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A42557 The History of the Church of Great Britain from the birth of our Saviour untill the year of our Lord, 1667 with an exact succession of the bishops and the memorable acts of many of them : together with an addition of all the English cardinals, and the several orders of English monks, friars and nuns in former ages. Geaves, William.; Geaves, George.; Gearing, William.; G. G. 1674 (1674) Wing G440; ESTC R40443 405,120 476

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Bishop might be sent over into England there to ordain Priests give Confirmation and exercise Episcopal jurisdiction Among others Matthew Kellison and Richard Smith were presented Not long after Pope Vrban the Eighth created Richard Smith Bishop of Calcedon and sent him into England with Episcopal Authority over the Priests within the English Dominions King James after he had been troubled with a Tertian Fever four weeks at Theobalds called unto him his onely Son Prince Charles to whom he recommended the protection of the Church of England c. and died on the seven and twentieth day of March He Reigned twenty two years and three days The sad news of King James his death was brought to White-hall when Dr. Laud Bishop of St. David's was Preaching therein This caused him to break off his Sermon in the midst thereof out of civil compliance with the sadness of the Congregation And the same day was King Charles Proclaimed at Whitehall Shortly after King James his death Bishop Laud delivered to the hands of the Duke of Buckingham brief memorables of the Life and Death of King James On May fourteenth following King James his Funerals were performed very solemnly in the Collegiate-church at Westminster King Charles in his own person mournfully attended the Funerals of his Father Dr. Williams Lord Keeper and Bishop of Lincoln Preached the Sermon taking for his Text 2 Chron 9. 29 30 and part of vers 31. containing the happy Reign quiet Death and stately Burial of King Solomon In this Sermon he made a parallel between two peaceable Princes King Solomon and King James adding that Solomon's vices could be no blemish to King James who resembled him onely in his choycest vertues Doctor Preston still continued and increased in the favour of the King and the Duke of Buckingham Then a Book came forth called Apello Caesarem made by Mr. Mountague then Fellow of Eaton upon this occasion He had lately written Satyrically enough against the Papists in confu●ation of The Gagger of the Protestants Now two Divines of Norwich Diocese Mr. Yates and Mr. Ward inform against him for deserting our Cause instead of defending it Mr. Mountague in his own Vindication writes a second Book licensed by Francis White D●an of Carlile finished and partly Printed in the Reign of King James Many bitter passages in this his Book gave great exception At that time a Schedule was delivered to the Duke wherein the names Rushw Collect An. 162● ● of Ecclesiastical persons were written under the letters of O and P O standing for Orthodox and P. for Puritans for the Duke commanded that the names of eminent persons to be presented unto the King should be thus digested under that partition On Sunday June 12. Queen Mary landed at Dover Next day the King coming from Canterbury met her at Dover Thence his Majesty conducted the Queen to Canterbury and the same Evening the Marriage was there consummated On June 16. the King and Queen came both to London A Chappel at Sommerset-house was built for the Queen and her Family with conveniences thereto adjoyning for Capuchin Friers who were therein placed and had permission to walk abroad in their Religious habits Then began a Parliament at London wherein the first Statute agreed upon was for the more strict observation of the Lord's day Sir Edward Coke went to the House of Peers with a message from the Commons desiring their concurrence in a petition concerning Religion and against Recusants which being agreed to and presented to the King his Majesty answered That he was glad that the Parliament was so forward in matters of Religion and assured them they should find him as forward Mr. Richard Mountague was brought to the Bar of the Commons House for his Book fore-mentioned which was Printed and dedicated to King Charles But the King res●ued him from the House of Commons by taking Mr. Mountague's business into his own hand The Plague increasing in London the Parliament removed to Oxford where Doctor Chalenor died of that infection The Parliament to prevent the growth of Popery presented a petition to his Majesty containing sixteen particulars to which they received a satisfactory answer from the King Mr. Mountagues cause was recommended to the Duke of Buckingham by the Bishops of Rochester Oxford and St. Davids as the cause of the Church of England They affirm boldly that they cannot conceive what use there can be of Civil Government in the Common-wealth or of external Ministry in the Church if such fatal Opinions as some are which are opposite to those of Mr. Mountague be publickly taught and maintained But other Learned men were of a different judgement At Oxford in a late Divinity disputation held upon this Question Whether a Regenerate man may fall away totally and finally from Grace The Opponent u●ging the Appeal to Caesar the Doctor of the Chair handled the Appellator very roughly saying That he was a man that studied phrases more than matter That he understood neither Articles nor Homilies or at least perverted both That he attributed he knew not what vertue to the sign of the Cross and concluded with an Admonition to the Juniors That they should be wary of reading that and the like Books The King according to his late answer to the Parliament at Oxford issued out a Commission to the Judges to see the Law against Recusants put in Execution This was read in all the Courts of Judicature at Reading where Michaelmas Term was kept and a letter directed to the Archbishop of Canterbury to take special care for the discovery of Jesuites Seminary Priests c. within his Province In this and the next year many Books from persons of several abilities and professions were written against Mr. Mountague by Dr. Sutcliff Dean of Exeter Mr. Henry Burton Mr. Yates a Minister of Norfolk his Book he entitled Ad Caesarem ibis Dr. Carleton Bishop of Chichester Anthony Wotton Divinity-professor in Gresham Colledge and Mr. Francis Rowse a Lay-man His Majesty sensible of his Subjects great distast at Mr. Mountague's Book resolved to leave him to stand or fall according to the justness of his Cause The Duke imparted as much to the Bishop of St. David's who conceived it of such ominous concernment that he entred the same in his Diary viz. I seem to see a cloud arising and threatning the Church of England God for his mercy dissipate it The King issued forth a Proclamation Whereby he commanded the return within limited time of all such Children of Noble-men and other his natural Subjects who were now breeding up in Schools and Seminaries and other Houses of the Popish Religion beyond the Seas That their Parents Tutors and Governors take present order to recal them home and to provide that they return by the day prefixt at the utmost severity of his Majestie 's Justice He commanded further That no Bishop Priest or any other person having taken Orders under any Authority derived from the See of
Religion Piety and Learning And the Commissioners of the Great Seal of England issued forth Commissions under the Great Seal into all the Counties of England and Wales to such persons as by the Parliament were nominated giving them power by the Oathes of good and lawful men c. to find out the true value of all Parsonages and Vicarages presentative and all other Ecclesiastical Livings with care of Souls within such Cities and Counties and to certifie into the Chancery what each of them were really worth per Annum the names of the Incumbents Proprietors and Possessors thereof and of such as receive the profi●s who supplies the Cure what he hath for his Sallary how many Chappels are belonging to one Parish and how situate and fit to be united and how the Churches and Chappels are supplied by Preaching Ministers that so a course be taken for the providing both for Preaching and maintenance where the same should be found to be needful About this time some Dissenters in the Army called Levellers drew together five thousand Horse and Foot at Burford Colonel Reinolds fell in upon them with a greater Body than they had and routed them taking nine hundred Horse and four hundred Foot prisoners whereof one Thomson and two more principal Leaders were immediately shot to death who died resolutely Cornet Den an Army-preacher expressing Flag●llum or the life and death of O. C. p. 83. his grief and sorrow was reprieved at the Instant of execution which their Fellows beheld from the leads of the Church The Rest by Cromwells mediation were all pardoned and sent home to their own houses This proved the utter suppression of that faction and rendred the Army entirely at his Command so that they presently submitted to the lot which Regiments should be sent to Ireland then almost reduced to the King's obedience by the Marquess of Ormond Cro●well was ordained Commander in chief of the Forces appointed for Ireland and tituladoed with the style of Lord Governour of Ireland while the Lord Fairfax was left here to attend the Parliament He with a potent Army landed at Dublin The Marquess of Ormond had besieged Dublin but the siege was raised by Colonel Michael Jones Governour of Dublin with the utter defeat of the Marquesses Army And the siege of London-derry was raised by Sir Charles Coot sallying out of the Town Cromwel takes Drogheda by Storm and puts all in it to the Sword After this in less than a year most of the Cities and Towns in Ireland were taken and that whole Kingdom in a manner subdued to the power of the Common-Wealth of England and the Marquess of Ormond and all that oppose their Authority withdrew themselves But a little before Colonel Rich received a Brush from my Lord Broghil in the County of Cork where the Bishop of Rosse being taken was hanged July 19. 1649. An Act was passed by the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England for the promoting and propagating the Gospel of Christ in New England And a general Collection was made in and through all the Counties Cities Towns and Parishes of England and Wales as the foundation for so pious an undertaking c. King Charles the Second being now at Jersey part of the English Fleet was sent to attacque that Island which put the King upon a speedy remove from thence into France where he resided till the time appointed for the Treaty at Breda which drew near and then he repaired thither The Committee of the Estates of Scotland having concluded with the King at Breda all correspondence with the English was by Proclamation forbidden and all manner of provision stopped from being carryed into England though the Juncto at Westminster had used all Artifices to keep the Scots from closing with the King During the Treaty at Breda 1650. the Marquess of Momrosse landed in the Isles of Orkney with fifteen hundred Armes and five hundred German Souldiers and after he had gathered more strength he was defeated by Colonal Straughan taken and brought to Edinburgh where he is brought to his Trial condemned and executed The rigorous prosecution of the Marquess of Montrosse in that violent manner was chiefly from the instigation of the Kirk by which long before he had been Excommunicated Concerning which he spake to the people in this manner upon the Scaffold What I did in this Kingdom was in obedience to the most just Commands of my Sovereign for his defence in the day of his distress against those that rose up against him I fear God and honour the King according to the Commandments of God and the Law of Nature and Nations c. It is objected against me by many even good people that I am under the censure of the Church this is not my fault si●ce it is onely for doing my duty by obeying my Prince's most just Commands for Religion his Person and Authority yet am I sorry they did Excommunicate me and in that which is according to God's Laws without wronging my Conscience or Allegiance I desire to be relaxed If they will not I appeal to God who is the Righteous Judge of the World and who must and will I hope be my Judge and Saviour The King was much troubled at the Scots severity against this Noble Marquess After this the King lands in Scotland and is Proclaimed King at Edinburgh Cross But his Majesty had not been long among the Scots but they began according to their usual manner of Kirk Authority and Discipline to obtrude upon the King such curbing conditions as but ill-suited with Regal dignity Then the Common-wealth of England sent an Army against Scotland and Cromwel is made General of the Parliament's Forces instead of Lord Fairfax and about the end of June he marched towards Berwick in order to his advance into Scotland The Scots raise an Army and in the mean-time send many Expostulatory Letters to Sir Arthur Haslerigg then at Newcastle urging the breach of Covenant and the union between the two Nations which availed nothing The Scots having been routed at Muscleburgh they came to a Battel at Dunbar where the whole Army was defeated by Cromwel of the Scots there were slain in the Battel four thousand and nine thousand were taken prisoners with all their Ammunition bag and baggage and ten thousand Armes The Scots after this loss quitted Leith and Edinburgh whereof the next day Cromwel took possession and the King retired to St. Johnstons where the Committee of Estates were assembled The Scots ascribed this overthrow of the Army to their admitting the King into Scotland before he had given full satisfaction to the Kirk in what they required of him and began very much to impose upon him and remove from his Person the most Faithful and Loyal of his Servants The King departs secretly from St. Johnstons in discontent to the Lord Dedup's house near Dundee The Estates at St. Johnstons send Major General Montgomery to fetch the King back the King returns
14 Iohn Trevor 15 Llewelin ap Madoc ap Elis 16 William de Spridlington 17 Laurence Child a Monk of the Abbey of Battel 18 Alexander Bach 19 Iohn Trevor 20. Robert 21. John Low 22. Reginald Peacock 23. Thomas 24. Richard Redman 25. David ap Owen 26. Edmond Birkhead 27. Henry Standish 28. William Barlow 29. Robert Warton 30. Thomas Goldwel 31. Richard Davies 32. Thomas Davies 33. William Hughes 34. William Morgan 35. Richard Parry 36. John Hanmer 37. John Owen 38. George Griffith 39. Henry Glemham 40. Isaac Barrow Bishops of Lindisfarn 1. Aidan who chose for his See a little Island called Lindisfarn now called Holy Island where he and divers of his Successors led their lives He travelled up and down the Countrey on foot to preach the Gospel giving whatsoever he could get unto the poor He died August 31. Anno 651. for grief of the death of King Oswald who was traiterously slain twelve dayes before 2. Finan He first built a Church for his See in the Island all of timber and covered it with reed 3. Colman He gave over his Bishoprick and returned into Scotland 4. Tuda 5. Eata 6. St. Cuthbert Bishop of Lindisfarn he is famed for his Sanctity 7. Wilfrid 8. Eadbert He covereth the Church with Lead 9. Egfrid 10. Ethelwold 11. Kenulfus 12. Higbald In his time the Danes spoiled the Church and Monastery and the Monks forced to leave it 13. Egbert 14. Eanbert 15. Eardulph In the mean time the Bishops of Hagustald were 1. Aca 2. Fritherbert 3. Athmund 4. Titherus 5. Ethelbert 6. Heanred 7. Eanberthus 8. Tidferthus Bishops of Chester on the Street 1. Eardulph Vpon the burning of Lindisfarn removed his See to Chester on the Street anciently called Cunecestre And by Elfred and Guthred Kings of Northumberland all the Countrey between Tine and Tisean were given to the same See 2. Cuthardus 3. Milred 4. Withred 5. Ughtred 6. Sexhelm He being covetous was so terrified with a Vision of St. Cuthbert that he was forced to lea●e the See 7. Alfsius or Elssig He was the last Bishop of Lindisfern or Chester on the Street Bishops of Durham 1. Aldhunus or Aldvinus was consecrated Bishop Anno 995. He with his Monks came to Durham or rather Dunholm which is compounded of two Saxonwords Dun signifying an Hill and Holm an Island in a River a place full of Woods He with the help of Uthred Earl of Northumberland caused the Woods to be cut down cleansed the place and in short time made it habitable A Church was finished there in the time of this Bishop He was School-master unto the Children of King Ethelred Elfred and Edward that afteward reigned and is called Edward the Confessor 2. Edmond The Monks and Priests comending about a Succ●ssor to Aldhunus this Edmond came among them and ●eastingly offered himself to be their Bishop and they chose him against his will he having a better mind to a Tennis-court than a Monks Hood Malmsb. lib. 3. de Pont. He much adorned his Church and the City with buildings 3. Eadred 4. Egelrick He builded a Church at Cuneagecestre in digging the foundation of this Church he found so much money that he cared not for the Bishoprick but resigned it unto Egelwyn his Brother and returned to the Monastery of Peterborough whence he came He made the Cawsey from Deeping to Spalding He was afterward accused to the Conqueror of Treason and taken out of his Monastery and imprisoned at Westminster where he died 5. Egelwyn He was Bishop at the coming in of the Conqueror he forfook Durham and carried his Clergy with him unto the Church of Landisfarn but he was not long before they returned again 6. Walcher or Walter He was so rich that he b●ught the Earldom of Northumberland of the King He and many of his Retinue were slain in the Church of Durham May 14. 1080. and the Church burnt with fire because two of his Servants had murdered Leulfus one of the Ancestors to the now Lord Lumley R. Hoved. 7. William Kairlipho Abbot of St. Vincent He was consecrate at Glocester in the presence of the King and divers of his Nobles He procured license of Pope Gregory to translate the Monks of Yarrow to Durham He expelled divers married Priests out of his Church and suffered only Monks to dwell there He pulled down the Church of Durham that Aldhunus had built there and began to erect another far more magnificent but lived not to finish it 8. Ranulph Flambard 9. Geoffry Rufus Chancellor of England He built the Castle of Alnerton 10. William de Sta. Barbara 11. Hugh Pudsey He buil● a fair House at Derlington as also the Church there He found●d the ●●riory of Finchal He boug●● Sadbury of King Richard the First and ●ave it unto his See H● built the ●●●●ge of Elvet and the Gall. 〈◊〉 West-end of his Cathedral Church in which he placed the bones of Venerable Bede He built two Hospitals one at Allerton another called Sherborn Vnto Sherborn he gave liberal maintenance for sixty five poor Lazers and a certain number of Priests For a great sum of money King Richard made him Earl of Northumberland 12. Philip de Poictiers This Bishop by the license of King Richard the First set up a Mint at Durham and began to coyn money there Anno 1196. 13. William de Marisco 14. Richard Poor 15. Nicholas de Fernham 16. Walter de Kirkham 17. Robert Stitchel 18. Robert de Insula 19. Anthony Beake 20. Richard de Bury He was soon after Lord Chancellor and within two years after that Lord Treasurer of England He was often employed in Ambassages of great importance What time of leisure he had he spent either in Prayer or conference with his Chaplains whereof he had many about him and those very learned men or else in study His Study was so well furnished with Books that it is thought he had more Books than all the Bishops in England Many Letters passed between him and Francis Petrarch and other learned men in those dayes Thomas Bradwardine was then one of his Cha●lains afterward Archbishop of Canterbury Richard Fitz-Ralph afterward Archbishop of Armagh W Burley J. Mandut R. Holcot R. Killington Doctors of Divinity Richard Bintworth and W. Seagrove the one afterward Bishop of London the other of Chichester He was very liberal to the poor 21. Thomas Halfield He built Durham colledge in Oxford now called Trinity-colledge 22. John Fordham 23. Robert Nevil 24. Laurence Booth 25. William Dudley 26. John Sherwood 27. Richard Fox 28. William Severus 29. Christopher Bambridge 30. Thomas Ruthal 31. Thomas Wolsey Cardinal 32. Cuthbert Tonstal 33. James Pilkinton 34. Richard Barnes 35. Matthew Hutton 36. Tobias Matthew 37. William James 38. Richard Neile 39. John Howson 40. Thomas Morton 41. John Cozens Bishops of Carlile Carlile being destroyed by the Danes in the year 900. it happened King William Rufus passing that way Anno 1090. re-edified it and built a strong Castle in
somewhat earnestly to King Richard to set his very dear Son for so he called the Bishop at liberty The King in a pleasant manner caused the Habergeon and Curasses of the Bishop to be presented to the Pope with this question alluding to that of Jacob's Children to their Father concerning Joseph's Garment Vide an haec sit filii tui tunica an non See whether this be thy Son's coat or not Whereupon the Pope replied That he was neither his Son nor the Son of the Church and therefore should be Ransomed at the King's will because he was rather judged to be a servitor of Mars than a Souldier of Christ Whom the King of England handled sharply Anno 1199. One Thurical an English-man was in a rapture carried in the night to Purgatory of which S. Nicholas is Governor where also he saw the mouth of Hell whence a stinking smoak issued out which as it was revealed to him came out of Tithes detained or ill-paid because there those Men were horribly punished who had ill-paid the Tithes due to the Church This is related by Mat. Paris a Monk of St. Albans 〈…〉 into 〈…〉 superstitious according to the Age that he lived in Then also came the Minorite Friars into England their Order being but lately instituted King Richard laying Siege to a Castle called Chaluz belonging to the Viscountof Limoges was shot into the Arm by a poisoned Arrow whereupon the Iron remaining and festering in the wound the King within ●ine dayes after died having first forgiven the Souldier before his Death King John was Crowned in Westminster-Abbey June 9. 1199. and was Sworn by Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury Quod sanctam Ecclesiam ejus ordinatos diligeret eam ob incursione malignantium indemnem conservaret dignitates illius bona fide sine malo ingenio servaret illaesas as Roger Hoveden expresseth it This Archbishop with all the Bishops Abbots Nobles present at and consenting to this Oath and doing Homage and Fealty to him The 13th of June following he was solemnly Divorced in Normandy in the presence of three of his Norman Bishops from the Duke of Gloucester's Daugh●er Vnde magnam summi Pontificis Innocentii tertii Curiae Romanae indignationem praesumens temere contra leges canones dissolvere quod eorum fuerat authoritate colligatum as Radulphus de Diceta informs us But he soon after was Married to Isabel sole Daughter and Heir of the Earl of Angolesme who was Crowned Queen Octob. 8. by Archbishop Hubert this Pope and Cardinals not daring to question or null his Marriage CENT XIII KIng John being no sooner possessed of the Realm of England but in the very first year of his Reign evidenced to all the World his Ecclesiastical Sovereignty both by ratifying protecting enlarging the Ecclesiastical as well as Temporal Liberties Privledges Churches Chappels Tithes Lands Possessions granted by his Ancestors to several Archbishopricks Bishopricks Monasteries in England Ireland Normandy by sundry Charters using this expression in the Prologue of Confirmation to the Monastery of Cirencester Johannes Dei gratia c. Quoniam Honori nostro condecens Prynne's history of Popes Usurpations lib. 5. ch 1. saluti nostrae necessarium loca sancta religiosa quae ab Avo patris nostri Rege H. primo sunt fundata a Rege H. secundo patre nostro confirmata defendere custodire amplisicare Inde est quod Deo Sanctae Mariae de Cirencest Canonitis Regularibus ibidem Deo servientibus damus concedimus Dat. per manum H. Cant. Archiep. Cancel nostri apud sag 7. die Aug. An. Regni nostri 10. Which prologue he likewise used in other of his Charters K. John also authorized Hubert Archbishop of Canter to make a Will which he could not then Legally do without his Royal License In the year 1177. no less then 30 Nuns of the Abby of Ambresbury were accused and convicted at one time for their incontinency to the dissolution and infamy of their Order whereof they had been publikely defamed whereupon King Henry the 2d Expulsis sanctimonialibus be Abbatia de Ambresbury propter incontinentiam per alios domos Religiosos distributis expelling the Nuns from this Abbey for their incontinency distributed them throughout other Religious Houses in stricter custody by way of penance and gave it to the Abbess and Nuns of Font-Everoit for a perpetual possession who sending a Covent of Nuns thither from Font-Everoit Richard then Archbishop of Canterbu●y inducted them into the Abbey of Ambresbury on the first of June King Hen. 2. Bartholomew Bishop of Excester John Bishop of Norwich and many other of the Clergy and People being then present And by his Charter Anno 1179. confirmed the Lands of this Abbey to them with many liberties and that by the advice and consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury and many other Bishops Great Men and Barons of the Realm King John in the first year of his Reign by his Charter reciting all the premises in the Prologue confirmed this Charter of his Father ratified these Nuns deprivations and imprisonments in other Monasteries for their incontinency with consent of his Bishops Nobles and request of Pope Alexander transferring this Abbey and all Lands thereto belonging from one rank of Nuns to another takes both these Nuns Persons Lands into his Royal protection as if they were his own Demesnes grants them several Tithes Churches large Priviledges and prohibits that none of his Officers or Subjects should disturb them therein nor implead them but in the presence of himself and his heirs The same first year of King John's Reign the Abbot of Westminster dying the Monks by the King's License elected Ralph Arundel Prior of Harle for their Abbot unto which the King gave his Assent Whereupon he was consecrated Abbot no Bishops Abbots Priors or other Ecclesiastical Persons being elected to any Dignities but by the King 's previous License and subsequent Assent to the Person elected who might approve or reject him at his Royal Pleasure This King ratified the Charter of K. Richard touching the exchange between Archbishop Hubert and the Bishop and Monks of Rochester of the Manor of Lambeth for other Lands and the Clause therein authorizing the Pope Archbishop of Canterbury Bishops and Clergy of England to Excommunicate the infringers thereof Besides he appropriated several Chart. 1. Johan ●●gis part 2. n. 147. n. 25. Parochial Churches in perpetuity to the Bishoprick of Coventry and Litchfield converted other Parochial Churches into Prebendaries and ratified the Orders made by Bishop Hugh for the better regulation of that Church by two Charters The like Charter of confirmation of Churches Tithes and Liberties he made to the Bishop of Exeter and his Successors the same year In the second year of his Reign the Dean and Chapter of Lexoven within this King 's hereditary Dominions in France presuming to elect a Bishop without his consent sent a Prohibition to
certain parts of him were covered and after certain dayes a Trumpetter of the King 's called Thomas Cliffe gat leave of the King to take him down and bury him The next Month after the Execution of these Men died Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury famished to Death not for want of Food but of a Throat to swallow it such the swelling therein that he could neither speak nor eat for some days After him succeeded Henry Chichely whose mean birth interrupted Godwin's Catal of Bish the chain of Noble Archbishops his two Predecessors and Successors being Earls Sons by Extraction Although many Laws had been made against the Pope's usurped Authority in bestowing Ecclesiastical preferments by way of Provision yet durst not this man consent unto his election made by the Covent of Canterbury but committed the matter unto the Pope's determination who first pronounced the election of the Monks void and then bestowed the Archbishoprick upon him The same year the King began the Foundation of two Monasteries one of the Friars observants on the one side of Thames and the other on the other side of the same River called Shene and Sion dedicated unto the Charter-house Monks with certain Nuns of St. Briget to the number of sixty dwelling within the same precinct so that the whole number of these with Priests Monks Deacons and Nuns should equal the number of thirteen Apostles and seventy two Disciples These were to eat no Flesh to touch no Money to wear no Linnen The King held a Parliament at Leicester in which the Commons put up their Bill again which was put up Anno 11. Henry the fourth that the Temporalties wasted so disorderly by the Clergy might be converted to the use of the King and of his Earls and Knights c. In fear of which Bill the Clergy put him upon a long War with the French offering to him in behalf of the Clergy great and notable sums by reason whereof the Bill was put off again The Archbishop Henry Chichley condemned John Claydon's Books and condemned him and shortly after ●●e was burnt in Smithfield with Richard Turning Baker Anno 1415. The next year the said Archbishop in his Convocation holden at London made sharper Com●itutions than were before against the Lollards There two Priests noted for Hereticks were brought before the Bishops the one John Barton the other Robert Chappel Barton was committed to Philip Bishop of Lincoln to be kept in prison till otherwise it were determined Chappel submitted himself and with much ado received pardon and was in stead of penance enjoyned certain Articles to publish at Paul's Cross Then divers persons were forced to abjure as John Tail●r of the Parish of St. Maries at Quern William James Physitian who had long lain in prison John Courdley of Lincoln-shire a learned man John Duerfer Katherine Dertford the Parson of Higley in Lincoln-shire named Mr. Robert William Henry of Tenterden John Gaul a Priest of London Richard Monk Vicar of Chesham in Lincoln-shire with divers others During the time of ●he Provincial Convocation Pope Martin had sent to the Clergy of England for a Subsidy to maintain the Pope's Wars against the Lollards of Bohemia Another Subsidy was demanded to persecute William Clerk Master of Arts in Oxford who sailing out of England was at the Council of Basil disputing on the Bohemians side A third Subsidy was also required to persecute William Russel Warden of the Grey-Friers in London who was fled having escaped out of prison Ralph Mungin Priest refusing to abjure was condemned to perpetual prison The recantation of Thomas Granter and Richard Monk Priests was read openly at Paul's Cross after which Granter was put to seven years imprisonment under the custody of the Bishop of London Edmond Frith recanted who was Butler to Sir John Oldcastle Besides these many other Wicklivites were sore vexed in Kent in the Towns of Romney Tenterden Woodchurch Cranbrook Staplehurst Bennenden and Rolvenden where Men and their Wives and whole Families were driven to forsake their Houses and Towns for fear of persecution Among whom were William White and Thomas Greensted Priests Bartholomew Chronemonger Joan Waddon Joan his Wife Thomas Evernden Stephen Robins William Chineling John Tame John Facolin William Somer Marian his Wife John Abraham Robert Munden Laurence Cook which persons because they appeared not were excommunicated by the Archbishop The Lord Cobham having lived four years in Wales and being at last discovered was taken by the Lord Powis yet so that it cost some blows and blood to apprehend him till a Woman at last with a stool broke the Lord Cobham's legs whereby being lame he was brought up to London in an Horse-litter At last he was drawn upon an Hurdle to the Gallows and there was hanged and burnt In the ninth year of King Henry the Fifth he suppressed the French Houses of Religious Monks and Friars and such like in England because Stow's chroh in Hen. 8. they spake ill of the King's Conquest over France Their Lands were given by him and King Henry the Sixth to Monasteries and Colledges of learned men King Henry died in France and was brought over and buried at Westminster This King ordained the King of Heraulds over the English which is called Garter In this King's Reign Richard Fleming Bishop of Lincoln founded a Colledge named Lincoln-colledge in Oxford King Henry the sixth an Infant of eight months old succeeded his Father in the Kingdom of England Anno 1422. In the eighth year of his Age he was crowned at Westminster and in the tenth year crowned King at Paris Cardinal Henry Bishop of Winchester being present at them both The Clergy had then a strong party in the Privy Council viz. 1. Henry Chicheley Archbishop of Canterbury 2. John Kemp Bishop of London 3. Henry Beauford Bishop of Winchester lately made Cardinal 4. John Wackaring Bishop of Norwich Privy-seal 5. Philip Morgan Bishop of Worcester 6. Nicholas Bubwith Bishop of Bath and Wells Lord Treasurer In the first year of this King's Reign was burned a faithful Witness of God's Truth William Tailor a Priest under Henry Chich●ley Archbishop of Canterbury March 1. Anno 1423. In the year 1424. John Florence a Turner appeared before Will. Bernam Chancellor to the Bishop of Norwich being accused for holding and teaching divers Heresies But being threatened he submitted himself and abjured and for his penance he was whipped three Sundayes in a solemn procession in the Cathedral Church of Norwich before all the people The like also was done about his Parish-church of Shelton three other several Sundayes he being bare-headed bare-footed and bare-necked after the manner of a publick Penitentiary his body being covered with a canvass shirt and breeches carrying in his hand a Taper of a pound weight In the same year John Goddesel of Dichingham Parchment maker abjured and was set at liberty till the year 1428. Richard Belward of Erisam sware that he would neither teach nor assist any against the
XIX year of the Reign of Kymbeline King of Britain Divers Writers of note do tell us that the Gospel Baron Annal. Tom. 1. An. 61. Usser de Brit. Eccles primord c. 1. p. 7. Parker de vet●st Eccl. Britan. p. 2 3. Fo● Act. Monum v●l 1. Sir H. Spelm. Concil Tom. 1. P●r Josephum 〈◊〉 l●c●rna primum in Britania accensa est Georg. Major was preached and received in this Land even in the days of the Apostles Baronius and the Learned Archbishop Vsher tell us that St. Peter came into Britain in the twelfth year of the Emperour Nero and staid a long time here many being by him illightned Nicephorus saith that Simon Zelotes carried the Doctrine of the Gospel unto the Western Sea and to the Britannick Islands The Learned Archbishop Matthew Parker Bishop Godwin Mr. Camden and others do assert that St. Paul himself that great Apostle of the Gentiles Preached the Gospel to this Island after his enlargement from his first captivity at Rome where some say he continued Preaching five years And this say they he did at the instigation of Claudia a Noble British Woman Gildas our own Countrey-man Polydor Virgil Mr. Fox Sir Henry Spelman and many others tell us that Joseph of Arimathea that Holy Man after he had buried the body of Christ in his own Tomb came into this Island and Preached the Gospel here being sent hither by Philip and James the Apostles That he wa●●n this Land is confirmed not onely by divers Histories but also by Antient Monuments Bale●s alledgeth many other witnesses It doth not appear that the first Preachers of the Gospel in Britain did so much as touch at Rome much less that they received any command or commission thence to convert Britain which should lay an Eternal obligation of gratitude on this Island to the Sea of Rome Insomuch that Parsons himself flyes at last to this slight and slender shift That albeit St. Joseph came not immediately from Rome yet he taught in this Island the Roman Faith whereof St. Paul h●th written to the Romans themselves that your Faith is spoken of through the whole World Rom. 1. 8. Hereby the Jesuite hopes to keep on ●●ot the engagement of this Island to Rome for her first conversion But why should he call the Christian Fuller Church Histor ●i● 1. Religion the Roman Faith rather than the Faith of Jerusalem or the Faith of Antioch seeing it issued from the former and was received and first named in the latter City before any spark of Christianity was kindled at Rome as Dr. Fuller well observeth CENT II. WE read that the Gospel in our Land had the countenance of publick Authority through the gratious providence of God very early A Learned Writer speaking of the dignity of this Nation Omnium Provinciarum prima Britannia publicitus Christi nomen recepit Sabel●l● Enn. 7. l. 5. saith That of all the Pr●vinces of the Roman Empire yea it seemeth of the whole World this Island of Great Britain did first receive the Gospel by publick Authority Lucius King of Britain was the first Christian King we read of in Ecclesiastical Stories He embraced the Faith about an hundred and fifty years after the death of Christ It is said of this King Lucius that at first he shewed himself an enemy to the Christians but observing the holiness of their lives he was enclined to embrace the Christian Faith but was held off for a time partly by the Heathenish superstition of his Ancestors wherein he had been bred up and partly because he found the Christians reputed infamous by the Romans then the Lords of a great part of the World under whom it seemeth he was a tributary King but being afterward informed that many of the Nobles or Senators of the Romans had embraced the Christian Religion he made an open profession of it and made a notable reformation in his Dominions Moreover he being much taken with the Miracles which he beheld truly wrought by pious Christians was the more drawn to embrace their Religion and sent Elvanus and Meduinus men of known Piety and Learning in the S●riptures to Eleutherius Bishop of Rome with a Letter requesting several things of him but principally that he might be ●●s●ructed in the Christian Faith Eleutherius returneth him this Answer That having received in his Kingdom the Law and Faith of Christ Holinsh des●rof Brit. c. 7. Annals of England by John Stow. and having now the Old and New Testaments he should by a Council of his Realm take Laws from thence to govern thereby That he was the Vicar of God in his Kingdomes That the People and Nations of the Kingdom of Britain were His even His children That such as were divided he should gather them together unto the Law of Christ his holy Church unto peace and concord and should cherish maintain protect govern and defend them c. When Christian Religion first was publickly received and established in this Land by King Lucius here were then of Heathen institution eight and twenty Flamines and three Archflamines The places of the Flamines the King turned to so many Bishopricks the places of the Archflamines to so many Archbishopricks the one at London translated afterward to Canterbury the other at York the third at Caerleon in Wales where seaven of those Bishopricks with this Archbishoprick were remaining when Austin the Monk came into England Here were Temples also builded for the worship of Paynim-gods of which he made Churches for the service of Jesus Christ Thomas Rudbourn a Monk of Winchester Moratus an old British Writer and others testifie that Denotus was Bishop of Winchester and all the possessions of the Pagan Flamines there were conferred upon him and his Clergy which were so ample that even about the City all the Lands within twelve miles of it on all sides were belonging unto it containing in number 32 Villages And thus the Britains had for their greatest glory the happiness to see and enjoy the first Christian Prince in the World It is reported that King Lucius was the Founder of St. Peter's Church at Cornhil in London placing therein one Thean an Archbishop and that the Metropolitan See continued in a succession of Archbishops there about 400 years until the coming of Austin the Monk who translated the Archbishop's seat from London to Canterbury In that Church was a Table wherein is written that King Lucius founded the same Church to be an Archbishop's See and that it so endured the space of 400 years There are the name of these Archbishops of London Thean Elvanus Cadar Obinus Conan Paladius Stephen Iltut Theodwyn or Dedwin Thedrid Hilary Restitutus Guertelinus or Guitelinus Fastidius Vodinus Theonus c. Elvanus built a Library near St. Peter's Church in Cornhil he was a Godly Learned and Grave Man brought up in the School of Joseph of Arimathea and Converted many of the Druydes to the Christian Faith Bishop Godwin saith That the
Archbishoprick of York was founded Anno 180. by King Lucius also who placed Sampson there King Lucius also founded the Academy of Bangor in the favour of good Ar●s and Learned Men. He built the chief Cathedral Church in Glocester The Church dedicated to St. Mary in Glastonbury A Chappel in honour of Christ in Dover Castle A Church in Canterbury afterwards dedicated to St. Martin King Lucius died and was buried at Gloucester CENT III. BUT Christianity in Britain was not buried in the grave of King Lucius Witness Gildas whose words are a clear evidence of the constant continuing of the Christian Faith in Britain from the first Preaching thereof Christs precepts saith he though they were received Gildas in Epist de ●xcid Britan. but lukewarmly of the Inhabitants yet they remained entirely with some less sincerely with others even untill the nine years of Persecution under Dioclesian To the Authority of Gildas we may add the Testimony of two Fathers both flourishing in this Century Tertullian and Origen Tertullian saith ●er●ul ad vers ●udaos ● 7. Britannorum inaccessa Romanis loca Christo verò subdita There are places of the Britains which were unaccessible to the Romans but yet subdued to Christ Origen in like manner Virtus Domini Salvatoris cum Origen in 〈◊〉 1. Homil. 6. his est qui ab orbe nostro in Britannia dividuntur The power of God our Saviour is even with them which in Britain are divided from our World The Magdeburgenses compilers of the General Ecclesiastical Cent. 3. c. 2. col 6. History speaking of the Churches through Europe in this Age thus express themselves Then follow the Isles of the Ocean where we first meet with Britain Mansisse hac aetate ejus Insulae Ec●lesias affirmare non dubitamus We doubt not to affirm that the Churches of that Island did also remain in that Age. Gildas modestly renders the reason why so little is extant of the British History of this Age. Scriptapatriae Scriptorum monumenta siquae fuerint aut ignibus hostium exusta aut civium exulum classe longius deportata non comparent The Monuments saith he of our Countrey or Writers if there were any appear not as either burnt by the fire of enemies or transported far off by our banished Countreymen The Christians of Britain celebrated the Passover upon the fourteenth day of the Moon of March precisely contrary to the constitutions of the Roman Church which sheweth they were not brought to Christian G●ld Epist f. 63. Religion by the Roman Church And Gildas saith That the Britains used great solemnity in their Ordination of Ministers and had other Prayers Lessons and Chapters than are used in the Roman Church Britain remained under the Domination of the Romans Pagans as their supream Lords till the year of Christ 286. in Dioclesian's time when the Roman Senate sent Caransius to repress the incursions of Barbarous Nations But Caransius made a League with the Britains expelled the Romans and made himself King And from that time sometimes the Romans prevailing sometimes the Natives Britain was but weakly possessed by the Roman Empire CENT IV. SO the Gospel flourished in this Land and they that professed it escaped the Persecutions raised by the Heathen Emperours of Rome all except the last under Dioclesian which extended to Britain and St. Alban is noted to be the Proto-Martyr of Britain who suffered death for Christ's sake with invincible Courage and Resolution about the year of Christ 305. He was a wealthy Inhabitant of Verolamcester Neccham in his Poem on Verulam and a Citizen of Rome for so Alexander Neccham reports him Hic est Martyrii r●seo decoratus honore Albanus Cives Inclyta Roma tuus Here Alban Rome thy Citizen renown'd With rosie grace of Martyrdom was crown'd Alban was a Britain by Parentage a Roman by Priviledge naturally a Britain naturalized a Roman Immediately followed the Martyrdom of Amphibalus a Preacher of Caer-leon in Wales who not long before was fain to fly from Persecution into the Eastern parts of this Island and was entertained by Alban at his house in Verulam who was instructed by Amphibalus in the Christian Faith he was cruelly put to death by the Pagans in a Village called Redburn three miles from Verulam Besides Amphibalus suffered Aaron and Julius two substantial Citizens of Caer-leon and then Socrates and Stephen and Augulius Bishop of London then called Augusta with multitudes both of Men and Women in sundry places saith Beda as shortly after no less than a thousand Saints suffered death at Litchfield whereupon the place was called another Golgotha or field of blood In memory whereof the City beareth for Armes to this day a field surcharged with dead bodies Afterwards it pleased God to put a period to his Servants sufferings and to the rage of their Enemies for when Dioclesian and Maximian had layed down the Ensignes of Command Constantius Chlorus was chosen Emperour in these Western Provinces of France Spain and Britain whose cariage towards Christians Eusebius thus describeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he preserved such Religious people as were under his command without any hurt or harm So that under him the Church in these parts had a breathing-time from Persecution Constantius died and was buried at York who bequeathed the Empire to Co●stantine his eldest Son by Hellen his former Wife That Constantine was a Britain is shewn by Eumenius Rhetor who in his Oration E●men Rheor 〈…〉 9. made to Constantine himself makes therein an Apostrophe to Britain O fortunata nunc omnibus beatior terris Britannia quae Constantinum Coesarem prima vidisti O happy Britain and blessed above all other Lands which didst first behold Constantine Cesar There is another Testimony of His of like nature Liberavit Pater Constantius Britannias servitute 〈…〉 5. Tu etiam Nobiles illic oriendo fecisti Your Father Constantius did free the British Provinces from slavery and you have Ennobled them by taking thence your original It is said of him that he was born made King and Emperor first in Britain Constantine being now peaceably setled in the Imperial Throne there followed a sudden and great alteration in the World Persecutors turning Patrons of Religion The Gospel formerly a Forrester now became a Citizen and leaving the Woods wherein it wandered Hills and holes where it hid it self before dwelt quietly in populous places The stumps of ruined Churches lately destroyed by Dioclesian grew up into beautiful buildings Oratories were furnished with pious Ministers and they provided of plentiful maintenance through the liberality of Constantine The most avouchable evidence of Christianity flourishing in this Island in this Age is produced from the Bishops representing Britain in the Councils 1. Of Arles in France called to take cognizance of the cause of the Donatists where appeared for the Britains Eborius Bishop of York Restitutus Bishop of London Adelfius Bishop of the City called the
Colony of London which some count Colchester and others Maldon in Essex Sacerdos a Priest both by his proper Name and Office Arminius a Deacon Anno 313. In the Synod of Nice held in Bithynia Anno 325. British Bishops were present being summoned to suppress Arianism and to establish an uniformity of the observation of Easter as Athanasius and Hilary Bishop of Poictiers do testify At the Council of Sardis in Thracia called by Constantius and Constans Sons to Constantine the Great were present the Bishops of Britain who concurred with the rest to condemn the Arrians and acquit Athanasius The British Bishops were also present at the Council of Ariminum assembled in Italy Theodoret tells us that he wrote an Epistle to all Churches concerning Theodoret Eccles Hist l. 1. c. 10. the Council of Nice wherein he saith there were then many Churches in Britain c. About the year 360. Hilary Bishop of Poictiers among diverse others dedicated his Book De Synodis fidei Catholicae contra Arianos Socrat. Scholast l. 2. c. 6. 7. to the Bishops of the Provinces of Britain during his exile for the Orthodox Faith commending them for their constancy in the profession of that Faith And by the testimony of Athanasius it appeareth that Sozom. l. 3. c. 11. 12. the Britains then had not onely Churches professing the Orthodox Faith but Bishops famous for their Piety and Learning summoned to forreign Councils in remote parts for debating and deciding the highest Articles of the Christian Faith In the year 383. Maximus a Christian and Orthodox Prince governed Du Moul. resp ad Card-du Perro● lib. 7 ca. 5. Britain for then all that part of the Island which was subject to the Romans was Christian Not long after the Empire being fallen in the West and torn by the Gothes Francs Vandals and Burgundians the Romans forsook the Isle of Britain which moved the Natives to commit the Kingdome to one Constantine a Britain as one descended from their Nation and a Christian vertuous man About the year 400. Chrysostome gives this testimony concerning the Chrysost oper tom 5. Britains Embracing of the Gospel Nam et Britaniae Insuae extra hoc mare sitae et q●ae in ipso oceano sunt vertutem verbi senserunt sunt etiam illic fundatae Ecclesiae c. Illius inquam verbi quod tunc dictum quod ●t in omnium animabus inque omnium labiis plantatum Which he seconded in another Sermon of the Feast of Pentecost CENT V. ABout the year 412 Pelagius born in Britain began to broach his Herefies publickly The same day w●●reon Pelagius was born in Britain St. Augustine was also born in Africk divine providence so ordering it that the poison and the Antidote should be Twins in a manner in respect of the same time as Dr. Fuller well observeth In the year 446. the Pelagian Heresie spread over Britain and the British Churches being defiled thereby King Vortigern for the maintaining the truth sent for German Bishop of Auxerre and Lupus Bishop of Troys in Champagne out of France men famous for their doctrine and counsel who refuting this Heresie gained unto themselves a reverent esteem among the Britains but chiefly German who in a Chappel neer unto St. Albans did openly out of the pulpit preach God's word sincerely to the people This conference was held at St. Albans even where at this day a small Chappel is extant to the honour of St. German Gemanus having baptized multitudes of Pagan converts in the river Alen marched with an Army of them against the Pagans whom he found in the North-East of Wales Here he chose an hollow dale surrounded with Usser de Prit Eccles prim●rd p. 333. hills near the Village called at this day by the English Mold by the British Guidcrue in Flintshire where the field at this day retains the name of Mees Garmon or German's field Here Germanus placed his men in ambush with instructions that a Signal given they should all shout Hallelujah three times with their might which all was done accordingly Hereat the Pagans without striking a stroak confusedly ran away and many were drowned for speed in the river Alen. After this victory Germanus prepared for his return After Germanus and Lupus were returned home into their native countrey Pelagianism began to sprout again in Britain and after three years Germanus came again with Severus into Britain and the Pelagian Heresie was again condemned in a second Synod having been before condemned in a Synod at London Germanus having setled B●itain in good order returned to his own countrey where he presently died after his return and by God's blessing on his endeavours that Heresie was so cut down in Britain that it never generally grew up again About the year 453. Hengist Captain of the Saxons who came to help the Britans against the Scots and Picts who having married his own daughter to Vortigern had murthered his sovereign Lord Constans and invaded his Crown being called in for his help came with diverse ships of stout Saxon Souldiers who under pretence of protecting them from the Picts intended to plant themselves in the North part of Britain which when the Britans saw and fearing their own ruin they desired the King that he would drive them out of his Kingdome The Nobles also of his Realm did inveigh much against the King's marriage with a Pagan Woman Whereupon Anno 454. they utterly deserted King Vortigern and unanimously chose Vortimer his son to be their King who following their counsel began to expell the Barbarians and chasing them as far as the Derwent he slew many of them Vortigern also fled with them But in the year 460 Prince Vortimer died being poisoned by Rowen his Mother in law with whom the hope of the Britains was extinguished Hereupon Hengist returning into Britain with new forces treacherously slew most of the British Nobles at a pretended Treaty for peace between both Nations And the Saxons being enemies to Christian Religion and bent upon the possession of such a fruitful Coun●rey exercised great cruelty upon the Inhabitants destroyed Churches and all Ecclesiastical things burnt the holy Scriptures slew the Ministers in the Churches endeavouring to supplant Christian Religion Vortigern had before caused Vodinus Henr. Hunting● Lib. 2 Arch-Bishop of London to be put to death because he reproved him for calling in the Saxons and marrying a Pagan Woman and now Theanus Bishop of London and Thaodiceus Bishop of York with others were Galsr 〈◊〉 lib. 12. forced to fly into remote places for the preservation of their lives Thus God sent down his heavie judgements upon the Britains for their Sins as Gildas writeth Britones propter avaritiam rapinam Principum propter iniquitatem injustitiam Judicum propter desidiam praedicationis Episcoporum propter luxuriam malos mores populi perdidisse patriam that is the Britans for the covetousness and oppression of the Princes for the
particulars thereof saith Dr. Fuller in his Church History of Britain Let us now return to our Augustine who all this while was very industrious and no less successful in converting the Saxons to the Christian Faith insomuch that a certain Author reporteth how in the River Swale near Richmond in York-shire Augustine in one day Baptized above ten thousand but B●de makes no mention at all hereof and ascribeth this numerous baptizing to Paulinus Bishop of York many years after In that age nothing was used with Baptism but Baptism the word and the water made the Sacrament At Corn in Dorset-shire Austin destroyed the Idol of Heale or Aesculapius which the Saxons formerly adored Sebert King of Essex Nephew to Etholbert King of Kent by Ricula his sister embraced the Faith with all his Kingdome by the Ministry of Mellitus whom Augustine ordained Bishop of London making also one Justus a Roman Bishop of Rochester Augustine died and was buried in the Northern part of the new Bed Eccl. Hist li. 2. ca. 3. Church in Canterbury dedicated to Peter and Paul Bede saith this inscription was written upon his Monument Here resteth Lord Augustine the first Archbishop of Canterbury who being in times past sent hither by blessed Gregory Bishop of the Roman City and supported by God with the working of Miracles brought King Ethelbert and his Country from the Worshiping of Idols to the faith of Christ and the daies of his Office being finished in peace he died the seventh of the Calends of June the same King reigning But in this Epitaph one thing is wanting and that mainly material namely the year that he did After the death of Augustine Laurentius a Roman succeeded him whom Augustine in his life-time ordained in that place King Ethelbert having reigned fifty Six and been a Christian one and twenty years died and was buried nigh to Queen Bertha who died a little before him in the Porch of St. Martins Church in Canterbury which fabrick with some other Churches by him were beautifully built and bountifully endowed After the death of Ethelbert Anno 616. Eadbald his son and the sons of Sebert King of the East Saxons succeeding them refused to be baptized or imbrace the Christian faith professed and set up Idolatry expelled their Bishops driving them out of this land into France til at last King Eadbald being converted to Christianity by Laurentius Archbishop of Canterbury presently began to take care of the affaires of the Church and at the desire of Laurentius Justus and Mellitus returned again into England Rochester readily received their Bishop but London refused to entertain good Mellitus who led a private life in London til that after the death of Laurentius he succeeded him in the Church of Canterbury Five years sate Mellitus in Canterbury after whose death Justus Bishop of Rochester succeeded him and had his Pall solemnly sent him by Pope Boniface Ethelfred being slain by the Britains Edwin succeedeth him and was setled in the general government of the Saxons who by the perswasion of Paulinus embraced and professed the Christian Religion destroyed the Temples Altars and Images of their Idol-Gods and was with all his Nobles and much people baptized in the City of York by Paulinus Anno 627. About this time Pope Boniface V. directed diverse Epistles to England wherein were many passages fighting against Christ's satisfaction A few years after the conversion of the East-Angles was advanced by King Sigebert and after the death of Earpwald his successor in the Kingdome Bede give 's him this character that he became vir Christianissimus Doctissimus being assisted by the preaching of Felix a Monk of Burgundy he converted his Subjects to Christianity This Felix was made the first Bishop of Dunwich in Suffolk a place formerly furnished with fifty and two Churche● and hath scarce two now remaining the rest being swallowed up by the Sea This ●igebert is generally reputed the founder of the University of Cambridge Edwin fell out with Cadwallan King of the Britains and slew many thousand Christian Britains in battle pu●●ing ●im and the rest to flight Anno 633. After the victory Edwin led his Army through the Provinces of Britain burning their Cities and wasting their Colonies and brought those Provinces under his subjection chasing Cadwallan into Ireland But Cadwallan returning from thence with ten thousand men assisted by Penda King of Mercia wasted the Countrey of King Edwin Both these Kings at last met in a field called Heat-fi●ld where Edwin was slaine and his whole Army overthrown Cadwallan slew both the Sons of King Edwin and for a whole year destroyed the Provinces of the Northumbrians After the death of Edwin his whole Kingdome relapsed to Paganism and Paulinus Arch-Bishop of York ●●king with him Queen Ethelburga sister to Eadbald King of Kent returned into Kent and there became Bishop of Rochester After the death of King Edwin his Kingdome of Northumberland was divided into two parts both petty Kingdomes Osrich C●usin-German of King Edwin was King of Deira and Eanfrith the eldest son of Ethelfred was King of Bernicia They were both Christians but became Apostates and were slain by Cadwallan in the first year Oswald the second son of Ethelfred succeeded unto them and overthrew Cadwallan Bishop Aidan converted Oswald which King disdained Usher's Religion of the antient Irish p. 115. not to preach and expound to his Subjects and Nobles in the English tongue that which Aidan preached to the Saxons in the Scottish tongue By the Ministry of Aidan the first Bishop of Linsfarn was the Kingdome of Northumberland recovered from Paganism Aidan parted all Petry Church hist ●●●t 7. that was given him by the King or Potent men among the poor and ceased not to go from town to town and from house to house not on hors-back but on foot always catechizing whether he met with rich or poor if they were Pagans he i●structed● them if they were Christians he confirmed them in the faith and exhorted unto the works of Piety and Charity especially to read the Scriptures diligently he died Anno 651. From Northumberland the word of God was spread among many others of the Saxon Kingdomes The Scotch that professed no subjection to the Church of Rome were they that sent preachers to the conversion of these Countries and ordained Ephr. Pagit Religion of the antient Britains Bishops to govern them as Aidan forementioned Finan and Colman for the East Saxons Cedd and for the Mercians Diuma for the paucity of Priests saith Beda constrained one Bishop to be appointed over two people Finan converted the Kingdomes of the East Saxons and Mercia Pope Honorius sent Birinus unto the West Saxons who by his preaching converteth many and among the rest Kyngils the West Saxon King whom he Baptized Oswald King of Northumberland was present at that time and was first God-father then father in law to King Kyngils to whom he gave his Daughter to Wife Dorchester an old City
Egbert was now in the exaltation of his greatness but the Danes beat the English in a Naval fight at Carmouth in Dorset-shire which proved fatal to our Nation Hence forward these Pagans setled themselves in some part of the Land Anno 837. Ethelwolph his Son succeeded his Father Egbert in the Throne a valiant and devout Prince though much molested by the Danes all his life-time About the year 855. Ethelwolph King of the West Saxons summoned a Parliament of his Princes Nobles and Bishops at Winchester in the midst of the Danish Wars and Invasions to consult with them how he might pacifie God's wrath against him and his Realm And by their advise and assent granted the Tithes or tenth part of all his Lands to God and his Ministers free from all secular services and exactions great and small that they might the more freely pour out their prayers to God for him and his Realm He subjected the whole Kingdom to the payment of Tithes he was the first-born Monarch of England Indeed before his time there were Monarchs of the Saxon Heptarchy but not successive and fixed in a Family but fluctuating from one Kingdom to another Egbert Father to this Ethelwolph atchieved and left this Monarchy to this his Son not Monarcha factus but natus and so in unquestionable Power to make this Act obligatory over all the Land saith Fuller King Ethelwolph the next year went in Pilgrimage to Rome and confirmed unto the Pope his Predecessors grant of Peter-pence and besides bestowed upon him the yearly Revenue of three hundred Marks thus to be expended 1. To maintain Candles for St. Peter one hundred Marks 2. To maintain Candles for St. Paul one hundred Marks 3. For a free Largess to the Pope one hundred Marks After the Death of King Ethelwolph and his two Sons Ethelbald and Ethelbert succeeding him this Land was in a sad condition though in a worse estate under the reign of his third Son being harassed by the Danes About sixty years since the West Saxons had subdued the other six Kings of this Nation yet so that they still continued Kings but Homagers to the West Saxon Monarchy They beholding Ethelred the West Saxon King embroiled with the invasion of the Danes they not onely lazily looked on but secretly smiled at this sight Thus the height of the Saxon pride and envy caused the breadth of the Danish power and cruelty Anno 870. the Danes made an inrode into Lincoln-shire where they met with stout resistance The Christians had the better the first day wherein the Danes lost three of their Kings buried in a place thence called Trekingham so had they the second day till at night breaking their Ranks to pursue the Danes in their dissembled flight they were utterly overthrown Theodore Abbot of Crowland hearing of the Danes approach Shipped away most of his Monks with the choycest Relicks and Treasures of his Convent and cast his most pretious Vessels into a Well in the Cloister The rest remaining were at their morning praiers when the Danes entring Slew Theodore the Abbot on the high Altar Asher the Prior in the Vestiary Lethwin the Sub-prior in the Refectory Pauline and Herbert in the Quire Wolride the Torch-bearer in the same place Grimketule Agamund each of them an 100 years old in the Cloisters Then the Danes marched to Medamstead since called Peterbrough where finding the Abby-gates locked against them they resolved to force their entrance in effecting whereof Tulba Brother to Count Hubba was wounded almost to death with a stone cast at him Hubba enraged hereat killed Abbot Hedda and all the Monks being fourscore and four with his own hand Then was the Abby set on fire which burned fifteen daies together wherein an excellent Library was consumed Having pillaged the Abby and broke the Tombs and Coffins of many Saints there enterred these Pagans marched forward into Camdridge-shire and passing the river Nine two of their waggons fell into the water wherein the cattle which drew them were drowned much of their rich plunder lost and more impared The Danes spared no Age Sex condition of people They wa●●ed Cambridge burnt the then City of Thetford forced Edmond King of the East-Angles into his Castle of Framlingham They took him and because he would not deny Christ they tyed him unto a Tree and shot at him til he died Then they cut of his head and cast it among the bushes His own Subjects buried him both head and body at Ha●sedon which from thence was called St. Edmonds-bury There after-ages shrined sainted and adored his Reliques King Ethelbert behaved himself bravely in nine B●●tles with various success against the Danes and the more he slew the more they grew which went neer his heart therefore he withered away in the flower of his age desiring rather to encounter death than the Danes according to the observation of the English Historian Guliel Malm●sbur de ●●st●s Reg●m Anglor lib. 2. that the Saxon Kings in this age magis optabant honestum exitum quam acerbu● Imperium In this sad condition God sent England a deliverer namely King Alfred or Alured fourth son of Ethelwolph by the Lady Ogburgh He was born in England bred in Rome where by a Prolepsis saith Fuller he was anointed King by Pope Leo though then but a private Prince and his three elder brothers alive in auspicium futuri regni in hope that hereafter he should come to the Crown The Danes at his coming to the Crown had London many of the in-land more of the maritime Towns and Alfred onely three effectual Shires Sommerset Wiltes and Dorset yet by God's blessing on his endeavours he got to be Monarch of all England In the beginning of his reign he was sorely distressed by the Danes Anno 87● and one of his greatest Courts for residence was an Island now known by the name of Athelney in the County of Sommerset in the Saxon tongue called Aethelingarg that is Nobilium Insula so termed by reason of the Kings abode and the concourse of his Nobles unto him in this place he lived poorly disguised in a Cow-herds house Being excellent In Musick and Songs he oftentimes in the habit and posture of a common Minstril did insinuate himself in the Danis● Camp where his plausible cariage and skill gained a freedome of access and passage in the company of their Princes at banquets and other meetings and thereby he discovered their conditions and all their martial counsels and designes He returneth to his comfortless company and unmasking himself and the Danish designes cheereth them up and with a refreshed Power and strength suddenly issued forth and gave a fierce assault upon the secure Danes he slew multitudes of them and enforced the remainder to a shameful flight for the safe-guard of their lives In this Isle Alfred had built a kind of Castle or Fortress to receive him and his Nobles upon return from their Sallies and Encounters during his Wars
in those parts About a year after that memorable overthrow viz. Anno 879. in a Battel at Kinwich in Devon-shire Halden and some of the chief Leaders of the Danes received their death's wound and ended their lives hereupon the daunted and dispersed Danes humbly present their termes of Peace to King Alfred with Pledges and Hostages that they would either depart the Land or become Christians which was accepted by him Guthrun their new King upon the death of their other Leaders with thirty Noble-men and almost all his People received Baptism in the new Castle of Athelney where King Alfred was Godfather to him and gave him the name of Athelstane and upon a confederation between them Alfred did assign unto him the Provinces of the East-Angles and Northumberland Vt eas sub fidelitate Regis jure haereditario foveret quas pervaserat latrocinio that he might enjoy that by right which before he usurped by rapine and unto the new-baptized Nobles he gave many large and rich gifts This truce or league was about the ninth Lamb. Archa● fol. 49. year of his Reign and thus beginneth Faedus quod Aluredus Gythrudus Reges ex sapientum Anglorum atque eorum omnium qui orientalem incolebant Angliam consulto ferierunt in quod praeterea singuli non solum de seipsis verumetiam de natis suis ac nondum in lucem editis quotquot saltem misericordiae divinae aut Regiae velint esse participes jurarunt That is they did by a solemn Oath ratifie this League as well for themselves as for those that were then born and unborn that would be partakers of mercy from God or the King Then having set bounds to his Dominions certain Comitial Lawes and Ordinances were made between them enlarged and amplified by their Senators Before all things they proposed and preferred the strict and holy worshipping of Almighty God and abandoning all barbarous Idolatry next they took care for the Enacting Registring and Enrolling of Moral Laws for containing of Subjects in their several duties and due obedience and therefore they first decreed That the peace of the Church within her Walls as it was then delivered by the hand of King Alfred should be piously and inviolably observed They proceeded to the promotion and propagation of the Christian Faith and the abolition of all Paganism and Heathenish Rites for coertion of Clearks and Men in Holy Orders if they committed any Perjury Fornication or other Offences or were unconformable in the celebration of Festival-days times of Abstinence or other Orders and Injunctions of the Church prohibiting Merchandising and secular Negotiations upon the Lord's day In all which the Impositions of Penalties and Punishments upon an English Man and a Dane were differenced one from the other They also provided for the exilement of Witches Wizzards common Strumpets and other lewd Creatures with other good Laws for avoiding of Homicides and for preservation of Peace and Government and maintenance of each Man 's right of property in this their National commixture This adjured League quieted the Civil discords of the Danes and Saxons for the space of four years until the twelfth year of Alfred's Reign And afterwards the continual inrode of the stragling unbaptized Danes issuing out of France and other places who vexed that Eastern part of the Land molested this good King untill his Death This King divided his moveables into equal portions the one he appointed for uses Secular and divided it into three parts one for his Family another for building of new Works and a third he reserved for strangers The other half he dedicated unto uses Ecclesiastical and divided it into four portions one for relief of the Poor another to Monasteries the third to the Schools in Oxford where he had erected a School for Grammar another for Philosophy and a third for Divinity whereas before they had neither Grammar nor Sciences because Pope Gregory I. gave in command that Britain should have no Schools for fear of Heresies but onely Monasteries The Regents in the University and Readers in the Divinity-School were Neoth a worthy Divine and Grimbald well-skilled in Divinity In Grammar and Rhetorick the Learned Asserius who wrote the life of this King In Logick Musick and Arithmetick the Reader was John a Monk of St. Davids In Geometry and Astronomy read John a companion of Grimbald a Man Witty and Learned at which Lectures this famous King Alfred was present He gave many pensions to Scholars Learned Men in all Arts to instruct his Subjects in Religion and all kinds of Learning He contributed much to the relief of distressed Churches without his Realm He protected his Realm from oppression and injustice by his Sheriffs Justices and other Officers whose proceedings he frequently examined punishing them severely when they had judged or injured others contrary to Law out of Malice Corruption or Partiality He divided the Day and Night into three parts one eight hours he allowed himself for Eating Drinking Sleeping and Recreation another eight hours he spent in hearing Causes and in doing Justice and the rest of his time spent in Prayer Reading the Scriptures Meditation and other pious Exercises And for the instructing his Subjects in the Holy Scriptures he began to Translate the Psalmes of David himself into the English Tongue but being prevented by Death did not finish it He gathered Psalmes and Prayers together into a little Book which he called a Manual or Hand-book which he always caried about him He was the first lettered Bish Godwin Catal. Prince in this Kingdom since it had it's denomination of England and was disciplined under the care of Plegmundus a Man of eminent Parts and Learning who was born in Mercia and from the solitary life of an Heremite in the Isle of Chester was called to be Tutor to this Noble Prince A little after his Inauguration to the Kingdom he had the comfortable service and attendance of Werefridus who was consecrated Bishop of Worcester on Whitsunday Anno 872. for at his command he Translated the Dialogues of Gregory out of the Latin into the Saxon or English Dialect he had all the helps advice and instructions of Plegmundus his Tutor who was afterward Consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury Asserius as himself affirmeth abode with the King in his Court by the space of eight Moneths before his return into Wales in which time he constantly read divers Books unto him for it was his custom both day and night amidst all other impediments both of Mind and Body to be ever versed in reading Books himself or hearing them read by others This unparallelled King died Anno 900. after he had reigned 29 years and six moneths having fought 56 Battels with the Pagan Danes His Epitaph is the Epitome of his life which the happiness of thankful times have dedicated to him as a Monument of his eternal fame and here followeth out of the Works of a Modern Chronographer Nobilit as inimica tibi probitatis
honorem Armipotens Alfred dedit probit asque laborem Perpetuumque labor nomen immixta dolori Gaudia semper erant spes semper mixta timori c. Englished by Mr. Flemming Nobility by birth to thee O Alfred strong in Armes Of goodness hath thy honour given And honour toilsome harmes And toilsome harmes an endless name Whose joyes ere alwayes mixt With sorrow and whose hope with fear Was evermore perplext If this day thou wast Conqueror The next day's War thou dread'st If this day thou wast Conquered To next day's War thou spread'st Whose cloathing wet with a daily swet Whose blade with bloody stain Do prove how great a burden 't is In Royalty to reign There hath not been in any part Of all the World so wide One that was able breath to take And troubles such abide And yet with Weapons weary would Not Weapons lay aside Or with the Sword the toilsomness Of Life by Death divide Now after labours past of Realm And Life which he did spend Christ is to him true quietness And Scepter voyd of end In this King's reign flourished Johannes Scotus Erigena with addition sometimes of Sophista born in Ireland for distinction from a former born at M●lrose and another in the XIII Century born in Duns otherwise called S●b●●lis he was a man of pregnant Judgement wondrous Eloquence and in those days rare knowledge of the Greek Chaldean and Arabian Languages He wrote a Book De corpore sanguine Domini against the Opinion of Carnal presence which was condemned at the Synod of Vercelles Bellarmine saith This man was the first who wrote doubtingly of this matter He was the Counsellor to King Alfred and Teacher of his Children afterwards he retired to the Abbey at Malmesbury where his disciples Murthered him with their Pen-knives being enticed thereunto by the Monks because he spake against the carnal presence and was accounted a Martyr as was recorded by William of Malmesbury de gest Reg. Ang. lib. 2. cap. 4. CENT X. AT this time there was no Bishop in all the West parts of England Pope Formosus being offended hereat interdicted King and Kingdom But Pleigmund Archbishop of Canterbury posted to Rome informing the Pope that Edward called the Elder the Son of King Alfred had in a late summoned Synod founded some new and supplied all old vacant Bishoprickes and carying with him honorifica munera the Pope turned his curse into a blessing and ratified their election The names of the seven Bishops which Pleigmund consecrated in one day were Fridstan Bishop of Winchester Werstan of Shireburn Kenulph of Dorchester Beornege of Selsey Athelme of Wells Eadulfe of Crediton in Devon and Athelstan in Cornwall of St. Petrocks These three last Western Bishops were in this Council newly erected A Synod was called at Intingford where Edward the elder and Guthurn King of the Danes in that part of England which formerly belonged to the East Angles onely confirmed the same Ecclesiastical constitutions which King Alured had made before King Edward remembring the Pious example of his Father Alfred in founding of Oxford began to repair and restore the University of Cambridge J●h Ressi●s in lib. de Regi● for the Danes who kept the Kingdom of the East Angles for their home had banished all Learning from that place This King Edward the elder expelled the Danes out of Essex Mercia and Northumberland At that time the authority of investing Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Benefices as also of prescribing Lawes unto Church-men as well as unto the Laity was in the power of the King not of the Pope but the Pope would be medling in such matters by way of Confirmation Athelstan his Son succeeded King Edward being much devoted to St. John of Beverley on whose Church he bestowed large priviledges Many Councils were kept in this King's Reign at Excester Feversha● Thunderfield and London But one held at Greatlea is of greatest account for the Lawes therein enacted especially that concerning the payment of Tithes which is thus Written I Athelstan King by advice Spelman in Concil p. 405. of Viselm my Archbishop and of other Bishops command all the Prelates of my Kingdom in the name of our Lord and of all the Saints that first of all they out of my own things pay the Tithes unto God as well of ●he living Beasts as of the Corn of the ground and the Bishops to do the like in their property and the Presbyters This I will that Bishops and other Head-men declare the same unto such as be under their subjection c. He ordained that in every Burrough all measures and weights should be confirmed by the Bishop's advice and testimony About that time Hoel King of Wales made a Law That no Church-man should be a Judge in Civil affairs Now St. Dunstan appeareth in Court born at Glastonbury of Noble Parentage yea Kinsman remote to Athelstane himself His eminencies were Painting and Graving an excellent Musician and an admirable worker in Brass and Iron After a while he is accused for a Magician and banished the Court But after the Death of King Athelstane he was re-called to Court in the Reign of King Edmond Athelstan's brother and flourished for a time in great favour but his old crime of being a Magician and a wanton with Women being laid to his charge he is re-banished the Court. But King Edmond being slain by one Leoff a Thief Edred his Brother succeeding to the Crown Dunstan is made the King's Treasurer Chancellor Councellor Confessor Secu●ar Priests were thrust out of their Convents and Monks substituted in their rooms But after Edred's death Dunstan falls into disgrace with King Edwin his Successor and being expelled the Kingdom flie●h into Flanders Mean-time all the Monks in England of Dunstan's plantation are rooted up and Secular Priests set in their places Soon after many commotions happened in England especially in Mercia and Northumberland King Edwin died in the flower of his age Edgar succeedeth him and recalls Dunstan home who hath two Bishopricks Fuller Church History given him Worcester and London King Edgar gave over his Soul Body and Estate to be ordered by Dunstan and two more then the Triumvirate who ruled England viz. Ethelwald Bishop of Winchester and Oswald afterward Bishop of Worcester This Oswald was the man who procured by the Kings Authority the ejection of all secular Priests out of Worcester which Act was called Oswald's Law In that Age Dunstan being made Archbishop of Canterbury Secular Priests were 〈◊〉 hist ●● 1● part 3. ●● ● thrown out and Monks every where fixed in their rooms Many did dispute and preach against Dunstan And Alfred Prince of Mercia took part with the Priests Fuller makes mention of a fair and authentick guilded Manuscript wherein he stileth himself God's Vicar in England for the ordering Ecclesiastical matters a Title which at this day the Pope will hardly vouchsafe to any Christian Princes Hoel-Dha then held a National Council
and Clement the Third Rufus took part with Clement but Anselm stuck to Vrban and required of the King leave to fetch his Pall of Vrban All the rest of the Bishops were against him Mean-while the King had sent two Messengers to the Pope for the Pall who returned and brought with them Gualter Bishop of Alban the Pope's Legate with the Pall to be given to Anselm Which Legate so perswaded the King that Vrban was received Pope through the whole Land But afterwards grew great displeasure betwixt them so that Anselm went to appear to Rome where he remained in exile and the King seized all his Goods and Lands into his own Coffers Vrban gave unto Anselm the Archbishops Pall thereby voiding the Investiture which he received from King William and obliging him there-after to depend on him as also he did whereat the King incensed interdicted to Anselm his entry into England confiscated the Lands of the Archbishoprick and declared that his Bishops held their Places and Estates merely from him and were not subject unto the Pope for the same To which all the Bishops of England subscribed neither did any of them contradict it but the onely Bishop of Rochester as a Suffragan to the Archbishop of Canterbury By the intervention of Friends Anselm made his peace But being returned into England he soon after began to disswade the Clergy from receiving Investitures from the King wherefore he was forced again to fly out of the Kingdom and his estate was again seized upon and confiscated of which he had obteined restitution at his return King William the Conqueror had made the new-forrest in Hant-shire with a great devastation of Towns and Churches the place as Fuller saith being turned into a Wilderness for Men and a Paradise for Deer King Ruffus hunting in this Forrest was here slain by the glancing of an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tirrell and was buried at Winchester He gave to the Monks called De Charitate the great new Church of S. Saviours in Bermondsey with the Manor thereof as also of Chari●ton in Kent Henry Beaucleark his Brother succeeded him in the throne being one of the profoundest Scholars and most politick Princes in his generation To ingratiate himself to the English he instantly and actually repealed the cruel Norman Lawes the good and gentle Laws of King Edward the Confessor he reduced with correction of them Anselm from exile was speedily recalled and to his Church Lands and Goods was fully restored The late King 's extorting Publicanes whereof Ranulph Flambard Bishop of Durham the principal were imprisoned the Court-corruption reformed Adultery then grown common severely punished CENT XII KIng Henry was Married to Mawd Daughter to Malcolm King of Scots who lived sometime as a Nun under the tuition of Christian her Aunt Abbess of Wilton She was Sister to Edgar Atheling and Grand-child of Edmond Iron-side whereby his Issue might merely be both of the English Blood and of the Ancient Saxon Kings Anselm summoneth a Council at Westminster where first he Excommunicated all Married Priests half the Clergy at that time being Married or the Sons of Married Priests he also inhibited all Lay-men to hear their Masses He also deprived many great Prelates of their promotions because they had accepted their Investitures from the King which was done by receiving of a Pastoral Staffe and a Ring an Ancient rite testifying that their Donation was from their Sovereign in which number were the Abbots of Ely of Romsey of Pershore of St. Edmonds of Tavestock Peterborough Burch Bodiac Stoke and Middleton for which his boldness and for refusing to Consecrate certain Bishops advanced by the King great contention fell betwixt them and Anselm appealed to Pope Paschal and soon after fled to Rome Hereupon the King enjoyned Gerard Archbishop of York to Consecrate William of Winchester Roger of Hereford c. But William Bishop of Winchester refused Consecration from the Archbishop of York and resigned his Staff and Ring back again to the King as illegally from him This discomposed all the rest But not long after by the mediation of Friends the King and Anselm are reconciled the King disclaiming his right of Investiture And now Anselm who formerly refused consecrated all the Bishops of vacant Sees Then did Anselm forbid the Priests Marriage But Anselm died before he could finish his project of Priests divorces His two next Successors Rodulphus and William Corbel went on vigorously with the design but met with many and great obstructions Other Bishops found the like opposition but chiefly the Bishop of Norwich whose obstinate Clergy would keep their Wives in defiance of his endeavours against them But they were forced to forgo their Wives Among those Married Priests there was one E●lphegus flourishing for Learning and Piety he resided at Plymouth in Devon-shire To order the refractory Married Clergy the Bishops were fain to call in the aid of the Pope John Bishop of Cremona an Italian Cardinal did urge the single Life of the Clergy and said It is a vile crime that a Man rising from the side of his Concubine should consecrate the Body of Christ. The same Night he was taken in bed with a Whore after he had spoken those words in a Synod at London The thing was so notorious that it could not be denied saith Matthew Paris This much advantaged the reputation of Married Priests The King taking a fine of Married Priests permitted them to enjoy their Wives About this time the old Abbey of Ely was advanced into a new Bishoprick and Cambridge-shire assigned for it's Diocess taken from the Bishoprick of Lincoln Spaldwick Manor in Huntington-shire was given to Lincoln in reparation of the jurisdiction taken from it and bestowed on Ely One Hervey who had been banished by the Welch from the Hervey the first Bishop of Ely poor Bishoprick of Bangor was made the first Bishop of Ely King Henry bestowed great Priviledges upon that Bishoprick Then Bernard Chaplain to the King and Chancellor to the Queen was the first Norman made Bishop of St. Davids who soon denied subjection to Canterbury and would be an absolute Archbishop of himself But William Archbishop of Canterbury aided by the Pope at last forced the Bishop of St. Davids to a submission King Henry died at the Town of St. Denys in Normandy of a surfeit by eating of Lampreys He was buried at Reading in Bark-shire in the Abbey that himself had there founded and endowed with large possessions Stephen Earl of Bologn hearing of King Henrie's Death hasteth over into England and seizeth on the Crown He was Son to Adela Daughter to King William the Conqueror but Mawd first Married to Henry the Emperor of Germany was the undoubted heir of the Crown She was constantly called the Empress after the Death of the Emperor though Married to Geoffery Plantagenet her second Husband Unto her all the Clergy and Nobility had sworn fealty in her Father's life-time William Archbishop of Canterbury notwithstanding his
hundred committed within the Realm by Church-men Thomas B●cket Do●tor of Canon-law was by the King made Lord Chancellor of England Four years after upon the Death of Theobald Becket was made by the King Archbishop of Canterbury Anno 1160. Thirty Teachers come from Germany into England and taught the right use of Baptism and the Lord's Supper c. and were put to Death Then John of Sarum and others taught that the Roman Church was the Whore of Babylon Some were burnt with an hot Iron at Oxford that dissented from the Roman Church The King Commanded that Justice should be executed upon all Men alike in his Courts but Thomas Becket would have the Clergy so offending judged in the Ecclesiastical Court and by Men of their own Coat This Incensed the King against him To re●rench these enormities of the Clergy the King called a Parliament at Clarendon near Sarisbury to confirm the Antient Laws and Customs to which Becket with the rest of the Bishops consented and subscribed them but afterwards recanting his own Act renounced the same The same year the King required to have punishment of some misdoings among the Clergy The Archbishop would not permit and when he saw in his judgement the Liberties of the Church trodden under Foot he without the King's knowledge took Ship and intended toward Rome but by a contrary Wind he was brought back Then he was called to account for his Receipts that came to his hand while he was High-Chancellor He appealeth to the See of Rome and under pain of Excommunication forbad both Bishops and Nobles to give Sentence against him seeing he was both their Father and their Judge Nevertheless they without his consent gave Sentence against him Then he seeing himself forsaken of all the other Bishops lifted the Cross which he held in his Hand aloft and went away from the Court and the next day got him over into Flanders and so to the Pope Matthew Paris hath many Letters betwixt the Pope and this King and the King of France and sundry Bishops of France and England for reconciliation betwixt the King and the Archbishop who abode seven years in exile Thomas Becket quarrelled with Roger Archbishop of York for presuming to Crown Henry the King's Son made joint-King in the Life of his Father a priviledge which Becket claimed as proper to him alone He solemnly resigned his Archbishoprick to the Pope as troubled in Conscience that he had formerly took it as illegally from the King and the Pope again restored it to him whereby all scruples in his mind were fully satisfied But afterward by the Mediation of the French King Becket had leave given him to return into England howsoever the King still retained his Temporals in his Hand on weighty considerations namely to shew their distinct Nature from the Spirituals of the Archbishoprick to which alone they Pope could restore him Thomas returning into England Excommunicateth all the Bishops which had been at the Coronation of the young King The King sent and required him to absolve them seeing what was done to them was done for his Cause but Thomas refuseth The next year after he Excommunicated solemnly the Lord Sackvill appointed by the King Vicar of the Church at Canterbury because he did derogate from the rights of the Church to please the King He also Excommunicated one Robert Brook for cutting off an Horses tail that carried Victuals to the Archbishops House The King being then in Normandy grieved very sore before his Servants at the insolent cariage of Thomas Becket This moved Sir Richard Breton Sir Hugh Morvil Sir William Tracey Sir Reginald Fitz-Vrse to return into England and coming to Canterbury they found the Archbishop in Cathedral Church at three a Clock in the After-noon and calling him Traytor to the King they slew him and dashed his Brains upon the floor His last words when he died were I commend my self and God's Cause unto God and to the blessed Mary and to the Saints Patrons of this Church and to St. Denis Here see the lightness of the People for the same Men that detested the pride of that Thomas began to Worship him after his Death Thus they sang of Thomas Becket Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit By the Blood of Thomas which for Thee he did spend Make us O Christ to climb whither Thomas did ascend Multitudes of People flocked to Canterbury yearly especially on his Jubile or each fifty years after his enshrining an hundred thousand of English and Forreigners repaired thither The Revenues of peoples Offerings amounted to more than six hundred pounds a year Before Becket's Death the Cathedral in Canterbury was called Christ-Church it was afterward called the Church of St. Thomas though since by the demolishing of Becket's shrine the Church hath recovered it's Antient name King Henry protested himself innocent from the Death of Thomas Becket yet was he willing to undergo such a penance as the Pope would impose The Pope made him buy his Absolution at a dear rate He enjoyned him to suffer Appeals from England to Rome to quit his Rights and Claim to the Investitures to keep two hundred Men of Armes in pay for the Holy War of which pay the Popes Assignes were to be the Receivers and that in England they should celebrate the Feast of that glorious Martyr St. Thomas of Canterbury The words of the Bull are these We strictly charge you that you solemnly Celebrate every year the Birth-day of the glorious Martyr Thomas sometime Archbishop of Canterbury that is the day of his passion and that by devout Prayers to him you endeavour to merit the remission of your sins To make the satisfaction compleat King Henry passeth from Normandy into England stayeth at Canterbury strippeth himself naked and is whipped by diverse Monks of whom some gave him five lashes some three Concerning which penance Machiavel speaks thus in the first Book of I● quali cose surono da Enrico accettare et sotto M●sse si à quel g●●dicio un tauto Reche boggi ●● huomo privat● si vergognarebbe ottom●s● c. Tanto le cose che pai●no so●o piu da●icosto che ●●●●presse tom de the Hostory of Florence These things were accepted by Henry and so great a King submitted himself to that judgement to which a private man in our dayes would be ashamed to submit himself Then he exclaimeth So much things that have some shew are more dreaded afar off than near hand Which he saith Because at the same time the Citizens of Rome expelled the Pope out of the City with disgrace scorning his Excommunication This was done in the year of our Lord 1170. as appeareth by these Verses Anno Milleno Centeno Septuageno Anglorum primas corruit ense Thomas In the year 1179. Lewis King of France who had entertained Thomas at Sens passed over into England to Worship him and made his
his Constitutiones legitimae Ecclesiae totiusque Ecclesiae Anglica●ae ab Legatis a latere summorum Pontificum collectio fol. 1. ad 121. with his Gloss upon them The first Canon was for the Dedication and Consecration of Churches many Cathedral as well as Parish-churches being then unconsecrated The second and third concerning Ecclesiastical Sacraments and Baptism Others concerning the covetousness of Priests their hearing Confessions the qualities of such as were to be ordained their Farmers and Vicars Presentations to Churches not dividing one Church into more the Residence of Bishops and Priests Pluralities the Habit of Clerks clandestine marriage of Priests Priests Concubines their Sons succession in their Benefices their Judges Procurations undue unjust Citations Exactions by Procurations Registers abuses by Proctors and Ecclesiastical Judges and an Oath to be prescribed The first use of Oaths in Ecclesiastical Courts in England to them to prevent the like abuses for the future In this Council this Legat introduced the use of Oaths in Ecclesiastical Courts and Causes never formerly used in England by colour whereof other Oaths were introduced by the Popish Prelates against the Laws and Customs of the Realm till the King by his Prohibition restrained these Usurpations Then was a private Letter sent from Rome to the Pope's Legat in England advising him to moderation to prevent a total rejection of the Pope and See of Rome In the 22th year of Henry the Third the Greek Churches renounced all obedience to and communion with the Church of Rome which made the Pope and his Court fear the like Schism and revolt in England occasioned by the Legat's violent Extortions and advancement of Strangers to Benefices whereupon he intended to recal him thence to prevent these ill consequences but the Legat loth to depart prevailed with the King and others to sollicit the Pope for his continuance in England upon pretence of publick good This year there happening a difference between the King and Monks of Durham about their Bishop elect whom the King would not approve he thereupon issued his Letters Patents to the Archbishop of York appointing his Proctors to appeal to the See of Rome against this election only for delay to preserve his right After the death of Henry de Sandford Bishop of Rochester the Monks of Rochester elected Richard Windeley a learned Man for their Bishop who being presented by the Monks to Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury for his confirmation he refused to admit him Vnde Monachi Domini Papae presentiam appellarunt Upon this Appeal the Pope gave Judgment for the Monks against the Archbishop and condemned him in costs of suit confirming their election in despite of the Archbishop with whom the Pope was very angry for opposing his intolerable exactions in England whereupon this Bishop Elect was consecrated at Canterbury in St. Gregory's Church by the Archbishop the Bishop of London and other Bishops Then the Monks of Coventry chose Nicholas de Fernham for their Bishop who refused to accept thereof whereupon at last they chose Simon de Pateshul who accepted it The Pope having excommunicated the Emperour Frederick Otto the Pope's Legat was very diligent to see the Pope's scandalous Excommunications and Bulls against him published throughout all England In the twenty fourth year of the Reign of King Henry the Third the Monks of Cambridge having apprehended an Heretick as he was called the King thereupon issued forth a Precept to the Sheriff of Cambridge to bring this Heretick before him at Westminster to be examined and disposed of as he should direct Who he was and what his Heresies were Matthew Paris tells us saying He was a man of an honest and severe life and that he openly asserted that Pope Gregory was not the Head of the Church but there was another Head of the Church that the Church was profaned the Devil was let loose the Pope was an Heretick that Gregory who was called Pope had defiled the Church and the world too This and divers other things of like nature he spake before the Pope's Legat in the hearing of many Pope Gregory before his death to carry on his Wars against the Emperor Frederick Anno 1240. intended by way of provision to confer all the Benefices in England especially of the Clergy on the Sons of Romans and other Forreigners upon condition to assist him against the Emperour sending his Bull to three Bishops to confer no less than three hundred of the next Benefices that fell void within their Diocess on these Aliens Anno 1241. Otto the Pope's Legat having long pillaged the Realm and Church of England was sent for the third time by the Pope And the King to oblige the Legat as well to promote his Affairs at Rome as in England before his departure hence Knighted and conferred an Annual pension on his Nephew feasted the Legat publickly at Westminster and placed him at the feast in his own Royal Throne to the great offence of his Nobles and Subjects Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury deceasing the King commended Boniface his Queen's Uncle a Forreigner and every way unfit for such a trust to the Monks of Canterbury to succeed him whom they accordingly elected There being a great contest between the King and the Prior and Monks of Winchester about the election of their Bishop they electing first William de Raley Bishop of Norwich whom the King and Pope opposing thereupon they Elected Ralph Nevil whose election was likewise vacated After which they Elected the Bishop of Norwich again whose election was suddenly made and quickly confirmed at Rome Yet the King commanded the Major of Winchester to forbid the new Bishop entrance Matth. 〈◊〉 into the City which he did who thereupon Excommunicated him for his labour and interdicted the whole City The King thereupon so persecuted the Monks that he imprisoned diverse of them and forced the Bishop to fly the Realm and pass into France for a season Then there arose a new contest between the Archbishop and Monks of Canterbury about Jurisdiction and Visitation wherein they Excommunicated one the other and yet slighted these their mutual Anathemae's as ridiculous nullities The King being in France sent his Writ to the Archbishop of York then Custos Regni to confer Benefices that should fall void on such Clerks of His who to their great danger and expence continued with him and incurred many various casualties in his services beyond the Seas commanding them all in general and one of them onely in special by Name to be first provided for in this kind Anno 1246. Boniface Archbishop of Canterbury upon a feigned pretext that his Church of Canterbury was involved in very great debts by his Predecessor but in truth by himself to carry on Forreign Wars and gratifie the Pope procured from Pope Innocent a grant of the first years Fruits of all Benefices that should fall void within his Diocess for seven years space till he should raise out of them the sum of ten
the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem Guy Earl of Warwick surprised Gaveston carried him to his Castle Guy Earl of Warwick surpriseth P●●rs Gaveston and causeth him to be beheaded of Warwick where in a place called Blacklow afterwards Gaveshead his head was stricken off at the commandment and in the presence of the Earls of Lancaster Warwick and Hereford A great Battel was fought between the English and Scots at Bannocks-borough There perished in this Battel Gilbert Clare Earl of Glocester Robert Lord Clifford the Lord Tiptoft the Lord Marshal the Lord Giles de Argenton the Lord Edmond de Maule and seven hundred Knights Esquires and Gentlemen of Quality of common Souldiers ten thousand There were taken prisoners Humphry Bohun Earl of Hereford Ralph de Monthelmere who married Joan de Acres Countess Dowager of Oxford with many others The Earl of Hereford was exchanged for King Robert's Wife who was all this while detained in England This disaster was attended with Inundations which brought forth Dearth Dearth Famine Famine Pestilence all which exceeded any that ever before had been known Anno 1313. died Robert Winchelsey Archbishop of Canterbury in whose room Robert Cobbam was elected by the King and Church of Canterbury But the Pope did frustrate that election and placed Walter Reynold Bishop of Worcester About this time died Pope Clement and John XXII succeeded who sent two Legats from Rome under pretence to make agreement between the King of England and the Scots They for their charges required of every Spiritual person four pence in every Mark but all in vain for the Legats as they were in the North parts about Derlington with their whole Family and Train were robbed and spoiled of their Horses Treasure Apparel and whatsoever else they had and so retired back again to Durham thence they returned to London where they first excommunicated all those Robbers Then for supply of those losses they received they exacted of the Clergy to be given unto them eight pence in every Mark But the Clergy would only give them four pence in every Mark So they departed to the Pope's Court again This King Edward refused to pay the Peter-pence In the time of this King the Colledge in Cambridge called Michael-house was founded by Sir Henry Staunton Knight King Edward the Second builded two Houses in Oxford for good Letters Orial Colledge and St. Mary Hall England may dare all Christendom besides to shew so many eminent School-Divines bred within the compass of so few years And a forreign Writer saith Scholastica Theologia ab Anglis in Anglia sumpsit exordium fecit incrementum pervenit ad perfectionem Of these School-men Alexander Hales leads the way Master to Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure He was in the time of Henry the Third At the command of Pope Innocent the Fourth he wrote the Body of all School-Divinity in four Volumes Roger Bacon succeeded him who lived in the time of King Edward the First he was excellently skilled in the Mathematicks The next was Richard Middleton entitled Doctor Fundatissimus Then flourished John Duns Scotus in the time of Edward the Second he was Fellow of Merton-colledge in Oxford He was called Duns by abbreviation for Dunensis that is born at Doun an Episcopal See in Ireland In this King's Reign Walter Stapleton Bishop of Exeter founded and endowed Exeter-colledge in Oxford It is charged on this King Edward the Second that he suffered the Pope to encroach on the Dignity of the Crown His Father had recovered some of his Priviledges from the Papal usurpation which since his Son had lost back again About that time an English Hermite preached at Paul's in London That some Sacraments that were then in use in the Church were not of Christ's Institution therefore he was committed to prison King Edward went into Scotland with another great Army King Robert thought so great an Army could not long continue therefore he retired into the High-lands King Edward wandred from place to place till many died for hunger and the rest returning home half starved James Douglas followed the English and slew many of them and King Edward himself hardly escaped Then a Peace was concluded at Northampton Anno 1327. That the Scots should abide in the same estate as in the dayes of King Alexander the Third the English should rend●r all subscriptions and tokens of bondage and have no Land in Scotland unless they shall dwell in it In England the two Spencers ruled all things till the Queen and her Son who politickly had got leave to go beyond the Seas returned into England with a Navy and Army landing in Suff●lk She denounced open war against her Husband unless he would presently conform to her desires The young Spencer was taken with the King at the Abby of Neath and is hanged on a Gallows fifty foot high Many Persons of Quality were sent down to the Parliament then sitting to King Edward to Kenelworth-castle to move him to resign the Crown which at last he sadly surrendered and Prince Edward his Son is crowned King The late King is removed from Kenelworth unto Barkley-castle where he was barbarously butchered being struck into the Postern of his Body with an hot Spit as it is commonly reported Among the Clergy besides Walter Stapleton Bishop of Exeter whose head the Londoners caused to be smitten off at the Standart in Cheapside only John Stratford Bishop of Winchester heartily adhered to him Robert de Baldock though no Bishop yet as a Priest and Chancellor of England may be ranked with these who attended the King and was taken with him in Wales Hence he was brought up to London and committed to Adam Tarlton Bishop of Hereford Many of the Bishops ungratefully sided with the Queen against her Husband and their Sovereign Walter Reynolds Archbishop of Canterbury led their Van preferred to that See at the King 's great Importunity and by the Pope's power of Provision Henry Burwash Bishop of Lincoln lately restored to the favour of King Edward yet no sooner did the Queen appear in the field with an Army against him but this Bishop was the first who publickly repaired to her Adam Tarlton Bishop of Hereford was the grand contriyer of all mischief against the King Witness the Sermon preached by him at Oxford before the Queen then in hostile pursuit against her Husband taking for his Text the words of the Son of the sick Shunamite my Head my Head Thence he urged That a bad King the distempered Head of a State is past cure His writing was worse than his preaching for when such Agents set to keep King Edward in Berkley-castle were by secret order from Roger Mortimer commanded to kill him they by Letters addressed themselves for advice to this Bishop then not far off at Hereford craving his counsel what they should do in so difficult and dangerous a matter He returned unto them a ridling Answer unpointed which carried in it Life and Death yea Life or
Death as variously construed Life and Death To kill King Edward you need not to fear it is good Life To kill King Edward you need not to fear it is good Death To kill King Edward you need not to fear it is good The Body of King Edward without any Funeral Pomp was buried among the Benedictines in their Abbey at Glocester Edward of Windsor called King Edward the Third being scarce fifteen years of age took the beginning of his Reign on January the twentieth his Throne was established upon his Fathers ruine Upon Candlemas-day Anno 132● he received the Order of Knighthood by the hands of the Earl of Lancaster while his deposed Father lived and within five dayes after he was Crowned at Westminster by Walter Archbishop of Canterbury Twelve men were appointed to manage the Affairs of the Kingdom during the King's minority the Archbishop's of Canterbury and York the Bishops of Winchester Hereford and Worcester Thomas Brotherton Earl Marshal Edmond Earl of Kent John Earl Warren Thomas Lord Wake Henry Lord Piercy Oliver Lord Ingham and John Lord Ross but the Queen and Roger Lord Mortimer usurped this charge Adam Tarlton was accused of Treason in the beginning of the Reign of this King and arraigned by the King's Officers when in the presence of the King he thus boldly uttered himself My Lord the King with all due respect unto your Majesty I Adam an humble Minister and Member of the Church of God and a consecrated Bishop though unworthy neither can nor ought to answer unto so hard Questions without the connivance and consent of my Lord Archbishop of Canterbury my immediate Judge under the Pope and without the consent of other Bishops who are my Peers Three Archbishops were there present in the place Canterbury York and Dublin by whose Intercession Tarlton escaped at that time Not long after he was arraigned again at the King's Bench whereupon the foresaid Archbishops set up their Crosses and with ten Bishops more attended with a numerous Train of well-weaponed Servants advanced to the place of Judicature The King's Officers frighted at the sight fled away leaving Bishop Tarlton the prisoner alone at the Bar whom the Archbishops took home into their own custody denouncing a Curse upon all such who should presume to lay violent hands upon him The King offended hereat caused a jury of Lay-men to be impannelled and to enquire according to form of Law into the Actions of the Bishop of Hereford This was the first time that ever Lay-men passed their verdict upon a Clergy-man These Jurors found the Bishop guilty whereupon the King seized his Temporalties proscribed the the Bishop and despoiled him of all his moveables But afterwards he was reconciled to the King and by the Pope made Bishop of Winchester where he died The former part of this King's Reign affordeth but little Church-history as wholly taken up with his Atchievements in France and Scotland where his success by Sea and Land was to admiration He had both the Kings he fought against viz. John de Valois of France and David King of Scotland his prisoners at one time taken by fair Fight in open Field There was granted to the King of England for these Wars a Fifteenth of the Temporalty a Twelfth of Cities and Boroughs and a Tenth of the Clergy in a Parliament holden at London And afterwards in a Parliament at Northampton there was granted him a Tenth peny of Towns and Boroughs a Fifteenth of others and a Tenth of the Clergy All such Treasure as was committed to Churches throughout England for the holy War was taken out for the King's use in this The next year after all the Goods of three Orders of Monks Lombards Cluniacks and Cicestercians are likewise seized into the King's hands and the like Subsidy as before granted at Nottingham Now the Cavrsines or Lombards did not drive so full a trade as before whereupon they betook themselves to other Merchandise and began to store England with Forreign Commodities but at unreasonable rates whilst England it self had as yet but little and bad Shipping and those less employed About this time the Clergy were very bountiful in contributing to the King's necessities in proportion to their Benefices Hereupon a Survay was exactly taken of all their Glebeland and the same fairly Fuller Church History engrossed in Parchment was returned into the Exchequer where it remaineth at this day and is the most useful Record for Clergy-men and also for Impropriators as under their claim to recover their right It was now complained of as a grand grievance that the Clergy engr●ssed all places of Judicature in the Land Nothing was left to Lay-men but either Military commands as General Admiral c. or such Judges places as concerned onely the very letter of the Common Law and those also scarcely reserved to the Students thereof As for Ambassies into Forreign parts Noblemen were employed therein when Expence not Experience was required thereunto and Ceremony the substance of the Service otherwise when any difficulty in Civil Law then Clergy-men were ever entertained The Lord Chancellor was ever a Bishop yea that Court generally appeared as a Synod of Divines where the Clerks were Clerks as generally in Orders The same was also true of the Lord Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer Robert Eglesfield Chaplain to Queen Philippa Wi●e to King Edward the third founded a Colledge on his own ground in Oxford by the name of Queens Colledge and diverse Queens have been nursing Mothers to this Foundation as Queen Philippa Wife to King Edward the third Queen Elizabeth Wife to King Edward the fourth Queen Mary Wife to King Charles and our Virgin Queen Elizabeth In the mean time the Pope bestirred him in England while the King was busied about his Wars in France so that before Livings were actually void he pre-provided Incumbents for them But at last the King looking into it this Statute of Provision was made whereby such forestalling of Livings to Forreigners was forbidden Another cause of the King's displeasure with the Pope was that when the Pope created twelve Cardinals at the request of the King of France he denied to make one at the desire of the King of England The Papal party notwithstanding this Law of Provision strugled for a time till the King's Power overswayed them Indeed this grievance continued all this and most of the next King's Reign till the Statute of praemunire was made and afterward the Land was cleared from the encumbrance of such provisions Three years after the Statute against the Pope's Provisions was made the King presented unto the Pope Thomas Hatlif to be Bishop of Durham one who was the King's Secretary but one void of all other Ep●scopal qualifications However the Pope confirmed him and being demanded why he consented to the preferment of so worthless a person he answered that rebus sic stantibus if the King of England 〈◊〉 presented an Ass unto him he would have confirmed him
again was made a Bishop in Ireland and went to Rhodes in Ambassage from whence being returned he went barefooted up and down in Norfolk teaching the ten Commandments and lived till near an hundred years old Now also lived Robert Fabian a Sheriff of London and Historiographer Edmond Dudley who wrote a book Entitled Arbor Reipublica John Bockingham an Excellent School-man And William Blackney D. D. a Carmelite Friar and a Necromancer Henry VIII succeeded his Father On June 3. He was Married to the Lady Katherine Dowager formerly wife to his brother Prince Arthur deceased Pope Julius by his dispensation removed all obstructions against the Laws of God or man hindering or opposing the said Match Cruelty still increased on the poor Lollards as they were called after abjuration forced to wear the fashion of a Faggot wrought in thread or painted on their sleeves as long as they lived it being death to put on their clothes without that cognizance Their case was sad if they put it off they must be burned if they put it on they must be starved for none generally would set them on work that wore that badge On this account were William Sweeting and James Brewster re-imprisoned In vain did Brewster plead that he was commanded to leave off his badge by the Controller of the Earl of Oxford's house And as little did Sweeting's plea prevail that the Parson of Mary Magdalen's in Colchester caused him to lay his faggot aside Soon after they were both burnt together in Smithfield Anno 1511. One John Brown who had born a faggot before in the days of King Henry the Seventh was burned at Ashford in Kent for the Profession of the Truth condemned by Archbishop Warham first having had his Feet burned to the Bones to compel him to deny the Truth Richard Hunn a wealthy Citizen of London imprisoned in Lollards Tower for adhering to Wickliff's Doctrine had his neck therein secretly broken To cover their cruelty they gave it out that he hanged himself on December 20. 1514. the dead Body of the said Richard Hunn was burnt in Smithfield Sixteen days after he was murdered But the matter having been fully examined by the Council and Judges and Justices of the Realm it was evidently proved that Dr. Horsey the Chancellor Charles Joseph the Sumner and John Spalding the Bel-ringer had committed the Murder Thomas-Man and John Stil●man were also burned in Smithfield Thomas Man confessed he had converted Seven hundred from Popery to the Truth Robert Cosin was also condemned and burned at Buckingham for holding against Pilgrimages Confession to Pri●sts and Worshipping of Image Christopher Shoomaker was burned at Newbery upon the like account Cardinal Bainbrigg Archbishop of York being then at Rome was so highly offended with Rivaldus de Modena an Italian his Steward that he cudgelled him but being soon after poisoned his Body was buried in the English Hospital at Rome Richard Fox Bishop of Winch●ster Founded and Endowed Corpus ●uller Church Hist Christi-Colledge in Oxford bestowing thereon Lands to the yearly value of Four hundred and one pounds eight shillings and two pence There are maintained in it a President Twenty Fellows Twenty Scholars Two Chaplains Two Clerks and Two Choristers besides Officers and Servants of the Foundation with other Students Hugh Oldham Bishop of Exeter was a great Benefactor to this Colledge Anno 1519. died John Golet at Shene in Surrey he had learned humane 〈◊〉 Chur. Hist Sciences at home and travelled into France and Italy when he returned ●e studied the Scriptures and expounded St. Paul's Epistles publickly at Oxford Henry the Seventh promoted him to the Deanry of Pauls He professed to distast many things that he had heard in Sorbon He called the Scotists men without judgement and the Thomists arrogant He said He reaped more fruit by the Books which the Doctors of Sorbon called Heretical than by their Books that were full of divisions and definitions and were most approved of them He never married and yet regarded not Monks without Learning In his Sermons he said Images should not be Worshipped and Clerks should not be Covetous Two Fria●s viz. Bricot and Standish accused him for Heresie unto Richard Fitz-James Bishop of London and He unto the Archbishop first and then unto King Henry the Eighth But both the King and the Archbishop became his Patrons He was the eldest and sole surviving child of Sir Henry Collet Mercer twice Lord Mayor of London who with his ten Sons and as many Daughters were depicted in a Glass-window on the North-side S●●w's Survay p. 265. of St. Anthonie's corruptly St. Antlin's to which Church he was a great Benefactor His Son John Founded the Free-school of St. Pauls in it are One hundred fifty and three Scholars whereof every year some appearing most pregnant have salaries allowed them for Seven years or untill they get better preferment in the University or in the Church William Lily was the first School-master thereof by Colet's own appointment An excellent Scholar born at Odiam in Hamp-shire and afterward he went on Pilgrimage to Jerusalem In his return through Italy he applyed himself to his Studies His Teachers and Instructers were John Sulpitius and Pomponius Sabinus two eminent Criticks Returning home into his native Countrey well accomplished with Latin Greek and all Arts and Sciences he set forth a Grammar which still goes under his Name and is generally taught over all England Anno 1517. Luther wrote against Popish Indulgences shewing the abuses of them King Henry the Eighth set forth a Book against Luther endeavouring the Confutation of his Opinions as novel and unsound To requite his pains the Pope honoured him and his Successors with a specious Title Defender of the Faith Luther sharply answered that Book Cardinal Wolsey was now the Pope's Legat de latere by vertue whereof he visited all Churches and Religious houses even the Friars observants themselves notwithstanding their stoutness and stubbornness that first opposed him Papal and Royal power met in him being the Chancellor of the Land and keeping so many Bishopricks in Commendam his yearly income is said to equal if not exceed the Revenues of the Crown Being to found two Colledges he seized on forty small Monasteries turning their Inhabitants out of House and home and converting their means principally to a Colledge in Oxford This alienation was confirmed by Pope Clement the Seventh so that in some sort the Pope may thank himself for the demolishing of Religious houses in England His Colledge in Oxford did thrice change it's name in seven years first called Cardinals Colledge then King's Colledge and at last Christ-church which it retaineth at this day King Henry took just offence that the Cardinal set his own Arms above the King 's on thy Gate-house at the entrance into the Colledge There have been maintained in this Colledge one Dean eight Canons three publick Professors of Divinity Hebrew and Greek sixty Students eight Chaplains eight Singing-men an Organist
sang the daily Service Then publick care was had for the founding and establishing of the new Hospital in the late dissolved House of Gray-Friers near Newgate in London and that of St. Thomas in the Borough of Southwark of which ye are to know that the Church belonging to the said House together with the Cloysters and almost all the publick building which stood within the liberties and precincts thereof had the good hap to escape that ruine which generally befell all other Houses of that nature And standing undemolished till the last times of King Henry it was given by him not many dayes before his death to the City of London together with the late dissolved Priory called Little St. Bartholomews In which Donation there was reference had to a double end The one for the relieving the poor out of the Rents of such Messuages and Tenements as in the Grants thereof are contained and specified The other for constituting a Parish-church in the Church of the said dissolved Grey-friers not only for the use of such as lived within the precincts of the said two Houses but for the Inhabitants of the Parish of St. Nicholas in the Shambles and of St. Edwin's situate in Warwick-lane near Newgate-market Which Churches with all the Rents and profits belonging to them were given to the City at the same time also and for advancing the same ends together with five hundred Marks per annum for ever The Church of the Gray-friers to be from thence-forth called Christ-church founded by King Henry the Eight All which was signified to the City in a Sermon Preached at Paul's Cross by the Bishop of Rochester on January 13. being but a fortnight before his death Mass was said in this Church by the Parishoners that resorted to it according to the King's donation After which in the first year of King Edward followed the taking down of the said two Churches and building several Tenements on the ground of the Churches and Church-yards the Rents thereof to be employed about the further maintenance and relief of the Poor Living and Loytering in and about the City But these things being not sufficient to carry on the work to the end desired it hapned that Bishop Rialey Preaching before King Edward insisted much upon some constant course for relief of the poor which Sermon wrought so far upon him that having sent for the Bishop he gave him great thanks for his good Exhortation whose advice was that Letters should be written to the Lord Mayor and Alderman By whom it was agreed that a general contribution should be made by all rich and well-affected Citizens toward the advancement of a work so necessary for the publick good Every man subscribed according to his ability and Books were drawn in every ward of the City containing the sum of that Relief which they had contributed Which being delivered to Sir Richard Dobbs Lord Mayor of London were by him tendred to the King's Commissioners February 17. The buildings in the Gray-friers were forthwith repaired The like reparation was also made of the ruinous buildings belonging to the late dissolved Priory of St. Thomas in Southwark which the Citizens had then newly bought of the King to serve for an Hospital for such Sick Wounded and Impotent persons as were not fit to be intermingled with the sound on November 23. the Sick and Maimed people were taken into the Hospital of St. Thomas and into Christ-church Hospital to the number of four hundred Children all of them to have Meat Drink Lodging and Clothes at the charge of the City till other means could be provided for their maintenance On April 10. this King gave for ever to the City his Palace of Bridewel erected by King Henry the Eighth to be employed for such Vagabonds and thriftless poor as should be sent thither to receive chastisement and be forced to labour He caused the Master and Brethren of the Hospital in the Savoy founded by King Henry the Seventh to resign the same into his hands with all the Lands and Goods thereunto belonging out of which he presently bestowed the yearly rent of seven hundred Marks with all the Beds Bedding and other Furniture found therein toward the maintenance of the said Work-house and the Hospital of St. Thomas in Southwark The Grant whereof he confirmed by his Letters Patents adding thereunto a Mortmain for enabling the City to purchase Lands to the value of four thousand Marks per annum for the better maintenance of those and the other Hospitals Thus he was entitled to the Foundation of Bridewel St. Bartholomews and St. Thomas ●●●hout any charge to himself Nothing else memorable about this time but the coming of Cardan the death of Leland and the preferment of Doctor John Tailor to the See of Lincoln Then for raising Money a Commission was speeded into all parts of the Kingdom under pretence of selling such of the Lands and Goods of Chanteries as remained unsould but in plain truth saith Dr. Heylin to seize upon all Hangings Altar-clothes Fronts Parafronts Copes of all sorrs with all manner of Plate which was to be found in any Cathedral or Parochial Church Certain Instructions were likewise given to the Commissioners by which they were to regulate themselves in their proceedings This was done generally in all parts of the Realm into which the Commissioners began their Circuits in the moneth of April which general seizure being made they were to leave one Chalice with certain Table-clothes for the use of the Communion-table as the said Commissioners should think fit the Jewels Plate and ready Money to be delivered to the Master of the King's Jewels in the Tower of London the Copes of cloth of Gold and Tissue to be brought into the King's Wardrobe the rest to be turned into ready Money and that Money to be paid to Sir William Peckham the King's Cofferer for the defraying the charges of his Majestie 's houshold But some there were who were as much before hand with the Kings Commissioners in embezeling the Plate Jewels and other Furnitures as the Commissioners did intend to be with the King in keeping all or most part to themselves The King grew Sick and weak in Body in which Estate Duke Dudley so prevailed upon him that he consented to a transposition of the Crown from his natural Sisters to the Children of the Dutchefs of Suffolk His dying Prayer as is was taken from his mouth was in these words following Lord God deliver me out of the miseries of this wretched and sinful life and take me among thy chosen Howbeit not my will but thy will be done Lord I commit my Spirit to Thee O Lord thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with Thee yet for thy chosens sake send me life and health that I may truly serve Thee O my Lord God bless thy people and save thine inheritance O Lord God save thy chosen people of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and
wrote a Letter to the Lord Treasurer complaining of Mr. Beal Clerk of the Council who brought these Letters to him his insolent carriage towards him Now that the Presbyterian party were befriended at the Council-board who endeavoured to mittigate the Archbishop's proceeding against them appeareth also from the Privy Counsellors Letter to the Archbishop in favour of the Non-conformists Signed W. Burleigh G. Shrewsbury A Warwick R. Leicester C. Howard J. Croft Ch. Hatton Fr. Wal●ingham But albeit Sir Chr. Hatton subscribed among the Privy Counsellors for moderation to Non-conformists yet that he was a great countenancer of Whitgift's proceedings against them appeareth in an immediate Address of the Archbishop unto him As for the Lord Burghleigh he was neither so rigid as to have Conformity prest to the height nor so remiss as to leave Ministers at their own liberty He would argue the case both in Discourse and Letters with the Archbishop and one Letter he wrote to the Archbishop for some Indulgence to the Ministers Mr. Travers seems to have an hand in all this who being the Lord Burghleigh's Chaplain by him much respected and highly affected to the Geneva Discipline was made the mouth of the Ministers to mediate to his Lord in their behalf But the Archbishop's unmoveableness appeared by his Letter sent to the Lord Treasurer at some passages whereof he took exception and sends a smart Letter to the Archbishop That which concerneth the Non-conformists therein is this I deny nothing that your Grace thinketh meet to proceed in with those whom you call factious and therefore there is no controversie between you and me expressed in your Letter the controversie is passed in your Graces Letter in silence and so I do satisfie Your Grace promised me to deal I say only with such as violated Order and to charge them therewith which I allow well of But your Grace not charging them with such faults seeketh by examination to urge them to accuse themselves and then I think you will punish them I think your Grace's proceeding is I will not say rigorous or captious but I think it is scan● charitable c. If I had known the fault of Brown I might b● blamed for writing for him but when by examination only it is to sift him with twenty four Articles I have cause to pity the poor man Your Grace's as friendly as any W. Burghleigh The Archbishop writes a calm Letter in answer to the Lord Treasurer's Letter sending him enclosed therein certain Reasons to justifie the manner of his proceedings praying his Lordship not to be carried away either from the cause or from the Archbishop himself upon unjust surmises and clamours lest he be the occasion of that confusion which hereafter he would be sorry for Professing that in these things he desired no further defence neither of his Lordship nor of any other than Justice and Law would yield unto him Sir Francis Walsingham was a good Friend to Non-conformists he wrote a Letter to the Archbishop to qualifie him for a Semi-Non-conformist one Mr. Leverwood Grindal being sensible of the Queens displeasure had desired to resign his place and confine himself to a yearly Pension This place was proffered to Whitgift but he in the presence of the Queen refused it yet what he would not snatch suddenly fell into his hands by Grindal's death who out of his contempt of the world left not much wealth behind him That little he had as it was well gotten was well bestowed in pious uses in Oxford and Cambridge with the building and endowing of a School at St. Bees in Cumberland where he was born yea he may be held as a Benefactor to this Nation by bringing in Tamarix first over into England that Plant being very excellent in mollifying the hardness of the Spleen Now Robert Brown a Cambridge-man and young Student in Divinity of whom the Separatists in those dayes and long after were called Brownists born in Rutland-shire of an ancient Family near allied to the Lord Treasurer Cecil began with one Richard Harison a Schoolmaster to vent their Opinions They set forth Books in Zealand whither they travelled Brown returning home disperseth these Books all over England But their Books were suppressed by the Queens Authority confuted by Learned men and two of his followers were executed one after another at St. Edmonds-bury Brown coming to Norwich there infected both Dutch and English for which he was confined The Lord Treasurer writes a Letter to the Bishop of Norwich in his behalf Brown being thus brought up to London was wrought to some tolerable compliance and being discharged by the Archbishop was by the Lord Treasurer sent home to his Father Anthony Brown at Tolethorp in Rutland Esquire But it seem● Brown's errors were so inlaid in him no conference with Divines could convince him to the contrary whose incorrigibleness made his own Father weary of his company He and Harison inveighed against Bishops Ecclesiastical Courts Ceremonies Ordination of Ministers fancying here on earth a platform of a perfect Church Doctor Fulk learnedly proveth that the Brownists were in effect the same with the ancient Donatists Nicholas Saunders more truly Slanders died this year 1583. being starved to death among the Bogs and Mountains in Ireland Near the same time one John Lewis was burnt at Norwich for denying the Godhead of Christ and holding other detestable Heresies At this time the Jesuites set forth many slaunderous libels against her Majesty one of their principal Pamphlets was a Treatise of Schism William Carter the Stationer was executed at Tyburn for publishing it Soon after five Seminaries John Fen George Haddock John Munden John Nutter and Tho. Hemmerford were hanged bowelled and quartered for Treason at Tyburn and many others about the same time executed in other places Yet at the same time the Queen by one Act of Grace pardoned seventy Priests some of them actually condemned to die all legally deserving death Among these were 1. Gasper Haywood Son to that eminent Epigrammatist the first Jesuite that ever set foot in England 2. James Bosgrave 3. John Hart a zealous disputant 4. Edward Rushton an ungrateful wretch who afterwards railed on the Queen in Print who gave him his life In the year 1584. Two conferences were kept at Lambeth about the Discipline and Ceremonies of the Church For the same were the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and Cooper Bishop of Winchester Unconforming Ministers against it The Lords of the Privy Council and some other Honorable persons Auditors thereof This conference effected nothing on the Disputants as to the altering their Opinions Some of the Lords afterwards secretly acted against the Archbishop in favour of the other party The Archbishop now take's another course enjoyning all admitted to the Ecclesiastical Orders and Benefices the subscription of the following Articles I. That the Queen had supreme Authority over all persons born within her Dominions of what condition soever they were And that no other Prince Prelate or
so that the power of Excommunication was not intrusted with them but ultimately resolved into a Committee of eminent persons of Parliament On January 10. 1644. William Laud Lord Archbishop of Canterbury was beheaded on Tower-hill after he had been kept four years a prisoner in the Tower His charge was a constructive treason under several Heads reducible into two particulars I. For endeavouring of the subversion of the Laws of the Land II. And a like endeavour to overthrow the Protestant Religion His trial was at the Lords bar and Mr. William Prynne was his Prosecutor but notwithstanding all that could be said nothing that did amount to Treason could be proved against him But the Scots who were at that time very prevalent would not be satisfied unless he were put to death to manifest thereby their zeal against the Episcopal Hierarchy Heylin's Hist of the life of K. Charles 1. pag. 113. to usher in the Presbyterian Government at the approaching Treaty so that by an Ordinance of Lords and Commons he was adjudged guilty of High Treason though at the passing thereof in the House of Peers there were but seven present In pursuance of several messages from the King for a Treaty it was assented to by the Parliament and at Vxbridge Commissioners met for the King on one part and for the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland on the other Master Christopher Love waiting on the Parliaments Commissioners in a general Relation gave great offence to the Royalists in his Sermon shewing the impossibility of an agreement With the Commissioners on both sides certain Clergy-men were sent in their presence to debate the point of Church-government For the King Doctor Sheldon Steward Benjamin Laney Henry Hammond Henry Ferne. For the Parliament Master Stephen Marshal Richard Vines These when the Commissioners were at leasure from Civil affairs were called to a conference before them But this Treaty proved ineffectual The King complained of what came to pass the fruitless end of this Treaty that his Commissioners offered full-measured reasons and the other Commissioners have stuck rigidly to their demands c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 18. The Treaty at Vxbridge saith he gave the fairest hopes of an happy composure had others applyed themselves to it with the same moderation as he did he was confident the war had been ended To return to the Assembly the Monuments which they have left to posterity of their meeting are a new form of worship by the name of a Directory Articles of Religion drawn up by them and a double Cat●chism one the lesser the other the greater This Assembly dwindled away by d●grees though ne●er legally dissolved Many of them after the taking of Oxford returning to their own Cures and others living in London absented themselves as disliking the managing of matters Anno 1645. died Mr. John Dod a passive Non-conformist as Mr. Fuller calleth him a man much esteemed among men of his own perswasion one that loved not any one the worse for difference in judgement about Ceremonies but all the better for their unity of affections in grace and goodness He used to retrench some hot spirits when inveighing against Bishops telling them how God under that Government had given a marvellous encrease to the Gospel and that Godly men might comfortably comport therewith under which Learning and Religion had so manifest an Improvement He was an excellent Scholar and an exquisite Hebrician who with his Society and directions in one Vacation taught that Tongue unto Mr. John Gregory that rare Li●guist and Chaplain of Christ-Church who survived him but one year Mr. Dod was bur●●d at Fausly in North●●pton-shire Now comes strange news Dr. Williams Archbishop of York is no less suddenly than strangely Metamorph●sed from a zealous Royalist into an active Parliamentarian and desirous to make his peace with the Parliament he betakes himself to his house at Purin neer Aberconway in Wales put a garrison therein and fortified the same protesting against the King's party and disswading the County from paying Contribution to the King And wrote to Colonel Mitton● of the Parliament's party to assist him against the Lord Byron who understanding of his Revolt had sent a party from Aber-conway to besiege him At length he lays siege to the Town and Castle of Aber-conway reduceth them to the Service of the Parliament much of the Town to his own possession Hereby he saved his estate from Sequestration But by his last complyance he lost his old friends at Oxford and in Lieu of them finding few new ones at London He expended much on the repair of Westminster Abby-church And when pressed by Archbishop Laud to a larger contribution to S. Paul's he answered he would not rob Peter to pay Paul The Library of Westminster was the effect of his bounty and so was a Chappel in Lincoln-Colledge in Oxford At S. John's in Cambridge he founded two fellowships built a fair Library and furnished it with Books To a grave Minister coming to him for Institution in a living he thus expressed himself I have saith he passed through many places of honour and trust both in Church and State more than any of my Order in England these seventy years before But were I but assured that by my preaching I had but converted one soul to God I should take therein more spiritual joy and comfort than in all the Honours and Offices which have been bestowed upon me He died on March 25. 1649. Now I will present the Reader with a list of the Principal Ordinances of the Lords and Commons which respected Church-matters and to make this History the more entire must go a little backward in time November 8. 1644. An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons in Parliament for the payment of Tythes by every person within the Realm of England and Wales December 13. 1644. An Ordinance for the Ordination of Ministers pro tempore within the County of Lancaster according to the Ordinance of the second of October for the Ordination of Ministers April 12. 1645. An Ordinance for the Regul●ting the Vniversity of Cambridge and for the removing of scandalous Ministers in the seven Associated Counties April 23. 1645. An Ordinance appointing Ministers for certain Churches and Lectures Hughe's Abridgement of ordinances of Parlament Part 2. viz. Philip Goodwin to be Vicar of the Church of Wa●ford in Hartfordshire and to receive to himself all Tythes Oblations c. thereunto belonging during his tife And Dr. Cornelius Burgess to have yearly allowance of four-hundred pounds paid unto him by the Lord Mayer of the City of ●ondon and the Court of Aldermen to be paid quarterly out of the Houses 〈◊〉 Rever●●● of the Dean Dean and Chapter of the Church of S. Paul's for and d●ring the term of his life he performing the Lectures in the said Church as by the Lords and Commons he was Ordered to do April 26. 1645. An Ordinance that no person be permitted
had put himself into the Protection of Colone Hammond then Governour of the Island Come we now to the Church part of the Treaty in the Isle of Wight Here appeared of the Divines chosen by the King James Vsher Archbishop of Armagh Brian Duppa Bishop of Sarum Dr. Sheldon Dr. Sanderson Dr. Fern. On the other side Mr. Stephen Marshall M. Richard Vines Mr. Lazarus Seaman and Mr. Joseph Caryl were there present by appointment of the Pa●liament All things were transacted in scriptis His Majesty consulted with his Chaplains when he pleased The King's writings were publickly read before all by Mr. Philip Warwick and Mr Vines read the Papers of his Fellow-divines As for the difference between Primitive Episcopacy and present Hierarchy urged by the Parliament Divines his Majesty did not conceive that the Additions granted by the favour of His Royal Progenitors for the enlarging the power and priviledges of Bishops did make the Government substantially to differ from what it was no more than Arms and Ornaments make a Body really different from it self when it was naked and devested of the same Whereas they besought His Majesty to look rather to the Original than to the succession of Bishops he thought it needful to look at both the latter being the best Clue in such intrinsick cases to find out the former Lastly he professed h●mself unsatisfied in their answer concerning the perpetual and unalterable substantials of Church-government as expecting from them a more particular Resolution therein than what he had received Eleven days after the Parliament Divines put in their answer to his Majesties last paper Herein they affirmed they saw not by what warrant the Writ of Partition of the Apostles Office was taken forth that the Governing part should be in the hands of the Bishops the Teaching and Sacramentizing in the Presbyters They also said that some Fathers acknowledged that Bishops were different from Presbyters onely in matter of Ordination They also returned that His Majestie 's Definition of Episcopal Government is extracted out of the Bishops of later date than Scriptu●e-times The darkness of the History of the Church in the times succeeding the Apostles said they had an influence on the Catalogue makers Fuller's Chur. ●●st who derived the Series of succession of Bishops taken much from Tradition and Reports And it is a great blemish of their evidence that the nearer they come to the Apostles times wherein this should be most clear to establish the succession at the first they are most doubtful and contradictory one to the other They granted that a succession of men to feed and govern those Churches by Ecclesiastical Writers in compliance with the Language of their own times were called Bishops but not distinct from Presby●ers So that if such a succession from the Primitive times Seriatim were proved they would either be found more than Bishops as Apostles and extraordinary persons or less as meerly first Presbyters not having the three Essentials of Episcopal government insisted on by His Majesty They humbly moved His Majesty that the Regiments of Humane testimonies on both sides might be discharged the field and the point of dispute tried alone by dint of holy Scripture They affirmed also that the power of Episcopacy under Christian and Pagan Princes is one and the same though the exercise be not but acknowledging the subordination thereof to the Sovereign Power with their accountableness to the Laws of the Land They conclude with thanks to His Majestie 's Condescension in vouchsafing them the Liberty and Honour in examining his Learned Reply praying God that a Pen in the Hand of such Abilities might ever be employ'd in a subject worthy thereof Some dayes after His Majesty returned His last paper wherein he not onely acknowledgeth the great pains of these Divines to inform his judgement according to their perswasions but also took special notice of their Civilities of the Application both in the Beginning and Body of their supply However he told them they mistook his meaning about a Writ of Partition as if His Majesty had Cantoned out the Episcopal Government one part to the Bishops another to the Presbyterians alone whereas his meaning was that the Office of Teaching is common to both alike but the other of Governing peculiar to Bishops alone The Lords and Commons vote their Commissioners return from the Treaty The Commons debate of his Majesties Propositions and agree I. That he be in Honour Safety and Freedom according to the Lawes II. That he have his Revenue as before excepting the Dedications of such Forts and Garrisons as were of old accustomed to be allowed maintenance III. That he have compensation for the Court of Wards IV. That an Act of Oblivion be past The King having granted the Parliament to dispose of all great Offices for ten years they vote it satisfactory On November 26. was presented a Declaration of the Army to the House of Commons which was the day before subscribed by the General it contained twenty six sheets of paper shewing as they termed it the misgoings of King and Parliament severally also in all Treaties betwixt them especially that they are now in They desire that the Parliament would reject those demands of the King especially concerning his Restitution and coming to London with Freedom Honour and Safety and that they proceed against the King in way of Justice c. The Army on December 2. enter the lines of Communication and at Whitehall quartereth the General and the rest of the Army at the Mews St. James's York-house and divers other places about the City The King is taken from Newport convay'd to Hurst-castle on December 6. the Trained bands are discharged the Guard to the Parliament and and Pride's and Riche's Regiments take it upon them Many of the Members coming to the House are seized and kept in custody by the General 's command in the Queen's Court and Court of Wards These were removed to the King's-Head Inn near Charing-Cross and to the Swan Inn in the Strand under Guards of Souldiers The Army put forth a new Representative called The Agreement of the People The King is brought up to London arraigned before a select Committee for that purpose called An High Court of Justice indicted and upon his refusal to own their Authority finally condemned Having received the sentence of death Dr. Juxon Bishop of London Preached privately before him at St. James's on the Sunday following his Text Romans 2. 16. Nex● Tu●sday being the 〈◊〉 of ●i● dissolution in the morning alone he received the Commu 〈…〉 ●●om the hands of the said Bishop At which ●ime he read for the 〈…〉 the 27th chapter of St. Matthew containing the History of the death and passion of our Saviour Sermon ended the King heartily thanked the Bishop for selecting so seasonable and comfortable a portion of Scripture seeing all Humane hope and happiness is founded on the sufferings of our Saviour The Bishop answered He had done it meerly
foundation of a fair and sumptuous building but at the time of his death left it unperfected 41 Hadrian de Castello 42 Thomas Wolsey 43 Iohn Clerk 44 William Knight 45 William Barlow 46 Gilbert Bourn 47 Gilbert Berkley 48 Thomas Goodwyn 49 Iohn Style 50 Iames Mountague He gave a thousand pounds towards the reparation of the Abbey-church of Bath and lies there interred 51 Arthur Lake 52 VVilliam Laud. 53 Leonard Maw 54 VValter Curle 55 VVilliam Piers 56 Creeton 57 Mews Bishops of Devonshire Cornwal and Crediton c. Two hundred years the West Countrey was subject unto the Bishop of Sherborn viz. from the year 705. to the year 905. at which time one Bishoprick was erected at VVells in Sommerset-shire another in Cornwal a third in Devonshire 1 The See of Athelstan Bishop of Cornwal was for a while at St. Petrocks in Bodmyn and afterwards St. Germans The Successors of Athelstan in Cornwal were these 2 Conanus 3. Ruyodocus 4 Aldredus 5 Brytwyn 6 Athelstan Anno 966. 7 VVolfi 8 VVoronus 9 VVolocus 10 Stidio 11 Aldredus 12. Burwoldus Bishops of Devonshire 1 VVerstan He placed himself first at Tawton but soon after removed to Crediton now called Kyrton 2 Putta 3 Eadulphus 4 Ethelgarus 5 Algarus 6 Alfwold 7 Sydemanus 8 Alfredus 9 Alwolfus All these sate and were buried at Crediton 10 Luyngus This man upon the death of Burwoldus Bishop of Cornwal his Vnkle procured the County of Cornwal to be added unto his Diocess and afterwards became Bishop of VVorcester Bishops of Excester King Edward the Confessor coming to Excester together with his Queen took order that the Monks of St. Peter ' s in that City should be placed at VVestminster and removed the Episcopal See from Crediton to Excester 1. Leofricus was the first Bishop The King taking the Bishop by his right hand and the Queen by the left led him up unto the Altar of his new Church and there placed him in a Seat appointed for him He obtained of the same King much good Land and many Priviledges for this Church 2. Osbert a Norman 3 William VVarewest a Chaplain both to the Conqueror and his two Sons VVilliam and Henry 4 Robert Chichester 5 Robert VVarewest 6 Bartholomew Iscanus so called of Isca which is one of the antient names of this City 7 Iohn the Chaunter of this Church and Subdean of Sarum 8 Henry Marshal 9 Simon de Apulia 10 VVilliam Brewer 11 Richard Blondy 12 VValter Bromscomb 13 Peter Quivil 14 Thomas Bitton 15 VValter Stapleton 16 James Berkley of the Noble house of the Lord Berkley 17 John Godly 18 Thomas Brentingham 19 Edmond Stafford Brother to Ralph Earl of S●afford 20 Iohn Keterich 21 Iames Cary 22 Edmond Lacy 23 George Nevil Brother to Richard the Great Earl of VVarwick by whose help especially Edward the Fourth obtained the Crown 24 Iohn Booth 25 Peter Courtney 26 Richard Fox 27 Oliver King 28 Richard Redman 29 Iohn Arundel 30 Hugh Oldham 31 Iohn Vosei Of 22. Lordships and Mannors which his Predecessors had left unto him of a goodly Revenue he left but seven or eight and them also leased out And whereas he found fourteen Houses well-furnished he left only one House bare and without furniture and yet charged with sundry Fees and Annuities 32 Miles Coverdale 33 Iames Turber●ill 34 VVilliam Alley 35 VVilliam Bradbridge 36 Iohn Wolton 37 Gervase Babington 38. William Cotton 39. Valentine Cary 40. Ioseph Hall 41. Ralph Brownrigg 42. Iohn Gauden 43. Seth Ward 44. 〈…〉 Sparrow Bishops of the East-Angles Sigebert King of the East-Angles returning out of France where he lived in banishment and obtaining his Kingdom brought with him one Felix a Burgundian with whom he h●d lived familiarly during the time of his Exile and made him Bishop of the East-Angles who converting the people to the Faith of Christ had his See at Dunwich Bishops of Dunwich were these 1 Felix 2. Thomas his Successor 3. Bregilsus 4. Bisus He waxing old and crazy divided his See into two parts one part he appointed to be the Jurisdiction of a Bishop that should have his See at Elmham in the other he continued as also did divers of his Successors which were these following 5. Acca 6. Astwolphus 7. Eadfarthus 8. Cuthwenus 9. Aldberthus 10. Eglasius 11. Herdredus 12. Aelphunus 13. Tydferthus 14. Weremundis 15. Wyredus Bishops of Elmham were these 1. Bedwyn 2. Northbert 3. Headulacus 4. Edelfridus 5. Lanferthus 6. Athelwolph 7. Humferthus 8. Sybba 9. Alherdus 10. Humbiretus By reason of the great troubles of those times in the Danish wars these Sees stood void almost an hundred years Anno 955. in the time of King Edwy 1. One Athulfus was ordained Bishop of the East-Angles at Canterbury and had his Seat at Elmham After him succeeded these 2. Alf●idus 3. Theodredus the First 4. Theodredus the Second 5. Athelstan 6. Algarus 7. Alwynus 8. Alfricus 9. Alyf●eius 10. Stigandus 11. Grinketellus 12. Egelmare All these until the time of King William the Conqueror had their Sees at Elmham Bishops of Thetford 1. Arfastus was the first Bishop who was Chaplain to the Conqueror 2. William Herbert was the second and last Bishop of Thetford Bishop● of Norwich 1. William Herbert translated that See from Thetford to Norwich and was the first Bishop of Norwich He built there the Cathedral Church at his own charge which he dedicated to the holy Trinity endowing it with great Lands and Possessions Books and all other necessaries and on the North-side of the Church he founded a stately Palace for himself 2. Everard 3. William Turbus In his time the Cathedral Church at Norwich was burnt with fire 4. John of Oxford This man finished the Church which Herbert left unperfected and repaired that which by fire was lately defaced The same year he died the Church was again defaced with fire 5. John de Gray After the death of John de Gray the See was void for seven years 6. Pandulfus the Pope's Legat. After his death the See was void three years 7. Thomas de Blundevil 8. Radulphus 9. William de Raleigh The Bishoprick was then void by the space almost of three years 10. Walter de Suffield He founded the Hospital of St. Giles in Norwich endowing it with Lands and great Possessions He built also the Chappel of our Lady in the Cathedral Church and in the same Chappel was also buried 11. Simon de Wanton 12. Roger de Skyrwing In his time was a dangerous Sedition between the Citizens of Norwich and the Monks of the Cathedral Church 13. William Middleton 14. Ralph de Walpool 15. John Salmon 16. William Armyn 17. Anthony de Beck He used his Monks too rigorously and was poysoned by his own Servants 18. William Bateman He forced the Lord Morley to carry a burning Taper in his hand through the streets of Norwich unto the High Altar for killing certain Deer in one of his Parks and beating his