Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bishop_n	church_n	rome_n	17,242	5	7.2290	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83496	Speeches and passages of this great and happy Parliament: from the third of November, 1640, to this instant June, 1641. Collected into one volume, and according to the most perfect originalls, exactly published.	England and Wales. Parliament.; Mervyn, Audley, Sir, d. 1675.; Pym, John, 1584-1643.; Strafford, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of, 1593-1641.	1641 (1641)	Wing E2309; Thomason E159_1; ESTC R212697	305,420	563

seemes to be this particular case yet seeing that I am pressed by both Houses to give way to his because I will avoid the inconveniencie of giving so great discontent to my people as I conceive this Mercy may produce therefore I doe remit this particular Cause to both the Houses But I desire them to take into their consideration the inconveniencies as I conceive may upon this occasion fall upon my Subjects and other Protestants abroad especially since it may seeme to other States to be a severity which surprise having thus represented I think my selfe discharged from all ill consequence that may ensue upon the execution of this person FINIS To the Right Honourable the Commons House of Parliament The humble Petition of many of his Majesties Subjects in and about the Citie of London and severall Counties of the Kingdome THat wheras the government of Archbishops and lord-Lord-Bishops Deanes and Archdeacons c. with their Courts and ministrations in them hath proved prejudiciall and very dangerous both to the Church and Common-wealth they themselves having formerly held that they have their jurisdiction or authority of humane Authority till of these later times being further perused about the unlawfulnesse that they have claymed their calling immediatly from the Lord JESVS CHRIST which is against the Lawes of this Kingdome and Derogatory to his Majestie and his State Royall And whereas the said government is found by wofull experience to be a maine cause and occasion of many foule evils pressures and grievance of a very high nature unto his Majesties Subjects in their owne Consciences liberties and ●st tes as in a Shedule of particulars hereunto annexed may in part appeare We therefore most humbly pray and beseech this Honourable Assembly the premisses considered that the said government with all its depend●nces roots and branches may be abolished and all lawes in their behalfe made voyd and the government according to Gods word may be rightly placed among us and we your humble Supplyants as in duty we are bound will daily pray for his Majesties long and happy raigne over us and for the prosperous successe of this High and Honourable Court of Parliament c. A Particular of the manifold Evils Pressures and Grievances caused practized and occasioned by the Prelates and their Dependants I. FIrst the subjecting and enclining all Ministers under them and their Authority and so by degrees exempting of them from the Temporall power whence followes II. The faint-heartednesse of Ministers to preach the truth of God lest they should displease the Prelates as namely the Doctrine of Predestination of Free-grace of Perseverance of Originall sinne remaining after Baptisme of the Sabbath the Doctrine against universall Grace Election for Faith fore-seene Free-will against Antichrist non-Residents humane Inventions of Gods worship all which are generally with-held from the peoples knowledge because not relishing to the Bishops III. The encouragement of Ministers to despise the temporall Magistracie the Nobles and Gentry of the Land to abuse the Subjects live contentiously with their neighbours knowing that they being the Bishops creatures they shall be supported IV. The restraint of many godly and able men from the Ministry and thrusting out of many Congregations their faithfull diligent and powerfull Ministers who lived peaceably with them and did them good onely because they cannot in Conscience submit unto and maintaine the Bishops needlesse devices nay sometimes for no other cause but for their zeale in Preaching or great Auditories V. The suppressing of that godly Designe set on foot by certaine Sects and sugred with many great gifts by sundry well-affected persons for the buying of Impropriations and placing of able Ministers in them maintaining of Lectures and founding of Free Schooles which the Prelates could not endure lest it should darken their glories and draw the Ministers from their dependance upon them VI. The great encrease of idle lewd and dissolute ignorant and erroneous men in the Ministry which swarme like the Locusts of Egypt over the whole Kingdome and will they but weare a Canonicall Coat a Surplisse a Hood bow at the name of JESVS and be zealous of Superstitious Ceremonies they may live as they list confront whom they please preach and vent what errours they will and neglect preaching at their pleasures without controule VII The discouragement of many from bringing up their Children in learning the many Schismes errors and strange opinions which are in the Church great Corruptions which are in the Universities the grosse and lamentable ignorance almost every where among the people the want of preaching Ministers in very many places both of England Wales the loathing of the Ministry and the generall defection to all manner of prophanenesse VIII The swarming of lascivious idle and unprofitable Books and Pamphlets Play-books and Ballads as namely Ovids fits of Love the Parliament of Women came out at the dissolving of the last Parliament Barnes Poems Parkers Ballads in disgrace of Religion to the encrease of all vice and withdrawing of people from reading studying and hearing the word of God and other good Books IX The hindring of godly Books to be Printed the blotting out or perverting those which they suffer all or most of that which strikes either at Poperie or Arminianisme the adding of what or where pleaseth them and the restraints of reprinting Books formerly lycensed without relycensing X. The publishing and venting of Popish Arminian and other dangerous Books and Tenets as namely that the Church of Rome is a true Church and in the worst times never erred in Fundamentals that the Subjects have no propriety in their Estates but that the King may take from them what hee pleaseth that all is the Kings and that he is bound by no Law and many other from the former whereof hath sprang XI The growth of Popery and encrease of Papists Priests and Jesuits in sundry places but especially about London since the Reformation the frequent venting of Crucifixes and Pop sh Pictures both engraven and printed and the placing of such in Bibles XII The multitude of Monopolies and Pattents drawing with them innumerable Perjuries the large encrease of Customes and Impositions upon Commodities the Ship-monies and many other great burthens upon the Common-wealth under which all groane XIII Moreover the Offices and Jurisdictions of Arch-bishop● Lord-Bishops Deanes Arch-Deacons being the same way of Church Government which is in the Romish Church and which was in England in the time of Poperie little change thereof being made except onely the head from whence it was derived the same Arguments supporting the Pope which doe uphold the Prelates and overthrowing the Prelates which doe pull downe the Pope and other reformed Churches having upon their rejection of the Pope cast the Prelates out also as Members of the Beast Hence it is that the Prelates here in England by themselves or their Diciples plead and maintaine that the Pope is not Antichrist and that the Church of Rome is a

without a license Secondly they restrain him from preaching some doctrines as of predestination and others that overthrow Arminian tenets when his faithfulnesse in his Office requires he should keep nothing back This is read to the Presbyter upon his Ordination and his charge then given him is remarkable See the booke of ordering Priests but to shew them all the counsell of God Acts 10.27 Thirdly they will not suffer him to intermeddle in the discipline These usurpations I conceive are to be taken away and the Presbyter to be left free from them Secondly for the Episcopacy I conceive that first their Baronies and the intermedling of the Clergy in Civill Councels affaires and imployments ought to be taken from them First I conceive such Bar● and intermedling is against the Law of God Christ refused to intermeddle in dividing inheritances though more able and fit for it then any Bishop Luke 12.13 and saith his Kingdome is not of the world John 18.36 and the Disciple is not above his Master Mat. 10.24 and Acts 6. The Apostles refuse to intermeddle in the Deacon or Churchwardens office though of all earthly imployments the neerest to the Church and the reason they give is remarkable for this purpose because they were to attend to Prayer and Administration of the word and therefore not meet for them to attend such secular matters and 2 Tim. 2.4 The Apostles laies down a rule in this case that nemo militans Deo se implicat negotiis hujus seculi and upon this ground even the Popes Canon-laws are against these things as inconsistent with the ministeriall function And the due execution of the commission Goe preach and baptize is of it selfe burthen and work enough for any man whatsoever his gifts and parts be and made Paul though of a more excellent and able spirit cry out under the sense of the waight of it Who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 Secondly it is against the fundamentall Laws of this Land whereby they that are within holy Orders Non est consonum quod ille qui salubri statui animarum piis operibus continue deservit ad insistendum in secularibus neg●tiis compellatur vide the writ that they may the better attend upon and discharge their duties are not to be intangled with temporall businesse and therefore if any such be chosen to any temporall office the Law hath ordained a writ to discharge them thereof Reg. 187.6 The King may command the service of men in orders and then it is to be given him by naturall allegiance This rule admits two exceptions and both are in this case first except the service from that person be against the Law of God as here it is and then it is better obey God then man in praesentia majoris cessat potestas minoris Secondly if the service concern the Common-wealth and the person of whom it is required be not sufficient for it nor brought up unto it the command is against Law and the service not to be done if the King grant the Office of the Clarke of the Crown to one not brought up to it it is void and the service not to be intermedled withall by him 9 Ed. 4.56 Winters case Secondly that part of the Bishops spirituall office by which he claimeth superiority over Presbyters ought to be taken as I conceive from them as being against the will of God The Apostles questioning among themselves which should be the Superior are sharply reproved by our Saviour for it and he tels them plainly it shall not be so among them Mark 10.42 Luke 22.25 and Diotrophes 3 Job 9. is branded for it that he sought prehominence in the Church The mystery of iniquity in the Popish Hierarchy in the Presbyters exalting themselves began to work in the purest primitive times as we see in Diotrophes and Peters cavear 1 Pet. 5.3 and never left till it came to the Pope 2 Thes 2.4.7 the highest degree and top thereof By which it seems to me evident that to leave the pattern of Church government set down in the word of God to follow the examples of after ages upon a false cry of primitive times is to forsake the pure fountain and wallow in the muddy and corrupted streams of antichristian ambition Thirdly that part of the spirituall office of the Bishop whereby he is to instruct the people committed to his charge with the holy Scriptures as upon the 2 question put unto him at his Consecration he undertakes to doe ought as I conceive to be reduced to a possibility for him to performe it It is impossible for him to doe it to a whole Diocesse therefore he should be limited to some particular Congregation unto which he might perform this trust which requires sufficiency attendance and diligence Fourthly Ordination in the scriptures is ever expressed to be by them in the Church that had authority and were officers in the Church as Apostles Evangelists and after by the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 And a shadow of this remains in our Law Acts 14.23 Titus 1.5 6 7. for the Bishop only is not to lay hands upon the party to be ordained but the Presbyters there attending are to joyn with the Bishop therein Books of orde ring Priests This I conceive is not fit to be in the hands of any one ordinary officer in the Church the discerning of the gifts abilities and faithfulnesse of persons to be ordained Presbyters requiring great judgement care and circumspection Plus vident oculi quam oculus The like I say of deprivation Fiftly Excommunication by the Scriptures ought to be only in case of enormous offences and obstinacy in them and onely in the Congregation whereof the party to be Excommunicate is a member 1 Cor. 5.4 Tell the Church cannot be meant of one man Mat. 18.17 Diotrophes is branded for taking upon him alone to cast any out of the Church This also abused as well as usurped by the Bishop is to be reformed Sixtly Institution and induction are usurped by the Bishops upon the fundamentall Laws of this Kingdome by which the Patron after his Clerk was ordained did without any more invest him into the Church See Selden of tithes 86. And a relick of this we retain still in Churches that be donatives Seventhly The jurisdiction of tithes causes matrimoniall and causes testamentary in the times of the increasing power of the Pope when the Bishops thereby grew more formidable were taken from the Civill Magistrate to whom originally they belonged upon pretence that the tithes were Jure divino the Churches patrimony and Mariage a Sacrament and that the disposing the goods of the dead most properly belonged to him for the good of the soule in Purgatory to redeem it thence to whom the cure of the Soule appertained in his life time vide 2 R. 3. Testaments 4.11 H. 7.12 B. Plowden 279. B. Foxes c. Cok. rep 9.37 B. Heustoes case Dames rep 97. B.

but shew you a way of remedie by shewing you my cleer intentions and some marke that may hinder this good worke I shall willingly and cheerfully concur with you for the Reformation of all Innovations both in Church and Common-wealth and consequently that all Courts of Justice may be reformed according to Law For my intentions is cleerly to reduce all things to the best and purest times as they were in the time of Queen Elizabeth Moreover whatsoever part of my Revenue shall be found illegall or heavy to my Subjects I shall be willing to lay down trusting in their affections Having thus cleerly and shortly set down my intentions I will shew you some rubs and must needs take notice of some very strange I know not what terme to give them Petitions given in the name of divers Counties against the established government of the Church and of the great threatnings against the Bishops that they will make them to be but a Cipher or at least taken away If some of them have incroached too much upon the Temporaltie if it be so I shall not be unwilling these things should be redressed and reformed as all other abuses according to the wisdome of former times so farre I shall go with you no farther If upon serious debate you shall shew that Bishops have some Temporall Authority not so necessary for the government of the Church and upholding Episcopall Jurisdiction I shall not be unwilling to desire them to lay it down but this must not be understood that I shall any way consent that their voice in Parliament should be taken away for in all the times of my Predecessors since the Conquest and before they have enjoyed it I am bound to maintain them in i as one of the fundamentall Institutions of this Kingdome There is one other Rock you are on not in substance but in service and the forme is so essentiall that unlesse it be reformed will split you on that Rock There is a Bill lately put in concerning Parliaments The thing I like well to have frequent Parliaments but for Sheriffes and Constables to use my Authoritie I can no wayes consent unto But to shew that I desire to give you content in substance as well as in shew that you shall have a Bill for doing thereof so that it do not trench neither against my Honor neither against the ancient Prerogatives of the Crowns concerning Parliaments Ingeniously confesse often Parliaments is the fittest means to keep correspondencie betweene Me and my People that I doe so much desire To conclude now all that I have shewen you the state of my Affairs My own cleere intentions and the Rocks I would have you shun To give you all contentment you shall likewise finde by these Ministers I have or shall have about me for the effecting of these my good intentions which shall redouble the peace of the Kingdome and content you all Concerning the conference you shall have a direct answer on Monday which shall give you satisfaction The Kings speech to both Houses of Parliament in the Lords House at the passing of the Bill for a Trieniall Parliament the 16th of November 1640. MY Lords and you the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons you may remember when both Houses were with Me at the Banquetting House at Whitehall I did declare unto you two Rocks I wished you to eschew this is the one of them and of that consequence that I thinke never Bill passed here in this House of more favour to the Subjects then this is and if the other Rocke be as happily passed over as this shall be at this time I do not know what you can aske for ought I can see at this time that I can make any question to yeeld unto Therefore I mention this to shew unto you the sence that I have of this Bill and obligation as I may say that you have to me for it for hitherto to speake freely I have had no great incouragement to doe it if I should looke to the outward face of your actions or proceedings and not looke to the inward intentions of your hearts I might make question of doing it Hitherto you have gone on in that which concernes your selves to amend and yet those things that meerly concernes the strength of this Kingdom neither for the State nor my own particular This I mention not to reproach you but to shew you the state of things as they are you have taken the Government almost in peeces and I may say it is almost off the hinges A skilfull Watchmaker to make cleane his Watch he will take it a sunder and when it is put together it will go the better so that he leave not forth then one pin in it Now as I have done all this on my part you know what to do on your parts and I hope you shall see cleerly that I have performed really what I expressed to you at the beginning of this Parliament of the great trust I have of your affections to me and this is the great expression of trust that before you do any thing for me that I do put such a confidence in you HIS MAJESTIES Letter to the Lords on the behalf of the Earle of Strafford sent by the PRINCE My Lords I Did yesterday satisfie the Justice of the Kingdome by passing of the Bill of Attainder against the Earle of Strafford but mercie being as inherent and inseparable to a King as Justice I desire at this time in some measure to shew that likewise by suffering that unfortunate man to fulfill the naturall course of his life in a close imprisonment yet so that if ever he make the least offer to escape or offer directly or indirectly to meddle in any sort of Publique businesse especially with me either by Message or Letter it shall cost him his life without further Processe This if it may be done without the discontentment of my People will be an unspeakable contentment to me To which end as in the first place I by this Letter do earnestly desire your approbation and to endeare it the more have chosen him to carry it that of all your House is most dear to me So I desire that by a conference you will endeavour to give the House of Commons contentment Likewise assuring you that the excuse of mercy is no more pleasing to me then to see both Houses of Parliament consent for my sake that I should moderate the severity of the Law in so important a case I will not say that your complying with me in this my intended mercie shall make me more willing but certainly t' will make me more cheerfull in granting your just grievances But if no lesse than his life can satisfie my People I must say fiat justitia Thus again recommending the consideration of my intentions to you I rest Whitehall the 11th of May 1641. Your unalterable and affetionate Friend CHARLES R. If he must dye it were charity to

the Citizens at London and also by a Petition of worthy Gentlemens sons Apprentices thereof so reputed to be All which show the whole estate of our Church and Common-wealth to be grievously diseased of a Plurisie and must have a present and good cure or else England is overthrown which is the mother and Almoner of the Kings well-fare and his posterity Which disease the King not fearing nor knowing he had some ill counsell to let it run so farre in jeopardy of trouble and distresse And herein give me leave to tell you the story of Noah a King in the the Ark yet after he was over-shot and taken by the Vines of his own planting and brought himself to some dishonour thereby as some use our English Kings heretofore have done by their favourites untill they saw it and this is it that made the Papists and Prelates rejoyce in their own wisedom and honour like Chams that saw his father so deceived but such deserve a curse for it both of God and man in respect of the matters contained in the foresaid Petitions of our English Lords as also for that the former Parliament might have settled all things in quiet enriched the Kings Coffers enabled to withstand all powerfull pretences and no doubt but to have qualified the humour of the Scots to all our contents Therefore these deserve the curse of Cham that were movers and stoppers and hinderers of it When things might have been composed convenient without warre or strife and not upon so extreme necessity which is now brought upon us and maketh the Scots proverb in use necessity hath no 〈◊〉 for their defence But now our Proverb is drawn fr●● thence we must make a vertue of necessity a hard case for a good take heed and counsell For since the plot of an after intended warre had an ill policy that would wrong good Noah their father and his children in such a manner of proceeding and then in glory and defence of it against this House of Commons cause a booke to be published against our proceedings these men which were the cause of publishing of it are fit to publish 't as Noahs cursed son Cham shamelesse And we for our parts in the House of Commons together with the higher House of Lords I hope will not so leave them but be rejecters of them as good Shem and Japheth acknowledging them to be vain members that go about to supplant our wrong the Vineyard our just King and his Kingdom Now therefore consider the former it shall be fit before we enter upon conference to be strengthened and enabled for discharge of our well meaning both to our King and Country answerable to his late speech to gain and obtain his free love consent power on these three points and cautions handled and moved the last meeting First free liberty of speech Secondly each ones right to our selves Thirdly for reformation of Religion And these things granted to proceed freely without delay of time or matters to the cure of such deadly diseases if they be let alone First I would conceive under favour of bette judgements to begin with Sathans Roots of evill viz. All Papists because they are of the most dangerous seed of the Serpent to the hurt of the Church and Common-wealth herein that we agree with a generall consent of Parliament to search see and finde out all the Jesuits Priests Friars Cappuchines and all such Romish factions and by order to all the Justices of Peace in England to imprison them or to send them all to some out-Townes to banish them all out of the Land speedily while you be in other Councell here sitting and thence to ship them away at their owne chages and upon good bonds and security that they never return into England Scotland or Ireland and if they should both the bonds and the Lawes to be executed upon them And for other long Inhabitants Papist and Recusants such as may seeme honest Subjects only for Religion the old orders and Statutes to be put in execution without the abatement of the penalties till they shall conforme to our Religion and if any have wincked or underhand compounded for the time past to be punished and made pay so much unto the Kings Cofers as justly due by the Statute ever since King Charles his Raigne The first course and Act of Parliament being speedily put in execution whilest we sit here will not only excuse the pretended charity that Papists hope for from the King and Queen but will also manifest the true piety against their heresies for ever and will be a good satisfaction to the Scots which make these one of the chiefest intents and causes of their comming into this Kingdome which we wish they had no worse intents and sure it will be a means to try their intents and our owne too and then we have hope to entreat the Scots to stay our leisures Sir John Wray his Speech touching the Canons the 15. of December 1640. Mr. Speaker A Man may easily see to what tend all these innovations and alterations in Doctrine and Discipline and without perspect time discover a farre off the active toylsomenesse of these spirituall Ingineeres to undermine the old and true foundation of Religion and establish their tottering heresie in Rome thereof which least it should not hold being built with untempered morter You see how carefull they are by a past oath to force mens consciences not to alter their government Archiepiscopall And Master Speaker the thoughts of the righteous are right but the counsells of the wicked are deceits and nothing else in their hearts but destructions and devastations but to the counsellors of peace is joy so long as they kept themselves within the circle of the spirituall commerce and studied to keepe mens hearts upright to God and his Truth there was no such complaining in our Streets of them nor had we never seene so many thousand hands against them as now there are come in And no marvell though God withdrawes so many hearts and hands from them who had turned so many out of the way of truth vita tuta they have stopt up but via devia they have enlarged and layd open as appears by their crooked Canons Master Speaker I shall not goe about to overthrow their government in the plurall but to limit it and qualifie it in some particulars For Sir Francis Bacon long since well observed there two things in the government of Bishops of which he could never be satisfied no more can I the first was the sole exercises of the authorities And secondly by the deputation of that authority But Master Speaker I shall not now dispute of either for mine own part Master Speaker I love some of them so well and am so charitable to the rest that I wish rather their reformation then their ruine But let me tell you withall that if we should finde amongst them any proud Becket or Wolsey Prelates who stick not to write

because there is no mony to buy their Commodities and are become so deare that no sort of victuall is sold but at a double rate And which is hardest of all the Army is stinted by the Articles of Cessation to stay within these two Countyes whose provisions are all spent expecting from time to time the payment of those moneys which were promised for their reliefe and are reduced to such extremity as they must either starve or sore against their will breake their limited bounds unlesse some speedy course bee taken for their more timous payment that so soone as may be the Arreers may be paid And because the continued payment of that monethly summe for reliefe of the Northerne Countreyes is a Burthen to the Kingdome of England our Army is a trouble to the Country where they reside our charges of entertaining our Army besides what is allowed from England is exceeding great And our losses and prejudice through absence and neglect of our affaires not small Therefore that all evills and troubles of both Kingdomes may be removed it is our earnest desire that the Parliament may be pleased to determine the time and manner of Payment of the 300000 l. which they were pleased to grant towards reliefe of their Brethren that there may be no let about this when matters shall be drawing towards an end And that his Majesty and they may give order for Accelerating matters in the treaty that the peace being concluded England may be eased of the burthen of two Armies and we may returne to our owne homes which is our earnest desire Ad. Blaire The Remonstrance of both the Houses of Parliament unto the King delivered by the Lord Keeper January the 29th 1640. May it please your Majesty YOUR loyall Subjects the Lords and Commons now assembled by your Majesties Writ in the high Court of Parliament humbly represent unto your gracious consideration that Jesuits and Priests ordained by authority from the Sea of Rome remaining in this Realme by a Statute made in the 27 year of Queen Elizabeth are declared Traytors and to suffer as Traytors That this law is not so rigorous 27 Eliz. cap. 2. as some apprehend or would have others to beleeve for that it is restrayned to the naturall born Subjects only and doth not extend to any strangers at all That it is enacted in the first year of King James 1 Jac. cap. 4. that all Statutes made in the time of Queen Elizabeth against Priests and Jesuits be put in due and exact execution And for further assurance of the due execution of these laws the Statute of the third year of King James invites men to the discovery of the offenders by rewarding them with a considerable part of the forfeiture of the Recusants estate So that the Statute of Queen Elizabeth is not only approved but by the judgement of severall Parliaments in the time of King James of happy memory adjudged fit and necessary to be put in execution That considering the state and condition of this present time they conceive this law to be more necessary to be put in strict execution then at any time before that for divers weighty and considerable reasons viz. For that by divers Petitions from the severall parts of this Kingdome complaints are made of the great increase of Popery and Superstition and the people call earnestly to have the laws against Recusants put in execution Priests and Jesuits swarme in great abundance in this Kingdome and appeare here with such boldnesse and confidence as if there were no laws against them That it appeares unto the House of Commons by proofe that of late years about the City of London Priests and Jesuits have been discharged out of Prison many of them being condemned of high Treason They are credibly informed that at this present the Pope hath a Nunci● or Agent resident in the City and they have a just cause to believe the same to be true The Papists as publiquely and with as much confidence and importunity resort to Masse at Denmark house and St. James and the Embassadors Chappels as others doe to their Parish Churches They conceive the not putting of these Statutes in execution against Priests and Jesuits is a principall cause of increase of Popery That the putting of these laws in execution tendeth not only to the preservation and advancement of the true Religion established in this Kingdome but also the safety of your Majesties person and security of the State Government which were the principall causes of the making of the Laws against Priests and Jesuits as is manifestly declared in the preamble of the laws themselves which are the best interpreters of the mindes of the makers of them And because the words being penned by the advise and wisdome of the whole state are much more full and clear then any particular mans expression can be they were therefore read as they are vouched those of the 27 year of Queen Elizabeth being thus viz. That the Priests and Jesuits come hither not only to draw the Subjects from their true obedience to the Queen but also to stir up Sedition Rebellion and open hostility within the Realme to the great endangering of the safety of her Royall Person and to the utter ruin desolation and overthrow of the whole Kingdom if not timely prevented and the tenor of the words of the third year of King James are in this manner viz. Whereas divers Jesuits and Priests doe withdraw many of his Majesties Subjects from the true service of Almighty God and the Religion established within this Realme to the Romish Religion and from their loyall obedience to his Majestie and have of late secretly perswaded divers Recusants and Papists and encouraged and imboldned them to commit most damnable Treasons tending to the overthrow of the whole State and Common Wealth if God of his goodnesse and mercy had not within few houres of the intended time of the execution thereof revealed and disclosed the same The Houses did further informe that some Jesuits and Priests had been executed in the time of Queen Elizabeth and King James of happy memory and when any of them have received mercy it was in such time and upon such circumstance as that the same might be extended unto them without dangers whereas now of late there hath been a great apprehension of endevours by some ill agents to subvert Religion and at this present both Kingdomes have a generall expectation of a through reformation And there is already found so ill a consequence of the the late reprieve of John Goodman the Priest that the House of Commons having sent to the Citizens of London for their assistance in the advancement of money for the present and necessary supply of his Majesties army and reliefe of the Northern Counties upon this occasion they have absolutely denyed to furnish the same and how far the like discontent may be effused into other parts of the Kingdom to the interruption of