ— Charybdis fell into Scylla For the ambition of Prelates which followed soone after was no lesse pernicious to the Church than those Schismes And to speake truely THIS
Private men their Episcopacy making none of them to preach or write more than otherwise they would have done but lesse as experience manifests So that their Bishoprickes made them not to doe more good but rather hindred them to doe so much good as they would have done had they still continued private Ministers onely For the second that they are one of the greatest States of the Land setled by many Acts of Parliament and necessary members of the Parliament which cannot well be held without them I answere first that our Lord Abbots and Priors might and did pleade this as well as Bishops yet this was held no Plea at all no not in times of Popery and shall we allow it now in times of clearer light Secondly the wohle body of Popery it selfe together with the Pope his Popish Clergie Orders and Ceremonies were all setled among us by sundry Acts of Parliament and the Statutes of Magna Charta c. 1. with all other Acts of Parliament since enacting that holy Church or the Church of England Bishops and Churchmen shall enjoyâ— all their â—ranchises Rights Liberties Priviledges câ— are meant onely of our Popish Prelates Abbots Priors Monks Nunnes Masse-Priests and of exemption from secular Jurisdiction Sanctuaries with other Anti-Monarchicall priviledges granted to them by Kings Popes or Parliaments in times of Popery shall then our Popish Recusants or any other argue thence therefore it is fit that Popery with all Popish orders Bishops Sanctuaries and exemptions should be now revived and perpetuated among us because established by so many Lawes If this be no argument for the continuance of Popery or Popish Prelates who were principally established by these objected Lawes then certainely it can be no good Plea for the continuance of such of our Prelates who are true Protestants whom most of these Acts never established nor intended to continue Thirdly It is a rule in Philosophy and Law Eodem modo quo quid constituitur dissolvitur Since therefore our Lordly Bishops were first erected and constituted such Bishops and States of the Land by Acts of Parliament onely not by any divine institution which prohibits them all such secular Lordly Soveraignty and dominion as I have largely manifested in the premises They may lawfully without any injury or inconvenience by an Act of Parliament be unbishopped unlorded againe and thrust out of our Church as well as the Pope Abbots Priors Monkes and Masse-Priests were upon the reformation of Religion both at home and in forraine parts As for our Prelates necessity of sitting in Parliament I answer First that though they have beene anciently admitted to â—it in Parliament yet there is no necessity of their sitting there seeing it hath beene long since resolved and Bishop Iuell with Bishop Bilson confesse and prove at large that a Parliament may be and some Parliaments have beene kept without Bishops as I have formerly demonstrated Secondly many â—imes all some or a great part of our Bishops have beene secluded the Parliament and yet this hath beene no impeachment to the proceedings there In the Parliament 〈◊〉 Saint Edmonds-bury Anno 1296. all the Bishops were brought in a Premunire and secluded the House In King Edward the sixt his time Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester and Bonner Bishop of London were sequestred and kept out of the House In the first yeare of Qâ—eene Mary all the Married Protestant Bishops and in the first of Queene Elizabeth many of the Popish Prelates were secluded and thrust out of the Parliament yea many Parliaments have beene held when one or both the Arch-Bishoprickes with many other Biâ—hoprickes have beene voyd and no Proxies admitted to supply their places All which proves that there is no necessity of their Session there and that all of them may be excluded thence at all times as well as all of them at sotimes and most of them at others Thirdly our Bishops sit not in the Parliament Bishopsâ— but as they aâ—e Barons and hold by Barony as is cleere both by our Histories Law Bookes and their owne confessions Now most of them at this day are no Barons nor hold of the King by Barony therefore they have no legall Right to sit there being no Peers of the Realme nor yet to be tryed by their Peers in case of Treason or Felony but onely by an Ordinary Jury as hath been adjudged in our Law Bookes practised in point of experience Fourthly Abbots and Priors who were spirituall Lords of Parliament as well as Bishops and more than treble in number to them have beene long since suppressed and cast out of the house without any prejudice Therefore Bishops by the same reason may be suppressed and put out of Parliament without any inconvenience being sewer in number â—han they Fifthly In cases of Felony and Treason the Bishops by their owne Lawes and practise neither are nor ought to be present in the House nor to give any vote at all but onely the Temporall Lords And in cases of Lands and possessions or in passing of Lawes for the Civill Government of the Realme they have no judiciary nor Legislative power at all as Bishop Bilson and others forecited prove at large therefore their Session in Parliament is not necessary nor expedient by way of vote Sixthly the Temporall Lords and Prelates make but one house and if all the Bishops be dead or absent or if present if all the Temporall Lords vote one way and the Bishops the lesser number another the vote is good Therefore their presence and votes in Parliament are nor simply necessary and may be spared withouâ— any mischiefe or inconvenience Seventhly if reason might determine this conâ—roversie I suppose every man will grant that it is farre more necessary reasonable and expedient that the Judges Sergeants and Kings Councell learned in the Lawes of the Realme and best able to descide all legall controversies and to make good Lawes to redresse all mischiefes should have votes in Parliament than Bishops yet we know they have no votes at all by way of descition because no Barons nor Peers of the Realm but onely by way of direction and advice when their Judgements are demanded Why then our Bishops especially those who are no Barons as few or none of them are should not now be ranked in equipage with the Judges and have no other but a directive not voting descitive or Legislative voyce in Parliament I thinke no reason can be given and indeede many thinke there is little reason why they should have any votes at all since ancient that I say not present experience manifests that they crosse or oppose all or most good Bills and motions for the advancement of religion and reformation of Ecclesiasticall abuses and for the most part vote with the Popish Lords or worser side against the better and so by Pope Gregory his owne rule approved by Bishop Iewel ought to lose their priviledge of voting Quia
revenews was the very bane and poyson of Religion and one principall cause of the Bishops rebellions Treasons and exorbitances forementioned And therefore they may both with good conscience and reason be substracted from them and put to better usâ—s and they like other Ministers be confined to one compâ—tent living with cure there conâ—â—antly to reside and instruct the people like Bishops in the primitive times Tenthly That our Lorâ—ly Prelates will be still undermining the Lawesâ— and libâ—râ—ies of â—he Subjects his Majesties royall pâ—erogâ—tive his Eccleâ—â—asticall and temporall jurisdiction and vexing his Subjectâ— in their Courts till both their usurpâ—d Authoritiesâ— and Consistories be better regulated or totally abolished Eleventhly That the very Spirit of insolency contumacy tâ—eachery sedition rebellion ambition pride covetousnesse vaineglory malice hypocrisie tyranny and oppression is almost inseparably united to the Chaires of Lordly Prelates since they infect almost all who once sit in them and either infuse these vices into them or augment them in them none growing better men but most farre worse by their Sees Twelfthly that the government of our Church in common by a Presbytery or Synod of Ministersâ— or any other way used in the primitive Church and other refoâ—med Churches can no way be so pernicious or inconvenient to our Kings and Kingdomes as the Government by Lordly Prelates is and hath been Our Prelates chiefe objection in point of Monarchy against a Presbyteriall or Synodall government is that if this forme should be introduced the King and Nobles must submit therâ—to and be liable to their excommunications But this is a foolish Bugbear which recoyles and lights heavily on their owne heads For the Archbishops and Bishops of England and those of forraine Countrys too have many times not onely excommunicated their Soveraignes but also interdicted their Kingdomes enjoyned hard penances to them absolved their Subjects from their allegiance and oathes armed their people and strangers against them and deprived them of their Crownes offering them more and greater affronts and requiring more submission from them then all other their Subjects whatsoever Did ever any Presbytery doe the like or take so much upon them or did they ever deal so with their Princes as our Prelates did with King Iohn or with Edward and Richard the second If yea then prove it If no then this is no solid objection but a malicious suggestion against the Presbyteriall and Synodall Government In a word I would demand this question of the Objectors whether Kings and great men when they scandalously offend be subject to the censures of Excommunication by the law of God If so then why may not the Presbytery and Synode of Ministers anathematize them as well as Lord Bishops and Popes If not then there is no feare of such a censure to which they are not liable by Gods Law or mans These twelve conclusions are sufficiently warranted by the premises yet for the Readers better satisfaction I shall back them with some passages and Authorities of our owne approved ancient and Moderne Writers Martyrs Prelates and Authors of speciall note and so conclude Caelius Sedulius Scotus one of the ancientest of our owne Writers flourishing about the yeare of our Lord 390. determines thus of the parity of Bishops and Presbyters by divine right against our Lordly Prelates doctrine in these dayes in his Exposition on Titus Chap. 1. For a Bâ—shop must be blamelesse c. He calleth him a Bishop whom before he named a Presbyter Before by the Devils instinct parties were made in Religion and it was said among the people I am of Paul but I am of Apollo and I am of Cephas the Churches were governed with the common Councel of the Presbyters But after that every one thought those whom he baptised to be hiâ—â— not Christs it was decreed throughout the World that one chosen 〈◊〉 of the Presbyters should be set over the rest to whom all the care of the Church should appertaine and that the seeds of schismes should be taken away In the Acts of the Apostlâ—s it is written thaâ— when the Apostle Paulâ— came to Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of that Church unto whom among other things he spake thus Take heed to your selves and to all the flocke over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood And here observe more diligently how that he calling the Elders of but one City Ephesus doth afterwards stile them Bishops These things I have alleadged that we mâ—ght shew how that among the Ancâ—â—â—ts fuisse Presbyteros quos Episcopos Prâ—sbyters to hâ—ve been THE SAME THAT BISHOPS WERE But by little and little that the seeds of dissention might be utterly extïrpated the whole cure was traâ—sferred to one And on the 1 Timothy 5. â—â— It is demanded writes he why Paul here makes no mention of Presbyters but onely of Bishops and Deacons Sed etiam ipsos in Episcoporum nomine comprehendit But truely he also comprehâ—ndeth thâ—m in â—he name of Bishops To him I might annex our famous Gildas in his Acris Correptio Cleri Angliae our Venerable Beda in Acta Apostolorum cap. 20. Tom. 5. Col. 657. and Alcuinus de Dâ—vinis Officijs cap. 35.36 Epistola 108. ad Sparatum and Comment in Evang. Ioannis l. 5. to 25. Col. 547 548 549. Who maintaine the selfe same Doctrine of the Parity of Bishops and Presbyters declaime much against the pride Lordlinâ—sse ambition domineering power and other vices of Prelates and conclude that a Biâ—hopricke is Nomen Operis non honoris A name of Labour not of honour A worke not a dignity A toyle not a delâ—ght But I rather passe to Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury a man without exception and the greatest Scholler in his age who neare 600 yeares since in his Enarration on the Epistle to the Phillippians cap. 1. vers 1. resolves thus With the Bishops that is with the Presbyters and Deacâ—ns for he hath put Bishops for Elders after his custome For there were not many Bâ—shops in one City neither would he intermit Presbyters that he mâ—ght descâ—nd to Deacons But he declares the dignity and excellency of the Presbyters whilâ—s he manifests the same men who are Presbyters to be Bishops But that AFTERWARD one was elected who might be preferred before the rest it was done to prevent schisme leâ—t every one drawing to himselfe the Gospell of Christ should divide it Constat ergo Apostolica institutione omnes Presbyteros esse Episcopos It is therefore MANIFEST BY APOSTOLICALL INSTITVTION THAT ALL PRESBYTERS ARE BISHOPS albeit NOW those greater ones have obtained that Title For a Bâ—shop is called an Overseer and every Presbyter ought to attend the cure over the flock committed to him In his Commentary on the first Chapter of Titus v. 5 7. he hath the selfesame words that Hierom and Sedulius used before him concluding from Acts 20.17 28.