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 Bâ—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 Churcheâ— and hath scarce two now remaining the rest being swallowed up by the Sea This â—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 puâ—â—ing â—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-fiâ—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 â—â—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 Câ—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 â—â—â—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 iâ—structedâ— 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
against him and likewise to the King against this oppression desiring his favour that no Process might issue out of his Court against them and that he might constitute Attorneys in this Case since he could not come into England without great damage to his house The King this year constituted a special Proctor for three years by Patent to defend the Rights and Liberties of his free Chappels and Crown against all Papal and Episcopal invaders and opposers of them The King seizing the Advousons of several Churches in Wales as forfeited by their Patrons Rebellions against him gave them to the Bishop of St. David's with power to appropriate them to his Church of St. David's and Lekadeken Lancaden and make or annex them to Prebendaries there Hereupon the Bishop of St. Davids by his Charter with consent and approbation of the King and his Dean and Chapter made and erected a new Collegiate Church of Canons in Lan Caden in Wales constituted several Canons and Prebendaries therein annexing and appropriating the forecited Churches thereunto the Patronages whereof were granted him by the King who set his Seal to the Bishop's Charter and ratified it with his own Charter to make it valid in Law In the year 1285. a Parliament at Westminster laid down the limits and fixed the boundaries betwixt the Spiritual and Temporal jurisdictions The King having totally subdued the Welsh the Archbishoprick of York becomming void by the death of William Wickwane Archbishop thereof the King applied the profits thereof during the vacancy towards the building of Castles in Wales to secure it This year Stephen Bishop of Waterford was made chief Justice of Ireland In the fifteenth year of this King Henry de Branceston was elected and confirmed Bishop of Sarum The King granted and confirmed to the Bishop of Bangor and his Successors all the Rights Liberties Possessions and Customes they had formerly used and enjoyed In the sixteenth year of this King's Reign Gilbert de Sancto Leofardo was elected and confirmed Bishop of Chichester by the King 's Royal assent This year there was a great contest between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Abbot of St. Augustines about the carrying up his cross First The Abbot opposed the bearing up his own Cross before him in the Monastery of St. Augustines even within his own Metropolis and See of Canterbury when specially sent for thither to dine with the King Secondly Observe the Archbishop's pride and obstinacy in refusing to subscribe such a Letter as the King directed to reconcile this difference and preserve the Abbot's Privildges or repair to the King without his Cross carried before him together with his malice against the Abbot and Covent for not admitting him to carry up his Cross within their Monastery Bishop Godwin observes That from the year 1284. the See of Salisbury Pat. 17. 〈◊〉 had five Bishops within the space of five years whereof William de Corner as he stiles him was the fourth But Mr. William de Corner was his name as the King 's Writ for restoring of his Temporalties together with the Patent of the King 's Royal assent to his election assure us The King having Conquered Wales confirmed all the antient Rights Liberties Possessions and Customes of the Church of Asaph to the present Bishop and his Successors which they formerly used and enjoyed and that he might freely make his Testament Pope Nicholas the fourth being setled in his Pontifical Chair in the first year of his Papacy sent a Bull to King Edward the first to demand five years Arrears of the Annual pension of one thousand Marks granted by King John The King hereupon the better to promote his cousin Charles to the Realm of Sicâ—ly and expedite his own affairs in the Court of Rome concerning a dispensation for his Son to Marry the heir of the Crown of Scotland and other business touching Gascoign and France for which he had then sent special Ambassadors to Rome with Letters both to the Pope and Cardinals issued a Writ for the payment of these five years Arrears accordingly Mr. Prynne saith That this was the last payment made by King Edward the first of this Annual pension The Pope upon receipt hereof granted a dispensation to the King's Son Prince Edward to Marry with the heir of the Crown of Scotland thereby to unite these two Crowns and Kingdomes and prevent the long bloody Wars between them though within the prohibited degrees of Consanguinity King Edward upon the receipt of this Dispensation sent Letters and Proxies to Ericus King of Norway and likewise to the Guardians of the Realm of Scotland to consummate this Marriage upon diverse Articles and agreements King Edward likewise to perfect the Marriage between his Son Prince Edward and Margaret Queen of Scots with the general approbation of the Keepers Nobles and Natives of that Realm granted and ratified to the Nobles and People of Scotland diverse Articles agreed on by special Commissioners sent on both sides and approved by him by Letters under his great Seal which he took an Oath to observe under the penalty of forfeiting one hundred thousand pounds to the Church of Rome towards the holy Wars and subjecting himself to the Pope's Pat. 8. Edw. 1. m. 8. Excommunication and his Kingdom to an Interdict in case of Violation or Non-performance as the Patent attesteth enrolled both in French and Latine The King after this appointed the Bishop of Durham to be this Queen Margaret's and his Son Prince Edward's Lieutennant in Scotland for the preservation of the Peace and Government thereof At which time he and his Son likewise constituted Proctors to Treat with the King of Norway in his and his Son Edward's Name concerning his Sons Marriage and Espousals with his Daughter Margaret Queen of Scotland To facilitate this Marriage the Bishop of Durham at the King's request obliged himself to pay four hundred pounds by the year to certain persons in Norway to discharge which annuity the King granted him several Manors amounting to a greater value But the sickness and death of this Queen in her voyage toward Scotland and England frustrated this much desired Marriage between Prince Edward and her and raised new questions between the Competitors for the Crown Thomas Walsingham saith That about this time the Pope requiring it the Churches of England were taxed according to their true value to raise his Dismes and exactions higher In the same year 1290. the King our of his zeal to Christian Religion The Jews banished out of England by Act of Parliament banished all the Jews out of England by a publick Act in Parliament and Confiscated all their Houses and Lands for their Infidelity Blasphemy Crucifying of Children in contempt of Christ Crucified and clipping of his Coyn. In August they were commanded to depart the Land with their Wives and Children between that time and the Feast of all Saints with their moveable Goods Their number was said to be sixteen thousand five hundred
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 Mâ—lrose and another in the XIII Century born in Duns otherwise called Sâ—bâ—â—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 Jâ—h Ressiâ—s in lib. de Regiâ— 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 Fevershaâ— 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 â—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 Secuâ—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 flieâ—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 â—â— 1â— part 3. â—â— â— 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
goods to others to enquire diligently after such goods and sell them that the work might be speedily effected before St. Edwards Feast The Money hereupon being levyed of the Jews to make these Crosses and the King being informed that the Marble-cross could not be erected in the place prescribed without damage and prejudice to some Burgesses of Oxford whereupon they purposed to erect it just over against the Jews Synagogue there The King and his Council conceiving that place inconvenient ordered it to be set up within the place of Merton Colledge near the Church and the other portable Cross to be delivered to the Scholars thereof to be kept in their House and carried in Processions of the University as aforesaid Of the Dismes granted to the King by the Pope the King had usually Parker Antiqu Eccles Britan. p. 194 the least share the Pope the Cardinals and Legates swallowing up the greatest part of them as the Learned Archbishop Matthew Parker hath observed Boniface the Military Archbishop of Canterbury died beyond the Seas Anno Dom. 1271. when he had reaped the profits of that See and pillaged that Province twenty six years six moneths and sixteen dayes most of which he spent in Wars and negotiations beyond the Seas and never Preached one Sermon all that time for ought we find That year there was so great an inundation of Rain at Canterbury such Lightening and Tempest as had not been seen nor heard for a long time The Thunder was dreadful and continued a whole day and night and such an inundation of Water followed that it overthrew Stones Vines and Trees Cattel were drowned and much Corn spoiled and the City was so over-flown that Men nor Horses could pass After this Flood there followed a great Famine and the Plague swept away many in the City and Countrey round about Mr. Fox relaâ—es That a little before King Henry's death there fell out a conâ—roversie between the Monks and Citizens of Norwich about certain Tallages and Libertâ—es that after much altercation and wrangling words the furious rage of the Citizens so much encreased that they set upon the Abbey and Priory and burned both the Church and Bishop's Palace At the last King Henry calling for certain of his Lords and Barons sent them to Norwich that they might punish and see Execution done on the chiefest Malefactors some of them were condemned and burnt and some were drawn by the heeles with Horses through the Streets of the City and so in much misery ended their lives King Henry having in his company the Bishop of Roâ—hester and the Earl of Glocester followed his Justiâ—e Thomas Trivet to Norwich The Bishop having Excommunicated all who consented to this wickedness and the Judge Executed the nocent the King condemned the Town in three thousand Marks of Silver to be paid by a day toward the â—epairing of the Church so burnt and also to pay one hundred pounds in Silver toward the repair of a Cup arising to twenty pounds in Gold He returning thence towards London fell grievously sick at the Abbey of St. Edmonds in Suffolk where after he had in a Religious manner acknowledged his sins he rendered up the same to his Redeemer when he had reigned fifty six years and twenty dayes A Prince writes Speed whose devotion was greater than his discretion as we see in permitting the depredation of himself and his whole Kingdom by Papal overswayings After the Death and Funeral of King Henry who was Buried at Westminster Church Founded and almost finished by him Prince Edward his Son being at that time in the holy Land where he obtained many notable Victories against the Saracens Who thereupon suborned an Assassinate to kill him under pretext of delivering a Message to him from the Soldan of Babylon who stabbed him into the Body with a poisoned Knife to the hazard of his Life his Nobles notwithstanding his remote absence were so Loyal as to Proclaim him King and Swear Fealty and Allegiance to him as their Sovereign Lord. They sent out Writs whereby they Proclaimed the King's peace They first of them were directed to all the Sheriffs of England to Proclaim in their respective Counâ—ies the other to the King 's chief Justice of Ireland to be there Proclaimed who with others was authorized likewise to receive the Fealty as well of all the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Clergy as Nobles and other Lay-subjects in Ireland due unto him as their King and Sovereign Lord. In the third year of this King's Reign Walter de Merton Bishop of Rochester and Chancellor of England finished the Colledge of his own Name in Oxford This Walter de Merton was one of the Guardians of the Realm in the King's absence A Writ was issued to Lewellin Prince of Wales requiring an Oath of Fealty from him to King Edward as his Sovereign Lord and two Abbots thereby made Commissioners to receive his Oath who refused to appear or give any answer to them The Abbots made a special return of their proceedings therein to the Lord Chancellor The first thing this King and his Council did was to make a publick Declaration and Protestation against Pope Clement the fifth his late Usurpation who a little before King Henry his death had by his Papal Provisions conferred the Bishoprick of Winton on John de Pontissera and the Archbishoprick of Canterbury upon Robert Kilwardby without the King 's precedent License or Monks Election rejecting William de Chilenden duly Elected by the Monks of Canterbury by King Henry's License that so he might Usurp the disposal of all other Bishopricks by these and other former like Presidents After the death of Pope Clement the fourth the See of Rome continuing void for two years and ten moneths by reason of the Cardinals discord about a Successor at last they Elected Theobald Archdeacon of Leige Pope who was with King Edward the first in the holy Land of him these two Verses were made Papatum munus tenet Archidiaconus unus Quem Patrem Patrum fecit discordia fratrum Prince Edward in his return from the holy Land repaired to this new Pope's Court his late Chaplain and fellow-souldier who at his request Excommunicated the Murderers of his kinsman Henry Son and heir to the King of Germany at Viterbium and disinherited some of them by his Imperious Decree till they should come personally to Rome to purge themselves or submit to his absolute order in all things This new Pope Gregory sent a special Nuncio into England under pretext to compel all Ecclesiastiâ—â—â— Persons to pay two years Dismes of their Temporalties and Ecclesiasticâ—â— Livings to the King and his Brother but in truth to himself who â—â—â—â—ted most of it to his own use whereupon sundry of the Aâ—bots 〈…〉 of the Realm refused to pay the premised Disme notwithstanding the Pope's Nuncio's Excommunications denounced against them contemning his Ecclesiastical Censures whereupon the Nunciâ— wrote to the Chancellor to command the Sheriffs to assist the Collectors
Milderal and James Sturdy bare faggots before the Procession of S. Paul's and after stood before the Preacher in the time of his Sermon And the Sunday following stood other two men at Paul's Cross all the Sermon-time one garnished with painted and written papers the other having a Faggot on his neck Upon Passion Sunday one Hugh Glover bare a Faggot before the Procession of S. Paul's and after with the Faggot stood before the Preacher all the Sermon-while And on the next Sunday following four men stood and did their open penance at Paul's Cross and many of their books were there burnt before them Anno 1498. The King was in Canterbury where was an old Priest Fox Acts and Monum p. 556 so resolute in his opinions that none of the Clergy there could convince him of the contrary Some say the King by what Arguments we know not converted this Priest and then presently gave Order he should be burnt About this time William Smith Bishop of Lincoln began the foundation of Brason-nose Colledge in Oxford The work was after his death accomplished by Richard Sâ—tton Esquire It maintaineth a Principal twenty Fellows besides Scholars and Officers of the Foundation in all amounting to one hundred eighty six In the year 1499. a constant Martyr of Christ named Babram was burnt in Norfolk In the year 1500. died John Morton Archbishop of Canterbury at his Manour of Knoll He gave much to good uses and was very bountiful to his Servants CENT XVI HEnry Dean succeeded in the place of Archbishop Morton deceased and sate but two years in that See His Pall was sent unto him by Hadrian de Castello the Pope's Secretary and delivered by the Bishop of Coventry in these words Ad honorem Dâ—i omnipotentis B. Mariae Virginis ac Bb. Petri Pauli Apostolorum D. N. Alexandri P. VI. S. Romanae Ecclesiae neonon Cantuariensis Ecclesiae tibi Commissae tâ—adimus pallium de corpore B. Petri sumptuâ— plenitudinem viz. Pontificalis officii ut utaris eo infra Ecclesiam tuam certis diebus qui exprimuntur in privilegiis ei ab Apostolica sede concessis Having received his Pall he was to take his Oath unto the Pope which I will set down once for all Ego Hâ—nricus Archiep Cantuar ' ab hac hora in antea fidelis obediens Godwins Catal of Bishops ero B. Petro Sanctaeque Apostolicae Romanae Ecclesiae Domino mâ—o Alexandro P. VI. suisque successioribus canonice imrantibus Non ero in Consilio aut consensu vel facto ut vitam perdant vel membrum seu capiantur mala captione Concilium vero quod mihi credituri sunt per se aut nuntios ad corum damnum me sciente nemini pandam Papatum Rom. Regalia S. Petri adjutor ero cis ad retinendum defendendum salvo ordine meo contra omnem hominem Legatum sedis Apostolicae ineundo redeundo honorifice tractabo in suis necessitatibus adjuvabo Vocatus ad Synodum veniam nisi praepeditus fuero Canonica praepeditione Apostolorum limina Rom. Curiae existente citra Alpes singulis annis ultra vero montes singulis Bienniis visitabo aut per me aut per meum Nuntium nisi Apostolica absolvar licentia Possessiones vero ad mensam mei Archiepiscopatus pertinentes non vendam neque donabo neque impignerabo neque de novo infeudabo vel aliquo modo alienabo inconsulto Romano Pontifice sicut me Deus adâ—uvet c. he enjoyed his honour but two years and left it to William Warham Archbishop Dean bequeathed to his Church a Silver Image of fifty one ounces weight and appointed five hundred pounds to be bestowed on his funerals He built the most part of Oxford-house and made the Iron-work upon the coping of Rochester-bridge Buckinghamshire a small County had more Martyrs in it before Luther's time than all the Kingdom besides William Tylsworth was burnt at Amersham the Rendezvous of God's children in those dayes and Joan his only daughter and a faithful woman was compelled with her own hand to set fire to her dear Father At the same time more than sixty Professors did bear Faggots for their penance and were enjoyned to wear on their right sleeves for some years after a square pâ—ece of cloth as a badge of disgrace to themselves and difference from others And a new punishment was found out of branding them in the cheek The manner thus Their necks were tyed fast to a post with towels and their hands holden that they might not stir and so the hot Iron was put to their cheeks whether branded with L. for Lollard or H. for Heretick I am not certain but this is sure they bare in their bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus Father Reive though branded at that time did afterwards suffer at a stake One Father Roberts was burned at Buckingham Father Rogers was in the Bishop's prison fourteen weeks together and was so pinched with cold hunger and Iron that after his coming out of prison he was so lame in his back that he could never go upright as long as he lived Aâ— 1506. Thomas Chase of Anersham was after other sore afflictions strangled in the prison at Wooburn who to cover their cruelty gave it out that he had hanged himself and in colour thereof caused his body to be buried by the High-way's side with a stake knockt into his grave One Thomas Novice was burnt at Norwich Anno 1507. and Laurence Glest at Sarum at whose burning William Russel was burnt in the Cheek After this a Godly-woman was burnt at Sadbury by the Chancellor of Glocester Doctor Whittington after she was burned as the people were returning homeward a Bull brake loose from a Butcher that was in hand to have killed him and singled out Doctor Whittington from all the Company and hurting neither old nor young took him alone gored him thorough and thorough carrying his guts upon his horns all the streets over to the great amazement of the people All the Arrears of mony due to the Pope for pardons in the year of Jubilâ—â— five years since were fully collected and safely returned to Rome by the Popes Officers the money which was sent last thither came soon enough to be received there This payment was the last in this kind which Rome did generally receive out of England Meantime the King did share with the Pope to connive at the rest he had a part allowed to him King Henry VII died of a Consumption at his palace of Richmond Sir Rich. Baker's Chron. April 22. 1508. Of our own Country there lived in his time George Ripley a Carmelite Friar of Boston who wrote divers Treatises in the Mathematiques John Rouse born in Warwick-shire a diligent searcher of Antiquities Thomas Scroop entred into diverse Orders of Religion and after withdrew himself to his house where for twenty years he lived the life of an Anchoret and after coming abroad
Fuller Church history and Auditors of Incumbents to view their Register-books Easter-books and all other Writings and to use all other wayes to know the full value of Ecclesiastical preferments with the number and names of persons enjoying the same They were to divide themselves by Three and Three allotting to every number so many Deaneries and to enquire the number and names of all Abbies Monasteries Priories Brotherships Sisterships Fellowships c. Houses Religious and Conventual as well CHARTER-HOVSE as others these Carthusians being specified by name because pretending priviledge of Papal exemption and meeting together to certifie into the Exchequer at the time limited in their Commission the true value of such places or preferments This work took up some years in the effecting thereof Devon-shire and Sommerset were done in the twenty seventh Stafford-shire and many other Counties in the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth and most of Wales not till the Reign of King Edward the Sixth In Ireland the Commissioners found the work so troublesome that they never came into the County of Kerrey the South-West extremity of that Island so that the Clergy thereof are put into their Benefices without any payments But in England all were unpartially rated and Vicaridges valued very high according to their present Revenue by personal Requisites Idem ibid. In that Age he generally was the richest Shepherd that had the greatest Flock where Oblations from the living and Obits for the dead as certainly paid as predial Tithes much advanced their Income In consideration whereof Vicaridges mostly lyinig in Market-Towns and populous Parishes were set very high though soon after those obventions sunk with superstition And the Vicars in vain desired a proportionable abatement in the King's Books which once drawn up were no more to be altered Now Queen Mary did by Act of Parliament exonerate acquit and discharge the Clergy from all First-fruits As for Tenths the same Statute ordered them to be paid to Cardinal Pool who from the same was to pay the Pensions allowed to Monks and Nuns by her Father at the dissolution of Abbeys yet so that when such persons who were but few and aged all named in a Deed indented should decease all such payments of the Clergy reserved Nomine Decimae should cease and be extinct for ever But her Sister Queen Elizabeth succeeding her was exact to have Vide 〈◊〉 1 Elâ—â— cap. 4. her Dues from the Clergy Sir Christopher Hatton who was Master of this First-fruits Office was much indebted to her for Moneys received All which Arrears her Majesty required so severely and suddenly from him that the grief thereof cost him his life I say this Queen in the first of her Reign resumed First-fruits and Tenths only with this case to Parsonages not exceeding ten Marks and Vicaridges ten pounds that they should be freed from First-fruits In the months of October and November Anno 1538. the Abbeys and Monasteries in England were dissolved Cromwel being made General Visitor employed Richard Layton Thomas Lee William Detre Doctors of the Law Doctor John London Dean of Wallingford with others giving them instruction in eighty six Articles for visiting Monasteries every where by which they were to enquire into the government behaviour and education of the persons of both Sexes to find out all their offences and to this purpose give them encouragements to accuse both their Governors and each other To command them to exhibit their Mortmains Evidences and Conveyances of their Lands to produce Lord Herbert in vit Henr. 8. their Plate and Money and give an Inventory thereof The King also gave forth Injunctions to be observed some tending to the establishing of his Supremacy Some touching the good Government of the Houses As that no Brother go out of the Precinct That there be but one entrance That no Woman frequent the Monks nor any Man the Nuns c. And some for Education As that a Divinity-lecture be every where read and frequented That the Abbot daily expound some part of the Rule of their Order shewing yet that these Ceremonies are but Introductions to Religion which consisteth not in Apparel shaven Heads c. but in purity of mind That none shall profess or wear the Habit till twenty four years of age That no feigned Relicks or Miracles be shewed no Offerings to Images c. Lee and the rest at their return gave that account of their feigned Miracles and Relicks as well as sinful and sluggish life of the Religious Oâ—ders as not only Cromwel said their Houses should be thrown down to the foundation but the whole Body of the Kingdom when it was published to them became so scandalized thereat as they resolve if the King ever put it into their hands to give remedy thereunto Yet were not all alike criminal for some Societies behaved themselves so well as their life being not only exempt from notorious faults but their spare times bestowed in writing Books Painting Carving Graving and the like Exercises their Visitors became Intercessors for them But these being not many were at last involved in the common fate Not long after this the King caused all Colledges Chantries and Hospitals to be visited not omitting to take a particular survey of all the Revenues and Diguities Ecclesiastical within his Kingdom which was returned to him in a Book to be kept in the Exchequer Then King Henry sent Fox Bishop of Hereford to the Protestant Princes in Germany assembled at Smalcald to exhort them to an unity in Doctrine wherein he offered his assistance by conference with their Divines Immediately after the ruine of Monasteries in the Month of November followed the condemnation of John Lambert that faithful Servant of Christ On a set day Lambert was brought forth where he had not only the King 's fierce countenance against him but also ten Disputers against him from twelve of the clock till five at night among which were the Archbishop Stephen Gardiner C. Tunstal Bishop of Durham and J. Stokesley Bishop of London Through Winchester's perswasion to gratifie the people the King himself condemned Lambert and commanded Cromwel to read the Sentence He was burned in Smithfield where he suffered most horrible torments before he expired The King after the burning of many Images caused the bones of Thomas Becket Archbishop in the time of Henry the Second to be burned He also seized on that immense Treasure and Jewels that were offered to his Shrine there being few since the time of Henry the Second that passed to Canterbury that did not both visit his Tomb and bring rich Presents to it Among which there being one Stone eminent which it was said Lewis the Seventh coming hither on Pilgrimage from France Anno Dom. 1179. bestowed Our King wore it in a Ring afterwards The number of Monasteries first and last suppressed in England and Wales were as Mr. Camden accounts them six hundred forty five whereof these had voices among the Peers The
imploring the mercy of God received Absolution for themselves and the rest of the Kingdom Which Absolution was pronounced in these words Our Lord Jesus Christ which with his most pretious blood hath redeemed us from all our sins c. and whom the Father hath appointed Head over all his Church absolve you And we by Apostolick Authority given unto us by the most holy Lord Pope Julius the third His Vicegerent here on earth do absolve and deliver you and every of you with the whole Realm and the Dominions thereof from all heresie and schism and from every judgement censure and paein for that cause incurred And also we do restore you again unto the unity of Our Mother the Holy Church In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Which words of His being seconded with a loud Amen by such as were present he concluded the dayes work with a solemn Procession to the Chappel for rendring thanks to God Then did the Cardinal dispence with much irregularity in several persons confirming the Institution of Clergy-men in their Benefices legitimating the Children of forbidden Marriages ratifying the processes and sentences in matters Ecclesiastical and his dispensations were confirmed by Acts of Parliament Then was Anthony Brown Viscount Montacute Thursby Bishop of Ely and Sir Edward Carn sent on a gratulatory Embassie to Pope Paul IV. to tender England's thanks for the favours conferr'd thereon The Convocation that then was held knew that the Cardinal was to be entreated not to insist upon the restoring of Church-lands rather to confirm the Lords and Gentry in their present possessions And to that end a Petition is presented to both their Majesties that they would be Herlin Hist of Q. Mary pleased to intercede with the Cardinal concerning it Which Petition was offered to the Legate in the name of the whole Convocation by the Lord Chancellor the Prolocutor and six others of the Lower House Concerning which the Legate was not ignorant that a Message had been sent to the Pope in the name of the Parliament to desire a confirmation of the Sale of all the Lands belonging to Abbies Chanteries c. or otherwise to let him know that nothing could be granted on his behalf And it is likely they received some fair promises to that effect in regard that on New-years day next following the Act for restoring the Pope's Supremacy was passed in both Houses of Parliament The whole matter being transacted to the content of all parties the poor Protestants excepted only on January 25. there was a solemn procession throughout London to praise God for their Conversion to the Catholick Church wherein were ninety Crosses an hundred and Sixty Priests and Clerks each of them attired in his Cope and after them eight Bishops in their Pontificalibus followed by Bonner carrying the Popish Pix under a Canopy and attended by the Lord Mayor and Companies in their several Liveries Which Procession being ended they all returned to S. Paul's Church where the King and Cardinal together with all the rest heard Mass and the next day the Parliament and Convocation were dissolved The English Ambassadours came to Rome on the first day of the Papacy of Pope Paul IV. and in the first consistory after his Inauguration they were brought before him who granted the pardon desired and lovingly embraced the Ambassadours and as an over plus the Pope conferred the Title of King 's of Ireland on their Majesties In his private discourses with the Ambassadours he said that the Church-goods ought to be wholly restored saying also that his Authority was not such as to profane things dedicated unto God He also told them that the Peter-pence ought to be paid as soon as might be and that according to the custom he would send a collector for that purpose He closed his discourse with this that they could not hope that S. Peter would open to them the Gates of Heaven as long as they usurped his goods on earth A rumour was spread of the Queen's being with Child and that she was quick and thereupon Letters were sent from the Lords of the Council to Bonner Bishop of London that prayers and thanksgivings should be made in all Churches The Parliament also while it was sitting passed an Act desiring the King that if the Queen should fail he would be pleased to take upon him the Education of the Child Set forms of prayer were also made for her safe delivery Great preparations were also made of all things necessary against the time of her delivery And upon a sudden rumour of her being delivered the Bells were rung and Bonfires made in most parts of London But it proved in fine that the Queen neither was with Childe for the present nor had any hopes of being so for the time to come A Gun was shot at one Doctor Pendleton as He Preached at Paul's Cross June 10. 1554 the pellet whereof went very neer him but the Gunner was not to be heard of Upon which the Queen published a Proclamation prohibiting the shooting with hand-guns and the bearing of weapons A little before this some had caused a Cat to be hanged upon the Gallows near the Cross in Cheapside with her head shorn the likeness of a vestment cast upon her and her two feet tyed together holding between them a piece of Paper in form of a Wafer tending to the disgrace of the Popish Religion Then were some Antient Statutes revived that were made in the time of King Richard the second Henry the fourth and Henry the fifth for the severe punishment of obstinate Hereticks even to death it self and an Act was passed for that purpose Hereupon followed that Inquisition for Blood which raged in London and more or less was exercised in most parts of the Kingdom Mr. John Rogers a Learned man and a great companion of that Tyndal by whom the Bible was translated into English in the time of King Henry after whose Martyrdom he retired to Wittenberg in the Dukedome of Saxony where he abode till King Edward's coming to the Crown and was by Bishop Ridley presented to the Lecture of S. Paul's and made one of the Prebendaries He was convented and condemned and publiâ—kly burnt in Smithfield on Feb. 4 He was the first Martyr in Queen Mary's dayes On the nineth day of which moneth John Hooper late Bishop of Glocester was burnt in that City The like course was taken with Bishop Farrar Bishop of S. David's but that I do not find him restrained from speaking his mind unto the people as the other was He was cast into prison by the Protestants in King Edward's days Being continued in prison in Queen Mary's dayes and called before Bishop Gardiner he gave such offence that he was sent back again to prison and being sent back into his own Diocess he there received the sentence of condemnation at the hand of Morgan who had supplanted and succeeded him in the See of S. David's He desisted not till
His Death 236 The French Massacre 238 The Millenary Petition 269 Richard Middleton entitled Doctor Fundatissimus 107 Sir Thomas Moor a Great enemy to the Protestants he was beheaded the next moneth after Bishop Fisher 149 Moratus an old British writer 3 N THe Names of those that were Archbishops of Loâ—don 3 Numbers of the Bishops Abbots Priors c. that were deprived in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign 213 George Nevil Archbishop of York his Prodigious Feast his Estate seized and his person Imprisoned 1â—3 The Numbers of Colledges and Chaunteries Demolished in the Reign of King Henry the eighth 154 Kingdom of Northumberland subdivided into two Kingdoms viz. of Bernicia and Deira 10 Nuns of the Abbey of Ambresbury Convicted for Incontinency 51 Non-conformists in Queen Elizâ—beth's time of two sorts 229 231 James Nailor the Ring-leader of the Quakers publickly whipped pillored and Stigmatized 359 O OFfa King of Mercia founder of the Monastery of S. Albans bestoweth great lands upon it he was buried at Bedford 23 Osmond Bishop of Sarum deviser of that Service which after was observed in the whole Realm all Service Ordered to be secundum usum Sarum 39 Oswald second son of King Ethelfred converted by Aidan he disdained not to Preach to his Subjects and Nobles in the English Tongue 15 Oswald Bishop of Worcester Oswaldâ—s Law 31 William Occham the Author of the Sect called Nominales 112 The first use of Oaths in Ecclesiastical Courts in England 78 Oath of the King's Supremacy established 145 Writers for and against the Oath of Allegiance 272 The form of the Oaâ—h framed in the Convocation Anno 1640 319 The form of the Oath taken by every Student admitted into the Popish Seminaries 235 Oak of Reformation 167 Oliver Cromwel his Sory from 350 ad 361 The form of the Oath taken unto the Pope by every Popish Bishop at the taking of his Pall 139 Ordal for the trial of guilty persons 35 P PAtern Preacher at Lanpatern in 〈◊〉 shire 11 Pâ—lâ—gius born in Bâ—itain broacheth his Heresies publickly 7 Pelagiâ—â—â—sm condemned in Britain in two Synods 8 S. Petrock Captain of the Cornish Saints 11 Pauâ—â—us baptizeth King Edwyn with all â—is Nobles and much people at York 15 Pâ—â—dâ— King of Mercia embraceth Christianity 16 Pleâ—gâ—â—und Consecrateth seven Bishops in one day Mathew Parker Consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury Divers Bishopâ— Consecrated him 212 Kellison's and Parson's slandering him to be Consecrated at the Nag's Head-tavern in Cheap-side 214 His Story 223 S. Paul's Church and Steeple in London burnt 222 Pope Pius Excommunicates Q. Elizabeth 235 The first setled Presbytery in England at Wandsworth in Surrey 237 Popish Priests and Jesuites executed 242 The Little Parliament 353 The Humble Petition and Advice Framed 358 Statute of Praemunire when enacted 117 Players forbidden by Proclamation in King Edward the sixth his time 161 Piers Gavesion surprized by Guy Earl of Waâ—wick who caused him to be beheaded 106 The first Patent of a Commenda Retinere granted by the King to any Bishop Elect 84 Geoffry Plantaginet Archbishop of York his Story 52 53 Perâ—wigs and long hair forbidden in the Clergy 77 Priests forced to forgo their wives 42 When the Pope made his first encroachment on the Liberties of the English Crown 38 Cardinal Pooles reception into England 191 He absolveth the Parliament and whole Kingdom for withdrawing their obedience to the Church of Rome 192 Consecrated to the See of Canterbury next Sunday after Cranmer's death 202 English Ambassadours sent to Rome arrived there on the first day of the Papacy of Pope Paul the fourth Pembrock-colledge in Oxford founded 296 Pinckney the Provincial of the Augustine-friars and Dr. Shaa onely of all the Clergy engage for King Richard the third 134 135 Parsonages not exceeding ten Marks and Vicaridges ten pounds freed from First-fruits 152 King Philip Married to Queen Mary 190 A Great Plague in London 381 Hugh Pudsey Bishop of Durham made Earl of Northumberland by King Richard the first 48 Penry Barrow and Greenwood condemned and executed 256 John Piers Archbishop of York derided by Martin Mar-prelate 256 Q QVeen's-colledge in Oxford when and by whom founded 111 Queen of Scots assumeth to her self the Style and Title of Queen of England 213 She flies into England and endeth her doleful life at Fatheringhay Castle She is buried in the Quire at Peterborough and twenty years after removed to Westminster 249 Queen Eleanor a solemn Anniversary instituted to be kept for her by King Edward the first her Husband 97 R ROmans forsake the Isle of of Britain 7 Rumold called Mâ—chlinensis Apostolus 16 King Richard the first his Story 48 49 50 George Ripley a great Mathematitian 140 John Rouse a great Antiquary 140 King Richard the second his Story from 114 ad 118 Philip Rippinton of a Professour became a cruel persecutor of the Gospel He is made Bishop of Lincoln 121 Master John Rogers burnt in Smithfield the first Martyr in Queen Marie's 194 Cardinal Richlieu an Incendiary between King Charles the first and the Scots 313 When the word Recusant first came up 236 Reformed Religion advanced in Ireland 217 The Rites of the Church of England for a time remained the onely form of Worship for the Kirk of Scotland 216 Thomas Rudbourn a Monk of Winchester an old Writer 3 The Râ—mish Translation cometh forth 247 Rogers his exposition on the thirty nine Articles of the Church of England 247 Roger a Monk of Chester and an Historiographer 113 Doctor Fulk and M. Cartwright their answer to the Rhemish Translation 247 Richard Cromwel his Story 361 362 S THat cruel Statute pro Haeretico comburendo first hanselled on William Sautre Priest 119 120 See of Sarum had five Bishops in five years space 94 Scotland when freed from the See of York 133 Secular Priests ejected 31 A Survay taken of all the Glebe-land of the Clergy 110 Severus cometh into Britain and assisteth in condemning Pelagianism 8 Sampson Scholar to Iltutus being made Archbishop of Dole he carrieth away the Monuments of British Antiquity 11 Sâ—bert King of Essex embraceth Christianity by the Ministry of Mellitus 14 Sigebert King of East-Angles enters into a Monastery 21 Saxons invade Britain 8 South-saxons converted to Christianity the last of the seven Kingdoms 19 A Survay taken of all the Revenues and Dignities Ecclesiastical in England returned in a Book to be kept in the Exchequer 152 John Spottiswood Archbishop of S. Andrews his death 314 John Story a great persecutor executed 234 A Statute made that all Convocations should be called by the King's Writ 146 The bloody Statute for the six Popish Articles enacted 155 A Statute made for the recovery of Tithes 156 Edward Seymour Duke of Sommerset Lord Protector of the Realm in the Reign of King Edward the sixth his story from 159 ad 174 Sommerset-house how and when erected 165 The Sweating-sickness 174 Richard Sutton the Founder of Charter-house Hospital 280 M. Antonius de Dominis Archbishop
Teutonick Tongue as well as in the Modern doth signifie narrow strait or a nook And a Portugal alluding thereunto hath this verse Anglia terra ferax fertilis Angulus Orbis Insula praedives quae toto vix eget orbe A fruitful Angle England Thou Another world art said An Island rich and hast no need of other Countrie 's aid And although after this many errours in Doctrine and corruptions in Worship crept in more and more into our Church and the Pope encroaching by degrees the Churches of God in this Land did much degenerate as they did in other Nations so that in Process of time the whole world wondered after the Beast and they Worshipped the Beast saying who is like unto the Beast Revel 13. 3 4. Yet even in the darkest times when our Church suffered the greatest Ecclipse when her Silver was become Dross and her Wine was mixed with Water it pleased God then to raise up some eminent Persons to stand up for the Defence of the Truth in this Nation and to discover the impostures of the Church of Rome Yea how many were there that suffered Martyrdom for the Gospel here in England who detested Image-worship and other abominations in the dayes of King Henry the fourth King Henry the fift and others afterward long before Luther was born These and the like in other Nations may be called the forlorn Hope who did obequitare Antichristi castra ad pugnam elicere advance up to and ride round about the camp of Antichrist and provoke him to the main-fight What wonderfull deliverances hath God wrought for this Church and Nation in several ways When King Henry the eighth did renounce the Pope's Supremacy what plots were framed by diverse Princes against this Land to ruine it and how gratiously did the Lord protect his people here from such a storm though then he had but a very little flock in this place When Queen Mary matched with Philip of Spain in what apparent danger was this Land to fall into miserable servitude and bondage under the Iron-yoak of the Spainard ' s which diverse nations that have been subject to them have found intolerable The blind and bloody zeal of Queen Mary was likely to have rooted out all the plants of God's right hand in this Land and so have banished hence the true Church and Gospel of Christ and so to have shut this Kingdom out of the bounds of the Church There was great expectation of Issue by that Marriage between the Spanish Prince and Queen Mary who Her self also was a Spaniard by the Mother's side and Solemn Forms of Thanksgiving and Prayer were made for Her Conception and safe â—â—â—lvery and besides an Act passed in Parliament that if â—ueen Mary died in Child-bed King Philip should have the Government of this Land during the Child's Nonage and if these things had succeeded into what misery might this Land have fallen And besides had an Issue of that Marriage lived to Reign over England together with other Dominions of the Spaniard what had England been but an Inferiour Tributary Province to be Governed as it pleased the Spanish Nation even as was attempted in the Low-Countreys with Devilish cruelties to say nothing of their horrible Massacres in the West-Indies But here sâ—e the wonderful goodness of God who dwelt in the midst of this Church as a Refuge All this was prevented Queen Marie's supposed Conception vanished She was soon taken away by death and King Philip of Spain had no longer any Interest in England Queen Elizabeth a Noursing-mother to this Church Succeeded She was born September the seventh 1533. One calleth Her Angliae Delitias Europae Sydus Mundi Phoenicem c. the joy of England the Star of Europe the Phoenix of the World a Glass of God's Providence and the Mirrour of His Mercy And as if the Devil had presaged what a â—courâ—e She would prove to the Roman greatness and suggested it to Pope Clement the seventh he is said to have made a Perâ—mptory Decree against Her whilst She was in Her Mother's bâ—lly This Pope himself being the Bastard of Julian de Mâ—dâ—cis a Florentine he avowed to make Her illegitimate and unâ—apable of the Crown The like did Pope Paul the third attempt viz. To make that Royal Princess illegitimate when She was but two years Old But as the Lord blessed Her then so he did wonderfully preserve her all her Sister 's Râ—ign when many plots were laid to take away her life But as Seneca told Nero it was impossible for him to kill that man that must be his heir so it was impossible for the malice of hell to accomplish the death of the Lady Elizabeth whom the only-wise God had appointed to be her Sister's Heir So great a Ecclesiae Anglicanae reformationem desperasâ—â—t aetaâ— praeterita admiratur praesens obstâ—pâ—scet futura Scultet Annal. Reformation She wrought in England that one saith of it The Gospel had a swift passage here by diligent Preaching by Printing good Books by translating the holy Scriptures into the Vulgar Tongue by Catechizing youth by publick disputations by recording the Martyrs such a thing as even the former age had even despaired of the present age admireth and the future shall stand amazed at It is evident that the Almighty God who delighteth to shew his power in Weakness was pleased in this Renowed Queen and her brother King Edward to let the world see what great things he was able to effect by a Child and a Woman But what a multitude of plots were contrived for the destruction of Queen Elizabeth when the next heir to the Crown was a Papist and an enemy to the truth of Christianity and married to the Prince of France so that had these plots succeeded England in all probability had been subjected to France in point of Civil Government and to the Roman power in matters of Religion Admire again the singular goodness of God in protecting Queen Elizabeth and whilst the enemies of the Church were seeking ruine in the destruction of Her Royal Person the French King that had Married the next heir to the English Crown dieth and leaveth her a Widow without Issue and she not many years after became a prisoner So eminent was Queen Elizabeth that Thuanus a professed Roman Catholick but very ingenious said he heard the old Dutchess of Guise whose sons were of the greatest Enemies that Queen Elizabeth had to say that she was faelicissima gloriosissima faemina a most happy and a most glorious Woman We know who made her to differ and that she had not any thing which she had not received from above therefore let us give the praise of all to God who appointed her I am perswaded to build the old wast places to raise up the foundations of many generations she found the Kingdom weak she left it strong she found it poor she left it rich they that were enemies to her and the Gospel which they professed
and maintained were mighty and likely to oppose viz. the French and Spaniards They that were friends as the Protestants in France and the Netherlands were weak and needed her help But the Lord of Hosts made her a terrour to his and her enemies and a succour to all his people at home and abroad And it seemeth the Lord began betimes to cause his terrour to fall upon the Adversaries for the Council of Trent ended in a very few years after she began her Reign and a motion was made that the Heads or chief of the Protestants should be excommunicated and in particular Queen Elizabeth But the Emperour Ferdinand sent them a message to cool their Hist Concil 〈◊〉 â—ib 8. heat and wrote to the Pope and the Legates that if the Council would not yield that fruit as was desired that they might see an union of all Catholicks to reform the Church at the least they should not give occasion to the Protestants to unite themselves more which they would do in case they proceeded against the Queen of England for undoubtedly they would by that means make a general league against the Catholicks which would bring forth great inconveniences And his admonition was so effectual that the Pope desisted in Rome and revoked the Commission given to the Legats in Trent About that time Christianity began to dawn in the Kingdom of Ireland and suddenly after the Kingdom of Scotland embraced the Gospel of Christ and Queen Elizabeth is made Instrumental that way who ayded the Reformed party in Scotland with great supplies of men and money against the Pope's faction both of French and Scotch The Gospel did so prevail in France also at that time and the Protestants grew so numerous and considerable the Queen-Mother who was an enemy yet seemed to temporize and speak them fair and wrote to the Pope for Reformation of divers abuses to give them content insomuch that a Learned man then living in Germany though born in Italy breaketh out in an Epistle to his friend Totus terrarum orbis parturit Christum But now let us mark how the enemies of the Churches peace raged in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth what hideous and damnable treasons did they commit and how did they thirst after the Royal blood of that peerless Princess And when the Lord had confounded their plots how did they seek to overwhelm and swallow us up with the power of Spain in the year 1588. But after that in despite of the Pope and his Adherents that Noble Queen was carried to her grave in peace full of dayes riches and honour and her Successour both in her Kingdom and Religion was established in his Throne how did these Romish Cannibals seek to exceed themselves in wickedness and horrible cruelty they sought at one blow as it were to cut off the neck of this Church and State A French Historian speaking Thuan. Hist lib. 54. Anno 15â—â— of the bloody Massacre saith Wise men which were not addicted to the Protestants part seeking all manner of excuse for that fact did notwithstanding think that in all Antiquity there could not be found an example of like cruelty But the English Powder-plot doth so far exceed the French Massacre that there is no degree of comparison This cannot be paralelled It was of such a transcendency saith M. Mason that all the Devils may seem to have holden a black Convocation in Hell and there to have concluded such a Sulphurious and Acherontical device as was never heard of since the world began That wicked Popish crew being made drunk with the cup of spiritual fornications held forth unto them by the Whore of Babylon with unspeakable fury and madness did violate the Sacred Lawes and break the strongest bands of common humanity and meant to have represented a shadow of Hell and Hellish-malice here upon earth far exceeding the wickedness of Kain their Elder-brother and exceeding all examples of Treason Cruelty and Murther Except that of Judas The Pope and Court of Rome who were wont to account England Puteum inexhaustum a well never drawn dry whilst they had the drawing of it now seeing the golden springs like to run low or rather to run another way and not to empty themselves in their Cisterns they like Balaam loving the Wages of unrightâ—â—usness were Raging mad and cared not how much of the best Blood in the Land were spilt so that it might make way for them again to the English gold But the greater their rage was the greater was God's mercy the greater the danger the greater the deliverance The Lord was known by executing judgement and those wicked wretches were snared in the work of their own hands Now let us consider what we were before the Christian Religion was first known to this Nation What were the Britains but Pagans and Barbarous people Yea we read that from the first submission of the Britans to the Romans that Ambassadours came from Britain to Rome swearing Fealty in the Temple of Mars offering gifts in the Capitol to the gods of the Romans And for the Saxons they were at first no better than the Britans the Saxons were a Dutch and Pagan-nation and served Saturn Jupiter and Mercury till they were converted to the Faith of Christ and renounced their Idols to serve the true and living God Earcombent Reigning in Kent after the death of his father King Ethelbald is said to be the first of English Saxon Kings that commanded Idols to be destroyed in his whole Kingdom about the year of Christ 640. 2. Consider we the Apostasie of our forefathers in adhereing to the Roman faction and then the renewed Apostasie at the death of King Edward the sixth together with our unworthy and unfruitful walking under the Gospel since the restoring of it by Queen Elizabeth 3. Consider likewise the mighty out-stretched Arm of God in protecting his Church and in preserving the truth of Religion among us still notwithstanding the plots designs and contrivances of Satan and his Instruments and the many Enterprizes of the Papal power ever since the days of K. James the great droves of Sectaries swarming like Locusts since our late unhappy Wars who seemed to be Spirited and acted by the Jesuites their crying down Magistracy and Ministry notwithstanding all which the Christian Religion hath prevailed against all its adversaries The consideration of all these things may give us ground of hope that God will still vouchsafe to dwell with his Antient Inheritance and therefore we may considently commend the care of this Church his old habitation to himself who I trust will never suffer the Devils Instruments to ruine his palace and to pull down the place of his Antient possession THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF Great Britain CENTURY I. IEsus Christ the Son of God the true Prince of Peace was born in Bethlehem-Judah of the Virgin Mary in the 42 year of the Reign of Augustus Coesar the Roman Emperour under the 194 Olympiad in the
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 waâ—â—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 Haâ—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 Bâ—â—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 Malmâ—sbur de â—â—stâ—s Regâ—m Anglor lib. 2. that the Saxon Kings in this age magis optabant honestum exitum quam acerbuâ— 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 87â— 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 Danisâ— 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
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 132â— 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 engrâ—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 Wiâ—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 Epâ—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
fifty years four Months and odd dayes whose Body was solemnly buried at Westminster Richard the second born at Burdeaux the Son of Edward called The black Prince being but eleven years old succeeded his Grandfather in the Kingdom In the first year of his Reign Pope Gregory fendeth his Bull by the hands of one Ed nund Stafford directed to the Chancellor and University of Oxford rebuking them sharply for suffering so long the Doctrine of John Wickliff to take root At the same time also he directed Letters to Simon Sudbury Archbishop of Canterbury and to William Courtney Bishop of London with the Conclusions of John Wickliff therein enclosed commanding them to cause the said Wickliff to be apprehended and cast into prison and that the King and the Nobles of England should be admonished by them not to give any credit to the said John Wickliff or to his Doctrine in any wise Wickliff was summoned personally to appear before the Archbishop and the rest of the Bishops at his Chappel at Lambeth He came accordingly when in comes a Gentleman and Courtier named Lewis Clifford on the very day of examination commanding them not to proceed to any definitive sentence against the said Wickliff The Bishops affrighted Linwood's proviâ—â— lib. â— fol. 183. proceeded no farther onely the Archbishop summoned a Synod at London in which he made four Constitutions three whereof concerned Confession grown now much into disuse by Wickliff's Doctrine The Popish Bishops and Monks obtained of King Richard that Wickliff should be banished out of England He therefore repairing into Bohemia brought a great Light to the Doctrine of the Waldenses where John Husse being but yet a young man had diverse Conferences with Comen histor Sclavon Eccles him about diverse divine matters But at length he was recalled home again from Exile and the year before he died he wrote a Letter to John Husse Encouraging him to be strong in the grace that was given to him to fight as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ both by word and work Doctrine and conversation c. John Husse hereby took heart very daringly in the University Church at Prague to inveigh against the overflowing abominations of the times and not onely at Prague but throughout the whole Kingdom of Boheâ—â—ia did he Preach against them The same year Jerome of Prague returning out of England and carrying Wickliff's Books with him rooted up the then prevailing error with the like boldness in the Schools as John Husse did in the Church Wickliff died the last of December 1387. and was buried in his Church of Lutterworth in Leicester-shire In the second year of the Reign of King Richard the second a Parliament was called at Westminster where the Laity moved That no Officer of the Holy Church should take pecuniary sums more or less of the people for correction of sins but onely enjoyn them Spiritual penance which would be more pleasing to God and profitable to the Soul of the offonder The Clergy stickled hereat for by this craft they got their gain But here the Ex Roâ—ulâ—s â— Tâ—â—â—i Lâ—nd King interposed That Prelates should proceed herein as formerly according to the Lawes of the Holy Church and not otherwise Yea diverse things passed in Parliament in favour of the Clergy As That all Prelates and Clerks shall from hence-forth commence their Suits against Purveyors and Buyers disturbing them though not by way of crime by actions of Trespass and recover treble damages Also That any of the King's Ministers arresting people of the Holy Church in doing Divine Service shall have imprisonment and thereof be ransomed at the King's will and make gree to the parties so arrested In the Parliament held at Glocester the same year the Commons complained that many Clergy-men under the notion of Sylva caedna lop-wood took Tithes even of Timber it self requesting that in such cases Prohibition might be granted to stop the proceedings of Court Christian But this took no effect Then the Archbishop of Canterbury inveighed as bitâ—erly of the Franchises infringed of the Abbey-Church of Westminster wherein Robert de Hanley Esquire with a Servant of that Church were both horribly slain therein at the High Altar even when the Priest was singing high Mass and pathetically desired reparation for the same Complaints were also made against the extortion of Bishops Clerks to which as to other abuses some general Reformation was promised In the next Parliament called at Westminster one of the greatest grievances of the Land was redressed namely Forreigners holding of Ecclesiastical Benefices for many Italians had the best livings in England by the Pope collated on them yea many great Cardinals resident at Rome were possessed of the best Prebends and Parsonages in the Land who generally farmed out their places to Proctors their own Countreymen and by this means the wealth of the Land leaked out into Forreign Countries to the great impoverishing of this Land Therefore the King and Parliament now enacted That no Aliens should hereafter hold any such preferments nor any send over unto them the Revenues of such Benefices Then burst forth the dangerous rebellion of Wat Tyler and Jack Sir Rich. Baker's Chron. in Rich. 2. Straw with thousands of their wicked company who burnt the Savoy the Duke of Lancaster's house from the Savoy they went to the Temple where they burnt the Lawyers lodgings with their Books and Writings also the house of St. Johns by Smithfield they set on fire which burned for seven days together Then came they to the Tower where the King was lodged where they entred and finding there Simon Sudbury Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor and Sir Robert Hales Lord Treasurer they led them to the Tower-hill and there in most cruel manner struck off their Heads as also of diverse others Neither spared they Sacred places for breaking into the Church of the Augustine Friars they drew forth thirteen Flemmings and beheaded them in the open Streets as also seventeen others out of others Churches They committed outrages afterwards at St. Albans cancelling the antient Charters of the Abbots and Monks there At the same time there were gathered together in Suffolck to the number of fifty thousand by the instigation of one John Wraw a lewd Priest These destroyed the Houses of the Lawyers they beheaded Sir John Cavendish the Lord Chief Justice of England and set his Head upon the Pillory in St. Edmunds-bury Then Henry Spencer the valiant Bishop of Norwich gathered together a great number of Men Armed with which he set upon the Rebels discomfited them and took John Littester and their other Chieftaines whom he caused all to be Executed and by this means the Countrey was quieted Jack Straw John Kirkby Alane Tredder and John Sterling lost their Heads Wat Tyler was slain by William Walworth Lord Mayor of London These had to their Chaplain a wicked Priest called Stowes Chro in Rich. 2. John Ball who counselled them to destroy all
the Nobility and Clergy so that there should be no Bishop in England but one Archbishop which should be himself and that there should not be above two Religious persons in one house and their possessions should be divided among the Lay-men for the which Doctrine they held him as a Prophet But he was executed at St. Albans William Wickham about this time finished his Beautiful Colledge in Oxford called new Colledge which giveth the Armes of Wickham viz. two Cheverons betwixt three Roses each Cheveron alluding to two beams fastned together called couples in building to speak his skill in Architecture There is maintained therein a Warden seventy Fellows and Scholars ten Chaplains three Clerks one Organist sixteen Choristers besides Officers and Servants of the Foundation with other Students being in all one hundred thirty five Within few years after the same Bishop finished the Colledge at Winchester wherein he established one Warden ten Fellows two Schoolmasters and seventy Scholars with Officers and Servants which are all maintained at his charge out of which School he ordained should be chosen the best Scholars always to supply the vacant places of the Fellows of this Colledge Anno 1391. There was a Synod in England which because many were vexed for causes which could not be known at Rome ordained That the authority of the Pope of Rome should stretch no farther than to the Ocean Sea and that who so Appealed to Rome besides Excommunication should be punished with loss of all their goods and with perpetual imprisonment Then came the Parliament wherein was Enacted the Statute called the Statute of Praemunire which gave such a blow to the Church of Rome The Statute of Praemunire that it never recovered it self in this Land The Statute of Mortmain put the Pope into a sweat but this put him into a Fever That concerned him onely in the Abbies his darlings this touched him in his person About this time died that faithful Learned and aged Servant of God John de Trevisa born at Crocadon in Cornwal a Secular Priest and Vicar of Berkley painful in Translating the Old and New Testament into English with other great Books The History of William Swinderby Priest in the Diocess of Lincoln whereunto be was forced by the Friars the Process of John Tresnant Bishop of Hereford into whose Diocess he removed had against him in the cause of Heretical pravity as the Papists call it the Articles that were exhibited against him with his protestation and answer to the same The Process against William Swinderby with his answer and declaration to certain Conclusions the Bishop's sentence against him and his Appeal from the Bishop to the King with the causes thereof together with Swinderby's letter to the Parliament may be read at large in Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments of the Church Then were there Articles exhibited against Walter Bruâ—e of the Diocess of Hereford a Lay-man and Learned touching the cause of Heresie as they called it unto the Bishop of Hereford his examination and answer is also largely described by Mr. Fox 〈…〉 2. Then were there two Bulls sent out by Pope Boniface the ninth one against the Lollards another to King Richard the second Queen Anne Wife to King Richard at the same time had the Gospels in English with four Doctors upon the same King Richard wrote a notable Letter to the Pope wherein he sheweth That the election of the Pope was not as before comparing the Popes to the Souldiers that crucified Christ That Secular Princes are to bridle the outrages of the Pope and seemeth to Prophecy of the desolation of the Roman Pope King Richard was not long after deposed and barbarously murdered at Pomfret-castle In the time of the conspiracy against King Richard among all the Bishops onely Thomas Merks Bishop of Carlisle was for him For when the Lords in Parliament not content to depose King Riâ—hard were devising more mischief against him up steps the foresaid Bishop and thus expresseth himself There is no man here worthy to pass his sentence on so great a King as to whom they have obeyed as their lawful Prince full two and twenty years This is the part of Traitors Cut-throats and Thieves None is so wicked none so vile who though he be charged with a manifest crime we should think to condemn before we heard him And you do ye think it equal to pass sentence on a King anointed and Crowned giving him no leave to defend himself How unjust is this But let us consider the matter it self I say nay openly affirm that Henry Duke of Lancaster whom you are pleased to call your King hath most unjustly spoiled Richard as well his Sovereign as ours of his Kingdom More would he have spoken but the Lord Marshal enjoyned him silence and the other Bishops said he discovered having 〈◊〉 a Monk more Covent-devotion than Court-discretion in dissenting from his Brethren yet at that time no punishment was imposed upon him But the next year 1400. when some discontented Lord 's arose against King Henry the fourth this Bishop was taken prisoner and judicially arraigned for high Treason for which he was condemned and sent to St. Albans The Pope gave unto him another Bishoprick in Samos a Greek Island But before his translation he died CENT XV. KIng Henry the fourth held a Parliament at Westminster during which Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury had convocated a Synod which was held in St. Paul's Church to whom the King sent the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland who declared to the Trussel in vit Henrici IV. Clergy That they were from the King to acquaint them that the King resolved to confirm all their Priviledges unto them and to joyn with them as they should desire him in the punishment of all Hereticks and opposites to their Religion received for which so doing he craved but their supplications to God for him and his posterity and prosperity of the Kingdom which was by all there present religiously promised In the second year of his Reign King Henry ordained That if any person should obtain from the Bishop of Rome any provision to be exempt from obedience Regular or Ordinary or to have any Office perpetual in any House of Religion he should in our the pains of Praemunire He also gave authority unto Bishops and their Ordinaries to imprison and fine all Subjects who refuse the Oath ex Officio In the same Parliament it was The Statute made pro Haeretico comburâ—â—do ordained That all Lollards that is those who professed the doctrine which Wickliff had taught should be apprehended and if they should remain obstinare they should be delivered to the Bishop of the Diocess and by him unto the secular Magistrate to be burnt This Act was the first in this Island for burning in case of Religion and began to be put in execution Anno 1401. The first on whom his cruel Law was hanselled was William Sautre formerly Parish-priest of St.
Church of Rome and was dismissed The like happened to Hugh Pie Chaplain of Ludney In the year 1428. King Henry the Sixth sent down Letters of Commission to John Exeter and Ja olet Germain keeper of the Castle of Colchester for the apprehending of William White Priest and others suspected of Heresie John Exeter attached six persons in the Town of Bungay in the Diocess of Norwich and three of them were committed to the Castle of Fremingham belonging to the Duke of Norfolk namely John Waddon of Tenterden in Kent Bartholomew Monk of Ersham and William Skutt In the Towns of Beckles Ersham and Ludney a great number both of Men and Women were cast into prison and after their abjuration brought to open shame in Churches and Markets by the Bishop of Norwich and his Chancellor William Bernham John Exeter being Register so that within the space of three or four years about one hundred and twenty Men and Women were examined and suffered great vexation for the profession of Christian Faith Some taken upon suspition only more easily escaped as Robert Skirring of Harlstone William Skirring and some others Some were burned among whom special mention is made of these three Father Abraham of Colchester William White and John Waddon Priests The residue abjured and suffered penance as John Beverley J. Wardon John Capper Vicar of Tunstal with more than threescore others They had their Doctrine from William White who was a Scholar and follower of John Wickliff Such was the Spleen of the Council of Sienna as they not only cursed Anno 1428. the memory of John Wickliff as dying an obstinate Heretick but ordered that his bones should be taken out of the ground and thrown far off from any Christian burial In obedience hereunto Richard Fleming Bishop of Lincoln Diocesan of Lutterworth sent his Officers to ungrave him accordingly who took his bones out of the grave and burnt them to ashes and cast them into Swift a neighbouring Brook running hard by Anno 1430. R. Hovedon a Wool-winder and Citizen of London was burnt at the Tower-hill for the Doctrine of Wickliff The year following Thomas Bagley a Priest Vicar of Monenden besides Malden was condemned of Heresie at London about the midst of Lent degraded and burned in Smithfield At St. Andrews in Scotland Anno 1431. Paul Craw was burnt for Petries Church History denying that the substance of the Bread and Wine are changed in the Eucharist or that Confession is necessary to be made unto Priests or Prayers unto Saints departed At his condemnation they put a Bull of Brass in his mouth to the end he should not speak unto the people nor tell for what he was burnt Henry Beauford Bishop of Winchester Cardinal Sancti Eusebii Ex Archivis Turris Lond. was by consent of Parliament made one of the King's Council with this condition that he should make a protestation to absent himself from the Council when any matters were to be treated betwixt the King and Pope The Cardinal took the Protestation and promised to perform it The Clergy complained to the King in Parliament that their Servants which came with them to Convocations were often arrested and they prayed that they might have the same Priviledge which the Peers and Commons of the Kingdom have which are called to Parliament which was granted accordingly Great at this time was the want of Grammar-schools and the abuse of them that were even in London it self it being paenal for any to prevent the growth of Wicklivism to put their Children to private Teachers Hence it was that some hundreds were compelled to go to the same School where to use the words of the Records The Masters waxen rich in money and Learners poor in cunning Whereupon this grievance was complained of by four eminent Ministers in London viz. Mr. William Lichfield Parson of Alhallowes the Great Gilbert Parson of St. Andrew's Holborn John Cote Parson of St. Peter's Cornhil John Neele Master of the House of St. Thomas Acre 's and Parson of Colchirch To these it was granted by the advice of the Ordinary or Archbishop of Canterbury to erect five Schools Neele having a double License for two places in their respective Parishes Know that the House of St. Thomas Acre 's was where Mercers Chappel standeth at this day Then was the Lady Eleanor Cobham so called from the Lord Cobham her Father otherwise Eleanor Plantagenet by her Husband Humfry Duke of Glocester and Roger Only Priest her Chaplain condemned the Dutchess after solemn penance and carrying a Taper barefoot at Paul's Cross to perpetual banishment for plotting with Only say Hall and Fabian in their Chronicles an abominable Necromancer with three others by Witchcraft to destroy the King so to derive the Crown to her Husband who was next Heir in the line of Lancaster And Roger Only was burned But the main cause of their condemnation was for the profession of the Truth although Treason was pretended against them Polydor Virgil makes no mention thereof otherwise quick-sighted enough in matters of this nature At this time William Heiworth sate Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield being translated thither from being Abbot of St. Albans At this time William Lynwood finished his industrious and useful Work Fuller's Chur. History of Britain of his Constitutions He was bred in Cambridge first Scholar of Gonvil then Fellow of Pembrook-hall His younger years he spent in the Law afterwards he became Keeper of the Privy-seal unto King Henry the Fifth who employed him in an Embassie into Spain and Portugal which he exactly performed After the King's death he re-assumed his Official's place of Canterbury and then at spare hours collected and digested the Constitutions of the fourteen latter Archbishops of Canterbury from Stephen Langton unto Henry Chichley unto whom he dedicated the Work a worthy Work highly esteemed by forreign Lawyers his Comment thereon is a Magazine of the Canon Law It was printed at Paris Anno 1505. but at the cost and charges of William Bretton an honest Merchant of London revised by the care of Wolfangus Hippolius and prefaced unto by Iodocus Badius This Linwood was afterwards made Bishop of St. Davids Anno 1434. began the active Council of Basil to which our Ambassadors were to represent both their Sovereign and the English Nation where they were received with honour and respect This was a troublesome Council and continued seventeen years In this Council it was concluded as before at Constance that the General Councils were above the Pope Fourteen Ambassadors were sent from the King unto Basil One Earl not that he was to vote in the Council but only behold the transactions thereof viz. Edmond Earl of Morton Five Bishops viz. Robert Bishop of London Philip Bishop of Lisieux John Bishop of Rochester John Bishop of Baieux and Bernard Bishop of Aix Two Abbots Nicholas Abbot of Glaston William Abbot of St. Maries in York One Prior William Prior of Norwich Two Knights Henry Brounfleet and
he had brought him to the Stake On Feb. 8. Laurence Saunders an excellent preacher was burnt at Coventry where he had spent the greatest part of his Ministry On Feb. 9. Anno 1555. Doctor Rowland Tailor was burned at Hadley the Town whereof he was Pastor where calling on the name of God he endured the Torment till one Soice with an Halbert struck him on the Head that the brains fell out and the dead Corpse fell into the fire Thomas Tomkins on March 16. suffered in Smithfield William Hunter an Apprentice of nineteen years of age was burnt at Burntwood in Essex Within the compass of less than four years there died for the testimonial Spâ—â—ds Chron. of Q. Mary of their conscience for the truth no less than two hundred seventy and seven persons In the heat of the fire were consumed five Bishops one and twenty Divines eight Gentlemen eighty four Artificers one hundred Husband-men and Labourers twenty six Married-women twenty widows nine Virgins two Boys and two Infants one of them whipped to death by Bishop Bonner and the other springing out of his mother's womb from the stake as she burned was by the Serjeants thrown again into the fire Ridley and Latimer were both degraded on Octob. 15. and brought unto the stake in the Town-ditch in Oxford over against Baliol-â—â—llâ—â—â— on the morrow after where with great courage and constancâ—â—â—ey â—ndured that death to which they had been precondemned before they were heard Cranmer was a prisoner at that time in the North-gate of the City called Bocardo from the top whereof he beheld that most doleful Spectacle and casting himself down on his Knees he humbly entreated the Lord to give them strength of faith and hope which he also desired for himself whensoever he should Act his part on that bloody Theater When Ridley understood Hooper before his Execution to have been marked out for the slaughter he remembred that controversie which had been between them in the time of King Edward about the Episcopal Habit and thought it not enough if he left not to the world some testimony of their mutual Charity as well as their consent in Doctrine Concerning which he wrote to him in this manner following My dear brother forasmuch as I understand by your Books that we throughly agree and wholly consent together in the substantial points of our Religion against which the world now so furiously rageth however in times past in certain circumstances of Religion your wisdom and my simplicity I must confess have a little jarred each of us following the abundance of his own spirit Now I say be assured that even with my whole heart God is my witness in the bowels of Christ I love you in the Truth and for the Truth 's sake which abideth in us as I am perswaded and by the Grace of God shall abide in us for evermore And because the world as I perceive Brother ceaseth not to play his pageant and buisily conspireth against Christ our Saviour with all possible force and power exalting high things against the knowledge of God let us joyn hands together in Christ though we cannot overthrow yet to our power and as much as in us lieth let us shake those high Altitudes not with carnal but with spiritual weapons and withal brother let us prepare our selves to the day of dissolution by that which after the short time of this bodily affliction by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall triumph together with him in eternal glory Comforted with â—â—ciprocal Letters of this holy nature they both prepared themselves for death in which Hooper had the honour to lead the way as hath been shewn It is memorable that the same day in which Bishop Ridley and Latimer were burnt at Oxford Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester would not go to dinner till four a Clock in the afternoon though the old Duke of Norfolk was come to dine with him The reason was because he would first hear of their being burnt And as soon as word of that â—as brought unto him he presently said now let us go to dinner 〈…〉 ing down and eating merrily upon a sudden he fell into such extremity that he was fain to be taken from the Table and carried to his bed where he continued fifteen dayes without voyding any thing by Urine or otherwise which caused his Tongue to swell in his Mouth He died at Whitehall November the twelfth from whence conveyed by water to his house in Southwark his body was first lapt in Lead kept for a season in the Church of St. Saviours and afterwards solemnly interred under a fair and goodly Monument in his Cathedral The custody of the Great Seal with the Title of Lord Chancellor was upon New-years-day conferred upon Doctor Nicholas Heath Archbishop of York But the Revenues of the Bishoprick were appropriated to the use of the Cardinal-Legat But Doctor John White Bishop of Lincoln having been born at Winchester and educated in that School of which he was afterward chief Master and finally Warden of that Colledge so far prevailed by his Friends at Court that on the promise of an annual Pension of a thousand pounds to the use of the Cardinal he was permitted to enjoy the Title with the rest of the profits But he was not actually translated till the next year following Voisy Bishop of Exeter dies and Doctor James Turbervil succeedeth him Queen Mary caused that clause of Prayer That God would deliver the Thâ—â—â— Histor lib. 13. Kingdom from sedition and tyranny of the Church of Rome to be blotted out of the Litany and would not suffer her Father's name to be mentioned in publick Prayers because he had made Apostasie from the Church She restored all Ecclesiastical Livings assumed to the Crown saying That she set more by the salvation of her Soul than she did by ten Kingdoms And shortly after John Fecknam late Dean of St. Paul's was made Abbot of Westminster and had possession delivered him and with him fourteen Monks received the Habit at the same time Doctor Henry Cole was made Dean of St. Paul's Besides those that suffered in the flames for the Gospel in this Queens dayes sixty four more were persecuted for their Faith and Profession â—uâ—â—er Church Histâ—ry whereof seven were whipped sixteen perished in prison and were buried in dunghils many lay in captivity condemned but were released by the happy entrance of Queen Elizabeth and many fled the Land in those dayes of distress among whom were many persons of Quality as Katharine Dutchess of Suffolk last Wife of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk with her Husband Richard Berty Esquire Sir John Cheeke Sir Richard Morison of Caishobury in Hertford-shire Sir Francis Knollys afterwards Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth Sir Anthony Cook Father-in-law to Cecil after Lord Burghley and famous for his learned Daughters Sir Peter Carew renowned for his Valour in Ireland where he died Anno 1576. Sir Thomas Wroth of Middlesex the Lady
of the See of Canterbury as an Usufructuary was altogether as solicitous for getting a right and title to them as sole proprietary No way to pacifie one and to satisfie the desires of the other but by bringing him when he least looked for it to the fatal Stake And thither they brought him and first he retracts his retraction and after punisheth that hand which had subscribed it by holding it forth into the flame and suffering it to be consumed before the rest of his body had felt the fire The residue of his body being burnt to ashes his heart was found entire and untouched in the midst of the cinders which possibly may serve as a witness for him that his heart stood fast unto the Truth though with his hand he had subscribed some Popish errors Cardinal Pool received Consecration to the See of Canterbury the very next Sunday after Cranmer's death No fewer than two hundred are reported to have been burnt by bloody Bonner the most eminent of all which number was Mr. John Philpot Archdeacon of Winchester who though of Gardiner's Diocess was condemned by Bonner Gardiner being well enough contented to find out the Game and leave it to be followed by that bloody Hunter Dr. John Christopherson Bishop of Chichester is recorded to have burnt ten in one fire at Lewis and seventeen others at several times in sundry places among which was Richard Woodman of Warbleton in Sussex that notable Martyr and four at Mayfield viz. John Hart Thomas Ravensdal a Shoomaker and a Collier Harpfield Archdeacon of London and Thornton the Suffragan of Dover are said to have poured out blood like water The same is said of Griffin of Rochester and Downing Chancellor of Norwich The same character is given of Bishop Bayn of Coventry and Litchfield who burned many faithful Ministers and others In all the Province of York I find none brought to the Stake but George Marsh of Chester condemned thereto by Bishop Coles Besides the burning of Bishop Farrar at Carmarthen by Bishop Morgan and of Rawlins and White at Cardiff by Bishop Kitching No great cruelty seems to have been acted in the four Welsh Diocesses In the Diocess of Exeter Wells Peterborough and Lincoln though this last the greatest in the Kingdom I find mention but of one a piece of two in that of Ely and of no more than three apiece in that of Bristol and Sarisbury for at Newbury were burnt that famous Julius Palmer with two others Doctor Tunstal Bishop of Durham was in Queen Maries time no great persecutor his Bishoprick had dayes of quiet under him When Mr. Russel a Preacher was brought before him and Doctor Himner his Chancellor would have had him examined more strictly the Bishop stayed him saying Hitherto we have had a good report among our Neighbours I pray you bring not this mans blood upon my Head The Bishop of Carlisle also was a man of a moderate temper The Pope had published a Bull in print Anno 1556. in which he threatened excommunication to all persons that kept any Church-lands unto themselves as also all Princes and Magistrates that did not put the same in execution Which though it did not edifie much in the Realm of England yet it found more obedience in that of Ireland in which a Parliament being called in June 1557. there passed an Act for repealing of Statutes Articles and Provisions made against the See of Rome since the twentieth year of King Henry the Eighth and for abolishing of several Ecclesiastical possessions conveyed to the Laity as also for the extinguishment of First-fruits and Twentieth parts no more than the yearly payment of the Twentieth part having been laid by Act of Parliament upon the Clergy of Ireland in the first and last clause whereof as they followed the example of the Realm of England so possibly they might have given a dangerous example to it in the other point if by the Queens death which followed shortly after King Philip and the Popes had not lost all their power and influence on the English Nation by means whereof there was no farther progress in the Restitution of the Abbey-lands no more re-edifying the old Religious houses and no intention for the founding any new Cardinal Poole having visited his own Diocess and given out divers printed Articles to shew his great care for the suppressing the growth of Heresie sent his Commissioners to Cambridge who interdicted the two Churches wherein Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius had been interred and the Writ being taken out de comburendo Haerâ—tico and being come down and sent to the Mayor of Cambridge on February 6. the two dead Bodies were taken out of their Graves and being laid in their Coffins on mens shoulders were carried to the Market-place with a guard of men well armed and weaponed chained unto several posts as if still alive the wood and fire put to them and their Bodies burned together with so many of their Books as could be gotten which were cast into the same flames also Queen Mary now engageth in her Husband's quarrel and King Philip having made up an Army of thirty five thousand Foot and twelve thousand Horse besides a thousand Horsemen four thousand Footment and two thousand Pioners sent out of England under the command of the Earl of Pembrook sate down before St. Quintin the chief Town of Piccardy On August the tenth the Battels joyn in which the French were vanquished and their Army routed the Constable of France the Prince of Mantua the Duke of Montpensier and Longueville with six others of the prime Nobility and many others of less note being taken prisoners The Duke of Anguien the Viscount Turin most of the Foot-Captains and the common Souldiers to the number of two thousand five hundred were slain upon the place King Philip stormed St. Quintin on the eighteenth day After which service the English finding some neglect from King Philip desired to be dismissed into their Country which was indulged unto them By whose dismission King Philip could do no action of importance in the rest of the War But the Queen shall pay dearly for this Victory The English were then possessed of the Town of Calais with many other Forts thereabout as Guisness Hames Ardres c. together with the whole Territory a Town situate on the mouth of the English Chanel opposite to Dover and distant not above twenty five miles from it King Edward the Third after a Siege of more than eleven months became Master of it Anno 1347. by whom it was first made a Colony of the English Nation and after one of the Staple-Towns for the sale of Wooll kept with great care by his Successors who as long as they had it in their hand were said to carry the Keys of France at their Girdle a Town which for more than two hundred years had been in possession of the English The Queen had broke the peace with France and taken no care to fortifie this place
in this time of War Then the Duke of Guise one of the best Souldiers of that Age now called back out of Italy being informed by the Governor of Bulloign that the Town was neither so well fortified nor so strongly garriloned but that it might easily be taken on New-years-day sate down before it and on Twelfth-day had it surrendred up unto him by the Lord Deputy Wentworth who had the chief government of it Guisnesse Hames and all the other Forts in the County of Oye were reduced under the power of the French within few dayes after The Pope is displeased with Cardinal Pool by whose perswasion it was thought that the Queen had broke her League with France to take part with her Husband therefore he deprives Pool of the Legantine power confers the same upon Friar Peitow an English-man by birth and of good descent whom he designs also to the See of Sarisbury then void by the death of Capon Karn the Queens Agent with the Pope advertiseth her of these secret practices Pool layes by the Cross of his Legation and abstains from the exercise of his Bulls and Faculties Peitow the new Cardinal-Legat puts himself on the way to England when the Queen commandeth him at his peril not to adventure to set foot on English ground Peitow died in April following the rupture was made up again and Pool was confirmed in the possession of his former powers And thereupon followed the burning divers persons in the Diocess of Canterbury whereof two suffered at Ashford and six in his own Metropolitan City These Godly Martyrs in their prayers which they made before their Martyrdom desired God that their blood might be the last that should be shed and so it came to pass The number of prohibited Books increasing every day more and more a Proclamation was set forth on June the sixth to hinder the continual spreading of so great a mischief Which Proclamation though it were very smart yet not so full of rigour as another which came out at the burning of seven persons in Smithfield published both at Newgate where they were imprisoned and at the Stake where they were to suffer whereby it was straitly charged and commanded That no man should either pray for or speak to them or once say God help them Which Proclamation notwithstanding Bentham the Minister of one of the London Congregations seeing the fire set to them turning his eyes unto the people and cried We know they are the People of God and therefore we cannot chuse but wish well to them and say God strengthen them And so he said Almighty God for Christ's sake strengthen them With that all the people with one consent cried Amen Amen It was very admirable that the Protestants should have a Congregation under Bonner's nose yet so it was and in one of those Congregations whereof Bentham was Minister there assembled feldom under forty many times an hundred and more the Ministers whereof successively were Mr. Edward Scambler after Bishop of Peterborough Mr. Thomas Foule Mr. John Rough convented and condemned by Bonner and burnt for the Truth After whom followed Mr. Augustine Bernher a moderate and learned man and finally Mr. Thomas Bentham forementioned who continued in that charge till the death of Queen Mary and was by Queen Elizabeth preferred to the Sea of Lichfield Anno 1589. And notwithstanding all the care of the Queens Inquisitors many good Books of true Christian Consolation and good Doctrine did either find some Press in London or were sent over to their Brethren by such learned men as had retired themselves to their several Sanctuaries Then raged a contagious Fever in most parts of the Land and no former Plague was thought to have destroyed a greater number so that divers places were left void of Justices and men of worth to govern the Kingdom At which time died also so many Priests that a great number of Parish-Churches in divers places were unserved and no Curates could be gotten for money Much corn was also lost in the field for want of Workmen to get it in Physitians died as well as the Patients two of the Queens Doctors dying of it a little before the death of the Queen It spared the Prelat no more than the Priest insomuch that within less than the space of twelve months almost one half of the English Bishops had made void their Sees Now God put an end to those calamities of his Children by the death of Queen Mary who died of a Dropsie November the seventeenth 1558. Within few hours after her death died Cardinal Pool Archbishop of Canterbury He procured of the Queen the Patronage of nineteen Benefices unto his See promised and intended to repair the Palace at Canterbury He was buried in his own Cathedral with this short and modest Epitaph upon his plain Monument DEPOSITVM CARDINALIS POLI. The Parliament sate at Queen Maries death after which they only continued so long as joyntly and publickly to proclaim Elizabeth Queen and then they were dissolved Queen Maries body was enterred in the Chappel of King Henry the Seventh in the Isle on the North side thereof ELIZABETH the only Child then living of King Henry the Eighth succeeded her Sister in the Throne on November the seventeenth Anno 1558. She was proclaimed by the King at Arms first before Westminster-hall door in the presence of the Lords and Commons and not long after at the Cross in Cheapside and other places in the City in the presence of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and principal Citizens to the great joy of all peaceable and well-affected people The news whereof being brought unto her by some of the Lords she removes from Hatfield on the nineteenth of that month and with a great and royal Train sets forward to London At Highgate four miles from the City she was met by all the Bishops then living who presented themselves before her upon their knees In which address as she expressed no small contentment so she gave to each of them particularly her hand to kiss except only unto Bonner of London At her first coming to the City she took her lodging in the Charter-house where she staid some dayes till all things in the Tower might be fitted for her reception Attended by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen with a stately Train of Lords and Ladies she entreth by Cripple-gate into the City passeth along the Wall till she came to Bishops-gate where all the Companies of the City in their several Liveries waited her coming in their proper and distinct ranks reaching from thence until the further end of Mark-lane where she was entertained with a peal of great Ordinance from the Tower At her entrance into which place she rendred her most humble thanks to Almighty God for the great and wondrous change of her condition in bringing her from being a prisoner in that place to be the Ruler of her people and now to take possession of it as a Royal Palace Here she remained till December
and other places that there were thought to be Butchered no less than an hundred thousand of the natural Franch between the first of March and the twentieth of August then last past that with the like violence they had caused to be spoiled and imprisoned such of her Majestie 's Subjects as Traded in the Ports of Bretaign and such as sought to preserve themselves to be killed their goods and Merchandize to be seized without charging any other crime upon them but that they were Hugonots and that in consideration of the premises she could do no less than endeavour the preserving the Reformed Religion from an universal destruction and the maintaining her own Subjects and Dominions in peace and safety The ayd amounting to six thousand men was divided into two equal parts of which the one was destined to the defence of Roven and Deep then being in the hands of the Confederates the other to take possession of the Town of New-haven which by the Inhabitants was joyfully surrendred to the English The Lord Ambrose Dudley the eldest Son then living of the late Duke of Northumberland she sent to command that place whom on Decemb. 26. She had created Lord Lisle and Earl of Warwick where he was solemnly received with a peal of Ordnance A petit Rebellion hapned in Merton-colledge in Oxford The Wardenship of that house being voyd by the death of Gervase one Man is chosen to the place one Hall and his Popish faction opposed his admission and raised such a persecution that it was poenal for any to be a Protestant Archbishop Parker hearing of it summoneth Hall to appear before him but the seal of the citation was torn off by some of that party Hereupon the Archbishop made a solemn visitation of that Colledge wherein all were generally examined Man confirmed Warden Hall justly expelled his party publickly admonished the young Scholars relieved Papists curbed and suppressed Protestants countenanced and encouraged in the whole University Now many strange whispers were abroad and no small hopes conceived by those of the Popish faction for suppressing the Protestants in all parts of the Kingdom and setting up their own Religion as in former times of the plot were Arthur Pool younger brother to Reginald Pool the late Cardinal Legate and Geoffry Fortescue who had married his sister and others The substance of their charge was a design of levying War against the Queen c. with a particular intention of advancing the Queen of Scots to the Crown of England and Pool himself unto the Title of Duke of Clarence All which they Confessed upon the Indictment and did all receive the sentence of death but were all afterwards pardoned by the Queen out of that great respect which she bare to their Royal Extraction Then was that elegant discourse published by Bishop Jewel Entitled The Apology of the Church of England first writ in Latine translated presently into English French Italian Dutch and at last in Greek to the publishing whereof he was much encouraged by Peter Martyr with whom he had spent the greatest part of his time when he lived in exile But Martyr lived onely to see the Book which he so much longed for dying at Zurich on the twelfth of November following and laid into his grave by the Magistrates and people of that City with a solemn funeral The five Bishopricks erected by King Henry the eighth were so impoverished in this Queen's Reign that the new Bishops were necessitated to require the benevolence of their Clergy at their first coming to them to furnish their Episcopal houses and to enable them to maintain some tolerable degree of Hospitality in their several Diocesses The Parliament called January 12. 1562. passed an Act for Assurance of the Queen 's Royal power over all Estates and Subjects in her Dominions In which it was provided That no man Residing in the Queen's Dominions should from thence-forth either by-word or writing c. endeavour willingly to maintain the power and jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome heretofore usurped within this Realm It was also enacted that none should be admitted unto Holy Orders or to any Degree in either of the Universities or to be Barrester or Bencher in any of the Inns of Court or to Practise as an Attourney c till He or They should first take the Oath of Supremacy on the Holy Evangelists with a power given to every Archbishop and Bishop within this Realm and the Dominions of the same to Minister the said Oath to all and every Spiritual Person in their proper Diocesses as well in places exempt as els-where It had been declared by the Bishops and Clergy assembled at the same time in their Convocation To be a thing plainly repugnant to the word of God and the Custom of the Primitive Church to have publick Prayer in the Church or to administer the Sacraments in a Tongue not understood by the People therefore it was Enacted That the Bishops of Hereford S. David's Bangor Landaff and S. Asaph should take care for Translating the whole Bible with the Common-prayer-book into the Welch Tongue The like care was also taken for Translating the Books of Homilies Then were the Nine and thirty Articles composed in the Convocation The 39. Articles compiled in Convocation at London published soon after both in English and Latine with this following Title viz. Articles agreed upon by the Archishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London Anno 1562. for the avoyding of Diversities of opinions and establishing consent touching true Religion These Articles came forth much about the time that the Decrees of the Council of Trent were published Many of which Decrees begin with lying and all end with Cursing threatening Anathema's to all dissenters Anno 1571. the Parliament confirmed these Articles so far that every Clerk should before Decemb. 25. next following subscribe the same And hereafter every person promoted to an Eâ—clesiastical living should within a time prefixed in the time of Divine Service publickly read and profess his consent to the same on pain of deprivation ipso facto if omitted This subscription was extended only to men of Ecclesiastical Function After the return of the Queen of Scots out of France into Scotland Besides the Ratifying the Act of Oblivion formerly condescended to in the Treaty at Edenburgh there were also past some other Acts viz. one Act for repairing and upholding Parish Churches and the Church-yards of the same for burial of the dead Another against letting Parsonages Gleabes or Houses into long Leases or Fee But on the other side no safety or Protection could be found for the Queen 's own Religion no not so much as the Chappel Royal or the Regal City In contempt whereof a force was violently committed in the moneth of August in the Chappel of the Palace of Holy-rood house where certain of the Queen's servants were assembled for their own devotions the doors broke open some of
Letters which they sent to King James written in Latin With whicâ— Letters they came over into England and presenâ—ed themselves to the King at Court where after courteous entertaining of them he favourably dismissed them Removing Bishop Câ—rleton to Chichester preferring Dr. Davenant to the Bishopriâ—k of Salisbury and bestowing the Mastership of the Savay upon Balâ—anqual The decisions of this Synod have been since approved applauded Joh. Goodwin in his Redemption Redeemed c. 15. parag 24. magnified by some vilified condemned by others Of such as dislike the Synod none falls heavier upon it than Mr. John Goodwin charging the Synodians to have taken a previous Oath to condemn the opposite party on what termes soever Mr. Fuller desirous to be rightly informed herein wrote a Letter to Bishop Hall who was pleased to return him this answer Whereas you desire from me a just relation of the carriage of the business of the Synod of Dort and the conditions required of our Divines there at or before their Admission to that Grave and Learned Assembly I whom God was pleased to employ as an unworthy Agent in that great work and to reserve still upon Earth after all my Reverend and Worthy Associates do as in the presence of that God to whom I am now daily expecting to yield up my account testifie to you and if you will to the World that I cannot without just indignation read that slaunderous Imputation which Mr Goodwin in his Redemption Redeemed reports to have been raised and cast upon those Divines eminent both for Learning and Piety That they suffered themselves to be bound with an Oath at or before their Admission into that Synod to vote down the Remonstrants howsoever so as they came deeply preingaged to the decision of those unhappy differences All the Oath that was required of us was this After that the Moderator Assistents and Scribes were chosen and the Synod formed and the several members allowed there was a solemn Oath required to be taken by every oâ—e of that Assembly which was publickly done in a grave manner by every person in their order standing up and laying his Hand upon his heart calling the great God of Heaven to witness that he would uâ—partially proceed in the judgement of these Controversies which should be laid before him onely out of and according to the written Word of God and no otherwise so determining of them as he should find in his Conscience most agreeable to the holy Scriptures Which Oaâ—h was punctually agreed to be thus taken by the Articles of the States concerning the Indiction and ordering of the Synod as plainly appeareth in their tenth Article and this was all the Oath that was either taken or required c. The same year died Dr. James Mountague the worthy Bishop of Winchester son to Sir Edward Mountague of Boughton in Northamptonshire highly favoured by King James preferring him to the Bishopriâ—k first of Bath and Wells then to Wincâ—ester In Bath he lies buried under a fair Tomb though the whole Church be his Monument which his Bounty repaired Anno 1619. died John Overal Bishop of Norwich accounted one of the most Learned Controversial Divines of those days Anno 1620. the Protestant States of the Upper and Lower Austria upon the approach of the Bavarian Army seeing nothing but manifest ruin renounce their Confederacy with the Bohemians and submit to the Emperor saving to themselves their Rights and Priviledges in Religion Râ—shworth Histor Collâ—ctions And the Elector of Saxony assists the Emperor and executes the Ban against the Palatine King James soon after receives the news of the Palsgrave's overthrow After the Assembly at Segenbergh the Palatine and his Princess took their journey into Holland where they found a refuge and noble entertainment with the Prince of Orange The Ambassage of Weston and Conway prevailed little More Princes of the union reconcile themselves to the Emperor The Imperial Protestant Towns Strasburgh Worms and Norembergh subscribe to conditions of Peace The reconciled Princes and States intercede for the Elector Palatine but in vain In England the Parliament petition the King for the due execution of Laws against Jesuites Seminary Priests and Popish Recusants On July 10. 1621. John Williams D. D. and Dean of Westminster was sworn Keeper of the Great Seal of England Then the King was sollicited from Spain and Rone to enlarge his favours to Popish Recusants The House of Commons presented to the King a petition and Remonstrance which laid open the distempers of those times with their Causes and Cures They Represented to Him I. The Vigilancy and Ambition of the Pope of Rome and his dearest Son the one aiming at as large a Temporal Monarchy as the other at a Spiritual Monarchy II. The devilish Doctrines whereon Popery is built and taught with Authority to their followers for advancement of their Temporal ends III. The miserable estate of the professors of true Religion in forreign parts IV. The disastrous accidents to his Majestie 's children abroad c. V. The strange confederacy of Popish Princes c. VI. The interposing of forreign Princes and their Agents in the behalf of Popish Recusants c. VII Their usual resort to the Houses and Chappels of forreign Ambassadors VIII Their more than usual concourse to the City and their frequent Conventicles and conferences there IX The education of their Children in several Seminaries and Houses of their Religion in forreign parts appropriated to the English fugitives X. The licentious Printing and dispersing of Popish and Seditious Books even in the time of Parliament XI The swarms of Priests and Jesuites dispersed in all parts of the Kingdom From these Causes they offered to his Majesty what dangerous Effects they foresaw would follow I. The Popish Religion is incompatible with ours in respect of their positions II. It draws with it an unavoidable dependancy on forreign Princes III. If once it get but a connivency it will press for a Toleration c. Then they propounded Remedies against these some whereof were That for securing the peace at home his Majesty would be pleased to review the parts of their petition formerly delivered to him and to put in execution by the eare of choice Commissioners to be thereunto appointed the Laws already and hereafter to be made for preventing of dangers by Popish Recusants That the Children of the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom and of others suspected in their Religion now beyond the Seas may be forthwith called home That the Children of Popish Recusants c. be brought up during their minority with Protestant School-masters That his Majesty will be pleased to revoke all former Licenses for such Children to travel beyond the Seas and not grant any such License hereafter c. The House had sufficient Cause to set forth the danger of true Religion when besides the great wound made in Germany and the cruelties of the prevailing House of Austria the Protestants in France were almost ruined
by Hamilton for such as were Assessors to him took up all their time betwixt their first meeting and their dissolution which was by proclamation solemnly declared on the twenty ninth of the same month But notwithstanding the said dissolution the Members of the said Assembly continued their Session and therein passed many Acts for the utter overthrow of the Polity and Government of the Church They not only excommunicated the Bishops and their Adherents but condemned the very Function it self to be Antichristian and utterly to be abolished out of the Church The like censure also they passed on the Service-book and the Canons with the five Articles of Perth and all the Arminian Tenets in case of Predestination and declared all men subject to excommunication and all other censures of the Church who should refuse to yield obedience to all their determinations And albeit his Majesty by the same Proclamation had commanded all his Subjects not to yield obedience to any of their Acts and Ordinances yet those of the Assembly were resolved to maintain their Authority and not only the Bishops and Clergy but also as many of the Laity as had refused to subscribe to the Acts thereof were deprived of their Offices and Preferments banished their Country and forced to fly into England or other places the King being unable to protect them from the power and malice of their Adversaries The King now thinks of raising an Army against the Scots and a Sir Rich. Bakerâ—s Chron. Loan for the King's assistance against the Scots is subscribed by many Lords of the Council and Bishops c. Cardinal Richlieu was no small Incendiary in this business betwixt the King and Scots who sent his Chaplain and Almoner Mr. Thomas Chamberlain a Scotch-man to assist the Confederates in advancing the business and to attempt all wayes of exasperation and not to depart from them till he might return with good news in this project About the latter end of this year died John Spottiswood Archbishop of St. Andrews at London and was buried near unto King James in the Abbey-church of Westminster The King began his journey towards the North on March twenty seven his Army being advanced before the chief command whereof was committed to the Earl of Arundel The Scots presented a Petition to the King at his Camp near Berwick And Commissioners being on both sides appointed they came at last to this conclusion on June 17. viz. first That his Majesty should confirm whatsoever his Commissioner hath already granted in his Majesties name and that from thenceforth all matters Ecclesiastical should be determined by the Assemblies of the Kirk and all matters civil by the Parliament and to that end a General Assembly to be indicted on the sixth of August and a Parliament on the twentieth of the same month in which Parliament an Act of Oblivion was to pass for the common peace and satisfaction of all parties that the Scots upon the publication of the accord should within forty eight hours disband all their Forces discharge all pretended Tables and Conventicles restore unto the King all his Custles Forts and Ammunition of all sorts the like restitution to be made to all his good Subjects of their liberties lands goods c. taken and detained from them since the late pretended General Assembly at Glascow that thereupon the King should presently recal his Fleet and retire his Land-forces and cause restitution to be made to all persons of their goods detained and arrested since the first of February But as for the proceedings of the Assembly at Glascow they seem to have been left in the same condition in which they stood before his Majesties taking Arms. And the King doing nothing to the abrogating of them when he was in the Head of a powerful Army he could not expect that the Scots could yield to any such abrogation when he had no such Army to compel obedience And this immediately appeared on his Majesties signing the Agreement and discharging his Army thereupon For the Covenanters upon the declaration of this accord produced a Protestation First Of adhering to their late General Assembly at Glascow and to all the proceedings there especially the sentences of Deprivation and Excommunication of the sometimes pretended Bishops of that Kingdom as they were termed Secondly Of adhering to their solemn Covenant and declaration of the Assembly whereby the Office of Bishops is abjured Thirdly That the Bishops have been malitious Incendiaries of his Majesty against this Kingdom by their wicked calumnies and that if they return to this Kingdom they be esteemed and used as accursed c. Fourthly That all the entertainers of the excommunicated Bishops should be orderly proceeded against with Excommunication conform to the Acts and Constitutions of this Kirk They continued their Meetings and Consultations as before they did maintained their Fortifications at Leith the Port-town to Edenborough and kept their Officers and Commanders in continual pay His Majesty hereupon sent for some of the Chiefs of them to come unto him to Berwick but was refused in his Commands The Earls of Kinnoul and Traquair Chief Justice Elphinston and Sir James Hamilton all Privy Counsellors were pulled violently out of their Coach on a suspition that some Bishops were disguised among them that the King might have some cause to suspect that there could be no safety for him in such a place and among people so enraged notwithstanding his great clemency toward them in the pacification In this condition of Affairs his Majesty returned toward London in the Heylin's Hist of Archbish Laud. part 2. end of July 1639. leaving the Scots to play their own game as they listed having first nominated Traquair as his High-Commissioner for managing both the Assembly and the following Parliament In the first meeting of the two they acted over all the parts they had plaid at Glascow to the utter abolition of Episcopacy and the ruine of all that adhered to it their actings in it being confirmed in his name by the High-Commission The news whereof caused the King to send for the Lord Wentworth out of Ireland who was presently made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and not long after with great solemnity created Earl of Strafford in the County of York As Lord Lieutenant he had power to appoint a Deputy that he might the better attend the service here without any prejudice to that Kingdom which Office he committed to Wansford a York-shire Gentleman whom he had took along with him into Ireland at his first going thither His Majesty was pleased to commit the conduct of the Scottish Affairs to a Juncto of three namely the Archbishop of Canterbury the Earl of Strafford and the Marquiss of Hammilton These three move his Majesty to call a Parliament and it was concluded that a Parliament should be called on April 13. 1640. In the mean time the Lord Lieutenant held a Parliament in Ireland and so governed the affair that an Army of eight thousand
and Intent of their Convention namely to consult with the Parliament for the setling of Religion and Church-government Of an hundred twenty elected but sixty nine appeared And of the first of Royalists Episcopal in their judgements very few appeared and scarce any continued any time in the House save Doctor Daniel Feately alledging privately several reasons for their departure Dr. Twisse is now chosen Prolocutor and Mr. Henry Robrough and Mr. Adoniram Bifield their Scribes and Notaries And now their good success next to the Parliament's is publickly prayd for by the Preachers in the City and Books dedicated unto them under the Title of the most Sacred Assembly and four shillings a day sallary was allowed them and the Chamber of Jerusalem the fairest in the Deans lodgings where King Henry the Fourth died was the place where these Divines did daily meet together His Majesty looks on this as a strange and unparallell'd encrâ—atchment on his Royal Prerogative to which alone the calling of such Assemblies did belong by the Laws of the Realm And thereupon by his Proclamation of June 22 1643. being just ten days after the date of the Ordinance by which the Assembly was indicted He inhibits all and Bibl. Regia p. 331. every person named in that Ordinance under several pains from assembling together for the end and purpose therein set down declaring the Assembly to be illegal and that the Acts thereof ought not to be received by any of his good Subjects as binding them or of any Authority with them Which Prohibition notwithstanding most of the Members authorized by that Ordinance assembled as was before declared One of the first publick Acts which they performed was the humble presenting of a petition to both Houses for the appointing of a solemn Fast to be generally observed And presently a Fast is appointed and accordingly kept on the following Friday Master Bowles and Master Newcomen whose Sermons were after Printed Preaching on the same The King summons the Lords and Commons to Oxford to attend there on January 22. then next following Being come scarce were they setled in their several Houses when they were entertained with an hot Alarum made by the coming in of the Scots with a puissant Army The Scots had thrived so well by the former service as made them not unwilling to come under the pay of such bountiful Masters And knowing well in what necessity their dear Brethren in England stood of their assistance they were resolved to husband that necessity to their best advantage The English must first enter into Covenant with them for conforming of this Church with that c. In the first branch of it it was to be Covenanted between the Nations That all endeavours should be used for the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland both in Doctrine Discipline and Government Directory for worship and Catechizing And in the second That in like manner they endeavour without any respect of persons the extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church Government by Archbishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiastical Officers depending on that Hierarchy c. But by whomsoever it was framed his Majesty saw that it aimed at the subversion of the present Government Therefore looking on it as a dangerous combination against himself the established Religion and the Laws of this Kingdom for the bringing in of Forreign Forces to subvert them all saith Doctor Heylin interdicted all his Subjects from imposing or taking the same as they would answer the contrary at their peâ—ils Which Proclamation bearing date on October 9. came out too late to hinder the taking and enjoying of this Covenant where the restraint thereof had been most necessary for it had been solemnly taken by all the Members of the House of Commons and the Assembly of Divines at St. Margarets in Westminster on September 25. and within two days after it was Administred with no less solemnity to divers Lords Knights Gentlemen Colonels Officers Souldiers and others residing in and about the City of London a Sermon being Preached by Mr. Coleman to justifie the piety and legality of it and finally enjoyned to be taken on the Sanday following in all Churches and Chappels of London within the lines of Communication as afterwards by all the Kingdom in convenient time No sooner was this Covenant taken but to let the Scots see that they were in earnest a further impeachment consisting of ten Articles were prepared against the Archbishop of Canterbury In the Assembly of Divines some concurred not with the major part and were therefore stiled Dissenting Brethren These men crave a Toleration to be indulged them who since their return out of the Low-countries had fallen upon gathering of Congregations in or about the City of London and they excused for being concluded by the votes of the Assembly But the Presbyterians highly opposed their Toleration they tax the dissenting Brethren for Singularity and some moved their ejection out of the Assembly except in some convenient time they would comply therewith The Dissenters seasonably presented an Apologetical Narrative to the Parliament stiled by them The most sacred refuge or Asylum for mistaken and misjudged innocence Herein they petitioned pathetically for some favour whose conscience could not joyn with the Assembly in all particulars concluding with that pityful close That they pursued no other Interest or design but a subsistence be it the poorest and meanest in their own land as not knowing where else with safety health and livelyhood to set their feet on earth and subscribed their names Thomas Goodwin Philip Nye Sidrach Symson Jeremiah Burroughs William Bridge These Petitioners found such favour with some potent persons in Parliament that they were secured from farther Trouble and afterwards grew able not onely to encounter but invade all opposers yea to open and shut the door of preferment to others Dr. William Twisse their Prolocutor died and Mr. Charles Herle Fellow of Exeter-colledge succeeded him in his place The Assembly met with many difficulties some complained that Mr. Selden that Great Antiquary advantaged by his skill in Antiquity and the Oriental Tongues studied rather to perplex than inform the Members thereof as appeared by the fourteen Queries he propounded whose intent was to give a check to the design of those who held Presbytery to be Jure Divino More trouble was caused to the Assembly by the opinions of the Erastians And divers Parliament men hearing their own power enlarged thereby made use of the Erastians for a check to such who pressed Conformity to the Scotch Kirk in all particulars Indeed the Major part of the Assembly endeavoured the setling the Scotch Government in all particulars and this was laboured by the Scotch Commissioners with all Industry and probable means to obtein the same But it could not be effected nor was it ever setled by Act of Parliament who kept the coercive power in their own hands
to Preach who is not Ordained a Minister either in this or some other Reformed Church except such as intending the Ministry shall be allowed for the trial of their gifts by those who shall be appointed thereunto August 19. 1645. Directions of the Lords and Commons after advice had with the Assembly of Divines for the electing and chusing of Ruling Elders in all the Congregations And in the Classical Assemblies for the Cities of London and Westminster and the several Counties of the Kingdom for the speedy setling of the Presbyterial government August 21. 1645. Ordained that the Knights and Burgesses of Parliament of the several Counties of England and Wales shall send Printed books of the Directory of God's Worship fairly bound up in Leather to the Committees of Parliament residing in the several Counties who shall send or cause the same to be delivered to the several Ministers of every Parish c. October 20. 1645. An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons together with Rules and Directions concerning suspension from the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in cases of Ignorance and Scandal Also the names of such Ministers and others that are appointed Tryers and Judges of the Ability of Elders in the twelve Classes within the Prâ—vince of London January 7. 1645. An Ordinance for making Covent-garden Parâ—chical and that the new erected Church within the Precinct of the said new intended Parish shall be a Parish-Church for the said Precinct and that William Earl of Bedford his Heirs and Assigns for ever shall have the Patronage of the said Church c. March 14. 1645. An Ordinance for keeping of scandalous Persons from the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper the enabling of the Congregation for the choyce of Elders and supplying of defects in former Ordinances and Directions of Parliament concerning Church-government June 5. 1646. An Ordinance for the present setling without further delay of the Presbyterial government in the Church of England August 28. 1646. An Ordinance for the Ordination of Ministers by the Classical Presbyters within their respective bounds for the several Congregations in the Kingdom of England January 29. 1647. An Ordinance for the speedy dividing and setling of the several Counties of this Kingdom into distinct Classical Presbyteries and Congregational Elderships February 9. 1647. An Ordinance for Reparation of Churches and paying of Church-duties April 3. 1648. An Ordinance for union of Churches in the City of Glocester and maintenance for Preaching Ministers there May 2. 1648. An Ordinance for punishing Blasphemies and Heresies The King on April 17. 1646. In disguise went out of Oxford attended by Mr. John Ashburnham and one more On May 6. His Majesty came to the Scots Army which occasioned the Scotch Commissioners to write to the Parliament about it May 19. the Scots came with the King to New-castle A great dispute was between the King and Mr. Alexander Henderson about Church-matters where after several Discourses and meetings 〈◊〉 Hist 〈…〉 many writings passed between them till July 16. concerning these matters by Authority of the Fathers and Practice of the Primitive Church His Majesty concludeth that to him it is incredible that any custome of the Catholick Church be erroneous which was not Contradicted by Orthodox Learned men in the times of their first practice as is easily perceived that these defections were which Henderson mentions And finally that albeit He never esteemed any Authority equal to the Scriptures yet he thinks the unanimous consent of the Fathers and the Universal practice of the Primitive Church to be the best and Authentical Interpreters of God's word and consequently the fiâ—test Judges between him and Henderson until better may be found These disputes were afterwards published in Print to the everlasting Honour of His Majesty and his Cause On February 6. 1646. the Scots according to agreement quitted New-castle and the English possessed it The Parliament voted the King's remove to Holdenby-house with respect to the safety of His Person And the Commissioners appointed for receiving the King's Person came to Newcastle on June 22. The King desireth two of his Chaplains to be with him which was denied him at which he is much troubled His Majesty resolves to keep every Friday a day of Solemn Fasting and Humiliation After His Majesty had been neer five moneths at Holdenby near a Thousand Souldiers commanded by Cornet Joyce came to Holdenby to the King and told him that they were come by command from the Army to remove him from that place His Majesty demanded whether they would offer any violence to his Person They all cried None He also desired that his Trunks and Papers might not be Riffled and tumbled They promised to set a guard on them Thirdly he required such servants to attend him against whom there was no just exceptions They answered he should Lastly he desired that nothing be imposed on him contrary to his Conscience They answered it was not their judgement to force any thing against Conscience upon any one much less on His Majesty So at one of the Clock His Majesty went along with them On June 28. 1647. His Majesty was brought to Hatfield the Duke of Richmond attending him and others and from thence came to Casam At this time the Parliament was jealous of the King and the Army lest they should treat without the consent of the Parliament And the Army likewise devised as many jealousies and fears of a private engagement and Subscribing in the City of London and against the Army Then the Parliament Order their Votes of the Militia in the hands of the City to be Null c. The Apprentices clamour at the Houses and gather together in Westminster-hall in such multitudes that the Commons were forced to unvote and null their last Orders Then the Army marcheth nearer London Both Speakers and some Members fly the Army On August 7. the General and the Army march in Triumph through the City Sir Thomas Fairfax is made Constable of the Tower and Titchburn is made Lieutenant of the Tower The King is brought first to Oatelands and afterward to Hampton-court and his Children Ordered to be with him September 28. 1647. The Commons considered of several Propositions to send to His Majesty That about Religion being the main thing They also Vote that His Majesty be desired to give His consent to such Act or Acts of Parliament as shall be presented for setling of Presbyterian Government according to the matter of several Ordinances of Parliament for the Directory or Church-government to continue for the space of three years from the time that the King shall give his consent to such Acts. They likewise voted the Common-prayer book shall not be used in Private November 11. 1647. the King escaped from Hampton-court and leâ—t on the Table three Papers one to the Parliament one to the Commissioners a third to Colonel Whaley On October 15. Information was brought to the House that His Majesty was safe at the Isle of Wight and
the several persons all over England to form a new Representative and a summons was sent to every one of them in the name of Oliver Cromwel Captain General of all the Forces c. to take upon them the trust to which they were summoned and to meet at Whitehall on July 5. These assembled at the time appointed and went to the Parliament House and chose Mr. Rouse made by the late Parliament Provost of Eaton to be their speaker This mock-Parliament called by some the little Parliament aimed at the new modelling both of Magistracy and Ministry but the Ministry and the maintenance thereof by Tithes they arraigned as an Antichristian Constitution Having passed an Act about Marriages Biâ—ths â—nd Burials on December 12. Rouse the Speaker told the House That their sitting was no longer necessary and presemly went out of the House with the Mace before him and many others following him he came to White-hall and there resigned to Cromwell the Instrument by him formerly delivered to them at their first sitting About four dayes after the Officers of the Army had prepared an Instrument or Systeme of Government on which the foundation of a new Dominion was to be erected and they entreated Oliver Cromwell to accept of the Government under the Title of Protector of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland He accepted it and was that day at one of the clock in the afternoon Installed at Westminster The Protector 's Council being chosen and established he makes a peace with the Dutch and with the Queen of Sweden Spain Portugal and France seek Cromwel's friendship As to the state of Religion at this time in England one thus describes it The Orthodox Protestants were wholly suppressed and yet some Reverend 〈◊〉 or the life and death of O. C. p. 144. persons as Doctor Usher Archbishop of Armagh and Doctor Brownrigg the Bishop of Exeter received some shews of respect and reverence from the Protector which he more manifestly declared afterward in the Funeral-expence of the Learned Archbishop Usher and this to captate a reputation of his love to Scholars and the meek modest and vertuous Clergy The Presbyterian was rather tolerated than countenanced and yet such of them as would comply with his Court-greatness became his Favourites for others of them he cared not pleasingly expressing himself how he had brought under the pride and arrogance of that Sect making those that would allow no liberty to others to sue for it themselves The Independents and Anabaptists he loved and preferred by turns and was most constant to them as the men that would support his Vsurpation Only he could by no means endure the Fifth Monarchy-men though by their dotages he had raised himself to this height Therefore Feak and Rogers Preachers were by him committed to prison Feak to Windsor and Rogers to Carisbrook in the Isle of Wight But it is said he set Mr. Kiffin the Anabaptist whom he had taken out of design into his favour with the party at variance with Feak to the raising of a fewd between them the ballance of his security in the Govâ—rnment The like he did between the Presbyterian and the Independent a subdivided Schism from the Church of England as the other were from Independency And it was observed that in most great Towns and Cities in England he placed an Independant Minister and a Preâ—byterian together that the one might ballance the other The Kirk of Scotland at this time had the wings of her Authority very much clipped if not quite taken away by the dissolution of the General Assembly which was done by Colonel Morgan at Aberdeen where they were assembled Mr. Andrew Cant and the rest of them in vain protesting against the Action The like disturbance they had afterwards at Edenburgh from Lieutenant Colonel Cotterel The Marquess of Argyle to keep up his Reputation with the Church of Scotland seemed much troubled at this proceeding against the Assemblies and interceded with the Protector for the liberty of the Church wherein he had good success and the Church of Scotland was indulged with the exercise of Religion and a great part of their Jurisdiction and Discipline They were restrained in little more than the power of keeping General Assemblies their Presbyteries being permitted to convene and the rigour of Excommunication for whereas before persons excommunicated were not only excluded from the communion of the Kirk but had all their Estates confiscated till their reconciliation This latter part was not now to be executed but to please the Ministers for the restraint of their power the maintenance of Scholars in Universities of Scotland was encreased and many priviledges were granted to them The Government and security of the Kingdom of Ireland was the next care of the Protector and his Son-in-law Lieutenant General Fleetwood is made Deputy of Ireland About this time an Ordinance was published for the Trial and Approbation Hughes Aâ—bridgemâ—nt of all Acts and publick Ordinances part 2. of Ministers wherein Doctor Thomas Goodwyn Philip Nye Hugh Peters Mr. Manton and divers others were named Commissioners It was ordained That every person who should after March 25. 1654. be presented nominated chosen or appointed to any Benefice called a Benefice with cure of Souls or to preach any publick Lecture in England or Wales should before he be admitted to such Benefice or Lecture be adjudged and approved of by the Persons forenamed to be a Person for the Grace of God in him his holy and unblameable Conversation and also for his knowledge and utterance able and fit to preach the Gospel And that after the said twenty five of March no person but such as should upon such approbation be admitted by the said persons should take any publick Lecture having a stipend legally annexed thereunto or take or receive any such Benefice as aforesaid or the profits thereof On June the twenty third following by the Protector with the advice of his Council it was further ordained That in case any person who since April the first 1653. hath been proved in any publick Benefice or publick Lecture should not before the twenty fourth of June 1654. obtain approbation and admittance in manner as in the said Ordinance is expressed that then the person or persons who have right thereunto shoulâ— and might present and nominate some other fit person to that place It was ordained also That tho said Commissioners in that Ordinance be authorized to give approbation and admittance to any person concerned in that clause of the said Ordinance at any time before the twenty third day of July 1654. and that in the mean time no person should present or nominate any person to any Benefice or publick Lecture in the place of any such person for the want of such approbation by the time aforesaid But if such approbation and admittance should not be by tâ—e said twenty third of July obtained by the said persons therein concerned then such person or persons as
Leases from Colledges and Hospitals Now some sixty Fifth-monarchy men under the conduct of one Thomas Venner a Cooper broke forth into Rebellion This Venner was a Preacher to a Conventicle of that opinion in Coleman-street in London Such was the madness of these men that they believed that They and the rest of their judgement were called by God to reform the world and make all the earthly powers which they called Babylon subservient to the Kingdom of Jesus and in Order thereunto never to sheath their swords till the carnal powers of the world were subdued They were taught and believed that one of them should subdue a Thousand making account when they had done their work in England to go into France Spain Germany and other parts of the world there to prosecute their pretended holy design The place where they plotted and continued their conspiracy was the meeting-place for their devotion and thither they had at several times convayed arms On Sunday January 6. which was the day before their excursion they were very late at their Assembly which made one Martin the Landlord of the House inquisitive after their doings He peeping through a chink in their door saw them arming themselves with Back breast and head-piece and thereupon immediately gave notice to the next Officers Half an hour after they came down and first marched to S. Thomas the Apostle to call some of their party from thence to Bishops-gate and after to White-cross-street They escaped to S. John's Wood and from thence to Canc-wood betwixt High-gate and Hampsted On Wednesday morning the Rebels came again into London and divided themselves into two parties one whereof about five or six in the morning appeared about Leaden-hall and from thence marched to little Eastcheap where they fought desperately but were dispersed by the trained bands Venner and another â—â—rty came to my Lord Mayor's house thinking to have taken him Prisoner but missing him they marched into Woodstreet where Colonel Corbet and nine of his party charged through the Rebels and broke them They fought with admirable courage and if they had not been hindred from encreasing their numbers a Thousand men so resolved might have done much mischief Venner himself was much wounded before he was taken and about five or six were killed that refused quarter About eight or ten dayes after Venner with about sixteen or seventeen of the most notorious were arraigned at Justice-hall in the old Baily found guilty and executed in several parts of London About this time there was a conference at the Savoy between divers Episcopal and Presbyterian Divines about the Church discipline but to little effect A new Parliament was called which assembled at Westminster May 8. 1661. In the first Session whereof an Act was passed Entitled An Act for disenabling all Persons in Holy Orders to exercise any temporal jurisdiction or Authority Repealed The Bishops were brought to sit again as Peers in the House of Lords and their Ecclesiastical jurisdiction restored to them The Parliament explained a clause contained in an Act of Parliament made in the seventeenth year of King Charles the first Entitled An Act for Repeal of a branch of a Statute Primo Elizabethae concerning Commissioners for causes Ecclesiastical At the second Session of this Parliament an Act was made against Quakers and others denying to take a Lawful Oath with several penalties to be inflicted on them for several offences An Act was also passed for Uniformity of publick Prayers and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies and of ordering and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons in the Church of England The King's Majesty according to his Declaration of the 25th of October 1660. had granted his Commission under the Great Seal of England to several Bishops and other Divines to review the Book of Common-Prayer and to prepare such additions and alterations as they thought fit to offer And afterwards the Convocations of both the Provinces of Canterbury and York being by His Majesty called and assembled His Majesty was pleased to Authorize and require the Presidents of the said Congregation and other the Bishops and Clergy of the same to review the said Book of Common-Prayer and the Book of the Form and manner of making and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons c. Since which time upon full and mature deliberation they the said Presidents Bishops and Clergy of both Provinces having accordingly reviewed the same Books and made some alterations which they thought fit to be inserted to the same and some additional Prayers to be used upon proper and emergent occasions and having presented the same unto His Majesty in Writing in one Book entitled The Book of Common-Prayer and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form and manner of making Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons All which His Majesty having duly considered fully approved and allowed the same and recommended to this present Parliament then sitting and yet continuing to sit that the said Book of Common-Prayer c. be the Book which shall be appointed to be used by all that officiate in all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and Chappels and in all Chappels or Colledges and Halls in both the Universities and the Colledges of Eaton and Winchester and in all Parish-Churches and Chappels within the Kingdom of England Dominion of Wales and Town of Berwick upon Tweed and by all that make or consecrate Bishops Priests or Deacons in any of the said places under such sanctions and penalties as the Houses of Parliament shall think fit And accordingly it was Enacted by the King's Majesty and both Houses of Parliament That Morning and Evening Prayers in the said Book contained should upon every Lord's day and upon all other days and occasions and at the times therein appointed be openly and solemnly read by all and every Minister and Curate in every Church Chappel or other place of publick worship within this Realm of England and places aforesaid It was also Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every Parson Vicar or other Minister whatsoever who then had and enjoyed any Ecclesiastical Benefice or Promottion within this Realm of England c. should in the Church Chappel or place of publick worship belonging to his said Benefice or Promotion upon some Lord's day before the Feast of St. Bartholomew which should be in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty two openly publickly and solemnly read the Morning and Evening Prayer appointed to be read by and according to the said Book of Common-Prayer at the times thereby appointed and after such reading thereof openly and publickly before the Congregation there assembled declare his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all things in the said Book contained and prescribed in these words and no other I A.
an Act was passed for relief of such persons as by Sickness or other Impediment were disabled from subscribing the Declaration in the Act of Uniformity and explanation of part of the said Act. In the sixteenth year of his Majestie 's Reign an Act was passed for suppression of Seditious Conventicles under pretence of exercise of Religion Wherein it was Enacted That if any person being of the age of fixteen years and upwards being a Subject of this Realm at any time after the first day of July 1664. shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion in any other manner than is allowed by the Liturgy or practice of the Church of England in any place within the Kingdom of England Dominion of Wales c. at which Conventicle Meeting or Assembly there shall be five persons or more assembled together over and above those of the same Houshold then it shall and may be lawful to and for any two Justices of the Peace of the County limit division or liberty wherein the said offence aforesaid shall be committed c. and they are hereby required and enjoyned upon proof to him or them respectively made of such offence either by confession of the party or Oath of witness or notorious evidence of the fact to make a Record of every such offence under their hands and seals respectively And that thereupon the said Justices c. shall commit every such offender so convicted as aforesaid to the Gaol or house of Correction there to remain for three moneths without Bayl or Mainprize unless the said offender shall pay down to the said Justices or chief Magistrate such sum of money not exceeding five pounds as the said Justices or Chief-magistrate who are hereby thereunto authorized and required shall fine the said offender at for his or her said offence which money shall be paid to the Church-wardens for the relief of the poor of the Parish where such offender did last inhabit Upon every second offence the offender to be imprisoned six moneths and to be fined ten pounds And upon the third offence the offender to be transplanted beyond the Seas to any of his Majesties Forreign Plantations Virginia and New England onely excepted there to remain seven years It was further Enacted That the Lieutennants or Deputy-lieutennants or any Commissioned Officers of the Militia or any other of his Majestie 's Forces with such Troops or Companies of Horse and Foot and also the Sheriffs Justices of Peace and other Magistrates and Ministers of Justice or any of them joyntly or severally within any of the Counties or places within this Kingdom of England Dominion of Wales c. shall repair unto the place where such Conâ—enticles are held and by the best means they can shall dissolâ—e and dissipate or prevent all such unlawful meetings and take into their custody such of those persons so unlawfully assembled as they shall judge to be the leaders and seducers of the rest and such others as they shall think fit to be proceeded against according to Law for such offences Every person who shall willingly suffer any such Conventicle to be held in his or her house out-house barn yard c. shall incur the same penalties and forfeitures as any other offender against this Act ought to be proceeded against In the seventeenth year of His Majestie 's Reign an Act was passed for restraining Non-conformists from inhabiting in Corporations Herein it was Enacted That all Parsons Vicars Curates Lecturers and other persons in holy Orders or pretended holy Orders c. who have not declared their unfeigned assent and consent as aforesaid and subscribed the Declaration aforesaid and shall not take and subscribe the Oath following I A. B. do swear that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Armes against the King and that I do abhor that traiterous position of taking Armes by his Authority against his person or against those that are Commissioned by him in pursuance of such Commissions And that I will not endeavour at any time any alteration of Government either in Church or State And all such persons as shall take upon them to Preach in any unlawfull Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion contrary to the the Lawes and Statutes of this Kingdom shall not at any time from and after the 24th of March 1665. unless onely in passing upon the Road come or be within five miles of any City or Town Corporate or Borough that sends Burgesses to the Parliament within His Majesties Kingdom of England Principality of Wales c. or within five miles of any Parish Town or Place wherein He or They have been since the Act of Oblivion Parson Vicar Curate Lecturer c. or taken upon them to Preach in any unlawful Assembly c. under colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion c. before He or They have subscribed or taken the Oath aforesaid before the Justices of the Peace at their quarter Sessions to be holden for the County or division next unto the said Corporation City or Borough place or Town in open Court which said Oath the said Justices are thereby impowred there to administer upon forfeiture for every such offence the sum of forty pounds of lawful English money the one third part to his Majesty and his Successors the other third part to the use of the poor of the Parish where the offence shall be committed and the other third part thereof to such person or persons as shall or will sue for the same by Action of Debt Plaint Bill or Information in any Court of Record at Westminster or before any Justices of Assize Oyer and Terminer or Gaol-delivery c. Provided also That it shall not be lawful for any person or persons restrained from coming to any City Town Corporate Borough c. or for any other person or persons as shall not first take and subscribe the said Oath and as shall not frequent Divine Service established by the Laws of this Kingdom and carry him or her self reverently decently and orderly there to teach any publick or private School or take any Boarders or Tablers that are taught or instructed by him or her self or any other upon pain for every such offence to forfeit the sum of forty pounds to be recovered and distributed as aforefaid The offender also to be committed for six moneths to prison by two Justices of the Peace of the respective County without Bayl or Mainprize unless upon or before such commitment he shall before the said Justices of the Peace swear and subscribe the aforesaid Oath and Declaration An Act was also passed for uniting Churches in Cities and Towns Corporate which was judged necessary by reason of the great ruine of many Churches and Parishes in the late ill times and otherwise The Parishes to remain distinct as to all Rates Taxes Parochial rights charges and duties and
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 Sâ—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 Turberâ—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 hâ—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. Alfâ—idus 3. Theodredus the First 4. Theodredus the Second 5. Athelstan 6. Algarus 7. Alwynus 8. Alfricus 9. Alyfâ—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 Bishopâ— 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