Times as well as now may be true enough And yet in those Ancient Times none thought Schism or Separation from the Church howsoever charged to be but a Theological Scare-crow But caused it to be examined to the bottom as 't is fit nay necessary that it should For else the most dangerous Separation that can be may go away free with this That it is but a trick of the prevalent Party to fright other Men into their Opinions by charging them with Separation Now the most dangerous Separation in a Church is where the Church it self hath little or no Power to punish Separatists And where they of the Separation are by the great Misfortune of the State become the potent and prevalent Party And whether this be not or at least were not the condition of the State and Church of England when my Lord Printed this Speech of his I leave to the indifferent Reader to judge My Lord hath Printed no more than this and therefore I will take notice of no more But yet Iam told by a very good Hand that his Lordship upon this quotation of Mr. Hales his Manuscript was pleased openly in that Honourable House of Parliament where he spake it to lend Mr. Hales one Wipe and me another But since my Lord is pleased to pass it over at the Press I shall do so too Yet with this that if my Lord did give that Gird I will make it plainly appear whenever he shall publish it that there is no shew of Truth in it But now that my Lord hath done with Mr. Hales he proceeds and tells us his own Judgment Secondly I say that there is a two-fold Separation one from the Vniversal or Catholick Church which can no otherwise be made but by denying the Faith for Faith and Love are the Requisites to that Communion And I say so too that there is a two-fold Separation and that one of them is from the Vniversal or Catholick Church But that this Separation can no otherwise be made but by denying the Faith I doubt comes short of Truth First because there is a great difference between Schism and Apostacy And every Apostacy is a Separation but every Separation is not Apostacy For a Man is not an Apostate properly till he fall away by denying the whole Faith But a Man may be in Heresie Schism and Separation upon the denyal of any one Article of the Faith received by the Catholick Church Secondly because should a Man agree in all and every Article of the Faith with the Catholick-Church yet he may maintain some false Opinion and incongruous both to the Verity and the Practice of Religion and Judgment of the Universal Church And be so in Love with these as that for these Opinions sake he will Separate from the whole Body Therefore Denyal of the Faith is not the only Cause of Separation from the Catholick Church since this Separation can be otherways made And my Lord within the space of Three Lines crosses himself For First he says that this Separation can no otherwise be made but by denying the Faith And in the very next Words he tells us that Faith and Love are the Requisites to that Communion Two Requisites to that Communion with the Universal Church therefore two Causes of Separation from it Therefore by my Lord 's own Confession he that is so out of Charity with the Universal Church for some Opinions or Practices which he dislikes as that he will not Communicate with it is in Separation though he do not deny the Faith The other my Lord tells us is a Separation from this or that particular Church or Congregation And that not in respect of difference with them in matter of Faith or Love But in dislike only of such Corruptions in their external Worship and Liturgies as they do admit of and would enjoyn upon others In this other Particular Separation I shall meddle with neither Congregation nor Conventicle Meeting allowed or disallowed by Church or State but that Separation which is or is not made by my Lord and his Followers from the National Church of England as it stands Setled and Established by Law Not as her Service may be mangled or otherwise abused in any particular Parish or Congregation whatsoever And if this Lord dislike any the Service as 't is used in some one Parish or other and yet will come to the Service as it is Established by Law in other either Cathedral or Parochial Churches my Lord hath had great Wrong to be accounted a Separatist But if my Lord will not come to the Prayers of the Church of England by Law Established let his Pretence be what it will a Separatist he is But my Lord says that this Particular Separation is not in respect of difference with them in matter of Faith or Love Where First you may observe on the by that in my Lord's Judgment Publick Breach in Charity as well as in Faith may be Cause of this Separation too as well as of that from the Vniversal or Catholick Church before mentioned Next that this particular Separation if it be not in respect of Difference in Faith or Love in what respect is it then Why if we may herein believe my Lord 't is only in dislike of such Corruptions in their external Worship and Liturgies as they do admit of and would injoyn others Well First I 'll pray for my Lord that there be no difference in Faith and Charity but I do very much doubt there is Next either there are such Corruptions in the External Worship and Liturgies as his Lordship hath just Cause to dislike or there are not If there be not why doth he Separate from them If there be or probably seem to be why doth he not complain to the King and the Church that these Corruptions may be considered on and amended if Cause appear And this he ought to do before he Separate For I hope Christianity is not yet come to that pass though it draw on apace that a Powerful Lay-Man or two shall say there are Corruptions in the set Service of God and then be Judges of such Corruptions themselves Nor doth the Church of England admit of Corruptions in her Liturgy or labour to injoyn them upon others Now my Lord tells us farther That This is a Separation not from their Persons as they are Christians But from their Corruptions in matter of Worship as they are therewith defiled And this Separation every Man that will keep himself Pure from other Mens Sins and not Sin against his own Conscience must make This will not yet help my Lord For say this be not a Separation from their Persons as they are Christians which yet it too often proves to be And I believe if this Lord would impartially examine himself he would find to be true in himself and his Comportment But that it is from their Corruptions in matter of Worship as they are therewith defiled First these Corruptions are
apply this term unto are the Brownists as they call them by another Name and they know their Tenents The truth is they differ with us in no Fundamental Point of Doctrine or saving Truth I know Here then my Lord is 〈◊〉 to say that all that he hath hitherto said is so far from making him the greatest Separatist in England that it cannot argue him to be any at all For my part I would to God it were so But let 's examine whether it be so or not First then this I humbly conceive is certain That he whoever he be that will not Communicate in Publick Prayers with a National Church which serves God as she ought is a Separatist But the Church of England as it stands established by Law serves God as she ought Therefore my Lord by his general absenting himself from her Communion in Prayers is a Separatist And this is by his own confession For he says a little before and that expresly that this is a Separation which every Man must make that will keep himself pure from other Mens Sins And I cannot doubt but his Lordship hath made that which he says he must make All that can be said for my Lord herein is this First That my Lord Charges the Church of England with Corruptions in the Worship of God and such Corruptions as he must Separate from her But is it sufficient for a Separation for a particular Man barely to say there are such Corruptions in the Liturgy when he doth neither prove them to be such nor so much as name them what they are Surely no. And I think these Gnats which his Lordship strains at may be swallowed without any Offence to God or Man So far are they from being a just Cause of Separation Therefore for all this my Lord is a Separatist Yea but my Lord charges upon the Church of England that she injoyns her Liturgy upon all Men by a certain Number of Men usurping Authority to themselves and imposing this Injunction under the name of the Church I have made answer already to this Power of the Church to compose a set Form for publick Service and I hope made it manifest that this Authority is not usurped And then that can be no just Cause of a Separation Nay I must doubt whether if such Authority were usurped by some Church-Men in any National Church the injoyning of the Service after it is made supposing always that it contain no Idolatry or Fundamental Error be for the Injunction alone a sufficient Warrant to my Lord or any other to Separate Therefore my Lord 's forsaking the publick Service of the Church upon no better Grounds than these makes him a Separatist by his own Confession without any Man calling him so As for his Lordship's being the greatest Separatist in England I have at the beginning of this Tract clearly related to the uttermost of my Memory what and upon what occasion I spake of his Lordship in this kind But whether I said it or not my Lord for ought I see will hardly escape being so For he is the greatest Separatist from the Church that absents himself with most will and least cause And this if I mistake not is my Lord's Case for he separates with most will that says Men must and ought to Separate And upon least Cause because as yet he hath Named none at all but Corruptions in general which any Man may say and the Injunction of a set Form which is no cause Therefore for ought I yet see it may truly be said of his Lordship that he is the greatest Separatist in England Especially if you add to this how busie and active his Lordship is and for many Years hath been to promote this Cause of Separation And I have some very good grounds to think that his Lordship hath been and is the great Cause and enlarger of all the Separation that now is in Church Affairs And of all the Disobedience thereby bred or cherished against Soveraign Power Next my Lord appeals to my Lords the Bishops and tells them that they know that they whom they usually apply this Name Separatist unto are the Brownists as they call them by another Name I know not all things which the rest of my Learned Brethren the Bishops know Yet I think both they and I know this that the Name Separatist is a common Name to all Hereticks or Schismaticks that separate for their Opinions sakes either from the Catholick or from any particular Orthodox Church And if my Lord himself who it seems is well acquainted with them or any of my Lords the Bishops do know that this Name is usually applyed to the Brownists be it so That I am sure is not material unless it be for that which my Lord closes this passage withal Namely that my Lords the Bishops know the Tenents of the Brownists and that the truth is they differ from us in no Fundamental Point of Doctrine or Saving Truth that his Lordship knows I doubt not but my Lords the Bishops know the Tenents of the Brownists so far forth at least as they be Tenents and not varied from and so far as they are their General Tenents to which all or most of them agree And so far as they are plain and univocal Tenents and not such as shall equivocate with the very Faith it self But such Tenents of the Brownists as these are it may be all my Lords the Bishops know not Now if the Truth be as my Lord says it is for ought he knows that the Brownists differ from us in no Fundamental Point of Doctrine or saving Truth Then out of all doubt Majus peccatum habent their Sin and my Lord 's too is the greater that they will so Uncharitably and with so great Heat and setled Violence and to the great scandal of Religion first separate themselves from and now labour utterly to overthrow that Church which by my Lord 's own Confession here differs not from them in any Fundamental Point of Doctrine or saving Truth For sure if they differ not from us we differ not from them But this is only Argumentum ad Hominem and is sufficient to convince this Lord I think in his own way But I doubt the Truth is quite another thing Namely that the Church of England is very Orthodox and that the Brownists or Separatists call them as you will do Separate upon false and unchristian Opinions And that besides Matters of Opinion and breach of Charity they do differ from us in some Fundamental Points of Doctrine and saving Truth My Lord a little before tells us of Corruptions in the Liturgy of the Church but names none And should I charge the Brownists with difference from the Church in Fundamental Points of Doctrine and yet name none I should run into the same fault for which I there taxed my Lord I shall therefore give some Instances of some of their Opinions and then leave the indifferent Reader to judge whether
they do not differ from us in some Fundamental Points of Doctrine and saving Truth And then consequently whether it be not an Heretical as well as a Schismatical Separation which they make from the Church of England 1. And first there was a Creed Printed by John Turner in this present Year and the Parliament sitting This Turner is a Notorious Separatist or Brownist if you will In this Creed of his he leaves out the descent of Christ into Hell This is an Article of the Apostle's Creed And 't is an Article of the Church of England And so I presume a Fundamental Point of Doctrine Yet herein this Brownist and his Fellows differ from us And I have heard from some present that at a Committee of Lords appointed for Matters of Religion a young Lord should say openly and boldly enough that he did not believe the descent of Christ into Hell And that my Lord the Author of this Speech should second him 2. In the same Creed Turner professes he believes that Christ Instituted by his Apostles certain particular Churches here on Earth and no other So the Catholick Church the Mother of all particular both Men and Churches and out of which there can be no Salvation in the ordinary way is quite thrust out of this Brownist's Creed And this I hope is another Fundamental Point of Doctrine and saving Truth But in this I must do my Lord right and not charge him with this point Because a little before his Lordship tells of a two-fold Separation one whereof he says is from the Vniversal or Catholick Church So the Catholick Church is not yet thrust out of my Lord's Creed But then this appears that the Separatists are not yet agreed upon all the Articles of their Creed Nay some of them call the Apostle's Creed a patched Forgery And Barrow justifies it 3. Thirdly they differ from us in charging gross Corruptions upon the Church of England And these are known to my Lord for he acknowledges them and so gross that should they be true the Church of England must be faulty in Fundamental and Saving Truth As shall farther appear in my Answer to my Lord's next Passage Therefore if their Charge be true they must by my Lord 's own Confession differ from us in Fundamental and saving Truth And if their Charge be false why do they separate from us Besides all Anabaptists and Brownists agree in this that the Church of England is Antichristian And if it be so they must either differ in Fundamentals from the Church of England Or be Antichristian themselves in joyning with them Or grant that Christ and Antichrist have one and the same Foundation 4. Fourthly some of them yet living though they dare not speak it out in all Companies do cunningly insinuate That at Death Soul and Body are extinct together but shall rise again at the Resurrection first or last And that Christ shall come and live here upon the Earth again That the Martyrs shall then rise and live with him a Thousand Years And that Christ once come upon the Earth shall not for any thing they can learn out of Scripure ever depart from the Earth again 5. Fifthly one Brierly and his Independent Congregation are of this Belief That the Child of God in the Power of Grace doth perform every Duty so well that to ask Pardon for failing either in matter or manner is a Sin That it is unlawful to pray for Forgiveness of Sins after their Conversion With divers others some as bad some worse to the number of Fifty 6. Sixthly One Spisberrye yet living and of that Independent Fraternity maintains that God works all things in us and that we are but Organs Instruments and meer empty Trunks Which is to make God the Author of all the Sins which Men commit And therefore Brierly says expresly that if they do at any time fall they can by the power of Grace carry their Sin to the Lord and say here I had it and here I leave it Will not the Devil one day stop the Mouth of this Blasphemy 7. Seventhly Mr. Pryn himself who hath been a great stickler in these Troubles of the Church says expresly Let any true Saint of God be taken away in the very act of any known Sin before it is possible for him to Repent I make no doubt or Scruple of it but he shall as surely be saved as if he had lived to have repented of it And he instances in David in case he had been taken away before he had repented of his Adultery and Murther So according to this Divinity the true Saints of God may commit horrible and carying Sins dye without Repentance and yet be sure of Salvation which teareth up the very Foundations of Religion induceth all manner of Profaneness into the World and is expresly contrary to the whole current of the Scripture 8. In the Eighth place almost all of them say That God from all Eternity Reprobates by far the greater part of Mankind to eternal Fire without any Eye at all to their Sin Which Opinion my very Soul abominates For it makes God the God of all Mercies to be the most fierce and unreasonable Tyrant in the World For the Question is not here what God may do by an absolute act of Power would he so use it upon the Creature which he made of nothing But what he hath done and what stands with his Wisdom Justice and Goodness to do 9. Ninthly One Lionel Lockier now or late of Cranbrooke in Kent among other his Errors rails against teaching Children the Lord's Prayer or other Forms of Catechising And if they differ from the Church of England in the whole Catechism I think the Lord must work a Miracle before he can make his Speech good That they differ from us in no Fundamental point 10. Lastly to omit all those base Opinions in which the Brownists agree with the Anabaptists this in which they differ from them will be sufficient to prove that they differ from us in that which is fundamental unless they will say that to believe the Trinity is not Fundamental For some of them and by name one Glover deny the Deity of the Holy Ghost Which stands condemned for a gross and Fundamental Heresie in the Second General Council held against Macedonius And for the Familists of which there is Store this Day in England they deny the Resurrection of the Flesh turning it as they do many other things into a Mystery or Allegorie Perhaps more particulars might be found upon a narrow search But if there be no more these are enough to make it evident to the World that these Separatists 〈◊〉 from us in some fundamental points of Doctrine or saving Truth And as these are in fault for their Separation so I doubt the Church is to blame for not proceeding against such of them as are altogether incorrigible But whether my Lord thinks these to be
Fundamental Points or whether he know that the Brownists do differ from us in them I shall not take on me to declare till his Lordship open himself farther In the mean time his Lordship goes on to tell us wherein these Brownists fail though they do not differ in Fundamental Points to his Knowledge Their failing is in this They hold that there is no true Church in England no true Ministry no true Worship which depend the one upon the other they say all is Antichristian Here is their Error they distinguish not between the bene esse or Purity of a true Church and the esse or true being of it though with many Defects and gross Corruptions But conclude because such things are wanting which are indeed necessary to the well-being of a true Church and to be desired therefore there is none at all in being Here my Lord shews a great deal of sharp and good Apprehension And distinguishes very rightly between the entire being of a true Church which is her bene esse and the true Being of a Church which is her esse only And my Lord doth farther fairly acknowledge that this is the Brownists Error To conclude no Church in being because it hath many Defects and gross Corruptions in it to hinder its well-being So then my Lord here grants two things First that to hold there is no True Church in England no True Ministry no true Worship which depend one upon another but that all is Antichristian is an Error And Secondly that it is the Brownists Error How and how far these Three No True Church no True Ministry no True Worship depend one upon another And in what cases it may in some Exigents be otherways I will not now dispute nor divert from the main Business 1. First then if it be an Error to say there is no True Church no True Ministry no True Worship in England Then I hope it will be found Truth to say there is a True Church a True Ministry and a True Worship in England And he that shall avow the contrary must needs differ from the Church of England in Fundamentals For these Contradictions a True Church and no True Church a True Ministry and no True Ministry a True Worship of God and no True Worship cannot be built up but upon different Foundations And as for that which my Lord affirms is added by the Brownists That there are many Defects and gross Corruptions in it So long as this is said and not proved 't is enough without farther Proof to deny both the Defects and Corruptions both the many and the gross As I doubt not but the Church of England can make good against both my Lord and all the Brownists in England 2. Secondly if to affirm this be the Brownists Error then I would fain know of my Lord how he can say the Brownists do not differ from or with us in any fundamental Point of Doctrine or saving Truth For if this be no fundamental Point or no saving Truth that we be in and of a true Church that this Church hath a true Ministry to be between God and us in all the Duties of their Function whether upward to God in Prayer and Spiritual Sacrifice or downward to us in the Word and Sacraments that in this Church and by this Ministry there is a true Worship and that without gross Corruptions What can be accounted next the Creed it self fundamental or saving So that in one Line my Lord is pleased to say the Brownists do not differ with us in any fundamental Point of Doctrine or saving Truth and in the very next Line his Lordship confesses they differ from us in these three things which if not several yet altogether as they depend one upon another are saving and fundamental Nor can this cautelous close help my Lord one jot that he adds The Brownists do not differ from us in any fundamental point of Doctrine or saving Truth as his Lordship knows For were his Lordship of a shallow or narrow Comprehension 't were another matter But since he is so full of understanding in these things 't is impossible but he must know these three together are fundamental and being so he must needs know also that the Brownists differ with us in Fundamentals which is that which he denyed If therefore my Lord will say he knows not this to be the Brownists Error why doth he take upon him to say it is If he will grant that he knows it he must needs know withal if he will not shut out the Light of his Conscience of which a little before he is so tender that the Brownists or Separatists call them what you will differ from us in some fundamental Points of Doctrine or saving Truth Thus far then my Lord relates the failing of the Brownist I hope he will be so careful as not to fail with them himself Yes sure for he adds I hold no such Opinion but do believe to the contrary That there are in England many true Churches and a true Ministry which I do hear and with which Churches I could joyn in Communion were those Yokes of Bondage which are laid upon them taken off and those Corruptions removed which they do contrary as I think to their Duty yield unto and admit of And this I am sure no Separatist in England holds that deserves that Name And therefore I hope your Lordships will in that respect let me stand right in your Opinions Here my Lord tells us he holds no such Opinion but does believe to the contrary But I doubt he so believes to the contrary as that he is of the same Opinion For he believes that there are in England many true Churches and a true Ministry And so do all the Brownists For no doubt but they believe that all their Congregations or Conventicles are true Churches in England and that the Ministers which they hear are true Ministers And this is plainly my Lord's Belief For he saith he believes there is a true Ministry in England 〈◊〉 he doth hear But what Ministers they are which he doth hear he does not say Or if this be not my Lord's meaning but that there are some true Churches and some true Ministers in England though ordained as in England they are yet my Lord continues a Separatist still For his Lordship doth not say either that he doth or that he will or that he can joyn in Communion with any of these Churches or this Ministry which he says are true But only that he could joyn with them if If what Why if these Yokes of Bondage were taken off which are laid upon them and those Corruptions removed By the Yokes of Bondage he means the Injunction of a set Form of Prayers which he hath so often mentioned in this Speech But what Corruptions he means I know not till his Lordship shall be pleased to tell us Only this I conceive I may add That all things are not Corruptions in the Church
ARCH-BISHOP LAUD's HISTORY Effigies Reverendissima et Sanctissimi Praesulis Willelmi LAUD Archepiscopi Cantuariensis Qui pro Christi Ecclesiā Martyrium passus est Anno 1644 5 Ianuar 10 AEtatis suae 72. THE HISTORY OF THE TROUBLES AND TRYAL OF The Most Reverend Father in God and Blessed Martyr WILLIAM LAUD Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Wrote by HIMSELF during his Imprisonment in the Tower To which is prefixed THE DIARY OF HIS OWN LIFE Faithfully and entirely Published from the Original Copy And subjoined A SUPPLEMENT to the Preceding HISTORY The Arch-Bishop's Last Will His Large Answer to the Lord SAY's Speech concerning Liturgies His Annual Accounts of his Province delivered to the King And some other Things relating to the History IMPRIMATUR Martij 7 1693 4. JO CANT LONDON Printed for Ri Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St Paul's Church-Yard M DC XCV THE PREFACE THAT the Reader may be satisfied how it came to pass that an History wrote of and by a Person of so great a Character in this Nation and by him designed for the Publick hath lain hid and been suppressed for near Fifty Years through whose Hands it hath passed and by what means and by whose Labour it is at last Published he may be pleased to take the following Account The Most Reverend Arch-Bishop the Author and Subject of this History was very exact and careful in keeping all Papers which concerned himself or any Affairs of Church and State passing through his Hands not only kept a Journal of his own Actions but from time to time took minutes of whatsoever passed at Council-Table Star-Chamber High-Commission-Court c. Digested all his Papers in most exact Order wrote with his own Hand on the back or top of every one what it Concerned when it was Received when Wrote or Answered c. This his Enemies knew full well and therefore when after they had caused him to be Impeached of High Treason of endeavouring to introduce Popery and Arbitrary Government and to be Imprisoned upon the Impeachment in the end of the Year 1640. and had now in vain laboured for two Years and an half to find out Evidence to prove this their Accusation but the more they sought they found to their confusion so much the greater Evidence of the contrary After they had in vain ransacked all Papers left by the Arch-Bishop in his Study at Lambeth and Examined all his Intimate Friends and subaltern Agents upon Oath when nothing did appear they hoped to find somewhat against him either in his private Journal of his Life which they knew to be kept by him or in those Papers which he had carried with him from Lambeth at his first Commitment in order to his future Defence Vpon these hopes they with great privacy 〈◊〉 an Order for the searching his Chamber and Pockets in the Tower in May 1643. and committed the Execution of it to his inveter ate Enemy William Prynne who thereupon took from the Arch-Bishop Twenty One Bundles of Papers which he had prepared for his Defence his Diary his Book of Private Devotions the Scotch Service-Book and Directions accompanying it c. And although he then faithfully promised Restitution of them within three or four days yet never restored any more than three Bundles employed such against the Arch-Bishop at his Trial as might seem prejudicial to his Cause suppressed those which might be advantageous to him Published many Embezzeled some and kept the rest to the day of his Death As soon as Prynne was possessed of the Arch-Bishop's Papers he set himself with eager Malice to make use of them to his Defamation and to prove the charge of Popery and abetting Arbitrary Government by the Publication of many of them His first Specimen in this kind was a Pamphlet which came out in August following Entituled Rome's Master-piece in Five Sheets in Quarto containing the Papers and Letters relating to the Plot contrived by Papists against the Church and State then Established in England and discovered by Andreas ab Habernfeild But never did Malice appear so gross and ridiculous together as in this case For from this Plot if there were any Truth in it it appeared that the Life of the Arch-Bishop was chiefly aim'd at by the Plotters as the grand Obstacle of their Design and one who could by no Arts be wrought to any connivance of them much less concurrence with them This Pamphlet being after the Publication of it carried to the Arch-Bishop in the Tower he made several Marginal Annotations on it in Answer to Prynne's Falsifications and Malitious Calumnies intermixed therein Which Copy coming afterwards into the Hands of Dr Baily the Arch-Bishop's Executor was by him given to the Learned Antiquary Mr Anthony Wood and by him Transmitted to me in order to be placed among the other Papers and Memorials which are to follow this History according to the Arch-Bishop's own Direction But Prynne's Malice could not be abated by the shame of one Miscarriage In the next place he bethought himself of Publishing the Arch-Bishop's Diary as soon as his Trial ended wherein it had been often produced as Evidence against him This then he Published in the beginning of September 1644. in Nine Sheets in Folio with this Title A Breviat of the Life of c. intending it as he saith for a Prologue to the much desired History of his Tryal but neither entire nor faithfully as far as he did Publish it but altered mangled corrupted and glossed in a most shameful manner accompanied with desperate Untruths as the Arch-Bishop complains in this History and therefore addeth For this Breviat of his if God lend me Life and Strength to end this History first I shall discover to the World the base and malitious Slanders with which it is fraught This the Arch-Bishop wrote when he despaired that ever his Diary should be recovered out of those vile Hands in which it then was and be Published faithfully and entirely which would be the most effectual discovery of the Baseness and Malice of Prynne therein Yet notwithstanding so vile and corrupt an Edition of it all those who have wrote any thing of this Excellent Prelate have been forced to make use of it not being able to gain the sight of the Original nor perhaps so much as suspecting any such fraud in the Edition of it Particularly it is much to be lamented that Dr. Heylin who wrote the History of the Arch-Bishop's Life with great Care and Elegance was forced in most things to borrow his Account from this corrupted Edition of his Diary and hath thereby been led into many and great Errors Others also have since him taken up and divulged many false Opinions concerning the Diary it self as that it was wholly wrote in Latin by the Arch-Bishop that it was by himself Entituled A Breviat of his Life and that it was Translated and Published entire 〈◊〉 Prynne The True and Faithful Publication of it which I have made from the
have not Cause to Repent the Abolishing of it But howsoever this was not of my procuring A Scotchman of good Place was imployed about it from the Bishops and effected it and I could name him but since it is here charged as a Fault I shall accuse no Man else but defend my self And this for the Sitting of it once a Week But for the establishing of that Court in that Kingdom that was done long before I was a Bishop or had any thing to do in the Publick For it appears by one of the greatest Factionists in that Kingdom that the Hich-Commission-Court was setled and in full Execution in the Year 1610. when all Men know I led a private Life in Oxford by which it is more than manifest that I neither was nor could be Author of this pretended Novation or any disturbance that followed from it The next is a great Charge indeed were there any Truth in it That I laboured to gain from the Noblemen for the Benefit of the Prelates and their Adhaerents the Abbacies of Kelsoe Arbroth S. Andrews and Lindores To begin at the last The Man that followed that was Mr. Andrew Lermot He came recommended to me very highly and with assurance that the Title which he laid to Lindores was Just and Legal But notwithstanding all this my Answer was That I knew not the Laws of that Kingdom nor would meddle with any thing of that nature And though he made great means to me yet he could never get me to meddle in it and which is more I told him and his Friends that for so much as I did understand I did much fear this way taken by him would do Mischief And tho' Mr. Lermot have the general repute of an Honest and a Learned Man yet for this very business sake I have made my self a Stranger to him ever since and that all this is Truth he and his Friends yet living are able to Testify For St. Andrews his Majesty took a resolution to Rebuild the Cathedral there which he found he could no way so well do as by annexing that Abby to the Arch-Bishoprick of St. Andrews with a Legal Caution for so much Yearly to be laid out upon that Building My Lord Duke of Richmond and Lenox who was owner of it had for it ....... Thousand Pounds The Earl of Tarquair who then managed the Lord Duke's Affairs made the Bargain with the King and that which I did in it was meerly to consider how security might be given that the Money which the King intended for so good and great a Work as the rebuilding of that Cathedral might be imployed to the right use and no other For Arbroth my Lord Marquis Hamilton without any the least Thought of mine that way made his earnest Suit to me that his Majesty would take Arbroth and joyn it to the very poor Bishoprick of Brechen close to which it lay and give him for it a Suit here in England At his Lordship's intreaty I obtained this And he very Nobly conveyed Arbroth as he promised But things were so carried by the Earl of Traquair the Lord Treasurer of Scotland that the poor Bishop of Brechen could never get that setled upon his See which was not the only thing in which that Lord played fast and loose with me For Kelsoe the like earnest Suit did my Lord the Earl of Roxborough make to me of himself for an Exchange and pressed me three or four times before he could get me to move his Majesty Indeed I was fearful least the King should grow weary of such Exchanges for sure I was whatsoever was pretended none of these Lords meant to lose by their Bargain Till at last my Lord of Roxborough was so Honourable as that he would needs leave Kelsoe to the King 's disposing and stay for such Recompence as he should think fit to give him till his Majesty found his own time This at his earnest intreaty still I acquainted the King with And so that business setled for a small time but how 't is now I know not And this was all that ever I did about Arbroth and Kelsoe And these two Honourable Lords are yet living and will witness this Truth But the Charge says farther That in the smallest Matters they the Prelates received his Commandments As for taking down Galleries and stone Walls in the Kirks of Edinburgh and St. Andrews for no other end but to make way for Altars and Adoration towards the East which beside other Evils made no small noise and disturbance amongst the People deprived hereby of their ordinary accommodation for Publick Worship This Charge is like the rest Is it probable that such Grave and Learned Men as those of the Scottish Bishops were which held intercourse with me should not resolve in the smallest Matters till they received my Commandments who never sent Command to any of them in my Life but what I received expresly from the King And they certainly were not for the smallest Matters As for the taking down of Galleries in St. Andrews to the uttermost of my Memory I never gave either Command or Direction Nor can it stand with any shew of probability that I should command the taking down of Galleries in St. Andrews where I had nothing to do and let Galleries stand in so many Churches in London and other parts of my Province where I had Power The Truth is I did never like Galleries in any Church They utterly deface the grave Beauty and Decency of those Sacred Places and make them look more like a Theater than a Church Nor in my Judgment do they make any great accomodation for the Auditory For in most places they hinder as much room beneath as they make above rendring all or most of those places useless by the noise and trampling of them which stand above in the Galleries And if I be mistaken in this 't is nothing to the business in hand For be Galleries what they will for the use I commanded not the taking of them down at St. Andrews At Edinburgh the King's Command took down the stone Walls and Galleries which were there removed and not mine For his Majesty having in a Christian and Princely way Erected and Indowed a Bishoprick in Edinburgh he resolved to make the great Church of St. Giles in that City a Cathedral And to this end gave Order to have the Galleries in the lesser Church and the Stone-wall which divided them taken down For of old they were both one Church and made two by a Wall built up at the West end of the Chancel So that that which was called the lesser Church was but the Chancel of St. Giles with Galleries round about it And was for all the World like a square Theater without any shew of a Church As is also the Church at Brunt-Iland over-against it And I remember when I passed over at the Frith I took it at first sight for a large square Pigeon-House So free
ready made That which was mine is here confessed to be but Interlinings and Marginals and Corrections and at most some Additions And they would be found a very small Some were the Original Book seen And yet it must be Evident that no Hand but mine did this by my Magisterial way of Prescribing in an Interlining or a Marginal Excellent Evidence Secondly they have another great Evidence of this But because that is so nervous and strong I will be bold to reduce it to some Form that it may appear the clearer though it be against my self There was they say a new Copy of these Canons all written with S. Andrews own Hand and according to the former Castigations and Directions sent to have the King's Warrant to it which was obtained Therefore these Interlinings and Marginals c. were done by no other than Canterbury Most Excellent Evidence and clear as Mid-Night The plain Truth is contrary to all this Evidence For by the same Command of His Majesty the Reverend Bishop of London was joyned with me in all the view and Consideration which I had either upon the Book of Canons or upon the Service-Book after So it is utterly untrue that these Interlinings or Marginals or Corrections or call them what you will were done by no other than Canterbury For my Lord of London's both Head and Hand were as deep in them as mine And this I avow for well known Truth both to the King and those Scottish Bishops which were then imployed and this notwithstanding all the Evidences of a Magisterial way and a New Copy And yet this General Charge pursues me yet farther and says The Kings Warrant was obtained as is said to these Canons but with an Addition of some other Canons and a Page of New Corrections according to which the Book of Canons thus Composed was Published in Print The inspection of the Books Instructions and his Letters of Joy for the success of the Work and of other Letters from the Prelate of London and the Lord Sterling to the same purpose all which we are ready to exhibit will put the Matter out of all debate Yet more ado about nothing Yet more noise of Proof to put that out of all debate which need never enter into any For if no more be intended than that I had a view of the Book of Canons and did make some Interlinings and Marginals and the like I have freely acknowledged it and by whose Command I did it and who was joyned with me in the Work So there will need no Proof of this either by my Letters or the Prelate of Londons or the Lord Sterlings Yet let them be exhibited if you please But if it be intended as 't is laid that this was done by no other than Canterbury then I utterly deny it and no Proof here named or any other shall ever be able to make it good As for the Addition of some other Canons and Pages of New Corrections according to which the Book of Canons is said to be Composed and Published Truly to the utmost of my Memory I know of none such but that the Copy written by my Lord of S. Andrews own Hand and sent up as is before mentioned was the very Copy which was Warranted by His Majesty and Published without any further Alteration But if any further Alteration were it was by the same Authority and with the same Consent And for my Letters of Joy for the Success of the Work let them be exhibited when you please I will never deny that Joy while I live that I conceived of the Church of Scotland's coming nearer both in the Canons and the Liturgy to the Church of England But our gross unthankfulness both to our God and King and our other many and great Sins have hindred this great Blessing And I pray God that the loss of this which was now almost effected do not in short time prove one of the greatest Mischiefs which ever befel this Kingdom and that too This is the General Charge about the Canons Now follow the Particulars Beside this General Charge there be some things more special worthy to be adverted unto for discovering his Spirit First the Fourth Canon of Cap 8. For as much as no Reformation in Doctrine or Discipline can be made perfect at once in any Church Therefore it shall and may be Lawful for the Kirk of Scotland at any time to make Remonstrances to His Majesty or his Successours c. Because this Canon holds the Door open to more Innovations he writes to the Prelate of Ross his Prime Agent in all this Work of his great Gladness that this Canon did stand behind the Curtain And his great desire that this Canon might be Printed fully as one that was to be most useful Now come the Particulars worthy to be adverted unto for the discovery of my Spirit And the first is taken out of the Fourth Canon of Cap. 8. The Charge is that this Canon holds the Door open to more Innovations First I conceive this Accusation is vain For that Canon restrains all Power from private Men Clergy or Laye nay from Bishops in a Synod or otherwise to alter any thing in Doctrine or Discipline without Authority from His Majesty or his Successours Now all Innovations come from private assumption of Authority not from Authority it self For in Civil Affairs when the King and the State upon Emergent Occasions shall abrogate some Old Laws and make other New that cannot be counted an Innovation And in Church-Affairs every Synod that hath sate in all times and all places of Christendom have with leave of Superiour Authority declared some Points of Doctrine condemned other-some Altered some Ceremonials made new Constitutions for better assisting the Government And none of these have ever been accounted Innovations the Foundations of Religion still remaining firm and unmoved Nay under favour I conceive it most necessary that thus it ought to be And therefore this Canon is far from holding a Door open for more Innovations since it shuts it upon all and leaves no Power to alter any thing but by making a Remonstrance to the Supream Authority that in a Church-way approbation may be given when there is Cause And therefore if I did write to the Prelate of Ross that this Canon might be Printed fully as one that was to be most useful I writ no more then than I believe now For certainly it is a Canon that in a well-governed Church may be of great use And the more because in Truth it is but Declaratory of that Power which a National Church hath with leave and approbation of the Supream Power to alter and change any alterable thing pertaining to Doctrine or Discipline in the Church And as for that Phrase said to be in my Letter that this Canon did stand behind the Curtain it was thus occasioned My Lord the Bishop of Ross writ unto me from the Arch-Bishop of S. Andrews that no words might
second Particular is an excellent one 'T is about the Adoration of the Bread in the Blessed Sacrament Cap. 6. 6. And 't is implyed as if this Superstition were condemned in the Copies sent by their Prelates but left out by me Good God! how shameless are these Church-Men for they drew up these Articles against me though the Lay-Commissioners delivered them And was there neither Clergy nor Lay-Man among them so careful as to compare the words of the Charge with the words of the Canon before they would venture to deliver them into so great a Court as the Parliament of England Would not Mr. Alexander Henderson who was the Prime Leader in these Church-Affairs be so careful for himself and his own Reputation as not publickly to deliver in a most Notorious Untruth For most manifest it is that these words As therefore the Adoration of the Bread is condemned c. stand still in the Copy Revised by me as is to be seen in the Printed Copy of those Canons and in the same place by them quoted and in a different Character that I wonder how any Man's Eye could miss them So here I am accused for putting that out which I left in The third Particular is That their Prelates call the Absoluteness of Baptism an Error of Popery Cap. 6. 2. Which is 〈◊〉 out too they say in my Edition as they will needs call the Printed Copy The Truth is this we did think fit to leave out Because the Absolute necessity of Baptism in the Ordinary way of the Church leaving God as he is most free to save with Baptism or without as himself pleases is no Popish Error but the true Tenet of the Catholick Church of Christ and was by their good leave an Error in your Prelates to call it so And I provided both for Truth and their Credit by keeping it from the view of Christendom Nor could you expect other from me in this Point being an Arch-Bishop of the Church of England which maintains the Necessity of Baptism such as is above mentioned As appears in the Rubrick before Publick Baptism in the Service-Book confirmed by Act of Parliament The Words are these Though it be fittest to Administer Baptism on Sundays and other Holy-days c. Nevertheless if Necessity so require Children may at all times be Baptised at Home And again in the Rubrick before private Baptism thus When great need shall compel them to Baptise their Children at Home it shall be Administred on this fashion And farther the Church of England takes care to have such Ministers Punished as shall defer Baptism if the Child be in Danger So that I could not let this Clause stand in the Scottish Canons but I must Charge my Mother the Church of England as guilty of maintaining an Error of Popery and the Parliament of England for confirming it 5. Our Prelates have not the boldness to trouble us in their Canons with Altars Fonts Chancels Reading of a long Liturgy before Sermons c. But Canterbury is Punctual and Peremptory in all these When I met so often with this Phrase Our Prelates do not this and that in which Canterbury is Punctual and Peremptory It made me hope at first these Men had some good Opinion of their own Prelates But so soon as they had once gotten the Power into their own Hands they made it presently appear that though their Prelates had not the boldness to trouble them yet they had the Impudence to cast the Prelates out of all the Means they had and without any the least Mercy to themselves their Wives and Children And that in a most Ignorant and Barbarous manner calling them the Limbs and Members of Antichrist But what 's the Crime which your Prelates had not the boldness to trouble you with and in which Canterbury that strange Man is so Punctual and Peremptory O! Grave Crimen Caie Caesar 'T is a Charge indeed A mighty Charge A Novation of above Thirteen Hundred Years old For after the Church was once formally setled under the Christian Emperours nay and for some Years before I challenge these Men to shew any Church under Heaven without that which was promiscuously called The Holy Table or Altar Or without a Font or a Chancel or a formal set Liturgy before Sermon c. And therefore if I were punctual in these I did but my Duty But Peremptory I am sure I was not as well knowing the difference between things of Decency and Uniformity and things of Necessity to Salvation But the Charge must go on for all this 6. For although the words of the 10 Canon Cap. 3. be fair yet the wicked Intentions of Canterbury and Ross may be seen in the point of Justification of a Sinner before God by comparing the Canon as it came from our Prelates and as it was returned from Canterbury and Printed Here 's a Confession that the words of the 10 Canon Cap. 3. are fair And so they are indeed The Canon runs thus It is manifest that the Superstition of former Ages is turned into great Prophaneness and that People for the most part are grown cold for doing any good esteeming that Good Works are not necessary Therefore shall all Presbyters as their Text gives occasion urge the necessity of Good Works to their Hearers These words they say are fair and sure they are so What 's amiss then What Why the wicked Intentions of Canterbury and Ross. God bless us Wicked Intentions under such fair words Now God forbid I hope Ross had none I am sure Canterbury had not But how come they to be Judges of our Intentions How Why they say they may be seen in the point of the Justification of a Sinner before God That 's a high Point and a dangerous for any Man to have Wicked Intentions about it How then may our Wicked Intentions be seen Why by comparing the Canons so they say And I desire nothing more than that the Book which I perused may be produced And upon sight of it I will acknowledge and make good whatsoever I did or humbly crave Pardon for what I cannot make good And though I cannot get to see the Book yet you shall hear the Comparison Our Prelates say thus It is manifest that the Superstitions of former Ages are turned into a great Prophaneness and that People are grown cold for the most part in doing any good thinking there is no place for Good Works because they are excluded from Justification Therefore shall all Ministers as their Text gives occasion urge the necessity of Good Works as they would be Saved and remember that they are Via Regni the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven quamvis non sint Causa Regnandi howbeit they be not the Cause of our Salvation How the Canon goes now is manifest in the words preceeding How it went before in the Copy which their Prelates sent is now expressed And if it be fairly related here are two things Charged to
with Truth and preserve all the Foundations of Religion entire For I have Learned from a Prime School-Man of their own That every Vnion doth not perfect the true Reason or Definition of that which is good but that only upon which depends Esse perfectum Rei the perfect Essence of that thing So that in this particular if the substance of Christian Religion be not perfected by any Vnion that Vnion it self cannot have in it Rationem boni the true Being and Nature of Good And therefore I did never desire that England and Rome should meet together but with forsaking of Errour and Superstition especially such as grate upon and frett the Foundations of Religion But were this done God forbid but I should Labour for a Reconciliation if some Tenets of the Roman Party on the one side and some deep and imbittered Disaffections on the other have not made it impossible as I much doubt they have But that I shou'd practice with Rome as now it stands and to that end should confederate with Priests and Jesuits or hold secret intelligence with the Pope or treat with him or any Instruments Authorised by him or by any Agents is utterly untrue As I hope may fully appear by that which follows vid. init libri And First in hope that they which have observed my Life in times past will give me Credit in this time of my Affliction I do here make my solemn Protestation in the Presence of God and this great Court that I am Innocent of any thing greater or less that is charged in this Article or any part of it And I do here offer my Corporal Oath Please it the Lords to give it me in the strictest form that any Oath can be conceived that I am wholly Innocent of this Charge And let nothing be tendred against me but Truth and I do challenge whatsoever is between Heaven and Hell to come in and Witness whatsoever they can against me in this Particular For all that I have feared in all this Charge against me is not Guilt but Subornation of Perjury Against which Innocency it self cannot be safe And I have found the deadly Hatred of some Men against me to be such as that though I cannot suspect the House of Commons of such an Irreligious Baseness yet I have great Cause to suspect some particular Men which I see make no Conscience of the Way so they may compass their End Secondly Should I practice be it with whom you will to superinduce Romish Tyranny and Superstition over the true Religion established in England I have taken a very wrong way to it For I have hindred as many from going to the Roman Party and have reduced as many from it and some of great Quality and some of great Learning and Judgment as I believe any Divine in England hath done And is this the way to bring in Romish Superstition to reduce Men from it Or is this the Reward from the State which Men must look for that have done these Services Thirdly The Book which I have Written against Mr. Fisher the Jesuit must of Necessity either acquit me of this Calumny or proclaim me a Villain to the World And I hope I have so lived as that Men have not that Opinion of me sure I am I have not deserved it And had this Book of mine been written according to the Garb of the Time fuller of Railing than Reason a Learned Jesuit would have Laughed at it and me and a Learned Protestant might have thought I had Written it only to conceal my self and my Judgment in those Difficulties But being Written in the way it is I believe no Romanist will have much Cause to Joy at it or to think me a Favourer of their Cause And since I am thus put to it I will say thus much more This Book of mine is so Written by God's great blessing upon me as that whensoever the Church of England as they are growing towards it apace shall depart from the Grounds which I have therein laid she shall never be able before any Learned and disingaged Christian to make good her Difference with and her Separation from the Church of Rome And let no Man think I speak Pride or Vanity in this For the Outrages which have been against me force me to say it and I am confident future times will make it good unless Profaneness break in and over-run the whole Kingdom which is not a little to be feared Fourthly I must confess I am in this Particular most unfortunate For many Recusants in England and many of that Party beyond the Seas think I have done them and their Cause more Harm than they which have seemed more fierce against them And I doubt not but I shall be able to prove that I have been accounted beyond Sea the greatest Enemy to them that ever sat in my Place And shall I suffer on both sides Shall I be accounted an Enemy by one part for opposing the Papist and accused for a Traytor by the other for Favouring and Complying with them Well If I do suffer thus 't is but because Truth usually lies between two Extreams and is beaten by both As the poor Church of England is at this day by the Papist and the Separatist But in this and all things else in despight of all Malice Truth shall be either my Protection from Suffering or my Comfort while I suffer And by God's gracious assistance I shall never depart from it but continue at the Apostle's Ward 2 Cor. 13. Nihil possum contra veritatem I can do nothing against the Truth and for it I hope God will enable me patiently to suffer any thing Fifthly If I had practised with the Pope or his Agents for the alteration of Religion in England surely I must have used many great and dextrous Instruments to compass my end And in a business of so great Consequence Difficulty and Danger to all that should have a Hand nay but a Finger in it no Man would venture to meddle without good pay And 't is well known that I have filled no Purse nor laid up any store to set ill Instruments on work upon that or any other unworthy design Sixthly I am a Man in Years great Years for a Man so loaded with business as I have been all my Life And it cannot be long before I must go to give God Almighty an account of all my Actions And whatsoever the Malignity of the Time may put upon me yet they which know me and my ways will easily believe that I have not so little Conscience or care of my Soul as to double with God to my very Death Nay could I have doubled thus I could easily have seen a way through all this difficulty and how to have been as gracious with the People as any even the worst of my Predecessours But I have ever held that the lowest depth of Baseness to frame Religion to
how such a Carriage as this through the whole Course of my Life in private and publick can stand with an Intention nay a Practice to overthrow the Law and to introduce an Arbitrary Government which my Soul hath always hated I cannot yet see And 't is now many Years since I learned of my great Master In humanis Aristotle Periculosum esse that it is a very dangerous thing to trust to the Will of the Judge rather than the written Law And all Kingdoms and Commonwealths have followed his Judgment ever since and the School-Disputes have not dissented from it Nay more I have ever been of Opinion that Humane Laws bind the Conscience and have accordingly made Conscience of observing them And this Doctrine I have constantly Preached as occasion hath been offered me And how is it possible I should seek to overthrow those Laws which I held my self bound in Conscience to keep and observe Especially since an endeavour to overthrow Law is a far greater Crime than to break or disobey any particular Law whatsoever all Particulars being swept away in that General And my Lords that this is my Judgment both of Parliaments and Laws I beseech your Lordships that I may read a short Passage in my Book against Fisher the Jesuit which was Printed and Published to the World before these Troubles fell on me and before I could so much as suspect this Charge could come against me and therefore could not be purposely written to serve any Turn I had leave and did read it but for Brevities sake refer the Reader to the Book it self As for Religion I was born and bred up in and under the Church of England as it yet stands Established by Law I have by God's Blessing and the Favour of my Prince grown up in it to the Years which are now upon me and to the Place of Preferment which I yet bear And in this Church by the Grace and Goodness of God I resolve to Dye I have ever since I understood ought in Divinity kept one constant Tenor in this my Profession without variation or shifting from one Opinion to another for any worldly Ends And if my Conscience would have suffered me to shift Tenets in Religion with Time and Occasion I could easily have slid through all the difficulties which have pressed upon me in this kind But of all Diseases I have ever hated a Palsie in Religion well knowing that too often a Dead-Palsie ends that Difease in the fearful forgetfulness of God and his Judgments Ever since I came in Place I laboured nothing more than that the External Publick Worship of God too much slighted in most parts of this Kingdom might be preserved and that with as much Decency and Uniformity as might be being still of Opinion that Vnity cannot long continue in the Church where Vniformity is shut out at the Church-Door And I evidently saw that the Publick neglect of God's Service in the outward Face of it and the nasty lying of many Places Dedicated to that Service had almost cast a Damp upon the true and inward Worship of God which while we live in the Body needs External helps and all little enough to keep it in any vigour And this I did to the uttermost of my Knowledge according both to Law and Canon and with the consent and liking of the People Nor did any Command Issue out from me against the one or without the other that I know of Farther my Lords give me leave I beseech you to tell you this also That I have as little Acquaintance with Recusants of any sort as I believe any Man of Place in England hath And for my Kindred no one of them was ever a Recusant but Sir William Webb Grandchild to my Uncle Sir William Webb sometimes Lord Mayor of London and him with some of his Children I reduced back again to the Church of England as is well known and I as able to prove One thing more I humbly desire may be thought on 't is this I I am fallen into a great deal of Obloquy in Matter of Religion and that so far as that 't is charged in the Articles That I have endeavoured to advance and bring in Popery Perhaps my Lords I am not ignorant what Party of Men have raised this Scandal upon me nor for what End nor perhaps by whom set on But howsoever I would fain have a good Reason given me if my Conscience lead me that way and that with my Conscience I could Subscribe to the Church of Rome what should have kept me here before my Imprisonment to indure the Libels and the Slanders and the base usage in all kinds which have been put upon me and these to end in this Question for my Life I say I would fain know a good Reason of this For first My Lords Is it because of any Pledges I have in the World to sway me against my Conscience No sure For I have nor Wife nor Children to cry out upon me to stay with them and if I had I hope the Call of my Conscience should be heard above them Or Secondly Is it because I was loth to leave the Honour and the Profit of the Place I was risen unto Surely no For I desire your Lordships and all the World else should know I do much scorn Honour and Profit both the one and the other in comparison of my Conscience Besides it cannot be imagined by any Reasonable Man but that if I could have complyed with Rome I should not have wanted either Honour or Profit And suppose I could not have so much of either as here I had yet sure would my Conscience have served me that way less of either with my Conscience would have prevailed with me more than greater against my Conscience Or Thirdly Is it because I lived here at ease and was loth to venture the loss of that Not so neither For whatsoever the World may be pleased to think of me I have 〈◊〉 very painful Life and such as I could have been very well content to change had I well known how And had my Conscience led me that way I am sure I might have lived at far more ease and either have avoided the barbarous Libellings and other bitter and grievous Scorns which I have here indured or at the least been out of the hearing of them Nay my Lords I am as Innocent in this business of Religion as free from all Practice or so much as thought of Practice for any alteration to Popery or any way blemishing the True Protestant Religion Established in the Church of England as I was when my Mother first bare me into the World And let nothing be spoken against me but Truth and I do here Challenge whatsoever is between Heaven and Hell to say their worst against me in point of my Religion In which by God's Grace I have ever hated Dissimulation and had I not
hated it perhaps it might have been better with me for worldly safety than now it is But it can no way become a Christian Bishop to halt with God Lastly If I had any purpose to blast the True Religion Established in the Church of England and to introduce Popery sure I took a very wrong way to it For my Lords I have stayed as many that were going to Rome and reduced as many that were already gone as I believe any Bishop or other Minister in this Kingdom hath done and some of them Men of great Abilities and some of them Persons of great Place And is this the way my Lords to introduce Popery I beseech your Lordships consider it well For surely if I had blemished the True Protestant Religion I could not have setled such Men in it And if I had purposed to introduce Popery I would never have reduced such Men from it And though it please the Author of the Popish Royal Favourite to say That scarce one of the swaying Lord Prelats is able to say that ever he Converted one Papist to our Religion yet how void of Charity this Speech of his is and how full of Falshood shall appear by the number of those Persons whom by Gods Blessing upon my Labours I have setled in the True Protestant Religion Established in England And with your Lordships leave I shall Name them that you may see both their Number and their Condition though I cannot set them down in that order of time in which I either Converted or Setled them 1. And first Hen Birk-head of Trinity Coll. in Oxford was seduced by a Jesuit and brought up to London to be conveyed beyond the Seas His Friends complained to me I had the happiness to find him out and the blessing from God to settle his Conscience So he returned to Oxford and there continued 2. 3. Two Daughters of Sir Rich Lechford in Surrey were sent to Sea to be carried to a Nunnery I heard of it and caused them to be brought back before they were got out of the Thames I setled their Consciences and both of them sent me great thanks since I was a Prisoner in the Tower 4. 5. Two Scholars of St John's Coll. in Cambridge Topping and Ashton had slipped away from the College and here at London had got the French Embassadour's Pass I have the Pass to shew I found means to get them to me and I thank God setled both their Minds sent them back to their College Afterwards hearing of Topping's Wants I allowed him Means till I procured him a Fellowship And he is at this time a very hopeful Young Man as most of his time in that University a Minister and Chaplain in House at this Present to the Right Honourable the Earl of Westmerland 6. 7. 8. Sir William Web my Kinsman and two of his Daughters and the better to secure them in Religion I was at the Charge their Father being utterly decayed to Marry them to two Religious Protestants and they both continued very constant And his Eldest Son I took from him placed him with a careful Divine maintained him divers Years and then setled him with a Gentleman of Good Worth 10. 11. The next in my remembrance was the Lord Maio of Ireland who with another Gentleman whose name I cannot recal was brought to me to Fulham by Mr. Jefford a Servant of his Majesty's and well known to divers of your Lordships 12. The Right Honourable the Lord Duke of Buckingham was almost lost from the Church of England between the continual cunning Labours of Fisher the Jesuit and the Perswasions of the Lady his Mother After some Miscarriages King James of ever Blessed Memory Commanded me to that Service I had God's Blessing upon me so far as to settle my Lord Duke to his Death And I brought the Lady his Mother to the Church again but she was not so happy as to continue with us 14. The Lady Marchioness Hamilton was much solicited by some Priests and much troubled in Mind about it My Lord spake with me of it and though at that present I was so overlaid with Business that I could not as I much desired wait upon that Honourable Person my self yet I told my Lord I would send one to his Lordship that should diligently attend that Service and that I would give him the best direction I could And this I did and God be thanked she dyed very quietly and very Religiously and a good Protestant And my Lord Marquess told me he had acknowledged this Service of mine to an Honourable Lord whom I now see present 15. Mr. Chillingworth's Learning and Abilities are sufficiently known to all your Lordships He was gone and setled at Dowaye My Letters brought him back and he Lived and Dyed a Defender of the Church of England And that this is so your Lordships cannot but know For Mr. Pryn took away my Letters and all the Papers which concerned him and they were Examined at the Committee 16. 17. Mr. Digby was a Priest and Mr. James Gentleman a School-master in a Recusant's House This latter was brought to me by a Minister as far as I remember in Buckinghamshire I converted both of them and they remain setled 18. Dr. Hart a Civilian Son to a Neighbour of mine at Fulham He was so far gone that he had written part of his Motives which wrought as he said that Change in him I got sight of them shewed him wherein he was deceived had God's Blessing to settle his Conscience and then caused an able Divine to Answer his Motives and give him the Copy 19. There were beside these Mr. Christopher Seburne a Gentleman of an Ancient Family in Hereford-shire and Sir William Spencer of Yarnton in Oxfordshire The Sons and Heirs of Mr. Wintchome and Mr. Williscot whom I sent with their Friends good liking to Wadham-College in Oxford and I received a Certificate Anno 1638. of their continuing in conformity to the Church of England Nor did ever any of these relapse again to Rome but only the Old Countess of Buckingham and Sir William Spencer that ever I heard of And if any of your Lordships doubt of the Truth of any of these Particulars I am able and ready to bring full proof of them all And by this time I hope it appears that one of the swaying Prelats of the time is able to say he hath Converted one Papist to the Protestant Religion And let any Clergy Man of England come forth and give a better account of his Zeal to this present Church And now my Lords with my most humble Thanks for your Lordships favour and patience in hearing me I shall cease to be farther troublesom for the present not doubting but I shall be able to Answer whatever shall be particularly objected against me After I had ended this Speech I was commanded to withdraw As I went from
I. 11 Then he says That at last Mr. Holt came to him but was threatned that very Afternoon for it But he doth not tell your Lordships by whom and for my part more than civil giving him the time of the Day I never spake with him in all my Life 12 He tells your Lordships next how he passed through Coventry to which I have spoken already and how through Chester and how some Chester men were used concerning him and his entertainment But my Lords whatsoever was done in this was by the High-Commission at York and if any thing be therein amiss they must answer that did it 13 Lastly he spake of sending Sir William Balfore to me and some other like Particulars Of all which there is no Proof but a bare Relation what Mr. Hungerford Mr. Ingram and Sir William Balfore said which is all Hearsay and makes no Evidence unless they were present to Witness what is said And here give me leave to observe that Mr. Pryn hath in this Charge woven together all that he cou'd say concerning both Causes for which he was Censured For in the third Particular he speaks of his Book for which he was first Censured and in the Ninth and Tenth of his Cross-Bill and the like which were in his second Cause 6. The sixth Witness was Mr. Burton a Party too For that which he said agreeable to Mr. Pryn it received the same Answer And he added nothing new but that his Wife was kept from him by Warrant from the Lords And if it was by the Lords Order then was it not by me And when it was replyed that till he was Sentenced to Garnsey his Wife had access to him Mr. Burton answered Yea but my Lords she was not suffered to be with me at Nights At which the Lords fell a Laughing and there ended his Charge 7. The last Witness was Mrs. Bastwick And she also said nothing different from Mr. Pryn but that she was kept from her Husband and that she Petitioned the Lords about it But of me in particular not one Word And though Mr. Brown in his last Reply upon me said The Time of these Mens Censure was the noted Time of the Oppression of the Subjects Liberty yet I shall crave leave to say of these Men as S. Augustin once said of two great Donatists in his time who it seems had received some Sentence and afterwards a return not altogether unlike these Men They were Felicianus and Pretextatus of those thus S. Augustin If these Men were Innocent why were they so Condemned And if they were Guilty why were they with such Honour returned and received This applies it self And here I am willing to put the Reader in Mind too that Mr. Brown drawing up an exact Summ of my Charge and pressing it hard against me to my Remembrance and I think my Notes could not have slipped it passed by this Charge concerning Mr. Pryn and I cannot but think he had some Reason for it This tedious Charge being over the World ran round and I was brought back again to another Charge about demolishing the Houses at St Pauls and here three Witnesses more came against me 1. The first was Mr. Bently He said there were above Sixty Houses pulled down I Answered I know not the number but if there were so many the Recompence given was sufficient for more He said farther That there was Twenty Yards between the Church and some of the Houses There were very few if any such let him look to his Oath but then some were close upon the Wall of the Church And suppose all had been Twenty Yards distant that was not room enough to bring in and Lodge Materials for the Repair and to turn the Carriages And here again I made mention of my Salvo before desired for the Record of Ed. 3. touching the like Buildings and their Demolition 2. The second Witness was Mr. Goare For the Sixty Houses as was before testified I gave the same Answer as also that the Act of the Council-Table cannot be said to be my Act. For St. Gregory's Church they were not left without a Place for Divine Service as he would fain have it thought For they were assigned to a part of christ-Christ-Church till another Church might be built for them And for the pulling down of St. Gregory's 't is well known to divers of that Parish that I was not so much as one of the Referees to whose view and consideration it was referred But the Truth is this Man Rented the Parsonage-House and had a good Penniworth of it to gain by his Under-Tenant The going down of that House troubles him and not the Church 3. The Third Witness Walter Biggs says nothing different from the two former but that I said I was opposed for the pulling down of the Houses Whence it was inferred that it was my Act because I was opposed But my Lords I hope I might say I was Opposed without any Offence or without taking the Order of the Council-Table to my self For 't is well known the Work of that Repair under God was mine and I took no indirect no oppressing Way to it nor can I now be ashamed of that which in future times in despight of the present Malice will be my Honour So that the Care of the Work lying upon me I might well say I was opposed though the Opposition went higher against the Orders of the Lords The last Charge of this Day was about the putting down of two Brewers in Westminster because the Excessive and Noysom Smoak from thence much annoyed the King's House Gardens and Park at St. James These two were Mr Bond and Mr Arnold 1. For Mr. Bond he begins with somewhat that I should say at the Council-Table As Namely that he must Seal a Bond of two Thousand Pounds to Brew no more with Sea-Coal Now this argues if I did so speak that it was in delivering to him the Sense of the Board which Office as I have before expressed and is well known was usually put upon me if I were present And your Lordships may here again see what Envy hath followed me upon that which I could not decline He says farther that upon this Mr. Attorney Banks proceeded against him in the Exchequer That there upon some occasion the Lord Chief Baron should say ye are wise Witnesses for the King That his Councel were forbid to Plead and so a Verdict passed for the King All this is nothing to me I was neither Chief Baron nor Witness nor one of the Jury that gave the Verdict He says he was informed that there was an Order of Council made that no Man should put up a Petition for him But himself doth not so much as mention that this Order was procured by me And it is but a Report that no Petition might be delivered for him and none of them that told him so produced for proof So he scandalizes the Lords by Hearsay Next he says
King 's Learned Councel that his Lordship well knew what had passed and that being so used as I had been by the Townsmen I would trouble my self with no more References to Lawyers or to that effect And I appeal to the Honour of my Lord whether this be not a true Relation The Sixth Instance concerns the putting of one Mr. Grant out of his Right He says but he is single and in his own Cause That Mr. Bridges was presented to an Impropriation and that suing for Tythe He the said Grant got a Prohibition and Mr. Bridges a Reference to the then Lord Keeper Coventry and my self that we referred them to the Law and that there Grant was Non-Suited and so outed of his Right First in all this there 's nothing said to be done by me alone Secondly the Lord Keeper who well understood the Law thought it fittest to refer them to the Law and so we did If he were there Non-Suited first and outed after it was the Law that put him out not we Yet your Lordships see here was a Prohibition granted in a Case which the Law it self after rejected Then follows the Instance that I had a purpose to Abolish all Impropriations The first Proof alledged was a passage out of Bishop Mountague's Book p. 210. That Tythes were due by Divine Right and then no Impropriations might stand And Mr. Pryn witnessed very carefully That this Book was found in my own Study and given me by Bishop Mountague And what of this Doth any Bishop Print a Book and not give the Arch-Bishop one of them Or must I answer for every Proposition that is in every Book that is in my Study Or that any Author gives me And if Bishop Mountague be of Opinion that Tythes are due by Divine Right what is that to me Your Lordships know many Men are of different Opinions in that difficulty and I am confident you will not determin the Controversie by an Act of Parliament They were nibling at my Diary in this to shew that it was one of my Projects to fetch in Impropriations but it was not fit for their purpose For 't is expressed That if I Lived to see the Repair of St. Paul's near an end I would move his Majesty for the like Grant for the buying in of Impropriations And to buy them from the Owners is neither against Law nor against any thing else that is good nor is it any Usurpation of Papal Power 2. The Second Proof was my procuring from the King such Impropriations in Ireland as were in the King's Power to the Church of Ireland Which Mr. Nicolas in his gentle Language calls Robbing of the Crown My Lords the Case was this The Lord Primate of Armagh writ unto me how ill Conditioned the State of that Church was for want of Means and besought me that I would move his Majesty to give the Impropriations there which yet remained in the Crown for the Maintenance and Incouragement of able Ministers to Live among the People and Instruct them Assuring me they were daily one by one begged away by Private Men to the great prejudice both of Crown and Church And the Truth of this the Lord Primate is now in this Kingdom and will witness I acquainted the King's great Officers the Lord Treasurer and the Chancellor of the Exchequer with it And after long deliberation the King was pleased at my humble Suit to grant them in the way which I proposed Which was that when they came into the Clergies Hands they should pay all the Rents respectively to the King and some consideration for the several Renewings And the Truth of this appears in the Deeds So here was no Robbing of the Crown For the King had all his set Rents reserved to a Penny and Consideration for his Casualties beside And my Lords the increase of Popery is complained of in Ireland Is there a better way to hinder this growth than to place an Able Clergy among the Inhabitants Can an Able Clergy be had without Means Is any Means fitter than Impropriations restored My Lords I did this as holding it the best Means to keep down Popery and to advance the Protestant Religion And I wish with all my Heart I had been able to do it sooner before so many Impropriations were gotten from the Crown into Private Hands Next I was Charged with another Project in my Diary which was to settle some fixed Commendams upon all the smaller Bishopricks For this I said their own Means were too small to live and keep any Hospitality little exceeding Four or Five Hundred Pound a Year I consider'd that the Commendams taken at large and far distant caused a great dislike and murmur among many Men. That they were in some Cases Materia Odiosa and justly complained of And hereupon I thought it a good Church-work to settle some Temporal Lease or some Benefice Sine Cura upon the lesser Bishopricks but nothing but such as was in their own Right and Patronage That so no other Man's Patronage might receive prejudice by the Bishop's Commendam Which was not the least Rock of Offence against which Commendams indanger'd themselves And that this was my intent and endeavour is expressed in my Diary And I cannot be sorry for it Then I was Accused for setting Old Popish Canons above the Laws Mr. Burton is the sole Witness He says it was in a Case about a Pew in which those Canons did weigh down an Act of Parliament I did never think till now Mr. Burton would have made any Canons Pew-Fellows with an Act of Parliament But seriously should not Mr. 〈◊〉 Testimony for this have been produced at the second Instance of this day For in the end of that is just such another Charge and the Answer there given will satisfie this and that by Act of Parliament too After this came a Charge with a great out-cry that since my coming to be Arch-Bishop I had renewed the High-Commission and put in many Illegal and Exorbitant Clauses which were not in the former Both the Commissions were produced Upon this I humbly desired that the Dockett might be Read by which their Lordships might see all those Particulars which were added in the New Commission and so be able to Judge how fit or unfit they were to be added The Dockett was Read And there was no Particular found but such as highly deserved Punishment and were of Ecclesiastical Cognizance as Blasphemy Schism and two or three more of like Nature 1. In this Charge the first Exorbitant Clause they insisted on as added to the new Commission was the Power given in locis Exemptis non Exemptis as if it were thereby intended to destroy all Priviledges No not to destroy any Priviledge but not to suffer Enormous Sins to have any Priviledge Besides this Clause hath ever been in all Commissions that ever were Granted And I then shewed it to the Lords in the Old Commission
that I maintained some Catholick Opinions yet he named none by which there might be Tryal and Judgment whether they were such or no in the Sense he meant them Lastly Mr. Perkins in his Reformed Catholick sets down divers Opinions in which they of Rome and we agree Shall he be a Papist for this Or shall not that which is Lawful for him be as Lawful for me 2. The Second Witness was one Harris He says that Mr. Ireland who was some time Student of Christ-Church in Oxford and after School-Master at Westminster told him that I would leave the Church of England This is a bare Report from Mr. Ireland with whom I never had any Acquaintance nor was scarce in his Company twice in all my Life Nor is it in my Power to hinder what Mr. Ireland will say or Mr. Harris from him He says That one that called himself Leander came over on purpose to make this Reconciliation If he did which is more than I know or believe I think he would hardly make such a one as Harris is reported to be acquainted with it But howsoever if he did come with that purpose was it in my Power to hinder his coming And here is no Proof offered that I did help on his Purpose or so much as know of it He says he often Petitioned me for Relief but had none It may be I well knew he deserved none And your Lordships know that by Law I might not afford him any Had I given him any I should now have heard it with both Ears For I am informed he is a Priest and Condemned in a Praemunire and was let out of Prison on purpose to be a Witness against me And having set that which is aforesaid under his Hand is now slipped away and gone Who got him out of Prison for this good purpose I know not but fure somewhat there is in it for your Lordships see his Testimony is now read but he appears not 3. The Third Witness was Sir Nathaniel Brent now absent but came in the next Day He says I was esteemed Popishly Affected in Oxford and he gave Three Instances very carefully to prove it The First was That in the Divinity School there I maintained the Necessity of Baptism I did so and my Predecessor Arch-Bishop Abbot was then Vice-Chancellor and present and approved my Opinion and my Grace passed for my Degree to be Batchellour of Divinity without any one Man's Opposition He says That Mr. Dale of Merton College then shewed him all my Supposition taken out of Bellarmin This is a bold and a dangerous Oath He might Swear that Mr. Dale shewed him in Bellarmin that which he said was my Supposition But that he shewed him all my Supposition there is a strange Oath for a Man of Learning and Law to make and in such a Presence Besides I have my Supposition which I then made yet by me and if my Tenet of that Question be the same with Bellarmin's or that there be any Line taken out of him but what I cite for my own advantage against him I will utterly forfeit my Reputation of any Learning to your Lordships His Second Instance was That I was acquainted with one Mr Brown Fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford who was suspected to be a Papist and after his Death proved to be one by a Book that was found in his Study proving that a Man might be a Roman-Catholick and yet go to Church and Conform in England I was acquainted with this Man he was a very good Scholar and an Honest man and a good Protestant for ought I know For the Tract found after his Death among his Papers that 's no Proof For Scholars get all the Papers they can especially such as belong to their own Profession And the more strange the Opininions are the more do they labour to get them Nor is it any Proof that the Tract was of his making because written in his own Hand as 't is urged For the Argument being so foul and dangerous it could not be safe for him nor any way fit to commit it to any other to write for him Nor is there any Proof that I knew he had such a Tract by him neither indeed did I. The Opinion is very base and unworthy and was first broached by the Jesuit Azorius and it seems some of his Fellows had inlarged him and made this Tract out of his Principles His Third Instance was That I Petitioned King James in this Business I was complained of to King James by a great Person That I had inward Acquaintance with this Man Hereupon my waiting Month being June and not long after the Complaint made I took Occasion in my first Sermon to confute this Opinion and then Petitioned his Majesty that it might be examined that such an Imputation might not lie upon me His Majesty referred it to the Lords Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Bishops of London Winchester and Duresm where after full examination I was Acquitted The Second Charge was that the same Opinion was held of me beyond the Seas That I was a cunning Promoter of the Roman Cause And here the Witnesses are the same which were produced before Mr. Challoner who told over his old Tale again of I know not what Plot he heard from a Jesuit Nothing but Hearsay at the best And it savours like an Almanack de Post Facto or rather of somwhat else which I will spare to name because he is upon his Oath The other Witness is Mr. Anthony Mildmay who also tells over his Old Tale of his Father Fitton But he was out of the way again and appeared not till the next Day with Sir Nathaniel Brent So here 's a Repetition again of the same Witnesses and the same things to multiply the Noise Only Noble Sir Henry Mildmay appeared not the Second time but whether it were because he had enough at his first appearance or whether his Face was scratched then as since Men say it was I cannot tell The Third Charge was That I had a damnable Plot to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome If to reconcile them with the maintenance of Idolatry it were a damnable Plot indeed But if Christian Truth and Peace might meet and unite together all Christendom over were that a Sin too Were I able to Plot and effect such a Reconciliation I would think my self most Happy whatever I suffered for it But how is this damnable Plot proved Pope Gregory writ a Letter to his Nuncio in Spain and a Letter also to King Charles which Letter is Printed Copies of these Letters were found in my Study Could I hinder the Pope from writing to whom he pleased Shall not I get Copies of any Letters I can to see what practising is abroad for private Interest Shall it be Lawful for all my Predecessors to get and keep Copies of such Letters by them and shall it be Unlawful for me only And here
is upon the bare Circumstance of Quomodo How Christ is present in the Sacrament As for that which was said in the beginning of this Charge That Rome is a True Church I ever did and ever must grant it that such it is Veritate Entis in the Truth of it's Entity and Being For as I have said against Fisher Ens Verum Being and True are convertible one with another And every thing that hath a Being is truly that Being which it is in truth of Substance but a Right or an Orthodox Church I never said it was either in Doctrine or Manners As a Thief is a true Man in Verity of his Essence that is he is a Creature indued with Reason but it doth not therefore follow that he is a true Man Veritate Moris in his Life and Conversation And this I answered first to the Lords and after to Mr. Brown's Summary Charge who in his last Reply said two things First That when I said Rome was a True Church I spake it generally without this Distinction But this is quite beyond the Proof for no Witness says so Besides it is manifest by distinction of Fundamentals from other Doctrines acknowledged by both the Witnesses that I did not speak it absolutely but plain enough to any ordinary Understanding Secondly which I was very sorry to hear from so grave a Man he added That there was no Truth of a Church but in the Verity of Doctrine and Manners and that in Veritate Entis a Company of Turks were a True Church Now God be merciful to us whither are we posting 'T is known that the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Church signifies also in Heathen Authors any kind of Company or Congregation of Men Turks if you will But in Ecclesiastical Writers and among all Christians the Word Church is used only and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too for a Company of Men which profess the Faith of Christ and are Baptized into his Name And will any Man say that a Company of Turks are such a Church in Veritate Entis in the Verity of this Being as all the World knows Papists are Or if he will not speak de Ente tali but change the Suppositum he may say what he please But I was very much troubled to hear this and from him I had almost forgot that Mr. Nicolas here pressed the Authority of the Homilies upon me again where 't is said That the Bishop of Rome and their Adherents are not the true Church But the Answer is easie For I say as the Homily doth and as it means too in that place Namely that the Church of Rome is not the true that is not the Catholick Church nor the Head thereof But there is a great deal of difference between the Church and a Church The one is the General the other a Particular The Church it cannot be A Church it is and a true one too in the Sense before specified Upon occasion of this Mr. Nicolas his Mouth was open again and said That at the beginning I reckon'd up some that I had Converted But if this were my Opinion and that if this might stand for good I might Convert the Devil and all My Ears had been so beaten with his Language that I was patient and left him to insult And to help on this business while he was in these loud Expressions the E. of Pembrook came to Mr. Burton to the Bar and in my hearing desired him to repeat the Testimony he had given which Mr. Burton did and his Lordship seemed to be much pleased with it Not long before when the News was come hot to the House that York was taken when I came at Five in the Afternoon to make my Answer I was no sooner come to the Bar but the same Lord came and sat just before me and there with much Joy told Mr. Lieutenant the News I presume he did it in favour to me because he thought it would put me in very good Heart being then instantly to begin to make my Answer God forgive this Lord for I have deserved in my time far better of him if he understood himself or any Man else The next Charge was out of Dr. Packlinton's Altare Christianum p. 49 50. where he speaks they say for I now have not his Book of a Happiness that the Bishops of England can derive their Succession from St. Peter which in great Scorn Mr. Nicolas called the Archbishop's Pedigree First If there be any Crime in this Dr. Pocklinton is to Answer it not I. Secondly He may scorn what he will but Wise Men know 't is a great Honour to the Church of England and a great Stopple in the Mouths of the Romanists that her Bishops can derive their Calling successively from St Peter especially considering how much they stand upon personal Succession Thirdly Dr. Pocklinton in this says no more for me and the Bishops than St. Augustin urged for himself and his Brethren against the Donatists in the same words save that St. Aug. begins at St. Peter and descends to his own time and the Dr. begins at his own time and ascends to St. Peter But it seems an Upstart Clergy without a Calling will serve Mr. Nicolas well enough The Sixth Charge was That Books were written of purpose to maintain these Opinions and such Men as writ them only preferred He named Mr. Shelford Mr. Butterfield Dr. Cosins and Dr. Pocklinton This hath been Clamoured upon already if any have set out unworthy Books they may be called to account for it I hope I shall not answer for all the Divines in the Kingdom They whom I preferred were Worthy and Able Men and it will not be in the Power of Mr. White 's Centuries to Blast a Man of them among any that know them For these that are named Mr. Shelford I know not Mr. Butterfield I saw punished in the High-Commission Neither of them preferred that I know The two last by whomsoever they were preferred deserved all the Preferment they had and more The Seventh Charge is out of my Diary at June 15 1632. where 't is said that I preferred Mr Secretary Windebank my old Friend And here Mr. Nicolas laid all the Correspondency open which he said that Gentleman had with the Popes Agents with Priests and Jesuits and when he had made him this way as foul as he could then I must be guilty of all for preferring such a Man to the King This Gentleman was indeed my ancient Friend In my many Years Acquaintance with him I saw nothing in him but Honesty and Worth If when he was preferred he deceived my Opinion he is living to answer for himself Many in all Ages have been preferred to Princes which do not answer the Hopes and Desires of them which prefer them and yet they not made answerable for them neither But whether he did fail in any Publick Trust or no I am not his Judge
was nothing done against Law any Friend may privately assist another in his Difficulties And I am perswaded many Friends in either House do what they justly may when such sad Occasions happen And this Answer I gave to Mr. Brown when he Summed up my Charge in the House of Commons But Mr. Brown did not begin with this but with another here omitted by Mr. Nicolas though he had pressed it before in the Fifteenth day of my Hearing Dr. Potter writ unto me for my advice in some Passages of a Book writ by him as I remember against a Book Intituled Charity mistaken I did not think it fit to amend any thing with my own Pen but put some few things back to his Second Thoughts of which this was one That if he express himself so he will give as much Power to the Parliament in Matters of Doctrine as to the Church This Mr. Brown said took away all Authority from Parliaments in that kind But under Favour this takes away nor all nor any that is due unto them Not all for my Words are about giving so much Power Now he that would not have so much given to the one as the other doth not take away all from either Not any that is due to them For my Words not medling simply with Parliamentary Power as appears by the Comparative Words so much my Intention must needs be to have Dr. Potter so to consider of his Words as that that which is proper to the Church might not be ascribed to Parliaments And this I conceive is plain in the very Letter of the Law The Words of the Statute are Or such as shall hereafter be Ordered Judged or determined to be Heresy by the High Court of Parliament in this Realm with the Assent of the Clergy in their Convocation Where 't is manifest that the Judging and Determining Part for the Truth or Falshood of the Doctrin is in the Church For the Assent of the Church or Clergy cannot be given but in Convocation and so the Law requires it Now Assent in Convocation cannot be given but there must preceed a Debate a Judging a Voting and a Determining Therefore the Determining Power for the Truth or Falshood of the Doctrine Heresie or no Heresie is in the Church But the Judging and determining Power for binding to Obedience and for Punishment is in the Parliament with this Assent of the Clergy Therefore I humbly conceive the Parliament cannot by Law that is till this Law be first altered Determine the Truth of Doctrine without this Assent of the Church in Convocation And that such a Synod and Convocation as is Chosen and Assembled as the Laws and Customs of this Realm require To this Mr. Brown in his Reply upon me in the House of Commons said Two Things The one that this Branch of the Statute of one Eliz. was for Heresie only and the Adjudging of that but medled not with the Parliaments Power in other matters of Religion If it be for Heresie only that the Church alone shall not so Determine Heresie as to bring those grievous Punishments which the Law lays upon it upon the Neck of any Subject without Determination in Parliament then is the Church in Convocation left free also in other matters of Religion according to the First Clause in Magna Charta which establishes the Church in all her Rights And her main and constant Right when that Charter was made and confirmed was Power of Determining in matters of Doctrine and Discipline of the Church And this Right of the Clergy is not bounded or limited by any Law but this Clause of 1. Eliz. that ever I heard of The other was that if this were so that the Parliament might not meddle with Religion but with the Assent of the Clergy in Convocation we should have had no Reformation For the Bishops and the Clergy dissented First it is not as I conceive to be denyed that the King and his High Court of Parliament may make any Law what they please and by their Absolute Power may change Religion Christianity into Turcism if they please which God forbid And the Subjects whose Consciences cannot obey must flye or indure the Penalty of the Law But both King and Parliament are sub graviori Regno and must Answer God for all such abuse of Power But beside this Absolute there is a Limited Power Limited I say by Natural Justice and Equity by which no Man no Court can do more than what he can by Right And according to this Power the Church's Interest must be considered and that indifferently as well as the Parliaments To apply this to the Particular of the Reformation The Parliament in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth would not indure Popish Superstition and by Absolute Power Abolished it without any Assent of the Clergy in Convocation And then in her first Year An. 1559. She had a Visitation and set out her Injunctions to direct and order such of the Clergy as could conform their Judgments to the Reformation But then so soon as the Clergy was settled and that a Form of Doctrine was to be agreed upon to shew the difference from the Roman Superstition a Synod was called and in the Year 1562. the Articles of Religion were agreed upon and they were determined and confirmed by Parliament with the Assent of the Clergy in Convocation and that by a just and orderly Power Nor is the Absolute Power of King and Parliament any way unjust in it self but may many ways be made such by Misinformation or otherwise And this gives the King and the Parliament their full Power and yet preserves this Church in her just Right Just and acknowledged by some that loved her not over well For the Lord Brook tells us That what a Church will take for true Doctrine lies only in that Church Nay the very Heathen saw clearly the Justice of this For M. Lucullus was able to say in Tully That the Priests were Judges of Religion and the Senate of Law The Second Proof is That I made two Speeches for the King to be spoken or sent to the Parliament that then was and that they had some sour and ill Passages in them These Speeches were read to the Lords and had I now the Copies I would insert them here and make the World Judge of them First I might shuffle here and deny the making of them For no Proof is offer'd but that they are in my Hand and that is no necessary Proof For I had then many Papers by me written in my own Hand which were not my making though I transcribed them as not thinking it fit to trust them in other Hands But Secondly I did make them and I followed the Instructions which were given me as close as I could to the very Phrases and being commanded to the Service I hope it shall not now be made my Crime that I was trusted by my Soveraign Thirdly As I did never
were brought up against me My very Pockets searched and my Diary nay my very Prayer-Book taken from me and after used against me And that in some Cases not to prove but to make a Charge Yet I am thus far glad even for this sad Accident For by my Diary your Lordships have seen the Passages of my Life And by my Prayer-Book the greatest Secrets between God and my Soul So that you may be sure you have me at the very bottom Yet blessed be God no Disloyalty is found in the one no Popery in the other 3 That all Books of Council-Table Star-Chamber High-Commission Signet-Office my own Registeries and the Registeries of Oxford and Cambridge have been most exquisitely searched for matter against me and kept from me and my use and so affording me no help towards my Defence 4. I humbly desire your Lordships to remember in the Fourth Place That the things wherein I took great Pains and all for the Publick Good and Honour of this Kingdom and Church without any the least Eye to my own Particular nay with my own great and large Expences have been objected against me as Crimes As namely the Repair of S. Pauls and the Setling of the Statutes of the Vniversity of Oxford 1 For S. Pauls not the Repair it self they say no for very shame they dare not say that though that be it which Galls the Faction but the Demolishing of the Houses which stood about it Yea but without taking down of these Houses it was not possible to come at the Church to repair it which is a known Truth And they were taken down by Commission under the Broad Seal And the Tenants had Valuable Consideration for their several Interests according to the number of their Years remaining And according to the Judgment of Commissioners named for that purpose and named by his Majesty and the Lords not by me Nor did I ever so much as sit with them about this Business And if the Commission it self were any way Illegal as they urge it is that must reflect upon them whose Office was to Draw and Seal it not on me who understood not the Legality or Illegality of such Commissions nor did I desire that any one circumstance against Law should be put into it nor is any such thing so much as offered in Proof against me And because it was pressed that these Houses could not be pulled down but by Order of Parliament and not by the King's Commission alone I did here first read in part and afterwards according to a Salvo granted me deliver into the Court Three Records two in Ed. 1. Time and one in Ed. 3. Time in which are these Words Authoritate nostra Regali prout opus fuerit cessantibus quibuscunque Appellationum Reclamationum diffugiis Juris Scripti aut Patriae strepitu procedatis Nova AEdificia quae c. amoveri divelli penitus faciatis c. And a little after Quousque per nos cum deliberatione avisamento nostri Consilii super hoc aliter fuerit Ordinatum c. Here 's no staying for a Parliament here 's no Recompence given here 's Barring of all Appeal nay all remedy of Law though written And all this by the King 's own Authority with the Advice of his Council And is a far more moderate way taken by me yet under the same Authority and for the removal of far greater Abuses and for a more noble End become Treason 2 As for the Statutes of Oxford the Circumstances charged against me are many and therefore I craved leave to refer my self to what I had already answered therein 5. Fifthly Many of the Witnesses brought against me in this Business are more than suspected Sectaries and Separatists from the Church which by my place I was to punish and that exasperated them against me whereas by Law no Schismatick ought to be received against his Bishop And many of these are Witnesses in their own Causes and pre-examined before they come in Court At which pre-examination I was not present nor any for me to cross-interrogate Nay many Causes which took up divers Days of Hearing in Star-Chamber High-Commission and at Council-Table are now upon the sudden easily overthrown by the Depositions of the Parties themselves And upon what Law this is grounded I humbly submit to your Lordships And such as these are the Causes of Mr. Pryn Mr. Burton Mr. Wilson Alderman Chambers Mr. Vassal Mr. Waker Mr. Huntly Mr. Foxlye and many other Where I humbly represent also how impossible it is for any Man that sits as a Judge to give an account of all the several Motives which directed his Conscience in so divers Causes and so many Years past as these have been and where so many Witnesses have been Examined as have been here produced against me My Lords above a Hundred and Fifty Witnesses and some of them Three Four Six Times over and Mr. Pryn I know not how often Whereas the Civil Law says expresly that the Judges should moderate things so that no Man should be oppressed by the multitude of Witnesses which is a kind of Proof too that they which so do distrust the truth and goodness of their Cause Besides my Lords in all matters which came before me I have done nothing to the uttermost of my Understanding but what might conduce to the Peace and Welfare of this Kingdom and the maintenance of the Doctrine and Discipline of this Church established by Law and under which God hath blessed this State with so great Peace and Plenty as other Neighbouring Nations have looked upon with Admiration And what Miserie 's the overthrow of it which God in Mercy forbid may produce he alone knows 6. Sixthly my Lords there have been many and different Charges laid upon me about Words But many of them if spoken were only passionate and hasty And such upon what occasion soever drawn from me and I have had all manner of Provocations put upon me may among humane Errours be pardoned unto me if so it please your Lordships But for such as may seem to be of a higher Nature as those witnessed by Sir Henry Vane the Elder I gave my Answer again now fully to the Lords but shall not need to repeat it here 7. Then my Lords for my Actions not only my own but other Mens have been heavily Charged against me in many Particulars and that Criminally and I hope your Lordships will think Illegally As Secretary Windebank's Bishop Montague's my Chaplains Dr. Heilyn's Dr. Cosens Dr. Pocklinton's Dr. Dove's Mr. Shelford's and divers others And many of these Charges look back into many Years past Whereas the Act made this present Parliament takes no notice of nor punishes any Man for any thing done and past at the Council-Table Sar-Chamber or High-Commission much less doth it make any thing Treason And out of this Act I am no way Excepted Besides as I have often Pleaded all Acts done in in the Star-Chamber
I humbly beseech thee give me now in this great Instant full Patience proportionable Comfort and a Heart ready to Die for thine Honour the King's Happiness and the Churches Preservation And my Zeal to this far from Arrogancy be it spoken is all the Sin Humane Frailty excepted and all the Incidents thereunto which is yet known to me in this Particular for which I now come to suffer I say in this Particular of Treason But otherwise my Sins are many and great Lord Pardon them all and those especially whatever they are which have drawn down this present Judgment upon me And when thou hast given me strength to bear it do with me as seems best in thine own Eyes And carry me through Death that I may look upon it in what Visage soever it shall appear to me Amen And that there may be a stop of this Issue of Blood in this more than miserable Kingdom I shall desire that I may Pray for the People too as well as for my self O Lord I beseech thee give Grace of Repentance to all Blood-Thirsty People but if they will not Repent O Lord confound all their Devices defeat and frustrate all their Designs and Endeavours upon them which are or shall be contrary to the Glory of thy Great Name the Truth and Sincerity of Religion the Establishment of the King and his Posterity after him in their just Rights and Priviledges the Honour and Conservation of Parliaments in their just Power the Preservation of this poor Church in her Truth Peace and Patrimony and the settlement of this distracted and distressed People under their Ancient Laws and in their Native Liberty And when thou hast done all this in meer Mercy to them O Lord fill their Hearts with Thankfulness and with Religious Dutiful Obedience to thee and thy Commandments all their Days Amen Lord Jesu Amen And receive my Soul into thy Bosom Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Speech and Prayer being ended he gave the Paper which he read into the Hands of Stern his Chaplain permitted to Attend him in his last Extremity Whom he desired to Communicate it to his other Chaplains that they might see in what manner he left this World and so Prayed God to shew his Blessings and Mercies on them And taking notice that one Hind had employed himself in writing the Words of his Speech as it came from his Mouth he desired him not to do him wrong in Publishing a False or Imperfect Copy This done he next applied himself to the Fatal Block as to the Haven of his Rest. But finding the way full of People who had placed themselves upon the Theatre to behold the Tragedy he desired he might have room to Die beseeching them to let him have an end of his Miseries which he had endured very long All which he did with so serene and calm a Mind as if he rather had been taking order for a Noble-Man's Funeral than making way for his own Being come near the Block he put off his Doublet and used some Words to this Effect God's Will be done I am willing to go out of this World none can be more willing to send me And seeing through the Chinks of the Boards that some People were got under the Scaffold about the very Place where the Block was seated he called to the Officer for some Dust to stop them or to remove the People thence saying It was no part of his Desires that his Blood should fall upon the Heads of the People Never did Man put off Mortality with a Better Courage nor look upon his Bloody and Malicious Enemies with more Christian Charity And thus far he was on his way toward Paradise with such a Primitive Magnanimity as Equalled if not Exceeded the Example of the Ancient Martyrs when he was somewhat interrupted by one of those who had placed himself on the Scaffold not otherwise worthy to be Named but as a Firebrand brought from Ireland to inflame this Kingdom Who finding that the Mockings and Revilings of Malicious People had no power to move him or sharpen him into any discontent or shew of Passion would needs put in and try what he could do with his Spunge and Vinegar and stepping to him near the Block he would needs propound unto him some impertinent Questions not so much out of a desire to learn any thing of him but with the same purpose as was found in the Scribes and Pharisees in propounding Questions to our Saviour that is to say either to intrap him in his Answers or otherwise to expose him to some disadvantage with the standers by Two of the Questions he made Answer to with all Christian Meekness The first Question was What was the Comfortablest Saying which a Dying Man would have in his Mouth To which he Meekly made Answer Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo. Being asked again What was the fittest Speech a Man could use to express his Confidence and Assurance He answered with the same Spirit of Meekness That such Assurance was to be found within and that no words were able to express it rightly But this not satisfying this Busie Man who aimed at something else as is probable than such satisfaction unless he gave some Word or Place of Scripture whereupon such Assurance might be truly founded he used some words to this effect That it was the Word of God concerning Christ and his dying for us But then finding that there was like to be no end of the Troublesom Gentleman he turned away from him applying himself directly to the Executioner as the Gentler and Discreeter Person Putting some Money into his Hand he said unto him without the least distemper or change of Countenance Here Honest Friend God forgive thee and I do and do thy Office upon me with Mercy And having given him a Sign when the Blow should come he kneeled down upon his Knees and Prayed as followeth viz. Lord I am coming as fast as I can I know I must pass through the shadow of Death before I can come to see thee but it is but Umbra Mortis a meer shadow of Death a little darkness upon Nature but thou by thy Merits and Passion hast broke through the Jaws of Death The Lord receive my Soul and have Mercy upon me and bless this Kingdom with Peace and Plenty and with Brotherly Love and Charity that there may not be this effusion of Christian Blood amongst them for Jesus Christ his sake if it be thy will Then laying his Head upon the Block and praying silently to himself he said aloud Lord receive my Soul which was the Signal given to the Executioner who very dexterously did his Office and took off his Head at a blow his Soul ascending on the Wings of Angels into Abraham's Bosom and leaving his Body on the Scaffold to the care of Men. And if the Bodies of us Men be capable of any Happiness in the Grave he had as great a
First how it works upon them by whole Countries together you may see by what happened in Asturia Cantabria Galaecia no small parts of Spain For there the People so he tells me that was an Eye-Witness and that since the Council of Trent are so addicted to their Worm-eaten and Deformed Images that when the Bishops commanded New and Handsomer Images to be set up in their rooms the poor People cryed for their Old would not look up to their New as if they did not represent the same thing And it works upon the Learned too more than it should For it wrought so far upon Lamas himself who bemoaned the former passage as that he delivers this Doctrine That the Images of Christ the Blessed Virgin and the Saints are not to be Worshiped as if there were any Divinity in the Images as they are Material things made by Art But only as they represent Christ and the Saints for else it were Idolatry So then belike according to the Divinity of this Casuist a Man may Worship Images and ask of them and put his Trust in them as they represent Christ and the Saints For so there is Divinity in them though not as things yet as Representers And what I pray did or could any Pagan-Priest say more than this For the Proposition resolved is this The Images of Christ and the Saints as they represent their Exemplars have Deity or Divinity in them And now I pray A. C. do you be Judge whether this Proposition do not teach Idolatry And whether the Modern Church of Rome be not grown too like to Paganism in this Point For my own part I heartily wish it were not And that Men of Learning would not strain their Wits to spoil the Truth and rent the Peace of the Church of Christ by such Dangerous such Superstitious Vanities For better they are not but they may be worse Nay these and their like have given so great a Scandal among us to some ignorant though I presume well-meaning Men that they are afraid to Testifie their Duty to God even in his own House by any outward Gesture at all Insomuch that those very Ceremonies which by the Judgment of Godly and Learned Men have now long continued in the Practice of the Church suffer hard Measure for the Romish Superstitions sake IV. Pag. 292. And for the Calvinists if they might be rightly understood they also maintain a most True and Real Presence though they cannot permit their Judgment to be Transubstantiated And they are Protestants too And this is so known a Truth that Bellarmin confesses it lib. 1. de Euchar. cap. 2. s. quinto dicit For the Calvinists at least they which follow Calvin himself do not only believe that the true and real Body of Christ is received in the Eucharist but that it is there and that we partake of it Verè Realiter which are Calvin's own Words And yet Bellarmin boldly affirms that to his reading no one Protestant did ever affirm it And I for my part cannot believe but 〈◊〉 had read Calvin and very carefully he doth so frequently and so mainly oppose him Nor can that place by any Art be shifted or by any Violence wrested from Calvin's true meaning of the Presence of Christ in and at the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist to any Supper in Heaven whatsoever But most manifest it is that quod legerim for ought I have read will not serve Bellarmin to excuse him For he himself but in the very Chapter going before quotes four places out of Calvin in which he says expresly That we receive in the Sacrament the Body and the Blood of Christ verè truly So Calvin says it four times and Bellarmin quotes the places and yet he says in the very next Chapter That never any Protestants said so to his Reading And for the Church of England nothing is more plain than that it believes and teaches the true and real presence of Christ in the Eucharist V. Pag. 376. Secondly if the Religion of the Protestants be in Conscience a known false Religion then the Romanists Religion is so too for their Religion is the same Nor do the Church of Rome and the Protestants set up a different Religion for the Christian Religion is the same to both but they differ in the same Religion and the difference is in certain gross Corruptions to the very endangering of Salvation which each side says the other is guilty of VI. Pag. 377. After these Reasons thus given by him A. C. tells me That I neither do nor can prove any Superstition or Error to be in the Roman Religion What none at all Now truly I would to God from my Heart this were true and that the Church of Rome were so happy and the whole Catholick Church thereby blessed with Truth and Peace For I am confident such Truth as that would soon either command Peace or confound Peace-Breakers But is there no Superstition in Adoration of Images None in Invocation of Saints None in Adoration of the Sacrament Is there no Errour in breaking Christ's own Institution of the Sacrament by giving it but in one kind None about Purgatory About Common-Prayer in an unknown Tongue none These and many more are in the Roman Religion if you will needs call it so and 't is no hard work to prove every of these to be Errour or Superstition or both VII Pag. 320. For a Church may hold the Fundamental Point Literally and as long as it stays there be without controul and yet Err grosly dangerously nay damnably in the Exposition of it And this is the Church of Rome's Case For most true it is it hath in all Ages maintained the Faith unchanged in the expression of the Articles themselves But it hath in the Exposition both of Creeds and Councils quite changed and lost the Sense and the Meaning of some of them So the Faith is in many things changed both for Life and Belief and yet seems the same Now that which deceives the World is that because the Bark is the same Men think this old decayed Tree is as sound as it was at first and not weather-beaten in any Age. But when they can make me believe that Painting is true Beauty I 'll believe too that Rome is not only Sound but Beautiful VIII Pag. 128. For the Church may import in our Language The only True Church and perhaps as some of you seem to make it the Root and the Ground of the Catholik And this I never did grant of the Roman Church nor ever mean to do But a Church can imply no more than that it is a Member of the whole And this I never did nor ever will deny if it fall not absolutely away from Christ. That it is a True Church I granted also but not a Right as you impose upon me For Ens and Verum Being and True are convertible one with another and every thing that hath a Being is truly that Being
impossibilitatis Neque enim talis casus aut extit it aliquando aut contingere potest nisi fallat nos Dominus qui promisit Portae Inferorum non praevalebunt c. THE ANSWER OF THE Most Reverend Father in God William Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury TO THE SPEECH OF THE Lord Say and Seal touching the Liturgy The Speech begins thus MY Lords I have waited to find you free from greater Businesses that I might crave leave to speak of something that concerns my self And this I have the more desired since my Lord of Canterbury's last Speech who expressing his Troubles and 〈◊〉 the Misery of his Condition and of the Condition of the Church of England for he would needs join them together which I think he may as the Cause and the Effect for the Miseries of the Church have certainly risen from him he insisted much upon this That these Troubles had befallen him through the Malice of two Parties the Papists and the Sectaries and by those he said the Church was greatly afflicted MY Lords and all Christian Readers those great Businesses which my Lord speaks of are now ended and I hope as you are free from Business so you will be free from Prejudice while I also crave leave to speak something concerning my self And this I also have the more desired since I saw this Honourable Lord had put his Speech in Print which I find as much if not more against me than for himself This Speech was not put in Print till near six Months after it was Spoken and I conceive was Printed then to renew the Business and to whet the Malice of those Sectaries against me 'T is true that after I was Impeached by the House of Commons for High Treason there came no Articles up against me in full Ten Weeks after then they came up in Generals only and I was called to the House to hear them on Friday February the 26th 〈◊〉 Now by these Articles I found that there was great but I humbly praise God for it causeless Jealousie of me in point of Religion This made me labour more to clear my self from that than from any thing else objected against me as ever hating to seem other in Religion than what I truly and really am For of all Simulations or Dissimulations that is the basest when a Man for poor Temporary fading ends shall shift his Religion or his Judgment concerning it with the Time if not with the Tide As if at all times he had somewhat to seek before he would express Whereas it is most true which St. Hilary speaks in Matter of Religion Non opus est intervallo aliquo inter Cor Os There 's no need of a distance between the Heart and the Mouth as if a Man were to bethink himself of some faithless ambiguity before he would speak that which belonged to the Profession of his Faith Now if seeing my self under so great a pressure and the Church of England so hard lay'd at as then it was I did bewail the Condition of both I think I did what became me And I hope I offended no Man in joyning our Conditions together And whereas this Honourable Lord thinks that I might well joyn them as the Cause and the Effect I think so too my self but in another Sense For his Lordship says too peremptorily that the Miseries of the Church have certainly risen from me No certainly The Miseries of this Church have proceeded from the Separatists and from such as for private at least if not for worse ends have countenanced them and their strange Proceedings against the Government and Governours of the Church And this so long till they brought the Church's Condition which flourished before to be the Cause of my Condition such as it now is And I fell into this Condition by labouring by all good Means to uphold the Church of England from that Misery into which I fear it is now falling And I doubt not but God will open the Eyes of all Good Men to see clearly in time that this was the Cause which laid both me and this Church so low and not any Actions much less Practices of mine This being so if I insisted much upon this that these Troubles have befallen me through the Malice of two Parties the Papists and the Sectaries as this Honourable Lord says I did I had great Reason so to do For certainly the Church of England is greatly afflicted by them and I pray God in the end it be not torn in pieces between them That which I then said in my sudden Speech to the Lords to this Particular was as follows I am very Unfortunate in this Business between the Malignity of two Parties against me the Papist and the Separatist And shall I suffer on both sides at once Shall I be accounted a deadly Enemy to the Papist as I am reputed by them both at Home and Abroad and in the mean time accused for no less than Treason for favouring and complying with them Well If I do suffer 't is but because Truth usually lyes between two sides and is beaten on both sides as the poor Church of England is at this day by these Factions But in this and all things else and in despight of Malice Truth shall either be my Protection from Suffering or my Comfort while I suffer and by God's gracious Assistance I shall never depart from it but continue at the Apostle's Ward Nihil possum contra veritatem I can do nothing against the Truth and for it I hope God will enable me patiently to suffer any thing This or to this effect I then spake and I hope without any Offence sure I am without reflecting upon any particular Person Yet my Lord seems to think otherwise For he says How far this Man will extend this Word Sectary and whom he will comprehend under it I know not but I have some cause to fear that I may lie under some Misapprehension in respect of Matters of this nature which how far it concerns him your Lordships will perceive by what I shall say My Lord it seems knows not how far I will extend the Word Sectary Truly no farther than the Church of Christ extended it ever since Sects and Schisms broke in upon it to help dispoil it of Peace and Unity And a Sectary is he ..... The next thing which my Lord knows not is Whom I will comprehend under that Name and that his Lordship may easily know For I comprehend none under it but such as divide from the Church and either make or follow a Breach where no just cause is given by the Church or where though cause were given Ways of Division are preferr'd before Ways of Peace But that which troubles my Lord about these things which he professes he knows not is That he hath some cause to fear for so he confesses that he may lie under some Misapprehensions in respect of Matters of this nature And this I think may
trouble him indeed For there 's cause enough why he should fear that he may lie under not Misapprehensions but very just Apprehensions in respect of Matters of this nature since 't is manifest that he separates himself as Sectaries use to do from the Common Prayers of the Church And those such as were composed by such Bishops and other Divines as suffered some of them to Martyrdom for the Truth of CHRIST And those such also as were a second time under the prosperous Reign of Queen Elizabeth confirmed by Act of Parliament So that his Lordship separating himself from those Prayers which were made by the One and confirmed by the Other must needs be apprehended as a Sectary whether you look upon Church or State But my Lord tells you That you will perceive by that which he shall say how far this concerns me And therefore I pray you observe it diligently for I cannot yet conceive how any thing else that belongs to a Sectary can concern me or any thing else much which his Lordship can say against me My Lord of Canterbury A Man of mean Birth Bred up in a College and that too frequently falls out to be in a Faction whose narrow Comprehension extended it self no farther than to carry on a Side in a College or canvas for a Proctor's Place in the Vniversity This concerns me indeed and very nearly for I see his Lordship resolves to rake me up from my very Birth a way unusual for Men well-bred and little beseeming a Person of Honour especially thus to insult upon a Fallen Fortune But yet it concerns me not in any relation to a Sectary unless his Lordship would possess the World that I was bred in Faction and so like enough to prove one But how my Lord is mistaken in this will plainly appear First then 't is true I am a Man of ordinary but very honest Birth and the Memory of my Parents savours very well to this day in the Town in Reading where I was born Nor was I so meanly born as perhaps my Lord would insinuate for my Father had born all Offices in the Town save the Mayoralty And my immediate Predecessor whom I am sure my Lord himself accounted very worthy of his Place was as meanly born as my self his Father being of the same Trade in Guilford that mine was of in Reading But all this of my Birth might well have been spared for my Lord knows well enough Miserum est aliorum incumbere famae Ne collapsa ruant subductis tecta columnis And that which follows in the Satyrist And had my Birth been meaner than it was that would not have impaired me among Men of Understanding And howsoever this Advantage I have I have done Honour to my Birth which every Man hath not done that hath had an Honourable Descent To my Birth his Lordship adds That I was bred up in a College That 's true But 't is as true that his Lordship was bred up in a College also and of the same Vniversity And therefore so far he speaks as much against Himself as me But I hope he intends not to charge being bred in a College as a Fault upon either of us And though it too frequently falls out that Colleges be in a Faction for that also is too truly observed by his Lordship yet that is no Fault in any Man who neither Causes nor Nourishes the Faction But that which his Lordship charges next upon me is both a Weakness and a Fault if true Weakness That my Comprehensions are narrow And a Fault because they extended no farther than to carry on a Side in the College or a canvas for a Proctor's Place in the Vniversity For the Weakness first My Comprehensions as narrow as they are are yet as large as God hath been pleased to make them and as large as my hard Study accompanied with his Grace hath been able to stretch them And so large I am sure they are as that I have ever looked carefully upon the whole Catholick Church of Christ spread upon the Face of the whole Earth And therefore certainly my Comprehensions are not so narrow as theirs whose largest cannot or will not look upon one entire National Church nay a Parochial is too big for them and a Conventicle big enough Nor did my narrow Comprehensions ever reject that great Body the Catholick Church out of the Creed as some of late have done whose Comprehensions are not for all that censured by his Lordship for their Narrowness Next for the Fault That 's twofold First My Comprehensions went no farther says my Lord than to carry on a Side in a College Here my Lord is either utterly mistaken or which is worse in a wilful Errour For while I was Fellow of St. John Baptist's College where I was bred it is well known I never made nor held up any Side Indeed when I was Chosen President of that College there was a bitter Faction both Raised and Countenanced against me I will forbear to relate how and by whom But this is certain I made no Party then For Four being in Nomination for that Headship I lay then so sick at London that I was neither able to go down nor so much as write to my Friends about it yet after much Tumble a major part of the Votes made choice of me Thus I was chosen President May 10. 1611. After this my Election was quarrelled at and great means made against me insomuch that the most Gracious King King James sate to hear the Cause Himself for the space of full three Hours Aug. 28. at Tichburn in Hampshire as he returned out of the Western Progress Upon this Hearing his Majesty approved my Election and commanded my Settlement which was done accordingly at Michaelmas following But the Faction in the College finding such Props above as they had continued very eager and bitter against me The Audit of the College for the Year's Accompts and Choice of New Officers followed in November There so God Blessed me with Patience and Moderation in the Choice of all Offices that I made all quiet in the College And for all the Narrowness of my Comprehensions I Govern'd that College in Peace without so much as the shew of a Faction all my Time which was near upon Eleven Years And the Truth of all this is notoriously known and many yet living of great Worth in the Church able and ready to avow it And this I hope was not to lead on a Side Secondly My Lord charges my narrow Comprehensions as reaching no farther than a canvas for a Proctor's Place I was with Thanks to their Love that thought me Worthy chose Proctor of the Vniversity so soon as by Statute I was capable of it But I never medled in the managing of the canvas for it for my self Nor afterwards for any other while I continued Fellow of the College When I was chosen President I continued so for two Years and medled not in
those Times had the Grace and the Gift of Prayer as well as other Graces And there was then as peculiar a Gift by Inspiration to pray as to foretell things to come or to do Miracles As is evident in St. Chrysostom who says that these Men made use of this Gift and Prayed publickly in their Assemblies But so soon as this Gift with others ceased there was a set Form from the beginning Neither is it hard to prove that some parts of our Liturgy hath been as Ancient as the Church hath any Records to shew and some both practised and prescribed by the Apostle St. Paul for the substance of them And the true Reason why we cannot shew the exact Primitive Forms then in use is because they were continually subject to Alterations both in times and places Now if this Lord can furnish us with such Men as shall be inabled to pray by the immediate Inspiration of God's Spirit we will bind them up to no Form But 'till he can I hope we shall be so happy as to retain the set Prayers of the Church Fifthly because this enjoyning turns such Forms instead of being Directions into Superstition This is so wild a Conceit that I wonder how it fell into the Thought of so Wise a Man as my Lord is taken to be For can a Command or an Injunction alter the very Nature of a Thing so far as to turn that which is a Direction into a Superstition Then belike it is Superstition for any Christian to obey the Decrees and Injunctions whether for Belief or Practice made by any the four first General Councils And my Lord knows well that 't is Heretical for any Man to profess against any of these Councils And this not only by the Church Law which his Lordship so much slights but by the Laws of England So by this Reason of my Lord's it shall be Heretical to deny the Injunction and Superstition to obey it If this will not serve my Lord may be pleased to remember that in the Council held at Jerusalem by the Apostles themselves they gave a Command though no such Command as might trouble the believing Gentiles And therefore Decreed that they would lay no greater burthen on them No more grievous Injunction than that they abstain from things offered unto Idols and from Blood and from things strangled and from Fornication where first it is most evident that the Apostles did assume this power of enjoyning and exercise it too And I hope my Lord for very Reverence to the Scripture for as for the Church he valueth it not will not say this wholesom Direction to avoid Fornication is made Superstition by the Apostle's Injunction If this Doctrine may hold I doubt very few will be Superstitious in this point And many Men that are very strict and hate Superstition perfectly will rather not abstain from Fornication than be Superstitious by abstaining And no question can be made by a Reasonable Man but that the Church of Christ had and hath still as much Power to enjoyn a set Form of Prayers as any of these things But my Lord hath more Reasons than these and truly they had need be better too But such as they are they follow This sets aside the Gifts and Graces which Christ hath given and thrusts out the Exercise of them to substitute in their places and introduce a Device of Man Sixthly then this Injunction of a set Form is unlawful because it sets aside the Gifts and Graces c. This is upon the Matter all one with my Lord's second Reason and there 't is answered Yet truly I know no Gifts or Graces set aside much less thruss out but such as are neither Gifts nor Graces of Christ but the Bold and Impudent Attempts of Weavers Coblers and Felt-Makers taking on them to Preach without Knowledge Warrant or Calling Much like the Gifts which Alexander the Copper-Smith had in St. Paul's Time And such Gifts and Graces as these cannot be said to be thrust out But my Lord and his Adherents thrust them into the Church to help cry down all Truth and Order Much less can they be said to be thrust out to make room for a Device of Man meaning the set Form of Common-Prayer Now surely I think and upon very good grounds that they which Composed the Common-Prayer-Book had as good Gifts and Graces of Christ as these Men have And that the conceived and often-times Senseless Prayers of these Men are as much or more the Device of Man than the set Form of Common-Prayer is Yea but for all that my Lord says This Injunction of such Forms upon all Men turns that which in the beginning Necessity brought in for the help of Insufficiency to be now the continuance and maintenance of Insufficiency and a bar to the Exercise of able and sufficient Gifts and Graces As if because some Men had need to make use of Crutches all Men should be prohibited the use of their Legs and enjoyned to take up such Crutches as have been prepared for those who had no Legs In the Seventh and last place my Lord is pleased to tell us this Injunction of such Forms upon all Men turns that which in the beginning Necessity brought in for the help of Insufficiency to the Maintenance of it My Lord told us a little before of a turning into Superstition Now here 's another turning into the Maintenance of Insufficiency two very bad turnings were either of them true But God be thanked neither is In the mean time my Lord confesses that Necessity brought in this Injunction of set Forms And I believe there now is and ever will be to the end of the World as great a Necessity to continue them But I cannot agree with my Lord in this that it was a Necessity for the help of Insufficiency that brought them in For when these were first enjoyned in the Church of Christ Men were endued with as great Gifts and Graces as any now are and perhaps greater But Necessity brought them in when Christianity multiplyed to preserve Unity and Order and to avoid Confusion and Sects and Schisms in the Church And that all sorts of Men might be acquainted with that which was used in the Publick Worship and Service of God Now that which follows is an unjust and foul Scandal upon the Church Namely that this Injunction is made the Continuance and Maintenance of Insufficiency For I believe few Churches in many Ages have had more sufficient Preachers than this of late hath had And therefore 't is evident this Injunction here hath neither been the maintenance nor continuance of Insufficiency This ground failing my Lord 's fine Simile hath neither Crutch nor Leg to stand on but it is as all such fine fetches are when they have no Ground to rest on Nor is any thing more Poor in Learning than a fine handsom Similitude such as this when it hath no truth upon which to rest For the
and continued Practice of the whole Church of Christ. Thirdly Let them profess they are not bound to this Form they use more than any other but that it is free for them to conceive Prayer c. Harder and harder For they stand bound not only by Church-Ordinance but by Injunction and Command of the State in Parliament strictly to observe this Form And they are therefore bound to this Form more than any other And therefore so long as this Act of Parliament remains in force with what Honour or Conscience can this Lord who seems to stand so much upon Law ask this at the Bishops Hands that they should profess that they are not bound to any Forms Nor to this more than any other when his Lordship must needs know they are bound to this and no other and that by an Act of Parliament Besides What a Coil hath been kept by some of this Lord's Favourites against Innovations of Religion as contrary to Law No Rails to fence the Holy Table from Prophanation Though that be no Ceremony nor forbidden by Law No coming up to it or the steps of the Chancel to receive the Communion though most decent and in ancient usage and forbidden by no Law that I know No Reverence to God himself at coming in or going out of his Temple though that of the Psalmist began the ancient Liturgies of the Church and is continued in our O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker c. Psal. 95. The Communion-Table must not stand North and South though the Queens Injunction commanded it to be set just in that Place in which the Altar then stood So they innovate themselves and then cry out of Innovation And if this Lord's Doctrin be good let 's have no Injunction for North and South and all 's well But then we must have no Injunction for East and West neither For if there be an Injunction East and West is Superstition as well as North and South But then if my Lord would have all free what would he have in this Particular Why First he would have it free for these Men to conceive Prayer Let them in due time and place conceive Prayer on God's Name But let them not make publick Abortion in the Church 'T is an over-hasty Mother that brings forth so soon as she has Conceived And yet Extemporary Men out-run these Mothers and Conceive and bring forth their unnatural Monsters both at once Next he would have these Men to help themselves by the use of any other Forms they please as well as this which is prescribed So then belike these great Men of Gifts in my Lord's Eye are not so perfect in the Spirit but that they may need helps And if my Lord be so indifferent that these may help themselves by the use of any other Forms as well as this which is prescribed let him be as fair at least to the Church that made him a Christian as to others and give Men leave to help themselves by the use of this Form which is prescribed as well any other And if it be the Injunction only that sticks in his Stomach I am sorry he should shew himself so Guilty of the great Sin of Disobedience Fourthly Let them practise the same indifferently that so it may be manifest the Fault rests in the Person and not in the Service c. This is his Lordship's last Condition And either I am dulled with this Business or the Expression is somewhat obscure But I will take it as right as I can It seems my Lord would not refuse coming to the Prayers of the Church for the Personal Fault of him that Officiates And that 's well It seems likewise that to manifest this whether the Sin lies in the Person that offers or in the Service that is Offered up his Lordship would have an indifferent practice of that which is enjoyned and other Forms And that 's stark naught For by this we shall have no certain Service of God for the People It shall 〈◊〉 and perhaps more dangerously than is fit not only in different Parishes but in the same Congregation at different times And were not this so yet I cannot assent to my Lord in this that these Men he means can so easily offer better if they will and that when they do not it is their Negligence that is the only Cause And besides it is useless For it is known already to sober Minds that the Fault when any arises in that Work is neither in the Service which is very good nor in the Injunction which is very Lawful but in the Person which Officiates if he do not his Duty And so there is no need of a confused practising of divers Forms indifferently to manifest that which is known already And if my Lord brings no worse Sins about him when he comes to Church than he will find Faults in the Liturgy he may safely come to Church and be a Happy Man in so doing And I might well doubt of my Lord's meaning herein for himself is jealous of his Auditors Therefore he adds I know not whether I express my self clearly to be understood in this or not and it may seem to be a nice Scrupulosity Give me leave therefore to endeavour to clear it by an Instance or two Truly my Lord takes himself right For neither hath he expressed himself very clearly nor is the matter so material in it self but that it may be as it seems a very nice Scrupulosity and altogether unable to warrant his Lordship's Separation from the Prayers of the Church Yet since my Lord desires to clear it by an Instance or two I shall be well content to hear and consider of them His First Instance is In the time of the Law when God appointed himself to be Worshipped by Offerings and Sacrifices the Shadows and Types of those Truths which were to come If a Poor Man which had not Ability to bring a Bullock or a Ram or a Lamb had brought a pair of Turtle Doves or two Young Pigeons it would have been in him an acceptable Service But if a Man of Ability who had Herds and Flocks should out of Negligence or Covetousness have spared the Cost of a Bullock or Ram and brought Young Pigeons his Service would have been rejected and himself punished How much more would the Service have been Abomination if Men should have taken Authority to have enjoyned all to bring no other but Turtles or Young Pigeons because some were not able to do more In one kind there might be a tolerable and lawful use of that which otherways used especially if generally enjoyned would have been most unlawful God will be Worshipped with the Fat and best of the Inwards the best of Mens Gifts and Abilities which he that worships or officiates in Worshipping is to do at his own Peril And if it be left free unto him the Worship may be Lawful to him that
in their Cause and medled in decernendo in determining and that before-hand what the Prelats should do and sometimes in Commanding the Orthodox Prelats to Communicate with the Arrians This they refused to do as being against the Canons of the Council of Nice And then his Answer was Yea but that which I will shall go for Canon But then we must know withal that Athanasius reckn'd him for this as that Antichrist which Daniel Prophesied of Hosius also the Famous Confessor of those Times condemned in him that kind of medling in and with Religion And so doth St. Hilary of Poictiers Valentinian also the Younger took upon him to judge of Religion at the like presuasion of Auxentius the Arrian but he likewise was sharply reproved for it by St. Ambrose In like manner Maximus the Tyrant took upon him to judge in Matters of Religion as in the Case of Priscillian and his Associates But this also was checkt by St. Martin Bishop of Tours Where it is again to be observed that though these Emperours were too busie in venturing upon the determination of Points of Faith yet no one of them went so far as to take Power from the Synods and give it to the Senate And the Orthodox and Understanding Emperours did neither the one nor the other For Valentinian the Elder left this great Church-work to be done by Church-Men And though the Power to call Councils was in the Emperour And though the Emperours were sometimes personally present in the Councils and sometimes by their Deputies both to see Order kept and to inform themselves yet the decisive Voices were in the Clergy only And this will plainly appear in the Instructions given by the Emperor Theodosius to Condidianus whom he sent to supply his place in the Council of Ephesus which were That he should not meddle with Matters of Faith if any came to be debated And gives this Reason for it Because it is unlawful for any but Bishops to mingle himself with them in those Consultations And Basilius the Emperour long after this in the Eighth General Council held at Constantinople 〈◊〉 870. affirms it of the Laity in general That it is no way lawful for them to meddle with these things But that it is proper for the Patriarchs Bishops and Priests which have the Office of Government in the Church to enquire into these Things And more of this Argument might easily be added were that needful or I among my Books and my Thoughts at liberty And yet this crosses not the Supremacy which the King of England hath in Causes Ecclesiastical as it is acknowledged both by the Church and Law For that reaches not to the giving of him Power to determine Points of Faith either in Parliament or out or to the acknowledgment of any such Power residing in him or to give him Power to make Liturgies and publick Forms of Prayer or to Preach or Administer Sacraments or to do any thing which is meerly Spiritual But in all things which are of a mixed Cognizance such as are all those which are properly called Ecclesiastical and belong to the Bishops External Jurisdiction the Supremacy there and in all things of like Nature is the Kings And if at any time the Emperour or his Deputy sit Judge in a Point of Faith it is not because he hath any right to judge it or that the Church hath not Right but meerly in case of Contumacy where the Heretick is wilful and will not submit to the Church's Power And this the Hereticks sometimes did and then the Bishops were forced to Appeal thither also but not for any Resolution in the point of Faith but for Aid and Assistance to the just Power of the Church I cannot but remember a very Prudent Speech utter'd in the beginning of the late preceding Parliament and by that Lord who now made this The occasion was A Lord offer'd to deliver a Message from the King before he was formally brought into the House and his Patent shew'd This Lord who thinks Church-Ceremonies may so easily be alter'd stood up and said He would not be against the delivery of the Message he knew not how urgent it might be but desired withal that it might be enter'd that this was yielded unto by Special leave of the House For that saith he though this be but a Ceremony yet the Honour and Safety of the Priviledges of this Great House is preserved by nothing more than by keeping the Ancient Rights and Ceremonies thereof intire And this I think was very wisely spoken and with great Judgment And could my Lord see this in the Parliament and can he not see it in the Church Are Ancient Ceremonies the chief Props of Parliamentary Rights and have they no use in Religion to keep up her Dignity yea perhaps and Truth too The House of Parliament is I confess a Great and Honourable House But the whole Church of Christ is greater And it will not well beseem a Parliament to maintain their own Ceremonies and to kick down the Ceremonies of the National Church which under God made all their Members Christians Most sure I am they cannot do it without ossence both to State and Church and making both a Scorn to Neighbouring Nations Now in the close of all my Lord tells his Fellow Peers and all others in them That if they shall thus wound the Consciences of their Brethren the Separatists they will certainly offend and sin against Christ. Soft and fair But what shall these Lords do if to Humour the Consciences of those Brethren some weak and many wilful and the cunning misleading the simple they shall disgrace and weaken and perhaps overthrow the Religion they profess Shall they not then both wound their own Consciences and most certainly sin against Christ Yes out of all doubt they shall do both Now where it comes to the wounding of Consciences no question can be made but that every Man ought first to look to his own to his Brethrens after A Man must not do that which shall justly wound his Brother's Conscience though he be his Brother in a Separation and stand never so much a-loof from him But he must not wound his own to preserve his Brother from a wound especially such a one as happily may cure him and by a timely pinch make him sensible of the ill Condition in which he is As for these Men God of his Mercy give them that Light of his Truth which they want and forgive them the boasting of that Light which they presume they have And give them true Repentance and in that Sense a wounded Conscience for their breaking the Peace of this Church And forgive them all their Sins by which they still go on with more and more violence to distract this Church And God of his Infinite Goodness preserve this Church at all times and especially at this time while the Waves of this Sea of Separation
His Lordship hath likewise sent up a List of Romish Recusants which were presented at his last Visitation which he saith are for the most part but of mean Condition and those not many considering the greatness of the County In this Diocess the Town of Mawling and that whole Deanery were very much out of Order but the Arch-Deacon by my Lord the Bishop's Command hath setled them My Lord likewise brought Mr Throgmorton the Vicar of Mawling into the High Commission where he submitted himself and received a Canonical Admonition I likewise certifie your Majesty that the Bishop complains that the Cathedral Church suffers much for want of Glass in the Windows and that the Church-Yard lies very undecently and the Gates down and that he hath no Power to remedy these things because the Dean and Chapter refuse to be visited by him upon pretence that their Statutes are not confirmed under the Broad Seal with some other circumstances with which I shall acquaint your Majesty more at large Concerning this Diocess whereas your Majesty's Instructions require that Lecturers should turn their Afternoon Sermons into Catechizing by way of Question and Answer some Persons and Vicars make a question whether they be bound to the like Order because Lecturers only be named as they pretend But your Majesty's Expression is clear for Catechizing generally and my Lord the Bishop will presently settle this doubt There is one Mr Elms in that Diocess who being not qualified by Law keeps a School-Master in his House and useth him as a Chaplain to preach a Lecture upon Sundays in the Afternoon in the Church of Warmington But by this time if the Bishop keep his promise that abuse is Rectified The Bishop complains that the Peculiars of his Diocess wherein he hath no Power are much out of Order and I easily believe it But the Remedy will be hard because I know not in whom the Peculiars are but shall inform my self His Lordship farther certifies that he hath suppressed a Seditious Lecture at Repon and divers Monthly-Lectures with a Fast and a Moderator like that which they called Prophesying in Queen Elizabeth's Time as also the Running Lecture so called because the Lecturer went from Village to Village and at the end of the Week Proclaimed where they should have him next that his Disciples might follow They say this Lecture was ordained to Illuminate the Dark Corners of that Diocess My Lord of St Davids is now Resident in his Diocess and hath so been ever since the last Spring and professes that he will take great care hereafter to whom he gives holy Orders His Lordship certifies That he hath Suspended a Lecturer for his Inconformity and that they have but few Romish Recusants The Bishop of St Asaph returns That all is exceeding well in his Diocess save only that the Number and Boldness of some Romish Recusants increaseth much in many Places and is incouraged by the Superstitious and frequent Concourse of some of that Party to Holy-Well otherwise called St Winifreds Well Whether this Concourse be by way of Pilgrimage or no I know not but I am sure it hath long been complained of without Remedy My Lord the Bishop certifies that he hath not one Refractory Nonconformist or 〈◊〉 Minister within his Diocess and that there are but two Lecturers and that they both are Licensed Preachers My Lord the Bishop of Lincoln signifies That the Company of Mercers in London trusted with the Gift of one Mr Fishburn set up a Lecturer in Huntingdon with the allowance of Forty Pounds per An. to Preach every Saturday Morning being Market-Day and Sunday in the Afternoon with a Proviso in his Grant from them that upon any dislike they may have of him he shall at a Month or a Fortnights Warning give over the Place without any relation to Bishop or Arch-Bishop My most humble Suit to your Majesty is that no Lay Man whatsoever and least of all Companies or Corporations may under any Pretence of giving to the Church or otherwise have Power to put in or put out any Lecturer or other Minister His Lordship likewise complains of some in Bedfordshire that use to wander from their own Parish-Churches to follow Preachers Affected by themselves of which he hath caused his Officers to take special care As for the placing of the Communion-Table in Parish-Churches his Lordship professes that he takes care of it according to the Canon These two last are no part of your Majesty's Instructions yet since his Lordship hath been so careful to report them to me I take it my Duty to express that his Lordship's care to your Majesty These two Diocesses are void and I had no Certificat before the Death of the Bishops All the Bishops above mentioned which are all that have yet certified do agree that all other things in your Sacred Majesty's Instructions contained are carefully observed and particularly that of avoiding factious medling with the prohibited Questions From any of the rest of the Bishops within my Province I have not as yet received any Certificat at all namely Salisbury Norwich Worcester Oxford Bristol Winchester Chichester Glocester Exeter So I humbly submit this my Certificat W. CANT The Lord Bishop of Ely certifies that he hath had special Care of your Majesty's Instructions and that he doth not know that they are broken in his Diocess in any point Jan. 2. 1633. W. CANT The Arch-Bishop's Account of his Province to the King for the Year 1634. May it please Your most Excellent Majesty I Am at this time in Obedience to your Sacred Majesty's Commands to give you an Account how your prudent and pious Instructions for the Good and Welfare of the Church of Christ in this your Kingdom have been obeyed and performed by the several Bishops within my Province of Canterbury which with all Humility and Obedience I here present as followeth And First I represent to your Majesty That I have this Year partly by my Vicar-General and partly by the Dean of the Arches visited seven Diocesses beginning as I am bound by the Ecclesiastical Laws at my own Metropolitical Church of Canterbury and that Diocess that I might first see what was done at Home before I did curiously look abroad into other Bishops Jurisdictions And not to conceal Truth from your Majesty I found in my own Diocess especially about Ashford-side divers professed Separatists with whom I shall take the best and most present Order that I can some of them and some of Maidstone where much Inconformity hath of late Years spread being already called into the High Commission where if they be proved as guilty as they are voiced to be I shall not fail to do Justice upon them I conceive under favour that the Dutch Churches in Canterbury and Sandwich are great Nurseries of Inconformity in those Parts Your Majesty may be pleased to remember I have complained to your self
such Proceeding in this Case The very Parties that tendred this Cap presuming some good Inclination in him to accept it and to the Romish Church which he maintains to be a True Church wherein Men are and may be saved And the Second Proffer following so soon at the Heels of the First intimates That the First was in such sort entertained by him as rather encouraged than discouraged the Party to make the Second And his Second Consultation with the King concerning it insinuates That the King rather enclined to than against it or at leastwise left it arbitrary to him to accept or reject it as he best liked As for his Severity in prosecuting Papists it appears by his Epistle to the King before his Conference with the Jesuit Fisher where he useth these Speeches of his Carriage towards them God forbid that I should perswade a Persecution in any kind or practise it in the least against Priests and Jesuits For to my remembrance I have not given him or his so much as cross Language Therefore he is no great Enemy to them The Second thing which may seem strange to others is this That the Pope's Legat and Jesuits should ever hate or conspire his Death unless he were an utter Enemy to all Popery Papists and the Church of Rome which admits an easie Answer The Truth is the Bishop being very pragmatical and wilful in his Courses could not well brook pragmatical peremptory Jesuits who in Popish Kingdoms are in perpetual Enmity with all other Orders and they with them they having been oft banished out of France and other Realms by the Sorbonists Dominicans and other Orders no Protestants writing so bitterly against these Popish Orders as themselves do one against the other yea the Priests and Jesuits in England were lately at great Variance and persecuted one another with much Violence This is no good Argument then that the Arch-Bishop held no Correspondence with Priests and other Orders and bare no good Affection to the Church of Rome in whose Superstitious Ceremonies he outstripped many Priests themselves What Correspondency he held with Franciscus de Sancta Clara with other Priests and Dr Smith Bishop of Calcedon whom the Jesuits persecuted and got Excommunicated though of their own Church and Religion is at large discovered in a Book entituled The English Pope and by the Scottish Common-Prayer Book found in the Arch-Bishop's Chamber with all those Alterations wherein it differs from the English written with his own Hand some of which smell very strongly of Popery As namely his blotting out of these Words at the Delivery of the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee and feed on him in thy Heart by Faith with Thanksgiving Take and drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for thee c. and leaving only this former Clause the better to justifie and imply a Corporal Presence of Christ in the Sacrament The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for thee preserve thy Body and Soul unto everlasting Life And this Popish Rubrick written with his own Hand The Presbyter during the time of Consecration shall stand AT THE MIDDLE OF THE ALTAR where he may with more Ease and Decency USE BOTH HIS HANDS than he can do if he stand at the North-end With other Particulars of this kind Moreover in his Book of Private Devotions written with his own Hand he hath after the Romish Form reduced all his Prayers to Canonical Hours And in the Memorials of his Life written with his own Hand there are these suspicious Passages among others besides the Offer of the Cardinal's Cap Anno 1631. Jun. 21. 26. My nearer Acquaintance began to settle with Dr. S. God bless us in it Junii 25. Dr. S. with me at Fulham cum Ma. c. meant of Dr. Smith the Popish Bishop of Calcedon as is conceived Jun. 25. Mr. Fr. Windebank my old Friend was Sworn Secretary of State which Place I OBTAINED FOR HIM of my Gracious Master King Charles What an Arch-Papist and Conspirator he was the Plot relates and his Flight into France for releasing Papists and Jesuits out of Prison and from Executions by his own Warrants and imprisoning those Officers who apprehended them confirms About this time Dr Theodore Price Sub-dean of Westminster a Man very intimate with the Arch-Bishop and recommended specially to the King by him to be a Welch Bishop in Opposition to the Earl of Pembrook and his Chaplain Griffith Williams soon after died a Reconciled Papist and received Extream Vnction from a Priest Noscitur ex comite August 30. 1634. he hath this Memorial Saturday at Oatlands the Queen sent for me and gave me Thanks for a Business with which she trusted me her Promise then that she would be my Friend and that I should have immediate Address to her when I had occasion All which considered together with his Chaplains Licensing divers Popish Books with their expunging most Passages against Popery out of Books brought to the Press with other Particulars commonly known will give a true Character of his Temper that he is another Cassander or middle Man between an Absolute Papist and a real Protestant who will far sooner hug a Popish Priest in his Bosom than take a Puritan by the Little Finger An absolute Papist in all matters of Ceremony Pomp and external Worship in which he was over-zealous even to an open 〈◊〉 Persecution of all Conscientious Ministers who made Scruple of them if not half an one at least in Doctrinal Tenets How far he was guilty of a Conditional Voting the breaking up the last Parliament before this was called and for what end it was summoned this other Memorial under his own Hand will attest Decemb 5. 1639. Thursday the King declared his Resolution for a Parliament in case of the Scottish Rebellion The first Movers to it were my Lord Deputy of Ireland my Lord Marquess Hamilton and my self And A RESOLUTION VOTED AT THE BOARD TO AS-SIST THE KING IN EXTRAORDINARY WAYS IF THE PARLIAMENT SHOULD PROVE PEEVISH AND REFUSE c. But of him sufficient till his Charge now in preparation shall come in Observations on and from the Relation of this PLOT FRom the Relation of the former Plot by so good a Hand our own Three Realms and all Foreign Protestant States may receive full Satisfaction First That there hath been a most cunning strong execrable Conspiracy long since contrived at Rome and for divers Years together most vigorously pursued in England with all Industry Policy Subtilty Engines by many active potent Confederates of all sorts all Sexes to undermine the Protestant Religion re-establish Popery and alter the very Frame of Civil Government in all the King's Dominions wherein a most dangerous visible Progress hath
Persons to Ecclesiastical Dignities Promotions and Benefices belonging to his Majesty and divers of the Nobility Clergy and others and hath taken upon him the Nomination of Chaplains to the King by which means he hath preferred to his Majesty's Service and to other great Promotions in the Church such as have been Popishly affected or other wise Vnsound and Corrupt both in Doctrine and Manners I did never wittingly abuse the Power or Trust which His Majesty reposed in me Nor did I ever intrude upon the Places of any great Officers or others to procure to my self the Nomination of Persons Ecclesiastical to Dignities Promotions and Benefices belonging to His Majesty the Nobility or any other And though here be no Particular named yet I guess at that which is meant and will clearly set down the Truth His Majesty some few Years since assumed to himself from the Right Honourable the Lord Coventry the Lord Keeper that then was and from my Lord Cottington then Master of the Court of Wards the disposing of all such Benefices as came to the King's Gift by Title of Wardship of what value soever they were The Reason which moved His Majesty to do this was The Lord Keeper and the Lord Cottington became humble Suitors to him to end a Contention between them about the giving of those Benefices both for their own Quiet and the Peace of other His Majesties Subjects For the Course was when any thing fell void in the Gift of a Ward he of these two great Officers which came first to know of the avoidance gave the Living This caused great and oft-times undue Practising among them which were Suitors for the Benefices And many times the Broad-Seal and the Seal of the Court of Wards bore Date the same Day And then the Bishop which Clerk soever he Instituted was sure to offend the other Lord. And these Lords too many times by the earnest putting on of Friends were not well pleased one with another in the Business Upon this Suit of their own His Majesty gave a Hearing to these Lords and in Conclusion of it took the Disposal of all such Benefices into his own Hands and for ought I know with both their liking and content In the disposing of these Benefices to such Men as had served His Majesty at Sea or otherwise I was trusted by the King and I served him in it faithfully but proceeded no farther nor otherwise than he directed and commanded me But I never took the Nomination of any one to my self or my own disposing And the Truth of this as His Majesty knows so I am Confident my Lord Cottington who is yet living will Witness For the Nomination of Chaplains to the King if I had done it I think the work was as proper for the Arch-Bishop as for any Man Yet because by Ancient Custom it was conceived to belong in a great part to the Lord Chamberlain who was then the Right Honourable the Earl of Pembrook I never Named any to His Majesty but I did fairly acquaint the Lord Chamberlain with it and desired his favour But in all my time I never was the means to prefer any Man to His Majesties Service as a Chaplain or to any Promotion whom I knew to be Popishly affected or any way Corrupt in Doctrine or Manners 9. He hath for the same Trayterous and Wicked intent chosen and employed such Men to be his own Domestical Chaplains whom he knew to be Notoriously disaffected to the Reformed Religion grosly addicted to Popish Superstition and Erroneous and unsound both in Judgment and Practice And to them or some of them he hath committed Licensing of Books to be Printed By which means divers false and Superstitious Books have been Published to the great Scandal of Religion and to the seducing of many of His Majesties Subjects I never chose any Man to be my Chaplain who I knew or had good Cause to suspect was Popishly affected Nor any that was unsound in Judgment or Practice Nor did I commit the Licensing of Books to any such but to those only who I then did and do still believe are Orthodox and Religious Divines and Men of very good Judgment for that Necessary and great Service And if they or any of them have by negligence or otherwise suffered any Erroneous and Dangerous Books to pass the Press they must answer both the Church and the State for whatsoever they have done amiss in that kind for it is not possible for the Archbishop to perform all those Services in Person And in the committing of them to my Chaplains and other Divines of Note I have done no new thing but that which my Predecessors have done before me This I am sure of I gave often and express and strict Command to all and every of them that they should License nothing that was contrary to the Doctrine and Discipline Established in the Church of England or might Personally or otherwise give Offence or Distaste And I hope they have Obeyed my Directions If not they must Answer for themselves 10. He hath Trayterously and Wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome And for the effecting thereof hath Consorted and Confederated with divers Popish Priests and Jesuits and hath kept secret intelligence with the Pope of Rome And by himself his Agents and Instruments treated with such as have from thence received Authority and Instruction He hath permitted and countenanced a Popish Hierarchy or Ecclesiastical Government to be Established in this Kingdom By all which Trayterous and Malicious Practices this Church and Kingdom have been exceedingly indangered and like to fall under the Tyranny of the Roman See The Article is now come of which I spake before and in my Answer to which I promised to set down the substance of that which I spake in the Parliament House to the Lords when this General Charge was brought up against me and I shall somewhat inlarge it yet without any Change of the Grounds upon which I then stood And now I shall perform that Promise And I shall be of all other least afraid to answer all that is here said concerning Religion For my Heart I bless God for it is sound that way to the uttermost of my Knowledge and I think I do well understand my Principles And my Old Master Aristotle hath taught me long since that Qui se bene habent ad divina audaciores sunt they which are well and setledly composed in things pertaining to God that is in Religion are much the bolder by it And this not only against Slanders and Imputations cast upon Men for this but in all other Accidents of the World what ever they be And surely I may not deny it I have ever wished and heartily Prayed for the Unity of the whole Church of Christ and the Peace and Reconciliation of torn and divided Christendom But I did never desire a Reconciliation but such as might stand
which it is in truth of Substance But this Word Right is not so used but it is referred more properly to perfection in Conditions And in this Sense every thing that hath a true and real Being is not by and by Right in the Conditions of it A Man that is most Dishonest and Unworthy the Name a very Thief if you will is a True Man in the Verity of his Essence as he is a Creature Endued with Reason for this none can steal from him nor he from himself but Death But he is not therefore a Right or an Upright Man And a Church that is exceeding Corrupt both in Manners and Doctrine and so a Dishonour to the Name is yet a True Church in the verity of Essence as a Church is a Company of Men which profess the Faith of Christ and are Baptized into his Name but yet it is not therefore a Right Church either in Doctrine or Manners It may be you meant cunningly to slip in this Word Right that I might at unawares grant it Orthodox But I was not so to be caught For I know well that Orthodox Christians are Keepers of Integrity so St. Augustin and Followers of right Things of which the Church of Rome at this Day is neither In this Sense then no Right that is no Orthodox Church at Rome IX Epist. Dedicat. circa med For to my remembrance I have not given him or his so much as Course Language But on the other side God forbid too that your Majesty should let both Laws and Discipline sleep for fear of the Name of Persecution and in the mean time let Mr. Fisher and his Fellows Angle in all parts of your Dominions for your Subjects If in your Grace and Goodness you will spare their Persons yet I humbly beseech you see to it That they be not suffered to lay either their Weels or Bait their Hooks or cast their Nets in every Stream lest that Tentation grow both too general and too strong I know they have many Devices to work their Ends but if they will needs be Fishing let them use none but Lawful Nets Let 's have no dissolving of Oaths of Allegiance no Deposing no Killing of Kings no blowing up of States to settle Quod Volumus That which fain they would have in the Church with many other Nets as dangerous as these For if their Profession of Religion were as good as they pretend it is if they cannot compass it by good means I am sure they ought not to attempt it by bad For if they will do evil that good may come thereof the Apostle tells me Their Damnation's just Rom. 3. 8. Now as I would humbly beseech your Majesty to keep a serious Watch upon these Fishermen which pretend S. Peter but Fish not with his Net So c. X. A Passage out of the Conference at Hampton-Court referred to in the preceding History Pag. 28. Upon the first Motion concerning falling from Grace the Bishop of London took occasion to signifie to his Majesty how very many in these days neglecting Holiness of Life presumed too much of persisting of Grace laying all their Religion upon Predestination if I shall Saved I shall be Saved which he termed a desperate Doctrine shewing it to be contrary to good Divinity and the True Doctrine of Predestination wherein we should Reason rather ascendendo than descendendo thus I Live in Obedience to God in Love with my Neighbour I follow my Vocation c. therefore I trust that God hath Elected me and Predestinated me to Salvation Not thus which is the usual course of Argument God hath Predestinated and chosen me to Life therefore though I sin never so grievously yet I shall not be damned For whom he once loveth he loveth to the End Whereupon he shewed his Majesty out of the next Article what was the Doctrine of the Church of England touching Predestination in the very last Paragraph Scil. We must receive God's Promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture and in our doings that the Will of God is to be followed which we have expresly declared unto us in the Word of God Which part of the Article his Majesty very well approved And after he had after his manner very singularly discoursed on that place of Paul Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling he left it to be considered whether any thing were meet to be added for the clearing of the Doctor his doubt by putting in the Word often or the like as thus We may often depart from Grace But in the mean time wished that the Doctrine of Predestination might be very tenderly handled and with great discretion lest on the one side God's Omnipotency might be called in question by impeaching the Doctrine of his eternal Predestination or on the other side a desperate Presumption might be arreared by inferring the necessary certainty of standing and persisting in Grace XI A Passage out of the Arch-Bishop's Speech in Star-Chamber at the Censure of Pryn Burton and Bastwick referred to in the Preceding History Pag. 36. The Learned make but Three Religions to have been of old in the World Paganism Judaism and Christianity and now they have added a Fourth which is Turcism and is an absurd mixture of the other three Now if this ground of theirs be true as 't is generally received perhaps it will be of dangerous consequence sadly to avow that the Popish Religion is Rebellion That some Opinions of theirs teach Rebellion that 's apparently True the other would be thought on to say no more XII A Passage out of the New Statutes of the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ in Canterbury drawn by the Arch-Bishop and prescribed to that Church by the King 1636. Cap. 34. de Celebratione Divinorum Statuimus etiam ut nullus Canonicorum aliorum in Choro Ministrantium Divinorum Officiorum tempore absque Insignibus Choro Gradui convenientibus Chorum ingrediatur Singuli verò cujuscunque fuerint Gradûs aut Ordinis in ingressu Chori Divinam Majestatem devotâ mente adorantes humiliter se inclinabunt versùs Altare prout antiquis quarundam Ecclesiarum Statutis cautum novimus dein conversi Decano quoque debitam Reverentiam exhibebunt Quòd si contigerit aliquem ex quacunque causâ de loco in locum transire in Choro Reverentiam similiter in medio Chori tam versùs Altare quà m versùs stallum Decani si praesens fuerit exhibebit tum in eundo tum in redeundo toties quoties XIII A Passage out of Arch-Bishop Parker's Antiquitates Britannicae concerning Prohibitions referred to in the preceding History Pag. 326 327. edit Londin Jamque Juris Regni periti ut sui commodi Causâ Regia for a multitudine litium Infinitate replerent plerasque Causas Controversias ab Archiepiscopali Episcopali Audientiâ ad sua Judicia vocabant Ecclesiasticam Jurisdictionem decimarum